“A Brutal Justice,” Jess Corban’s follow-up to “A Gentle Tyranny,” picks up right where readers last saw Reina Pierce. Following the shocking events of the succession ceremony and the revelation of who her grandmother chose as her Apprentice as Matriarch of Nede, Reina is more determined than ever to help the Gentles. When labeled a traitor, Reina is forced to flee to the jungle into the Tree Camp of the Brutes. Together, with her eldest sister, Jonalyn, Gentle Neechi, and fellow Alexia fugitive, Bri, they learn tough lessons about the world they thought they knew. Is there truly a better version of a man: Gentle or Brute? And is it wrong to make the choice for them, by forcing all male children born in Nede to become Gentles because of a vaccine? Forced to choose between blood and love, Reina must decide just how far she will go to protect the voiceless, the Gentles. She wants safety and justice for all, but how far will she have to stoop to get it?
