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 The Book Report Network for a copy
of Napoleon's Pyramids
for this review.
Review Copyright © 2007, Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, All
Rights Reserved.
Omnimystery keywords for Napoleon's Pyramids
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Location(s) referenced: Paris, France, Egypt.
