After being imprisoned and branded for the death of her client, twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling 1720's French colony of Louisiana, where she hopes to be reunited with her brother, serving there as a soldier. To make the journey, though, women must be married, and Julianne is forced to wed a fellow convict.
When they arrive in New Orleans, there is no news of Benjamin, Julianne's brother, and searching for answers proves dangerous. What is behind the mystery, and does military officer Marc-Paul Girard know more than he is letting on?
With her dreams of a new life shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous, rugged land, despite never being able to escape the king's mark on her shoulder that brands her a criminal beyond redemption.
The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green was an interesting and thought provoking read about a subject and time period I knew very little about. It involves the prison/exile French colony in Louisiana, and it delves into the conditions faced by the prisoners, locals, and soldier in ramshackle town of New Orleans. The plot line was well written and moved at the perfect pace, allowing me to dig deeper into the story and really connect with the characters. The descriptions of the settings, environment, and situations were outstanding, and I felt like I could actually picture what was happening. The characters were well developed and realistic, and I felt as if I could actually feel the emotions that Julianne experienced as she found herself first unfairly imprisoned, then married, and finally across the seas in the wilderness of Louisiana. I was drawn into her conflicts and the decisions she had to make, and I appreciated the other, more minor characters and the depth they added to the story. Overall, I highly enjoyed this novel, and I look forward to reading more of Jocelyn Green's excellent books.
I received this novel from Netgalley and Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.
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