What readers think of The Pretender, plus links to write your own review.

The Pretender has everything I want from historical fiction - it tells a great story, teaches me something and has characters I enjoy. And it does all this with a healthy dose of humor. The story is based on Lambert Simnel, also known as Edward, Earl of Warwick. The son of the Duke of Clarence, with a claim to the throne, he was raised in obscurity by a farmer to prevent Richard III from treating him like the princes in the Tower. But in 1480, at age 10, he’s taken from the only life he’s ever known. He becomes a pawn for the York side in the War of the Roses. Even after Richard’s infamous death, there is a movement to place him on the throne occupied by Henry VII. When that goes awry, Henry forgives him and makes him a spy.

Harkin has done an excellent job placing the reader in the time and place of late 15th Century England, Burgundy and Ireland. The language has just enough of the old style to give you a feel without being incomprehensible. And it’s a hoot - lots of bawdy terms to keep you chuckling.

Lambert/Edward struggles with his identity and learning whom to trust. And with each passing identity, he becomes more and more jaded and bent on revenge. He recognizes that he’s been used by multiple sides.

In Ireland, he encounters Joan, a determined young woman not afraid to do whatever it takes to get her way. In a book filled with great characters, she was my favorite. If this were a movie, she’d be nominated for best supporting character.
The book has a lot to say about political power, about religion, about revenge and justice. It’s a book that gets darker as it goes along.

I do hope that the author adds an Author’s Note before publication. I’m always curious about the research that goes into an historical fiction account.

My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for an advance copy of this book.