The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green

Title: The Mark of the King

Author: Jocelyn Green

Pages: 416

Release Date: January 3, 2017

Genre: Historical romance

Publisher: Bethany House

Format: Paperback (also available in eBook)

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.

About the book:

     Life in this New World requires more strength than she ever imagined.

     After the death of her client, midwife Julianne Chevalier is imprisoned and branded, marking her as a criminal beyond redemption. Hoping to reunite with her brother, a soldier, she trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling French colony of Louisiana. The price of her transport, however, is a forced marriage to a fellow convict.

     New Orleans is nothing like Julianne expects. The settlement is steeped in mud and mosquitoes, and there is no news of her brother, Benjamin. When tragedy strikes, she turns to military officer Marc-Paul Girard for help, but does he know more about her brother than he will admit?

     With her dreams shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous land, where only grace—and love—can overcome the stigma of the king’s mark upon her shoulder.

My review:

     This is an incredible historical novel!

     The depth of the characters is marvelous. Each of the main characters, Julianne Chevalier and Marc-Paul Girard, deal with intense inner turmoil that makes it very difficult to trust others. There are also a number of secondary characters that are hiding deep secrets that cause grave danger to others.

     The historical content is great. I’ve never looked into 1700s New Orleans and its development. I had never given any thought to the early settlement of New Orleans and the French settlers in the New World. I was absolutely fascinated by my first exposure to this period in the history of America.

     The amount of detail given in the descriptions is wonderful. My heart felt broken by many of the ordeals and trials that the characters faced. The way that the settlers were treated by the soldiers was appalling.

     I have to give this fantastic book a rating of 5 stars. I am definitely highly recommending it.

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