A Brutal Justice: intense, gripping

In A Brutal Justice by Jess Corban, the second book in the Nede Rising Series, will Reina succeed at defeating corruption? (I reviewed the first, A Gentle Tyranny here.)

Set in a hot, South American climate in a society made up of women ruled by women and served by expendable Gentles, this novel’s theme is that evil can exist in women and men, that individuals choose. By choosing wisely and not selfishly, they can work together for a better world.

Tyranny confronted

The story picks up a few weeks following where the first book left off. Reina’s grandmother, the Matriarch, didn’t choose Reina as the Apprentice, so Reina chose to be an Alexia, an elite warrior. She hides her struggles over hard losses as she trains. One notices an internal strength she will need to carry her through difficult times.

In Nede, all the little girls learn that men (Brutes) are dangerous and uncontrollable. Brutes cannot be trusted. Generations have been told this. The Nedean motto says, “Protect the weak. Safety for all. Power without virtue is tyranny.”

Yet, Reina discovered the Matriarch doesn’t live out the motto. In fact, she’s a tyrant, and A Brutal Justice is about righting a great wrong, delivering Nede from tyranny.

The book starts out intense and stays that way through to the end. Of course, there are scenes to give the reader breathing space, gentle scenes that illustrate that men are human not monsters. Reina learns to trust the Brutes and works to save baby boys from being turned into Gentles. Infant males get vaccinated which ruins their health and makes them weak. Someone secreted some infants into the jungle to save them from this fate. When this person gets discovered and attacked, Reina continues the mission which puts her in a dangerous position because now her countrywomen call her a traitor.

Reina finds the men living in the jungle, and they make a plan to restore Nede to a place where all people are protected and safe, not just women.

Clean read for older teens

This is a great story that I recommend for mature teens. The novel contains violence, but descriptions are not graphic. Readers are drawn into the well-written story, experiencing the intensity of the dangerous moments, as well as the sweet, budding love. This is a totally clean read, so there are no worries about readers encountering anything inappropriate.

Corban creates a believable dystopian world. I found it troubling for men to be called Brutes, but that fits with the story.

Reina must convince another Alexia to consider that what Nede has been doing to the infant boys is wrong and that men can be trusted also. I appreciated all the examples of integrity shown and the restraint the men had when they were unfairly judged.

Beautiful descriptions take us into the world, and the reader feels like she actually runs through the jungle, sails on the open sea, and gallops on a mighty steed.

Some people compare this series with Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games. Both dystopian novels deal with heroines fighting to defeat a corrupt system.

Jess Corban writes well and tells a gripping tale that you’ll not want to put down. I hope to read more by her in the future.

Tyndale published this young adult dystopian novel. Half of her earnings for this series goes to “support organizations seeking to end violence against women and promote change.”

Have you read the Nede Rising Series? What other novels do you recommend that promote justice for all?