Napoleon's Pyramids: A Novel (Ethan Gage Adventures Book 1)

Sometimes a book just fits you well and, as you read it, it carries all its minor flaws before it and makes them insignificant. Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich was, for me, such a book – though it won't be that way for everyone.

My interest was piqued by the novel's resemblance to George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman novels, which hold probably the strongest claim to being my favourite books. And while Dietrich's protagonist Ethan Gage can't hold a candle to Harry Flashman (Dietrich does try, bless him, but doesn't have Fraser's genius or devilry), there's nothing wrong with a hearty imitator when you've already worn out your copies of the masters. Dietrich provides a game mix of exotic adventure, historical mischief and a sober show more heart that, if not filling the void left by the Flashman Papers, at least makes its yawning dimensions seem less forbidding. Napoleon's Pyramids was thoroughly enjoyable.

The book also satisfied one of my other regular cravings: treasure quests, lost artefacts and historical mysteries – even adding a bit of Indiana Jones-style dungeon-delving and puzzle-solving to really flutter its eyelids at me. Indeed, the protagonist Ethan Gage is more Robert Langdon than Harry Flashman, and I found myself impressed by the depth of thought and research Dietrich put into creating a plausible artefact mystery and treasure hunt around the Great Pyramid in Napoleon's time. I couldn't help but get carried along.

I realise this isn't a great or useful review, focusing as it does solely on my own predilections when it comes to casual fiction. Love of this book will be completely subjective: it is capably written, solidly plotted and with some winsome scenes of action and pathos, but in truth that assessment is only reassurance to a reader who is already interested in the book's makeup and wants to know if it's worth it. If you like those stellar, mischievous historical adventures à la Flashman, and/or the Indiana Jones/Da Vinci Code-style artefact-hunting and treasure-questing, Dietrich's novel is worth being on your list – and maybe even near the top. The other books in this series will soon be finding their way onto mine. show less

Napoleon’s Pyramids by William Dietrich is an ambitious blend of historical fiction, adventure, and intellectual mystery that transports readers to the tumultuous era of Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign. An excess of information about Free. Masonry detracts from what would otherwise be an interesting tale.

When American Ethan Gage wins an unusual medallion in a card game, little does he think what adventure it will bring. The medallion is covered in many of the symbols of freemasonry. Gage's quest to unravel its meaning takes him to Egypt with Napoleon's army. Gage must stay a step ahead of various pursuers who want to possess the medallion and its secrets.

This book seems like a cross between an Aubrey and Maturin naval adventure and The Da Vinci Code. This resulted in some problems with pacing, as Gage's quest to solve the puzzle of the medallion and its symbols keeps getting interrupted by battles. I felt like I had seen a lot of the scenes in a movie – probably one or more of the Indiana Jones films. I think I would have enjoyed this show more more as a movie since the action, costumes, and scenery might distract me from picking at the problems with the plot. show less

I enjoyed the history in this novel. What I could have done without was Dietrich's tendency to write sentences upon paragraphs upon pages at a time about Napoleon's character and motives. At times, it felt like I was reading a history textbook instead of a historical novel. Still, I liked it enough that I want to read the second book in the series to see what kind of trouble Ethan Gage gets himself into next.

I've got to admit that while reading "Napoleon's Pyramids," I enjoyed the adventure. It wasn't until I had a chance to think about the book that I realized it was a mess, a pastiche of ethnic stereotypes, Indiana Jones scenes (right down to step-on-the-right-blocks-or-calamity-will-follow), a muddle of mathematics and Egyptology, and even - wait for it - a call to search for the Ark of the Covenant. OK, the book reads along at a fast clip, with sex, murder, spies, gypsies, sinister Masons, noble Masons, Napoleon, Nelson, sea battles, artillery battles, Mameluke charges, French lines and squares, boat chases up the Nile, a sultry Egyptian priestess, noble Arabs, sinister Arabs, noble Frenchmen, sinister Frenchmen, hot-air balloons, show more hidden tunnels within the Great Pyramid, treasure, curses, etc. And, of course, an American hero. Dietrich keeps it going. And, he writes beautiful descriptions of geography and geology. So, while it's an enjoyable read, on reflection it's a guilty pleasure. Save this one for the beach, where you can identify with the desert for a while. show less

It's a fun little romp. Historical fiction about Napoleon meets Indiana Jones and National Treasure. There are plenty of true facts, and even more fantasy. If you aren't looking for something deep, this could be a could choice.

William Dietrich's Napoleon's Pyramids (Harper, 2007) makes for a perfectly suitable diversion on a late winter snow day. In fact, I read the whole thing over the course of an afternoon. A good old-fashioned adventure tale, complete with a hapless (and slightly thickheaded) hero, a sinister serpent-themed lurker, a mysterious female, and some sort of mysterious object that seems to wreak havoc wherever it goes.

Throw in Napoleon's invasion of Egypt and his merry band of savants, and you've got yourself a good story. Our protagonist, naturally, feels compelled to solve the mystery of the strange medallion that brings him and those around him nothing but trouble (and snakes), and various Indiana Jones-like capers ensue.

Enjoyable.

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