Napoleon's
Pyramids
An
Ethan Gage Mystery
William
Dietrich
HarperCollins
(Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-06-084832-4 (0060848324)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-084832-3 (9780060848323)
Publication Date: February 2007
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Ethan Gage, assistant to Ben Franklin and expatriate
American in post-revolutionary France, wins an ancient—and
possibly cursed—medallion in a card game one night. It turns
out that the medallion, covered in seemingly indecipherable symbols,
may be linked to a Masonic mystery. That same night, however, Ethan is
framed for a prostitute's murder and barely escapes France with his
life.
Faced with either prison or death, Gage is offered a third choice: to
accompany the new emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, as France sails to
conquer Egypt—with Lord Nelson's fleet following close
behind. Once Gage arrives, he encounters incredible surprises: one in
the form of a beautiful Macedonian slave and another in the dawning
knowledge that the medallion may solve one of the greatest riddles of
history—who built the Great Pyramids, and why. What is
revealed to Gage is more shocking than anyone could ever have imagined.
Review:
William Dietrich has blended the characters of the Indiana Jones and
Rick O'Connell (of the "Mummy" movies) into the energetic and
resourceful
Ethan Gage, an American living in late 18th century France, and
inserted him into a magnificent adventure, Napoleon's Pyramids.
Ethan is probably best described as an intellectual neer-do-well,
someone undoubtedly capable of greater things but willing to whatever
is needed just to get by. An associate of Ben Franklin, he parlays his
knowledge of the new science of electricity into a trip to Egypt as one
of many savants in the company of France's new emperor, Napoleon
Bonaparte. Unable to invade England, Napoleon creates a new mission to
expand the empire of France: the "liberation" (read conquest) of Egypt.
An incidental objective, and the reason for his entourage of scientists
and engineers, is to solve the mythical secrets of the Great Pyramid.
An ancient Egyptian medallion, which Ethan won in a card game in Paris,
may hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of the Pharaohs.
It's tempting to think of Napoleon's
Pyramids
as simply being a literary version of Raiders
of the Lost Ark or The
Mummy, but it is much more reminiscent of the imaginative tales
of
Jules Verne. As with Verne's novels, there's something about Ethan's
journey that is so fantastic and so incredible that the reader is able
to readily dismiss notions of the utter implausibility of some of the
action and simply share in the adventure as presented. It certainly
helps that Dietrich has effortlessly incorporated real historical
events, mathematical conundrums, and the general wonder of the pyramids
and the region into his story.
While Napoleon's
Pyramids is not the perfect
historical adventure story—a plethora of details often
interrupt the otherwise non-stop action—it is certainly a
thrill ride worth experiencing.
It should be noted that the rather abrupt ending to the book is
somewhat intentional: the author has already announced that a sequel is
in development based on Napoleon's invasion of the Holy Land.
Special thanks to Book Report Network for providing a copy of Napoleon's Pyramids for this review.
Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Napoleon's Pyramids? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
Napoleon's Pyramids
HarperCollins (Hardcover), February 2007
ISBN-10: 0-06-084832-4 (0060848324)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-084832-3 (9780060848323)
The
Rosetta Key
HarperCollins (Hardcover), April 2008
ISBN-10: 0-06-123955-0 (0061239550)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-123955-7 (9780061239557)
The
Dakota Cipher
HarperCollins (Hardcover), March 2009
ISBN-10: 0-06-156800-7 (0061568007)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-156800-8 (9780061568008)
Omnimystery
keywords for Napoleon's Pyramids
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Location(s) referenced: Paris, France, Egypt.
