The King’s Mercy was an epic tale that truly made me feel as if I had stepped back in time. I loved the flashbacks in the first portion of the book that allowed me to glimpse the battle and what happened to Alex MacKinnon before he arrived at Severn Plantation.
I enjoyed the many varied characters throughout the novel and appreciated getting to know their stories. The romance that blossomed between the two main characters was fraught with complications, as was so much that happened in the story. Alex had such a faith journey to travel in this story and his learning to hand over control to God was fulfilling to read about.
There was much darkness in this novel, as well, yet the author handled things in a respectful way. The villain was one of the most disturbing that I have read about, yet the overall tone of the book spoke to overcoming evil and trusting in God.
(4 stars)
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
For readers of Sara Donati and Diana Gabaldon, this epic historical romance tells of fateful love between an indentured Scotsman and a daughter of the 18th century colonial south.
When captured rebel Scotsman Alex MacKinnon is granted the king’s mercy–exile to the Colony of North Carolina–he’s indentured to Englishman Edmund Carey as a blacksmith. Against his will Alex is drawn into the struggles of Carey’s slaves–and those of his stepdaughter, Joanna Carey. A mistress with a servant’s heart, Joanna is expected to wed her father’s overseer, Phineas Reeves, but finds herself drawn instead to the new blacksmith. As their unlikely relationship deepens, successive tragedies strike the Careys. When blame falls unfairly upon Alex he flees to the distant mountains where he encounters Reverend Pauling, itinerate preacher and friend of the Careys, now a prisoner of the Cherokees. Haunted by his abandoning of Joanna, Alex tries to settle into life with the Cherokees, until circumstances thwart yet another attempt to forge his freedom and he’s faced with the choice that’s long hounded him: continue down his rebellious path or embrace the faith of a man like Pauling, whose freedom in Christ no man can steal. But the price of such mercy is total surrender, and perhaps Alex’s very life.
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Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring and photographing the Oregon wilderness with her husband. She is the author of Burning Sky, recipient of three Christy Awards, The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn; Christy nominee The Wood’s Edge; A Flight of Arrows; and Many Sparrows.
Connect with Lori: website, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Britt Reads Fiction 
I absolutely loved this book. Enjoyed your review.