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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
Duty to the Crown by Aimie K. Runyan is the second book in the Daughters of New France series. We join Manon, Claudine, Emmanuelle and Gabrielle in New France (Quebec settlement) in June 1677. Manon Lefebvre has been living with the Huron’s since she left Alexandre and Nicole Lefebvre’s home five years prior. Mother Onatah, sister to the chief, took in Manon. But then a deadly fever hits the village and despite Manon’s best efforts, Mother Onatah passes away. The chief of the Big Turtle clan immediately tells Manon to leave (talk about cruel). Nicole Lefebvre welcomes Manon and Tawendeh (Mother Onatah’s son) them into their home. Nicole is thrilled to have Manon back (she was so upset when Manon left). Manon feels like she does not fit into either world (French or Huron). Claudine Deschamps, Nicole’s younger sister, is hoping to make a prestigious match with an eligible bachelor. Claudine imagines a life of luxury, but one wrong move can lead her down a very different path. Emmanuelle Deschamps usually can be found with her nose in a book. She has a kind personality and Claudine looks down upon her. Gabrielle Giroux was taken in by Elisabeth and Gilbert Beaumont along with her brother, Pascal. Since Gabrielle was born in New France, an edict states she must marry by her sixteenth birthday or the Beaumont’s will be forced to pay a penalty. Not many men are willing to marry the daughter of the town drunk (her birth father). Join these young women in New France as they experience love, friendship, heartache, and loss.
Duty to the Crown is not a stand-alone novel. You do need to read Promised to the Crown in order to understand the characters and their various relationships. Aimie Runyan does a superb job of capturing time and place (Quebec settlement in New France in the late 1600s). The novel has great characters, excellent writing, and is ripe with emotion. You will laugh, cry, sigh and smile as you work your way through Duty to the Crown. It was good to see how the characters grow over the course of the book. We also get to revisit the characters from the first novel (Nicole, Alexandre, Elisabeth, Gilbert) to see how they are faring. I give Duty to the Crown 5 out of 5 stars (I enjoyed it very much). I kept reading this page turner until I finished it (I did not want it to end, but I wanted to see how it ended). I give Duty to the Crown 5 out of 5 stars (I enjoyed it very much). I look forward to reading more novels by Aimie K. Runyan in the future.
Duty to the Crown is not a stand-alone novel. You do need to read Promised to the Crown in order to understand the characters and their various relationships. Aimie Runyan does a superb job of capturing time and place (Quebec settlement in New France in the late 1600s). The novel has great characters, excellent writing, and is ripe with emotion. You will laugh, cry, sigh and smile as you work your way through Duty to the Crown. It was good to see how the characters grow over the course of the book. We also get to revisit the characters from the first novel (Nicole, Alexandre, Elisabeth, Gilbert) to see how they are faring. I give Duty to the Crown 5 out of 5 stars (I enjoyed it very much). I kept reading this page turner until I finished it (I did not want it to end, but I wanted to see how it ended). I give Duty to the Crown 5 out of 5 stars (I enjoyed it very much). I look forward to reading more novels by Aimie K. Runyan in the future.
kdenharder's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
kcherry's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review
2.0
This is not a good sequel. It's not bad, but it is very, very predictable. If you read the first book, you can call every single plot "twist" in this one. There really isn't a surprise, and sometimes the characters feel very, very, very modern. Like really modern - even the characters supposedly religious and conservative feel far too modern, like they got in the Tardis or something.
But it was nice reading a book where the woman actually interact.
But it was nice reading a book where the woman actually interact.
kalhansolo45's review
5.0
I was given an advanced copy by the author.
Duty to the Crown is the sequel to Promised to the Crown, and follows the next generation of citizens of New France: Gabrielle, Claudine, and Manon. The King of France has passed a law that all girls born in New France must get married by the time they turn 16, or their families will have to pay a hefty fine.
I loved this book so much! Aimie's writing style is superb, and she really brings her characters to life. My favorite thing about this book was that it addressed Manon's feelings of isolation from both her tribe and from the settlers. That was something that I felt was sort of glossed over in the first book, and so I'm very glad that it was part of the sequel. Especially considering that it was one of the main characters.
Can't wait to read the next one!
Duty to the Crown is the sequel to Promised to the Crown, and follows the next generation of citizens of New France: Gabrielle, Claudine, and Manon. The King of France has passed a law that all girls born in New France must get married by the time they turn 16, or their families will have to pay a hefty fine.
I loved this book so much! Aimie's writing style is superb, and she really brings her characters to life. My favorite thing about this book was that it addressed Manon's feelings of isolation from both her tribe and from the settlers. That was something that I felt was sort of glossed over in the first book, and so I'm very glad that it was part of the sequel. Especially considering that it was one of the main characters.
Can't wait to read the next one!
liesjeleest's review against another edition
4.0
Just like the first book, this story is cozy and warm but also sad and harsh. I really felt for the main characters, happy sharing their good times and sad when their lives take a turn for the worst. Duty to the Crown is a beautiful story and definitely worth reading if you enjoyed the first book.
abookishaffair's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. "Duty to the Crown" is the second book in the "Daughters of New France" series by Aimie K. Runyan. The colony of New France is a little more established when the book opens up but still feels like a new frontier for many of its residents. I loved the first book in this series and was anxious to get back to Runyan's New France, still a very new setting for me and one that I really loved seeing through this book. Although New France is no longer new to the main characters in this book, it still makes for a fascinating setting where even a place that the characters think they know well can totally change their lives.
While characters from the first book appear, this book largely focuses on the next generation of women in New France. There is Claudine, the sister of Nicole from the first book who wants to find her husband. Gabrielle is a young woman that is forced into a loveless and abusive marriage and will have to rely on herself in order to make her situation better. Then there is Manon, a young woman who walks the line between the settlers and the natives, two groups who don't get along all the time. Through each of these characters, the author explores what it was like to live in New France during this time period. Each of the stories are interesting in their own way and I appreciated getting so many different perspectives. I loved how the author was able to create really different voices for each of the characters.
The world building and historical detail in this book are fantastic and I loved being immersed in the world of the characters. Settlement life is not glamorous and readers get many doses of reality throughout the book. I appreciated that the author did not shy away from the realities of settlement life even if it was difficult to read some parts of the book after becoming attached to some of the characters. Overall, this was a great follow up to the first book!
While characters from the first book appear, this book largely focuses on the next generation of women in New France. There is Claudine, the sister of Nicole from the first book who wants to find her husband. Gabrielle is a young woman that is forced into a loveless and abusive marriage and will have to rely on herself in order to make her situation better. Then there is Manon, a young woman who walks the line between the settlers and the natives, two groups who don't get along all the time. Through each of these characters, the author explores what it was like to live in New France during this time period. Each of the stories are interesting in their own way and I appreciated getting so many different perspectives. I loved how the author was able to create really different voices for each of the characters.
The world building and historical detail in this book are fantastic and I loved being immersed in the world of the characters. Settlement life is not glamorous and readers get many doses of reality throughout the book. I appreciated that the author did not shy away from the realities of settlement life even if it was difficult to read some parts of the book after becoming attached to some of the characters. Overall, this was a great follow up to the first book!
jes77librarian's review against another edition
5.0
I loved the second book in the daughters of New France. I enjoyed seeing where the characters from the first book were and enjoyed delving deeper into the lives of Claudine, Gabrielle and Manon. Each woman struggles in her own way to find her place in the settlement amidst personal heartbreak and challenges.
A great follow up to Promised to the Crown and I look forward to reading more from this author.
A great follow up to Promised to the Crown and I look forward to reading more from this author.
elysianfield's review against another edition
This book follows Manon, Gabrielle and Claudine who we met in the last book.
All the girls are from different backgrounds but they all have their lives intertwined. Manon is back with the Lefebvre family after being cast out by her Huron village. Both the Hurons and the French treat her with suspicion. Claudine becomes to live with her sister at the Lefebvre mansion and has big dreams about finding a young, handsome and rich husband. Gabrielle works at her adoptive parents’ bakery and dreams about becoming a seamstress.
I loved to see how the girls changed during the time. Claudine became from a silly girl into a devoted mother and realizes that she might have to lower her standards with life and getting a husband. Gabrielle went from an alcoholic and abusive father to an abusive husband but manages to change her life and finds love in her life. Manon finds her life between two very different worlds and found love and family.
I really loved this book and I’m hoping there will be a 3rd book.
All the girls are from different backgrounds but they all have their lives intertwined. Manon is back with the Lefebvre family after being cast out by her Huron village. Both the Hurons and the French treat her with suspicion. Claudine becomes to live with her sister at the Lefebvre mansion and has big dreams about finding a young, handsome and rich husband. Gabrielle works at her adoptive parents’ bakery and dreams about becoming a seamstress.
I loved to see how the girls changed during the time. Claudine became from a silly girl into a devoted mother and realizes that she might have to lower her standards with life and getting a husband. Gabrielle went from an alcoholic and abusive father to an abusive husband but manages to change her life and finds love in her life. Manon finds her life between two very different worlds and found love and family.
I really loved this book and I’m hoping there will be a 3rd book.
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