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In the third installment of his historical adventure series, William Dietrich (who is also a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist) plunges his swaggering hero, Ethan Gage, into the American wilderness with Magnus Bloodhammer, a philosophical Norwegian historian who believes that early Norse explorers not only arrived in America before any other Europeans, but also left an incalculably powerful treasure hidden deep in its wilderness. In the course of his climactic adventure, Gage strategizes with Napoleon, dines with Thomas Jefferson in the newly-constructed White House, and finds himself at odds with Danish royalists, Indian chiefs, disenfranchised frontiersmen, French fur traders, and of course, the British. Dietrich has a knack for gracefully inserting his hero into the fabric of French and American history in a manner which makes it seem almost inevitable that he would have "save[d] the day at the Battle of Marengo," been an inspiration for a possible statue of liberty, and crossed paths with such notables as Benjamin Franklin, Meriwether Lewis, and Tecumseh. Moreover, Gage is a strong narrator and his voice is well-rendered—jaunty and amusing, peppered with double entendres, and genuine, even if he insists on constantly reminding the reader just what type of man he is. ("I'm a man cursed with the compulsion to toss the dice, to bet all on the main chance, to listen to dreamers," he explains in the midst of his adventure.) While this enterprising 'savant' will certainly entertain those with a predilection for Indiana Jones films and clever, fast-paced adventure tales, however, aspects of the book may prevent it from reaching a broader audience. For one, while THE DAKOTA CIPHER is a stand-alone novel, Gage makes numerous references to his previous adventures, especially in the beginning of the story. As such, interested readers might be better served by beginning with NAPOLEON'S PYRAMIDS, the first title in the Ethan Gage series. A larger issue for some may be Gage's continual womanizing. For although his lusty mishaps are supposed to be part of the fun, they may become irksome for readers who quickly tire of casually chauvinistic descriptions of conniving seductresses' "enchanting orbs" and "little purse[s] down below." Perhaps Gage's attitude towards women can be chalked up to his simply having opinions appropriate for his moment in history, but given that he exhibits a relatively progressive attitude towards the abolition of slavery, it seems reasonable to hope he might refer to a woman as something more than an "impressive piece of architecture." This aside, THE DAKOTA CIPHER remains an exciting romp though the American wilderness which mixes just enough historical accuracy with just enough imagination to satisfy sticklers and armchair adventurers alike.
Reviewed by Larissa Kyzer, March 2009
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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