Description
Wolf Hall meets Demon Copperhead in a sharply ambitious, brilliantly imagined and hugely entertaining story of intrigue, deceit, revenge and ambition`A bold and brilliant comedy of royal intrigue' Guardian`Funny, moving, filthy and original' The Times`So alive I felt Harkin might be a time traveller' Maggie Shipstead `I read it with the dedicated fervour of a kid discovering literature for the first time' Yael van der Wouden`The most enjoyable historical novel I've read in years' Spectator ________________________________________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. **Praise for The Pretender**`A brainy, heartfelt delight' Guardian, 50 hottest books to read now`Witty, poignant, wildly engaging, and with a huge heart' Sarah Waters `Touching and hilarious' The Times, 80 best books to take on holiday `Like a Plantagenet Adrian Mole' Jenny Colgan`A rollicking account of a befuddled boy's pillar-to-post existence as a political pawn' New York Times`The real deal - nimble, vibrant, playful, and daring' Kiran Millwood Hargrave`Ambitious, mischievous and brilliantly written' Daily Mail`I blazed through full of wonder and admiration' Emma Stonex
Binding: Hardback
Binding: Hardback