FICTION

The Barbed Crown: An Ethan Gage Adventure

by William Dietrich
Harper: HarperCollins. May 2013. 368p. ISBN 9780062194077. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062194114. F
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When last we left our intrepid hero (in The Emerald Storm), Ethan Gage was on a Haitian beach, disconsolate because his wife had been swept away by a hurricane. He still had their son, but prospects were dire. Because Napoléon Bonaparte created this tragedy, Ethan returns to London and then Paris to exact revenge against the French ruler. But a surprise awaits him in France that changes his plans to sabotage Napoléon's coronation as emperor.
VERDICT Dietrich's novels are always rich in historical detail, and his latest is no exception. The battle of Trafalgar is narrated magnificently. There are also plots, twists, and counterplots along with searches for religious relics as the amoral but cunning and deadly Gage tries to settle accounts with Napoléon while protecting himself and those he loves. Historical fiction fans will relish this over-the-top romp as they wallow in the color and the history. [See Prepub Alert, 11/12/12.]
Reviewed by Robert Conroy, Warren, MI , Apr 01, 2013
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