The Emerald Storm: An Ethan Gage Adventure (Ethan Gage Adventures)

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But he is learning, in his new role as provider, that adventuring and gambling do not put food on the table. Womanizing is not an option. And, as he fumbles with fatherhood, he realizes that his skills as a "savant" and "electrician" are useless as he keeps misplacing his son "like a button". When called to meet with Napoleon Bonaparte one last time before he retires, he cannot resist. Bonaparte needs him for a final mission: His colony in Saint-Dominigue, now Haiti, is crumbling due to the slave rebellion and yellow fever is diminishing his army at an alarming rate.

He has no troops to protect the Territory, the British are threatening a naval war, he needs the money. Gage agrees to stay, if only to sell an emerald he "procured" from an Ottoman in the last story. It is his retirement fund and pension for he and his wife, Astiza, and son, Harry.

Disaster strikes when the emerald and Harry are snatched by a renegade police inspector, Martel, who tortures Gage while cryptically demanding "where are the flying machines? But instead, the book takes a circuitous meander involving British spies, Gage becoming a double agent, and a French prison break-in. And Gage, being a treasure hunter at heart, sets out to find this prize and his son.

He and Astiza set off for Haiti with Gage fretting over the state of their marriage. Astiza is questioning their union and foresees tragedy. When they finally, after sailing for over a month, arrive in Haiti, the story becomes meatier, the action more focused, new characters are introduced. Dietrich's depiction of the historical French sugar plantations with it's slave population adds a stimulating essence. Attempting to establish a Little France on the island, the Europeans build huge mansions in the humid forbidding jungle. They fill the houses full of antiques, overdress in the oppressive heat and throw parties while the colony dies off and their wallpaper molds.

They enslave the native population to harvest sugar, the island's gold. This all comes to a head with voodoo, rebellion, treasure, betrayal, battles on land and sea, and a deadly hurricane. The last third is the best part of the book. Although this is part of a series, "The Emerald Storm" can be read as a stand alone novel.

But throughout the book, Gage makes passing references to "an extremely unhappy experience with a Nile crocodile" or "an Ottoman that came to too close to his wife" or submarine adventures that inspire me to read the other novels. This book appears to be a marital lull and judging from the state of affairs by the end of the story, I expect by the next book Gage will come out of retirement with pistols blazing.

The Historical Note chapter at the end of the book explains that many of the events depicted in the novel were true, most characters did exist, and the hidden treasure of Montezuma is legend. Jan 09, Rachel Parham rated it it was amazing Shelves: The Emerald Storm, as with the previous four installments, is a frisky and fun ride through the days of Napoleonic history… although this time, Gage finds himself in the Caribbean hunting down the lost treasure of Montezuma.

When The Emerald Storm opens, Gage and his family — now including his Egyptian wife, Astiza, and their three-year-old son, Horus — are back in Paris where Gage is trying to pawn the emerald and retire. But does that go smoothly? What makes Ethan agree? During the attack by the French policeman, Horus is kidnapped, and he has been taken to Haiti to ensure Gage follows. Because guess what the French want? This same lost treasure!

So Gage and Astiza head to the Caribbean where in a desperate ploy to save their son, Gage tries to play for all sides, including the Haitian revolutionaries, the French, and the British. All sides that happen to be at war with each other: The French and British are at war again. And right in the middle is Ethan Gage. That is way too much for poor Ethan to handle — since he also wants to find and claim the Aztec treasure too — so hilarity ensues.

Hardback Editions

As is typical for Ethan. And as is the case with all the Ethan Gage books, the laughs abound, the adventures fly, the history fascinates, and the escapism occurs. It means that Books 6 and the newly released Book 7 should be just as much as fun as the previous five!

Dec 21, Kara Jorges rated it really liked it. Ethan Gage is back for yet another swashbuckling adventure in the Napoleonic era. Ethan is a married father now, and ready to settle down with his family. Gold and jewels are of interest, but the French are mostly interested in rumors of Aztec flying machine designs that will help them gain military superiority over England. The English are onto the plan, and they want to free slave rebel Dessalines from a French prison and get the secret to the treasure for themselves.

Forced into action in order to save their son, Ethan and Astiza travel to Haiti under the guise of working for both the English and the French in the midst of a slave revolt. Ethan has to play it very carefully when he also befriends the new revolutionary leader and finds himself in the middle of a hurricane. This is a fun adventure series filled with historical detail.

Ethan is an engaging hero who always manages to find trouble. I was not as thrilled with this book as the last in the series, and found the theme of Ethan always being separated from his family to be going bit stale. Dietrich does weave actual historical detail quite well into fictional adventure, though, and I learned several new things. The action is gripping, the other characters are well drawn, and the cliffhanger at the end made me impatient for the next book in the series. Mar 23, Jim rated it it was amazing. Ethan Gage's 5th adventure takes him from the Grande Salons and saloons of Paris to a mountain top prison in the Jura mountains in the dead of winter to the Caribbean islands of Santo Domingo Haiti and Martinique.

Ethan is an American soldier of fortu Ethan Gage's 5th adventure takes him from the Grande Salons and saloons of Paris to a mountain top prison in the Jura mountains in the dead of winter to the Caribbean islands of Santo Domingo Haiti and Martinique. Ethan is an American soldier of fortune and a disciple of Benjamin Franklin.

He has worked for the British against the French and for the French against the British. On the surface he is helping the United States with the Louisiana Purchase. All of the Ethan Gage stories take place in the late s and early s. Returning to Paris with his wife and son plus a huge emerald taken from the Pasha of Tripoli in Book 4, Ethan mistakenly thinks that he will now be able to retire in comfort back home in the fledgling United States. Boy is he wrong, again! First he loses the emerald to a nasty rogue French policeman.

Then he loses his wife and son to the same character. His contact in the British Secret Service comes to his assistance. His British task is to rescue Toussaint L'Ouverture leader of the slave revolt in Haiti from a mountain top prison. His French nemesis then tells him if he wants his wife and son back, he has to go to the Caribbean to search AND find Montezuma's lost treasure. As in all of the Dietrich books I have read, this is a page turner incorporating some real history.

You don't have to read the books in sequence but it certainly the story move along if you do. There is some tongue cheek humor as well. Sep 09, Chris Bauer rated it really liked it. I'm disappointed that I chose the latest book in the "Ethan Gage" series to start with. I will definitely have to go back and start the entire series in proper order.

Paperback Editions

Dietrich does an excellent job of capturing the feel of the dawn of the 19th century with this work. This work details his efforts to recover both his son and a fabled treasure lost for c I'm disappointed that I chose the latest book in the "Ethan Gage" series to start with. This work details his efforts to recover both his son and a fabled treasure lost for centuries.

Caught between France and England during the Napoleonic wars, he is tossed back and forth on the waves of fortune as he continues his quest. The characters are especially memorable, but I found myself truly pulled into the book when the author describes meeting famous characters from the period. Smith, Bonaparte and others add a zesty pepper to the mix and keep the narrative moving forward.

I would definitely NOT consider this to be "historical fiction" though it certainly meets the criteria. Really fun to read. My only gripe is the sometimes excessive asides the protagonist makes via first person POV to the reader. While almost always highly amusing, it became tiresome at a few points. In the middle of a tension-filled action scene is not the best place to insert a humorous aside; it deflates the tension like a 4 day-old balloon.

As mentioned earlier I will definitely make a point to catch up on the other works in the series. Apr 08, Chris rated it really liked it Shelves: Book 5 in the Ethan Gage saga is much the same as his previous adventures. A man simply wanting to get the good life. In this case, he is newly married, and just wants to retire from public life with his wife, Astiza, and son Horus "Harry".

And naturally things have a way of turning on poor Ethan. What starts as trying to sell an Emerald he procured in the last novel, turns into a wild chanse for ancient Aztec treasures from Montezuma. The allure of flying machines amidst this lost treasure spark Book 5 in the Ethan Gage saga is much the same as his previous adventures. The allure of flying machines amidst this lost treasure sparks the French imagination as war looms between Britain Taking place briefly in the French Alps,b but mostly in the Carribean, Gage and his family are caught up in the Haitian slave revolt and the nasty politics of French and British controlled tropical islands.

Many historical figures make an appearance, as always: Gage also makes a new friend in a black by the name of Jubal. Together wild adventure ensues ending with many catastrphes. However, Ethan emerges on the other side with a one track mind to get revenge on the man that made him risk so much when all he wanted to do was sell his Emerald and retire comfortably as a savant and gentleman in America. Alluded in the Historical note, the sixth Gage adventure is on the way, one that will have bombs aplenty flying through the air Mar 12, J.

Ethan Gage is the kind of self-deprecating hero most of us can relate to. Fortunately he has a knack for attracting assistance from others who make up for his flaws. Unlike Fraser who used footnotes which, while interesting, could be distracting , Dietrich utilizes an afterword to sort out truth from fiction in his tale. Dec 02, Gordon rated it really liked it. The Emerald storm is an unusual historical novel.

It concerns the slave revolution in Haiti.

The Emerald Storm

The historical setting is compelling and authentic. The real characters such as Dessalines well drawn. Most intriguing is the descriptions of the motives and attitudes of the slave owners and of the slaves. I have read extensively about slavery and about Haiti in particular and I have not seen such a concise and accurate explanation of the repulsive excuses the slave owners used to justify slavery. This The Emerald storm is an unusual historical novel.

This book is worth reading just to understand these vile attitudes. The novel part is narrated by the fanciful adventurer, Ethan Gage. Gage's every move embroils him in more and deeper trouble. He escapes in bizarre and inventive ways only to find himself in deeper and deeper trouble. He is American but plays on all sides of the political spectrum from British to French to American, finally playing a fanciful part on behalf of the Haitian rebels in the final battle that expelled the French from Haiti.

It makes for an entertaining read with the benefit of learning some Haitian and slavery history. Jun 28, Cyndi Beane-Henry rated it it was amazing. I absolutely adored this book! From historical characters with names you're sure to recognize to the un-named heroes of an era long gone. One is swept up with Ethan Gage as he struggles to keep his family together and protect his fortune. Only to lose both.

The Emerald Storm (Ethan Gage, #5) by William Dietrich

Then scrape and fight to get them back. A strange attempt to uncover a lost treasure, only to lose it in the storm of the century. Along with the two family members aboard a ship, where someone will once more be lost. Despair to hope and back again. And so much more will keep you on the edge of your seat! If you enjoy adventure I give this book Five Stars and a big Thumbs Up! This book was provided by Amazon Vine in exchange for an independent and non-biased review. Mar 29, David Ketelsen rated it really liked it. I received a copy of this book gratis from the Goodread's Giveaway program.

This book is very well written. Dietrich has a writing style that makes reading easy and the pages just fly. My only criticism is that I really don't like the main character, Ethan Gage, that much. I think most people would relate well to Gage but I find him too breezy. His cavalier attitude towards danger rubs me the wrong way. But that aside, Gage's ability to keep digging himself further into trouble makes for a great I received a copy of this book gratis from the Goodread's Giveaway program.

But that aside, Gage's ability to keep digging himself further into trouble makes for a great plot. In this book he's nearly killed while flying down a cliff from an icebound prisonand keep in mind this is in and things only go downhill, pun intended, from there. Gage's ability to pick himself up and carry on is great to watch. In this book things have changed somewhat from earlier books because now Gage is married with a child. His internal worries about his family make up some of the backdrop of this installment in the series.

William Dietrich is a historian as well as a journalist. This background is illustrated in the painless way that Dietrich relays a lot of Caribbean history during the course of this book. Any Indiana Jones Adventure Seekers. This is the 5th novel in the continuing adventures of the intrepid "Ethan Gage" by Mr. Dietrich and it is a very good read. Having followed Ethan from the first novel, I always look forward to the next scandalous tale. If you have been following this series then you are aware that Mr. Dietrich has centered his character around Napoleon and the early 19th century.

In this latest book, we are involved with the slave uprising in the Caribbean island of Saint Dominique which as we know today as Hait This is the 5th novel in the continuing adventures of the intrepid "Ethan Gage" by Mr. In this latest book, we are involved with the slave uprising in the Caribbean island of Saint Dominique which as we know today as Haiti. As with the previous novels in this series, Mr. Dietrich does a wonderful job of creating a great tale of adventure centered around a historical note in the Napoleonic Era. Not having read or studied the Slave uprising of Haiti, this was very informative without the story being sacrificed with dry facts as only Mr.

You can read this novel without having read the other books but just a warning, be prepared to search your local library for the previous Ethan Gage thrillers. Apr 25, Frank rated it really liked it. Ethan Gage is a sort of reluctant soldier of fortune. He claims he wants to cash in and just live a life of the rich and famous but in fact he loves the danger and adventure of trying to not only outsmart those with the treasures and secrets; he also must outsmart those enlisting he to find the treasures and secrets and he has no problem in claiming alliance to all sides.

He straddles the fence and is really only serving himself. This book will take you from the Alps to the Caribbean with lots o Ethan Gage is a sort of reluctant soldier of fortune. This book will take you from the Alps to the Caribbean with lots of action. The era is and you get to share in the names of that time and the technology also.

Ethan Gage, American adventurer, sharpshooter, and apprentice to the late Benjamin Franklin wins a card game, to pocket a mysterious medallion. Because of the mysterious medallion, and his knowledge of the working of electricity he joins the force of engineers and scientists trying to unlock the secrets of the ancient Egyptian pyramids. Even as he travels down south, he cannot shake the shadowy enemies who want to get hold of the medallion, and take the powers it could confer for themselves.

The story is rich with characters from the enigmatic Astiza to the Talma the opportunistic journalist to the Arab Mercenary Achmed Bin Sadr. William Dietrich writes a compelling narrative of a smoldering love story, mathematical mysteries, and monumental battles fought by the rootless adventurer, Ethan Gage. The hairbreadth escapes, reckless heroism, mysteries of the Pharaohs, mathematical puzzles, scantily clad women and riveting battles will leave you cheering on the enigmatic protagonist. He is looking for his rival Count Alessandro Silano, word of what happened to his lover Astiza, and also doubles up as a British agent charged with finding the mysterious Book of Thoth.

Dietrich once again manages to combine ancient puzzles, vivid characters, evocative scenery, and a fascinating tale of world history to captivate the senses of historical thriller buffs.

See a Problem?

After Napoleon triumphs in Egypt, he sets his sights on the Holy Land seeking to destroy the Ottomans and becoming the next Alexander the Great. With the narrative moving from Jaffa to Jerusalem to the siege of the City of Ghosts — Acre, the skills and talents of Gage must be brought to bear to ensure Napoleon does not prevail. However, it is not all work and no play for our British American adventurer as he explores the hidden tunnels of Jerusalem with a motley crew of a native guide named Mohammad, a hulking British soldier who goes by Big Ned, and a lovely woman known as Miriam.

Ethan Gage finds himself changing sides numerous times, as they conduct bold experiments and pull of daring escapes that will shape the future of the world. If you we relooking for a novel that has the utmost thrill, then this is it. It provides a narrative on speculation on ancient mysteries, some wry humor, villainy, discoveries, escapes, and pitched battles that will leave you sated.

If you see one missing just send me an e-mail below. Our author of the month is Canadian author Opal Carew who writes erotic romance novels. Opal has written over novels with multiple book series such as the Dirty Talk series and the Abducted series. Ethan Gage Books In Order. Jack Reacher is back! Personally I thought this was the 2nd best Reacher book yet. Family secrets come back to haunt Reacher when he decides to visit the town his father was born in. Because when he visits there he finds out no-one with the last name of Reacher has ever lived there.

It leaves him wondering - did his father ever live there? Every 2 weeks we send out an e-mail with Book Recommendations. We'll base this on various factors for example "If you like Jack Reacher Insert your e-mail below to start getting these recommendations.

One of my favourite series is the Brilliance Saga by Marcus Sakey and it is our featured series of the month.

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