Nedé Rising Review

Some novels just cannot be put down once they are started! I am definitely guilty of staying up way too late to read just one more chapter. Any books by Francine Rivers, Davis Bunn, and Lynn Austin are just a few I might have poured over into the wee morning hours. However, I now have a new author I can’t resist: Jess Corban.

She is a young author with a communications degree, though she credits her vast travel experience for her real education. Her first two novels, A Gentle Tyranny and A Brutal Justice, demonstrate her belief that our world needs men and women who “choose the good of others above [their] own desires” (A Gentle Tyranny p. 378). Below is a sippet of the storylines, then a quick discussion of what I love and what I question. Enjoy!

Story Overview

Welcome to Nedé! A dystopian world where women reign. But what does that fancy word mean? Well, the dystopian genre, according to Merriam-Webster, is “an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives.” This new world created by author Jess Corban is wretched but in a gentle way, as the title of the first book suggest.

In A Gentle Tyranny, we are introduced to a new world where a coalition of women have eradicated all men (literally) and restarted civilization in a protected Amazonian haven. They run the government, grow food, have lived lives for 9 generations now; some women even have had babies. Any said baby born a boy is given a vaccine to gentle him. These Gentles are used as servants of the women in Nedé. The story opens with 17-year-old Reina Pierce, who must choose her destiny (life work) and can’t wait to get away from her mother’s finca (basically a homestead). While debating if she should join the Alexa (elite armed forces), Reina is chosen by her grandmother to candidate as the reigning matriarch’s succussion. During this competition, our heroine “discovers their Eden has come at a cost she’s not sure she’s willing to pay” (A Gentle Tyranny back cover). And what role do the Brutes hiding in the jungle have? Reina is left to discover who they are, how they got there, and what needs to be done with them. Can she trust them; can the Brutes trust Reina?

The second and final book of the Nedé Rising series is A Brutal Justice, and it picks up the pace action-wise. After a decision that will forever haunt her, Reina takes steps to revealing the truth and to bring justice, protection, and safety to those who need it. It doesn’t quite turn out the way one would expect, but this ending leaves room for more books. And I am definitely one who is hoping Jess Corban will keep Nedé alive.

The main themes can be summed up in the key questions posed throughout the books and the main mantras of both the Nedéan and the Brutes: “What if women unraveled the evils of patriarchy” (A Gentle Tyranny back cover)? “Protect the weak. Safety for all. Power without virtue is tyranny” (A Gentle Tyranny p. xviii). Which is better: Brute or Gentle? Choice, trust, forgiveness. “Brawn without control makes you an animal” (A Brutal Justice p. 160). Corban weaves her answers through Reina’s experiences and thought process. These themes are definitely not easy ones to tackle in our society today but are necessary. Kudos to Corban for her willingness to write this story!

What I Love

As you know, I couldn’t put these books down! The plot. The character development. The descriptions. The love story. I enjoyed it all! The storyline, as described above, is SO intriguing. I appreciation the world that Corban has created here so that we can better understand the importance of masculinity and femininity, the roles men and women play in a society.

Reina comes to understand these roles well and the importance of strong women and strong men. We live the story through Reina’s eyes and thoughts. Her awakening to the truth of her world is laid out, and we learn as our Candidate for the Matriarch does. The most comical example of Reina’s growing awareness is her interaction with brutes, plus this following quote gives an idea of the amazing descriptions Corban creates throughout the story. Our leading lady was training with her horse when she falls and is knocked unconscious; she awakes, with her eyes still closed, to deep voices above her, a cloth wrapped around her head, and arms carrying her to the shade. While being moved, she opens her eyes a slit and, “The face is as foreign as its voice: shaped more like a Gentle’s than mine, but squarer, with bristles on its cheek, and wild, dark hair, pulled back but not tamed. It’s a he, I think, though his strength far surpasses a Gentle’s. Eclipses even mine. Am I dead? Dreaming? His bare chest sticks to my cheek, and feels rough with…hair? What the bats?” (A Gentle Tyranny p. 6-7).

Now, this is no romance novel though it has an amusing love story; I only wanted to give an example of Reina’s interactions with Brutes. Now, let me give a few more short examples of Corban’s descriptive talents: “Mother’s peaceful expression furrows when she notices the gashed lump near my hairline, still swollen after the blow to the wood ramp yesterday” (A Gentle Tyranny p. 25). Another: “Though her expression is less dour than her mother’s, she has the same high eyebrows, which have the look of always appraising. Even amidst the glut of grandeur, she, like the other Senators, has abstained from flashy jewelry or fancy clothes and so appears particularly drab next to the Matriarch’s sparkling sheath dress topped with her colourful robe” (A Gentle Tyranny p. 114). Those descriptions, and many more like them, make the story come to life! I greatly appreciate Corban’s creative writing talent.

What I Question

Though Corban’s plot and characters are well thought out, the dystopian aspect of the storyline is harsh, but I guess that is part of this genre. Without giving away too much of the story, Reina must decide if the sacrifice of one for the good of all is true. As the reader on this side of the story, we question the validity of her choice. Was there no alternative? Perhaps this choice shows the reality of potential evil in all of us when living a life without God.

The same paradigm is true for Rohan as we learn about one of his past choices. One almost questions if this part of the story really reflects the character Rohan is made out to be. What caused him to change? This leads to another disappointment with the novels: why not more mention of God and His transforming power? Will that come later? Will Leda’s faith (Reina’s mother) come forward as the only true and lasting option for change in a society desiring virtue and justice? Can truly selfless masculinity and femininity be attained outside of a relationship with God? I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the author chooses.

Conclusion

It says in I Corinthians 13:13, “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” This verse really does incapsulate the heart of Corban’s novels. Love was the motivating factor: love for friend, family, society, and those to be more than friends. What sacrifices must happen when we love someone? This love is contrasted by the selfishness from fear and greed. So, again, well done, Corban! You wrote a book I couldn’t put down; one that I actually started rereading while writing this blog. I look forward to staying up late with your next book!

A blog post by Nathalie Davidson

May 19, 2023.