Defy the Night’s use of two narrators provides the reader access to both Tessa and Corrick’s inner thoughts, emotions, and desires. Although Tessa and Corrick are close in age and have both lost their parents, they come from different social backgrounds, which significantly impacts the choices that are available to them. Tessa initially detests Prince Corrick and King Harristan because they appear to be violent, incompetent, and disinterested in the wellbeing of their subjects. Only with communication does she come to understand that both brothers have the same goal of peace as her; the brothers have their own limitations despite being royals. Ultimately, the three can only accomplish their shared goal of saving Kandala from the pandemic by combining their individual perspectives, positions, and skills. The consuls and elites follow the king, but the masses only trust Tessa, so the three have to work together to make progress.

Early in the novel, Tessa’s choices are limited because of her age, gender, and social position. She is, as Consul Allisander Sallister says, just “some girl.” Despite being just “some girl,” Tessa was trained as an apothecary by her father and has discovered medical knowledge that could save the kingdom: Firstly, she can save three times as many people with the palace-approved dosage of medicine, and secondly, she discovers that some of the medicine being sold to the palace and given to rebels is fake.