Pagan's Crusade by Catherine JinksANNNND I have in my hot little hands the sequel, Pagan in Exile. I was happy to find the fourth in the series ready to order for our teen collection. YIPEEE.I know, I know, the influences of caffeine are upon me. sorry.ahem(schooling my features into some semblance of normalcy and respectability. Putting on the glasses and letting them slide down my nose. A glare out amongst you to quell any titters....then) aww forget it. Glasses go flying, hair slides from the bun. Eyes brighten with feverish excitement of a bibliophile.Okay I LOVE this book. Pagan Kidrouk is a wisecracking and thoroughly funny individual. Note I don't say funny character because he's a real person to the reader from the first sentence on. Pagan is hired on as a squire to Lord Roland Roucy de Bram who is a saintly knight during the Crusades of the 12 century. I say saintly, yet Roland is one of those still waters that fascinate as you learn more and I love how the author shows rather than tells us what his finer characters are. Pagan is the same, but he's so In Your Face that it takes getting halfway through the book before you realize how brilliant a writer is Catherine Jinks. Focused more on the brutality of the monks and his fervent relief of being quit of them, Pagan doesn't understand the enormity of a handy skill he picked up when not being beaten to within an inch of his life by the gentle brothers...(pause for effect)...he can read and write.ahhhhh yes, I see the brightening of countenances, the subtle nods of understanding. Note the time that this book is set in...1188 A.D. Now Roland with his lofty aristocratic upbringing is among the majority when it comes to literacy...meaning he isn't. Literate that is.Pagan spent his years after running away from the monestary hanging with a rough crowd and by the time he applies as a squire he's basically running from his creditors, or I should say their collectors. Not a savory character on the face of it-- his friends are grifters whose cash cows are the unsuspecting pilgrims, but his true nature manages to flicker through despite his running (hilarious) mental assesment (ridicule) of most that cross his path.A truely fabulous read.
This book is about an Arab who accompanies a Crusader Knight to his hoem village. The Knight, Lord Roland Roucy De Bram's, family provided a lot of problems for the duo. They were confronted by a woman who was distraught because an Abbey-cleric assaulted one of their men. The woman cause Roland and Pagan, the protagonist, to go to the Abbey and confront the Abbot. The Abbot sent them away after refusing to accept the fact that one of his men might have done this. He sent Roland, the woman, and Pagan away. The Abbey and Bram had a continuous feud after this. The Abbey refused access to people of Bram to a mill, causing problems. Roland's family burned the Mill and raided the Abbey. They slaughtered the clerics, and something else happened to the Abbot. The lord of the land the Abbey was on sent a raiding party to Bram, which caused the death of the woman, who at this point was a love interest for Roland. Roland and Pagan ran from Bram after Roland's family proved too cruel. I didn't much like this book, mostly because it soiled a time period I was fond of. It basically laid waste to the Crusades in my mind. The writing was also sort of bad. It was written in a format that made no sense. In any case, it was a must-read, mostly because it is based in the time of the Crusades. The writing is easy to get used to, albeit a bit odd at all times. The book was fine, not the best.
What do You think about Pagan's Crusade (2003)?
Pagan's Crusade (the 1st in the Pagan Chronicles) by Catherine Jinks is an excellent book. Aimed at young people, it appealed to me also, and I believe would be enjoyed by a wide range of readers. I really love the character of Pagan - a young Arab boy who joins the Templars to escape from some people who are after him for money. His inner monologue is consistently sarcastic and becomes even funnier when put together with his outwardly humble and respectful verbal responses. Having heard Cathy talk about Pagan's Crusade only a few days ago, it was interesting to put her facts and information together with the book itself, which I had read a number of years before. I actually enjoyed Pagan's Crusade so much, I immediately got the following 4 books off the shelf from the library and have now read the following two books, and am up to book 4. Good stuff Cathy! Well done. :)
—Catherine
Pagan is a typical teenage boy in that he's constantly doing whatever authority figures explicitly tell him NOT to do. The fact that this book is set in the time of the Crusades adds to the novelty for me, and is part of the reason why I read it. I'm not sure exactly what it was about this book that failed to capture me, but I had to force myself into reading the last few chapters. It tried too hard at points, and I found the Templar Knight (Pagan's master) confusing and waaaay too chivalrous, even for a Templar. Giving himself up to Saladin without absolute proof that the invader would let everyone escape/live regardless? Please.Still, it's a YA novel. Maybe I'm being too hard on it.
—Lauren Kozilski
This is a review/recommendation of books 1-4 of the Pagan Chronicles.Hands down my favorite YA series. I discovered it back when I was in high school and have re-read it a couple times since; every time it still holds up in my opinion. The premise and cast are still fairly unique among the genre - our narrator is a teenaged Christian Arab boy named Pagan who becomes a squire for a righteous Frankish knight during the Crusades. Pagan is witty, intelligent and literate, all in stark contrast to most of those around him. He survives abuse, questions authority (intelligently!), and perhaps most interesting of all, maintains his faith despite all of the bullying, racism and stupidity it throws his way. The bond he develops with Lord Roland throughout the years is wonderful, showing how two incredibly different people can become intensely devoted to each other, even through endless arguments and disagreements. And on top of it all, the author's knowledge of the time period in which these stories take place is extremely evident on every page. This is very well-researched historical fiction, and even manages to handle the pervasive topic of religion by neither condemning it or proselytizing. Can't recommend this series enough.
—Jocke
