'The Barbed Crown' in the Ethan Gage series by William Dietrich is a historical fiction novel set in the Napoleonic Era. The plot follows Ethan Gage, a lovable American protagonist, as he navigates through political turmoil, adventures, and historical events like the Battle of Trafalgar and Napoleon's coronation. The writing style is described as a unique blend of historical drama, comedy, and adventure, with detailed descriptions of sea battles and interactions with prominent historical figures like Napoleon, Talleyrand, and Lord Nelson.
From The Publisher:
In The Barbed Crown, the sixth tale of rogue and adventurer Ethan Gage by William Dietrich, our hero returns to Paris and London. Against a background of imperial pomp and the gathering clouds of war, Gage plots revenge on Napoleon Bonaparte for the kidnap of his son.
Paris, the "City of Lights," shines - but alongside its splendor is great squalor. Heroic patriotism rubs against mean ambition, while grand strategy and back-alley conspiracy are never far apart.
While Ethan spies on the French court, his wife, Astiza, works to sabotage Napoleon's coronation using the Crown of Thorns, a legendary relic said to have come from the Crucifixion itself. But when Napoleon is crowned nonetheless, they flee to England.
At Walmer Castle on the English coast, Gage joins a daring campaign by Smith, Fulton, rocket inventor William Congreve and smuggler Tom Johnstone to halt Napoleon's intended invasion of England - a campaign which leads Ethan to take a role in the Battle of Trafalgar itself…
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