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Five years ago the world learned the terrible truth as the vampires came out of the crypt. Suddenly humanity is no longer at the top of the food chain.
Jack "Pagan" Henderson is England's top vampire hunter, fighting on the front lines in the war on the ground, and co-opted into the media as a propaganda tool. He and his fellow hunters are fighting against an ancient and powerful foe, as well as a population less and less interested in supporting their efforts.
He's tired, jaded and dejected, but now he has the chance to take the fight to the vampires and challenge them in the very seat of their power.
Parental warning: This book contains strong language, violence and adult themes.
Jack "Pagan" Henderson is England's top vampire hunter, fighting on the front lines in the war on the ground, and co-opted into the media as a propaganda tool. He and his fellow hunters are fighting against an ancient and powerful foe, as well as a population less and less interested in supporting their efforts.
He's tired, jaded and dejected, but now he has the chance to take the fight to the vampires and challenge them in the very seat of their power.
Parental warning: This book contains strong language, violence and adult themes.
358 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 20, 2012
My first thoughts about this book were “Oh well, another vampire book to add to the horde of similar novels out there. No doubt, a handsome vampire hunter who falls for a beautiful bloodsucker that is misunderstood. A few nasty vampires to give the hero someone to fight and a bit of kiss and cuddle to keep the ladies happy”
Well the book kicked my preconceptions right between the legs. This book is the antidote to all those pasty faced vampire that are so prevalent in the media today. From the start this story has one overall message “Vamps are evil blood sucking monsters and they are corrupting our media to turn us all into sheep.” You get this message from the first page and what follows is an adrenalin fuelled ride that has more bite than a shark with rabies.
The story follows Jack “Pagan” Henderson, an ex-SAS soldier who is now the UK’s leading vampire hunter and poster boy for the “Ministry” and their attempts to counter the vampire propaganda machine. Standing side by side with him is a team of fellow hunters who all share his hatred for the blood suckers, although all for their own reasons.
Andrew Chapman is a Brit now living in the US and the book takes place in the UK with all the main characters being Brits as well. The book has a very British feel to it with a few references that non Brits may not understand. The story couldn’t be any more British if it came wrapped in a Union Jack. So I wonder how this novel will translate Stateside. Saying that I enjoyed this book very much, in fact I read it and bought Crusader” the next in the series the same day. The story had me enthralled from page one while the characters jumped out of the page and straight into my imagination. This is the stuff of adolescence dreams; guns, monsters and sexy sidekick.
What else could a guy want for a bit of entertainment were you don’t need to engage your brain, in fact leave your brain on the shelf as your senses will be taking your imagination for a ride.
This isn’t great literature, but it is pure, unadulterated fun with a huge slice of excitement on the side. I read to be entertained and that what Pagan does with ease. Andrew Chapman is an author who has won a place on my “must read” list of authors. If you are tired of vampire novels were the vamps are the underdog or you want a bit of boys own excitement then you can’t go wrong with Pagan.
Well the book kicked my preconceptions right between the legs. This book is the antidote to all those pasty faced vampire that are so prevalent in the media today. From the start this story has one overall message “Vamps are evil blood sucking monsters and they are corrupting our media to turn us all into sheep.” You get this message from the first page and what follows is an adrenalin fuelled ride that has more bite than a shark with rabies.
The story follows Jack “Pagan” Henderson, an ex-SAS soldier who is now the UK’s leading vampire hunter and poster boy for the “Ministry” and their attempts to counter the vampire propaganda machine. Standing side by side with him is a team of fellow hunters who all share his hatred for the blood suckers, although all for their own reasons.
Andrew Chapman is a Brit now living in the US and the book takes place in the UK with all the main characters being Brits as well. The book has a very British feel to it with a few references that non Brits may not understand. The story couldn’t be any more British if it came wrapped in a Union Jack. So I wonder how this novel will translate Stateside. Saying that I enjoyed this book very much, in fact I read it and bought Crusader” the next in the series the same day. The story had me enthralled from page one while the characters jumped out of the page and straight into my imagination. This is the stuff of adolescence dreams; guns, monsters and sexy sidekick.
What else could a guy want for a bit of entertainment were you don’t need to engage your brain, in fact leave your brain on the shelf as your senses will be taking your imagination for a ride.
This isn’t great literature, but it is pure, unadulterated fun with a huge slice of excitement on the side. I read to be entertained and that what Pagan does with ease. Andrew Chapman is an author who has won a place on my “must read” list of authors. If you are tired of vampire novels were the vamps are the underdog or you want a bit of boys own excitement then you can’t go wrong with Pagan.
February 7, 2011
I'm going to start this review by saying this - I don't finish books I don't like. Thus making me a really bad book reviewer. However, now that I am all hooked up with a Kindle and I am picking books out by opinions more than the back cover, I am trying to post my honest thoughts so that when you are choosing between scores of free and .99 cent books you can thank me when you read a good one.
Now... on to the review...
A. I finished it.
B. I wanted to finish it.
C. I liked it
With that being said... What drew me to read this story in the first place was the premise. In a day where every one is falling in love with Vampires (not saying I'm not)when did we forget that they are the bad guys? Pagan is the Good Guy. In a future where Vampires have taken over, come out of the coffin, and enslaved a big part of the population, Pagan is the front line and leader of a group of vampire hunters that stands between us and them. However, my complaints: Chapman has all the right ingredients for a really great novel, he just doesn't use them all in the right places. For example: his descriptions are fantastic and gives great attention to detail it's just the details are mostly guns and sex. Not saying it's a bad thing, it's just I'd would have loved to know more about the other characters and more description about the post vampire world and maybe a little less of the same old sex scenes and a page long description of the weapons being used. I will say this though, the book is well written plot wise and there is some great one liners. I hope that there is a second Pagan book, and if there is I'll read it. I won't pay $7 for it, but I'll read it eventually. ;-) I've never written a novel and my editing skills never made it past the Brick Township High School Yearbook, so take it for what it's worth. Pagan earned 3 solid stars and a promise to read the next installment and coming from me... that's alot.
Now... on to the review...
A. I finished it.
B. I wanted to finish it.
C. I liked it
With that being said... What drew me to read this story in the first place was the premise. In a day where every one is falling in love with Vampires (not saying I'm not)when did we forget that they are the bad guys? Pagan is the Good Guy. In a future where Vampires have taken over, come out of the coffin, and enslaved a big part of the population, Pagan is the front line and leader of a group of vampire hunters that stands between us and them. However, my complaints: Chapman has all the right ingredients for a really great novel, he just doesn't use them all in the right places. For example: his descriptions are fantastic and gives great attention to detail it's just the details are mostly guns and sex. Not saying it's a bad thing, it's just I'd would have loved to know more about the other characters and more description about the post vampire world and maybe a little less of the same old sex scenes and a page long description of the weapons being used. I will say this though, the book is well written plot wise and there is some great one liners. I hope that there is a second Pagan book, and if there is I'll read it. I won't pay $7 for it, but I'll read it eventually. ;-) I've never written a novel and my editing skills never made it past the Brick Township High School Yearbook, so take it for what it's worth. Pagan earned 3 solid stars and a promise to read the next installment and coming from me... that's alot.
September 4, 2011
Trite, cliched writing. Fun reading if you're a 10 year old.
December 5, 2010
They call it Black Tuesday, that day five years ago when vamps around the world came out of the coffin and laid siege on the human population. Through a combination of money, propaganda, and fangs, they've been taking over ever since. In some corners of the world they've conned their way into a sort of sick popularity and are revered. In others they're viewed as misunderstood, sympathetic creatures suffering an affliction.
In England, where the vampires have taken control of the north and turned the country into a militarized zone, they're hunted as the blood sucking monsters they are. On the front lines is Jack "Pagan" Henderson and his team of hunters. He's the best of the best, a legend in his own time, and a well recognized figure in his country.
He's also funny as hell, with a quintessential and dry British humor, sardonic and self-effacing, that I found instantly appealing.
The vamps are winning the public relations war and more and more pressure is brought to bear on the hunters as public support for their cause wanes. A war is brewing; tensions are rising...and surviving is getting harder and harder.
I am so glad I came across this book. I found the concept a wonderful change from the current standard (sexy but tortured hero vamps and the women who love them) and the way that standard was addressed and included into the world building was ingenious. Pagan was a breath of fresh air as the male lead. A hardened warrior with a sensitive soul, his character offered up humor and kick-ass intensity. He was the driving force behind this character-driven story and as far as I'm concerned, he can drive me anywhere he wants.
Chapman put together a very nice book with a economical plot, strong hero, and enjoyable secondary and ancillary characters. At it's core, Pagan is simple: vampires are bad; kill them. From that core springs a seasoned and intelligent war book that focuses on the brotherhood of warriors and their interactions. The narrative is rife with humor as told from Pagan's first person point-of-view, flows smoothly, and is technically sound.
I could have done without the excessive weapons and artillery descriptions and acronyms. There was way too much boy-with-his-toys. Of everything, that was the most serious detractor in the book for me. I can appreciate the knowledge that it took to pull that off, but for a layman and a person who reads for enjoyment, it was unnecessary and I felt it bogged down the plot pacing. My mind started to glaze over whenever Pagan started to describe his weapons, and I think that's what kept my emotional connection to the story from really getting visceral. I kept disconnecting.
I loved the flashback scenes. I can't remember ever saying that before, because usually they're among my least favorite plot devices, but for some reason the ones provided here worked for me. They offered and expanded on necessary information in a very pleasing format that served to connect me to the characters and their backstory and it was done in a way that transitioned nicely from the past to the present. I thought they were very well done, especially the one in which Pagan and Marie meet each other.
I wasn't totally thrilled with girlfriend-Marie, though. Hunter-Marie was great, but as soon as it went from battle to bedroom, Marie sort of turned into werewolf Barbie. She became a little too squealy, giggly, and girly for my tastes. On the bright side, I liked what Chapman did with the werewolf mythos in the book. There were a lot of nice touches there that I'd like to see expanded in future books.
Speaking of expanding...and no, I don't mean Pagan's briefs...I'm just dying to know more about him. He was such an appealing character and yet there is still so much that we've not been told. I sincerely hope some answers to his differences will be forthcoming, even while I appreciate that we weren't provided all the answers here...or...well, any of them, really.
There were some pleasant plot twists and a pretty intense final conflict that I liked quite a lot, and much set in motion to provide fodder for future installments. I was very appreciative of all of that, as I'm not near ready to be done with Pagan and Co. just yet. I would like to see a tighter, more complex plot to keep things interesting, with a more speedy introduction to the arc of the primary conflict in subsequent books, and perhaps an adversary that provides more of a personal challenge for Pagan. I did think the baddies were a little too easy to off in this one (details provided with spoilers at the bottom of the review). It goes without saying (or not, as I'm saying it) that I'd also like a little more Field & Stream and a lot less Guns & Ammo in the next book.
Still, it was a very nice set up to what could be a fantastic, original, and highly entertaining series. Oh, and did I mention that the Kindle edition is $.99? That's crazy awesome. I don't review a book based on the price I paid to read it, but come on - 99 cents! Talk about a whole lotta bang for your buck. I could've liked the book a whole lot less than I did and it still would've been a rockin' deal.
Without a doubt, Pagan is one of the most intelligent, polished, and sophisticated independently published books I've read. I'm anxiously awaiting Crusader and was thrilled to find out that there's also Renegade in the works and a Marie-centric book after that, tentatively titled Scrapper. I'm looking forward to much more from Andrew Chapman. I like the way he does what he does.
~*~*~*~*~* WARNING: There be spoilers ahead! *~*~*~*~*~
Detail on the easy to off vamp issue as follows:
As a race, vampires are supposed to be these brilliant and Machiavellian propagandizing PR gods who are rich beyond the telling of it...and yet they're the dumbest fighters I've ever seen. Not only do they bring knives to a gun fight, but again and again they show up woefully unprepared and uninformed about the nature of their prey and the abilities of the warriors. I've never seen such incompetent apex predators. The scene in which Marcus shows up to face off with Pagan was particularly unenlightened given Pagan's reputation, and arrogance only goes so far as an explanation before it becomes stupidity. From a story standpoint, an adversary who is that quick to kill doesn't instill a true threat of death or danger nor adds tension to the plot.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
In England, where the vampires have taken control of the north and turned the country into a militarized zone, they're hunted as the blood sucking monsters they are. On the front lines is Jack "Pagan" Henderson and his team of hunters. He's the best of the best, a legend in his own time, and a well recognized figure in his country.
He's also funny as hell, with a quintessential and dry British humor, sardonic and self-effacing, that I found instantly appealing.
The vamps are winning the public relations war and more and more pressure is brought to bear on the hunters as public support for their cause wanes. A war is brewing; tensions are rising...and surviving is getting harder and harder.
I am so glad I came across this book. I found the concept a wonderful change from the current standard (sexy but tortured hero vamps and the women who love them) and the way that standard was addressed and included into the world building was ingenious. Pagan was a breath of fresh air as the male lead. A hardened warrior with a sensitive soul, his character offered up humor and kick-ass intensity. He was the driving force behind this character-driven story and as far as I'm concerned, he can drive me anywhere he wants.
Chapman put together a very nice book with a economical plot, strong hero, and enjoyable secondary and ancillary characters. At it's core, Pagan is simple: vampires are bad; kill them. From that core springs a seasoned and intelligent war book that focuses on the brotherhood of warriors and their interactions. The narrative is rife with humor as told from Pagan's first person point-of-view, flows smoothly, and is technically sound.
I could have done without the excessive weapons and artillery descriptions and acronyms. There was way too much boy-with-his-toys. Of everything, that was the most serious detractor in the book for me. I can appreciate the knowledge that it took to pull that off, but for a layman and a person who reads for enjoyment, it was unnecessary and I felt it bogged down the plot pacing. My mind started to glaze over whenever Pagan started to describe his weapons, and I think that's what kept my emotional connection to the story from really getting visceral. I kept disconnecting.
I loved the flashback scenes. I can't remember ever saying that before, because usually they're among my least favorite plot devices, but for some reason the ones provided here worked for me. They offered and expanded on necessary information in a very pleasing format that served to connect me to the characters and their backstory and it was done in a way that transitioned nicely from the past to the present. I thought they were very well done, especially the one in which Pagan and Marie meet each other.
I wasn't totally thrilled with girlfriend-Marie, though. Hunter-Marie was great, but as soon as it went from battle to bedroom, Marie sort of turned into werewolf Barbie. She became a little too squealy, giggly, and girly for my tastes. On the bright side, I liked what Chapman did with the werewolf mythos in the book. There were a lot of nice touches there that I'd like to see expanded in future books.
Speaking of expanding...and no, I don't mean Pagan's briefs...I'm just dying to know more about him. He was such an appealing character and yet there is still so much that we've not been told. I sincerely hope some answers to his differences will be forthcoming, even while I appreciate that we weren't provided all the answers here...or...well, any of them, really.
There were some pleasant plot twists and a pretty intense final conflict that I liked quite a lot, and much set in motion to provide fodder for future installments. I was very appreciative of all of that, as I'm not near ready to be done with Pagan and Co. just yet. I would like to see a tighter, more complex plot to keep things interesting, with a more speedy introduction to the arc of the primary conflict in subsequent books, and perhaps an adversary that provides more of a personal challenge for Pagan. I did think the baddies were a little too easy to off in this one (details provided with spoilers at the bottom of the review). It goes without saying (or not, as I'm saying it) that I'd also like a little more Field & Stream and a lot less Guns & Ammo in the next book.
Still, it was a very nice set up to what could be a fantastic, original, and highly entertaining series. Oh, and did I mention that the Kindle edition is $.99? That's crazy awesome. I don't review a book based on the price I paid to read it, but come on - 99 cents! Talk about a whole lotta bang for your buck. I could've liked the book a whole lot less than I did and it still would've been a rockin' deal.
Without a doubt, Pagan is one of the most intelligent, polished, and sophisticated independently published books I've read. I'm anxiously awaiting Crusader and was thrilled to find out that there's also Renegade in the works and a Marie-centric book after that, tentatively titled Scrapper. I'm looking forward to much more from Andrew Chapman. I like the way he does what he does.
~*~*~*~*~* WARNING: There be spoilers ahead! *~*~*~*~*~
Detail on the easy to off vamp issue as follows:
As a race, vampires are supposed to be these brilliant and Machiavellian propagandizing PR gods who are rich beyond the telling of it...and yet they're the dumbest fighters I've ever seen. Not only do they bring knives to a gun fight, but again and again they show up woefully unprepared and uninformed about the nature of their prey and the abilities of the warriors. I've never seen such incompetent apex predators. The scene in which Marcus shows up to face off with Pagan was particularly unenlightened given Pagan's reputation, and arrogance only goes so far as an explanation before it becomes stupidity. From a story standpoint, an adversary who is that quick to kill doesn't instill a true threat of death or danger nor adds tension to the plot.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
June 14, 2017
I enjoyed this book well enough. Pagan, both the code name of the MC and the title of the book, delivers a good amount of action and over the top vampire lunacy. As another reviewer mentioned, the innuendoes were all over the place, so if you don't mind them, you'll be gold. Also, the pace went from super slow to break neck at some pretty odd times. Still, I was satisfied at the end and will check out the sequel.
November 15, 2012
This is a big departure from most vampire hunter/paranormal/werewolf books I've read and I couldn't be happier about that. I have to say that if someone like a James Rollins were to write a book about vampires and werewolves and human's fight to stay alive, it would resemble something very close to this novel (and being a huge James Rollins fan, that's high praise).
In Pagan, Vampires are amongst us. But they're not our friends. They're not brooding, misunderstood, let's-mingle-with-humans-because-can't-we-all-just-get-along?. They're the enemy. Plain and simple. With very few exceptions, Vampires want nothing more than to dominate. What's interesting in Pagan is that the vampires WANT the human race to believe that they're all fuzzy and glittery and sexy people you take home to your mother. They use novels, television and their own news stations to spread propaganda that they're 'the good guys' too. It's actually a very interesting commentary by the author on the state of how Vampires are depicted in popular culture. The bad boys/girls with a heart. NOT so in Pagan.
Enter Jack 'Pagan' Henderson. He works for the British Ministry of Paranormal Research & Defence (MPRD), a vampire hunting force populated by ex military and civilians (including some weres and a good vamp or two) that's dead set against buying into the blood leeches' false advertising. England is at war. Where other countries (namely the USA's government, despite how its populace rails against it--very clever social commentary, that) give Vampires freedom and accept them with open arms, England is a country where vampires control the north and are fighting towards the south. With his team of vampire hunters including John and Anna (John's wife who was turned vampire but holds onto her humanity) and Marie, a civilian born and bread werewolf, they seek out to find and kill as many vampires as they can.
The team's primary mission in Pagan is to take out a meeting of The Three, including a vampiress named Glavidia. The Three are the most powerful vamps in the country and Pagan is sent in to cut the head off of the vampire army. Things go as planned. And then they don't.
The MRPD uses cutting edge tech and big guns to get the job done. This leads to very well written action sequences involving nicely plotted military tactics. One of my few gripes with this, however, is the copious use of gun acronyms. It did take me out of the story a few times but not enough to take any points away.
But this book isn't all about blowing up vampires and people going furry. It's VERY much about the characters. Pagan and his core team are all fleshed out, living entities because of Chapman's ability to color them with their back story. He uses flashbacks to good effect to tell some of his story as well as that of his teammates. The character interactions are fantastic and even the romantic aspects (yes, there is that. There's always a girl ain't there?) move the story along and brought me deeper into the characters. It's a great balance between the very human and fantastical action. Jack Henderson is a character who's hard not to like. He's skilled, but not invincible, he's good to his team, he doesn't ask anybody to do what he wouldn't do himself and he's not without a deep well of witty one liners. The fact that he's a reluctant celebrity (he's England's #1 vamp hunter after all) makes him all the more interesting.
In short Pagan is a great mix of story, action, well drawn characters, relationship drama with a little saucy spice thrown in there for good measure and a VERY good twist at the end.
Annnnd I'm rambling! It's nice to find a fresh new voice (new to me..I'm late to the party) and a new take on what can become a cookie cutter genre. Great book and I'm looking forward to more by Mr. Chapman!
In Pagan, Vampires are amongst us. But they're not our friends. They're not brooding, misunderstood, let's-mingle-with-humans-because-can't-we-all-just-get-along?. They're the enemy. Plain and simple. With very few exceptions, Vampires want nothing more than to dominate. What's interesting in Pagan is that the vampires WANT the human race to believe that they're all fuzzy and glittery and sexy people you take home to your mother. They use novels, television and their own news stations to spread propaganda that they're 'the good guys' too. It's actually a very interesting commentary by the author on the state of how Vampires are depicted in popular culture. The bad boys/girls with a heart. NOT so in Pagan.
Enter Jack 'Pagan' Henderson. He works for the British Ministry of Paranormal Research & Defence (MPRD), a vampire hunting force populated by ex military and civilians (including some weres and a good vamp or two) that's dead set against buying into the blood leeches' false advertising. England is at war. Where other countries (namely the USA's government, despite how its populace rails against it--very clever social commentary, that) give Vampires freedom and accept them with open arms, England is a country where vampires control the north and are fighting towards the south. With his team of vampire hunters including John and Anna (John's wife who was turned vampire but holds onto her humanity) and Marie, a civilian born and bread werewolf, they seek out to find and kill as many vampires as they can.
The team's primary mission in Pagan is to take out a meeting of The Three, including a vampiress named Glavidia. The Three are the most powerful vamps in the country and Pagan is sent in to cut the head off of the vampire army. Things go as planned. And then they don't.
The MRPD uses cutting edge tech and big guns to get the job done. This leads to very well written action sequences involving nicely plotted military tactics. One of my few gripes with this, however, is the copious use of gun acronyms. It did take me out of the story a few times but not enough to take any points away.
But this book isn't all about blowing up vampires and people going furry. It's VERY much about the characters. Pagan and his core team are all fleshed out, living entities because of Chapman's ability to color them with their back story. He uses flashbacks to good effect to tell some of his story as well as that of his teammates. The character interactions are fantastic and even the romantic aspects (yes, there is that. There's always a girl ain't there?) move the story along and brought me deeper into the characters. It's a great balance between the very human and fantastical action. Jack Henderson is a character who's hard not to like. He's skilled, but not invincible, he's good to his team, he doesn't ask anybody to do what he wouldn't do himself and he's not without a deep well of witty one liners. The fact that he's a reluctant celebrity (he's England's #1 vamp hunter after all) makes him all the more interesting.
In short Pagan is a great mix of story, action, well drawn characters, relationship drama with a little saucy spice thrown in there for good measure and a VERY good twist at the end.
Annnnd I'm rambling! It's nice to find a fresh new voice (new to me..I'm late to the party) and a new take on what can become a cookie cutter genre. Great book and I'm looking forward to more by Mr. Chapman!
August 22, 2011
This book was expertly written. The characters were well fleshed out and engaging. It had funny scenes, the weaponry was well researched and it had a very nice ending. All of that being said, why did the author feel the need to write vivid and graphic scenes of sex and rape. Isn't it enough to imply what is happening if it is necessary for the story? I did not pick up this book expecting scenes that read like they belong in an amateur porn film. So, this 5 star books gets 3 stars.
February 23, 2020
Great book
Thoroughly enjoyed this, had a bit of everything I like. Good story that's reads easily. Give this one a go. Recommended
Thoroughly enjoyed this, had a bit of everything I like. Good story that's reads easily. Give this one a go. Recommended
July 12, 2011
When Darkiss first suggested I give”Pagan” by Andrew Chapman a go, I wasn’t sure. Sure I knew he was really enjoying the book but would I? We don’t always land on the same page when it comes to books. But I thought sure I will give try with Darkiss’s last words dancing around my head “You being a Yank, you might not understand the British humor” lol.
I absolutely LOVED this book. Pagan is such a huge shift from your normal Vampire books out on the market. Vampires in Pagan’s world are the bad guys, and Pagan and his crew are there to clean up the mess and protect the world even when the world thinks that they are wrong.
Be prepared for a very exciting ride, this book has everything; action, suspense, passion and GUNS lots and lot of Guns. Which was a bit confusing as I tried to figure out and picture just want each gun in Pagan’s arsenal looked like? Honestly though, Andrew Chapman does a suburb job creating the characters and bringing you into their world. There wasn’t one character that I could not identify with on some level. I found myself getting caught up in the strong bond between Pagan and fellow vampire hunters that is forged through many battles and is a constant theme throughout the book. The action and battle scenes were very exciting and more than once I was on the edge of my seat, only to feel my heart in my throat as the relationships played out.
My favorite part of the book is Marie’s story. I loved the relationship between she and Pagan, and how they both try and figure out how loving and fighting side by side each day is going to work. One thing I found very interesting is that in most vampire books I have read, the author goes to great length in describing what the Hero looked like. However, in this book Pagan was left entirely to my imagination based on the author’s ability to portray his integrity, strength, sensitivity and the “never going to lose” attitude that Hero’s should have.
So for all of my fellow Yanks, who may or may not get the British humor, it is well worth the read. There is something in this book for everyone and for .99 cents for the Kindle version you can’t pass this up! With that said I give this book a 4.5 stars. I am looking forward to reading Crusader the second book in the series.
Reviewed for DarkissReads. www.darkissreads.com
I absolutely LOVED this book. Pagan is such a huge shift from your normal Vampire books out on the market. Vampires in Pagan’s world are the bad guys, and Pagan and his crew are there to clean up the mess and protect the world even when the world thinks that they are wrong.
Be prepared for a very exciting ride, this book has everything; action, suspense, passion and GUNS lots and lot of Guns. Which was a bit confusing as I tried to figure out and picture just want each gun in Pagan’s arsenal looked like? Honestly though, Andrew Chapman does a suburb job creating the characters and bringing you into their world. There wasn’t one character that I could not identify with on some level. I found myself getting caught up in the strong bond between Pagan and fellow vampire hunters that is forged through many battles and is a constant theme throughout the book. The action and battle scenes were very exciting and more than once I was on the edge of my seat, only to feel my heart in my throat as the relationships played out.
My favorite part of the book is Marie’s story. I loved the relationship between she and Pagan, and how they both try and figure out how loving and fighting side by side each day is going to work. One thing I found very interesting is that in most vampire books I have read, the author goes to great length in describing what the Hero looked like. However, in this book Pagan was left entirely to my imagination based on the author’s ability to portray his integrity, strength, sensitivity and the “never going to lose” attitude that Hero’s should have.
So for all of my fellow Yanks, who may or may not get the British humor, it is well worth the read. There is something in this book for everyone and for .99 cents for the Kindle version you can’t pass this up! With that said I give this book a 4.5 stars. I am looking forward to reading Crusader the second book in the series.
Reviewed for DarkissReads. www.darkissreads.com
November 27, 2016
It's a brave new world, and the vampires have come out of the shadows. They're in the media, the political arenas, and have even taken over large swaths of the world to run as human cattle farms. Fortunately the British have the Ministry of Paranormal Research and Defense and its crack teams of vampire hunters, led by the famed and feared Jack "Pagan" Henderson.
In Pagan, the first in a planned series by newcomer Andrew Chapman, we're introduced to Pagan and his team of hunters, and we get a very good look at what life in a post-vampire world might look like. Pagan, as the author is quick to point out, is a total hero, and humanity's best defense in the war against the bloodsuckers. With special weapons, brutal tactics and a few unorthodox allies (including werewolves and even a "tame" vampire, Pagan's war is carried out in cinematic style. The book actually reads a lot like John Steakley's Vampires, but with a heavy paramilitary and urban fantasy focus. It's a fun, bloody, action-packed tale with some very memorable characters and some very cool concepts, but it's not without some flaws.
The negative reviewers aren't wrong about Pagan's weak points. The author spends way too much time describing the various guns his characters use, he overdoes the general awesomeness of his main character, and the sex scenes and related dialogue are just dreadful. None of this quite makes the story unsalvageable, but it definitely could have been a lot better.
It's far from perfect, but Pagan has enough going for it that I've already ordered the sequel Crusader. Hopefully Chapman will fix what needs fixing and get this series to live up to its potential.
In Pagan, the first in a planned series by newcomer Andrew Chapman, we're introduced to Pagan and his team of hunters, and we get a very good look at what life in a post-vampire world might look like. Pagan, as the author is quick to point out, is a total hero, and humanity's best defense in the war against the bloodsuckers. With special weapons, brutal tactics and a few unorthodox allies (including werewolves and even a "tame" vampire, Pagan's war is carried out in cinematic style. The book actually reads a lot like John Steakley's Vampires, but with a heavy paramilitary and urban fantasy focus. It's a fun, bloody, action-packed tale with some very memorable characters and some very cool concepts, but it's not without some flaws.
The negative reviewers aren't wrong about Pagan's weak points. The author spends way too much time describing the various guns his characters use, he overdoes the general awesomeness of his main character, and the sex scenes and related dialogue are just dreadful. None of this quite makes the story unsalvageable, but it definitely could have been a lot better.
It's far from perfect, but Pagan has enough going for it that I've already ordered the sequel Crusader. Hopefully Chapman will fix what needs fixing and get this series to live up to its potential.
February 5, 2010
Jack "Pagan" Henderson is a vampire hunter. Not just any vampire hunter, a rather famous one. The kind that has television shows and smutty novels named after him. Parts of the world have gladly accepted the vampires -- the USA for example, where they've even been given some rights. Pagan, however, works for the Ministry in the UK. They don't see the vampires in quite the same light. They've not welcomed them in, not given into their charms. Instead they've seen families slaughtered, had homes destroyed, etc. So they fight them. Jack, obviously being the best at this job, hence his fame.
In this novel we learn how Jack has ended up as a hunter, how his team came together, their backstories, etc. And finally we follow them on their current mission -- take down one of the three major leaders in the vampire world.
My only gripe is the frequency of detailed weapon accounting. That could just be me though. I'm not into weapons. It all went over my head, I starting skimming a lot of those paragraphs as really you could have just told me really big guns and had the same impact. Still I can see why some people appreciate that kind of thing.
In the end it felt like this was really just a introduction to what could be an even better series later. Not that this wasn't a good novel, it was. Just when I read the teaser for the next novel, I felt like AHA this one was just to introduce me to the characters -- the next one sounds so much better. But that's a good thing, authors should make me want to read on.
In this novel we learn how Jack has ended up as a hunter, how his team came together, their backstories, etc. And finally we follow them on their current mission -- take down one of the three major leaders in the vampire world.
My only gripe is the frequency of detailed weapon accounting. That could just be me though. I'm not into weapons. It all went over my head, I starting skimming a lot of those paragraphs as really you could have just told me really big guns and had the same impact. Still I can see why some people appreciate that kind of thing.
In the end it felt like this was really just a introduction to what could be an even better series later. Not that this wasn't a good novel, it was. Just when I read the teaser for the next novel, I felt like AHA this one was just to introduce me to the characters -- the next one sounds so much better. But that's a good thing, authors should make me want to read on.
July 5, 2012
This was an easy enough read. The best thing about it being that there's no nicey nicey vampires though if you're going to go that way then the werewolves shouldn't exactly be mans best friend either but that's a whole other argument to get into.
The downsides of this book came in two forms for me. 1, I hate guns and the endless description and drooling over various military guns was boring & for someone like me who knows nothing about them, it proved useless because certain kinds of guns were introduced to the story like they were a big deal...to me, all I was reading were random numbers and letters that probably meant something to a weapons expert but added nothing to the book. 2, the dialogue was beyond cheesy, the love scenes were completely un-needed and I actually think the book would've been improved without Marie's character being involved with Jack at all, though of course, he's the big hero, he needs the trophy girlfriend to protect.
If you're looking for a quick read about a action hero slaying vampires with guns rather than stakes, that won't stretch your mind too much, but can ignore, or even enjoy, the endless gun/military slang then this is for you.
The downsides of this book came in two forms for me. 1, I hate guns and the endless description and drooling over various military guns was boring & for someone like me who knows nothing about them, it proved useless because certain kinds of guns were introduced to the story like they were a big deal...to me, all I was reading were random numbers and letters that probably meant something to a weapons expert but added nothing to the book. 2, the dialogue was beyond cheesy, the love scenes were completely un-needed and I actually think the book would've been improved without Marie's character being involved with Jack at all, though of course, he's the big hero, he needs the trophy girlfriend to protect.
If you're looking for a quick read about a action hero slaying vampires with guns rather than stakes, that won't stretch your mind too much, but can ignore, or even enjoy, the endless gun/military slang then this is for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2011
Pagan is a vampire hunter. Correction, he's THE vampire hunter. He is the gold standard for all other vampire hunters.
After "Black Friday" - the day vampires came out of hidng - his mission in life has been to kill vampires and he's good at it. While other countries are trying to assimilate vampires into society (pushed by the financial and media power the vampires have accumulated over the centuries) Great Britain is one of the few countries left who recognize the threat and Pagan leads a team of expert vampire hunters in the war for humanity's very survival.
I wanted to give this book 4-stars. The sex scenes (and there are several) sounded like a 13 year old would imagine them. The "banter" between the team members is also silly. It was like listening to dialogue from a very bad college fraternity movie.
I have bought the sequel because the premise and action were great. I just hope that Mr. Chapman leaves the erotica to professionals.
I would recommend it to a friend with a warning about the "romance".
After "Black Friday" - the day vampires came out of hidng - his mission in life has been to kill vampires and he's good at it. While other countries are trying to assimilate vampires into society (pushed by the financial and media power the vampires have accumulated over the centuries) Great Britain is one of the few countries left who recognize the threat and Pagan leads a team of expert vampire hunters in the war for humanity's very survival.
I wanted to give this book 4-stars. The sex scenes (and there are several) sounded like a 13 year old would imagine them. The "banter" between the team members is also silly. It was like listening to dialogue from a very bad college fraternity movie.
I have bought the sequel because the premise and action were great. I just hope that Mr. Chapman leaves the erotica to professionals.
I would recommend it to a friend with a warning about the "romance".
July 8, 2010
To be perfectly honest, I almost didn't read this book. I found it while looking at the Amazon section "customers who bought this also bought that" and bought it on a whim. Then when I first started reading it, I thought it was going to be too "military" for my taste. Even though vampires were involved, it was still a military type operation. But I gave it a chance...and I'm glad I did.
The action in Pagan was good and it sounded real. And there was a love story, too, which was kind of unexpected. The love scenes were a little graphic, but not too much so. The characters were believable and I loved the interaction between them.
The more pages I read of this book, the more stars I kept adding to my review. Loved it!
The action in Pagan was good and it sounded real. And there was a love story, too, which was kind of unexpected. The love scenes were a little graphic, but not too much so. The characters were believable and I loved the interaction between them.
The more pages I read of this book, the more stars I kept adding to my review. Loved it!
September 1, 2010
Ok, so Pagan isn't exactly a new concept. Vampires are trying to take over the world, and half of them chose propaganda and the media to woo humans into thinking they're ok while the others plan a war behind the scenes. Pagan is a vampire hunter with the supposedly unique quality of being immune to a vampire's mind control and his blood has a mild acid effect on them.
Vamps hunting vamps alongside humans, werewolf lovers, and enough weapon talk to make most army wannabes drool, this book is playful and entertaining in spite of the unoriginality of it's basic elements. I would recommend it to anyone tired of the "we're just misunderstood" vampire stories that are ubiquitous these days.
Vamps hunting vamps alongside humans, werewolf lovers, and enough weapon talk to make most army wannabes drool, this book is playful and entertaining in spite of the unoriginality of it's basic elements. I would recommend it to anyone tired of the "we're just misunderstood" vampire stories that are ubiquitous these days.
June 1, 2011
I love the premise of this book. Vampires aren't angst ridden emo guys with powers. They are bad guys and good guys kill them. I have to hand to Mr. Chapman, he writes good action scenes. Saddly he writes bad romance. I wish he had really stuck with the action and cut out a lot of the sex/romance stuff. Not because I have a problem with just things but because it really didn't add to this book at all. This series has promise and I hope he takes it in a good direction. I would hate for this to go the way of the Anita Blake series.
June 25, 2012
I loved this book. I really cant say enough about it. It has the right combination of action/adventure, romance and comedy. Also as i am a bit of a gun nut myself I really enjoyed reading a book where the author knew what he was talking about when he discribed the types of guns as well and there capabillities. I also liked the somwhat new idea of how the vampires came out of hideing to try to take over the world and the whole propaganda point of view. Because you see it happen everyday in real life with different issues.
October 11, 2010
This was an okay book if you love military gun descriptions. Reminded me of the Mack Bolan type books but with Vampire's and Wherewolves.
May 12, 2011
it was..entertaining. Not bad for a free book
June 14, 2011
Promising?
February 24, 2012
Great concept and for the most part will held my attention through out, however the romantic scenes between Pagan and Marie fell flat for me and couldn't hold my interest.
March 25, 2012
Interesting take on the vampire genre.
October 10, 2017
Brilliant and original
November 4, 2011
really liked this one
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