I finally finished this book while Davan was at Zig Zags earlier this week. It took me much longer to get through than it's thin silhouette and large margin would have foretold. Sadly, it was because I did not get into it. We had recently enjoyed Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks and, in the flush of interest, I got more books by her. Pagan's Crusade is the first of these.
Pagan's Crusade is the story of a boy named Pagan who becomes a squire to a Knight Templar because he has come out the worse in a money making scheme and owes plenty to the wrong sort of person. Becoming a squire allows him to both be safe within the Templar compound and to earn some money. Unfortunately, or it is probably actually fortunate he's become a squire, the "infidels" are taking back the holy country and the crusaders are loosing ground, dying in battle and retreating. The story centers around Pagan and his knight, who is the senior knight in the city for most of the story.
Pagan is a sharp witted character and I think I would have liked him had I not been put off by the style of writing. They style was intentional and may appeal to some, but to me it felt like people, places and ideas were being thrown at me as if I already had knowledge of them, which I did not. Thus, I often found myself either floundering or just bored because I wasn't getting into the rhythm of the story due to the choppiness.
This is the first book in a popular series, and, while I can sort of see the appeal, I won't be going on with the series. I give Pagan's Crusade a 6.
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