| Created 007.11.16; Updated 2007.11.16 |
This article originally appeared in British Weekly.
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The Heir Inherits SANTA MONICA, CA (British Weekly) 10/26/07 — Second book in the The Ravenscar Dynasty trilogy, starts in 1918 when thirty three year old Edward Deravenel has built the family company Deravenels up so it has business interests in France, Wonderful French wines and when the time was right after world war 1 oil in Persia. As heir to the family business Edward also inherits Ravenscar a gorgeous estate. More... |
Blessed with two sons, the heir and the spare and four daughters, one of whom is illegitimate, he's still concerned for the company if anything happens to his sons. His youngest brother seems loyal, but his middle brother George is a wastrel and would ruin the company if he gets his hands on it. Edward is able to persuade the board to change the rules of inheritance to include the female line to secure the dynasty from George.
His marriage to Elizabeth Wyland, is at most times volatile, but the number of children they have attests to the strong desire he still has for his wife. Like most men of the time he has a mistress, Jane Shaw, who fulfills him in ways his wife isn't capable of. His long time mistress Jane is a lovely woman nothing like his wife. His many friends admire and wish she were Edwards wife.
I wanted to love this book Barbara Taylor Bradford she takes the history of based on the English Edward IV for her protagonist Edward Deravenel and Elizabeth Woodville or Wydville, (There are two possible spellings for the name.) and brings it to the 1900 is ingenious.
The problem is there are to many characters that appear and disappear from the story. So you get to know them, like them and think there is some importance, but then their gone. With only a small reference to their disappearance. One other thing she did was alluded chapters in advance that something bad is going to happen and it doesn't for three or more chapters.
Towards the end of the book it introduces Henry Turner as a marriage prospect for Bess, Edward and Elizabeth's eldest daughter and to carry on the Dynasty. Their son Harry Turner is supposed to reflects Henry IV. The last few chapters mimic that part of history.
I wish she had made this a whole other book and tighten the story line. The book was plodding and repetitive in places. This book could have been 350 pages and would have been a better book.
The Heir, Hardcover: 480 pages Publisher: Sourcebooks (October
30, 2007) Language: English ISBN 978-0312354626 $25.95