Master of His Fate
A House of Falconer Novel
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4.2 • 10 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford comes the first book in a stunning new historical saga.
Victorian England is a country of sharp divides between rich and poor, but James Lionel Falconer, who spends his days working at his father’s market stall, is determined to become a merchant prince. Even as a child, he is everything a self-made man should be: handsome, ambitious, charming, and brimming with self-confidence. James quickly rises through the ranks, proving himself both hardworking and trustworthy, and catching the eye of Henry Malvern, head of the most prestigious shipping company in London. But when threats against his reputation – and his life - begin to emerge, James will have to prove that he truly is the master of his fate.
Through scandal and romance, tragedy and triumph, the Falconer and Malvern family’s lives intertwine in unexpected ways in this expansive and intricately detailed new novel filled with drama, intrigue, and Bradford's trademark cast of compelling characters.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The sprawling first installment in Bradford's House of Falconer series, set in Victorian England, follows James Falconer, son of a struggling merchant, and Alexis Malvern, the daughter of one of London's most successful businessmen, as their lives move toward each other. James is a young man with ambitions of rising above his station to become a "merchant prince." Beyond an attack on James by a pair of "bruisers" with unknown motives, and malicious rumors of his affair with an older widow, James encounters very few setbacks. Alexis is an upper-class woman known for her business acumen and charitable work setting up a safe house for battered women in Whitechapel. She falls in love with wealthy banker Sebastian Trevelyan, despite years of protestation that she would never marry. They have a whirlwind affair and engagement, only to be torn apart by tragedy. James and Alexis's paths are mostly separate, their lives not meeting until late in the novel when James is hired by Alexis's father, but they are united by driven, single-minded natures. Though the strands of the story are slow to converge, this series opener nicely sets the groundwork for future installments. Bradford's many fans will find a vast new cast of characters to connect with.
