Wolf Hall meets Demon Copperhead in a sharply ambitious, brilliantly imagined and hugely entertaining story of intrigue, deceit, ambition and revenge
Wolf Hall meets Demon Copperhead in a sharply ambitious, brilliantly imagined and hugely entertaining story of intrigue, deceit, revenge and ambition
‘An absolute delight … Funny, moving, filthy and original … A frontrunner for historical fiction book of the year’ The Times
‘A vivid, transporting feat of imagination’ Maggie Shipstead
‘Witty, poignant, wildly engaging, and with a huge heart - I loved it’ Sarah Waters
‘Brilliantly buoyant, clever, funny, original, vivid, witty’ Joanna Quinn
‘The Pretender has everything: history richly drawn, amazing characterisation, humour, wit, vigour and bravery’ Emma Stonex
‘I found myself laughing out loud at the sheer brilliance of Harkin’s sentences’ Victoria MacKenzie
____
Kill the pretender. Do not let it be known that there was a pretender to kill.
The year is 1483 and England is in peril. The much-despised Richard III is not long for the throne, and the man who will become Henry VII stands poised to snatch the crown for himself. But for twelve-year-old John Collan, living in a remote village with his widowed father, these matters seem far away.
But history has other plans for John.
Stolen from his family, exiled – first to Oxford, then to Burgundy, and then Ireland – and apprenticed to a series of unscrupulous political operators, he finds himself groomed for power; not as John Collan, but as Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick – and rightful heir to the throne.
Far from home at the Irish court, preparing for a war that will see him become king or die trying, John has just his wits – and the slippery counsel of his host’s daughter, the unconventional Joan – to navigate the choppy waters ahead.
Seething with revenge and machination, sparkling with wit and humanity, and roaring with adventure and bravado, The Pretender is the captivating true story of a young man tossed into the chaos of history as it happens.
‘Wickedly funny… A work of genius, a wellspring of laughter and sorrow, a feat of time travel, and a feast of language' Karen Russell
‘Raw, beautiful and true ... I loved it’ Leah Redmond Chang
‘An absolute thumper … Funny and filthy and brave and brilliant’ Marianne Levy
‘Superb, exhilarating and heartbreaking’ Linda Porter
‘I couldn't put it down’ Tracy Borman
"The Pretender is an absolute delight, at turns funny, moving, filthy and original. Simnel might not win the English crown, but this is a frontrunner for historical fiction book of the year" - THE TIMES, The best historical fiction of 2025 — so far
"A magnificent imagining ... There is an extraordinary energy about this novel ... Simnel is a glorious creation ... This is the most enjoyable historical novel I’ve read in years" - SPECTATOR
"When a novel is described as Wolf Hall meets Demon Copperhead, you pay attention. Remarkably, The Pretender also lives up to that impossible comparison. This 15th century tale’s rich yarn takes in the life of the ordinary young man who is groomed for power and ends up as heir to the throne" - i news, The best new books to read in April 2025
"A ripping adventure" - LITHUB, Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025
"“Wolf Hall meets Demon Copperhead” is an impressive billing for a first-time novelist, but The Pretender ... justifies it ... An auspicious venture into fictionalised history ... Loosely based on the real-life royal pretender Lambert Simnel,The Pretender explores the machinations of the wars of the roses with authority, bringing a frightening world to life" - OBSERVER
"Harkin brings Lambert to vivid life in her novel, and it’s a must read for historical fiction fans" - Town & Country, The Best Books to Read This April
"For fans of Hilary Mantel: a bawdy work of medieval historical fiction that tells the little-known story of Lambert Simnel, a peasant boy who, at 10 years old, discovers he is the secret heir to Richard III’s throne" - TIME, Here Are the 15 Books You Should Read in April
"This Tudor-era historical novel is drawing comparisons to Wolf Hall" - New York Post
"With The Pretender, Jo Harkin transports readers all the way back to the 15th century ... This gripping story follows a young man, a puppet for the Tudor detractors, who is thrust into the world of aristocracy—and all the dangers and deceit that come with it" - E! News
"Praise for Jo Harkin: Pure pleasure" - THE TIMES
"Sharply, beautifully written" - NEW YORK TIMES
"Intriguing, frightening, witty and humane" - WALL STREET JOURNAL
Формат: Скан PDf
Wolf Hall meets Demon Copperhead in a sharply ambitious, brilliantly imagined and hugely entertaining story of intrigue, deceit, revenge and ambition
‘An absolute delight … Funny, moving, filthy and original … A frontrunner for historical fiction book of the year’ The Times
‘A vivid, transporting feat of imagination’ Maggie Shipstead
‘Witty, poignant, wildly engaging, and with a huge heart - I loved it’ Sarah Waters
‘Brilliantly buoyant, clever, funny, original, vivid, witty’ Joanna Quinn
‘The Pretender has everything: history richly drawn, amazing characterisation, humour, wit, vigour and bravery’ Emma Stonex
‘I found myself laughing out loud at the sheer brilliance of Harkin’s sentences’ Victoria MacKenzie
____
Kill the pretender. Do not let it be known that there was a pretender to kill.
The year is 1483 and England is in peril. The much-despised Richard III is not long for the throne, and the man who will become Henry VII stands poised to snatch the crown for himself. But for twelve-year-old John Collan, living in a remote village with his widowed father, these matters seem far away.
But history has other plans for John.
Stolen from his family, exiled – first to Oxford, then to Burgundy, and then Ireland – and apprenticed to a series of unscrupulous political operators, he finds himself groomed for power; not as John Collan, but as Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick – and rightful heir to the throne.
Far from home at the Irish court, preparing for a war that will see him become king or die trying, John has just his wits – and the slippery counsel of his host’s daughter, the unconventional Joan – to navigate the choppy waters ahead.
Seething with revenge and machination, sparkling with wit and humanity, and roaring with adventure and bravado, The Pretender is the captivating true story of a young man tossed into the chaos of history as it happens.
‘Wickedly funny… A work of genius, a wellspring of laughter and sorrow, a feat of time travel, and a feast of language' Karen Russell
‘Raw, beautiful and true ... I loved it’ Leah Redmond Chang
‘An absolute thumper … Funny and filthy and brave and brilliant’ Marianne Levy
‘Superb, exhilarating and heartbreaking’ Linda Porter
‘I couldn't put it down’ Tracy Borman
"The Pretender is an absolute delight, at turns funny, moving, filthy and original. Simnel might not win the English crown, but this is a frontrunner for historical fiction book of the year" - THE TIMES, The best historical fiction of 2025 — so far
"A magnificent imagining ... There is an extraordinary energy about this novel ... Simnel is a glorious creation ... This is the most enjoyable historical novel I’ve read in years" - SPECTATOR
"When a novel is described as Wolf Hall meets Demon Copperhead, you pay attention. Remarkably, The Pretender also lives up to that impossible comparison. This 15th century tale’s rich yarn takes in the life of the ordinary young man who is groomed for power and ends up as heir to the throne" - i news, The best new books to read in April 2025
"A ripping adventure" - LITHUB, Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025
"“Wolf Hall meets Demon Copperhead” is an impressive billing for a first-time novelist, but The Pretender ... justifies it ... An auspicious venture into fictionalised history ... Loosely based on the real-life royal pretender Lambert Simnel,The Pretender explores the machinations of the wars of the roses with authority, bringing a frightening world to life" - OBSERVER
"Harkin brings Lambert to vivid life in her novel, and it’s a must read for historical fiction fans" - Town & Country, The Best Books to Read This April
"For fans of Hilary Mantel: a bawdy work of medieval historical fiction that tells the little-known story of Lambert Simnel, a peasant boy who, at 10 years old, discovers he is the secret heir to Richard III’s throne" - TIME, Here Are the 15 Books You Should Read in April
"This Tudor-era historical novel is drawing comparisons to Wolf Hall" - New York Post
"With The Pretender, Jo Harkin transports readers all the way back to the 15th century ... This gripping story follows a young man, a puppet for the Tudor detractors, who is thrust into the world of aristocracy—and all the dangers and deceit that come with it" - E! News
"Praise for Jo Harkin: Pure pleasure" - THE TIMES
"Sharply, beautifully written" - NEW YORK TIMES
"Intriguing, frightening, witty and humane" - WALL STREET JOURNAL
Формат: Скан PDf
https://www.yakaboo.ua/ua/the-pretender-a-frontrunner-for-historical-fiction-book-of-the-year-the-times.html