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Winds of Chance
This is an adventure story of pirates, kidnapping and British ladies on the high seas. Captain Japhet is our hero.
373 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1934
2 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Jeffery Farnol
431 books30 followersJohn Jeffery Farnol was born in Aston, Birmingham, England, UK, son of Kate Jeffery and Henry John Farnol, a factory-employed brass-founder. The marriage had three more children, two boys and a girl.] He was brought up in London and Kent. He attended the Westminster School of Art, after he had lost his job in a Birmingham metal-working firm.
In 1900 he married Blanche Wilhelmina Victoria Hawley (1883–1955), the 16 years old daughter of the noted New York scenic artist H. Hughson Hawley; they moved to the United States, where he found work as a scene painter. The marriage had a daughter, Gillian Hawley. He returned to England around 1910, and settled in Eastbourne, Sussex. In 1938, he divorced and remarried with Phyllis Mary Clarke on 20 May, and adopted her daughter, Charmian Jane.
On 9 August 1952, he died aged 73 in Eastbourne, after a long battle with cancer.
Farnol published his first romance novel My Lady Caprice in 1907. The success of his early novels led Farnol toeventually become a professional writer. He produced around 40 novels and volumes of stories, and some non-fiction and children's books. His last book was completed by his second wife Phyllis.
From Wikipedia
In 1900 he married Blanche Wilhelmina Victoria Hawley (1883–1955), the 16 years old daughter of the noted New York scenic artist H. Hughson Hawley; they moved to the United States, where he found work as a scene painter. The marriage had a daughter, Gillian Hawley. He returned to England around 1910, and settled in Eastbourne, Sussex. In 1938, he divorced and remarried with Phyllis Mary Clarke on 20 May, and adopted her daughter, Charmian Jane.
On 9 August 1952, he died aged 73 in Eastbourne, after a long battle with cancer.
Farnol published his first romance novel My Lady Caprice in 1907. The success of his early novels led Farnol toeventually become a professional writer. He produced around 40 novels and volumes of stories, and some non-fiction and children's books. His last book was completed by his second wife Phyllis.
From Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 8, 2015
Mistress Ursula Revell is to be married to her cousin as soon as her Uncle says the word. But when the day comes for her to meet her soon-to-be a mysterious man appears who abducts her and takes her aboard the 'Joyful Deliverance' much to her fury and horror. The next 30% of the book covers her misjudgment of the captain of the ship, Japhet Bly and her foolish pride and the folly it brings on her, the ship and everyone around her. Her actions kill men, a parrot and Japhet's vengeance.
Japhet hasn't been with gentle people in so long that he forgets to treat Ursula gently, and because they are both headstrong and proud neither will bend to the other. So they clash, and attract and despite themselves change for the better.
This passage gives you an idea of what the two of them are like together, as well as my updates. This one is just before a storm and Ursula has refused to go below. All the names he calls her here are her just deserts.
"Well, Madam Venom, sweet Mistress Spite," says he, "soon by your willfulness, you shall see such elemental fury as shall make you forget your own petty angers and me too awhile, for yonder comes rushing mighty winds, ma'm, to be loosed on us. Winds o' Destiny to plunge us fathoms deep into rest and joyous content, let us hope, or Winds o' Fortune to sweep us on and up to more experience of each other and a fuller living... How sayst thou, fair Madam Duplicity?"
This tale sweeps from England where Japhet could be tried and hanged, to Sound America where the Inca live and the Spanish invaders are at work. We have a lost Inca treasure, a golden skull, secret identities, pirates, a crazy Doctor who's ambition is to save as many live as possible to to make up for the one he took and Japhet's 'blood brother', an Incan chieftain.
Captain Japhet Bly reminds me a lot of Captain Rory Frost in Trade Wind because he's a pirate, vengeful and a hard master if you don't follow his lead. He also reminded me of Ivan in The Summer of the Barshinskeys. He makes mistakes, as does Ivan and is sorry for them later. Not that he ever does anything nearly as bad as these two do, but his personality reminded me of them. See my spoiler for details.
PG A few Ds and other swears. This book is about pirates as well as the Spanish and the Inca, so expect a lot of fighting. (Battle scenes are glossed over, so is scalping and whatnot) When it comes to murder, we do have people grappling, but it goes to black. All violence is fairly non descriptive. Mention of a lady who was raped in the past and also and attempted rape which doesn't get beyond a kiss. (Farnol is never graphic or crude). The only thing that annoys me in this book is
When all said and done, I think this is one of Farnol's best books. I don't know if I'd go as far as to say it's a favorite, but it's definitely listed with my favorites which are:
Sir John Dering
Over The Hills
The Lonely Road and this one.
Just an interesting note, this is the only Farnol book to be narrated by a woman. And just like in the other books, love tames the wild beast. :)
Japhet hasn't been with gentle people in so long that he forgets to treat Ursula gently, and because they are both headstrong and proud neither will bend to the other. So they clash, and attract and despite themselves change for the better.
This passage gives you an idea of what the two of them are like together, as well as my updates. This one is just before a storm and Ursula has refused to go below. All the names he calls her here are her just deserts.
"Well, Madam Venom, sweet Mistress Spite," says he, "soon by your willfulness, you shall see such elemental fury as shall make you forget your own petty angers and me too awhile, for yonder comes rushing mighty winds, ma'm, to be loosed on us. Winds o' Destiny to plunge us fathoms deep into rest and joyous content, let us hope, or Winds o' Fortune to sweep us on and up to more experience of each other and a fuller living... How sayst thou, fair Madam Duplicity?"
This tale sweeps from England where Japhet could be tried and hanged, to Sound America where the Inca live and the Spanish invaders are at work. We have a lost Inca treasure, a golden skull, secret identities, pirates, a crazy Doctor who's ambition is to save as many live as possible to to make up for the one he took and Japhet's 'blood brother', an Incan chieftain.
Captain Japhet Bly reminds me a lot of Captain Rory Frost in Trade Wind because he's a pirate, vengeful and a hard master if you don't follow his lead. He also reminded me of Ivan in The Summer of the Barshinskeys. He makes mistakes, as does Ivan and is sorry for them later. Not that he ever does anything nearly as bad as these two do, but his personality reminded me of them. See my spoiler for details.
PG A few Ds and other swears. This book is about pirates as well as the Spanish and the Inca, so expect a lot of fighting. (Battle scenes are glossed over, so is scalping and whatnot) When it comes to murder, we do have people grappling, but it goes to black. All violence is fairly non descriptive. Mention of a lady who was raped in the past and also and attempted rape which doesn't get beyond a kiss. (Farnol is never graphic or crude). The only thing that annoys me in this book is
When all said and done, I think this is one of Farnol's best books. I don't know if I'd go as far as to say it's a favorite, but it's definitely listed with my favorites which are:
Sir John Dering
Over The Hills
The Lonely Road and this one.
Just an interesting note, this is the only Farnol book to be narrated by a woman. And just like in the other books, love tames the wild beast. :)
June 13, 2014
I don't know how to review this without giving everything away but I will try. I'll give it a 4/12. The end almost made it a five but, Ursula (the heroine) for the first half of the book was a spoilt, foolish girl. She lost her temper for little reason and was determined to hate Captain Japhet Bly.
Captain Japhet Bly was the hero, (if a haughty, vengeful pirate can be one). He has sworn to end slavery, and avenge all who suffered. He claims to be humble, he is not. Hear is one of the few times he is :
"Ursula," says he, with a strange new diffidence, "I that never doubted myself in all my troublous days am full of doubt … I begin to know myself for sorry failure and random fool… I that would have played Providence am become the merest slave of circumstance. … Ineptitude on two legs am I!" Page 339. Later you come to understand why he is what he is. And by the end feel sorry for him.
As for Ursula, because of her foolishness many lost their lives, both on sea and on shore. Her hatred of Japhet seemed to me unreasonable, he was ever the thoughtful gentleman. Even if she was abducted by him. The oddest of all was "Johnny". He was a rogue if ever there was one. But as they say in this book, "blood is thicker than water" and that was the saving of "Johnny". He is not really "the villain", but rather a villain from the past. There is another villain and he is the only one in the whole book who deserved to die.
Within these pages you will find : Inca Treasures, "The Coast Brothers" and Pirates on the Sea which are just a few of the "happenings". There is some violence, not vividly told or descriptive. The only language is D's. And mild at that.(the sailors say it the most). I will reread this and others by Jeffery Farnol. I don't think this book is to the taste of any of my friends as he can be lengthy without seeming to get anywhere and his writing is spelled the way it sounds when people talk. You need to just sit down and read non stop to get into this book. If you put it down it takes a good chapter to get back into it. Maybe my having to put it down so much made me become annoyed with Ursula. Any how, I did like it and I found it entertaining. The best parts were chap. 12 and the last 4th of the book. The characters really started to grow then!
For all you unsuspecting souls this book changed name to : Winds Of Fortune. How do I know? I bought Winds of Fortune from amazon and also bought Winds Of Chance. They are identical. I should be glad after spending twenty five dollars split between the two that I now have one on my kindle and one on my shelf. Thankfuly, the book was worth it.
By the way, if you have ever read Kidnapped or Treasure Island you will see similarities. If you have seen/read Return to Treasure Island M/TV you will see even more similarities. Although Georgette Heyer is similar, she is much lighter than Farnol. He doesn't describe things, he lets you see it through the feelings of the characters. If they are afraid you see how it affects them without him describing the horrors of a gun fight. He leaves it to your imagination so if you don't have that, well, you won't get a feel for the characters. On the violence, one thing that might be found morbi and/or gruesome is the mention of human skulls and the death of a bird. I'd say its PG. If it was a movie it would probably be (if they showed you the things the book leaves out) a PG-13.
Captain Japhet Bly was the hero, (if a haughty, vengeful pirate can be one). He has sworn to end slavery, and avenge all who suffered. He claims to be humble, he is not. Hear is one of the few times he is :
"Ursula," says he, with a strange new diffidence, "I that never doubted myself in all my troublous days am full of doubt … I begin to know myself for sorry failure and random fool… I that would have played Providence am become the merest slave of circumstance. … Ineptitude on two legs am I!" Page 339. Later you come to understand why he is what he is. And by the end feel sorry for him.
As for Ursula, because of her foolishness many lost their lives, both on sea and on shore. Her hatred of Japhet seemed to me unreasonable, he was ever the thoughtful gentleman. Even if she was abducted by him. The oddest of all was "Johnny". He was a rogue if ever there was one. But as they say in this book, "blood is thicker than water" and that was the saving of "Johnny". He is not really "the villain", but rather a villain from the past. There is another villain and he is the only one in the whole book who deserved to die.
Within these pages you will find : Inca Treasures, "The Coast Brothers" and Pirates on the Sea which are just a few of the "happenings". There is some violence, not vividly told or descriptive. The only language is D's. And mild at that.(the sailors say it the most). I will reread this and others by Jeffery Farnol. I don't think this book is to the taste of any of my friends as he can be lengthy without seeming to get anywhere and his writing is spelled the way it sounds when people talk. You need to just sit down and read non stop to get into this book. If you put it down it takes a good chapter to get back into it. Maybe my having to put it down so much made me become annoyed with Ursula. Any how, I did like it and I found it entertaining. The best parts were chap. 12 and the last 4th of the book. The characters really started to grow then!
For all you unsuspecting souls this book changed name to : Winds Of Fortune. How do I know? I bought Winds of Fortune from amazon and also bought Winds Of Chance. They are identical. I should be glad after spending twenty five dollars split between the two that I now have one on my kindle and one on my shelf. Thankfuly, the book was worth it.
By the way, if you have ever read Kidnapped or Treasure Island you will see similarities. If you have seen/read Return to Treasure Island M/TV you will see even more similarities. Although Georgette Heyer is similar, she is much lighter than Farnol. He doesn't describe things, he lets you see it through the feelings of the characters. If they are afraid you see how it affects them without him describing the horrors of a gun fight. He leaves it to your imagination so if you don't have that, well, you won't get a feel for the characters. On the violence, one thing that might be found morbi and/or gruesome is the mention of human skulls and the death of a bird. I'd say its PG. If it was a movie it would probably be (if they showed you the things the book leaves out) a PG-13.
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