A New Setting to Explore
I’ve been reading primarily fantasy this summer, and a historical fiction novel was a welcome interlude for me. The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green was a particularly delightful find. Why? Because it explores a little known piece of history (for me, at least)! That’s an automatic positive in my mind. What are books for if not to explore something or somewhere you’ve not been before?
Spoiler-Free Summary
The Mark of the King opens in 18th century France. Midwife Julianne Chevalier is falsely accused in a patient’s death and sentenced to prison. When the opportunity presents itself to flee to the fledgling French colony in Louisiana where her brother is a soldier, Julianne jumps on it! What follows is a harrowing account as she is forced to wed a fellow convict she doesn’t know and travel to a colony in dire straits. Once there, Julianne can see quickly things are not as they should be, especially regarding her brother.
What I Liked
- Historical Setting: 18th century Louisiana was a neat place to be. I’m familiar with the English colonies, so learning about the French one and their relationship with the natives of the area was fascinating.
- Characters: Julianne was a lovely protagonist. Thoughtful, independent, hard-working, but gentle and kind. The male main characters were also well-rounded and interesting. The “bad guys” of the tale were just that. Bad and easy to hate!
- Unexpected Twists: There were several plot points I did not see coming!
- Writing Style: Green is a good writer with beautiful prose. Dialogue was natural, and (for the most part) the pacing of the story was good.
What I Liked Less
- Overall, Sad: While realistic, I’m sure, Julianne’s story was sorrowful. It was not an intense read like some of the Holocaust books I’ve read, per se, but it was just rather sad. There was little levity throughout.
- Ending Resolved Too Quickly: It is not my preference when most of the action occurs in the last few chapters. And it is not my favorite at all when the resolution occurs and the story ends within the same chapter.
Would You Like The Mark of the King?
If you like:
- Forced proximity tropes
- Forced marriage tropes
- An element of mystery
- Faith woven throughout
- Clean read (no swearing or explicit content)
- 18th century settings
You should definitely pick up this novel!
Final Thoughts
The Mark of the King gets four stars from me! It was easy to read, even though the story was rather sad. It kept me engaged the whole time. One star knocked for the rapidly resolved ending.
If you like historical novels, check out my book list for additional recommendations for your TBR!
Content Rating: Mild
references to heavy subject material (including infant loss, assault, etc…) but nothing explicit whatsoever
Copyright Jocelyn Green and Bethany House. Image from Amazon.