Ethan Gage thanks you for your patience.
My dogged rascal of a hero is back, with his wife Astiza and son Harry, in a daring and terrifying quest for “The Trojan Icon,” an object from the Trojan War that can control the fate of empires.
The book is available as a $15.99 trade paperback edition and $9.99 Kindle edition on Amazon.com as well as a $9.99 eBook on iBooks, Kobo, and (soon) Nook.
This is the eighth in the Ethan Gage series of Napoleonic-era adventures, this one set in 1806-1807 when the French emperor was at the height of his power. Publication was delayed when my original publisher dropped the series, I explored alternatives, and finally decided to publish independently.
“The Trojan Icon” is the best one yet, by the way. The paperback is 424 pages, similar in length to others in the series. Designer Victoria Colotta has given it a splendid, polished look.
Now my problem is getting the word out, a struggle for all independent authors. I hope you will read it, review it on-line, and alert your friends.
The action starts in St. Petersburg, the Russian capital, where the Gage family has gone from refugees to the favorites of the Tsarina and her former lover, the foreign minister. The imperial pair propose a perilous quest for our heroes, with a title and mansion as the promised reward.
Desired is the theft of the Grunwald Swords, a real-life Polish relic that could help inspire the resurrection of a recently dismembered Poland and reshape Napoleonic Europe.
The swords are in an impregnable vault guarded by a thousand men, and promised to a one-armed, one-eyed Prussian with a knack for treachery and murder.
Oh yes – and the theft must go undiscovered.
Naturally, Ethan says yes.
That daunting project is just the beginning of the intrigues that embroil the Gage clan. Astiza, it seems, is the key to far bigger schemes, and a far more ancient relic with far greater powers, which is guarded by an even more terrifying and loathsome villain.
Those are spoilers enough. Suffice to say the action swirls from wintry St. Petersburg to a king in exile in Latvia, to a replica Roman temple in Poland, to a derelict castle in Transylvania, and on to Constantinople, capital of the Ottoman Empire. A beautiful French sultana locked in the palace harem is seeking help.
As with the other Gage novels, much of the story is inspired by real events and many of the characters were real people. The 1807 climax takes place during a historical war and coup in Constantinople.
And as in the preceding “The Three Emperors,” some of the chapters are told from the point of view of Astiza and Harry. It’s a challenge and a joy to make a swashbuckling thriller a family affair.
I hope you once more enjoy Ethan’s company. He’s a good man in tight spots, with enough wisdom from Benjamin Franklin to justify time spent with him!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Dear Mr. Dietrich,
Thank you so much for moving ahead with the Ethan Gage series as an independent publication! You have become one of my all-time favorite authors, and the Ethan Gage series tops my all-time list. I wonder if you have considered offering The Trojan Icon directly to your readers in addition to the usual large vendors like Amazon.com? I would prefer to see the proceeds go entirely to you in support of your work, and as a series that I know I will want to read again and again, I would prefer to have a digital copy I can keep forever, rather than pay for a rented, crippled copy that I can only read with permission of the vendor according to their rules of the month. DRM doesn’t deter criminals, since they’ll only bypass the protection anyway - it only burdens honest readers who only want to enjoy the books without having to jump through hoops to do it.
I hope you will give it some thought.
Love the characters. Glad you decided to move forward. Hope things go well for you and are able to get word out so you can enjoy self publishing.
With the Trojan ICON will that end the Gage family series?
I have all of your ethan gage books. They are my favorite treasure. I’ve collected them all as new hardcover. I’m wondering if the trojan icon will be published in hardcover also.
Another excellent adventure for Ethan Gage and company. From the Baltic to the Bosporus Straits,
the excitement and action never abates. Any one who is a fan of great action and adventure stories
will love this novel. Just like all the others in this superb series, it is a page turner from the start.
I enjoyed the inclusion of Caleb, Ethan’s brother. That helped to add more dimension to Ethan’s
past and hope he will be included in future books.
Harper Publishing made a foolish error in not publishing more books in the Gage series. There are
very few books out there that are as exciting, addictive and well written. At a time when it is difficult
to find great book series that make you want to invest your time and money into, it is heartbreaking
to think that this series may come to an end because of a lack of vision by a publishing company.
Thanks to all for your comments!