by Catherine Jinks
Blurb
'Wham! So here I am, standing in a sea of dirt, with a big mad Templar lobbing rocks at my head.
Wham! Like some kind of martyr.
Wham! He throws like a catapult.
'All right Pagan, that's enough.' (I should damn well think so.)
'Do you see what the problem is?'
Wait - don't tell me. You are.
Twentieth century Jerusalem - the time of the Crusades. Sixteen year old Pagan is assigned to work for Lord Roland, a Templar knight. Set against a background of mounting tension as the Infidels, led by Saladin, close in on the Holy City. Pagan's Crusade sympathetically traces the relationship between the knight and his squire as Roland emerges as both mentor and friend for the orphaned Pagan.
Catherine Jinks' exuberant - and very funny - novel masterfully intertwines thrilling action with a deeply personal story. Pagan's Crusade is an exciting, moving and thoroughly satisfying experience.
Catherine Jinks
Pagan's Crusade is a novel which tells explores the life of young Pagan and his journey to understand himself and his mentor, Lord Roland. In many ways is is a spin on the common 'growing up' story - someone grows from innocence to experience due to what they go through and observe. However, not only does Pagan come to realise that some of his views of the world are a little naieve, but also that his perception of his mentor (and in many ways 'hero') is not entirely correct. Lord Roland may be a Templar Knight and seem very intellegent and noble and wise but at the same time Pagan proves he has more intellegence when it comes to aspects of survival and knowledge of the way certain things in the world work. The relationship between Pagan and Roland is a complex one in which there is give and take from both sides. They both learn lessons from one another and come to realise the meaning of true friendship.
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