The Rosetta Key (Ethan Gage) (Hardcover)

by William Dietrich (Author)
Key Phrases: Big Ned, Great Pyramid, Little Tom (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Last seen in Dietrich's Napoleon's Pyramids, fleeing the forces of evil in a runaway hot-air balloon over Egypt, Ethan Gage undergoes further life-threatening adventures in this rollicking sequel. Nine months before the balloon incident, Gage arrived in the Holy Land with his benefactor, Napoleon Bonaparte. After various misunderstandings involving the secrets of the Great Pyramid, Bonaparte became his implacable enemy. Now, accused of treason by Napoleon's minions, Pierre Najac and Najac's boss, the French-Italian count and sorcerer Alessandro Silano, Gage flees to Jerusalem, where he searches for his former lover, Astiza, who he fears has fallen into Silano's hands. Gage is also hunting clues that may lead him to the fabled Book of Toth, an ancient tome that promises to reveal the secrets of the universe. Ever the incorrigible gambler and all-around scamp, Gage makes an irresistible antihero. The ending promises more volumes in what one hopes will be a long series. 8-city author tour. (Apr.)
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From Booklist
The sequel to Napoleon’s Pyramids (2007)picks up pretty much where that book left off. Ethan Gage, the American adventurer, having barely escaped death during his time in Egypt with Napoleon, is looking for a little peace and quiet, but when he’s approached with another can’t-miss Indiana Jones–like treasure hunt, he’s off again, this time to find the fabled Book of Thoth, the possibly apocryphal ancient Egyptian scroll with supposedly magical properties. Much capering about late-eighteenth-century Egypt results, with Gage dodging all variety of assailants while attempting to get his hands on yet another elusive artifact with the power to both entrance and corrupt all who seek it. Like Napoleon’s Pyramids, this is a fast-paced, lively historical-adventure yarn that combines entertaining characters, an intriguing story, and lots of derring-do. Dietrich has a real knack for these slightly over-the-top thrillers, and readers familiar with the work of, say, James Rollins or Matthew Reilly (7 Deadly Wonders, 2006, for example) need only be told that this fine novel is right up their alley. --David Pitt

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper (April 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061239550
• ISBN-13: 978-0061239557
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #174,129 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2 Stars, May 7, 2008

By	Konrad Kern (OFallon, MO United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Catapulted into Jerusalem in dogged pursuit of an ancient Egyptian scroll reputed to have magical properties, American adventurer Ethan Gage is forced to apply all his wits and archaeological prowess to prevent dark powers from falling into the wrong hands. BT.
This is a good follow up from William Dietrich's previous Ethan Gage novel. There's something very likeable about Gage that helps make this story so entertaining. With good characters and a suspenseful and mystery solving plot, this is fiction you're sure to enjoy.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Swashbuckling Gage takes on Napoleon again, May 27, 2008

By	Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

At the end of his first adventure, "Napoleon's Pyramids," American adventurer Ethan Gage was fleeing Egypt in a hot air balloon when his lover Astiza tumbled over the side and into the Nile with the evil sorcerer Silano. (Trust me, this will not spoil the reading for those who haven't got there yet.)

At the beginning of Gage's second adventure he is again in the Holy Land, now facing a Napoleonic firing squad. And just before the guns blaze, he digresses, falling back to describe what has happened since readers last saw him.

Determined to find Astiza, he had agreed to do a little spying for the British who set him down in Palestine with the names of some allies in Jerusalem, Jericho and his lovely sister Miriam. While there, Gage figured he might as well continue his search for the Book of Thoth, an ancient scroll said to contain the secrets of the universe. The French are determined to beat him to this prize.

Pursuing leads in Jerusalem, he discovered a secret passage under Jerusalem's most sacred mosque. A step ahead of the French, he managed to bring the fury and alarm of Jerusalem's Muslims down on his little group, along with the French, who captured him. And that's how he ends up in front of the firing squad.

Suffice to say, he survives and continues his adventures, romances and intrigues with nary a dull moment from first page to last. Reminiscent of George MacDonald Fraser's Sir Harry Flashman - though not quite as outrageous or hilarious - Gage schemes and blunders his way through pivotal moments of history, roused to heroism despite his baser ambitions.

While greater character development could make the narrative more compelling, the series is entertaining and witty and sure to acquire new fans with every book.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific historical thriller , April 26, 2008

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In 1799 he was fortunate to survive the evil of NAPOLEON'S PYRAMIDS thanks to a hot air balloon ride across the Sahara but now expatriate Ethan Gage is in danger again in the Holy Land as Napoleon's army march towards Jerusalem. Gage and Bonaparte had gotten into a dispute over the Great Pyramid power leading to the French dictator proclaiming him an enemy of the state.

Napoleon's followers Count Alessandro Silano and his aide Pierre Najac declare Gage a dangerous traitor to France placing a price for his head. Knowing the peril he faces, Gage fears more for his former lover Astiza as a pawn if the lethal sorcerer Silano captures her. Thus he rushes to Jerusalem to keep her safe, which fits with his other quest perfectly as he follows clues in search of the revered legendary Book of Thoth, an ancient tome that allegedly knows the magical underlying secrets of the universe.

Using real persona, sites and events (not just Napoleon), William Dietrich writes a terrific historical thriller starring a late eighteenth century Hans Solo impish rogue. The story line is fast-paced but also brings alive the Holy Land. This is one series worth reading as Mr. Dietrich provides THE ROSETTA KEY to how Napoleon consolidated his power.

Harriet Klausner