THE KING'S MERCY, by Lori Benton

The King's Mercy grips the reader from the first scene, and doesn't let go until the conclusion of the book. Alex MacKinnon is a Scot whose punishment for participating in the failed Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 is indenture to a plantation owner in the colony of North Carolina. The loss of his former life and the slavery surrounding him in the colony render his days unbearable.
    The only glimmer of brightness is the presence of the plantation owner's daughter, Joanna Carey. Joanna fights against the burden of being a slave holder's daughter, as well as dreading her expected wedding to the plantation's overseer, a man for whom she has no love.
    The King's Mercy takes the reader through both geographic and emotional twists and turns. At the same time, life in the colonies in the mid-1700's is expressed in such a way as to render the period and the obstacles therein completely authentic. I can't remember at what point I forgot I was reading fiction and started thinking of the characters as actual people. I found myself worrying about their lives even when I wasn't absorbed in the novel.
    Lori Benton is a masterful author, one of the best I've read. All of her novels are guaranteed to leave you remembering the story and the characters long after you finish the book. The King's Mercy may be one of her best. I highly recommend this novel!
   
My thanks to the author and Waterbook for my review copy.