Finished: June 1
Pages: 256
Book Thirty-one: Pagan in Exile
Finished: June 2
Pages: 336
Book Thirty-two: Pagan's Vows
FInished: June 3
Pages: 336
Book Thirty-three: Pagan's Scribe
Finished: June 3
Pages: 368
Okay, as you might remember (or as you read below) I read Babylonne without realizing that it was a sequel to this series, so I decided to read the rest of them to see if I liked it better afterward. The answer is certainly "yes." There is something endearing about Pagan, the young Christian Arab who grows up in Jerusalem during the medieval Crusades, and the fall of Jerusalem to Salahadin. Pagan becomes a squire to a young Templar knight named Roland, and the first three books are told from Pagan's point of view as they adventure from Jerusalem to the south of France. My favorite book, however, is Pagan's Scribe, the fourth, partially because it introduces a new character, Isidore, who I had met previously in Babylonne. The endearing quirks of Pagan's character, the amusing sarcasm that is his irreverant nature, and contrasting deep love for his friends is much more apparent from an outsider's perspective. While I think that perhaps a teenager might enjoy these books more than I did, I certainly didn't hate them at all. They were funny, and the witty banter that Pagan keeps up, first with himself, then with Roland, and finally with Isidore, would be enough to keep me reading.
"Name?"
"Pagan Kidrouk, sir."
"Age?"
"Sixteen. Sir"
"Born in?"
"Bethlehem."
Rockhead looks up. The brain peeps out from behind the brawn.
"Don't worry, sir. It didn't happen in a stable."
Clunk. Another jest falls flat on the ground.
"Why did you leave?"
"It was the jokes, sir. In the guardroom. Not that I object to jokes as such. Some of my best friends are complete jokes. But I don't like leper jokes. Or dysentery jokes. Especially when I'm eating."
The grammar issues that I faced with Jinks' other writing is even more apparent here. The incomplete sentences, as well as multiple tangential phrases did at times make it difficult to keep up. During battle scenes in the first book, and then in other times of fast action, it is hard to keep track of who is talking, but often seemed purposeful, since in the heat of the moment it would be difficult to keep track of what was going on in real life.
I think that the characters were well developed, and certainly Babylonne would have made so much more sense had I read these in order, but at the same time, I had a good time figuring out the mystery that was Pagan in the same way that Babylonne herself did, through a whole lot of digging. I wouldn't recommend this book to a really high-minded Christian, since there is quite a bit of blasphemy, but anyone with a decent brain between their ears would see that most of the irreverence is directed towards stupid characters rather than God. All in all, pretty hilarious, and I'm glad I wasted my days reading them.
Good Reading,
Caitlin
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