England towards the end of the 15th century is a febrile place. Princes are being killed in the Tower of London, Richard III is teetering on his throne, and there are Yorkist plotters everywhere. Much of this skulduggery, however, passes relatively unnoticed by twelve-year-old John Cullan who lives in a remote village with his widowed father. But when two strangers whisk John away one day, with the full blessing of John’s father, John discovers that his whole life has been a lie. He’s not, in fact, John at all, but Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick and rightful heir to the throne. Apple carts are further tipped over when John is ferried to Oxford, then to Burgundy, then to Ireland, then to the heart of the English court. 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. RM

Published by Bloomsbury