Babylonne

Babylonne is an interesting historical fiction story that pretty much lived up to my expectations. I enjoyed some parts of this book while others drove me up the wall. The actual historical parts of the book are really interesting and I almost wish Jinks would have included more about the history. The book also feels less authentic because of the style Jinks writes it in. The story is first person and told in a sort of as-it-comes style. Everything is related as it passes through Babylonne's head. Some people may like this sort of thing, but I got extremely tired of the constant dialogue after awhile. I also feel like Jinks uses this writing style as a sort of crutch at times - instead of having to spend precious time describing things, show more Babylonne can just think, "Wow!" and all you know is that the main character thinks it's pretty. Jinks also has a habit of interspersing actual dialogue with what Babylonne is really thinking, so what you get in the end is one word in quotes, then a word that Babylonne is thinking in her head but not actually saying next, and then another word in quotes after. If you're reading at a fast pace, you'll often miss the fact that the word in the middle wasn't actually spoken out loud. Soon you lose track of what's being said at all.
To put it simply, I thought Babylonne had a great, fun plot with a really interesting historical background - Jinks is apparently a medieval scholar so she really knows her stuff. However, the book lost a lot of credit with me because of Jinks' writing style, which detracted greatly from the story for me. Three stars seems about right. show less

Babylonne is the beaten, starved & abused 16 year old bastard orphan child of Pagan. When her aunts’decide that the only thing she’s good for is a marriage to a toothless 60 year old man, she pretends she is a boy & runs away in the hope of joining the Cathar Knights, who are fighting the invading French Army. She is followed by a priest called Father Isodore, who has recognized her as Pagan’s daughter because she has dark skin (like the Arabic Pagan) and a feisty attitude similar to her fathers. Isodore tells her the type of man he REALLY was, not the lies she has been spun by her aunts. When B meets the Knights in reality it is not the fairytale image she has in her head and she becomes trapped in a castle that is under siege. show more She learns that their life (& war especially) is not the romantic thing she has thought it to be & she also begins to doubt everything she has been told or taught.I found this book confusing at first as it is set in a time & place in History I know nothing about. I think the Cathars hated the RC Church so invented their own nuns & priests & rules called Perfects. They had very strict rules about what you could eat, say, do etc & this concept will be very challenging to students I expect.p.101 -105 [Babylonne disguised as Benoit & Isodore enter a town & while I seeks lodging B is attacked.] show less

Reviewed by Christina Tsichlis for TeensReadToo.com

BABYLONNE, by Catherine Jinks, is the story of a sixteen-year-old girl in early thirteenth-century Languedoc.

It is a time of war, persecution, and religious controversy. Jinks' knowledge of the era as a scholar lends a truth and vividness to the coming-of-age tale of a young, feisty girl in the middle of a war. She is able to paint everything from the sights, sounds, and smells of monasteries to the sights, sounds, and smells of wars and infirmaries inside besieged fortresses. Her writing is not for the weak of heart, or the weak of stomach in some places.

Babylonne is a young woman who has spent her life surrounded by bloodshed and abuse and has remained an independent thinker despite show more it all. She never knew her mother, a Good Christian, and never knew her father, an Arab-born Roman priest. She lives with her aunt and other women in a convent of sorts. As she is considered to be a child with no father, because her father was a Roman priest, she is mistreated and abused in many ways.

Finally, when she is going to be married off to a man who is so old that he sees everything as giant bouncing olives, she makes a run for it.

While Babylonne runs through her city, stolen goods in tow, she runs into a Roman priest, Isidore, whom she despises at first. Gradually, Isidore teaches her to trust and the differences between her faith and his faith come into question and are open for debate. Her original wish, to fight for the exiled lords against the French, comes into question as she learns what war really means. Babylonne's honest voice is dramatic, humorous, and sometimes heartbreaking.

The one thing that I truly wish was different with this book is the cover art. Babylonne is supposed to be as dark as a Moor but the cover shows her as pale, brown-eyed, and red-haired. While the cover is dramatic and beautiful, I wish that it showed the main character as she is written, because everything else is so carefully researched and laid out.

Overall, Jinks' writing style is easy to get into and the historical knowledge makes Babylonne's world leap off the page. show less

In Babylonne's sixteen years, she's seen more than her share of cruelty and violence. Her unwed mother died at the hands of occupying troops when she was a baby, and her aunt and grandmother never forgive her for being her mother's child -- and for being the daughter of Pagan Kidrouk, a man who represents everything they hate and mistrust. Babylonne stoically withstands their verbal and physical abuse, but when they plan to marry her off to an insane old man, she runs away. As she leaves home, she is intercepted by a man who says he knew her father -- but like her father, this man is a threat to everything she has ever believed or been taught. Will Babylonne trust her would-be benefactor? Does she have any choice?

Set in the war-torn show more province of Languedoc during the early 13th century, Babylonne explores both a region and a time period which may be unfamiliar to many readers, but Jinks, a medieval scholar as well as a writer of fiction, describes the setting with excellent attention to detail, sparing the reader none of the grim facts of life during the Albigensian Crusade. This reviewer recommends Babylonne to fans of historical fiction, particularly those who enjoy books set in medieval times. It will also be eagerly embraced by fans of Jinks' earlier series focusing on the life of Pagan Kidrouk, as some familiar characters make appearances, though those who have never read the Pagan Chronicles can enjoy this book without feeling that they are missing too many essential pieces of background information. show less

Babylonne by Catherine Jinks is a historical novel set in the medieval ages. Babylonne, the main character, is a Cathar living secretly in Toulouse. This is taking place during which Cathars are seen as heretics, and many have been massacred. When the relatives she lives with tire of her disrespect and lose all hope that she could ever be a perfect (the priestly class of the Cathars), they decide to marry her off to a senile old man. Horrified, Babylonne runs away. New obstacles arise as she reluctantly ends up traveling with a Roman Catholic priest.

I liked this book a lot, though I had a few problems. The first, no fault of the author, was that I have not yet read any of the past Pagan books. It was fine as a standalone, however I show more wonder if certain things might have been spoiled for me. I found it very historical, which was interesting, but also a little confusing. I had to pull out my notes on the Albigensian Crusade to give myself some context. Someone who is not very interested in detailed and subtle history might not enjoy it so much.

Babylonne was certainly a tough heroine; I liked her ways of self-defense, and her inner monologue. She had a sort of street sense in a way, for knowing not to reveal her faith.
For all that Babylonne was an intrepid girl, she was also a realistic character. The blood and death that came with the battles was not easy for her to deal with, and she didn’t suddenly decide to pick up a sword and make a last, useless stand. The situations she was put in were also realistic. Men didn’t treat her as a comrade-in-arms, they were rough with her, and unwelcoming on the battlefield.

There was no beauty, no glossing over. Babylonne manages to be an excellent hero, who could have actually existed. show less

I enjoyed this book so much that I immediately borrowed the 4 Pagan books from the library and can't wait for a new one to come out. The style of writing is informative about the era it is written about while still focusing on the story. The main character's thoughts are hilarious and I can totally relate to. Babylonne is an endearing character who is trying to figure out who she is, where she fits in the world and whether she believes everything she has always been taught. I highly recommend not only this newest book, but also the 4 previous Pagan books by Catherine Jinks.

Babylonne is the bastard child of a Perfect who was murdered by the French and a Roman Priest. Brought up by a strict Good Woman her religious teachings have been strict and her life one of constant hard work and cruel punishments. When Babylonne is promised to wed an old decrepit man she decides the only thing she can do is run. On the run, she is discovered by a Priest who tells her he is a friend of her detested and now deceased father. Babylonne is skeptical of his intentions but as she learns more about her parents and about the priest who has proclaimed himself her guardian she realizes that there might be some things you have to take on faith and some things you really shouldn't.

I had been really looking forward to reading this show more book as I truly adored the author's books about Pagan Kidrouk. In the beginning and most especially after Isidore arrives on the scene I found the story to be entertaining and enjoyable. I especially enjoyed how Babylonne kept Isidore on his toes with her short fuse whenever they encountered other people. However, towards the ending (or what is supposed to pass for an ending) I rather lost interest in the story. Way too much time was taken up with Babylonne's time in La Becede and the last battle against the French. Also, the gruesomeness of it all really didn't appeal to me. Had a little more about what happened to Babylonne at the end of the story been illuminated I think it would have done wonders towards redeeming my opinion of the last third of the book, but unfortunately it just ended up as a disappointment. I really wish I could say that I liked this book better than I did, especially considering how much I liked the characters of both Babylonne and Isidore. Overall I felt this story was more uneven and unsatisfying than the (loosely) preceding books. show less