Good Opener - left me with lots of questions......but isn't that what the first book in a "series" should do?
What is up with all the "haters"? Why so many negative reviews on Amazon? How many of you are teens or young adults? or readers of YA literature? I think this was a fun set-up for what I am hoping will be a great series.
It left me with unanswered questions - what is Aunt Irene's story - really? I get that the parents weren't involved as much as they should have been in real life - but I also think there is a reason for that. An author who can create a hitman who kills with a violin, may have an explanation for that! The tops intrigue me...see what I mean? lots of questions!!!
Through a series of coincidences - four children (Harvey from New York, Mistral from Paris, and Sheng from Shanghai) find themselves sharing a room with Elettra the daughter of their hotel owner.
...and while chatting they start to discover the other things that connect them...
From the Publisher's description: "Every hundred years, four kids from four cities must save the world."
After reading just back cover, the reader realizes that there are no coincidences in Century #1: Ring of Fire...but instead a carefully planned event that has happened before.
I always love books that open historical worlds that intersperses bits from ancient Rome, Nero, buried churches and basilcas between the adventures of these four children in the libraries, cafes and catacombs of modern day Rome.
Though translated from the Italian, this book keeps its edge and poses question after question...and with the following promise from the Publisher:
"In the first book of the Century quartet, Italian author P. D. Baccalario begins a mystery that will take four cities and four extraordinary kids to solve."
...OK, Senore Baccalario - where do we go next?
Product Description from Amazon
Every hundred years, four kids from four cities must save the world.
Rome, December 29. A mix-up with their reservations forces Harvey from New York, Mistral from Paris, and Sheng from Shanghai to share a room with the hotel owner’s daughter, Elettra. The four kids discover an amazing coincidence—they all have birthdays on February 29, Leap Day. That night, a strange man gives them a briefcase and asks them to take care of it until he returns. Soon afterward, the man is murdered.
The kids open the briefcase. In it they find a series of clues that take them all over Rome, through dusty libraries and dark catacombs, in search of the elusive Ring of Fire, an ancient object so powerful that legend says even a Roman emperor couldn’t control it.
In the first book of the Century quartet, Italian author P. D. Baccalario begins a mystery that will take four cities and four extraordinary kids to solve.
Every hundred years, four kids from four cities must save the world.
Rome, December 29. A mix-up with their reservations forces Harvey from New York, Mistral from Paris, and Sheng from Shanghai to share a room with the hotel owner’s daughter, Elettra. The four kids discover an amazing coincidence—they all have birthdays on February 29, Leap Day. That night, a strange man gives them a briefcase and asks them to take care of it until he returns. Soon afterward, the man is murdered.
The kids open the briefcase. In it they find a series of clues that take them all over Rome, through dusty libraries and dark catacombs, in search of the elusive Ring of Fire, an ancient object so powerful that legend says even a Roman emperor couldn’t control it.
In the first book of the Century quartet, Italian author P. D. Baccalario begins a mystery that will take four cities and four extraordinary kids to solve.
5 comments:
As you know, I loved this book. And I'm pretty convinced the less than flattering reviews at Amazon are by people who didn't realize "Ring of Fire" wasn't adult fiction.
Certainly, if they read as much kidlit as we do, they'd know that this is 'good stuff'.
I'm enjoying your blog. In fact, I've added it to the blog list at BooksForKids-reviews.
Regards!
Pam :D
That is quite a compliment - your website is wonderful!
For those who aren't familiar with Pam you should take a minute and check out her website at: http://www.booksforkids-reviews.com/
Robyn
I loved Ring of Fire. It was a very interesting mystery, and had me spellbound for an entire afternoon. I can't understand why some think it is nonsense. It is elusive and frightening, with a touch of humor. If I have to recommend one of my faovrite books to someone, I'd almost surely say 'Ring of Fire'.
Being a young adult reader, I adored 'Ring of Fire'. It was exactly my kind of book. It has unique characters with different backgrounds, an intriguing plot, and a feeling of uneasy curiosity throughout.People would love this book if it was more popular. If you appreciated it as much as I did, suggest it to anyone who asks you about a good read for tweens or teenagers, possibly adults.
It has been a while - isn't this the one that has a violin playing villain? LOVE!
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