Pagans

by James Alistair Henry, Gunnar Cauthery (Narrator)

TWO COPS. ONE KILLER. HUNDREDS OF GODS.

21st Century London — except the Norman conquest never happened. An uneasy alliance of ancient tribes has formed, but peace is threatened by a series of brutal murders. Detectives Aedith and Drustan must put aside their differences to track down a serial killer with a decades-old grudge.

Genres: Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction, Alternate History, Historical Fiction

12 pages, Audible Audio

First published February 27, 2025

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Oh my GOD I enjoyed this book.

The concept is pure genius. No Norman Conquest, massively alt history. Europe is mostly an Islamic caliphate, but Pan-Africa is the global power. No British colonising, so no USA. Pathetic rainy basket/charity case backwater Britain is divided into Norse Scotland, Saxon Central/East, and Tribal (Celtic) Wales/South west. And although it's set in a contemporary now with computers and drones, society is heavily Old English / Celtic still. with knives, ritual tattooing, blood feuds etc.

This is bloody great if you know anything at all about Old English. The police officer calls her car Roadfucker, and there are some fabulous lines along the lines of 'are we all reciting from the same saga here, boys?' and lots of delightful little tweaks and flourishes in the language. The mystery is super rooted in the imagined world, with its racial and cultural issues. The relationship between Mercian Aedith and Tribal Drustan is fantastic, as is the sense of immanent gods (very much plural). Basically it manages to be both a great alt-history and a really good mystery thriller and the two are inextricably linked.

Enormously enjoyable, written with great verve and nicely paced. I really hope there will be more!

[Iona Sharma]

This is a riot. Set in a Britain of 2023 where the Norman Conquest never happened, it's about Saxons and Norse and Celts all with their own little kingdoms, bickering and oppressing each other, on a shitty little island in northern Europe that no one cares about. Without unification, there was no colonisation - and so the Mughal Empire and an EU-type federation of African states are the world's superpowers. And amid this we have a police procedural with riotously imaginative worldbuilding and characters, culture and religion beautifully depicted and a general sense that the author is having an amazing time. It is a bit soppy about Christianity - seen here as a minor 2023 cult - and a little forgetful about Islam and Judaism, but I enjoyed it a lot.

[Lore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot stress enough how great a time I had with this book! It is such a joy to pick something up with little idea of what to expect and have such a great surprise. Well thought-out plot with deft handling, great dialogue, likable characters and a really well-realised alternate history. Pagans was great fun. It handles its setting seriously but with ironic nods to the reader and some memorable jokes worthy of Pratchett. I kept telling everyone unfortunate enough to be talking to me while I read it about the latest clever thing he'd weaved into the world. The alternate setting is thought-through, exciting, and has plenty of space to grow. Loved it, gobbled it up and will be accepting no criticism and I already can't wait for more.
I was given this copy by the publisher but will be getting my grubby little hands on real edition ASAP

[Joel Codd · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great concept with confusing loopholes in its alternative history, but forgivable because alt history sound very hard without explaining every step. The ones off the bat:

- the dominant religious beliefs in Britain are pagan - despite Britain being Christianised before the Norman conquest

- the unification of the Anglo Saxon kingdoms was 923 (?) before the the Norman conquest

- the lack of knowledge around Jesus despite him having a degree of relevance in Islam (a saint?) which is the dominant religion of Europe in the novel

There could be other alternate things that happened but there only one explained in the blurb is the Norman conquest not happening, but again this is all creative leeway.

The novel itself is good but written as though it wants to be a BBC or ITV crime series - I read the authors description at the end and he normally works on these projects so now that makes sense but it was a little odd going into it.

The female lead is written well but also obviously by a man. Which is fine and creative for him but reads a little odd sometimes.

Overall it’s a good book and a fun read with in incredibly interesting take on alternative history in a modern setting.

[soph · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Pagans’ is a fast-paced, high-octane crime novel which spans genres in an interesting and unique way. It is set in a 21st century London, if the population were all Pagan; the world is well crafted and thought out, with fascinating parallels drawn between our own cultural responses to small ‘cult-like’ religions, and this world’s response to a thinly-veiled Christianity cult. Overall, while this is not at all my usual book of choice, I felt invested in the plot and the characters, and enjoyed reading this debut novel.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advance reading copy.

[Danie Ware]

Did not grab me at ALL. Great concept, looked genuinely fascinating, and seemed fully and thoroughly researched, but I struggled my way through fifty pages and just couldn't get a grip on it. An immediate 'dramatis personae' always puts me off (because there are going to be way too many characters and guess what), and I found the historical/cultural and genre juxtapositions really jarring. On principle, I won't give a star rating to a book I didn't finish, and I suspect this is probably very clever, if you stick with it.

Not for me, though.

[Siavahda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taken for what it is - so, not holding it being a crime novel against it - five stars, excellent, SO IMPRESSED with the attention to detail in the worldbuilding (they don't have the term 'serial killer', presumably because it was coined by the FBI who don't exist in this setting!) and my gods these cops need defunding, but as characters they were all fantastic.

I would happily devour a dozen sequels if someone will let Henry write them!

[Veronique · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75*

Rather enjoyed this police procedural set in a 21st century where the Norman conquest never happened. The result, a world defined by Saxons, Celts and other tribes, is very different to our world and yet so recognisable. You can see how the author had fun portraying this and extrapolating how the resulting political landscape would look.

[Simon Pressinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cracker. Futuro-Celtic style police procedural with an edgy, grungy feel. Rivers of London fans, take note. Crime lovers with an open mind will enjoy it too.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the world building, the characters and the intrigue. And yet. I didn’t love the book as a whole for some reason. Maybe I wanted more personal interaction between Drustan and Aedith - I felt they barely had the change of getting to know each other. Also, Aedith is the typical badass female character written by a man. Not necessarily a bad *bad* thing, but it shows.

[BookswithLydscl | · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything about this worked for me. The world building, the alternative history, the crime/ mystery / thriller aspect. Left me wanting more of this world!

Vaguely reminiscent of another 5 star favourite - the acts of the Assassins by Richard Beard

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for alternative-history whodunnits, and I love ancient British history. In this book, a Saxon cop and a Celtic cop team up to catch a serial killer against the backdrop of the latest British unification summit.
The crime plot with its political elements is well done, the characters are strong and sympathetic. The alt-history is fun and often witty, with the world dominated by the "Pan-African Unified States" and Britain a developing nation, heavily culturally colonised.
It's a bit difficult to follow the exact timeline -- it has to involve Christianity (and Judaism?) being heavily suppressed by the Romans, to the point that hardly anyone in the present day has heard of it, but Islam is present, with a European Caliphate and a Mughal Empire as secondary powers...and how any of that leads to the failure of the Normans to conquer Britain is anyone's guess. The worldbuilding of the alternative present is deft and detailed, though, cleverly twisting the familiar rather than making up new stuff. (Though a reference to Lycra by name raised an eyebrow.)
Generally huge fun, though, and if you liked Cahokia Jazz or The Yiddish Policemen's Union or Dominion, it seems a fair bet you'll enjoy this.

[Dammitkassi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one wasn't for me I'm afraid. Everything felt too over complicated and forced. Shame. It had a good thing going for it.

[Marie Grim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pagans is a fascinating historical fantasy/murder mystery/police procedural novel that blends the best of multiple genres together in a fast-paced engrossing read that had me hooked from beginning to end.

Set in an alternative history where the Normans never invaded England, the world-building is excellent. The various Saxon tribes control England itself, with a High King and everything. The Celts and Picts are present, and are heartily discriminated against by the Saxons. The African continent has united under Pan-Africa, a wealthy powerhouse of resources and technology, while the Islamic Caliphates control Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The Mughal Empire rules in India, and the Russian federation is loose and disorganized, abutting the Nordic Republics. It is a really fun alternative history showing how radically things could have changed if one critical event failed to materialize. I loved how it treated with religion, with the gods of Norse, Celtic, and Saxon myth all present and given equal treatment. Religion plays an interesting role in the book, but I won’t say more for fear of spoilers.

Our MCs are Aedith of Mercia, a Detective Captain on the Saxon police force and daughter of the powerful Earl-Elector Lod of Mercia, and Detective Inspector Drustan, a Tribal police officer from Dumnonia sent to investigate the murder of a Tribal diplomat in London to attend the Unification summit, held every 5 years to determine if the three loosely allied groups should unify into one political entity. The brutal murder sparks a high stakes investigation that takes the MCs through a variety of challenges and dead-ends, with intrigue and surprises around every turn. The characters are engaging and interesting, and I liked the backstory that the author shared. The side characters are moderately interesting - fitting the stereotypical “sidekick” cast necessary for a good police procedural - but the majority of the plot work occurs within the scope of Aedith and Drustan.

Written in 3rd Person omniscient and alternating between Drustan and Aedith as the character of action, I found the prose to be open and accessible with bits of levity scattered throughout. The writing is well-done, and there were plenty of twists and turns to puzzle out, few of which I managed successfully. I love being kept in my toes by a book and this one did a fantastic job.

I’m definitely excited for the next book, as this ended on a sort of overarching cliffhanger, the main plot of the book being wrapped but opening up into a larger world of possibility. I hope to see more from the Author, and definitely recommend this to fans of alternative history fantasies and police procedurals. The author lists Michael Moorcock’s Gloriana, Naomi Novik’s Temeraire, and Kim Newman’s Anno Dracula as inspirations, and i think fans of those works would also enjoy this. All around, a well-written, exceptionally enjoyable novel.

[Jodie Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pagans is a riotously fun novel, bucking genre convention to create something wholly original. I was gripped from the very first page, fully immersed in Henry’s timely story of an alternative world.

Rich with new history, fascinating characters and a propulsive plot, I couldn’t put Pagans down, desperate for answers which Henry delivered with expertise.

Pagans is a novel that’s hard to define: crime, fantasy, a reimagined history that creates a vaguely dystopian world, that manages to feel contemporary and very timely. Basically, it’s very good. Set in a world where the Norman conquest never happened, we have Celts, Saxons and the Norse living on the a non-unified, divided island (the one we know as Britain). I’m crossing all my fingers that this is the start of a series of books because I want more of all of it.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Pagans” is a London police procedural set in an alternative history universe where UK never U’d, and is instead divided into the Norse kingdom in the north, and Saxons in the south, where Celts live on reservations. The western world is dominated by a Pan-African Union, and Great Britain is largely a poor country providing cheap labour where tourists come for spiritual insight tours if at all.

The main characters are complicated people, there are two and a half criminal plots, and there’s a lot of room for future growth.

And yet I did not love it. It has all the components to be one of my favourites, and I just did not.

I think it’s because the author does not write emotions into his characters. The plot is humming, and there are a lot of interpersonal conflict and drama moments which should make the characters - and you - feel something, but they’re mostly over without much comment.

Also, the cover promises “hundreds of gods” but fantasy this ain’t, and religion shows up mostly as background/cultural decoration and “perhaps I saw something”. This is about the level that I’d expect from an alternative history police procedural, but it’s good to know it won’t be Rivers of London level of supernatural involvement.

Did I enjoy it? Would I still recommend reading it? Yeah, but it’s a category of “this could have been much more”.

[Spencer Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting concept with good research but nothing mind blowing, a pretty standard crime set up, with decent but predictable outcomes.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing. A crime novel set in a world where the Normans never rose to prominence, creating a 2023 radically different from the one we inhabit. This leaves everything open for a follow up and I really hope that happens soon!

[Jacqueline Stagg · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I was a fan of crime novels I would have given this a five star. Considering I don't much like crime novels at all a four star means I thought it was very good lol.
It's an alternative universe premise, not a fantasy one. Even though everyone is 'pagan' there's no real magic; instead it's a different take on prejudice, racism and acceptance while police forces from different cultures have to work together. I kept expecting Drustan (an officer from a downtrodden minority group) to say "They call me MISTER Drustan" because it has echoes of In The Heat Of The Night
A really good read and also I think would be enjoyed by people who "don't read fantasy"

[Aleshanee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pagans: Ein Killer - zwei Cops - hunderte Götter, damit hatte es mich eigentlich schon. Als ich dann auch den Klappentext flüchtig angelesen hab und von einem alternativen England las war klar, das ich das haben muss xD

Wenn man das Buch aufschlägt, sieht man auch gleich eine Karte von Britannien und dem London, wie es in dieser fiktiven Welt aussieht und in einem "Auszug der Länderprofile" erfährt man, dass hier drei Fraktionen eine widerwillige Allianz gegründet haben:
- die wohlhabenden Norsen im nordischen Schottland, die "der Wall" mit militärischer Unterstützung von den anderen beiden trennt
- die Cymru, englische Angelsachsen, die den Osten bzw. das Zentrum bevölkern
- und die unterdrückten und ausgebeuteten keltischen Stämme im Westen

Das alleine hat mich schon sehr angesprochen, wobei ich auf den ersten Seiten nach jedem Satz ein bisschen den Faden verloren habe. Eine Menge unbekannter Begriffe, völlig zusammen gewürfelte Beschreibungen von Charakteren und Schauplätzen, so dass ich das alles erstmal hingenommen habe um abzuwarten, wo es mich hinführt. Aber es war schon erstmal schwierig, den Überblick zu behalten.

In dieser Geschichte hat die normannische Eroberung der Insel nie stattgefunden. Europa ist ein islamisches Kalifat, Pan-Afrika ist eine Weltmacht und ohne britische Kolonisierung ist die USA nicht erwähnenswert. Während die Technik auch hier weiter vorangeschritten ist: mit autonomen Autos, Computern und Drohnen sind Religionen, Göttern und Glaube feste Anker der Gesellschaften.
Interessant sind hier in diesem Zusammenhang auch die omnipräsenten Tätowierungen. Jeder hat welche und sie müssen lizensiert und legal sein. Ob berufliche Fähigkeiten, sportliche Aktivitäten, besondere Lebensereignisse etc. -> alles kommt unter die Haut! Nach Vorschrift! Also eher ein Standard, dem jeder nachzukommen hat und der gesetzlich geregelt ist. Das ist eine sehr seltsam anmutende gesellschaftliche Norm - aber hier wirkt vieles befremdend einerseits, andererseits spiegelt es auch vieles von unserer Gesellschaft wider und die kulturellen Themen werden teils provokant, teils ironisch mit eingeflochten.
Allerdings gibt es auch eine ganze Menge anderer religiöser Traditionen und Rituale, die hier zum Leben dazugehören und fest integriert sind und die man im Laufe der Geschichte dann auch besser einordnen kann.

Im Kern geht es aber um den ermordeten, keltischen Diplomaten, der zwei Tage vor dem nächsten Gipfeltreffen gefunden wird. Um größere Aufstände zurückzuhalten, müssen die angelsächsische Aedith als Ermittlerin und der keltische Inspektor Drustan zusammenarbeiten. Die Vorurteile gegen sein Volk werden bei den Nachforschungen sehr deutlich, zeigen aber auch, wie unterschiedlich ihre Weltanschauung ist.

Aedith ist ein starker Charakter, auch wenn sie natürlich ihre Ecken und Kanten hat. Sie gehört einer sehr einflussreichen Familie an, die in der Vergangenheit allerdings einiges an negativen Schlagzeilen verursache hat und deren Auswirkungen immer noch spürbar sind. Natürlich ist sie geprägt von den vielen Vorurteilen ihrer Landsleute und den Propaganda Schlagzeilen und Gerüchten, bildet sich aber selbst ihre Meinung und ist aufgeschlossen für andere Meinungen und Glaubensvorstellungen.

Drustan soll ihr als keltischer Stammesangehöriger zur Seite stehen. Er war mir von Anfang an sehr sympathisch und nimmt seine Rolle hier ernst, bleibt aber seinen eigenen Ansichten treu. Dabei unterstützt er Aedith auch mit all den Mitteln, die ihm zur Verfügung stehen und greift dabei auch auf unorthodoxe Methoden zurück.

Es war sehr spannend, ihre Ermittlungen zu verfolgen. Es bleibt alles etwas mysteriös, weil diese Welt mit all ihren veränderten Entwicklungen der Staaten, des Systems und dem Zusammenleben so völlig anders ist - und eben trotzdem die Gegenwart widerspiegelt. Anfangs war ich wirklich etwas überfordert, aber das gibt sich und ich konnte mich gut darin zurechtfinden. Viele Details haben einen Einblick vermittelt, der aber oft nicht tiefer ging und man nur eine Ahnung davon bekommt. Am Ende wurde die Spannung noch gut angezogen und alle Fragen aufgeklärt - allerdings kommt es noch zu einem Ereignis, das eine Fortsetzung zu dieser Geschichte möglich macht.
Ich würde mich freuen, wenn es einen weiteren Band gibt und man noch mehr über die vielen Kulturen und ihre Traditionen erfahren würde. Es gibt so viele originelle und interessante Ideen, die auf jeden Fall noch ausbaufähig sind!

Falls jemand Die göttlichen Städte Trilogie von R. J. Bennett kennt und mag, der könnte auch hier begeistert sein ;)

Weltenwanderer

[John Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SO MUCH FUN. Modern-day London; but in this world the Norman invasion of 1066 never happened. The backwater island of Britain is still run via an uneasy alliance between the Saxon Kingdom, the Celtic Tribal lands, and the Norse Democratic Union of Scotland just over a fortified wall. The world’s primary superpower is the Pan-African Unified States, followed by the Nordic Economic Union, a Mughal Empire, the European Islamic Caliphate, a Tsarist Conglomerate, and the Han Dynasty.

Amidst the uneasy alliance on Britain and the perpetual talks to make a United Kingdom, a series of murders happen. The victims are nailed to a tree like a cross and they belong to a minor religious cult whose symbol is a fish. And from here the author takes the reader into a world so much like our own — smart phones, social media, cars, modern science, police, bigotry and cultural insensitivities, guns, news stations — but in completely different geo-political, social, and religious contexts. It’s a police procedural murder mystery in an alternate history, and it’s one of my favorite books this year. The world building — so familiar yet so different — unfolds smoothly and skillfully, bringing ancient and medieval pagan realities into a modern world. I especially loved the interactions between the different cultures, showing the vicissitudes of human nature truly are universal. Dark and gloomy at times, light and humorous at others, this book is truly a gem of cross-genre writing. I can’t wait for another one; the ending easily suggested there would be more to come.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge shout out to the book I just finished, Pagans by James Alistair Henry

Fascinating and clever alternate universe thriller, in a world where the Norman Conquest never happened and the modern British Isles are a backwater mess of feuding clans patronised by Pan-African first-worlders (they come here to build schools or experience fascinating primitive culture)

It's a modern world with smartphones etc, but British culture is quite different in clever ways (murder for revenge is admired, everyone has tattoos but erasing or covering one is taboo (unless you're trans, then it's revealing not denying your true self))

Our two protagonists are senior police detectives (one a Saxon woman from a political family, with an adopted teenage son, one a Celtic man from over the border who's lost touch with his goddess, here to advise on cross cultural matters)

The plot involves catching a serial killer and unravelling a complex political plot

It has clever commentary on modern life (definite shades of comment on nationalist violence, teenage internet radicalisation etc) and a very dry sense of humour

It ends with sequel bait which I am well up for

Surprisingly low on squick given it's a serial killer story, but content note: mention of child abuse, religious abuse, religious persecution

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Norman Invasion of 1066 never happened and Britain is still split into separate kingdoms. The Saxons, the Scots and the Celts, all vying to make their way in a power struggle for control.

When a former terrorist is found nailed to a tree outside London, a Saxon police captain and a Celtic inspector join forces to unmask the killer.

An interesting plot, where the murder mystery is revealed carefully and constructed thoughtfully so that, when the murderer is revealed, readers can look back and see all the clues. However, it is the world building which is amazing in this novel. The characters work well and the political satire is wonderful.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun crime novel set in an alternative universe where Christianity never really gained traction and as a result there is an Islamic Caliphate in most of Europe, the Pan-Africans hold most of the world’s intellectual and material wealth, and Britain is split into a Saxon, Tribal and Norse part. The alt-history part is just as strong and enjoyable as the mystery part, the characters are fantastic and it’s just great fun all around.

I really hope there will be more - although I will say it might help if the ebook was available on Amazon. It isn’t, at least not in Germany. I bought it on Apple, instead.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

** 4.75 stars **

I LOVED this cop procedural alternate history mystery. I have my fingers crossed we get more of DI Drustan and Captain Aedith Mercia because their dynamic was so honest and realistic that it came across as extremely natural and authentic. The plot was fun, action-packed, so while there were a few grammatical errors and I was not a fan of the formatting of the paragraphs or chapter headings, this book is well worth reading! I was drawn in by the alternate history and stayed for the compelling mystery and enjoyable characters.

[Alexandra Almond]

Police procedural murder mystery in current day alt-hist Britain where the Norman conquest never happened. Loved it, although I suspect I missed a lot of historical nuance. Aedith is a terrific strong female character, the kind that men don't often write. Her strength is as much brains and emotional intelligence as force, and also I don't know what she looks like; there was no emphasis on her physical appearance at all (I do skim description so I might have missed it, but I suspect it just wasn't there). And Drustan is a lovely surprise, never doing what I expected and with hidden depths. Something of a cliff hanger ending though.

[SamesyGames · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the concept for this book!!! A very fun, unique idea. My only critique is that, because I don't know about the history and it's an alternate reality I'm naturally comparing it to our world. I would have loved to see more interpersonal struggles between characters regarding the normalised discrimination of different tribes and the strained social dynamics between the oppressed and the oppressors.

[Liana · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF sorryyyy.. this started strong but it’s just utterly confusing, too much politics between too many groups of people that’s never really explained (seems like author assumes a complex understanding of celts Saxons etc is common knowledge) but seems to be important to understanding the plot. Just couldn’t get to grips with it. Maybe that’ll change if I re read one day but I doubt it

[Josephine Greenland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique and creative crime novel reimagine what history might have been like if the Norman conquest never happened. The world building is extremely detailed and innovative and feels wholly realistic. Overall a very enjoyable read merging contemporary crime and fantasy.

[Isabella Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuinely had a really great time reading this. I don’t usually read anything to do with crime/politics but this was so fun it kept me going. I did notice quite a few typos that should have been caught but oh well. If he writes a sequel I’ll definitely be picking it up!