The Rosetta Key

By William Dietrich

Last seen in 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 anti-hero.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Allison & Busby
• Release date: Apr 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9780749010126

William Dietrich

William Dietrich is the author of fourteen novels, including six previous Ethan Gage titles—Napoleon's Pyramids, The Rosetta Key, The Dakota Cipher, The Barbary Pirates, The Emerald Storm, and The Barbed Crown. Dietrich is also a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, historian, and naturalist. A winner of the PNBA Award for Nonfiction, he lives in Washington State.

Reviews for The Rosetta Key

[brone_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

well written

[plappen_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in the eastern Mediterranean of 1799, this is the story of gambler and adventurer Ethan Gage. At the end of the previous book, he found himself on a British ship heading for the Holy Land. He agrees to help the British slow down, or stop, Napoleon Bonaparte’s coming invasion (the British don’t give him a choice). In the meantime, he continues to look for the Book of Thoth, an ancient scroll of great power that Moses supposedly stole from Egypt, and brought to Jerusalem.Gage is an American and protege of Benjamin Franklin, so he knows something about electricity. He puts his knowledge to use more than once, including during a major French siege of the city of Acre (present-day Lebanon). Gage switches sides between the French and British, more than once, and not by choice. He cheats death more than once, mostly because there are enough people who hear that Gage is looking for an ancient scroll and automatically think "gold and treasure."Throughout much of the book, Gage has a big hole in his heart. At the end of the previous book, he watched Astiza, his Egyptian lover, fall from a hot-air balloon into the Nile River, in the clutches of Count Alessandro Silano. They are presumed dead, but Gage has to know for sure. In this story are also Jewish mysticism, the Knights Templar, the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, and enough action and narrow escapes to satisfy anyone.Here is an excellent piece of writing. For those who like their thrillers to be historically accurate and swashbuckling, look no further. This will keep the reader very entertained.

[korepersephone · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A surprisingly enthralling read. I picked it off the shelf because I was intrigued by the first sentence and ended up flying through it in two days! I really love the humor in this as well, I probably wouldn't have liked it as much as I did without it.

[bobnolin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Compared to its sequel, Rosetta Key had more battle scenes and fewer Indiana Jones/National Treasure-type scenes, which I found disappointing. The book can't decide whether it's a historical novel or a literary thriller, just as Gage can't decide whose side he is on. Dietrich seems to be writing with one eye on Hollywood, hoping for a movie contract. This is probably why he throws in a totally needless love/sex interest named Miriam, to add spice to what is, essentially one battle after another, interspersed with a little puzzle-solving. I liked the first book, Napoleon's Pyramids, better. Gage is a fun guy to follow around, very much a likable rogue. I'd like to see a prequel to these books, featuring his mentor, Ben Franklin. He would certainly be more interesting than boorish Boney.

[zare_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First word of warning – do not read this novel if you have not read “Napoleon’s Pyramids” first because “The Rosetta Key” continues with events from the former book. In case you read this one first (like me : )) then I recommend reading “Napoleon’s Pyramids” immediately afterward.This novel has everything adventure novels must have – interesting protagonist, even more interesting antagonists, interesting scenery and true historical events as background. Occult societies, ancient mysteries, beautiful women and lots of twists and turns – all of this make “The Rosetta Key” highly enjoyable work of fiction. Highly recommended.