The Big Idea: Juliette Wade

Posted on February 23, 2021    Posted by Athena Scalzi      3 Comments

Sometimes it feels like the choices we make don’t matter, and that in the grand scheme of things, the small things we do don’t make a big difference. Author Juliette Wade assures us in her Big Idea that even small things can ripple when we’re all connected. Read on to see how this plays a role in her newest novel, Transgressions of Power.

JULIETTE WADE:

In the nation of Varin, history is being made. 

The first book of The Broken Trust, Mazes of Power, introduced us to the ancient cavern city of Pelismara, and to the brothers Tagaret and Nekantor, whose opposing views about order and justice cast them into conflict when the noble caste chose a new Heir to the throne. Through their experiences, the book explored the stratified systems that make Varin’s society work the way it does, and looked at how those systems empower or confine the people who live inside them. 

In Transgressions of Power, Tagaret and Nekantor have become so entangled in their careful opposition that they have come to a near-standstill – and that means the people near them must push against Varin’s systems and create change. 

But what kind of change can people outside of power create, when Nekantor makes his move and everything starts to go wrong?  

Thirteen-year-old Adon, Tagaret and Nekantor’s youngest brother, has always felt like an outsider, but if he tries to change things, he’ll be in danger of becoming a pawn. 

Pyaras, Tagaret’s cousin, has spent much of his life being shamed for his friendship with a policeman from the Arissen caste; taking action will put himself and his friend in danger.

Della, Tagaret’s partner, has grand dreams of creating a new society, but she’s deliberately sidelined by the sexism of the noble Society, and her fragile health means she can become unable to act at unexpected moments.

Melín, a soldier, wants to be free to protect Pelismara’s food supplies from the wysps who make the surface uninhabitable, but because of her caste she’s required to take noblemen’s orders, even when they sideline her from her job and put her under Nekantor’s control.

In our own world, when we read about history, our eyes are guided to the roles of major players, great names whose heroism is laid out for us. When we look back on historical events with the advantage of distance, we know who heroes are and how they distinguish themselves. What happens, though, when we find ourselves right in the midst of historically significant events that are much larger than we are? Do we cope? Do we fight? What do we try to change, and how?

The big idea of Transgressions of Power is that a human being, in the moment of action, may not know what the significance of their choices might be; they might not be in a position of power that allows for drastic change; but their choices and actions matter. 

Acts may seem small when set against a huge societal system that was designed to self-regulate. However, because everything in the system is interconnected, small acts can resonate, and create cascades of influence with unexpected, often dangerous, results.

And the people outside the spotlight might become heroes.

Transgressions of Power: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Indiebound|Powell’s

Read an excerpt. Visit the author’s website. Follow her on Twitter.