Voyage of Malice is the second book in the Huguenot Connection Trilogy by Paul C. R. Monk and continues the story of the Delpech family. Having been separated for over a year now Jacob and Jeanne each work on trying to find a way to reunite their fractured family. Jacob has been placed in indentured servitude and shipped to the Caribbean islands where he struggles to find a escape. Luckily he has made some friends amongst the other Huguenots condemned to the same fate, specifically Madame le Fontenay and her granddaughter Mademoiselle Duvivier. As he works on making plans he also works on protecting his new friends and doing his absolute best to not surrender his protestant and Christian values, something that is increasingly difficult the longer he stays in the Caribbean. Meanwhile on the other side of Europe, Jeanne is in Geneva and is being faced with growing adversity to the Huguenot refugee population. She is determined to stay there though until she hears otherwise from Jacob as that was where they had planned to meet. As things get worse her and her son Paul end up leaving only to find the travel potentially even more perilous.
This book was a slight improvement on the first book in some ways. I felt like it went more in depth on the story. With fewer time skips and being slightly longer we got to spend more time on the events happening. It seemed we got to know the characters a little better because of that which was definitely something I enjoyed. As such there was a lot more in depth character development that played out throughout the story. The story also seemed to focus more on this particular family of refugees though instead of on the plight of the Huguenots in general which was a minor focus of the first book. It created a slightly different feel to this book. With the shift in circumstances for the characters this book also felt more hopeful and uplifting in comparison to the general despair that was prevalent in many parts of the previous book. I did rather like the story in this one and how well it detailed the various trials and tribulations of the Delpech family. Must admit that this family sure does seem to get into a lot of trouble without even trying. One of the things I was a little surprised by was the increase in violence that was present, specifically in the parts relating to Jacob’s time in the Caribbean. I probably should not have been considering the time period and location but I was still not expecting some of the specific things that happened to or around him, a lot of which was rather gruesome and violent. While it does impact the story it really only increases the realism being depicted as you can’t really do a good job covering that topic without having that. Overall, a pretty good book that I am happy giving four out of five stars.
This book is probably best considered as historical fiction though it says it is based off of a true story. It is a pretty decent example of the genre though so if that appeals to you consider trying it out. Especially if you like books based in the 1600’s or books in the Caribbean. I would suggest you read the previous book before reading this one to better understand the background of this story and of the events in general though. The recommended age range for this series is adult readers and I would definitely stick with that for this particular book. Due to the changed location being the Caribbean there is the typical violence and other similar types of events that take place. Events that are not suitable for younger readers and that adults readers should be careful about. It is still a good book and I hope you will still consider it anyway. If you do feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.