This was a very good sequel to The Stars Are Dying. The vampire romance and star crossed lovers trope reminded me of the Crowns of Nyaxia mashed with Zodiac Academy. With the added cliffhanger I just can't wait to read the next book!

First, thank you to Tor Publishing Group for this digital early copy!

Now for the review..

HOLY F-ING SH!T

The emotional rollercoaster I went on with this book..I’m still crying. Book 2 gives us so many answers to questions we were wondering in book 1 which I love. As we see the past unfolding, discoveries are made that I was not expecting at all. Also got to connect more with the characters and made me fall in love with them even more. I decided to purchase the audio and WOW! The narrators, Corvin King and Jacci Prior, did a phenomenal job with their performance. The audiobook is in duet style which is my favorite and truly brought the story to life. The way they were both able to voice multiple characters and voices had me in awe. Chloe please expect my therapy bill for this beautiful piece!

Overall rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wanted to enjoy this so deeply but I found myself reading page after page and not feeling satisfied. I struggled to get through the last half of the first book but was really hoping that it was a me problem. I find that I’m not attached to the characters and for a character driven plot I feel that it’s necessary to at least enjoy one of the main characters.
Nyte is so hot and cold and delivers some great one-liners, but I wasn’t enamored with him as an MMC as I usually am two books into a series,
I’ve noticed that with both books in this series I found myself having to re-read pages because a chapter ended and I wasn’t sure if I missed something or not. I’m hoping that I feel different about this series with time, especially considering I love this authors Heir Come To Rose series.
All in all, not my cup of tea but I have no doubt that lovers of the first book will enjoy this second installment.

~ Forbidden Love
~ Dual POV
~ Found Family

✨ My Thoughts ✨
This was just a magical journey. We start off right where book one ended. Astraea is learning who she is. I loved reading her journey to do so. Nyte has my full heart. Getting his POV in this book was so nice. He truly is a villain you will fall for. I highlighted so many of his quotes. The banter and tension was so good. The spice was absolutely fire. The angst of the forbidden love was probably some of favorite. I loved seeing some of the side characters again. I loved the found family in this book. I love finding all the easter eggs from book one come into play with this book. This book also took me on emotional journey as well. The last hour of this book my heart racing, crying, and my jaw on the floor. I loved every minute of it. I am excited to get the final book in this trilogy.

The Night is Defying is book two in the Nytefall series. This series is recommended for 18+. As always please check TW before reading.

The Night Is Defying is an emotional, atmospheric journey filled with heartbreak, dark intrigue, and forbidden love. Chloe C. Peñaranda delivers a powerful sequel that sets the stage for even greater stakes in the Nytefall series. If you love morally complex characters, star-crossed lovers, and high fantasy with a dark edge, this is a must-read.

As a second in a romantasy trilogy, this falls hard into second book territory. Even more confusing, the timelines switch constantly, in a way that is very jarring from the story that the reader is already working desperately to grasp.

I found the first book, especially at the beginning, to be hard to follow but I was eventually sucked in. The structure of this book was such that not only was I not sucked in, but also as soon as I started to get into the groove, the timelines would switch and I was left scrambling for understanding.

The readers are brought back to the story of Astraea and Nyte, star-crossed lovers. Astraea is the daughter of dusk and dawn, the star maiden, who is just now getting her memories back from her prior life. Nyte, also known as Night's Death, is a fae-turned vampire, son of the evil king, and from another world. Being together is causing the stars to die but they cannot seem to stop boning.

I really think this series needed someone to sit down with some serious editing scissors because I kept asking myself, where is the point and how do we cut to it? I will read the next book because I hate when I am left without a conclusion. I see a ton of potential within this story and world but really need the editing.

If you are a romantasy fan, you may want to add it to your collection but I would recommend reading it first. This is a great public library purchase for those that already have the first book.

Thank you to Tor, Bramble, and Net Galley for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

So I did write a review already for this book on Goodreads , I’m sorry I wasn’t aware I needed to do both. I loved this book so much! I fell in love with the first book and honestly this book just sold me on the story completely . You’re doing great .

I love love loved this book! I can not wait to have it in my hands in the next week or so. I love this story, the world the love. It’s all just so magical and I can’t express how I love her writing.

Thank you for the opportunity to read The Night is Defying, it didn't quite work out how I hoped it would.

3.75 stars rounded up

I found the second installment in the Nytefall series to be a more fast, action filled read than its predecessor; Although at times the pacing did jump around a bit much which felt a bit inconsistent especially around the middle.
I adored Astraea and how her evolution as a character truly developed throughout the story, I genuinely felt as if i was going through her journey with her and I felt every bit of her emotional growth.
Nyte delivers on the tragic, dark, starcrossed vibes in spades and I am here for it. I feel like we got a bit more complexity with the layers of how nothing is ever completely one thing. You can be a villainous monster and yet have depth and be a victim with painful softness.

I genuinely adored the complete chaos, fast paced emotional investment that tugs you towards beautiful devistation. That ending!
Cannot wait for the next!

Thank you netgalley, Chloe C. Peñaranda, and Tor publishing group for allowing me to read this arc!

This sequel ended up being quite disappointing for me.

I fairly liked The Stars are Dying, admittedly with its major flaws. Despite the trope overload and sometimes absurd shifts in plot and in character, the premise was compelling. I was hoping that we would get some answers in the sequel to some of the glaring plot holes so I could make sense of it as a reader.

Unfortunately, I did not get that. One of the things I like about romantasy is that we get the complexities of circumstances and worldbuilding with romantic tension and exciting characters. The plot in The Nights are Defying is all over the place - we have flashbacks but only a couple, but then we have another romantic lead but also a rebellion? It wasn't clear where one plot point came from and how it connected.

The other issue I had with this sequel was the literal hot and cold vibes from Nyte: I totally get he is supposed to be the "big bad" but sometimes he is just fucking mean to Astraea and she goes in between hating and then falling head over heels for him. I love my enemies to lovers but sometimes there was just no lovers, just enemies and he was just being a dick for literally no reason.

I also did not care for some of the holes in the worldbuilding: I'm still not sure why they can't be in the same place at the same time (because they are both too OP? I'm not sure).

I would have loved this immensely more if we had more cohesive worldbuilding and a consistent plot. This had so much promise but I was unfortunately very disappointed.

Thanks to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for this review.

The Night Is Defying by: Chloe C. Penaranda

“Nyte isn’t the savior you pray for. But he’s the one you hope will answer anyway”

The Night is Defying started off a bit confusing and I was lost for second until I realized we went back in time and have dual point of views. It was so fun seeing the world and Astraea from Nytes point of view (he’s the villain we all love)

The Night is defying will have you feeling all of the emotions. There is a lot of character growth, new friends we meet along the way but also betrayal that will leave you seething. The ending is total chaos that will leave you heartbroken

If you’re looking for a romantasy with complex characters, romance and spice and dragons the Nytefall series is for you!

A big Thank You to NetGally for offering me the chance to read the Earc for The Night is Defying!

This book seems like it should have came before The Stars are Dying. Additionally, the beginning of the book didn’t connect with the ending of the first book. Both books actually seem like they could be standalone books. One might read both books to lock in who the characters are.

The Night is Defying is the second installment in the Nytefall trilogy. After finishing book one, The Stars are Dying, I was hoping to find more world building and a plot outside of the romance in book 2, unfortunately that did not happen. I DNF’d The Night is Defying at 35%. I don’t think I could give you an explanation of the plot in this series outside of the tropes holding it together. The start of every chapter felt like whiplash as the previous chapter ends abruptly and just moves on to the next scene with NO relation to the previous chapter ever, yet it was still predictable. It just had WAY too much going on and to many new things introduced rather than building off the sliver of a world we got in book one. The random love trilogy and then dragons?….they came out of where and felt very random.

Overall this was an enjoyable sequel! A lot of the questions I was left with after The Stars are Dying were answered and we learned a lot more about the world without being overwhelmed by complex world building. I will say I often felt like too much was going on in the background and some parts in the middle seemed a little repetitive, but I continue to absolutely adore Nyte and Astraea’s love story and I enjoyed learning more about Astraea’s relationships with other characters. Similar to the first book, things really started to pick up at the end so I’m looking forward to reading the trilogy’s conclusion!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

What to Expect:
🖤 Big Character Growth
🖤 Stubborn Star-crossed lovers
🖤 Savior x Villain
🖤 Found Family
🖤 Twists & Revelations
🖤 Obsessed with Her

This action-packed sequel to The Stars Are Dying delivers all the tropes and vibes romantasy lovers crave. With forbidden love, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a heroine unraveling the mysteries of her past, it’s an intense and thrilling ride. The world expands beautifully, introducing more characters, regions, and a deeper dive into the lore, creating a richer and more immersive story.

Astrea’s journey is front and center as she rediscovers herself and pieces together the fragments of her memories. Meanwhile, Nyte is free and fully committed to helping her because, of course, he’s an unabashed simp for her, and I ate up every second of it. Yes, some of the moments felt a bit repetitive, but Nyte simping over Astrea hit all the serotonin buttons.

This installment is more fast-paced and chaotic than its predecessor, with the story jumping across various threads and settings. Still, the stakes are high, alliances are ever-shifting, and secrets lurk around every corner, keeping you hooked. And let’s not forget the violence and destruction because, apparently, reclaiming love isn’t complete without a bit of chaos and carnage.

Thank you to Chloe C. Peñaranda, the author, NetGalley, and the Tor Publishing Group team for the ARC opportunity.

I was given the opportunity to read an arc copy pf this book, from netgally. And thank you for that!

This have dual POV which I love! To finally hear Nytes POV is ❤️

The story is good.. the push and pull of both character is both good and annoying at the same time, but hey thats what makes it good right? Haha, I gave it 4 stars, only because I keep getting distracted while reading it, it didn't suck me in like other books that I read, but the story is good.. :)

"There is no star in the sky that shines as bright as you."
"There is no darkness that defies the night like you."

✨ Wow. Just...wow. The Night Is Defying is EVERYTHING I hoped for in a sequel to The Stars Are Dying—and then some. This book delivered in every way imaginable, and I loved every single moment of it.

First off, the dual timelines? Absolute perfection. Chloe C. Peñaranda masterfully weaves the past and present together in a way that feels seamless and never confusing (unlike so many books that attempt this!). The storytelling was chef’s kiss.

Astrea and Nyte, though. Oh. My. Stars. Their chemistry is off the charts, and their forbidden romance? Utterly tragic and impossible not to devour. Nyte has officially claimed the title of BEST book boyfriend, and I will not be taking questions or criticism on this matter. 😂 Their love is raw, gut-wrenching, and so deeply emotional.

Let me break it down for you:
🌌 0–50%: Fully obsessed. Could not look away. Every word was magic.
🌠 50–100%: UNPUTDOWNABLE. I flew through the pages like my life depended on it.

AND THAT ENDING. I am not okay. It’s emotional, action-packed, and filled with yearning, heartbreak, and dazzling star-based magic that will leave you utterly entranced.

If you’ve been debating whether to start or continue this series, let me be your sign: DO IT. You will not regret it. I am SCREAMING for Book 3. This series is an absolute must-read for fans of emotional, high-stakes fantasy romance. 💫

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of one of my favorite series! You made a dream come true here!

The most I have cried in over a year. It's not often I find a second book is better than the first but this is the case. Whilst I loved the games of the first book, the depth of feeling and growth between the main characters was incredible. I love that it went in ways I didn't expect. I was gripped. Can't wait for the next one. I just need enough time to emotionally recover first.

It has been such a ride on Astraeas and Nytes story. This book was filled with plot twists and must die for scenes! It has been such a pleasure reading the second installment and well worth the wait. I’m looking forward to what comes next!