The Ravenscar Dynasty (Ravenscar, #1) by Barbara Taylor Bradford

The Ravenscar Dynasty (Ravenscar, #1) Reviews

• 
  Rebecca Huston

  Some books I come across look great from the outside and the blurb is interesting, but when I finally settle down and read them, I discover that it is a heap of steaming manure. Such was the case with this one, loosely based on the Wars of the Roses, moved to the early Edwardian period and a family rivalry that ignites murder, double-dealing, love affairs and revenge. Unfortunately, the story is transformed into such lightweight drivel that I was more than ready to fling it at the wall in annoyance. The author, Barbara Taylor Bradford, widely acclaimed (and for what I have no idea), manages to suck all of the life out of an exciting real history tale, and turns it into a novel of corporate and bedroom shenanigans. Yawn. Even the names and characters are merely transferred over with little to make them interesting or fresh. I gave this one just two stars, and a not recommended. You've been warned.
  
  For the longer review, please go here:
  http://www.bubblews.com/news/9739243-...
• 
  Beanse

  God almighty, what did I get myself into reading this crappy book? Now I have comitted myself to finishing the series I can only hope it does not drag on like a bad soap opera for the final two instalments.
  
  The book itself is long winded, overly written dribble that takes way too damn long to arrive at a point. Had the writer or editor shorted it by twenty or so chapters this would have been a fine read. Instead, they let it drag on..... and on.... and wait, even more ON, until it final ends. Only to conclude in the sadest fashioned any book can, WITH NO DAMN CONCLUSION!
  
  
  Geez, the next book better not suck or I am no longer listening to goodreads on suggestions for future books.
• 
  Heather York

  Overall a very good read, slow in some parts but I shall look forward to the next installment in the trilogy
• 
  Terri

  Overall, I enjoyed this book. But I have to say I felt the ending was very rushed. Seemed to be way too much "internal" thought, just to finish it off and take us to the next book in the trilogy. I love following a family sage over a period of years and like
  A Woman of Substance, the author did accomplish this. I have The Heir, book 2 in the trilogy, but I'll wait awhile before getting into that one.
• 
  Fiona Story

  This book was truly terrible. I kept reading because it began to amuse me how truly terrible it was. Repetitive and a storyline that went almost nowhere. I can't believe that it was popular enough to warrant an entire series. I won't be reading any more. This book had all the depth of a puddle.
• 
  Cormac Healy

  A real turd of a book. Essentially the plot of the Wars of the Roses is transposed to Edwardian Britain, resulting in a disjointed, over-long, poorly written piece of crap.
  
  I have literally nothing positive to say about it. The characters were all completely one-dimensional, either ridiculously perfect or comically evil. The plot was predictable and moronic. The writing was flowery and unnecessarily descriptive, adding absolutely nothing. I don't even want to talk about it any more.
  
  Do not read this. There is quite literally no conceivable reason I can come up with to convince someone to start this book. Avoid.
  
  1.5/5
• 
  Pat

  I wasn't expecting great literature, and I normally enjoy family sagas and historical novels set in the Edwardian period. I'm a sucker for Downton Abbey, Upstairs, Downstairs, and The Forsyte Saga. I've read and enjoyed other books by this author, too,.so I was expecting an enjoyable read. But honestly, this wasn't it.
  It's loosely based on the War of the Roses, but set in Edwardian times with business tycoon rival cousins instead of royal ones. The allusions are somewhat heavy-handed: the Yorkshire cousins, the Deravenals, use a white rose as a symbol, and Edward has a secret marriage to Elizabeth, a widow with two young sons. (I was waiting for the two boys to disappear into the Tower or its equivalent! Maybe in the next volume of this series, but I'm not reading any more books of this series!)
  I was completely annoyed by the writing, and the deadly slow pace of the story. The author described Edward's handsome manliness, his business acumen, and his expertise in seducing older women repeatedly and ad nauseum. I got SO tired of reading how passersby heads turned every time he appeared in public. He is SO tall. He is SO blond. His eyes are SO blue. Etc.,etc. For the first third of the novel nothing happened except for these descriptions and oh, yes, his plans to avenge the murder of his family members - by taking over the company that was "stolen" by his grandfather 's brother 60 years earlier and which he sees as his rightful place, along with some almost as handsome relatives. There are several mistresses, a younger brother, but why go on? It took more than twice as many pages as needed to tell this tedious story. Oh, there are several gratuitous sex scenes that add nothing to the story.
  This book is a clunker. Don't bother.
• 
  Kristina

  I'm not sure why many readers thought this book was lacking, but I found it very entertaining. I love a series that involve the ins and outs of family drama and this is no different.
  
  Set in the late 1800's and early 1900's, the Deravenals are set upon a path of money, success, and family. Then one day all that changes and the oldest heir Edward, is thrust into the front of the family fold. He has to take care of his mother and siblings as well as regain control of his father's company. His cousin, Neville Watkins, comes to his aid and they both set upon a coup, in other words, of regaining ownership of the Deravenals company. Cousins against cousins in a sense.
  
  Edward is a suave, handsome, charismatic, passionate man. He loves his blondes and his widows, preferably to be one in the same. A player if there ever was one. You get to go along the journey and meet his many mistresses and children, and see how he handles these women. And the relationship he has with his wife I know will set up for book two in the series. Elizabeth, a widow when Edward met her, is a gorgeous blonde woman with two previous sons from her first marriage. She makes Edward fight for her and then you see her become cold toward Edwards family. There wasn't too much about her in the book, other than that she is cold, judgemental, and a bitch apparently.
  
  I liked the pace of this book. It cut quick to the relevancy of the story. The dialogue wasn't long winded, so everything written had a purpose. If you like British genteel, power hungry players, passion in and out of the bedroom, and family drama this is the book for you.
• 
  Laurel-Rain

  Barbara Taylor Bradford’s Harte Dynasty series is one of my all-time favorites.
  
  I had launched this Ravenscar Dynasty series by reading one out of order (“Being Elizabeth”), so I decided to back up and start at the beginning.
  
  “The Ravenscar Dynasty” is set near the beginning of the twentieth century, in England, and sweeps across Europe at points along the journey. The Deravenel family is poised to reclaim its birthright as head of the company Deravenels.
  
  This latest attempt to reclaim the company is propelled by the sudden deaths of several male members of the family—a father, an uncle, and two younger men—all believed to have been murdered by their bitter rivals, the Grants.
  
  Edward Deravenel is now the logical new head of the family, and a cousin, Neville Watkins, is all set to mentor him and to assist in finding the ammunition to overthrow the company.
  
  However, Edward is only eighteen years old and an inveterate womanizer. What chance does he have of taking control of such a huge dynasty?
  
  Over the pages we learn of how these contenders accomplish this feat, and root for them as obstacles thrown in their path are defeated one by one.
  
  Filled with the pursuit of power and passion, this novel takes us through a long-ago time; the ambition and treachery of this climb to power illuminates this dramatic epic saga.
  
  Now I cannot wait to begin the next tale in this family adventure.
  
  I deducted one star because I could not relate to the characters...but I had to admire their ambition and their persistence.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Avid Series Reader

  The Ravenscar Dynasty by Barbara Taylor Bradford is the first book of the Ravenscar series set in Edwardian England, a family saga spanning decades of the Deravenel business empire. In 1904, Edward Deravenel learns his father, brother, uncle and cousin were all killed in a fire. Edward and his cousin Neville suspect the fire was set by a ruthless rival. They must regain control of the family business.
  
  I loved the Emma Harte family saga (A Woman of Substance), so I expected to really enjoy another family saga by the same author. What a disappointment! The writing style seems quite different in Ravenscar. Descriptions are overly dramatic and repetitive, as if the author does not expect the reader to grasp concepts unless they are hammered in over and over. The characters in the opening chapters do not seem like real people, especially Edward, portrayed as a caricature of perfection. The style is so off-putting, I don't care to read the book or the series. Other reviews indicate the series is meant to mirror the War of the Roses, but as a soap opera. No thanks, I'll pass.
• 
  Rebecca

  first of 3 in the Ravenscar Dynasty series. the main character is a womanizer yet he's still charming and u still root for him to regain control of his family's company. looking forward to the next one... the heir.
• 
  Ann Vanhaeren

  Jammer dat de beoordelingen juist waren..to easy story! Heb al beter gelezen...
• 
  Scout Langley

  ❌consent is not done well. Someone is not a nice person just because they respect "NO". Everyone should respect NO. To say that he was nice because he listened, is to say that not listening and respecting her wishes was an option and within his rights. Which is not remotely accurate (or shouldn't be)
  
  " 'I can't see you anymore...You know she would dismiss me if she found out about our liaison. And I need this position...'
  So because he had a kind heart, he let go of her arm and stepped back."
  
  ❌repetitive. weak characters. The book is so repetitive when giving personality to the characters. In the first 20 pages, these are all the times where it mentions that Edward is attractive and a lady killer. Because it just keeps describing people in the same way, we never get the chance to really get to know the characters. They are just names on a page
  
  "To Richard, and to every woman who met him, Edward Deravenel was the handsomest man alive." p. 7
  "Edward Deravenel was blessed with the most pleasant nature as well as those staggering good looks." p.9
  "She looked up into his handsome face." p11
  "And women of all ages found him irresistible." p. 14
  "And as his smile grew wider and his white teeth flashed, she thought of those women who fell all over him" (18)
  "Because all the young women will be falling at your feet," George announced, "Everybody says you are a lady-killer" (20)
• 
  Sunnie

  I believe that The Ravenscar Dynasty was published many years ago, but that doesn't mean that Barbara Taylor Bradford is any less of a popular author. I loved A Woman of Substance and have read it many times, so I was certainly looking forward to reading The Ravenscar Dynasty. Much to my surprise I found this novel to be very slow going for the first half of the book but quickly picked up speed and then seemed to end with lightening speed. Yes, I understand that this is the first volume in a series, but that didn't mean that I was prepared for how quickly it ended, nor was I satisfied with the ends left unfinished. Yes, Bradford has a delightful knowledge of the English language, and I am always pleasantly surprised by the gems she hides within each novel. Yet, I was still left unsatisfied by this story. I will not be looking for the remaining titles in this series but will still look for other titles by this author.
• 
  Shirley Dawson

  Another excellent story from Barbara Taylor Bradford. I enjoyed all of the 692 pages of it except that if it wasn't for a few history facts thrown in, it would have been difficult to imagine that the story is set in the early 20th century, as I found it more consistent with a modern day setting.
  
  The characters here are her usual mix of wealth, power and beauty. A trifle sickly sometimes as it is hard to imagine such people in real life. Even the child they found living on the streets ended up coming from a privileged background!
  
  Her style of writing here is again spoilt, like in so many of her books, by the lack of 'joining' words. I find it hard to believe that the proofreaders do not pick this up. However, it was still a great read, albeit sometimes a little unbelievable, and is to be recommended.
• 
  John Spann

  This book is loosely based on the life of King Edward the fourth, and Richard Neville the Earl of Warwick. However, it is pay several hundred years later. But treachery and deceit know no timeframe. The actual storyline was not bad at all, and I could see many of the parallels between the fictional characters and the historical characters. I wasn't overly fond of the sex scenes, as I think they tended to detract from the storyline.
  
  I've had to say I find the book reasonably enjoyable. And the reader didn't admirable job.
• 
  Nick

  A great and enjoyable 'easy and leisurely ' read but unfortunately although the plot ideas for the ending were great indeed it read almost like the author had been invited out for the day and, in her eagerness to go out and in haste she wrote it like a list of events to tie up lose ends.....felt a bit like the excitement you feel in pulling a magnificent souffle out of the oven only to have it unceremoniously deflate within 5 minutes!
• 
  Deb White

  Classic British aristocracy tale. 1900-1918.
  Father dies, son takes over business. Son has quite active sex life with older widows!
  Redundency about who should be in control of the business...stolen 60 years ago by other side of family.