Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

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!