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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
felt really good to understand the literary references. lowkey was confused the whole time though
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
May I present to you the book that kicked off my summer obsession with historical fiction?
I know. This is not a sentence I thought I would ever type. Yet here we are.
I'll be the first to admit that I have typically stayed away from historical fiction. I found a lot of it to be dry, and I lacked a lot of the historical context for it to make sense. My loss, as it turns out. Jo Harkin roped me in with her authorial voice. This book feels like an authentic period piece while also not being written in Middle English (and thus not alienating the audience). Harkin has chosen a protagonist who is thrust into the cutthroat world of Plantagenet politics, but he is just a farm boy. He knows nothing. I, too, knew nothing going into the book. So this was perfect. We learned together. As he figured out the ins and outs of the feud between cousins and brothers, I found myself captivated by all the intrigue, deception, and backstabbing. The character development was also incredibly strong, and so while I didn't always like John/Lambert, I did care very much about what happened to him.
If you are intrigued by the War of the Roses, or if you have even the slightest interest in a real life Game of Thrones story, I suggest picking up The Pretender.
I know. This is not a sentence I thought I would ever type. Yet here we are.
I'll be the first to admit that I have typically stayed away from historical fiction. I found a lot of it to be dry, and I lacked a lot of the historical context for it to make sense. My loss, as it turns out. Jo Harkin roped me in with her authorial voice. This book feels like an authentic period piece while also not being written in Middle English (and thus not alienating the audience). Harkin has chosen a protagonist who is thrust into the cutthroat world of Plantagenet politics, but he is just a farm boy. He knows nothing. I, too, knew nothing going into the book. So this was perfect. We learned together. As he figured out the ins and outs of the feud between cousins and brothers, I found myself captivated by all the intrigue, deception, and backstabbing. The character development was also incredibly strong, and so while I didn't always like John/Lambert, I did care very much about what happened to him.
If you are intrigued by the War of the Roses, or if you have even the slightest interest in a real life Game of Thrones story, I suggest picking up The Pretender.
I just couldn’t get into the pacing or the narrator’s voice and accent.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was an engaging historical novel that brings the story of Lambert Simnel, a boy caught in the chaos during the Wars of the Roses to life. The story has rich details and with the author's sharp storytelling, it makes medieval England feel vivid and real. It's a good historical fiction read with a good mix of intrigue, and political drama. If you enjoy lesser-known history told with heart, this one’s worth a read.