What mystical secrets lie beneath the Great Pyramids? Traveling with Napoleon's great expedition, American adventurer Ethan Gage solves a 6,000 year old riddle with the help of a mysterious medallion in the first volume of William Dietrich's bestselling series-now available in trade paperback for the first time ever
"It has a plot as satisfying as an Indiana Jones film and offers enough historical knowledge to render the reader a fascinating raconteur on the topics of ancient Egypt and Napoleon Bonaparte." -USA Today
The world changes for Ethan Gage-one-time assistant to the renowned Ben Franklin-on a night in post-revolutionary Paris when he wins a mysterious medallion in a card game. Framed soon after for the murder of a prostitute and facing the grim prospect of either prison or death, the young expatriate American barely escapes France with his life-choosing instead to accompany the new emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, on his glorious mission to conquer Egypt. With Lord Nelson's fleet following close behind, Gage sets out on the adventure of a lifetime. And in a land of ancient wonder and mystery, with the help of a beautiful Macedonian slave, he will come to realize that the unusual prize he won at the gaming table may be the key to solving one of history's greatest and most perilous riddles: who built the Great Pyramids . . . and why?
William Dietrich is the New York Times bestselling author of fifteen books, including historical thrillers that have sold in thirty-one languages worldwide. The Emerald Storm is the latest installment of his bestselling Ethan Gage Adventures series. A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and a contributing writer at the Seattle Times , he lives in Washington State.
"A frothy, swashbuckling tale of high adventure in 18th-century Egypt . . . Napoleon's Pyramids is escapist fiction at its ultimate."
- Seattle Times
"Attention to those of you who like thrillers to be high-concept, historical and swashbuckling!"
- New York Daily News
"Breezily paced, factually grounded, and colorfully written, Napoleon's Pyramids offers much appeal to historical mystery fans."
- Mystery Scene
"[A] superb historical thriller. . . . Dietrich combines a likable hero surrounded by a cast of fascinating historical characters. Riveting battle scenes, scantily clad women, mathematical puzzles, mysteries of the pharaohs, reckless heroism, hairsbreadth escapes and undaunted courage add up to unbeatable adventure rivaling the exploits of George Macdonald Fraser's Harry Flashman. Readers will cheer."
- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Fans of intelligent swashbuckling adventure will revel in the battle scenes and mathematical puzzles hidden in this story. It's a grand escape."
- Rocky Mountain News
"A thrilling trip to beauty, mystery, and fear . . . Dietrich is great at bringing these historical battles to life. . . . And he doesn't neglect the thriller part of the historical thriller genre. We follow Gage as he faces down assassins, frees a band of slaves, sneaks through a sequestered harem at midnight, crawls through secret passageways in pyramids that no one has seen for millennia."
- Oregonian
"Dietrich is becoming a leader among historical novelists. . . . This work is rousing, swashbuckling fun and proof that a good writer can make history not only interesting but an exhilarating romp. Highly recommended."
- Library Journal
"A big, exciting romp that will keep high-concept thriller fans on the edge of their seats."
- Booklist