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A review by weaselweader
The Rosetta Key by William Dietrich
2.0
“If the text promised immortality, I wanted nothing to do with it”
When I reviewed NAPOLEON’S PYRAMIDS, the opening novel in William Dietrich’s Ethan Gage historical adventure trilogy, I wrote:
There are those who would criticize NAPOLEON’S PYRAMIDS as a dead ringer derivative from INDIANA JONES and THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. To them I say, “Boy! Right on! It could hardly be closer!” You’d be very hard pressed to fit a piece of onion-skin flimsy between the two in terms of narrative style and general plot outlines – the wise-cracking hero and the aloof but slowly warming romantic love interest, the collection of mean dudes chasing after the hidden artifact (not to mention the charms and affections of the afore-mentioned female), the historical underpinnings behind the meaning and the value of the elusive prize, the overlaid widespread conflict, the outrageously booby-trapped hiding place, and, of course, layer after layer of ingenious puzzles safeguarding the actual location of the ultimate sought for prize! But I’d also suggest that it doesn’t make NAPOLEON’S PYRAMIDS any less gripping or enjoyable.
The story line, such as it is in THE ROSETTA KEY, picks up right where NAPOLEON’S PYRAMIDS left off. But sadly, despite its underpinnings in the astonishing reality of Napoleon’s attempted conquests in Asia and the Holy Land in his drive to become emperor of his native France, THE ROSETTA KEY falls into every pit that NAPOLEON’S PYRAMIDS deftly sidestepped. It loses all charm and becomes a derivative, juvenile, cartoonish, repetitive, video game screenplay. The question is not whether Ethan Gage will escape the traps laid for him in his quest to find and translate the Book of Thoth or whether he will evade the futile attempts of his many opponents to dispatch him in a typically ridiculous, mustache twirling, bad boy villain style. The question is only how high you will raise your eyebrow as you read about his escapes. And, of course, knowing that this is the second novel in a trilogy means that your hopes for an actual ending are futile long before you actually reach the final page.
Not recommended. And, unless I come across a free copy in the local street library box, I’m not planning on reading THE DAKOTA CIPHER (Ethan Gage #3) any time soon.
Paul Weiss
When I reviewed NAPOLEON’S PYRAMIDS, the opening novel in William Dietrich’s Ethan Gage historical adventure trilogy, I wrote:
There are those who would criticize NAPOLEON’S PYRAMIDS as a dead ringer derivative from INDIANA JONES and THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. To them I say, “Boy! Right on! It could hardly be closer!” You’d be very hard pressed to fit a piece of onion-skin flimsy between the two in terms of narrative style and general plot outlines – the wise-cracking hero and the aloof but slowly warming romantic love interest, the collection of mean dudes chasing after the hidden artifact (not to mention the charms and affections of the afore-mentioned female), the historical underpinnings behind the meaning and the value of the elusive prize, the overlaid widespread conflict, the outrageously booby-trapped hiding place, and, of course, layer after layer of ingenious puzzles safeguarding the actual location of the ultimate sought for prize! But I’d also suggest that it doesn’t make NAPOLEON’S PYRAMIDS any less gripping or enjoyable.
The story line, such as it is in THE ROSETTA KEY, picks up right where NAPOLEON’S PYRAMIDS left off. But sadly, despite its underpinnings in the astonishing reality of Napoleon’s attempted conquests in Asia and the Holy Land in his drive to become emperor of his native France, THE ROSETTA KEY falls into every pit that NAPOLEON’S PYRAMIDS deftly sidestepped. It loses all charm and becomes a derivative, juvenile, cartoonish, repetitive, video game screenplay. The question is not whether Ethan Gage will escape the traps laid for him in his quest to find and translate the Book of Thoth or whether he will evade the futile attempts of his many opponents to dispatch him in a typically ridiculous, mustache twirling, bad boy villain style. The question is only how high you will raise your eyebrow as you read about his escapes. And, of course, knowing that this is the second novel in a trilogy means that your hopes for an actual ending are futile long before you actually reach the final page.
Not recommended. And, unless I come across a free copy in the local street library box, I’m not planning on reading THE DAKOTA CIPHER (Ethan Gage #3) any time soon.
Paul Weiss