Ben McCluskey (@benmccluskey.bsky.social)

Reviews are in and The Pretender is coming for the crown! 👑The times: 'frontrunner for historical fiction book of the year' 🌹The Guardian: 'a bold and brilliant comedy of royal intrigue' ⚔️The Spectator: 'the most enjoyable historical novel I’ve read in years' www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...

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The Pretender by Jo Harkin review – a bold and brilliant comedy of royal intrigue This fantasia on the life of Lambert Simnel, who finds himself a claimant to the English throne, is a romp through late-medieval identity and historical uncertainty https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/may/01/the-pretender-by-jo-harkin-review-a-bold-and-brilliant-comedy-of-royal-intrigue