Pagans by James Alistair Henry #BookReview

21st Century London.

The Norman conquest never happened.

The ancient tribes of Britain remain undefeated. 

But murders still have to be solved. 

The small, mostly unimportant, island of Britain is inhabited by an uneasy alliance of tribes – the dominant Saxon East, the beleaguered Celtic West, and an independent Nordic Scotland – and tensions are increasing by the second. Supermarket warpaint sales are at an all- time high, mead abuse shortens the lives of thousands, and social media is abuzz with conspiracy theories suggesting the High Table’s putting GPS trackers in the honeycakes. 

Amid this febrile atmosphere, the capital is set to play host to the Unification Summit, which aims to join together the various tribes into one ‘united kingdom’. But when a Celtic diplomat is found brutally murdered, his body nailed to an ancient oak, the fragile peace is threatened. Captain Aedith Mercia, daughter of a powerful Saxon leader, must join forces with Celtic Tribal Detective Inspector Drustan to solve the murder – and stop political unrest spilling onto the streets. 

But is this an isolated incident? Or are Aedith and Drustan facing a serial killer with a decades-old grudge? To find out, they must delve into their own murky pasts and tackle forces that go deeper than they ever could have imagined. 

Set in a world that’s far from our own and yet captivatingly familiar, Pagans is “The Bridge” meets “Vikings”, exploring contemporary themes of religious conflict, nationalism, prejudice... and the delicate internal politics of the office coffee round. Gripping and darkly funny, Pagans keeps you guessing until the very end.

It is my pleasure to be sharing my review of Pagans by James Alistair Henry. Many thanks to Moonflower for sending me an advance copy of the novel.

Imagine a world in which the Norman Conquest never happened. As a result, Britain in the twenty first century remains a divided island, with the Saxons in the East of the country who are ruled over by a High King elected by a council of earls from the major Saxon regions, dominant. Meanwhile, the Celtic people have mostly been displaced to the  Western Tribal Lands, while Nordic Scotland is independent. Consequently, there was no British Empire and it’s the Pan-African states whose concentration of natural and intellectual wealth meant the Industrial Revolution took place there and saw the federation’s economic growth lead to the federation of independent African states becoming a global superpower.

It’s a fascinating premise for a novel, particularly as this version of Britain is as familiar as it is different. Many of the technological advances still occurred but alongside wifi and mobile phones, people still believe in the pagan Gods and Fates and as well as their use of high-tech weaponry, many Saxons still carry a seax, their traditional single bladed long knife given to children on significant birthdays. Although there are significant differences between fiction and reality here, James Alistair Henry’s immersive world-building is easy to imagine throughout. 

A short prologue ends with the discovery of a body which, in turns out, has implications for an imminent unification summit. Plans for a united kingdom are threatened by the murder of a Celtic diplomat and so Captain Aedith Mercia is joined by Celtic Tribal Detective Inspector Drustan as they attempt to figure out the identity and motive of a brutal killer. Drustan’s arrival in London immediately informs readers of the disparity between Saxons and Celts – hatred and fear of immigrants is as prevalent as ever here.  

Aedith is the daughter of a prominent earl but is a down-to-earth likeable character. Nevertheless, her family connections still open certain doors which proves to be invaluable in this this challenging case. As Drustan observes, 

‘despite the captain having nothing of the entitled Saxon princess to her manner, it seemed she usually got what she wanted anyway.’

Drustan is just as intriguing and his often more cerebral approach to the investigation complements her forthright manner well. They make a good team in spite of the many differences and the friendship which develops between them will keep readers returning for more. 

As much as the speculative exploration as to how this alternate history Britain would function is compelling, Pagans is also a cleverly structured, complex crime fiction novel. As the body count rises, the twisty investigation leads Aedith and Drustan to consider political, religious and personal reasons to be behind the killings. With the fevered backdrop of the contentious summit complicating matters still further, the concluding chapters are especially tense and exciting. 

The manipulative agendas, political corruption, wild conspiracy theories and divisive social media discourse which threaten any hope of a fragile peace between nations, and the ease with which the population can be provoked is examined with stark honesty which is tempered by the deliciously wry humour. 

As well as being a compulsive murder mystery and a gripping political thriller, the multi-layered Pagans offers a cleverly satirical look at our own world. I enjoyed it immensely and highly recommend it.

Pagans is published by Moonflower, purchasing links can be found here.

About the Author

Screenwriter and editor James Alistair Henry first started writing while working as a bookseller. He joined the writing team for Channel 4’s Smack the Pony and went on to write the BAFTA-award winning Green Wing, ITV comedy Delivery Man and cult hit Campus as well as episodes for smash-hit children’s television shows Bob The Builder and Hey Duggee. His Radio 4 sketch show, Wosson Cornwall, was selected as BBC Radio Comedy of the Week and his newest sitcom, Piglets, has been commissioned for a second series. His debut novel, Pagans, has been optioned for TV by award-winning international production company, Media Res (The Morning Show, Scenes From A Marriage, Extrapolations). James lives in Cornwall with his wife, a writer and medieval historian, and their two children.

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