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Ethan Gage #3
The Dakota Cipher
William Dietrich is back with another fast-paced new adventure—one that brings together Norse mythology, the American wilderness, and a swashbuckling explorer in an irresistible page-turner.
Ethan Gage, the hero of Napoleon's Pyramids and The Rosetta Key, just wants to enjoy the fruits of victory after helping Napoleon win the Battle of Marengo and end an undeclared naval war with the United States.
But a foolish tryst with Bonaparte's married sister and the improbable schemes of a grizzled Norwegian named Magnus Bloodhammer soon send Ethan on a new treasure hunt on America's frontier that will have him dodging scheming aristocrats and hostile Indians.
In 1801 newly elected president Thomas Jefferson, taking office in the burgeoning capital of Washington, D.C., convinces Ethan and Magnus to go on a scouting expedition—one that precedes that of Lewis and Clark—to investigate reports of woolly mammoths and blue-eyed Indians.
The pair have their own motive, however, which they neglect to share with the president: a search for the mythical hammer of the Norse god Thor, allegedly brought by fugitive Norsemen to the center of North America 150 years before Columbus. Can the hammer control thunder and lightning? Is there a core of truth to this myth?
Ethan's journey takes him across the Great Lakes to country no white man has seen, but not before he becomes entangled with a British temptress, a comely captive, a French voyageur, and a landscape as breathtaking as it is perilous.
Ancient Norse runes will lead him to his most fantastic discovery yet—and to wonder, danger, mystery, and sorrow that will test every ounce of wit and skill Gage can muster. The Dakota Cipher is another exciting adventure by a writer who has quickly become one of America's most beloved and inventive thriller masterminds.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 24, 2009
128 people are currently reading
1104 people want to read
About the author
William Dietrich
25 books396 followersWilliam Dietrich is a NY Times bestelling author of the Ethan Gage series of eight books which have sold into 28 languages. He is also the author of six other adventure novels, several nonfiction works on the environmental history of the Pacific Northwest, and a contributor to several books.
Bill was a career journalist, sharing a Pulitzer for national reporting at the Seattle Times for coverage of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. He taught environmental journalism at Huxley College, a division of Western Washington University, and was adviser to Planet Magazine there. He was Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, and received several National Science Foundation fellowships for reporting on science. His travels have taken him from the South Pole to the Arctic, and from the Dead Sea to the base camp of Mount Everest. The traveling informs his books.
He lives in Anacortes, WA, in the San Juan islands, and is a fan of books, movies, history, science, and the outdoors.
Bill was a career journalist, sharing a Pulitzer for national reporting at the Seattle Times for coverage of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. He taught environmental journalism at Huxley College, a division of Western Washington University, and was adviser to Planet Magazine there. He was Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, and received several National Science Foundation fellowships for reporting on science. His travels have taken him from the South Pole to the Arctic, and from the Dead Sea to the base camp of Mount Everest. The traveling informs his books.
He lives in Anacortes, WA, in the San Juan islands, and is a fan of books, movies, history, science, and the outdoors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
May 27, 2009
This series needs to stop! Unfortunately, Dietrich uses this story to nicely set up the sequel as the book doesn't end! I was totally uninterested throughout the entire book which is in stark contrast to the first two in the series. The secondary characters (with the exception of Pierre who may reappear in the next book) were totally laughable. The action was tepid and believe it or not, the storyline was even more outrageous than the others. I'm not sure if I should continue on with this unsatisfying series.
April 18, 2013
It's never fair to compare artists' work. Saying that such-and-such a singer is "The new Ella Fitzgerald" or "The British Courtney Love" does neither the established diva nor the newcomer much of a compliment. Therefore I say this with apology but -
For those of us who love George MacDonald Fraser's "Flashman" series, and are lamenting the author's passing, reading William Dietrich's "Ethan Gage" books is a hell of a good way to wean yourself off of old Flashy, may he rest in peace.
This is not to say there's any sign that Dietrich has deliberately set out to copy the Scot's work, or capitalize on his success. Gage is a very different character from Flashman in many ways, with his own quirks, tastes and traits. He's a nicer guy altogether, with at least rudimentary ethics, some conception of honor, and (when there's something to be gained) a willingness to put life and limb on the line.
Nonetheless, given the activities described in the books, there's evidence he could be Flashy's American great great grandad. There's the same ability to bump into every famous person from the period in question (and, if they are a reasonably attractive female, bed them), get himself into all kinds of scrapes - while frankly admitting he's terrified out of his wits - and the same fast-paced, witty and captivating writing.
And as an added bonus, there's all kinds of occult references as well.
This particular book - the third in Gage's memoirs - takes us from the Paris of Napoleon's consulship to the wild frontier of the Louisiana territory (now part of the American West), encountering nymphomaniac incestuous British aristocrats, French canoe navigators, various Native American tribes, a Norwegian freedom fighter with the wonderful name of "Bloodaxe", and various luminaries from Napoleon's court, including of course the pin up girl of the eighteenth century, Pauline Bonaparte herself!
Gage is (half willingly, as usual) in search of Thor's legendary hammer, supposedly hidden in the wilds of the American continent by the Norse voyagers that visited the continent many years before Columbus "discovered" it... it's a fascinating quest, with a truly exciting climax, action all the way, and with some truly great writing. I recommend any reader who likes adventure, suspense or just great witty writing should get to know Ethan Gage as soon as possible.
For those of us who love George MacDonald Fraser's "Flashman" series, and are lamenting the author's passing, reading William Dietrich's "Ethan Gage" books is a hell of a good way to wean yourself off of old Flashy, may he rest in peace.
This is not to say there's any sign that Dietrich has deliberately set out to copy the Scot's work, or capitalize on his success. Gage is a very different character from Flashman in many ways, with his own quirks, tastes and traits. He's a nicer guy altogether, with at least rudimentary ethics, some conception of honor, and (when there's something to be gained) a willingness to put life and limb on the line.
Nonetheless, given the activities described in the books, there's evidence he could be Flashy's American great great grandad. There's the same ability to bump into every famous person from the period in question (and, if they are a reasonably attractive female, bed them), get himself into all kinds of scrapes - while frankly admitting he's terrified out of his wits - and the same fast-paced, witty and captivating writing.
And as an added bonus, there's all kinds of occult references as well.
This particular book - the third in Gage's memoirs - takes us from the Paris of Napoleon's consulship to the wild frontier of the Louisiana territory (now part of the American West), encountering nymphomaniac incestuous British aristocrats, French canoe navigators, various Native American tribes, a Norwegian freedom fighter with the wonderful name of "Bloodaxe", and various luminaries from Napoleon's court, including of course the pin up girl of the eighteenth century, Pauline Bonaparte herself!
Gage is (half willingly, as usual) in search of Thor's legendary hammer, supposedly hidden in the wilds of the American continent by the Norse voyagers that visited the continent many years before Columbus "discovered" it... it's a fascinating quest, with a truly exciting climax, action all the way, and with some truly great writing. I recommend any reader who likes adventure, suspense or just great witty writing should get to know Ethan Gage as soon as possible.
January 11, 2017
These Ethan Gage books have really grown on me! This is book #3, and it's still way over the top, but I've kind of grown fond of Ethan, even if he is narcissistic and misogynistic. (That sentence just looks so wrong to me... I really shouldn't be saying that I care at all for a character who's misogynistic! But I do! So weird!)
I counted this book as my "roadtrip" book for the 2016 PopSugar Reading Challenge, because in it, Ethan goes on a "roadtrip" through the northern part of the Louisiana Purchase. He's on a mission for President Jefferson, and he's traveling with some random Norwegian guy. Along the way on his mission he meets some French people and frontiersman and Native Americans... all of which are nearly outlandish stereotypes.
The big mystery in this book involves Freemasonry, so be prepared for the reinforcement of stereotypes, myths, and misconceptions related to that. It's almost a trope at this point, isn't it? We all read all about them in Dan Brown's books.
There's also a woman, of course, who is good for nothing (in Ethan's eyes) except his pleasure. However, I saw a bit of hidden inner strength in her. I liked it! She could dish it out to him as well as he could dish it at her!
On Goodreads, the book description is simply "GREAT ADVENTURE READ" (caps their's). I totally agree. One review says that it's a "fun historical fiction series... but Ethan Gage is a total man-whore..." I totally agree. Another reviewer compared these books to Indiana Jones. I also agree with that! My advice: don't go into this series expecting anything deep. This is definitely kiddie-pool shallow (but not kiddie appropriate- remember the man-whore comment), and if you go into the book with that knowledge, you can enjoy a fun, fluffy adventure read.
Oh, and the audio portion of the review! (I nearly forgot to include this part!) It was good. Nothing stands out as especially terrific, but it wasn't bad at all. Very steady. I didn't have to think about it at all; I could just enjoy the story, and I like that.
I counted this book as my "roadtrip" book for the 2016 PopSugar Reading Challenge, because in it, Ethan goes on a "roadtrip" through the northern part of the Louisiana Purchase. He's on a mission for President Jefferson, and he's traveling with some random Norwegian guy. Along the way on his mission he meets some French people and frontiersman and Native Americans... all of which are nearly outlandish stereotypes.
The big mystery in this book involves Freemasonry, so be prepared for the reinforcement of stereotypes, myths, and misconceptions related to that. It's almost a trope at this point, isn't it? We all read all about them in Dan Brown's books.
There's also a woman, of course, who is good for nothing (in Ethan's eyes) except his pleasure. However, I saw a bit of hidden inner strength in her. I liked it! She could dish it out to him as well as he could dish it at her!
On Goodreads, the book description is simply "GREAT ADVENTURE READ" (caps their's). I totally agree. One review says that it's a "fun historical fiction series... but Ethan Gage is a total man-whore..." I totally agree. Another reviewer compared these books to Indiana Jones. I also agree with that! My advice: don't go into this series expecting anything deep. This is definitely kiddie-pool shallow (but not kiddie appropriate- remember the man-whore comment), and if you go into the book with that knowledge, you can enjoy a fun, fluffy adventure read.
Oh, and the audio portion of the review! (I nearly forgot to include this part!) It was good. Nothing stands out as especially terrific, but it wasn't bad at all. Very steady. I didn't have to think about it at all; I could just enjoy the story, and I like that.
April 8, 2015
This 3rd volume in the series shares elements with Flashman, Mitchner's "Centennial" and "Jubal Sackett". The hero, Ethan Gage, departs France for early 18th century America. He is to perform service for Napoleon and and the recently elected President Thomas Jefferson. A sort of diplomat without portfolio. His adventures are influenced by the imagined pre-Columbian journey of the Knights Templar to North America. Sometimes the story, which is well told, seems overwhelmed by Freemasonry gobbledygook and conspiracy theories. Gage and his fellow traveller, a Norwegian patriot wanting to prove that his countryman arrived deep into the heartland of America hundreds of years earlier, arrive in New York via sailing ship. They travel to the new nations's capital city and meet with President Jefferson. Jefferson recruits Gage for a scouting mission that takes him to Pittsurgh, Detroit, through the Great Lakes, and the northern Louisiana Territory. Along the way he encounters the French voyageur, renegades of various types, Ojibway, Dakota, buffalo, and extreme weather. I appreciate stories which take me through country with which I am familiar. Their mode of travel and conditions along the way make me appreciate the travails that my antecedents had to contend with. I have visited most of the American locales mentioned. My mode of travel is usually in a comfortable car, driven at high speed over good roads, and in air-conditioned splendor. Needless to say, Ethan's travel experience was much more rudimentary and uncomfortable. The depiction of travel and the places visited are credible and, it seems to me, the story progresses without having to bend the historical facts. One thing stands out, the journey was especially hard on women.
April 30, 2015
I read this book after reading What is the What. I knew that this book would just be fluff, but I wanted something light after reading something so serious. I got light alright. The plot was so fanciful that I couldn’t believe for even a minute. On the upside, the little Frenchman was a funny character. I’m not going to knock this book too much, because I knew, almost, exactly what I was getting. However, this book wasn’t as fun of an experience as the previous one. The main character spent a huge amount of time chasing and lusting after women which was a bore. Also, the formula (plot development) was exactly the same as the previous book. I’m a sucker for these adventure books, so I’m sure that I will eventually read the next one, but not anytime soon.
October 4, 2016
This is a fun historical fiction series, and I have book #4 ready to go, but I have one consistent complaint. As I have mentioned before, I am no prude, but Ethan Gage (the "hero" of these books) is a total man-whore...and his unnecessary sex scenes are borderline porn that stick out in these adventures like a sore thumb. Mr. Dietrich, either write adventure, or commit to a full-on piece of porn...but quit trying to combine the two.
June 18, 2020
In the third adventure of Ethan Gage, the author, William Dietrich, has his character return to America after numerous escapades in France, Egypt, and other places. Ethan reluctantly befriends an unusual Norwegian, Magnus Bloodhammer. His new companion is unusual because he resembles Odin (Nordic God), and is on a quest for Thor's hammer-supposedly to be found in the uncharted West of North America. Magnus tells Ethan fantastic tales of Norse Gods, Vikings, and Templars, all coming to North America at least 100 years before Columbus. (In reality this is based on newly discovered historical artifacts.) However, Ethan is not buying it.
Nevertheless, after a meeting with President Jefferson and several close escapes to threats on their lives, the two men are tasked by the President to go West-in search of numerous oddities, including the hammer.
Along the way Ethan succumbs to the charms of one English noble woman, who has questionable appetites, and one Native American woman, who has blue eyes. (In reality this latter fact is also verified in certain tribes.) The latter woman, Namida, also speaks of a stone with strange carvings on it. (This, too, is based on fact-the Kensington stone of Minnesota discovered entwined in the roots of a tree in 1898. Its authenticity is debated.)
For Ethan, it is the usual trials and tribulations, but the added historical facts make it quite interesting, just like his two previous exploits.
Overall, a fun read.
Nevertheless, after a meeting with President Jefferson and several close escapes to threats on their lives, the two men are tasked by the President to go West-in search of numerous oddities, including the hammer.
Along the way Ethan succumbs to the charms of one English noble woman, who has questionable appetites, and one Native American woman, who has blue eyes. (In reality this latter fact is also verified in certain tribes.) The latter woman, Namida, also speaks of a stone with strange carvings on it. (This, too, is based on fact-the Kensington stone of Minnesota discovered entwined in the roots of a tree in 1898. Its authenticity is debated.)
For Ethan, it is the usual trials and tribulations, but the added historical facts make it quite interesting, just like his two previous exploits.
Overall, a fun read.
March 4, 2024
[ “If we knew where we came from, we might know where we’re going.”
“And what use is it to know where we’re going?”
“To decide if we want to get there.” ]
“And what use is it to know where we’re going?”
“To decide if we want to get there.” ]
June 9, 2024
The whole thing falls apart in the last 10 or so chapters. The author isn't very good with the "reveal". He unconvincingly tries to integrate ancient magic (as in "an unexplainable but nonetheless very real demostration of power") with 19th century science and 21st century-and beyond-technology. It's a mess.
Other than that the exploration part of the trip reads like a standard adventure novel. Good read for the beach.
Other than that the exploration part of the trip reads like a standard adventure novel. Good read for the beach.
September 30, 2010
Book #3 of the Ethan Gage Trilogy. This book was the most bizarre and unbelievable of the three in the series. I love drama and adventure but this was "over-the-top" in strangeness. I plodded through it just to see what the ending would be. Read it and see if you agree with me.
March 14, 2017
As with Ethan Gage books #1 and #2, you have to suspend your view of reality. Events are just to fantastic. But nevertheless, a good story that is well told.
February 11, 2018
These books are always entertaining with such colorful characters, such as Ethan Gage, leading the way. Gage is like Indiana Jones who just happens to fall into these mythical quests while trying to get into bed with every beautiful woman who passes by. In this case, he is roped into exploring the remote Louisiana territory for Napoleon while also scouting for the existence of mammoths and helping a crazy Norwegian find Thor's mythical hammer. For me, I enjoyed this unlikely story of Ethan and Magnus' backwoods adventures with the frequent exasperation at his inability to stop thinking only with lust in mind-until the end. The conclusion of their quest literally blew up with craziness and unnecessarily graphic violence. I was ready to put the book down after Lady Somerset's murderous rage with the axe.
August 16, 2021
These books are all about taking tropes from 19th/20th century adventure fiction and transposing them onto the Napoleonic Wars, and I do think it was particularly clever to do a “exploring the darkest reaches of an uncharted continent, where we find prehistoric animals and supernatural wonders” story that for H. Rider Haggard or Indiana Jones would be set in Africa or the Amazon rainforest, and for Ethan Gage have it set in … Minnesota.
Loses some points for its lack of real explanation of how the Spoilery Place of Amazing Wonder in the book’s climax actually came to be.
Loses some points for its lack of real explanation of how the Spoilery Place of Amazing Wonder in the book’s climax actually came to be.
March 23, 2018
I love Dietrich's writing style, and the vivid portrayal of the Wild West. Wish he'd spend less ink describing Ethan Gage having sex with different women. Don't care about that aspect of the story very much and it went on a bit longer than necessary at the beginning with Aurora Somerset and Pauline Bonaparte (who, honestly didn't need to be in the book at all as far as I can tell). It pulls me out of the story a bit as I don't read these for the romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2019
Sad about all the deaths, but what a romp!
Reading a book that is full of adventure is great - add historical accuracy for a lot of the story and locations, and it is even more exciting. To me it's like biting into a creme-filled donut that I didn't know had creme in it. I have read 3 or 4 by this author and will be reading more for certain.
Reading a book that is full of adventure is great - add historical accuracy for a lot of the story and locations, and it is even more exciting. To me it's like biting into a creme-filled donut that I didn't know had creme in it. I have read 3 or 4 by this author and will be reading more for certain.
June 6, 2020
The storyline was totally unbelievable. I kept reading thinking there was going to be something exciting. Granted, watching Gage travel the US in 1800 before the 'west' was won, was interesting, he was amusing... but that was about it. I finished the book only because it was not the worst book but I knew the story wasn't going anywhere. Disappointed.
January 25, 2022
Entertaining book, well written. A likeable main character with modern attitudes and language in the post-revolutionary America, it's a fun combination. But I'm not a big fan of books where the whole story just leads up to a big showdown in the end. Still, this one had enough going on along the way to make it interesting.
October 13, 2017
Ethan Gage, while an improbable hero, is as entertaining a character as I've read. He is reminiscent of Fraser's Flashman, but less arrogantly cowardly. The weaving of fact and fiction is adroit, and there's more than enough action to make the Ethan Gage books' pages turning.
August 30, 2019
Having read books one and two in this series, I turned to book three and enjoyed it just as much as the others. The main character, the women in his life and his thoughts about them, friends, enemies and the situations in which he finds himself make for easy and fun reading.
December 29, 2019
I am so glad I pushed on after the mediocre previous novel! See, I first encountered the Ethan Gage novels around #4, and decided to go back to catch up, starting with the first. The first 2 didn't live up to #4... This one did!
December 30, 2024
yes!! another author to follow…
I really didn’t know what to expect when I got this book. It turns out that I really like the author’s writing style. Now I have a lot of new books to read! 2025 is looking like it’s going to be a very good year….
I really didn’t know what to expect when I got this book. It turns out that I really like the author’s writing style. Now I have a lot of new books to read! 2025 is looking like it’s going to be a very good year….
October 14, 2017
The author's action sequences really kept the pages turning. A fun read.
April 16, 2019
Excellent book. Awesome series. Makes history come alive! Love the "what if" situations throughout.
July 14, 2019
3.5 stars
February 11, 2021
Par for the course for the Ethan Gage series. Interesting ties to historical events and people. A light read.
July 3, 2024
I thought for sure Ethan would end up on Oak Island looking for Templar relics.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2024
I can’t believe these are not more popular. Very fun to read.
January 7, 2015
Oh, Ethan Gage, you are so predictably fun. Whether you’re chasing after the legendary Book of Thoth as you did in Books 1 and 2, or the even more iconic Hammer of Thor as you do in The Dakota Cipher, I can always count on you to keep me laughing.
And that is what Ethan Gage does in this third installment – keep us laughing. The book opens with Gage firmly back on the French side (well, as firmly as Gage can be on anyone’s side) even though he was nearly executed by Napoleon at Jaffa and he electrocuted hundreds of French soldiers at the Battle of Acre during Bonaparte’s failed invasion of the Holy Land. All water under the bridge, of course, and never one to turn down an opportunity that will save his own skin, Gage now negotiates treaties with fellow European powers on behalf of Napoleon himself. But can Gage stay out of trouble? Of course not! And when he is caught in flagrante delecto with none other than Bonaparte’s sister, Pauline, and nearly incinerated during a fireworks display, Gage finds himself on the run yet again, and with the Norse treasure seeker, Magnus Bloodhammer by his side.
Bloodhammer believes Thor’s legendary hammer was carried out of Europe by displaced Templars following their mass execution in 1307, and buried in the wilds of the American frontier by these self-same dispossessed knights, who reached the American continent almost 200 years before Columbus. So Bloodhammer solicits the rather reluctant Gage in an expedition to the Great Plains to find the hammer and use it to win Norse freedom from the Danes. Meeting an extraordinary cast of historic characters along the way – including the explorers Lewis and Clark and the president Thomas Jefferson (who agrees to support Gage’s campaign in the hopes the latter will find evidence that prehistoric elephants once roamed the continent!) – Gage and Bloodhammer are in a race for the relic and for their lives. Because while Bloodhammer believes his own enemies were the force behind the attack on Gage at the fireworks display, there are those pesky followers of the evil Alessandro Silano, who met his end at Gage’s hand in The Rosetta Key, and who might just be seeking revenge for their fallen leader. Is the alluring and enigmatic Aurora Somerset, the plucky-yet-refined British lady who throws herself in to Gage’s expedition, one of them?
So, yes, another wildly adventurous and vividly entertaining romp through history in this installment with a whole new environment and cast of characters to keep Gage busy. And as has been the case with Books 1 and 2, my favorite parts of Book 3 are 1) the real life history in which Gage always manages to immerse himself, and 2) Ethan Gage. Gage is such a fun character to follow with his sarcastic sense of humor and his cynical outlook on his reluctant adventures. All he wants to do is retire, but will he ever turn down the chance to find his fortune in historic relics? Nope! When all of his friends warn the roguish ladies man that pursuing a conquest, be it Pauline Bonaparte or Aurora Somerset, might not be the best idea, does Gage listen? Nope! And that’s one of many things that makes Gage so entertaining.
So yeah, while you have to suspend belief when you read Ethan Gage’s adventures – as you have to do with any escapist entertainment – at least you’re putting it aside for a good time!
And that is what Ethan Gage does in this third installment – keep us laughing. The book opens with Gage firmly back on the French side (well, as firmly as Gage can be on anyone’s side) even though he was nearly executed by Napoleon at Jaffa and he electrocuted hundreds of French soldiers at the Battle of Acre during Bonaparte’s failed invasion of the Holy Land. All water under the bridge, of course, and never one to turn down an opportunity that will save his own skin, Gage now negotiates treaties with fellow European powers on behalf of Napoleon himself. But can Gage stay out of trouble? Of course not! And when he is caught in flagrante delecto with none other than Bonaparte’s sister, Pauline, and nearly incinerated during a fireworks display, Gage finds himself on the run yet again, and with the Norse treasure seeker, Magnus Bloodhammer by his side.
Bloodhammer believes Thor’s legendary hammer was carried out of Europe by displaced Templars following their mass execution in 1307, and buried in the wilds of the American frontier by these self-same dispossessed knights, who reached the American continent almost 200 years before Columbus. So Bloodhammer solicits the rather reluctant Gage in an expedition to the Great Plains to find the hammer and use it to win Norse freedom from the Danes. Meeting an extraordinary cast of historic characters along the way – including the explorers Lewis and Clark and the president Thomas Jefferson (who agrees to support Gage’s campaign in the hopes the latter will find evidence that prehistoric elephants once roamed the continent!) – Gage and Bloodhammer are in a race for the relic and for their lives. Because while Bloodhammer believes his own enemies were the force behind the attack on Gage at the fireworks display, there are those pesky followers of the evil Alessandro Silano, who met his end at Gage’s hand in The Rosetta Key, and who might just be seeking revenge for their fallen leader. Is the alluring and enigmatic Aurora Somerset, the plucky-yet-refined British lady who throws herself in to Gage’s expedition, one of them?
So, yes, another wildly adventurous and vividly entertaining romp through history in this installment with a whole new environment and cast of characters to keep Gage busy. And as has been the case with Books 1 and 2, my favorite parts of Book 3 are 1) the real life history in which Gage always manages to immerse himself, and 2) Ethan Gage. Gage is such a fun character to follow with his sarcastic sense of humor and his cynical outlook on his reluctant adventures. All he wants to do is retire, but will he ever turn down the chance to find his fortune in historic relics? Nope! When all of his friends warn the roguish ladies man that pursuing a conquest, be it Pauline Bonaparte or Aurora Somerset, might not be the best idea, does Gage listen? Nope! And that’s one of many things that makes Gage so entertaining.
So yeah, while you have to suspend belief when you read Ethan Gage’s adventures – as you have to do with any escapist entertainment – at least you’re putting it aside for a good time!
May 8, 2019
978-0-06-219143-4 - Ethan Gage Adventure #3
March 7, 2012
This is the third book of the Ethan Gage series. However, as the second book was the continuation of the first book, the third is totally different. The only character that remains from the previous books is Ethan (no, really?)
As my exclamation marks point at, this time, the eerie side of the book was over the top. First the book of Thot and now a mysterious hammer and the electric tree! My! The world is full of weird objects!
I don’t understand either why Bloodhammer turned to Ethan in first place since the latter happened to be more a burden to him than anything else.
Still, this book was quite fun reading. It’s fast paced, the story is entertaining, and it’s well written. I’m going to finish the series, hoping the fourth and last book will be better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews