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This alternate-history buddy-cop story follows a Saxon and Celtic detective duo navigating precarious international politics as they investigate a string of murders, its victims all linked to an obscure cult that worships a demigod who died by crucifixion. I loved the intricacy of the world PAGANS crafts, as I'm always a sucker for worldbuilding that mixes historical and modern cultural motifs with abandon, and laughed out loud a few times at the playful comparisons that Henry draws between our timeline and this fictitious world—in both universes there are controversies about how rich people from Russia (well, Novgorod) are buying up property in London, but in PAGAN's world there's only one Indian/Mughal restaurant in London worth visiting (which, as far as I'm concerned, makes that world a dystopia). This also allows PAGANS to explore what British nationalism looks like in an alternate setting, telling an all-too-familiar story about extremism and the radicalisation of young people.

However, the novel's length and elaborateness (it features a dramatis personae, a map, and a concluding glossary) also made it an occasionally overly complex read, with the worldbuilding pulling focus away from the characters. PAGANS ends by setting up a sequel, but despite the reservations I have, I'll be excited to see where this story heads next.