The Rosetta Key

Dietrich, William. (2008). The Rosetta Key. (Ethan Gage series). New York, NY: HarperCollins.

ISBN: 9780061239557

Pages: 352

Genre: historical fiction

Annotation: Ethan Gage searches for lost treasure and a lost love.

Summary: After the events of Napoleon’s Pyramids Ethan Gage doesn’t know what he wants more: to pursue a treasure and love he lost or to forget them both. The choice gets taken from him when he is given the “choice” of pursuing them while getting political information for the English. His search is not easy: searching for information in the Holy Land during the chaos of Napoleon’s invasion is not the safest occupation. The information he finds catapults him into a quest which will take all his ingenuity to survive let alone regain what he has lost.

Evaluation: excellent read

Ethan Gage is a scoundrel, but a likeable one. He pursues his own ends, but gives respect where it is earned. He also tries to do right by people…as long as it fits in with his quest of course. The villain, Count Silano, is one that can seem perfectly reasonable right when he is trying to pull the wool over one’s eyes, kill them or both. The character of Astiza is intriguing: pulled by destiny without seeming like a crackpot and making the reader wonder with Gage where her loyalty lies. The other characters are likable, intriguing or both. The storyline is paced well: slow enough for the reader to get immersed in the world of 1799 Holy Land without slowing down too much on the action and adventure. The chain of events keeps the reader interested and the clues are not so many, or obtuse, that the reader feels overwhelmed. The atmosphere is excellent: the chaos, beauty and history of the Holy Land come across quite clearly. The attitudes of the English and French are shown through the attitudes of Napoleon, the English commander Sir Sydney and others. This book is an excellent read for those who want to a treasure hunting story, to learn more about the Holy Land during Napoleon’s invasion or just want an adventure to slip into.

What else to read:

Other books by William Dietrich especially Napoleon’s Pyramids.

Napoleon in the Holy Land by Nathan Schur for history.

Bonaparte in Egypt by J. Christopher Herold for history.

The Last Cavalier: Being the Adventures of Count Sainte-Hermine in the Age of Napoleon (The Sainte-Hermine series book 3) by Alexandre Dumas, translated by Lauren Yoder, for adventure in the time of Napoleon.