Things are not going great for Cecily. Not only have her and her father been forced out of the only home she's known by her father's older brother, but her father decides that they're going to move to Wales. Wales, which has been newly conquered again by King Edward. Wales, which is full of savages.
Needless to say, she's not pleased.
But she's not the only one. Gwenhwyfar (or Gwinny, as Cecily takes to calling her) would want nothing better than to see the English removed from her home, for things to return to the way they used to be. But with the English occupying Caernarvon, she and her brother, Gruffyd, are forced to live hand to mouth, working day in and day out just to keep a roof over their heads, their mother alive, and the taxmen off their backs. Resentful is not a harsh enough term for how Gwenhwyfar feels about Cecily, who she calls the brat. And Cecily doesn't care too much for her, Gwinny being a savage and all. But being forced together can make for a strange friendship, if it can be called that. Unfortunately, a strange friendship is not enough to overcome systemic oppression, especially when the two of them were never equal in the first place. Like the title suggests, both girls are capable of being wicked and just, and neither the English or the Welsh are right in their actions. This book is a fantastic look at the power that's at play when people decide to conquer others and subjugate them unfairly, yet it still manages to entertain. Cecily is so bratty but secretly insecure that contemporary readers will identify with her. Gwenhwyfar, when the perspective switches to her, is terse, angry, and, at times, befuddled when Cecily manages to not act like a jerk. While most of the book reads like J. Anderson Coats is just trying to give you a slice of life, the setting and the characters will keep your interest until the action picks up towards the end. It's a wonderful story that deals with issues that are still around today, even if the setting and situation are unknown to the reader.
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