By sheer coincidence, four teenagers—from Italy, France, the United States, and China—find themselves the focus of a chase involving ancient maps, mysteries, and the constellations, culminating in a desperate attempt to piece together the clues that lie in modern-day Rome. By design, there are certain things that are supposed to occur when the four come together, but when the Parisian is abducted, it becomes clear that the plan has gone awry. The matters of who to trust—or not—including oneself, and of cosmic purpose define this first book in the Century Quartet series. Book 2, Star of Stone, was released in fall 2010 . bef

Originally published as L’Anello di Fuoco in Italian by Edizion Piemme Italy, in 2006. Translated by Leah D.