Admittedly, the time of Napoleonic France was a dangerous
and troubled time, yet often filled with adventure and danger as well as glory
for many.
In The Barbed Crown by William Dietrich, we follow his
erstwhile protagonist and adventurer Ethan Gage as he tries to find peace after
the death of his beloved wife, and escape the clutches of the notorious Napoleon
Bonaparte. Hi anger and despair drive him to try and become the catalyst in the
destruction of the new regime. Having fought beside the man himself, in Egypt,
and being a part of his agency in Italy, America and Greece, Gage now finds his
is ready to turn on him, blaming him for the death of his wife as well as the
kidnapping of his son.
Backed by the British, Gage is smuggled into France with
Astiza where they plan to make of mockery of Napoleon during his coronation by substituted
his crown with that of the Crown of Thorns, the religious relic rumored to be
worn by Christ during his crucifixion. When
the plan does not play out as planned, Astiza is captured and Gage is left to
flee to England where is again a part of the plot to stop Napoleon before it is
too late.
The history and pageantry is interesting, and beautiful as
well as fiery and dangerous. The characters are interesting, and the mix of
fiction and fact is smooth, making you wonder of much of the interplay actually
may have happened. Gage is an intriguing protagonist, one that could do a lot
of damage to Napoleon’s crusade.
If you are a history buff you will enjoy and appreciate the intricacies
of the dialogue and scenes, mixed with fact which seems to accompany the
action. While I really enjoyed the character of Gage, I felt as though the
action was sometimes a bit slow, bogging down my enjoyment of the story. The sabotage and danger keep you going, and
the glory casts a hook that keeps reeling you in.
The mystery and suspense is a great web, creating a line of
deceit, and surprises that keep the entertainment of the times just a bit of
kilter.
Dietrich has given us another look into European history
with the exploits of his character Gage with his thirst for knowledge and his
determination to make things right.
Rating 3/5
This book was received through the publishing company. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
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