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The Pretender
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Expected 22 Apr 25A sweeping historical novel in the vein of Hilary Mantel and Maggie O’Farrell set during the time of the Tudors� ascent. The Pretender tells the story of Lambert Simnel, who was raised in obscurity as a peasant boy to protect his safety, believed to be the heir to the throne occupied by Richard III, and briefly crowned, at the age of ten, as King Edward the Sixth, one of the last of the Plantagenets.
In 1480 John Collan’s greatest anxiety is how to circumvent the village’s devil goat on the way to collect water. But the arrival of a well-dressed stranger from London upends his life forever: John is not John Collan, not the son of Will Collan, but the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence, hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown, and because Richard III has a habit of disappearing his nephews. Removed from his humble origins, sent to Oxford to be educated in a manner befitting the throne’s rightful heir, John is put into play by his masters, learning the rules of etiquette in Burgundy and the machinations of the court in Ireland, where he encounters the intractable Joan, the delightfully strong-willed and manipulative daughter of his Irish patrons, a girl imbued with both extraordinary political savvy and occasional murderous tendencies. Joan has two paths available her—marry, or become a nun. Lambert’s choices are similarly stark: he will either become King, or die in battle. Together they form an alliance that will change the fate of the English monarchy.
Inspired by a footnote to history—the true story of the little known Simnel, who was a figurehead of the 1487 Yorkist rebellion and ended up working as a spy in the court of King Henry VII� The Pretender is historical fiction at its finest, a gripping, exuberant, rollicking portrait of British monarchy and life within the court, with a cast of unforgettable heroes and villains drawn from 15th century England. A masterful new work from a major new author.
In 1480 John Collan’s greatest anxiety is how to circumvent the village’s devil goat on the way to collect water. But the arrival of a well-dressed stranger from London upends his life forever: John is not John Collan, not the son of Will Collan, but the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence, hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown, and because Richard III has a habit of disappearing his nephews. Removed from his humble origins, sent to Oxford to be educated in a manner befitting the throne’s rightful heir, John is put into play by his masters, learning the rules of etiquette in Burgundy and the machinations of the court in Ireland, where he encounters the intractable Joan, the delightfully strong-willed and manipulative daughter of his Irish patrons, a girl imbued with both extraordinary political savvy and occasional murderous tendencies. Joan has two paths available her—marry, or become a nun. Lambert’s choices are similarly stark: he will either become King, or die in battle. Together they form an alliance that will change the fate of the English monarchy.
Inspired by a footnote to history—the true story of the little known Simnel, who was a figurehead of the 1487 Yorkist rebellion and ended up working as a spy in the court of King Henry VII� The Pretender is historical fiction at its finest, a gripping, exuberant, rollicking portrait of British monarchy and life within the court, with a cast of unforgettable heroes and villains drawn from 15th century England. A masterful new work from a major new author.
496 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 22, 2025
37 people are currently reading
20.7k people want to read
About the author
Jo Harkin
2books302followersJo Harkin's passion is literary sci-fi, with an emphasis on how new technology impacts human lives. Her first speculative fiction novel, Tell Me An Ending, is released in March 2022 in the US and May 2022 in the UK. She lives in Berkshire, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
March 30, 2025
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Historical Fiction
When The Pretender was made available for advanced reading on NetGalley, I couldn’t resist requesting it. This historical novel is set at the end of the Plantagenet dynasty and the beginning of the Tudor reign. The story reimagines the life of Lambert Simnel, who was used for the Yorkist rebellion against King Henry VII.
It starts with Lambert being known as John, the twelve-year-old peasant boy, who one day is taken away by a stranger claiming he is the son of George, the Duke of Clarence (killed by his brother King Edward IV). The stranger says the boy’s identity was hidden to protect him from threats.
Lambert is then sent to Oxford to get the education he needs as a royal heir. Through his eyes, we follow his journey that is filled with danger, obstacles, political intrigue, self-discovery, and hunger for power.
The worldbuilding in this novel is so rich and vivid. The author did a terrific job drawing a clear picture of all the aspects of this world, whether it is the court, social structures, the nobility, or the medieval feel of it. Everything is well explained and described. The book is also beautifully written, like literary fiction.
Being told during a turbulent period of England’s history ensures the story has lots of deception, backstabbing, uncertainty, and twists that complement the political ambitions of the involved characters. The characters are complex and multilayered, making them perfect for the story.
I enjoyed reading the story because I have enough background about many of the characters in this book. Those unfamiliar with the Plantagenet and Tudor eras should read about their conflict and the War of the Roses before reading this story. I don’t know how much I would have liked this book or understood the events if I had no idea about the characters and their historical background. If you are a big fan of historical fiction of that era, you should not skip this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book.
Genre: Historical Fiction
When The Pretender was made available for advanced reading on NetGalley, I couldn’t resist requesting it. This historical novel is set at the end of the Plantagenet dynasty and the beginning of the Tudor reign. The story reimagines the life of Lambert Simnel, who was used for the Yorkist rebellion against King Henry VII.
It starts with Lambert being known as John, the twelve-year-old peasant boy, who one day is taken away by a stranger claiming he is the son of George, the Duke of Clarence (killed by his brother King Edward IV). The stranger says the boy’s identity was hidden to protect him from threats.
Lambert is then sent to Oxford to get the education he needs as a royal heir. Through his eyes, we follow his journey that is filled with danger, obstacles, political intrigue, self-discovery, and hunger for power.
The worldbuilding in this novel is so rich and vivid. The author did a terrific job drawing a clear picture of all the aspects of this world, whether it is the court, social structures, the nobility, or the medieval feel of it. Everything is well explained and described. The book is also beautifully written, like literary fiction.
Being told during a turbulent period of England’s history ensures the story has lots of deception, backstabbing, uncertainty, and twists that complement the political ambitions of the involved characters. The characters are complex and multilayered, making them perfect for the story.
I enjoyed reading the story because I have enough background about many of the characters in this book. Those unfamiliar with the Plantagenet and Tudor eras should read about their conflict and the War of the Roses before reading this story. I don’t know how much I would have liked this book or understood the events if I had no idea about the characters and their historical background. If you are a big fan of historical fiction of that era, you should not skip this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book.
November 22, 2024
The Pretender imagines the story of Lambert Simnel, a pretender to the throne of England and a threat to the newly established reign of Henry VII. He was the figurehead of a Yorkist rebellion against the House of Tudor.
The story begins in 1480s England with John growing up in a village, believing that his father is Will Collan, but everything changes when he is told that a rich man wants to pay for him to study.
When the rich man arrives, he’s accompanied by a younger man and introduced as Maister Richard Simons, a scholar and priest, who is to take over John’s education. Not only that, Maister Richard informs John that he was John Collan, and now, he is Lambert Simnel � something that, of course, makes no sense to John. It is then explained that he is actually the son of George, the Duke of Clarence. By title, he is the earl of Warwick, meaning next in line to the throne. Nothing makes sense to the boy who thinks of himself as a peasant.
Oxford becomes his new home, but it’s far from feeling like the house he knew and misses. In exchange for this new life, he is told that he has a larger purpose.
Maister Richard is responsible for teaching the boy about history and courtly manners. Alongside his studies, he learns about the current situation involving the Tudor pretender to the throne, Breton Henry, as the unpopular King Richard faces pressure from those who wish to replace him. The boy may not understand all the scheming, but he does understand that he doesn’t want to be the next in line to be struck down from the throne. So he prays for Richard to stay long on the throne.
As power shifts like the wind amid political machinations, Lambert struggles with his identity and destiny. Is he a peasant boy or son of a duke? The changes in his name to protect him only create further confusion.
Written poignantly with literary prose, The Pretender explores the struggle of a young man whose identity becomes a pawn in the hands of ambitious men. These men, driven by political intrigues, tensions, constant scheming, and chaos, make it even harder for Lambert to find his footing. When he finally finds love, giving him a sense of stability, it, too, is shaken. Thus, The Pretender portrays a man who constantly questions his own identity.
The Pretender masterfully captures the mysterious figure of a peasant boy who claimed to be an heir to the throne, weaving a narrative filled with heartache, humor, conflicting loyalties, and the struggle of self-identity.
The story is written with such style that it takes a moment to get into it. There is crass humor and sexual escapades. The story has some slow moments and some highly engaging.
Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story begins in 1480s England with John growing up in a village, believing that his father is Will Collan, but everything changes when he is told that a rich man wants to pay for him to study.
When the rich man arrives, he’s accompanied by a younger man and introduced as Maister Richard Simons, a scholar and priest, who is to take over John’s education. Not only that, Maister Richard informs John that he was John Collan, and now, he is Lambert Simnel � something that, of course, makes no sense to John. It is then explained that he is actually the son of George, the Duke of Clarence. By title, he is the earl of Warwick, meaning next in line to the throne. Nothing makes sense to the boy who thinks of himself as a peasant.
Oxford becomes his new home, but it’s far from feeling like the house he knew and misses. In exchange for this new life, he is told that he has a larger purpose.
Maister Richard is responsible for teaching the boy about history and courtly manners. Alongside his studies, he learns about the current situation involving the Tudor pretender to the throne, Breton Henry, as the unpopular King Richard faces pressure from those who wish to replace him. The boy may not understand all the scheming, but he does understand that he doesn’t want to be the next in line to be struck down from the throne. So he prays for Richard to stay long on the throne.
As power shifts like the wind amid political machinations, Lambert struggles with his identity and destiny. Is he a peasant boy or son of a duke? The changes in his name to protect him only create further confusion.
Written poignantly with literary prose, The Pretender explores the struggle of a young man whose identity becomes a pawn in the hands of ambitious men. These men, driven by political intrigues, tensions, constant scheming, and chaos, make it even harder for Lambert to find his footing. When he finally finds love, giving him a sense of stability, it, too, is shaken. Thus, The Pretender portrays a man who constantly questions his own identity.
The Pretender masterfully captures the mysterious figure of a peasant boy who claimed to be an heir to the throne, weaving a narrative filled with heartache, humor, conflicting loyalties, and the struggle of self-identity.
The story is written with such style that it takes a moment to get into it. There is crass humor and sexual escapades. The story has some slow moments and some highly engaging.
Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2024
I wasn't sure about this, but I have been wanting to branch out of my typical genres. I'm glad I did! This was such an intriguing novel. I'm not a history guru, so I can't expand on the historical accuracy of this book. However, I loved it from the start. It truly gripped me, and I loved the writing style. I was entranced by it from the start, and the twists just kept reeling me in. Such a wonderful historic fiction novel!
I won this from a ŷ giveaway. All if the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I won this from a ŷ giveaway. All if the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
August 24, 2024
[I was provided a review copy from the publisher via Netgalley.]
Oh, what a book! I am only sorry that it is not being published until April 2025, although I am nothing but glad that I got to read it so early.
The Pretender by Jo Harkin is a sweeping historical fiction novel that tells a highly fictionalized version of the youth and young adulthood of Lambert Simnel, who was claimed to really be Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, and a challenger to the throne of the newly crowned Henry VII.
Very little is known about the real Lambert Simnel, including his actual name. Some contemporary records apparently call him John, which is presumably where Jo Harkin got the boy's “first� name--John Collan--from.
It is known that the real Simnel was captured and pardoned by Henry VII, who made him spit-boy in the kitchens and later a falconer. It is believed he may have had at least one child, but his adulthood and ultimate fate, like the boy himself, is generally shrouded in mystery.
This makes it ripe for fiction, of course. Thankfully, Harkin plucked this ripeness in just the right season.
While most of the novel is quite fictionalized, it feels plausible enough unless you are an incredible stickler for historical accuracy. While some eras of history are harder for me to accept deviations from the record in, this isn’t one of them, so I didn’t mind any inaccuracies (and there are some, of course) because of the book’s well thought-out conceit.
Simnel, who begins the book as John Collan, transforms throughout the novel–and not only in the outward sense, from farm boy to supposed-heir-to-the-throne. But we are thrust into his internal transformations, which are often half-complete and conflicting, playing with the novel’s themes about identity, belonging, happiness, love, morality, greed and ultimately, the seeming need for revenge.
Who is John, Simnel, Edward? Is he a peasant, a pretender, an earl? Does it matter? Can he love someone else, if he doesn’t know who he is? How is he supposed to live, when he’s been so many people, and none of them, perhaps, were the real him?
There is heartache in this book. Tragedy, abuse, lies that come to fester and rot. There is also humor. There were quite a few passages (including one very well placed “What. The. Fuck.) that had me chuckling. There is beauty and grossness and everything one needs to explore the essence of being human.
The only element of the book that fell very flat for me was a strange detour near the end that focused heavily on sex. Yes, people have sex, including people in the past. I’m not pretending people were prudes. But it was just a bit strange for the book to suddenly hone in on sex as a narrative device for so long; maybe it’s something I will better understand with a re-read, or maybe it’s something that just didn’t gel with me.
But this theme doesn’t last for too long, all things considered. And it does take place in the context of Simnel experiencing yet another changing-of-the-guards in his identity, so there is an element of franticness about the whole thing that keeps it from being too over the top.
The storyline takes place over several years, and Harkin does well to show us the development of Simnel as he ages and is tutored in more complex subjects.
As Simnel goes from a young boy learning basic latin to a young man being presented with moral quandaries as tests for his potential kingship, we see how his moral character develops–even as he is faced with an increasing number of horrific events that test his understanding of the world. And most importantly of all, his understanding of himself.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a sweeping historical fiction that combines humor with witness, stark humanity, and overarching themes about identity, love, honor and revenge.
Oh, what a book! I am only sorry that it is not being published until April 2025, although I am nothing but glad that I got to read it so early.
The Pretender by Jo Harkin is a sweeping historical fiction novel that tells a highly fictionalized version of the youth and young adulthood of Lambert Simnel, who was claimed to really be Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, and a challenger to the throne of the newly crowned Henry VII.
Very little is known about the real Lambert Simnel, including his actual name. Some contemporary records apparently call him John, which is presumably where Jo Harkin got the boy's “first� name--John Collan--from.
It is known that the real Simnel was captured and pardoned by Henry VII, who made him spit-boy in the kitchens and later a falconer. It is believed he may have had at least one child, but his adulthood and ultimate fate, like the boy himself, is generally shrouded in mystery.
This makes it ripe for fiction, of course. Thankfully, Harkin plucked this ripeness in just the right season.
While most of the novel is quite fictionalized, it feels plausible enough unless you are an incredible stickler for historical accuracy. While some eras of history are harder for me to accept deviations from the record in, this isn’t one of them, so I didn’t mind any inaccuracies (and there are some, of course) because of the book’s well thought-out conceit.
Simnel, who begins the book as John Collan, transforms throughout the novel–and not only in the outward sense, from farm boy to supposed-heir-to-the-throne. But we are thrust into his internal transformations, which are often half-complete and conflicting, playing with the novel’s themes about identity, belonging, happiness, love, morality, greed and ultimately, the seeming need for revenge.
Who is John, Simnel, Edward? Is he a peasant, a pretender, an earl? Does it matter? Can he love someone else, if he doesn’t know who he is? How is he supposed to live, when he’s been so many people, and none of them, perhaps, were the real him?
There is heartache in this book. Tragedy, abuse, lies that come to fester and rot. There is also humor. There were quite a few passages (including one very well placed “What. The. Fuck.) that had me chuckling. There is beauty and grossness and everything one needs to explore the essence of being human.
The only element of the book that fell very flat for me was a strange detour near the end that focused heavily on sex. Yes, people have sex, including people in the past. I’m not pretending people were prudes. But it was just a bit strange for the book to suddenly hone in on sex as a narrative device for so long; maybe it’s something I will better understand with a re-read, or maybe it’s something that just didn’t gel with me.
But this theme doesn’t last for too long, all things considered. And it does take place in the context of Simnel experiencing yet another changing-of-the-guards in his identity, so there is an element of franticness about the whole thing that keeps it from being too over the top.
The storyline takes place over several years, and Harkin does well to show us the development of Simnel as he ages and is tutored in more complex subjects.
As Simnel goes from a young boy learning basic latin to a young man being presented with moral quandaries as tests for his potential kingship, we see how his moral character develops–even as he is faced with an increasing number of horrific events that test his understanding of the world. And most importantly of all, his understanding of himself.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a sweeping historical fiction that combines humor with witness, stark humanity, and overarching themes about identity, love, honor and revenge.
September 8, 2024
I would kill for him.
December 19, 2024
How does one live when nothing is certain, no firm ground?
History, Edward realized, is not what happened, but what some historians lied or guessed about, “and now nobody knows what’s true.� Edward has the same questions about the truth of his own identity and history. Is he a farmer’s son? Or heir to the throne?
He was ten years old when several splendid men came to the farm and took him away to be educated. His name went from John Collan to Lambert Simons. Then, he became Edward, Duke of Clarence, rightful heir to the throne. After the failed Yorkist takeover, he became Simnel, a servant in King Henry’s court. And finally, be was John Crossley, hopefully a world traveler.
It was a hard and lonely life, constantly losing his identity and family. He learned to live in high society by error and imitation. He enjoyed books and a Classical education, but learning who to trust was harder than Latin. He had no control over his own life, and when he fell in love, it brought only separation and loss.
When the Yorkist plot to put him on the throne failed, he was forgiven by the king who knew he was a helpless pawn, and put to work in the kitchen. He rose in favor and was elevated–to be a spy for the king, reporting those who plotted against him.
In the end, the young man had lost everything but his desire for revenge, determined to punish those who had lied to him, used him, took away his identity, and separated him from those he loved.
What a fantastic novel! The transformation of the boy into a young man meting out justice is expertly handled. There is humor and darkness, history and fiction, a splendid innocent encountering the treacherous world of politics and court intrigue. And eternal love, even if built on an uncertain foundation.
This is a must-read for readers of the highest order of historical fiction.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
History, Edward realized, is not what happened, but what some historians lied or guessed about, “and now nobody knows what’s true.� Edward has the same questions about the truth of his own identity and history. Is he a farmer’s son? Or heir to the throne?
He was ten years old when several splendid men came to the farm and took him away to be educated. His name went from John Collan to Lambert Simons. Then, he became Edward, Duke of Clarence, rightful heir to the throne. After the failed Yorkist takeover, he became Simnel, a servant in King Henry’s court. And finally, be was John Crossley, hopefully a world traveler.
It was a hard and lonely life, constantly losing his identity and family. He learned to live in high society by error and imitation. He enjoyed books and a Classical education, but learning who to trust was harder than Latin. He had no control over his own life, and when he fell in love, it brought only separation and loss.
When the Yorkist plot to put him on the throne failed, he was forgiven by the king who knew he was a helpless pawn, and put to work in the kitchen. He rose in favor and was elevated–to be a spy for the king, reporting those who plotted against him.
In the end, the young man had lost everything but his desire for revenge, determined to punish those who had lied to him, used him, took away his identity, and separated him from those he loved.
What a fantastic novel! The transformation of the boy into a young man meting out justice is expertly handled. There is humor and darkness, history and fiction, a splendid innocent encountering the treacherous world of politics and court intrigue. And eternal love, even if built on an uncertain foundation.
This is a must-read for readers of the highest order of historical fiction.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
October 26, 2024
4. A historical fiction of a possible successor (and alleged Pretender ) to the throne after the death of Richard III, of the York dynasty, Lambert Simnel, and the subsequent accession of Henry VII of the Tudor dynasty. A very well researched tale of the intrigue, conspiracies, and attempts to unseat Henry with Lambert, who was plucked from a farm in England as a young boy who allegedly was placed there to protect him from harm. I did find the book got a bit heavy and difficult to read in the middle, yet I found it interesting on the history. The language was lovely and tried to replicate the language of the times. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an unbiased and candid review.
January 14, 2025
It’s Like If Wolf Hall Were Actually Good.
Okay so. Wolf Hall. I tried, I really did. I can't speak about it too loudly at the bookstore because to dislike the book would be blasphemy in some circles. (But our buyer does agree with me. I'm outing Sam right here, right now.) I could not tell you a single thing that went on in that book except that it was about Thomas Cromwell and some heads ended up on spikes. The rest was so boring that it immediately exited my brain to make room for more interesting stuff like, I don't know, the stock market. NASDAQ is more interesting than Wolf Hall was to me.
The Pretender, however, is bawdy, vulgar, and full of heart. The boy at the center of the story stole my heart from his first face-off with Gaspard the goat. As doomed as his arc is, I tracked with his evolving understanding of human nature. His actions and motivations all felt true, if tragic. It made me think more deeply about tHe HuMaN cOnDiTiOn, challenging me to consider my own fallibility before I judged or condemned these characters, which is what I can only hope a novel will do.
The book is LONG. I struggled to get into the first 10 or 15 percent, but then I read the rest of it in a single day. I will also echo other reviewers that I would have appreciated some sort of author's note at the end of the book about the historical accuracy. The story is based on a seed of truth, and I was curious about the author's process of extrapolating from so little. (Maggie O'Farrell's did a good job of bringing the reader in on this point.)
The comparisons to both Mantel and O'Farrell are apt, but this grabbed me in a way neither have. I'm grateful that I stuck this one out and to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC. I can't wait to hear what some of my medieval-minded friends think of it on April 22, 2025.
Okay so. Wolf Hall. I tried, I really did. I can't speak about it too loudly at the bookstore because to dislike the book would be blasphemy in some circles. (But our buyer does agree with me. I'm outing Sam right here, right now.) I could not tell you a single thing that went on in that book except that it was about Thomas Cromwell and some heads ended up on spikes. The rest was so boring that it immediately exited my brain to make room for more interesting stuff like, I don't know, the stock market. NASDAQ is more interesting than Wolf Hall was to me.
The Pretender, however, is bawdy, vulgar, and full of heart. The boy at the center of the story stole my heart from his first face-off with Gaspard the goat. As doomed as his arc is, I tracked with his evolving understanding of human nature. His actions and motivations all felt true, if tragic. It made me think more deeply about tHe HuMaN cOnDiTiOn, challenging me to consider my own fallibility before I judged or condemned these characters, which is what I can only hope a novel will do.
The book is LONG. I struggled to get into the first 10 or 15 percent, but then I read the rest of it in a single day. I will also echo other reviewers that I would have appreciated some sort of author's note at the end of the book about the historical accuracy. The story is based on a seed of truth, and I was curious about the author's process of extrapolating from so little. (Maggie O'Farrell's did a good job of bringing the reader in on this point.)
The comparisons to both Mantel and O'Farrell are apt, but this grabbed me in a way neither have. I'm grateful that I stuck this one out and to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC. I can't wait to hear what some of my medieval-minded friends think of it on April 22, 2025.
February 26, 2025
very almost 5 stars -- only slightly infected with modern cultural revisionism virus (not the kindly best friend lesbian!) and sentimental epiloguitis
my netgalley review:
Loved this so much. It's really more of a 4.5 than a 5, because I had a few minor critiques (more in a bit), but I would absolutely recommend this to any students of historical fiction and probably to most other readers as well. The Hilary Mantel comparisons are apt, though I have to say that I enjoyed this much more than Wolf Hall -- John/Lambert/Edward/Simnel is to me a more compelling character than Mantel's Cromwell, and I found Harkin's prose more dynamic and more pleasurable.
The Simnel tale is a great story and a wise choice for a historical novel -- there's enough structure in the historical record to give this book a sense of solidity and significance, but not so much as to hinder invention and flexibility with character. We meet many interesting people, only some of whom were familiar to me from Shakespeare and my knowledge of this period, and nearly all of which interested me and sparked my sympathies. Speaking of which, I would really have loved this book to have a historical afterward or a set of author's notes about who was invented and who appears in the historical record. Characters like Joan Fitzgerald, who did exist but is, historically speaking, a footnote, were distracting to me -- I constantly felt the urge to look her up and figure out what was true about her and what was invented (when did she really die?). Maybe this won't be a problem for other readers, and honestly it was hardly one for me -- but I would have very happily read a page or two about her, what is known and what was embroidered, and why Harkin chose her to be the focus of so much of the book. (This goes for lots of other figures too!)
A few little things I didn't like so much. I found the naming confusing at times. Of the characters I'm familiar with from history, some are referred to with their first names -- typically women, children, and kings -- others with their titles, and still others with their last names. That's fine -- that accords with historical convention, and has to do with status and rank. Where it seemed unusual was with characters who were supposedly intimate or closely related to each other. Should Margaret Beaufort really call the Duke of Clarence by his title rather than his name, George? Should J/L/E/S, his purported son, think of him that way? Should Lincoln still be Lincoln, even once he becomes J/L/E/S's most beloved cousin? Doesn't anyone think of themselves as a Plantagenet, or use that name? Not that any of that really matters! Overall, Harkin does a remarkably good job of helping us remember who is who, and giving people their titles instead of their names often helps with that -- Lincoln is otherwise just another John de la Pole, after all. But I was frequently distracted by these choices and wondered why they had been made.
Secondly, this book is too long. Personally, I would cut some of the epilogue, which goes on for a while and doesn't give us much except more time to doubt the somewhat too good to be true friendly lesbian found family setup (is that in any way based in the historical record? I'd love to know). But the problem is more entrenched than that. The book is primarily composed of habitual time. The rare scenes, when we do get them, are always exciting and smartly paced. But they're often lodged in quite a lot of generality, telling us how J/L/E/S is feeling at any given point, what he's worried about, how he's changed from some point in the past, what the castle he's living in is like, etc. There's some pleasure in these passages, of course -- as I've said, I really like Harkin's prose. But there's just no reason this book should be nearly 500 pages instead of, say, 350.
And thirdly, at times, the humor feels too modern, and there's too much of it (classic peasant!). There are a lot of funny people in The Pretender, and without exception I enjoyed them -- especially Kildare (who I was loath to turn against), Jennott, and Joan. But many of them are funny in the same way, and put together they posed a challenge to my immersion and otherwise pretty solid sense of historicity. I could really feel the book working to keep itself from falling into a The Great style bawdiness -- and a few times it slipped.
Similarly (and maybe I'm totally wrong about this -- again, a problem an afterword could solve), I was suspicious of J/L/E/S's organically discovered feminist thinking and of his convenient and friendly and quite evolved lesbian BFF. Those features felt like little 2024 intrusions, tiny anxious efforts to keep us caring about and liking a protagonist who is, at worst, a creature of his time -- efforts I felt were unnecessary and, say it with me, distracting.
Despite all that, I want to reiterate that I really really liked this book. It's one of the best new historical novels I've read in years, and maybe the best of the past decade period. I'm mentioning all these critiques because they're really the only things I didn't like about The Pretender, and they're minor. Can't wait for this to come out -- I definitely want a copy for my shelf.
arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review
my netgalley review:
Loved this so much. It's really more of a 4.5 than a 5, because I had a few minor critiques (more in a bit), but I would absolutely recommend this to any students of historical fiction and probably to most other readers as well. The Hilary Mantel comparisons are apt, though I have to say that I enjoyed this much more than Wolf Hall -- John/Lambert/Edward/Simnel is to me a more compelling character than Mantel's Cromwell, and I found Harkin's prose more dynamic and more pleasurable.
The Simnel tale is a great story and a wise choice for a historical novel -- there's enough structure in the historical record to give this book a sense of solidity and significance, but not so much as to hinder invention and flexibility with character. We meet many interesting people, only some of whom were familiar to me from Shakespeare and my knowledge of this period, and nearly all of which interested me and sparked my sympathies. Speaking of which, I would really have loved this book to have a historical afterward or a set of author's notes about who was invented and who appears in the historical record. Characters like Joan Fitzgerald, who did exist but is, historically speaking, a footnote, were distracting to me -- I constantly felt the urge to look her up and figure out what was true about her and what was invented (when did she really die?). Maybe this won't be a problem for other readers, and honestly it was hardly one for me -- but I would have very happily read a page or two about her, what is known and what was embroidered, and why Harkin chose her to be the focus of so much of the book. (This goes for lots of other figures too!)
A few little things I didn't like so much. I found the naming confusing at times. Of the characters I'm familiar with from history, some are referred to with their first names -- typically women, children, and kings -- others with their titles, and still others with their last names. That's fine -- that accords with historical convention, and has to do with status and rank. Where it seemed unusual was with characters who were supposedly intimate or closely related to each other. Should Margaret Beaufort really call the Duke of Clarence by his title rather than his name, George? Should J/L/E/S, his purported son, think of him that way? Should Lincoln still be Lincoln, even once he becomes J/L/E/S's most beloved cousin? Doesn't anyone think of themselves as a Plantagenet, or use that name? Not that any of that really matters! Overall, Harkin does a remarkably good job of helping us remember who is who, and giving people their titles instead of their names often helps with that -- Lincoln is otherwise just another John de la Pole, after all. But I was frequently distracted by these choices and wondered why they had been made.
Secondly, this book is too long. Personally, I would cut some of the epilogue, which goes on for a while and doesn't give us much except more time to doubt the somewhat too good to be true friendly lesbian found family setup (is that in any way based in the historical record? I'd love to know). But the problem is more entrenched than that. The book is primarily composed of habitual time. The rare scenes, when we do get them, are always exciting and smartly paced. But they're often lodged in quite a lot of generality, telling us how J/L/E/S is feeling at any given point, what he's worried about, how he's changed from some point in the past, what the castle he's living in is like, etc. There's some pleasure in these passages, of course -- as I've said, I really like Harkin's prose. But there's just no reason this book should be nearly 500 pages instead of, say, 350.
And thirdly, at times, the humor feels too modern, and there's too much of it (classic peasant!). There are a lot of funny people in The Pretender, and without exception I enjoyed them -- especially Kildare (who I was loath to turn against), Jennott, and Joan. But many of them are funny in the same way, and put together they posed a challenge to my immersion and otherwise pretty solid sense of historicity. I could really feel the book working to keep itself from falling into a The Great style bawdiness -- and a few times it slipped.
Similarly (and maybe I'm totally wrong about this -- again, a problem an afterword could solve), I was suspicious of J/L/E/S's organically discovered feminist thinking and of his convenient and friendly and quite evolved lesbian BFF. Those features felt like little 2024 intrusions, tiny anxious efforts to keep us caring about and liking a protagonist who is, at worst, a creature of his time -- efforts I felt were unnecessary and, say it with me, distracting.
Despite all that, I want to reiterate that I really really liked this book. It's one of the best new historical novels I've read in years, and maybe the best of the past decade period. I'm mentioning all these critiques because they're really the only things I didn't like about The Pretender, and they're minor. Can't wait for this to come out -- I definitely want a copy for my shelf.
arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2025
I was supposed to just be 'taste testing' this as part of the Bloomsbury Books Big Night. You know, read a couple of chapters to get the vibe so I could post about it, but I got SO HOOKED right away that I couldn't put it down. I pushed aside everything else I was reading so I could binge this story of a young pretender to the English throne in 1487.
I thought John was a hilarious POV character. I wasn't sure I'd get along with a child POV in historical fiction but his interpretation of events ended up being why this was so engrossing. There's a lot of political machinations in this, trying to overthrow the King and all. It had the potential to be quite dry but seen through John's eyes, everything was endless entertaining. The final section is significantly more sombre (or dole, as John would say) which wasn't the ending I was hoping for but historical fiction can only stray so far from actual history so what can you do.
I thought John was a hilarious POV character. I wasn't sure I'd get along with a child POV in historical fiction but his interpretation of events ended up being why this was so engrossing. There's a lot of political machinations in this, trying to overthrow the King and all. It had the potential to be quite dry but seen through John's eyes, everything was endless entertaining. The final section is significantly more sombre (or dole, as John would say) which wasn't the ending I was hoping for but historical fiction can only stray so far from actual history so what can you do.
December 14, 2024
I first want to thank Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, as well as NetGalley for providing me a copy of The Pretender for review.
I’m not going to beat around the bush. This is a phenomenal piece of historical fiction. The Pretender is a fictionalized account of Lambert Simnel, a pretender to the English throne. While the Simnel Rebellion is a well-enough known historical event during which the House of York attempted to regain power after Henry VII (House of Lancaster) assumed power, the actual life of Lambert Simnel is not a story that is often brought to light.
I think that there are many things about this work to applaud, but I will begin with how utterly detailed this text is. Aside from a plethora of references to medieval texts and obscurity from the 15th century, the language itself draws on a number of phrases that originate in Chaucer, Margery Kempe, Langland, and Ovid. It is the small textual details like this that really place the reader in that good ol� fashion 15th-century mindset.
I also think that the style of writing is quite unique in that it combines deeply political, societal, and social issues with a very modern sense of humor. Let it be known that this book is deeply funny in an oblique way. If the sort of wry humor intrinsic to BBC originals isn’t your thing, this book might also not be your thing.
The one thing that I would possibly complain about is the fact that there were a few sections that *felt* long to me. I think that might just be a necessity of the book because it tries to encapsulate like 60 years of political turmoil in England and needs the context. That being said, I am fully aware of the irony of me loving how detailed this book is while also commenting that it felt long in some places. There is also a real possibility that it felt long at times because I would pick up the book before going to bed which resulted in me rereading multiple passages as I was staving off sleep. I will also warn you that there are a lot of characters, so if you happen to struggle with following along with upwards of 20 characters, you might get lost.
As for The Pretender’s place within the historical fiction canon, I think that this far exceeds my expectations. While the narrative takes liberties, the subject, Lambert Simnel, is not a figure who has too much information readily available about him (like, for a TOTALLY random example, Shakespeare) which makes the storytelling feasible and not super reparative or conspiratorial (once again, this is a completely chance and not at all deliberate choice of words).
Overall, I think that this is a great narrative of John, Lambert, Edward, and Simnel, and I would strongly recommend this to anyone who is invested in the eras of the Houses of York and Tudor. I am very excited to see the reviews of this book before its publication in April 2025!
5/5
I’m not going to beat around the bush. This is a phenomenal piece of historical fiction. The Pretender is a fictionalized account of Lambert Simnel, a pretender to the English throne. While the Simnel Rebellion is a well-enough known historical event during which the House of York attempted to regain power after Henry VII (House of Lancaster) assumed power, the actual life of Lambert Simnel is not a story that is often brought to light.
I think that there are many things about this work to applaud, but I will begin with how utterly detailed this text is. Aside from a plethora of references to medieval texts and obscurity from the 15th century, the language itself draws on a number of phrases that originate in Chaucer, Margery Kempe, Langland, and Ovid. It is the small textual details like this that really place the reader in that good ol� fashion 15th-century mindset.
I also think that the style of writing is quite unique in that it combines deeply political, societal, and social issues with a very modern sense of humor. Let it be known that this book is deeply funny in an oblique way. If the sort of wry humor intrinsic to BBC originals isn’t your thing, this book might also not be your thing.
The one thing that I would possibly complain about is the fact that there were a few sections that *felt* long to me. I think that might just be a necessity of the book because it tries to encapsulate like 60 years of political turmoil in England and needs the context. That being said, I am fully aware of the irony of me loving how detailed this book is while also commenting that it felt long in some places. There is also a real possibility that it felt long at times because I would pick up the book before going to bed which resulted in me rereading multiple passages as I was staving off sleep. I will also warn you that there are a lot of characters, so if you happen to struggle with following along with upwards of 20 characters, you might get lost.
As for The Pretender’s place within the historical fiction canon, I think that this far exceeds my expectations. While the narrative takes liberties, the subject, Lambert Simnel, is not a figure who has too much information readily available about him (like, for a TOTALLY random example, Shakespeare) which makes the storytelling feasible and not super reparative or conspiratorial (once again, this is a completely chance and not at all deliberate choice of words).
Overall, I think that this is a great narrative of John, Lambert, Edward, and Simnel, and I would strongly recommend this to anyone who is invested in the eras of the Houses of York and Tudor. I am very excited to see the reviews of this book before its publication in April 2025!
5/5
March 25, 2025
The Pretender is an imaginative historical fiction novel based on a little-known historical footnote. Set in the 1400s at the rise of the Tudors, it follows the life of a man claiming to be a Plantagenet heir to the throne. Beautifully written and packed with information about this period in English history, The Pretender is a must-read for historical fiction lovers.
John Collan is plucked from his life on the family farm by a mysterious stranger who claims he is Edward, Earl of Warwick, who was switched at birth with a peasant to protect him from Richard III, who has a propensity for killing his nephews. It was time to begin his education and secure his right to the throne from the usurper, Henry VII. Needing to keep his existence quiet until it is time to overthrow Henry, John is moved to Oxford, assumes the name Lambert Simons, and begins his tutelage. He eventually lands in Ireland, where the Earl of Kildare is heading the rebellion against Henry. Here, Edward, as he is now known, falls in love with the Earl's daughter Joan, a relationship that will haunt him for the rest of his life. Edward now thinks fate controls his destiny.
This captivating story is packed with historical facts and an intimate look at life in the 1400s. At first, I was rooting for John/Lambert/Edward, but as his life choices became increasingly vengeful, I fell out of love with the character. I highly recommend this book. 4.5/5 stars.
Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is April 22, 2025.
John Collan is plucked from his life on the family farm by a mysterious stranger who claims he is Edward, Earl of Warwick, who was switched at birth with a peasant to protect him from Richard III, who has a propensity for killing his nephews. It was time to begin his education and secure his right to the throne from the usurper, Henry VII. Needing to keep his existence quiet until it is time to overthrow Henry, John is moved to Oxford, assumes the name Lambert Simons, and begins his tutelage. He eventually lands in Ireland, where the Earl of Kildare is heading the rebellion against Henry. Here, Edward, as he is now known, falls in love with the Earl's daughter Joan, a relationship that will haunt him for the rest of his life. Edward now thinks fate controls his destiny.
This captivating story is packed with historical facts and an intimate look at life in the 1400s. At first, I was rooting for John/Lambert/Edward, but as his life choices became increasingly vengeful, I fell out of love with the character. I highly recommend this book. 4.5/5 stars.
Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is April 22, 2025.
January 6, 2025
Seen this and knew I had to check it out! Love a good historical fiction!
After the arrival of a well-dressed stranger, John's life is forever changed. He finds out he is the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence. He was hidden out in the country to protect him because Richard III has a nasty habit of removing his nephews. He is sent to Oxford to be trained and prepared to be the heir of the throne and is then sent to Ireland and he meets Joan. They form an alliance that will forever change the fate of the English monarchy.
What an interesting take and viewpoint to read from. This is based off the true story of Simnel who was the figurehead of the Yorkist rebellion. I honestly don't recall the name personally, so I'll have to do some googling after writing this to freshen up my 15th century knowledge.
The 1/3 and last 3rd were great! I was addicted and couldn't stop reading. I stayed up WAY too late finishing the book. The middle 3rd.....was a little rougher. It took me a while to get through it. I wanted to skim so badly, but I felt like I would miss some important stuff if I did. TBF - there was some trimming that could be done throughout. Some scenes went on for far too long.
But yes, the detail and the writing style was refreshing and really made this story come to life. I'm now itching for more. I might have to try out the other novel by this author.
There is a HUGE list of characters running amuck here, but the author did a good job keeping everything straight and keeping the reader in the know. We got the reminders we needed but yes, just keep that in mind that there is a big cast and you need to pay attention. Thus another reason why I didn't skim the middle bit.
Ugh Joan. Not sure why, but she really rubbed me the wrong way.
I adored John!! He was a gem. I loved watching him grow and try to find his way and his identity.
All-in-all, I did enjoy this. The writing style was great and the author just sucks you into the story. I felt like I was there! Sure there needs to be some trimming (especially in the middle 3rd), but I did appreciate the attention to detail. If you like historical fiction, keep your eyes out for this one when it releases! I'll give this 3 stars.
- Favorite Character(s): John
- Least Favorite Character(s): Joan and Richard III
After the arrival of a well-dressed stranger, John's life is forever changed. He finds out he is the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence. He was hidden out in the country to protect him because Richard III has a nasty habit of removing his nephews. He is sent to Oxford to be trained and prepared to be the heir of the throne and is then sent to Ireland and he meets Joan. They form an alliance that will forever change the fate of the English monarchy.
What an interesting take and viewpoint to read from. This is based off the true story of Simnel who was the figurehead of the Yorkist rebellion. I honestly don't recall the name personally, so I'll have to do some googling after writing this to freshen up my 15th century knowledge.
The 1/3 and last 3rd were great! I was addicted and couldn't stop reading. I stayed up WAY too late finishing the book. The middle 3rd.....was a little rougher. It took me a while to get through it. I wanted to skim so badly, but I felt like I would miss some important stuff if I did. TBF - there was some trimming that could be done throughout. Some scenes went on for far too long.
But yes, the detail and the writing style was refreshing and really made this story come to life. I'm now itching for more. I might have to try out the other novel by this author.
There is a HUGE list of characters running amuck here, but the author did a good job keeping everything straight and keeping the reader in the know. We got the reminders we needed but yes, just keep that in mind that there is a big cast and you need to pay attention. Thus another reason why I didn't skim the middle bit.
Ugh Joan. Not sure why, but she really rubbed me the wrong way.
I adored John!! He was a gem. I loved watching him grow and try to find his way and his identity.
All-in-all, I did enjoy this. The writing style was great and the author just sucks you into the story. I felt like I was there! Sure there needs to be some trimming (especially in the middle 3rd), but I did appreciate the attention to detail. If you like historical fiction, keep your eyes out for this one when it releases! I'll give this 3 stars.
- Favorite Character(s): John
- Least Favorite Character(s): Joan and Richard III
March 16, 2025
Ugh, this book was just *chef's kiss*.
I'll preface my review with a disclaimer: I don't think this book is for everyone. If it does happen to be for you, it's going to blow you away. If not, it's possible that you'll hate it. That being said, here's why it was absolutely, 100% for me:
1. This story covers the latter part of the Wars of the Roses, when Henry VII has taken the throne and is busy being paranoid that everyone in his court is going to betray him. I LOVE the Wars of the Roses, and I'll devour pretty much any book that covers this topic. However, it's a very complicated part of history. If you find yourself getting lost in the plotting and having a hard time keeping track of all the different conspirators, it isn't the author's fault: it really was that complicated. That being said, I think Jo Harkin does a pretty good job laying the story out. You have to pay attention, but if you do, stuff generally makes sense.
2. This book brings to life a character who is given only a brief mention in history. Simnel was the face of a rebellion against Henry VII, but we know very little about who he really was. His backers (nobles who were still loyal to the Yorks) claimed that he was the son of a former York King's brother. More likely, this wasn't true. But Jo Harkin dances around this mystery in a genius way: even the main character never knows whether he is truly a royal descendent by the end. I love stories that pull one small note from history and give them more context.
3. The writing is so unique! The story is told with a lot of old-timey language, and happens to include a lot of irreverent, "bawdy" humor. This can be a bit jarring when you start, but you get used to it quickly, and I personally found parts of the story to be quite funny.
3. The main narrator is FANTASTIC. It isn't often that the protagonist is my favorite, because they usually get sacrificed in order to move the plot forward. However, John/Edward/Simnel was such a compelling character. Even when he starts doing some questionable things, you still can't help but love him. All I wanted to do at the end was give him a hug.
4. I thought this book did an excellent job showcasing a single character's growth, but in the opposite direction: a slow descent into emotionless despair. Simnel is certainly something very different from the innocent boy he started out as by the time you get to the end. The pacing of this journey is perfect, and somehow, you don't end up hating him at the end, even when it seems like his morals have been compromised. How Jo Harkin managed that, I'll never understand, but I adored it.
LOVED this book, and so excited for other like-minded readers to get to enjoy it when it comes out too! And special thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC.
I'll preface my review with a disclaimer: I don't think this book is for everyone. If it does happen to be for you, it's going to blow you away. If not, it's possible that you'll hate it. That being said, here's why it was absolutely, 100% for me:
1. This story covers the latter part of the Wars of the Roses, when Henry VII has taken the throne and is busy being paranoid that everyone in his court is going to betray him. I LOVE the Wars of the Roses, and I'll devour pretty much any book that covers this topic. However, it's a very complicated part of history. If you find yourself getting lost in the plotting and having a hard time keeping track of all the different conspirators, it isn't the author's fault: it really was that complicated. That being said, I think Jo Harkin does a pretty good job laying the story out. You have to pay attention, but if you do, stuff generally makes sense.
2. This book brings to life a character who is given only a brief mention in history. Simnel was the face of a rebellion against Henry VII, but we know very little about who he really was. His backers (nobles who were still loyal to the Yorks) claimed that he was the son of a former York King's brother. More likely, this wasn't true. But Jo Harkin dances around this mystery in a genius way: even the main character never knows whether he is truly a royal descendent by the end. I love stories that pull one small note from history and give them more context.
3. The writing is so unique! The story is told with a lot of old-timey language, and happens to include a lot of irreverent, "bawdy" humor. This can be a bit jarring when you start, but you get used to it quickly, and I personally found parts of the story to be quite funny.
3. The main narrator is FANTASTIC. It isn't often that the protagonist is my favorite, because they usually get sacrificed in order to move the plot forward. However, John/Edward/Simnel was such a compelling character. Even when he starts doing some questionable things, you still can't help but love him. All I wanted to do at the end was give him a hug.
4. I thought this book did an excellent job showcasing a single character's growth, but in the opposite direction: a slow descent into emotionless despair. Simnel is certainly something very different from the innocent boy he started out as by the time you get to the end. The pacing of this journey is perfect, and somehow, you don't end up hating him at the end, even when it seems like his morals have been compromised. How Jo Harkin managed that, I'll never understand, but I adored it.
LOVED this book, and so excited for other like-minded readers to get to enjoy it when it comes out too! And special thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC.
March 19, 2025
I had only read 1/10th of this book and in that span I had laughed out loud multiple times and also cried actual tears. So I knew pretty early on that this was going to be an absolute banger. I love being right.
This is the story of Lambert Simnel, a lesser known figure in 15th century British history. He was a Plantagenet pretender who actually briefly held the throne as “King Edward VI� in 1487. Very little is known about this man, other than that he succeeded in duping the British nobility and of course the fallout afterwards, but where did he come from and why and HOW on earth did he do it?
This is one very detailed and entertaining theory that answers those questions, following Simnel from boyhood to his kingship, including a colorful cast of characters who “help� and handle him on his bumbling course to the throne. My favorites were the women who played a pivotal role in this grand scheme, and the many other clever, dramatic plots that unfolded along the way. This is a rare book that manages to be authentic, irreverent, and bawdy but also so very wise and heartfelt.
Before this triumph, Jo Harkin was more known for her literary sci-fi. It’s always so impressive and exciting to me when an author branches out like this and absolutely crushes it. If you love learning about history, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel or Matrix by Lauren Groff, or just reading about people who call others things like “cheese-headed doorposts�, I think you’ll love this book as much as I did.
This is the story of Lambert Simnel, a lesser known figure in 15th century British history. He was a Plantagenet pretender who actually briefly held the throne as “King Edward VI� in 1487. Very little is known about this man, other than that he succeeded in duping the British nobility and of course the fallout afterwards, but where did he come from and why and HOW on earth did he do it?
This is one very detailed and entertaining theory that answers those questions, following Simnel from boyhood to his kingship, including a colorful cast of characters who “help� and handle him on his bumbling course to the throne. My favorites were the women who played a pivotal role in this grand scheme, and the many other clever, dramatic plots that unfolded along the way. This is a rare book that manages to be authentic, irreverent, and bawdy but also so very wise and heartfelt.
Before this triumph, Jo Harkin was more known for her literary sci-fi. It’s always so impressive and exciting to me when an author branches out like this and absolutely crushes it. If you love learning about history, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel or Matrix by Lauren Groff, or just reading about people who call others things like “cheese-headed doorposts�, I think you’ll love this book as much as I did.
February 20, 2025
4 1/2 stars
Wickedly funny and full of scheming men lusting for control, wickedly smart women looking for ways to get around those men and one boy who doesn't know where he fits in or who he really is. John thinks that his worst problem is dealing with a mean goat until the nobleman to take him from what he thought was home and the people he thought were his family to train and live as Edward the Earl of Warwick and next descendant to the crown. John is a quick study but between changing names, locations and trying to keep up with who wears the crown on their head and who has lost their head entirely is complicated for both John and the reader. As he is moved changing names and guardians his one true love is cast out of reach and he begins to distrust those entrusted with keeping him safe. Fans of Hillary Mantel, Maggie O'Farrell and anyone who can pick through the confusing cast of characters in the British monarchy (family trees included) will really enjoy this tale of political intrigue with Chaucer- like wit. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
Wickedly funny and full of scheming men lusting for control, wickedly smart women looking for ways to get around those men and one boy who doesn't know where he fits in or who he really is. John thinks that his worst problem is dealing with a mean goat until the nobleman to take him from what he thought was home and the people he thought were his family to train and live as Edward the Earl of Warwick and next descendant to the crown. John is a quick study but between changing names, locations and trying to keep up with who wears the crown on their head and who has lost their head entirely is complicated for both John and the reader. As he is moved changing names and guardians his one true love is cast out of reach and he begins to distrust those entrusted with keeping him safe. Fans of Hillary Mantel, Maggie O'Farrell and anyone who can pick through the confusing cast of characters in the British monarchy (family trees included) will really enjoy this tale of political intrigue with Chaucer- like wit. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
November 11, 2024
Huge Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with the ARC of this masterpiece.
A book that made me laugh and cry from the beginning to the very end, I felt like a part of this world, of the political schemes, of treasons and betrayals, of plotting and evil. And between all of this there was love and humility that were sacrificed in the name of revenge. It’s now on my favorite historical stories I’ve read, the 15th century England feels so real, and dirty, and posh, and elusive, and magical and horrifying at the same time. Harkin’s writing is on another plain of existence, sharp and fast and with no sparing of your feeling, raw and honest; punch in the gut of your love for these characters. Historical fiction in its finest. I am sure when this book gets released it will be a phenomenon.
A book that made me laugh and cry from the beginning to the very end, I felt like a part of this world, of the political schemes, of treasons and betrayals, of plotting and evil. And between all of this there was love and humility that were sacrificed in the name of revenge. It’s now on my favorite historical stories I’ve read, the 15th century England feels so real, and dirty, and posh, and elusive, and magical and horrifying at the same time. Harkin’s writing is on another plain of existence, sharp and fast and with no sparing of your feeling, raw and honest; punch in the gut of your love for these characters. Historical fiction in its finest. I am sure when this book gets released it will be a phenomenon.
February 16, 2025
Novelist Karen Russell calls this book "A work of genius, a wellspring of laughter and sorrow, a feat of time-travel, and a feast of language." I couldn't say it better myself, which is why I'm launching this review with Russell's summation.
"A wellspring of laughter and sorrow" is right. I laughed out loud at the endearing narrator's innocence, his sincerity, his misunderstandings, and his youthly woes. And then I (quite unexpectedly) found myself devastatingly heartbroken by the end and sobbing so loudly I thought I would wake my husband and toddler. It honestly takes a lot to make me cry in a book, but this one wrecked me in the best way. You grow to care for the main few characters so dearly and ache so terribly for them to find peace.
The Pretender's narrator is a delight: ten-year-old farm boy John worries tremendously about getting into heaven, wages war with a cantankerous goat, and will win your heart almost immediately. Almost immediately, John is whisked away to a land of nobility and gentilesse, upon learning that he is (allegedly) the son of a now-deceased earl (and thus in line for the hotly contested throne of England--circa War of Roses). The rest of the novel is a perfectly blend of historical fiction, romance, and coming-of-age.
"A feast of language": this is a beautiful tribute to 15th century language. The language of the book feels well researched (whether it actually is or not, I couldn't tell you, but it feels authentic), and by the end of the book, the 15th century vernacular felt as natural to me as anything else. It's not so foreign as to feel inaccessible or to make the reading difficult, but it is wholly immersive.
Heads up for any super sensitive readers, it can be coarse (but in a way that feels historically accurate, having read my fair share of Canterbury Tales). Some sexual content, but it is all character-driven, not erotic or titillating in nature. I don't know that I would recommend this book to every single reader; if your typical fodder is Sarah J Maas, or Freida McFadden (no hate), then this is likely not going to check your boxes. But if you like literary fiction, period pieces, and character-driven books, then this is a MUST-READ. If you have at any time in your life taught English, this is a must-read. And if you, like me, prioritize having characters about whom you care deeply over almost every other aspect of a book, then this is a must-read.
Final thoughts: The Pretender is an absolute triumph. It's the book I haven't been able to shut up about since I read it, and I already pre-ordered my copy. I am incredibly grateful to NetGalley; Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor; and Jo Harkin for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
"A wellspring of laughter and sorrow" is right. I laughed out loud at the endearing narrator's innocence, his sincerity, his misunderstandings, and his youthly woes. And then I (quite unexpectedly) found myself devastatingly heartbroken by the end and sobbing so loudly I thought I would wake my husband and toddler. It honestly takes a lot to make me cry in a book, but this one wrecked me in the best way. You grow to care for the main few characters so dearly and ache so terribly for them to find peace.
The Pretender's narrator is a delight: ten-year-old farm boy John worries tremendously about getting into heaven, wages war with a cantankerous goat, and will win your heart almost immediately. Almost immediately, John is whisked away to a land of nobility and gentilesse, upon learning that he is (allegedly) the son of a now-deceased earl (and thus in line for the hotly contested throne of England--circa War of Roses). The rest of the novel is a perfectly blend of historical fiction, romance, and coming-of-age.
"A feast of language": this is a beautiful tribute to 15th century language. The language of the book feels well researched (whether it actually is or not, I couldn't tell you, but it feels authentic), and by the end of the book, the 15th century vernacular felt as natural to me as anything else. It's not so foreign as to feel inaccessible or to make the reading difficult, but it is wholly immersive.
Heads up for any super sensitive readers, it can be coarse (but in a way that feels historically accurate, having read my fair share of Canterbury Tales). Some sexual content, but it is all character-driven, not erotic or titillating in nature. I don't know that I would recommend this book to every single reader; if your typical fodder is Sarah J Maas, or Freida McFadden (no hate), then this is likely not going to check your boxes. But if you like literary fiction, period pieces, and character-driven books, then this is a MUST-READ. If you have at any time in your life taught English, this is a must-read. And if you, like me, prioritize having characters about whom you care deeply over almost every other aspect of a book, then this is a must-read.
Final thoughts: The Pretender is an absolute triumph. It's the book I haven't been able to shut up about since I read it, and I already pre-ordered my copy. I am incredibly grateful to NetGalley; Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor; and Jo Harkin for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
September 16, 2024
I would love to give this book more than 5-stars! "The Pretender" by Jo Harkin is a brilliantly written historical fiction novel that transports readers back to a tumultuous period in English history set in 1487. It focuses on the intriguing story of young Lambert Simnel. He was thrust into the center of a conspiracy as a pretender to the English throne, whose royal family claimed him to be the rightful heir during the reign of Richard III. Simnel, a boy of humble origins, is taken under the wing of powerful figures who groom him to be the lost Earl of Warwick, heir to Richard III's throne. Harkin’s portrayal of Simnel is both compelling and complex—he is not merely a pawn in the hands of ambitious men but a boy trying to navigate his identity amidst the lies and manipulations of those around him.
Hidden away his entire life and raised as a peasant farm boy (named John), he is suddenly plucked from his “family�, kept in secrecy, given a new identity (Lambert Simnel) and educated in royal life as he is transported to Ireland. It is there that he meets his love and one of my favorite characters, Joan, and where he is crowned King Edward VI. There are several problems, though - Joan herself is a problem, and King Henry VII is still in power and hunting the heads of all who claim allegiance to Edward (Lambert).
Harkin's storytelling prowess brings to life the tumultuous and complex political landscape of 15th-century England, Ireland, and Scotland with vivid imagery, meticulous attention to historical detail, and the most fantastic sense of laugh-out-loud humor throughout the book! This compelling narrative skillfully weaves together the personal struggles of the protagonist with the grandeur of royal court intrigue, creating a mesmerizing tapestry of historical fiction. I found myself fully embedded in Lambert's emotions over and over again.
The author's meticulous research is evident in historical details but she also includes so many surrounding descriptive bits that make the setting truly come alive. The characters are multidimensional, each with their own aspirations, dilemmas, colorful personalities, and faults, adding depth and authenticity to the narrative (and again - at times so funny while staying true to the time!). Harkin's prose is evocative and eloquent, effortlessly transporting the reader to a bygone era filled with political machinations, royal ambitions, and personal tribulations.
"The Pretender" is an immersive and captivating exploration of power, identity, and the human desire for belonging as you watch Lambert struggle with who he is and where he belongs. Harkin deftly explores the psychological complexities of her characters, drawing the reader into a world of conflicting loyalties, moral quandaries, and the timeless quest for truth and justice. Lambert has lived so many lives in such a short amount of time that he realizes he yearns for love and freedom to be himself, whomever he chooses to be.
Overall, "The Pretender" is a masterful work of historical fiction that will delight both history enthusiasts and lovers of engaging storytelling. Jo Harkin's skillful blend of fact and fiction creates a gripping narrative that is both intellectually stimulating, humorous, and emotionally resonant. This book is a must-read for anyone with an appreciation for richly detailed historical fiction and the enduring allure of royal intrigue.
A huge thank you to #NetGalley, #JoHarkin, #BorzoiBooks, and #AlfredAKnopf for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. I truly look forward to the release of this book to add a hard copy to my collection!
Hidden away his entire life and raised as a peasant farm boy (named John), he is suddenly plucked from his “family�, kept in secrecy, given a new identity (Lambert Simnel) and educated in royal life as he is transported to Ireland. It is there that he meets his love and one of my favorite characters, Joan, and where he is crowned King Edward VI. There are several problems, though - Joan herself is a problem, and King Henry VII is still in power and hunting the heads of all who claim allegiance to Edward (Lambert).
Harkin's storytelling prowess brings to life the tumultuous and complex political landscape of 15th-century England, Ireland, and Scotland with vivid imagery, meticulous attention to historical detail, and the most fantastic sense of laugh-out-loud humor throughout the book! This compelling narrative skillfully weaves together the personal struggles of the protagonist with the grandeur of royal court intrigue, creating a mesmerizing tapestry of historical fiction. I found myself fully embedded in Lambert's emotions over and over again.
The author's meticulous research is evident in historical details but she also includes so many surrounding descriptive bits that make the setting truly come alive. The characters are multidimensional, each with their own aspirations, dilemmas, colorful personalities, and faults, adding depth and authenticity to the narrative (and again - at times so funny while staying true to the time!). Harkin's prose is evocative and eloquent, effortlessly transporting the reader to a bygone era filled with political machinations, royal ambitions, and personal tribulations.
"The Pretender" is an immersive and captivating exploration of power, identity, and the human desire for belonging as you watch Lambert struggle with who he is and where he belongs. Harkin deftly explores the psychological complexities of her characters, drawing the reader into a world of conflicting loyalties, moral quandaries, and the timeless quest for truth and justice. Lambert has lived so many lives in such a short amount of time that he realizes he yearns for love and freedom to be himself, whomever he chooses to be.
Overall, "The Pretender" is a masterful work of historical fiction that will delight both history enthusiasts and lovers of engaging storytelling. Jo Harkin's skillful blend of fact and fiction creates a gripping narrative that is both intellectually stimulating, humorous, and emotionally resonant. This book is a must-read for anyone with an appreciation for richly detailed historical fiction and the enduring allure of royal intrigue.
A huge thank you to #NetGalley, #JoHarkin, #BorzoiBooks, and #AlfredAKnopf for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. I truly look forward to the release of this book to add a hard copy to my collection!
March 14, 2025
The Pretender is a fictionalized history of Lambert Simnel, a boy swept up in a king-making scheme. Simnel’s temporary claim, historically, had always been a highly implausible possibility, but I think in recent years Prince Edward’s body was discovered, several centuries after his imprisonment and “mysterious� disappearance (murder).
I love a fictionalized history, and since my knowledge of English history during this period is practically non-existent (I’m more a House of Wessex/Norman conquest era girlie), I was really excited to pick a few things up through the story of this boy who, despite being the center of the tumult of a challenge to the throne, was little more than a footnote.
In this story, Lambert Simnel is a name invented by John Collan, the intellectually curious and kind-hearted youngest son of farmer Will Collan. One day, a man arrives to whisk John away to study at Oxford. Along the way, he is told that he is not truly John Collan, but the Earl of Warwick, claimant to the throne. We follow Lambert through his studies and training in the ways of courtly manners and deceptions. Older than the real Lambert Simnel was at the time of the rebellion, we follow him through the embarrassment of puberty and the pain of falling in love.
Jo Harkin’s Lambert is someone you find yourself rooting for at every step. His first steps into this farce are a tragedy, because you watch John lose his family and his identity. When he becomes Edward, we watch him agonize over how he just wants everyone he cares about to be happy and at peace. He does not aspire to be the king. He just wants to not disappoint the people who have put their hopes in him.
I highly, highly recommend this to anyone who’s into this time period and doesn’t mind a little fiction in their history, or to anyone who just enjoys this type of historical fiction. Also, if you’re anything like me, be prepared to get really emotional. I feel like I cried throughout this way more than was warranted.
A huge thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.
I love a fictionalized history, and since my knowledge of English history during this period is practically non-existent (I’m more a House of Wessex/Norman conquest era girlie), I was really excited to pick a few things up through the story of this boy who, despite being the center of the tumult of a challenge to the throne, was little more than a footnote.
In this story, Lambert Simnel is a name invented by John Collan, the intellectually curious and kind-hearted youngest son of farmer Will Collan. One day, a man arrives to whisk John away to study at Oxford. Along the way, he is told that he is not truly John Collan, but the Earl of Warwick, claimant to the throne. We follow Lambert through his studies and training in the ways of courtly manners and deceptions. Older than the real Lambert Simnel was at the time of the rebellion, we follow him through the embarrassment of puberty and the pain of falling in love.
Jo Harkin’s Lambert is someone you find yourself rooting for at every step. His first steps into this farce are a tragedy, because you watch John lose his family and his identity. When he becomes Edward, we watch him agonize over how he just wants everyone he cares about to be happy and at peace. He does not aspire to be the king. He just wants to not disappoint the people who have put their hopes in him.
I highly, highly recommend this to anyone who’s into this time period and doesn’t mind a little fiction in their history, or to anyone who just enjoys this type of historical fiction. Also, if you’re anything like me, be prepared to get really emotional. I feel like I cried throughout this way more than was warranted.
A huge thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.
March 4, 2025
My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor- Knopf for an advance copy of this historical novel about a young man who finds out that everything he thought about himself was a lie, and how this lie follows him throughout his life, effecting his relationships with everyone.
I have always been interested in the argument about nature vs nurture. Certain people like to thing that we are born to be a certain way. Royals act royal. Poor people are poor to the bone. However history is loaded with so-called elites who bled out from hemophilia, died in accidents, or lead their kingdoms to ruin. So does birthright really make the person, or does the life around the person make the future. What also happens when a life is upended, when a person is content with their lot in life is told that all this is lie. Your family isn't your birth family, you are no longer a peasant, but a royal heir. Especially in a time when royal heirs have a habit of disappearing. The Pretender by Jo Harkin is a historical novel about a real person, who went from being a peasant to being a pawn in a game of kings, though never feeling as if he belonged in either world.
The year is 1480 Stories travel around the countryside about King Richard, his battles and the nephews that Richard have placed in the Tower of London. To John Collan, all of ten years old, this means little. Living with his father a wealthy farmer, things are good for him, though his mother has died, and his brothers have gone to school, leaving him alone. John's only problem is a goat who hates him, and a fear that his father's wealth was given to him a bargain with dark forces. Within a short period of time John's live changes. His father marries a local widow, and John is told that a benefactor has offered to pay his way to school. However he must leave immediately. Accompanied by two men, John Collan learns he is not the son of Will Collan, but the proper heir to the Duke of Clarence, deceased, brother of King Richard. John, now called Lambert Simnel was hidden away to keep him safe, the man he thought his father paid for his care. Now Lambert will be educated in the ways of an heir to the throne. Lambert attends Oxford, travels to Burgandy and soon Ireland, also feeling a sense that he is not what he is anymore. That somehow he is a pretender in his own life.
A very good novel, based on a real character in history, but expanded and fictionalized. The novel starts with a verse and throws the reader and character right in, immersing both in the world and story. The language that Harkin uses is ripe, raw and of the time, but easy to distinguish. There is a lot going on here, with a plot that expands as the book does, but does not get lost, nor lose the reader. Lambert is an interesting character at turns sympathetic, a bit of a jerk, at lose in the world he finds himself in, and very much interested in many different things. The writing though really is the star, the way that Harkin carries the plot along, dropping subtle hints that explain the motivations of characters. Especially in the female characters.
Hilary Mantel is the first thought of what these books reminded me of. A. S. Byatt also. The writing, the use of history are really well done. A book for people who love words as well as history, and enjoy stories that a reader can really get lost in.
I have always been interested in the argument about nature vs nurture. Certain people like to thing that we are born to be a certain way. Royals act royal. Poor people are poor to the bone. However history is loaded with so-called elites who bled out from hemophilia, died in accidents, or lead their kingdoms to ruin. So does birthright really make the person, or does the life around the person make the future. What also happens when a life is upended, when a person is content with their lot in life is told that all this is lie. Your family isn't your birth family, you are no longer a peasant, but a royal heir. Especially in a time when royal heirs have a habit of disappearing. The Pretender by Jo Harkin is a historical novel about a real person, who went from being a peasant to being a pawn in a game of kings, though never feeling as if he belonged in either world.
The year is 1480 Stories travel around the countryside about King Richard, his battles and the nephews that Richard have placed in the Tower of London. To John Collan, all of ten years old, this means little. Living with his father a wealthy farmer, things are good for him, though his mother has died, and his brothers have gone to school, leaving him alone. John's only problem is a goat who hates him, and a fear that his father's wealth was given to him a bargain with dark forces. Within a short period of time John's live changes. His father marries a local widow, and John is told that a benefactor has offered to pay his way to school. However he must leave immediately. Accompanied by two men, John Collan learns he is not the son of Will Collan, but the proper heir to the Duke of Clarence, deceased, brother of King Richard. John, now called Lambert Simnel was hidden away to keep him safe, the man he thought his father paid for his care. Now Lambert will be educated in the ways of an heir to the throne. Lambert attends Oxford, travels to Burgandy and soon Ireland, also feeling a sense that he is not what he is anymore. That somehow he is a pretender in his own life.
A very good novel, based on a real character in history, but expanded and fictionalized. The novel starts with a verse and throws the reader and character right in, immersing both in the world and story. The language that Harkin uses is ripe, raw and of the time, but easy to distinguish. There is a lot going on here, with a plot that expands as the book does, but does not get lost, nor lose the reader. Lambert is an interesting character at turns sympathetic, a bit of a jerk, at lose in the world he finds himself in, and very much interested in many different things. The writing though really is the star, the way that Harkin carries the plot along, dropping subtle hints that explain the motivations of characters. Especially in the female characters.
Hilary Mantel is the first thought of what these books reminded me of. A. S. Byatt also. The writing, the use of history are really well done. A book for people who love words as well as history, and enjoy stories that a reader can really get lost in.
February 25, 2025
Jo Harkin’s The Pretender is historical fiction at its finest: a masterful blend of political intrigue, shifting identities, and wry humour. Sweeping through 15th-century England, Ireland, and Burgundy, the novel follows Lambert Simnel, a boy plucked from obscurity and thrust into the dangerous game of monarchy. As a pawn in the Yorkist rebellion, he is shaped, educated, and molded into the rightful heir to the throne—or at least, that’s what his handlers claim. But what happens to a boy who has been turned into a king, only to have the world yank the crown away?
From the very first page, Harkin’s prose is electric. There is a wit here that is rare in historical fiction—a modern sensibility that never breaks the authenticity of the 15th-century setting. She captures the absurdity of power, the precariousness of identity, and the human need for recognition and belonging. Through Lambert’s various incarnations—John Collan, a farm boy; Edward, Duke of Clarence; Simnel, a rebel king; and finally, John Crossley, a royal spy—the novel examines what it means to be a person shaped entirely by the ambitions of others. As Lambert himself wonders, How does one live when nothing is certain, no firm ground?
But let us shift to the style of the book itself—why not join in the fun?
Ah, but see, dear reader, how the boy stands there, trembling, clad in fine velvet, uncertain whether he is a prince or a pawn. Aye, ’tis a grand trick they have played on him, these men of books and swords, whispering of destiny, of crowns within reach. But what be the truth of it? What does he know of kingship, save that it makes one a target? Would he not be better off back at the farm, dodging the devil goat and swiping apples from the orchard? And yet, the world moves ever forward, and here he stands, a lad turned legend, whether he wills it or no.
Harkin’s handling of historical fact and fiction is exquisite. She takes the bones of recorded history and animates them with flesh and breath, filling the gaps with intrigue, emotion, and razor-sharp dialogue. She also makes a bold choice in her use of period-appropriate language—not so much as to make the text impenetrable, but enough to immerse the reader in the time period fully. The humour is biting, the characters complex, and the courtly machinations deliciously tangled. Joan, the fiery, politically savvy daughter of his Irish patrons, is a standout, a woman wielding what little power she can in a world determined to box her in.
If there is any flaw to be found, it is merely that the novel is so rich, so detailed, that it demands a reader who is willing to engage with its depth. Those looking for a quick, surface-level historical drama may find themselves lost in the labyrinth of shifting alliances and double-crosses. But for those who revel in literary fiction with historical weight, The Pretender is an absolute triumph.
A novel of transformation, deception, and survival, The Pretender is both a rollicking adventure and a profound meditation on identity. A must-read for lovers of Hilary Mantel and Maggie O’Farrell, and without question, one of the finest historical novels of the year.
Easy 5/5.
From the very first page, Harkin’s prose is electric. There is a wit here that is rare in historical fiction—a modern sensibility that never breaks the authenticity of the 15th-century setting. She captures the absurdity of power, the precariousness of identity, and the human need for recognition and belonging. Through Lambert’s various incarnations—John Collan, a farm boy; Edward, Duke of Clarence; Simnel, a rebel king; and finally, John Crossley, a royal spy—the novel examines what it means to be a person shaped entirely by the ambitions of others. As Lambert himself wonders, How does one live when nothing is certain, no firm ground?
But let us shift to the style of the book itself—why not join in the fun?
Ah, but see, dear reader, how the boy stands there, trembling, clad in fine velvet, uncertain whether he is a prince or a pawn. Aye, ’tis a grand trick they have played on him, these men of books and swords, whispering of destiny, of crowns within reach. But what be the truth of it? What does he know of kingship, save that it makes one a target? Would he not be better off back at the farm, dodging the devil goat and swiping apples from the orchard? And yet, the world moves ever forward, and here he stands, a lad turned legend, whether he wills it or no.
Harkin’s handling of historical fact and fiction is exquisite. She takes the bones of recorded history and animates them with flesh and breath, filling the gaps with intrigue, emotion, and razor-sharp dialogue. She also makes a bold choice in her use of period-appropriate language—not so much as to make the text impenetrable, but enough to immerse the reader in the time period fully. The humour is biting, the characters complex, and the courtly machinations deliciously tangled. Joan, the fiery, politically savvy daughter of his Irish patrons, is a standout, a woman wielding what little power she can in a world determined to box her in.
If there is any flaw to be found, it is merely that the novel is so rich, so detailed, that it demands a reader who is willing to engage with its depth. Those looking for a quick, surface-level historical drama may find themselves lost in the labyrinth of shifting alliances and double-crosses. But for those who revel in literary fiction with historical weight, The Pretender is an absolute triumph.
A novel of transformation, deception, and survival, The Pretender is both a rollicking adventure and a profound meditation on identity. A must-read for lovers of Hilary Mantel and Maggie O’Farrell, and without question, one of the finest historical novels of the year.
Easy 5/5.
July 17, 2024
Harkin's intense character study goes beyond ordinary historical fiction in reimagining the true story of who was born a peasant but later used as a pretender prop in the Yorkist rebellion against the newly emerging Tudor dynasty.
The Pretender is literary fiction with underlying existentialist themes of absurdity and authenticity. While John/Lambert/Edward is unsure of his "true" self as a peasant, bastard, or earl, we experience his imposter syndrome through his frequent ruminations on identity, religion, and purpose. The only constant is his dedication to the object of his love because he is ultimately a romantic sap of a child.
Akin to real-life Lambert's status as a political puppet to the adults around him, the character of John(?) is primarily in service to the plot. He is our hero, but women are cast in the more interesting roles. The childfree Margaret of Burgundy is a steady, powerful presence both before and after the rebellion. The chambermaid Beatrice guides our protagonist towards her notion of the good, despite her own deviant proclivities. The atheist Elyn takes absolutely no shit, and neither did Jennott, an early character I wish we spent more time with.
Most important is Joan, daughter of the Earl of Kildare. Unlike her more docile Little Women-esque sisters, Joan is a cunning feminist who uses intellect and deception to harm those ill deserving of their power. Much like John's reluctance to become king or die in battle, Joan's womanly fate is to either become a nun or marry a prince ("this O'Carroll cunt," in her words). She has some of the most amusing lines in this novel. In one of my favorite scenes she criticizes John's interest in Roman poets with the scathing observation, "All the Roman poets hated women...Men who aren't wanted by women say women are shrews or strumpets. Men who are happy with their women don't write poetry." It's true, they don't!
Pieces of this story caused me to gasp with worry, but more often I found myself laughing out loud at Harkin's dialogue. While The Pretender bears very little resemblance to the author's equally brilliant speculative fiction debut, Tell Me an Ending, her talent for dealing in ethical ambiguities is pleasantly consistent.
4.75 stars (rounded up on 5-star systems based on my deep love of Joan).
I would recommend The Pretender for anyone interested in historical fiction that includes broad philosophical problems and characters otherwise relegated to the footnotes of history, readers of deviant, downtrodden, and/or feminist characters, and sadists who enjoy a Game of Thrones style body count.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the e-arc. The Pretender is scheduled for publication in April 2025.
The Pretender is literary fiction with underlying existentialist themes of absurdity and authenticity. While John/Lambert/Edward is unsure of his "true" self as a peasant, bastard, or earl, we experience his imposter syndrome through his frequent ruminations on identity, religion, and purpose. The only constant is his dedication to the object of his love because he is ultimately a romantic sap of a child.
Akin to real-life Lambert's status as a political puppet to the adults around him, the character of John(?) is primarily in service to the plot. He is our hero, but women are cast in the more interesting roles. The childfree Margaret of Burgundy is a steady, powerful presence both before and after the rebellion. The chambermaid Beatrice guides our protagonist towards her notion of the good, despite her own deviant proclivities. The atheist Elyn takes absolutely no shit, and neither did Jennott, an early character I wish we spent more time with.
Most important is Joan, daughter of the Earl of Kildare. Unlike her more docile Little Women-esque sisters, Joan is a cunning feminist who uses intellect and deception to harm those ill deserving of their power. Much like John's reluctance to become king or die in battle, Joan's womanly fate is to either become a nun or marry a prince ("this O'Carroll cunt," in her words). She has some of the most amusing lines in this novel. In one of my favorite scenes she criticizes John's interest in Roman poets with the scathing observation, "All the Roman poets hated women...Men who aren't wanted by women say women are shrews or strumpets. Men who are happy with their women don't write poetry." It's true, they don't!
Pieces of this story caused me to gasp with worry, but more often I found myself laughing out loud at Harkin's dialogue. While The Pretender bears very little resemblance to the author's equally brilliant speculative fiction debut, Tell Me an Ending, her talent for dealing in ethical ambiguities is pleasantly consistent.
4.75 stars (rounded up on 5-star systems based on my deep love of Joan).
I would recommend The Pretender for anyone interested in historical fiction that includes broad philosophical problems and characters otherwise relegated to the footnotes of history, readers of deviant, downtrodden, and/or feminist characters, and sadists who enjoy a Game of Thrones style body count.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the e-arc. The Pretender is scheduled for publication in April 2025.
September 2, 2024
I requested and received an eARC of The Pretender by Jo Harkin via NetGalley. Stumbling upon this on NetGalley was a very happy accident. I saw the cover and thought it might have been some sort of historical horror fiction, but then I read the blurb and discovered this was a book about Lambert Simnel! Love historical literary fiction and royal history is my nonfiction reading specialty, so I was absolutely thrilled to see this. Harkin’s novel follows John Collan from boyhood until he is swept away from his village when a well-dressed man from London appears and proclaims John to be the son of the long-deceased George, Duke of Clarence, stashed away for his own safety. He’s told he must go by Lambert and keep his real identity a secret as he is immersed in an education befitting a king. Dark rumors about Richard III and whispers that Henry Tudor will defeat him swirl through the country, leaving Lambert in a precarious position. As he is primed for the crown, Lambert is uncertain of his future and even more uncertain if it is what he wants.
Harkin’s writing is absolutely magical! From John’s childhood rivalry with his father’s goat I was totally absorbed. I took an immediate shine to John because of the book’s very charming introduction to the character. This story is told in a really unique voice that makes it easy to see why the author’s work is compared to that of Hillary Mantel or Maggie O’Farrell and makes the text compulsively readable. The particulars of the story unfold in a very natural (and occasionally humorous) way for readers who aren’t familiar with the key historical figures/context of the era.
The Pretender is historical fiction, a coming-of-age story, a revenge narrative, a tale of courtly love. There are so many wonderful elements to this book that made me absolutely fall in love with it! I was excited by the synopsis, but the actual story exceeded my expectations. Harkin presented a wonderful cast of sharply defined and enjoyable characters. Joan and Philip are still occupying my mind. The novel is on the longer side, but my interest never once waned. The opening act was so well done that I was fearful that what followed would lose some of the charm, but my fears were unrealized. Each section of the story was well balanced and progressed the story, leaving me torn between lingering longer on certain scenes and pressing forward so that I could find out what happens next. I left this reading experience very satisfied, only wishing there were more to read! Definitely one of my top reads this year, and I’m sure it will absolutely delight readers upon release.
Harkin’s writing is absolutely magical! From John’s childhood rivalry with his father’s goat I was totally absorbed. I took an immediate shine to John because of the book’s very charming introduction to the character. This story is told in a really unique voice that makes it easy to see why the author’s work is compared to that of Hillary Mantel or Maggie O’Farrell and makes the text compulsively readable. The particulars of the story unfold in a very natural (and occasionally humorous) way for readers who aren’t familiar with the key historical figures/context of the era.
The Pretender is historical fiction, a coming-of-age story, a revenge narrative, a tale of courtly love. There are so many wonderful elements to this book that made me absolutely fall in love with it! I was excited by the synopsis, but the actual story exceeded my expectations. Harkin presented a wonderful cast of sharply defined and enjoyable characters. Joan and Philip are still occupying my mind. The novel is on the longer side, but my interest never once waned. The opening act was so well done that I was fearful that what followed would lose some of the charm, but my fears were unrealized. Each section of the story was well balanced and progressed the story, leaving me torn between lingering longer on certain scenes and pressing forward so that I could find out what happens next. I left this reading experience very satisfied, only wishing there were more to read! Definitely one of my top reads this year, and I’m sure it will absolutely delight readers upon release.
April 4, 2025
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
The Pretender by Jo Harkin is a third person-POV historical novel following Lambert Simnel, a pretender to the throne of England in the fifteenth century. As a child, Lambert Simnel is told that he is Edward VI of England, the Earl of Warwick, and is taken to be raised by a priest to be educated and be prepared to take the throne if need be if his cousin is murdered. Only, Lambert isn’t nobility and the adults around him are manipulating him.
Lambert goes by multiple names throughout the course of the narrative: Lambert, Simnel, Edward, and John. What his actual name was is a mystery that has been lost to time, though Jo Harkin chooses ‘John� as that appears to be the most likely. I was unaware of who Lambert Simnel was prior to reading this though I have vague recollections of hearing about a child who was a threat to the rule of Henry VII. I’m very curious to learn more about how this plan even came about given that it looks like Edward VI was still alive in 1499.
Most of the language and social norms followed what I know about the time period, including how casually things like sexual assault were discussed. It is a bit uncomfortable at times, but I actually prefer it when historical novels are unafraid to showcase what was considered normal in the time period even if it’s horrific by our current standards. It’s important for us to see where we were so we can see what has changed and what hasn’t or has just taken a new form. The influence of The Canterbury Tales can be seen throughout the text and how bawdy some of the stories are, which essentially reflects the impact of pop culture on how people tell stories through a historical lens.
I did feel really bad for Lambert throughout most of the book. It was obvious that he was being yanked around by a bunch of adults who didn’t actually care about and were using him for their own personal ambitions, but since he was a child, there wasn’t a lot that he could do if he did see it. That he liked learning and wanted more books was a great detail that made me like him more even if I didn’t like all of his characteristics. I especially felt bad for him when he had his first love because it was just so unfair and yet there was no other possible conclusion. I can understand why a reader might not like him or even actively dislike him, but all I saw was a child being constantly fed a lie.
Content warning for mentions of sexual assault and depictions of sexual content
I would recommend this to fans of historical narratives following child characters and readers of political intrigue looking for a slower-paced historical
The Pretender by Jo Harkin is a third person-POV historical novel following Lambert Simnel, a pretender to the throne of England in the fifteenth century. As a child, Lambert Simnel is told that he is Edward VI of England, the Earl of Warwick, and is taken to be raised by a priest to be educated and be prepared to take the throne if need be if his cousin is murdered. Only, Lambert isn’t nobility and the adults around him are manipulating him.
Lambert goes by multiple names throughout the course of the narrative: Lambert, Simnel, Edward, and John. What his actual name was is a mystery that has been lost to time, though Jo Harkin chooses ‘John� as that appears to be the most likely. I was unaware of who Lambert Simnel was prior to reading this though I have vague recollections of hearing about a child who was a threat to the rule of Henry VII. I’m very curious to learn more about how this plan even came about given that it looks like Edward VI was still alive in 1499.
Most of the language and social norms followed what I know about the time period, including how casually things like sexual assault were discussed. It is a bit uncomfortable at times, but I actually prefer it when historical novels are unafraid to showcase what was considered normal in the time period even if it’s horrific by our current standards. It’s important for us to see where we were so we can see what has changed and what hasn’t or has just taken a new form. The influence of The Canterbury Tales can be seen throughout the text and how bawdy some of the stories are, which essentially reflects the impact of pop culture on how people tell stories through a historical lens.
I did feel really bad for Lambert throughout most of the book. It was obvious that he was being yanked around by a bunch of adults who didn’t actually care about and were using him for their own personal ambitions, but since he was a child, there wasn’t a lot that he could do if he did see it. That he liked learning and wanted more books was a great detail that made me like him more even if I didn’t like all of his characteristics. I especially felt bad for him when he had his first love because it was just so unfair and yet there was no other possible conclusion. I can understand why a reader might not like him or even actively dislike him, but all I saw was a child being constantly fed a lie.
Content warning for mentions of sexual assault and depictions of sexual content
I would recommend this to fans of historical narratives following child characters and readers of political intrigue looking for a slower-paced historical
January 8, 2025
Life's been pretty hectic lately, and it's taken me a bit longer than I would like to get through my TBR piles. The Pretender by Jo Harkin seemed like a great way to get back into reading for the year, and did not disappoint. It inspired me to dig a little bit further into the historical figures who inspired the novel.
When reading The Pretender, it took a moment to get used to the writing style but once I adjusted, I loved the way the book was written. So many books focus on Henry VIII and I enjoyed that this book takes a step back and tells a story from before his time. The Pretender is based on a real historical figure, Simnel, and we follow a representation of his journey through the fictional John Collan, who is alleged to be the son of the Duke of Clarence, hidden on a farm to avoid being unalived, first by Richard III and then by Henry VII.
An interesting part of reading this book, is that the reader gets to see how the main character develops and becomes the person we see at the end of the book, which is analyzed as John looks back at his life. Each section of the book, John is named according to his role at that time in his life. I can't imagine living a life where your choice is opposing a king and claim to be the rightful heir, or die when there is no further use for you. Being a child by today's standards, John is shaped and molded by those around him and not allowed to learn who he would be without their interference.
I did enjoy how the author brought the novel to a close. I had a hard time thinking of how to describe it. The first word that came to mind was, "soft." This is my interpretation, but while the story ended eloquently, it did not feel like it ended happy or sad. It shook out in almost the best outcome John could have wanted, but the getting there is where it was not necessarily a happy road.
This book inspired me to do some further research on the historical figures that inspired the book, and it's a rare book that does that. This might not be an outcome the author intended, but it also helps shed light on why the current royal family members are not allowed to do an ancestry DNA test. With murder, deception, personal agendas, a shell game of heirs, who knows who the "real" heirs were. We're left with as many questions as answers with this book, but it is done in a way that I enjoy. I really highly recommend the book.
Please be advised I received an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When reading The Pretender, it took a moment to get used to the writing style but once I adjusted, I loved the way the book was written. So many books focus on Henry VIII and I enjoyed that this book takes a step back and tells a story from before his time. The Pretender is based on a real historical figure, Simnel, and we follow a representation of his journey through the fictional John Collan, who is alleged to be the son of the Duke of Clarence, hidden on a farm to avoid being unalived, first by Richard III and then by Henry VII.
An interesting part of reading this book, is that the reader gets to see how the main character develops and becomes the person we see at the end of the book, which is analyzed as John looks back at his life. Each section of the book, John is named according to his role at that time in his life. I can't imagine living a life where your choice is opposing a king and claim to be the rightful heir, or die when there is no further use for you. Being a child by today's standards, John is shaped and molded by those around him and not allowed to learn who he would be without their interference.
I did enjoy how the author brought the novel to a close. I had a hard time thinking of how to describe it. The first word that came to mind was, "soft." This is my interpretation, but while the story ended eloquently, it did not feel like it ended happy or sad. It shook out in almost the best outcome John could have wanted, but the getting there is where it was not necessarily a happy road.
This book inspired me to do some further research on the historical figures that inspired the book, and it's a rare book that does that. This might not be an outcome the author intended, but it also helps shed light on why the current royal family members are not allowed to do an ancestry DNA test. With murder, deception, personal agendas, a shell game of heirs, who knows who the "real" heirs were. We're left with as many questions as answers with this book, but it is done in a way that I enjoy. I really highly recommend the book.
Please be advised I received an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 5, 2025
I was provided an early copy of this book for review from NetGalley.
I don't even know where to begin. From the jump, this book had me by the throat. With whimsical, hysterical, wondrous prose, Jo Harkin sold my heart to John Collan, a protagonist the reader cannot help but root for as his world is turned upside-down over and over and over again. As the reins of his life are wrested so firmly out of his grasp at the tender age of ten, it is impossible not to root for him, to yearn with him for his happiness and peace, to feel his dread as it becomes more and more likely that those things will never come to him. It is a feat of character writing to have a protagonist actively getting worse as a person, making increasingly desperate and destructive decisions, and for the reader to cheer for his cruel and often deadly attempts to finally regain control of his own fate. (Or was that just me? Am I the psychopath?) In a typical coming-of-age story, the young protagonist will make decisions that an older reader will look at with self-deprecating, indulgent humor—of course you're doing the dumbest thing imaginable, you're fifteen—but the realities of John/Lambert/Simnel/Edward's life are so extraordinary and impossible to imagine that it feels foolish to try and pass judgement on any choice he makes. The only thing to do is follow along and hope for the best.
These extraordinary and impossible realities are reflected so perfectly in Harkin's extraordinary and impossible prose. Fifteenth-century slang, expert poetic technique, and clever wordplay come together to create a language both hilarious and heartbreaking simultaneously, entirely unique to this world. Harkin does not spend much time on specific visual descriptions of people, places, and things, and instead spends time creating an atmosphere that reflects the whirlwind chaos and devastation of the protagonist's life. I'm thinking specifically of the breathless horrors of war and the blood-pumping final confrontation that left me haunted. I dreaded the end of this book because I wouldn't just miss John, I'd miss the gorgeous prose Harkin used to bring him to life.
My only regret with regards to this book is that I'm forced to limit my rating to a mere five stars. I finished this book just over twelve hours ago and I've already recommended it to two people, and now I'm recommending it to you. This is a masterpiece of a novel that I cannot wait to read again someday.
I don't even know where to begin. From the jump, this book had me by the throat. With whimsical, hysterical, wondrous prose, Jo Harkin sold my heart to John Collan, a protagonist the reader cannot help but root for as his world is turned upside-down over and over and over again. As the reins of his life are wrested so firmly out of his grasp at the tender age of ten, it is impossible not to root for him, to yearn with him for his happiness and peace, to feel his dread as it becomes more and more likely that those things will never come to him. It is a feat of character writing to have a protagonist actively getting worse as a person, making increasingly desperate and destructive decisions, and for the reader to cheer for his cruel and often deadly attempts to finally regain control of his own fate. (Or was that just me? Am I the psychopath?) In a typical coming-of-age story, the young protagonist will make decisions that an older reader will look at with self-deprecating, indulgent humor—of course you're doing the dumbest thing imaginable, you're fifteen—but the realities of John/Lambert/Simnel/Edward's life are so extraordinary and impossible to imagine that it feels foolish to try and pass judgement on any choice he makes. The only thing to do is follow along and hope for the best.
These extraordinary and impossible realities are reflected so perfectly in Harkin's extraordinary and impossible prose. Fifteenth-century slang, expert poetic technique, and clever wordplay come together to create a language both hilarious and heartbreaking simultaneously, entirely unique to this world. Harkin does not spend much time on specific visual descriptions of people, places, and things, and instead spends time creating an atmosphere that reflects the whirlwind chaos and devastation of the protagonist's life. I'm thinking specifically of the breathless horrors of war and the blood-pumping final confrontation that left me haunted. I dreaded the end of this book because I wouldn't just miss John, I'd miss the gorgeous prose Harkin used to bring him to life.
My only regret with regards to this book is that I'm forced to limit my rating to a mere five stars. I finished this book just over twelve hours ago and I've already recommended it to two people, and now I'm recommending it to you. This is a masterpiece of a novel that I cannot wait to read again someday.
March 21, 2025
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The setting: "A sweeping historical novel..." Set in the 15th century, "John is not John Collan, not the son of Will Collan, but the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence, hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown, and because Richard III has a habit of disappearing his nephews. Removed from his humble origins, sent to Oxford to be educated in a manner befitting the throne’s rightful heir, John [the Pretender] is put into play by his masters, learning the rules of etiquette in Burgundy and the machinations of the court in Ireland, where he encounters the intractable Joan. Joan has two paths available her—marry, or become a nun. John’s choices are similar he will either become King, or die in battle." John has many guises: also, Lambert, Edward, Simnel.
"Inspired by a footnote to history—the true story of the little known Lambert Simnel, who was a figurehead of the 1487 Yorkist rebellion and ended up working as a spy in the court of King Henry VII.." Phew.
And so it begins--with a HUGE cast of characters.
I found this book overly long, but...
I admired the detailed research and the author's mimicking of the writing of the time. Kudos for this. Loved the cover.
There were many words I did not know and had to look up--the overwhelming majority were of the time and place. i.e., not commonly used now] or settings not familiar to me.
For example,
ague = illness involving shivering fever
reredos = ornamental screen covering wall at back of an altar
caparison = ornamental covering spread over a horses's saddle or harness
hennin = cone-shaped headdress
puissant = powerfuland many more.
Images I enjoyed:
"violent sheets of water"
"He's nearly sixty and looks like a cliff collapes: a great height, fallen partly in"
But not enough to overide the plodding of the plot.
My new favorite word: orgulous -- haughty.
Sometimes bawdy, often sad, some humor, coming of age, betrayal, and more, but mostly back and forth plotting, plotting, plotting.
Certainly intriguing but I liked the first half [?] much better; for me it bogged down in the second half of the book; It should have been shorter!
3.5, but rounding up because of the scholarship and the writing, but not necessarily recommending; it was often a chore to return to reading.
The setting: "A sweeping historical novel..." Set in the 15th century, "John is not John Collan, not the son of Will Collan, but the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence, hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown, and because Richard III has a habit of disappearing his nephews. Removed from his humble origins, sent to Oxford to be educated in a manner befitting the throne’s rightful heir, John [the Pretender] is put into play by his masters, learning the rules of etiquette in Burgundy and the machinations of the court in Ireland, where he encounters the intractable Joan. Joan has two paths available her—marry, or become a nun. John’s choices are similar he will either become King, or die in battle." John has many guises: also, Lambert, Edward, Simnel.
"Inspired by a footnote to history—the true story of the little known Lambert Simnel, who was a figurehead of the 1487 Yorkist rebellion and ended up working as a spy in the court of King Henry VII.." Phew.
And so it begins--with a HUGE cast of characters.
I found this book overly long, but...
I admired the detailed research and the author's mimicking of the writing of the time. Kudos for this. Loved the cover.
There were many words I did not know and had to look up--the overwhelming majority were of the time and place. i.e., not commonly used now] or settings not familiar to me.
For example,
ague = illness involving shivering fever
reredos = ornamental screen covering wall at back of an altar
caparison = ornamental covering spread over a horses's saddle or harness
hennin = cone-shaped headdress
puissant = powerfuland many more.
Images I enjoyed:
"violent sheets of water"
"He's nearly sixty and looks like a cliff collapes: a great height, fallen partly in"
But not enough to overide the plodding of the plot.
My new favorite word: orgulous -- haughty.
Sometimes bawdy, often sad, some humor, coming of age, betrayal, and more, but mostly back and forth plotting, plotting, plotting.
Certainly intriguing but I liked the first half [?] much better; for me it bogged down in the second half of the book; It should have been shorter!
3.5, but rounding up because of the scholarship and the writing, but not necessarily recommending; it was often a chore to return to reading.
September 21, 2024
This was a great read! The novel was advertised as in the tradition of Maggie O’Farrell or Hilary Mantel so I requested it immediately. I was swept along with the story of a real life challenger to Henry VII, who may have been a peasant masquerading as royalty—or who may have been a long lost Plantagenet heir. It seems that historians don’t actually know all that much about him, and the author did a great job filling in the details of his life, the plots around him, and various people who supported rebellion in his name. The places and characters were beautifully fleshed out; the author clearly did meticulous research yet kept the novel from being dry and dense by writing her characters to be so human and believable.
This period of history so lends itself to novelization� the pendulum of power swinging back and forth, the political machinations, etc. The author did a great job distinguishing this work from others. It was so fascinating to follow the journey of “Lambert� (Edward Plantagenet?) as he moves from a small English village to Oxford, to Burgundy, to Ireland (a high point in the novel), to London� moving back and forth between peasantry and nobility as the winds shift. Lambert struggles with his identity and his supposed destiny; he reads the works of great philosophers and historians and wonders about his place in history. He also struggles with the study of history itself, realizing that history is, of course, written by the winners. (Reader take note here that of course the rebellion was not successful—Henry VII established the Tudor dynasty. So was real Lambert fake? Would we ever know if he was real?) Other than those hefty questions, there is a lot of humor and humanity. It was also just nice to read about common people; so many novels of this time have all of their focus purely on the nobility.
My one complaint is that I wanted an afterword from the author about what her research showed, what we do and don’t know, and where she deviated from the record. I spent a fair amount of time googling the characters to find out more about their real life counterparts.
I highly recommend this work. Thank you for the ARC.
This period of history so lends itself to novelization� the pendulum of power swinging back and forth, the political machinations, etc. The author did a great job distinguishing this work from others. It was so fascinating to follow the journey of “Lambert� (Edward Plantagenet?) as he moves from a small English village to Oxford, to Burgundy, to Ireland (a high point in the novel), to London� moving back and forth between peasantry and nobility as the winds shift. Lambert struggles with his identity and his supposed destiny; he reads the works of great philosophers and historians and wonders about his place in history. He also struggles with the study of history itself, realizing that history is, of course, written by the winners. (Reader take note here that of course the rebellion was not successful—Henry VII established the Tudor dynasty. So was real Lambert fake? Would we ever know if he was real?) Other than those hefty questions, there is a lot of humor and humanity. It was also just nice to read about common people; so many novels of this time have all of their focus purely on the nobility.
My one complaint is that I wanted an afterword from the author about what her research showed, what we do and don’t know, and where she deviated from the record. I spent a fair amount of time googling the characters to find out more about their real life counterparts.
I highly recommend this work. Thank you for the ARC.
November 17, 2024
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The Pretender by Jo Harkin is a sweeping, rich piece of historical fiction that spans the social hierarchy from peasant farmers to kings. Following a little-remembered historical figure of Lambert Simnel, the rumored pretender son of the Earl of Warwick. His real life is somewhat brushed over, remembered in passing, and Harkin fills in the gap with vibrant details, intrigue, and a cast or characters that propel the story along.
Something that was particularly masterful about this was that for historical fiction, the book never veered into the glaring anachronism. There was never a weird reference to a technology that didn’t exist or a totally socially inappropriate engagement. The usage of 1480s terminology blended seamlessly with modern English and created a readable but atmospheric language.
The thing that I personally enjoyed the most was that although the narration was in third person, it was privy to Lambert/John/Edward’s personal thoughts and was able to make wonderful asides. The side comments were excellent in giving emotion and injections of humor into the narrative.
The whole story, while a detailed historical fiction, is not as much just a retelling of a historical moment in time as it is a story of agency, happiness, and letting revenge motivate you. The through theming of identity and whether it’s shaped by actions or by the people who are around you was masterfully woven into the plot. I think this very elegantly wraps up in the final few chapters, in which the story ties itself into a a neat but still open-ended bow.
I think if you’ve enjoyed O’Farrell in the past then this novel would tick all of your boxes. For me it was the perfect amount of beautiful and compelling writing, a historical story that hasn’t been overdone to death, and dialogue that seems like a real human would possibly have said it.
A resounding 5/5 from me!
The Pretender by Jo Harkin is a sweeping, rich piece of historical fiction that spans the social hierarchy from peasant farmers to kings. Following a little-remembered historical figure of Lambert Simnel, the rumored pretender son of the Earl of Warwick. His real life is somewhat brushed over, remembered in passing, and Harkin fills in the gap with vibrant details, intrigue, and a cast or characters that propel the story along.
Something that was particularly masterful about this was that for historical fiction, the book never veered into the glaring anachronism. There was never a weird reference to a technology that didn’t exist or a totally socially inappropriate engagement. The usage of 1480s terminology blended seamlessly with modern English and created a readable but atmospheric language.
The thing that I personally enjoyed the most was that although the narration was in third person, it was privy to Lambert/John/Edward’s personal thoughts and was able to make wonderful asides. The side comments were excellent in giving emotion and injections of humor into the narrative.
The whole story, while a detailed historical fiction, is not as much just a retelling of a historical moment in time as it is a story of agency, happiness, and letting revenge motivate you. The through theming of identity and whether it’s shaped by actions or by the people who are around you was masterfully woven into the plot. I think this very elegantly wraps up in the final few chapters, in which the story ties itself into a a neat but still open-ended bow.
I think if you’ve enjoyed O’Farrell in the past then this novel would tick all of your boxes. For me it was the perfect amount of beautiful and compelling writing, a historical story that hasn’t been overdone to death, and dialogue that seems like a real human would possibly have said it.
A resounding 5/5 from me!
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