Almost 4-stars

‘Defy the Night’ presents an entertaining blend of political intrigue and romance, although the character-driven storyline is fairly simple.

A simple, casual writing style with good prose and details smoothly brings this story to life. I was particularly impressed by the bloodcarving ability of the main character, which was brilliantly presented and explored. However, the worldbuilding felt somewhat thin and underdeveloped, especially since some concepts, like the constabulary, were mentioned but played no role in the story.