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Pagan's Crusade: Book One of the Pagan Chronicles (Pagan) Hardcover – Bargain Price, September 15, 2003

by Catherine Jinks (Author)

3.8 33 ratings

Down on his luck and kicked in the pants one too many times, sixteen-year-old Pagan Kidrouk arrives on the doorstep of the Templar Knights in medieval Jerusalem, looking for work as a squire. He’s expecting only some protection from the seedier aspects of life on the street and a few square meals. Instead, Pagan finds himself hard at work for Lord Roland de Bram - an exciting life of polishing Lord Roland’s armor, laundering his garments, and even training to fight by his side.But as the Infidel Saladin leads his army to Jerusalem, it becomes more and more difficult for Pagan and Lord Roland to discern what action to take or whom to trust. Neither Saladin’s army nor the Christian Crusaders offer easy answers. Is a bloody battle for control of the Holy City inevitable?

Print length

256 pages
Language

English
Publication date

September 15, 2003
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000I0RSHA
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces

Customer Reviews:
3.8 33 ratings

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Catherine Jinks

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CATHERINE JINKS was born in Brisbane, Australia in 1963. She grew up in Papua New Guinea and later spent four years studying medieval history at the University of Sydney. After working for several years in a bank, she married a Canadian journalist and lived for a short time in Nova Scotia, Canada. She is now a full-time writer, residing in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales with her husband Peter and their daughter Hannah.Catherine is a three-time winner of the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year award, and has also won a Victorian Premier's Literature Award, the Ena Noel Award for Children's Literature, and an Aurealis Award for Science Fiction. In 2001 she was presented with a Centenary Medal for her contribution to Australian Children's Literature.

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Pagan's Crusade

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2004

Pagan Kidrouk looks like a street urchin when he first arrives at the doors of the Order of the Temple in the great city of Jerusalem. Just sixteen years old, Pagan has had a very checkered life, one full of hardship, cruelty and vice. He has little reason to trust people, find goodness in them, or even grow attached to them. Jerusalem in 1187 is a city of holy places on the one hand and a city of beggars, thieves, corruption and poverty on the other. Pagan finds himself in the employ of the almost saint-like Templar knight Lord Roland Roucy de Bram. Pagan calls his new master "Saint George," as he finds it difficult to accustom himself to the pure and honorable ways of the knight. Pagan himself views the world in a very different light, seeing only the grime, the misery and the corruption.

As Lord Roland's squire, Pagan must accompany him when the knight escorts a group of pilgrims from Jerusalem to the River Jordan and back. These were difficult times, when infidels often attacked pilgrims, and the Templar knights were needed to protect the pilgrims as they traveled through the Holy Land. No sooner are Lord Roland and Pagan back in Jerusalem when terrible news arrives. The greatest infidel of them all, Saladin, has crossed the River Jordan and taken one of the cities. It is not long before Saladin is at the very walls of Jerusalem itself, and Lord Roland finds himself leading the Templar knights and playing a large role in the future of the great city. It is at this time that Pagan learns he is capable of new emotions; he discovers that he can feel pity and care for someone else.

Written from Pagan's point of view and in his own voice, complete with his sarcasm and disdain for those around him, PAGAN'S CRUSADE is an extraordinary book. We can laugh, be shocked and feel pity all at the same time. Catherine Jinks shows us, through Pagan's eyes, how harsh life was during the time of the Crusades and how distorted each side's view was of the other. It is only when they are face to face that they see and hear that they are in fact not much different from one another; we too learn that infidels and Christians were very much alike. When Jerusalem was taken from the Muslims, terrible crimes against its people were committed by the Christians. Now, in turn, Saladin's soldiers are having their revenge. Except, when they get to Jerusalem, Saladin shows the world that he can be generous.

As we close this first book in a planned series of four, we wonder what Pagan and his master will do next, and are left to ponder what people have done in the name of religion.

--- Reviewed by Marya Jansen-Gruber (mjansengruber@mindspring.com)

4 people found this helpful

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Laraine A. Barker

A fast-paced and absorbing story that simply cries to be read aloud

Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2005

A big man in brown, sitting behind a table. Big hands. Big chest. Short and broad. Head like a rock, face scarred like a battle axe. He looks up and sees--what's this? A street urchin? Whatever it is, it's trouble. Trouble advances cautiously.

"They said I should report to the Standard-Bearer."

The big man nods.

"You can call me sir," he says. (Voice like gravel rattling in a cast-iron pot.) He pulls out a pen. "Name?" he says.

"Pagan."

"Pagan what?"

"Pagan Kidrouk."

This is the reader's introduction to 16-year-old Pagan, a half-Arab Christian, who is applying to join the Knights Templar. The year is 1187, and Jerusalem, held by Christians, faces the approach of Saladin and his Muslim army. Pagan is chosen to serve as a squire to Lord Roland, a Templar knight. As danger mounts and the Holy City is besieged, Pagan finds friendship--and risks everything to keep it.

The above excerpt, which is the beginning of the book, gives a good indication of Catherine Jinks's extremely spare writing style with its constant peppering of incomplete sentences. It is as though Pagan himself, who has been raised in a monastery and is therefore very literate as well as observant, is speaking to us. It also makes for a fast-paced and absorbing story that simply cries to be read aloud. I realise historical novels are not all that popular among children, but a class of, say, 12-year-olds would soon become engrossed if their teacher was a good reader and read this book to them.

This is the first book in the Pagan series. The others (in the order in which they should be read) are Pagan in Exile, Pagan's Vows and Pagan's Scribe

11 people found this helpful

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C. Mayhew

One Star

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2016

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Wasn't expecting a library book . But for a penny you get what you pay for

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2008

David Kurlander Pagan's Crusade 12/10/07
Book Review
Jerusalem, 1187. This is the setting for Pagan's Crusade, a fast-paced and entertaining jaunt through history. The story is simple: Saladin's Muslim army is bearing down on Jerusalem, and our young protagonist, Pagan, is stuck right in the middle of it. A 16 year-old rogue, Pagan runs away from street life and becomes the squire of a powerful and pure knight named Roland De Bram. There is a large supporting cast, filled with interesting and colorful characters. There is Joscelin, the slimy pretender, who sells relics to unaware pilgrims. There is Sergeant Maynard, or Rockhead as Pagan calls him, the bulky and brawny head of Squires who doesn't like Pagan. There is Balian, the strategist who helps the Knights.
Pagan commands the story with much wit and sarcasm, and as the story goes on he develops a new appreciation for the world around him. Shortly after becoming Lord Roland's squire, the two are sent on pilgrimage escort. They lead the pilgrims to the Jordan River, which leads to an hilarious scene with the clueless pilgrims splashing around in the muddy and oily water, causing a disastrous predicament. After returning, the Knights find out that Saladin's army has crossed the Jordan River, and is bent on taking back all of the cities the Crusaders took from them a hundred years before.
The entire book is extremely historical, filled with dates and actual leaders. I learned a lot about the Knights Templar and their noble deeds, the twisted and dirty streets of Jerusalem, and the corrupt leaders of Jerusalem. After the two knights returned, they had to get ready to fight, with many visits to armories, the Patriarch's office, and frantic preparations for the battle with Saladin's massive army. Then the army is there, and the fight began. The fight scenes were filled with detail, exciting descriptions of brawls and arrow fights. Many pages of battle later, Jerusalem surrenders, and a select few, including Lord Roland and Pagan, go to meet Saladin personally and negotiate with him. This is a great chapter, chock full with exciting haggling, trying to find a ransom deal. They came to the agreement that every person in Jerusalem could leave if they paid a small fee in dinars, ten for men, five for women, and one for children. Knights had to pay fifty dinars.
The following chapter set inside Jerusalem is a very tense and fast-paced section. Pagan has his ransom, but Lord Roland, whom Pagan has rather suddenly grown close to, is not allowed to receive ransom from the Templar and has no money of his own. Roland and Pagan go to meet Saladin again to talk about releasing a large number of captives, and Pagan pleads with him to pay Roland's ransom as well. This moment is very intense and powerful. Pagan tells Saladin about all the great and noble things that Roland has done, and Saladin relents, giving Lord Roland his ransom. The mixed and unsure reaction from Roland is also very emotional and true, as he is not used to people helping him and not being controlled by the Church. The two lead a band of pilgrims through Israel, and the book ends with them at a campfire, talking about how everything would be all right.
Pagan is an interesting and engaging young man. He is a good protagonist, with razor-sharp sarcasm and questionable morals. At the start of the book he is pessimistic about almost everything, be it Christianity, himself, or life in general. However, he maintains a bit of humanity, and manages to save his mentor and friend Lord Roland by the end. Pagan has major work ethic issues near the beginning, and he realistically and gradually becomes an adult, shunning his bratty attitude and adopting an adult and thoughtful one to replace it.
There is much commentary from Pagan, such as this quote Pagan says to himself. It takes place early in the book on the subject of the pilgrims Pagan is chosen to escort: "Their flocks are nervous and obedient. Not like ours. Ours is full of pious pea-heads who want to linger over every sight." This short quote is full of jealousy and hate. But, as it goes, Pagan evolves into a thoughtful being who chooses his master over himself. The next quote takes place near the end of the book, after Lord Roland receives his ransom but is still angry and puzzled with Pagan for setting him free and saving his life: " `My lord? Don't be angry----please----my lord?' No reply. God, he's going to kill me. But I don't care. I don't care. As long as he doesn't kill himself."
Pagan's Crusade taught me a great deal about the Middle Ages. It goes into great depth about Jerusalem, the Holy War and Crusades, and The Knight's Templar. I learned about customs of the Church in the Tenth Century, and about Saladin and his great army. I was taught about relics, Patriarchs, and palaces. The descriptions of these are detailed and put you in Jerusalem during the Holy War. The fictional aspects of the book, such as Pagan and most other characters, blend in nicely with the historical parts of the book. There are some updates to make us feel at home in such a foreign and long-ago land, such as a few American names and sayings. However, this is fully to be expected from historical fiction, as it is meant to inform and entertain.
Overall, Pagan's Crusade is an entertaining and educational look into the Middle Ages. It has its flaws and some emotions don't come across realistically, but I was still engaged throughout the book. Anyone who enjoys stories of Knights in shining armor would enjoy this more realistic and human story of Knights. However, the book is still fun for fiction-lovers such as myself, as it is full of over-the-top characters and clever jokes. I learned a great deal about Jerusalem 900 years in the past, and gained new knowledge about the Crusades and the Knight's Templar. Pagan's Crusade was an endearing and fun book, and I learned from its pages while still having a good time.

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Snapdragon

Hugely enjoyable

Reviewed in Australia on August 20, 2019

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Despite being a senior citizen I enjoyed this young adult book immensely and will certainly read the others in the series. Pagan Kidrouk is an orphan raised in a monastery in the Holy Land - none too kindly by the sounds of things. Now 16, he finds himself squire to Lord Roland, a French Templar knight and the epitome of monastic chivalry. Pagan, on the other hand, is a bit of a scamp with an insouciant wit. He’s run foul of the Viscount’s men after getting into gambling debt. The Templars are his safe escape from their vengeance. We’re at a time in history (the 1100s) when Saladin is on a quest to win back the Holy Land from the Christians: a successful quest. The battle for Jérusalem is vividly described, as are the dirty, disease ridden conditions of the time. Unlike the Christians of ninety years earlier, Saladin did not put his captives to the sword. He famously tolerated Jews and Christians after his victories (and Saudis and other Muslims would do well to remember that he was a Kurd). Catherine Jinks is a medieval scholar who knows her stuff and she writes a vivacious tale that comes alive on the page. Pagan becomes devoted to Lord Roland the Noble and it will be interesting to see what happens to them next.

Mrs. Chadwick

EXCELLENT

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2010

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This is the first novel I've read by Catherine Jinks and I wasn't disappointed. "Pagan's Crusade" is also the first book in a series of four.

It's the 12th Century, the area is Jerusalem and it's the time of the Crusades. Pagan a 16yr old joins the Templar Knights to escape his all life as well as his debts that he owes. His new master is Lord Roland, and he finds him hard to get on with at first.

Pagan starts to wonder what he's done and if he's done the right thing, as his job with the Templar Knights is to help and escort pilgrims, but what he isn't cut out for is defending Jerusalem.

I don't want to go into the story too much as I really don't want to spoil it for other readers. This book if classed as a young adult book, but I`d say it's not for anyone that's 12yrs and under, mainly due to the language it uses and the actual story line.

The author grabs you right from the start, it's an excellent story, and her characters have great's personalities and a lot of depth to them. There's a little comedy in amongst the storyline and it can get pretty emotional as well with what the characters have been through and are going through.

I bought this for two reasons, not only do I love history but the novel sounded great. It doesn't matter whether you're a teenager or older if you want a good read then this is your book. :-)

It didn't take me long to read as it's enjoyable and a compulsive read. You'll find it's an action packed story and its pace is fast. It's one I'd recommend to young and old, if you're after a good story this is the book for you. If you're interested in the Templar Knights, (which I am) you'll also enjoy this. :-)

It's a book I'll be reading again and was worth every penny. I'm now looking forward to reading the next in the series. :-)

One person found this helpful

homeschooler

I had high hopes

Reviewed in Canada on July 4, 2023

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Definitely not fit for a Christian reader!!!

positanogirl

A Classic

Reviewed in Australia on December 30, 2016

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This book (indeed the entire series) needs to be read. It's a beautiful example of literature, it will stay with you for the rest of your life.

nogginthenog

superb

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2010

Verified Purchase

From the very first page you're picked up and whirled, breathless into the world of Pagan - unlikely and unwilling squire and ultimately hero. This, the first of the Pagan books is just brilliant - you feel the heat, the dust, the thirst, the smells and the fear, and when you get to the last page will be reaching eagerly for the next volume.

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