The King’s Mercy by Lori Benton was a wonderful historical novel about a Scotsman who was exiled and forced to work to pay for his choices. He lands himself at a plantation that puts him to work as a blacksmith as their current one had been unable to proceed with his job. The main lead lady is promised to a creep and the sooner she gets out of it the better. He appeared to not really show his true identity much. The indentured man and the lead lady find themselves growing closer to them each other. This was what I really liked about the story. It was challenging to see her learn contentment and growing in choose it. The traveling minister was inspirational as he shared with all that he had and the impact was far reaching. The story all tied together with such satisfaction with the great descriptions and relational aspects, resulting in a wonderful read.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.


***Also posted on CBD, B&N

Deep.
1747. Alex fought for Prince Charles Edward Stuart in his Jacobite Army. When they were defeated, he was taken prisoner by the English. A tall, handsome Scottish warrior and a born leader with a big heart. This story is SO skillfully told. A fairly long read, thoroughly told from Scotland to England to a Carolina plantation to Virginia. One of those books you fall into and fall in love with. The backstory slowly unfolds while you're fully absorbed with the relationships, especially between Alex and Joanna the daughter of the plantation owner. Alex was released from prison by the Kings Mercy as an indentured servant. The plantation is run with slavery. These topics are as thoroughly felt out as the main plot(s). Add in some of the Cherokee American Indian way of life. Wonderful story, wonderfully told with biblical situations that could be taken from the Apostle Paul's writings. A fabulous journey as you get lost in this story. Thoroughly enjoyable to the very end.

". . .go in confidence. As you go, pray. Listen. He’ll guide you— deliver you, need be. Shut every door you aren’t meant to pass through. He’s practical, our God. But you’ll never know what good may come if you don’t take the first step of faith.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#TheKingsMercy #NetGalley #LoriBenton #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

Lori Benton has done it again! She amazed me with history and made it come alive with hope and excitement, heartache and despair, peril and loss, courage and tenacity and finally a happy ending!
Her writing encouraged me do some research to learn more about the Jacobite Rising and the events of Culloden Moor in 1746 where so many Scotsmen were slaughtered. Some of those surviving clansmen were transported to the colonies to serve out indentured service, ushering in the first wave of large-scale Scottish immigration to North America by The King’s Mercy. Thus we find Alex MacKinnon in the Colony of North Carolina at the King’s Mercy. My retelling of history is dry and boring, not so with this story which kept me awake at night and followed me throughout the day.

I love the way Lori Benton incorporates Scriptural themes as the bedrock of her stories with relatable characters that stay in mind long after I have finished reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook/Multnomah Publishing through NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook & Multnomah through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Beautiful story of mercy and grace built around an indentured Scotsman and the daughter of a slave owner. Alex, a man of honor admires Joanna, who is deeply troubled by the fact that her father owns slaves. I appreciated the biblical parallel to the story of Philemon and Onesimus in the New Testament. I was so sorry when the story ended and give it a 5 star rating!

The King’s Mercy is a book that will keep you turning pages, I loved it, so interesting.
Alex MacKinnon’s journey from the battlefield at Culloden Moor in 1746, to become an indentured servant in colonial North Carolina, is a very difficult one. He has lost everything, his home and family, most of his kin. Now a new life awaits as an indentured slave/blacksmith on a plantation. All he can dream of is when his time is up and he can somehow return to Ireland……….Joanna Carey, stepdaughter of Captain Edmund Carey the owner of the Severn Plantation, had taken on the role of the plantation’s mistress at the age of twelve upon the death of her mother. She is a different mistress as she sees no difference between slaves and herself. She treats all with respect while trying to keep the plantation going. Her love and protection for her younger sister who is very young in mind and ways is the uppermost in her mind………… Benton has written a great novel with very strong characters who you find yourself right there walking in their shoes, seeing the things they saw, although some were very hard to see. Treachery, deceit, slave abuse. mistrust and lies, hardships, murders. Still there is love, caring for another and finding God through everything.
There was much evilness in this novel, as well, yet the author handled things in a respectful way. I am grateful to have received a copy of The King’s Mercy from Waterbrook via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I would highly recommend this book to historical fiction fans.

From the Isles of Scotland to the environs of North Carolina, Alex MacKinnon's story, filled with struggles that were to become the birth pains of a new Christian, will hold the hearts of readers. A prisoner of war, Alex was given the king's mercy and was transported to the colony of North Carolina rather than to the hangman's noose. Much would occur before Alex would see the blessing of that, and before he would accept the King's mercy.

Joanna Carey, stepdaughter of Captain Edmund Carey the owner of the Severn Plantation, had taken on the role of the plantation's mistress at the age of twelve upon the death of her mother. Perhaps having assumed the role before having been groomed to do so accounted for Joanna's unusual relationship with the plantation's servants as well as her vision for a different life for all of the plantation's residents, a plan that she wished might include Alex MacKinnon. Her father's pride in Severn and his reliance on his overseer, Phineas Reeves, appeared to obscure that vision.

Benton skillfully addresses the essentials of a life of following Christ as well as the obstacles to that life. While set in the mid 1700s, the lessons of this story are quite relevant to today. I am grateful to have received a copy of The King's Mercy from Waterbrook via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion, which is that I would highly recommend this book to historical fiction fans as well as to those who have a budding desire to follow in Christ's footsteps. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

While this is an excellent book, it isn’t my favorite by Lori Benton. I think mainly what I’m missing is some of the deep spiritual lessons we got in her last few publications; I didn’t cry over characters and I didn’t feel like my heart was being ripped out alive.

Alex is a colorful character and I really enjoyed the scenes of getting to know him. It’s not a common plot angle to have someone who’s transported to the Colonies for treason, and the fate of the Jacobites has always fascinated me. Now when he finally comes to the place of repentance, it’s a good scene but I didn’t feel the tugging power of it to the extent that I know Benton can write.

Joanna is the sort of woman everyone would want to have for their friend, loyal and with a beautiful determination to do the right thing even in the face of danger or personal heartache.

I also had some issues with spoken phrases that pulled me out of the story a few times (such as the use of “throw a wrench in,” an 1800s term, and similar). Otherwise the research done was fabulous and showed a great picture of daily life in the 1740s in the Colonies.

Overall the story is beautiful and engaging. It’s very different from normal Lori Benton fare but still had her trademark lush description and colorful characters. I personally would have preferred another 100 pages or so to show the many characters better, but I know most folks like novels to be of manageable length. This is a very good book, just not the best she’s written.

Thanks to the publisher for a free reading copy. A positive review was not required.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was so excited to read this and thrilled to receive an ARC. I’ve read every book by this author and I love her writing!
This takes us through war, death, pirate ships, Native Americans and southern plantations There was a lot going on in this story and lots of side characters to follow. Although there was actual slavery in this story I felt like all the characters were in a sort of slavery situation and would have to find away to get they’re freedom. As in all if LB books God is the main point and she does a good job of showing us that His hand is upon us and nothing catches Him by surprise.
Things I loved:
• Alex
• Runs-Far
• Gods Word
• HEA

This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions are my own. ♥️

Genre: Romance, historical.

My Rating: 1 and 1/2 stars.

My Thoughts: While I enjoyed the start of this book the ending bothered me and I do not feel that I can recommend this book because of the actions of the villain and how he hurt so many people.

The story was interesting and written well, I just did not care for or enjoy the ending and lost a lot of enjoyment from it.

Lori Benton is still a new-to-me author, as I’ve only read her previous novel before coming to The King’s Mercy. I really enjoyed Many Sparrows, and that was a deciding factor in choosing to read Benton’s newest release. A rebellious Scot prior to the Revolutionary War signaled to me a possible Culloden connection, and in this I was correct. The King’s Mercy starts with a brutal description of the battle from the perspective of the losing Jacobites. I couldn’t help being drawn in to the narrative through these opening pages.

The King’s Mercy is one of the best books I’ve read this year. The plot is thrilling and the characters are vivid. The suspense builds gradually, and my heart was in my mouth when the true evil was revealed. Alex and Joanna learn valuable lessons in terms of who they can trust, but those lessons come at a cost. Those familiar with the Pauline letters of the New Testament will spot similarities in the narrative. The itinerant pastor and his young convert are named after the Apostle Paul and his young companion. The postscript letter is not unlike Paul’s letter to Philemon.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multnomah for my complimentary electronic Uncorrected Proof of The King’s Mercy.

WHY I CHOOSE THIS BOOK

Solely because of the author.

In fact, I just now (as I’m writing this review) read the back cover for the first time. And goodness, may I say it gives way too many spoilers? Seriously, it’s giving away plot twists that don’t happen until probably three-fourths of the way through the book. I’m so glad I didn’t read the back cover before I read the book.

But back to the author. I read Many Sparrows several years ago and really liked it, although because of some content issues I only gave it three stars. Since then, I’ve been on the lookout for more of Miss Lori’s books because of her writing and the time period and settings she tackles.

WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK

This book had me up and down and all over the place. Instead of going with pros and cons, we’re going to go with the beginning, middle, and ending.

Beginning – Two Stars

Y’all. This part drove me nuts. It kept flashing back to a year before and showing how the main character got to where he was when the book started. It was hard for me to keep picking the book up to read more because I wished the author would have just given us one telling paragraph of backstory and moved on.

Middle – Four Stars

When the time hopping stopped the book went from being meh to making me not want to put it down. There were several characters that drew me in and really made the book for me. Jemma, a young slave girl, was my favorite for sure and I liked the portions with her storyline the best. She’s such a feisty little dear and I wanted to gather her up in a huge hug. The way Alex (the main male character) responded to her was my favorite thing about Alex for sure.

The middle of the book also contained several plot twists (that is, if you didn’t read the back cover) that propelled the book into a direction I hadn’t imagined. At one point in time I thought the author might do something totally risky with her characters and make it go in a direction no one would suspect, but alas, she didn’t.

Ending – Two/three Stars

At about the 85% mark, we reached the point where I could predict the rest of the book and I was right, so that was a bit disappointing to me. There was also more violence/disturbing things in the last few chapters of the book. The author did a great job of making everything appear dark and bleak, and although I see why she did it, it wasn’t something I liked. Because of that, the book lost the four-star rating I had been planning on in the middle of the story, and I decided to go with three stars.

CONCLUSION

The book does contain violence and alludes (strongly) to some bad things that the “villain” does, but it never goes into detail. There’s a lot of revenge that takes place, ill-treatment of slaves, and other things that I won’t mention for the sake of spoilers.

On the bright side, the book gives a nod to a certain book of the Bible, and it was cool seeing the comparisons. 😉

It was also cool learning about the history behind the title of the book. Y’all should look it up.

RATING

I’m giving A King’s Mercy three out of five stars – NetGalley graciously provided an e-copy of this book for me so I could review it.

Okay, trying to gather my thoughts!
This book......was amazing!
First of all the author dedicated this book to one of my favorite pastors to listen to!
It was a sweeping saga that takes you from Scotland, to the new world.
Powerful, poignant, and deep!
This book starts with an even pace, and slowly builds up to a nail biting climax!
And seriously, that villian......I didn't expect that! Well written characters that unfold and grow over the course of the story.
I would have liked a bit more of the romance explored, but the book was perfectly satisfying anyway.
I especially love the fact that in the end it dawned on me that this book was a loose retelling of a book in the Bible. That made it extra sweet.
Bravo! Lori Benton, Bravo!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher through Netgalley. All of my opinions are my honest, and true take on this book.

The King's Mercy, a story rich in details and descriptions, paints a creatively full canvas for the reader. Each character is given time to be fully developed and all of the story lines are intricately woven together. Historical research is evident and makes it so the reader feels like they are transported from Culloden to London to North Carolina. Alex frequently reminds me of another popular Scotsman, although a strong man in his own right. Joanna has a pioneering heart and wants a simpler life, even if means manumitting the slaves on her family’s property. If you are a fan of breathtaking sagas, with attention to detail, then this is story for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The King’s Mercy by Lori Benton was a fabulous historical fiction read. I LOVED it.

Very well researched and historically accurate, the story takes place during the colonial times (circa 1746 to 1750) and centers on Alex MacKinnon, a Scotsman who survived Culloden, (which was considered rebellion against the king; and the king showed him mercy by exiling him) and finds himself on a prison boat to the New World, where he is promptly sold into indentured servitude.

His servitude leads him to become the new blacksmith at a plantation in North Carolina, where he meets young Joanna Carey, stepdaughter of the plantation owner Edmund Carey. He is taken with her strength and beauty, but a little off put by her faith, which is something that he struggles with.

The novel has a wide assortment of characters, young and old, rich and poor, noble and villain. I don’t consider it a love story, in so much as adventurous mystery with love and faith in Christ woven beautifully throughout. She also weaves in other historical elements, such as the Cherokee Indians and interactions with them.

It kept me fully engaged, and eagerly turning page after page to find out what happens next. It made me upset, it made me laugh, it made me angry. It covers topics (such as slavery) that while standard at the time, are controversial. Lori Benton did not try to sugar coat them but dove in deep, so you were invested in the story. She really gave you things to think about.

There is a dark and more mature themed plot twist. Considering this, I would probably not allow a young person to read this. I would think high school or higher, but would also recommend a parent read it first, or read it together.

It would be a wonderful book discussion book as there are rich topics throughout that may lend themselves to a good discussion.

I highly recommend the book.

Please note, I was given an advanced reader’s copy by the publisher, through Net Galley.

Whenever I see a new release from Lori Benton, I am jumping to get my hands on the earliest copy. She is just plain amazing! And this newest one, A King’s Mercy, took my infatuation with her work to a new level.

One of Benton’s hallmarks is her ability to weave together rich history, complex characters, and a resounding message while still being fully entertaining. The emotions of this story are keenly felt, giving rise to a depth of both evil and good. And the tension between the two is all too apparent as Benton takes you from despair to hope. Her hero and heroine are beautifully portrayed, accompanied within a plot that calls for integrity, truth, and salvation.

You will not regret delving into these pages. It is a journey that will hold you captive even beyond the final page!
I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The King's Mercy was a Christian historical fiction book that sucked me in from the first page until the last. It was full of page-turning drama, clean romance, and relatable characters. The story followed the life of Alex MacKinnon, a Scotsman who was brought to the United States as an indentured servant. He ends up falling in love with his owner's daughter, and their journey to be together is filled with obstacles that seem insurmountable. Open this book at your own risk....and prepare to not get much else done until you have finished it!

This book is everything historical fiction should be! The author does an amazing job transporting you to a different time and place. The love story is sweet, characters unforgettable, and the Biblical theme extremely well done. The King’s Mercy is a must-read for the year!

'There isna mercy to be granted, by king or God. He was all but certain no God cared enough to grant it.'

Alastair MacKinnon left God on the battlefield of Culloden and hasn't had need of Him since. Alex is taken captive and granted the king's mercy, but it's no mercy to him. Sold as an indentured servant for seven years in NC's colony near Cape Fear, Alex knows no mercy as far as he is concerned. Alex is to be the new blacksmith at Severn, a vast property with a multitude of slaves, a practice he finds deplorable. Owner Edmund Carey, and his stepdaughter Joanna are kind to Alex but the overseer, Phineas Reeves, rubs him the wrong way and Alex can't help but feel something is amiss with the man. An old preacher, Reverend Pauling, known to the Careys, speaks a word over Alex that he has no desire to hear and it is one of the most powerful statements in the book: 'Almighty God has allowed you, by whatever series of events and decisions brought you to be in this place...if you will allow it, there will be good come of it.' Turns out to be a most prophetic utterance.

Events happen which cause Alex great pain and he must forge another path for himself, both physically and spiritually. But will others suffer because Alex doesn't take the reverend's words seriously?

Reading a novel by Lori Benton is somewhat akin to sitting down at a most anticipated meal with all your favorite dishes. You begin to eat and each bite is more delectable than the last. That's the way it was with the book: the more I read, the more I loved the book. Benton's evocative prose swells beautifully with each description, adding many layers to the story, increasing its value to this reader. Her descriptions of everything are vivid and fully exquisite beyond imagining. My heart swelled just reading them. I finished this book with tears of joy washing my face. I thank God for the blessing of these words. Books like this surely cause me to thank God for authors who are obedient to the call of God on their lives to write these words. A true blessing. Bravo! I very highly recommend this book.

*My thanks to the publisher for a preview copy of this book. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.

A captivating book that will leave you hanging on until the very end!
I just love love Lori's books!! I love how they leave you thinking about the book long after it ends!
I know I know I keep repeat ing myself but hey! That's what i!I'm supposed to do right? Well, anyway I just enjoyed being talk back to that time and place and I kept wanting to scream at Joanna and wanting to beat Phineas up retched man!!
I could imagine being and living on Severn. A beautiful place the way the author described it. I could actually hear Alex working in the blacksmith shop and all sorts of action going on!
I think the thing I liked most was how Joanna stood up for what she believed in and stuck to her guns. I didn't think it was fair that she was forced to grow up but we have no control over what life deals is but we can choose how we deal with it.
Alex is fascinating. From his accent right down to his body build if y'all know What I mean? lol! But seriously I enjoyed watching him change not the man I knew he could be!
The reverend I thought was especially the best kind of person! I felt like he was the kind of friend that I can turn to if I wanted to tell deepest, darkest secret. If course if I actually had one!
I love how he could look into your soul and without saying anything know what you're thinking before you say it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Waterbrook and Multnomah. No compensations were received and all opinions are my own!!

This is the first book by Lori Benton that I've read. She has a way with words but I had a hard time getting through this book, The King's Mercy was very slow and my attention wandered all the time. I felt no connection with the characters.

I'm thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy of this book. My views expressed in my review are my own and voluntarily.