Overview
C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne's adventure follows fortune-seekers through danger, exploration, and the pursuit of wealth in a world of travel and uncertainty.
This title is catalogued in Adventure & Exploration. Its reading profile is Medium and Accessible, with themes including exploration, empire, survival, mystery, adventure.
One-Page Summary
A Master of Fortune is an adventure novel built around wealth, risk, travel, and the pursuit of opportunity in a world where fortunes can be made or lost through nerve and ingenuity. The protagonist moves through situations involving dangerous journeys, financial schemes, rival personalities, and the unpredictable consequences of ambition. Hyne’s fiction often combines the energy of a thriller with the atmosphere of nineteenth-century imperial adventure: characters travel between distant locations, encounter unfamiliar environments, and discover that social status provides little protection once events become dangerous.
The story’s central fascination is the psychology of the adventurer. A “master of fortune” is not necessarily someone who has inherited wealth; he is someone who believes he can control uncertainty through courage and intelligence. That belief is repeatedly tested by accidents, rivals, and circumstances beyond individual control. The novel’s appeal comes from momentum rather than philosophical complexity. One problem leads to another, and the characters are forced to improvise rather than settle into safety. At the same time, the repeated emphasis on money gives the adventure a sharper edge.
Wealth is both the prize and the source of conflict, turning relationships into contests over trust and opportunity. The result is a classic turn-of-the-century adventure story about what happens when ambition meets a world that is too large and unpredictable to be completely mastered.
Key Themes
Exploration: This title is tagged with exploration as one of its main themes.
Empire: This title is tagged with empire as one of its main themes.
Survival: This title is tagged with survival as one of its main themes.
Mystery: This title is tagged with mystery as one of its main themes.
Adventure: This title is tagged with adventure as one of its main themes.