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The Pretender

By Jo Harkin

The Pretender Historical Fiction

The Pretender

Only 2 items left in stock
Description
Wolf Hall meets Demon Copperhead in a sharply ambitious, brilliantly imagined and hugely entertaining story of intrigue, deceit, revenge and ambition **NAMED AS BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE SUNDAY TIMES** **PICKED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025 BY THE GUARDIAN, SUNDAY TIMES, DAILY MAIL, AND THE I** **SHORTLISTED FOR THE WINSTON GRAHAM HISTORICAL PRIZE** 'Wickedly funny ... the filthy, clever, immersive picaresque you didn't know you needed' Guardian, The best fiction of 2025 'I read it with the dedicated fervour of a kid discovering literature for the first time' Yael van der Wouden 'Funny, moving, filthy and original' The Times 'So alive I felt Harkin might be a time traveller' Maggie Shipstead '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
Product details
Binding:
Paperback
Edition:
1
Number of Pages:
449
Release Date:
2025-04-24
Publication Date:
2025-04-24
Publisher:
Bloomsbury UK
Languages:
Original: English
ISBN10:
1526678357
ISBN13:
9781526678355
GPSR Manufacturer Reference:
[email protected]
Weight:
564 g
Height:
154 cm
Width:
234 cm
Thickness:
37 cm

Condition

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Very good
Almost no signs of wear. Book pages have no markings, accessories are intact and all other media are in good condition.
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€11,47

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