El Sello De Eolo

Publishers Weekly

Gr 6-8-This is a story of war, a quest for a lost family seal, and the journey of a young man into adulthood through the rough and exciting world of the Roman Empire. The year is A.D. 161, a time of political and religious turmoil, of persecution and conquest. As a Roman Legionary, 17-year-old Flavio travels from Hispania, the Roman name for Spain, across the vast empire to the land of the Parthians, modern-day Iran. The young man has been initiated into the Christian faith by his tutor and teacher Senax, an old slave in his father's house. To keep Flavio away from Christian influences, his father uses his political influence to secure Flavio a post in the Roman Legion. Before the youth departs, his father gives him a ring that bears the family seal, the Seal of Aeolus, god of the wind, extracting from his son the promise that he will never lose it. On his way, Flavio learns about honor, faith, loyalty, love, betrayal, and death. Alfonseca offers lively and detailed descriptions of ancient cities, war tactics, religious practices, cults, and everyday life. The story suffers from a shift in the voice of the narrator at the end of the eighth chapter. The third-person narration suddenly changes to a first person, and the story is henceforth told by Zenobia, an innkeeper's daughter and Flavio's true love. These shifts detract from the focus of the story. Still, it is an engaging read that offers fodder for discussion. Recommended for high schoolers collections and YA collectionsin public libraries and bookstores. Lucia M. Gonz lez, Miami-Dade Public Library System Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.