A review by snazel
The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats

5.0

VERY good historical fiction, written from two points of view, about ten years after the english conquest of Whales. Learned a lot about that time period, but it also made me think a lot about how people can get punched down by a political system and look for any outlet to punch down themselves, not realizing how much further crushed a person can be. Our english character is pretty fairly punched by the system — is being told what to do by almost everyone she meets, is desperately missing her home and friends, is being told she doesn't measure up by everyone in a position of power over her— but when she finally finds someone she can express her power over she doesn't realize that she is actually holding someone's life or death in her hand, someone who's already bereaved and starving. There's a bigger arc about the difference between justice and vengeance, about seeing an oppressed people as still people, but that internal arc about being careful what you do with the power you have over a person really stuck with me.

Author is one to watch, for sure.