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The Rules of Fortune
10 hours, 38 minutes
A daughter’s investigation into her family history threatens to destroy their legacy in a gripping novel about power, money, and secrets by the author of Token Black Girl.
On their Martha’s Vineyard estate, the Carter family prepares to celebrate. But when the billionaire patriarch dies right before his seventieth birthday, the media is quick to question the future of the multi-industry conglomerate that makes the Carters living legends. Amid the succession crisis, his daughter, Kennedy, is questioning her father’s past.
Kennedy is an aspiring filmmaker, and the documentary she’d planned to present at her father’s party begins an inquest into the life of a man she never really knew. A thoughtful outlier in an elite and fiercely guarded dynasty, she’s not interested in keeping up the appearances that define her impeccably poised mother or in the capitalist games her ruthless brother plays. Kennedy wants only to understand the origins of their empire, and the lethally ambitious man behind it. That understanding comes at a cost.
As a twisted history emerges, the fault lines in the family grow. Torn between morality and the promise of maintaining wealth, Kennedy must decide what’s most important—the Carter legacy or exposing the shocking truth of how it was built.
A daughter’s investigation into her family history threatens to destroy their legacy in a gripping novel about power, money, and secrets by the author of Token Black Girl.
On their Martha’s Vineyard estate, the Carter family prepares to celebrate. But when the billionaire patriarch dies right before his seventieth birthday, the media is quick to question the future of the multi-industry conglomerate that makes the Carters living legends. Amid the succession crisis, his daughter, Kennedy, is questioning her father’s past.
Kennedy is an aspiring filmmaker, and the documentary she’d planned to present at her father’s party begins an inquest into the life of a man she never really knew. A thoughtful outlier in an elite and fiercely guarded dynasty, she’s not interested in keeping up the appearances that define her impeccably poised mother or in the capitalist games her ruthless brother plays. Kennedy wants only to understand the origins of their empire, and the lethally ambitious man behind it. That understanding comes at a cost.
As a twisted history emerges, the fault lines in the family grow. Torn between morality and the promise of maintaining wealth, Kennedy must decide what’s most important—the Carter legacy or exposing the shocking truth of how it was built.
11 pages, Audible Audio
First published February 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 578 reviews
January 3, 2025
3.75⭐️ Amazon January First Read
Overall, the story is predictable, hitting many of the beats that a “family secrets being exposed” novel generally hits. The choice of making this a wealthy Black family doesn’t create as much of a twist for me (I can absolutely envision Black people being in the middle of something like this in reality since it’s 2025, not 1925), so what anchored me to the story wasn’t my ability to relate to the characters.
What kept me interested was the story and characters being genuinely interesting. As I mentioned, this is a fairly predictable story, but while I could accurately guess what was about to happen, I felt engaged and invested enough in the main and secondary characters and the evolution of their stories to want to find out how all of this played out. The Carter’s story, told across several decades, piques enough interest through each of the family members that it held my attention enough to stick with them as their story played out.
I think this could’ve benefited from some more shock value and scandal. The conclusions drawn and revelations made were nothing out of the ordinary and had an actual twist/complication been added and executed properly, it would’ve made a world of a difference.
Also, with this being told from multiple perspectives across almost seventy years and several locations, some of the expository info could have been trimmed down. Some of the chapters felt bogged down because there was so much set up being done that I often felt myself saying, “alright, lets wrap this up,” more often than I should’ve (which is none in a well-edited story).
This was a good palate cleanser for me as I get into a new year of reading, and it made for a good day of chill reading.
Overall, the story is predictable, hitting many of the beats that a “family secrets being exposed” novel generally hits. The choice of making this a wealthy Black family doesn’t create as much of a twist for me (I can absolutely envision Black people being in the middle of something like this in reality since it’s 2025, not 1925), so what anchored me to the story wasn’t my ability to relate to the characters.
What kept me interested was the story and characters being genuinely interesting. As I mentioned, this is a fairly predictable story, but while I could accurately guess what was about to happen, I felt engaged and invested enough in the main and secondary characters and the evolution of their stories to want to find out how all of this played out. The Carter’s story, told across several decades, piques enough interest through each of the family members that it held my attention enough to stick with them as their story played out.
I think this could’ve benefited from some more shock value and scandal. The conclusions drawn and revelations made were nothing out of the ordinary and had an actual twist/complication been added and executed properly, it would’ve made a world of a difference.
Also, with this being told from multiple perspectives across almost seventy years and several locations, some of the expository info could have been trimmed down. Some of the chapters felt bogged down because there was so much set up being done that I often felt myself saying, “alright, lets wrap this up,” more often than I should’ve (which is none in a well-edited story).
This was a good palate cleanser for me as I get into a new year of reading, and it made for a good day of chill reading.
January 9, 2025
2.5⭐️
This book was one of amazons first reads free books. The beginning of the book catches you well and makes you want to keep reading but I found the book to just slowly die with the plot.
This book was one of amazons first reads free books. The beginning of the book catches you well and makes you want to keep reading but I found the book to just slowly die with the plot.
January 10, 2025
I REALLY wanted to like this, but it was just SO boring. Nothing happened??? The most exciting part is the first & last chapters.
There was not a SINGLE likeable character, even the characters that are supposed to be likeable were miserable.
The book description , and reviews saying it gave succession vibes made me so excited, but it just fell so flat.
Main character could be played by Colman Domingo in a movie tho.. the characters could be fabulous if you just changed everything about their personalities.
There was not a SINGLE likeable character, even the characters that are supposed to be likeable were miserable.
The book description , and reviews saying it gave succession vibes made me so excited, but it just fell so flat.
Main character could be played by Colman Domingo in a movie tho.. the characters could be fabulous if you just changed everything about their personalities.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2025
There is way too much happening in the world and inside my stupid brain to write a real review, but basically I found this quite underwhelming and dull. It started out great and I was really pulled in by the first few chapters. Then for some reason she yanks us out of that tense present situation and we have to skip around the past a lot, getting endless pages that amounted to nothing more than info-dumping. None of the characters had any depth, and the eventual reveals were anti-climactic. Also, this author knows nothing about the Bay Area, because she has Kennedy driving into Marin County to interview someone, then later it says he lives in San Francisco. NOPE. No one who lives in Marin would ever say they live in the City, and no one around here would say someone lived in the City if they actually live in Marin. This ain't L.A. Editor and fact-check fail. Decent premise and good start, but very blah for the rest. Wev.
February 19, 2025
Review to come: readalong with tandem
TANDEM✶READALONG
#ad many thanks for my copy of the book and some annotating tools @amazonpublishing @danielleprescod @tandemcollectiveglobal #partner
🆃🅷🅴 🆁🆄🅻🅴🆂 🅾🅵 🅵🅾🆁🆃🆄🅽🅴
This review will be a little different. Instead of reviewing the book I’ll be reviewing my experience with reading this book and my annotating.
As someone who loves to annotate (once you start it’s impossible to ever read and not annotate again) I loved this readalong as it was tied into annotating. This book was also a great one to read and annotate.
When I first got my book I thought it would be a fast-paced, action-packed thriller based around secrets being exposed. But my experience wasn’t that - exactly. I would say this book is more of a character study than an action-packed thriller. Because it’s not really a thriller and maybe my thinking it was ruined it slightly.
However, the writing, pacing, and plot were all excellently executed. The characters were layered and dynamic. It was interesting to see how the characters all came to accept their reality. Secrets were revealed, the curtain of a billionaire family was slowly pulled back to reveal all the things one would like to stay hidden.
Most of my predictions that I made over the course of this readalong were all wrong. 🫣😂 So this book was defiantly much different than I thought. However, I still enjoyed it. Def an author to follow!
Until next time …
TANDEM✶READALONG
#ad many thanks for my copy of the book and some annotating tools @amazonpublishing @danielleprescod @tandemcollectiveglobal #partner
🆃🅷🅴 🆁🆄🅻🅴🆂 🅾🅵 🅵🅾🆁🆃🆄🅽🅴
This review will be a little different. Instead of reviewing the book I’ll be reviewing my experience with reading this book and my annotating.
As someone who loves to annotate (once you start it’s impossible to ever read and not annotate again) I loved this readalong as it was tied into annotating. This book was also a great one to read and annotate.
When I first got my book I thought it would be a fast-paced, action-packed thriller based around secrets being exposed. But my experience wasn’t that - exactly. I would say this book is more of a character study than an action-packed thriller. Because it’s not really a thriller and maybe my thinking it was ruined it slightly.
However, the writing, pacing, and plot were all excellently executed. The characters were layered and dynamic. It was interesting to see how the characters all came to accept their reality. Secrets were revealed, the curtain of a billionaire family was slowly pulled back to reveal all the things one would like to stay hidden.
Most of my predictions that I made over the course of this readalong were all wrong. 🫣😂 So this book was defiantly much different than I thought. However, I still enjoyed it. Def an author to follow!
Until next time …
January 5, 2025
The Rules of Fortune offers an intriguing setup with White Lotus-style drama and an exploration of death and secrets within an ultra-rich Black family. The portrayal of Black culture is a definite highlight, adding richness and authenticity to the story. The narrative structure, however, relies heavily on third-person flashbacks, which made the story feel disjointed and difficult to fully immerse in. While the characters are complex, they lacked the spark needed to make me care deeply about them—or even dislike them strongly. Truthfully, I almost DNF because of how detached I felt.
Unfortunately, the ending felt predictable and failed to bring any fresh twists to the genre. While the book had its moments, it ultimately didn’t leave a lasting impression. If you enjoy stories about wealth, family secrets, and cultural nuance, this might still be worth a read—but don’t expect groundbreaking revelations.
Unfortunately, the ending felt predictable and failed to bring any fresh twists to the genre. While the book had its moments, it ultimately didn’t leave a lasting impression. If you enjoy stories about wealth, family secrets, and cultural nuance, this might still be worth a read—but don’t expect groundbreaking revelations.
November 9, 2024
AHHH I’m so so proud of you, Danielle! To know you personally is a privilege, and I absolutely loved this story. From being there when you were in the midst of this storyline, to getting my own copy, *chef’s kiss*. Bravo!!
January 13, 2025
3⭐️ there was more focus on race than the actual plot of the book. I get that it played a big role in the story but it was too much
February 25, 2025
I really enjoyed the themes and the background that came with all of the characters. I was hooked early on but the ending felt a little rushed and ultimately fell flat compared to the buildup.
March 5, 2025
You know that I love poorly behaved rich people and this did not let me down.
This family drama is also an exploration into race, wealth and how far one will go to feel success.
It is a meandering story that never felt slow and had me captivated from the very start. With multiple POVs, unanswered questions and a lifetime to grow wealth it had me absolutely hooked.
Thank you fire fly distributors for the copy 🤍🤍
Read if you enjoyed: Pineapple Street, Friends in Nappa or White Whale
This family drama is also an exploration into race, wealth and how far one will go to feel success.
It is a meandering story that never felt slow and had me captivated from the very start. With multiple POVs, unanswered questions and a lifetime to grow wealth it had me absolutely hooked.
Thank you fire fly distributors for the copy 🤍🤍
Read if you enjoyed: Pineapple Street, Friends in Nappa or White Whale
June 16, 2025
The lifestyles of the ultra rich have never really been entertaining to me. No one really nuances them; they just traffic in the stereotypes of "I used to have nothing and that's why now that I'm rich, I treat other people like they're nothing especially the spoiled, incompetent children that I didn't really raise but stand to inherit everything which makes me sick." It's a loose characterization and not a direct quote from the book, but there's nothing new about The Rules of Fortune--especially not the rules. Everything you'd expect from a black man worth $18 billion dollars is there. Even the plot twist isn't really twisty. It happens in a paragraph and it's not the deep, dark secret the book promo suggests it is. The book's redeeming quality is that it's a quick read and Prescod's vocabulary is impressive even if the plot of the story itself is not.
February 15, 2025
Behind every fortune, there is a great crime.—Honoré de Balzac
I absolutely DEVOURED this book! Spanning nearly 60-ish years, this book told the story of William Carter Jr’s life, family, and the multi-billion dollar dynasty he created. There are no moral billionaires, so…this was a wild ride!
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I won’t go into too much detail, but I hated pretty much every character at one point or another and really appreciated that despite their father being extremely intelligent, his kids were kind of dumb/naive—it didn’t turn into a Nancy Drew type novel, which I liked.
Full 5 stars for me! I hope this author continues to write more fiction novels!
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC!
I absolutely DEVOURED this book! Spanning nearly 60-ish years, this book told the story of William Carter Jr’s life, family, and the multi-billion dollar dynasty he created. There are no moral billionaires, so…this was a wild ride!
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I won’t go into too much detail, but I hated pretty much every character at one point or another and really appreciated that despite their father being extremely intelligent, his kids were kind of dumb/naive—it didn’t turn into a Nancy Drew type novel, which I liked.
Full 5 stars for me! I hope this author continues to write more fiction novels!
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC!
January 26, 2025
The Rules of Fortune is very well-written and deftly handled several complex narratives spanning several decades. It got a little heavy-handed at the end, but I'm excited to see where Danielle Prescod's fiction career goes!
February 14, 2025
This was a twisty family drama about race, power and privilege and the lengths that a wealthy Black family went to in order to build their empire. Inspired by the death of her father, Kennedy Carter starts an investigation into the dark secrets of her family's past leading her to make morally difficult decisions about her inheritance and her family's reputation. Good on audio narrated by Soneela Nankani and perfect for fans of books like Black cake by Charmaine Wilkerson or How the one-armed sister sweeps her house by Cherie Jones. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
February 19, 2025
Where there are billions 💸💰, there is power, secrets, and blood!
The Carter family is all set to celebrate the 70th birthday of their family’s head. But his sudden death throws a wrench into the handover of the multi-billion-dollar legacy he left behind. Strangely, a birthday surprise that Kennedy was planning for her father begins to unravel family secrets no one wanted uncovered. Her quest for the truth endangers her family, but her hunch won’t let her settle for anything less.
The book is narrated from a very practical angle. Don’t go into the story expecting something beautiful to happen or, as they say in my local tongue, "Satyameva Jayate"—that won’t happen here. It explores the harsh realities of the real world and how money is often used to bury the skeletons in the closets of the rich and powerful.
A few characters were very well-developed, but I was left wanting to know more about Kennedy’s and Asher’s futures. The book ended well, staying true to the theme of the plot, though I was left feeling a bit cold as I wrapped it up. I’d recommend this to readers looking for a break from their blissful paradise and craving something cold-blooded to shake them up.
3.5/5 ⭐️
The Carter family is all set to celebrate the 70th birthday of their family’s head. But his sudden death throws a wrench into the handover of the multi-billion-dollar legacy he left behind. Strangely, a birthday surprise that Kennedy was planning for her father begins to unravel family secrets no one wanted uncovered. Her quest for the truth endangers her family, but her hunch won’t let her settle for anything less.
The book is narrated from a very practical angle. Don’t go into the story expecting something beautiful to happen or, as they say in my local tongue, "Satyameva Jayate"—that won’t happen here. It explores the harsh realities of the real world and how money is often used to bury the skeletons in the closets of the rich and powerful.
A few characters were very well-developed, but I was left wanting to know more about Kennedy’s and Asher’s futures. The book ended well, staying true to the theme of the plot, though I was left feeling a bit cold as I wrapped it up. I’d recommend this to readers looking for a break from their blissful paradise and craving something cold-blooded to shake them up.
3.5/5 ⭐️
February 9, 2025
A twisty-turny look behind the curtain of extreme wealth that manages to showcase without glamorizing. I love Danielle’s writing and her first book, Token Black Girl, was excellent but talent for nonfiction and journalism doesn’t always translate to talent for fiction and I wasn’t sure what to expect. But this story is so well constructed, with personal family dramas intertwined with corporate corruption. I also liked that these were dynamic and interesting female characters without a relying on a love interest for drama and personal growth.
January 14, 2025
This is one of those books that was tough for me to get into, but I enjoyed it once I did. On the eve of his 70th birthday party, William dies and is found by wife Jacqueline. Then we return to 1956 when his father worked as a janitor for the white mayor. Throughout his life William discovers racism, privilege, and competition that allows him to become a wealthy man. We learn his backstory and the story of his children and their struggles as well. If you enjoy a good family drama, this is a good one to read!
January 5, 2025
I’m so glad I chose this as my Amazon first reads this month. This book explores the moral integrity and dilemmas of billionaires and capitalism and perfectly demonstrates its effects on one family. I think this book can spark so many different discussions, especially with how each family member has their own agenda and perspective. Love this book!
March 15, 2025
Loved The Nuance
This was a great read. Very few books let you truly see a character from multiple perspectives while also giving you space to form your own opinion. I loved the revelations and uncovering the Carter family past but idk if I loved the non linear narrative approach. Still loved the book overall and could not put it down. Congrats Danielle!
This was a great read. Very few books let you truly see a character from multiple perspectives while also giving you space to form your own opinion. I loved the revelations and uncovering the Carter family past but idk if I loved the non linear narrative approach. Still loved the book overall and could not put it down. Congrats Danielle!
January 17, 2025
DNF bc the first 10 pages were so bad
March 29, 2025
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!
Wow! What an incredible read! As a graduate student, I don’t have a lot of time for non-academic reading, and I’m so glad I gave myself the time to read this. I was drawn in from the very beginning and was never let down or bored. I was thoroughly invested in each character and the multiple perspectives enhanced my attachment to them. I thought about the characters during my day-to-day life, wondering how the plot would unfold. I loved the way the mysteries were revealed, how Prescod dropped in emails or documents to add a little information while skipping around an expansive timeline. While there were some predictable moments, they did not in any way detract from my absolute enjoyment of this book. The pacing was perfect, which is hard to accomplish in this kind of story. I also appreciated the subtle nods to living in the lap of luxury, like the mention of La Mer. I love books that challenge me and make me examine my values and question if I’m really living by them. It tackled huge issues in a way that left me thinking and I know this book will stay with me for a while. It asked questions like: is family loyalty more important than justice? Is it ok to conceal crimes when more damage would be done if they were revealed? What kind of responsibility do each of us have - from the billionaire to the person living in a dank basement apartment? Are their responsibilities really all that different? This is a treasure of a book and I cannot recommend it highly enough! I’m looking forward to seeing what this incredible author does next! Thank you, Danielle, for bringing this beautiful work to light!
Wow! What an incredible read! As a graduate student, I don’t have a lot of time for non-academic reading, and I’m so glad I gave myself the time to read this. I was drawn in from the very beginning and was never let down or bored. I was thoroughly invested in each character and the multiple perspectives enhanced my attachment to them. I thought about the characters during my day-to-day life, wondering how the plot would unfold. I loved the way the mysteries were revealed, how Prescod dropped in emails or documents to add a little information while skipping around an expansive timeline. While there were some predictable moments, they did not in any way detract from my absolute enjoyment of this book. The pacing was perfect, which is hard to accomplish in this kind of story. I also appreciated the subtle nods to living in the lap of luxury, like the mention of La Mer. I love books that challenge me and make me examine my values and question if I’m really living by them. It tackled huge issues in a way that left me thinking and I know this book will stay with me for a while. It asked questions like: is family loyalty more important than justice? Is it ok to conceal crimes when more damage would be done if they were revealed? What kind of responsibility do each of us have - from the billionaire to the person living in a dank basement apartment? Are their responsibilities really all that different? This is a treasure of a book and I cannot recommend it highly enough! I’m looking forward to seeing what this incredible author does next! Thank you, Danielle, for bringing this beautiful work to light!
May 21, 2025
A Black “Succession” that was done successfully! The Carter’s, the family of focus: I loved to hate them and hated to love them! I think all great books with a villain should have an aspect where the reader can love them.
In addition to the book’s comparison to the show
“Succession,” I would also venture to say it mimicked “White Lotus.” Shedding light on the human experience through humor and mockery —but also in an animalistic way. Operating instinctually: self preserving, ritualistic, and survival of the fittest.
We are all flawed, but it’s what we do with the awareness of those flaws that defines our humanity. Great book.
In addition to the book’s comparison to the show
“Succession,” I would also venture to say it mimicked “White Lotus.” Shedding light on the human experience through humor and mockery —but also in an animalistic way. Operating instinctually: self preserving, ritualistic, and survival of the fittest.
We are all flawed, but it’s what we do with the awareness of those flaws that defines our humanity. Great book.
Read
January 23, 20252025 Reading Challenge Category: A book with a snake on the cover or in its title. (To be fair, I'm not sure if the twisty golden thing is an actual snake, but it looks like it enough to me.)
February 25, 2025
My Amazon January (2025) First Read pick! So good!
January 20, 2025
Super cool
I wasn’t sure about this book but got hooked quickly. Good character development and story that kept me interested to the end
I wasn’t sure about this book but got hooked quickly. Good character development and story that kept me interested to the end
February 18, 2025
as someone who loved the clique books this spoke to me
January 17, 2025
A clever unfolding of plot, with an interesting commentary on whether billionaires can ever be ethical, capitalism and a good dose of family secrets.
February 25, 2025
3.5/5 stars. definitely an enjoyable read. i liked how it unfolded, but the ending was boring
August 29, 2025
It had had good bones, but the execution killed me and not in a good way. All the characters(except one)horrible, but not in the love to hate way. There was not one main character really. It was vague on details. A full NDA to read felt like it was filler. There was a lot of potential but not fully explored. Not terrible, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
January 9, 2025
I really wanted to like it & I don’t normally DNF books… But I got 30% of the way in & just couldn’t do it anymore. It’s VERY slow.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 578 reviews