The Pretender

The Pretender is a vivid, transporting feat of imagination and storytelling, so alive I felt Jo Harkin might be a time traveller -- MAGGIE SHIPSTEAD
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 *
Fantastically accomplished ... A bold and brilliant comedy of royal intrigue ... There’s a deep love for literature here which elevates The Pretender above other novels about this period -- IMOGEN HERMES GOWER * GUARDIAN, Book of the day *
Ambitious, mischievous and well-written, Harkin's stand-out second novel's boldly drawn characters and their ruthless aspirations make for an entertaining read * DAILY MAIL *
Harkin has loosely based this sparklingly original historical novel on the real life of Lambert Simnel, a pretender to the throne during the early years of the reign of Henry VII, and it’s funny, moving, and filthy in equal measure * THE TIMES, The best books 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 *

When a novel is described as Wolf Hall meets Demon Copperhead, you pay attention. Remarkably, The Pretender also lives up to that impossible comparison

* i paper *
A brilliantly buoyant, funny, clever novel ... Takes us from rural Oxfordshire to the great palaces of Europe, showing us how history is shaped by strong characters and convincing lies, while Jo Harkin’s writing is consistently original, vivid, and witty. It’s Glorious Exploits meets Wolf Hall - and I completely loved it -- JOANNA QUINN
A brilliant piece of historical storytelling that’s also gorgeously irreverent, contemporary and fun. Witty, poignant, wildly engaging, and with a huge heart - I loved it -- SARAH WATERS
A novel full of laugh out loud moments ... Harkin's exuberant novel brings to life one of the stranger notes in late-medieval history ... Fantastically irreverent ... This sympathetic and brilliantly executed book beguiles to the very end * WALL STREET JOURNAL *
I blazed through full of wonder and admiration ... the writing is searingly confident, the sense of time and place dizzyingly good, the dialogue ribald and the description elegant ... I loved every single page ... The Pretender has everything: history richly drawn, amazing characterisation, humour, wit, vigour and bravery. It's magnificent -- EMMA STONEX
Jo Harkin mixes fact and fiction for this deliciously heady romp that sparkles with witty verbiage. It also features – at its very core – a love story for the ages * THE CRACK *
A ripping adventure * LITHUB, Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025 *
This tale of power, loyalty and treachery is told with vim and verve - I found myself laughing out loud at the sheer brilliance of Harkin's sentences. A book that's intelligent, bawdy, vivid and profound, I enjoyed it so much. A masterful novel -- VICTORIA MACKENZIE
“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 *
The Pretender is the real deal - nimble, vibrant, playful, and daring. It pulses with life. I loved it -- KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE
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 *
Harkin writes with a raw energy, in clear, and often amusing prose - from the muck of the countryside and battles with a belligerent goat to the court of Henry VII, it feels like a full immersion in the 1400s ... If you liked Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall series, you will love this beautifully written read -- RUKMINI IYER
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 *
Raw, beautiful and true ... I loved it -- LEAH REDMOND CHANG
This Tudor-era historical novel is drawing comparisons to Wolf Hall * New York Post *
One of those books you read and know you’ll get kind of overly passionate about and weird everyone out … An absolute thumper … It’s fantastic. It’s funny and filthy and brave and brilliant. And it feels so very true … It’s just astonishing how immersive this world is, how quickly and deeply I found myself in the past. It’s twisty and compelling, with a wickedly subversive streak and a hearo who is so full of heart. I never wanted it to end -- MARIANNE LEVY
What Jo Harkin has accomplished in The Pretender left me awestruck on every page. I had no idea that a medieval historical novel could be this wickedly funny, this timely and timeless. A work of genius, a wellspring of laughter and sorrow, a feat of time-travel, and a feast of language -- KAREN RUSSELL
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 *
Jo Harkin is a unique voice. In this superb imagining of the life of the Pretender, Lambert Simnel, she takes us to the heart of early Tudor England. At turns exhilarating and heartbreaking, it is a wonderful historical novel -- LINDA PORTER
This captivating novel casts dramatic new light on the turbulent world of the first Tudor king and those who plotted to bring him down. At its heart is a human story that has been waiting to be told for centuries. I couldn't put it down -- TRACY BORMAN
Praise for Jo Harkin: Pure pleasure * THE TIMES *
Extraordinary, gripping, inventive ... I'll never forget it -- EMMA STONEX
Incredibly nicely written ... Jo Harkin writes really well about human beings. I really enjoyed it -- MARIAN KEYES
Sharply, beautifully written * NEW YORK TIMES *
Intriguing, frightening, witty and humane * WALL STREET JOURNAL *
Suspenseful, richly imagined, and brimming with compassion ... A feat of ingenious, intricate world-building -- JESSAMINE CHAN