Pagan in Exile
'How terrible to think that for all these years, I've missed out on the joys of hunting. The thrill of standing behind a bush for half a day. The breathless excitement of gnat bites. The gut-wrenching sound of dogs sniffing each other's genitals. Now I can see what all the fuss is about.'
The year is 1188, and Jerusalem is in the hands of the Infidel. Upstanding Crusaders and their squires - like Lord Roland Roucy de Bram and Pagan Kidrouk - are returning to Europe, hoping to rally more knights to their cause. The sardonic young Pagan expects Lord Roland's family to be the picture of fortitude and good manners, but he is in for a rude awakening. Brutish and unfeeling, the de Bram clan cares nothing for the Crusades, or indeed for anything outside their neighborhood in France. Meanwhile, local unrest is brewing. Church authorities are duking it out with the de Brams over a group of "heretics" living nearby. And now Pagan and Roland, sworn to defend Christianity, are left to decide for themselves whom to stand by - and whom to trust.
About the Pagan Chronicles Series
Books in series order
- 1.Pagan's Crusade(1992)
- 2.Pagan in Exile(1994)
- 3.Pagan's Vows(1995)
- 4.Pagan's Scribe(1995)
- 5.Babylonne (Pagan's Daughter)(2006)
Reading age: 13+ years
This series should be read in order.
Pagan is a 16-year-old thief and beggar, trying to survive in 1187 medieval Jerusalem with no home or family. To find safety and escape those to whom he's indebted, Pagan joins the Knights Templar and is soon a squire-in-training to the admirable and good-hearted, Lord Roland. The irreverent Pagan must learn to fight, clean, escort pilgrims to holy areas and shrines and - most importantly - hold his tongue!
But even the life of a Lord is never as perfect as it seems. Pagan's journeys with Lord Roland will take him from Jerusalem to France to renunciation of the sword and life in an Abbey, where perfection is also in question. As Pagan grows and matures, his experiences lead him from apprentice to mentor, and to situations in which he must re-evaluate all his previously held values and ideals.
This action-packed and humorous series is narrated in Pagan's sarcastic and witty voice. It is loaded with down-and-dirty details of medieval times and brings to life Medieval Jerusalem and the Crusades.