Ward, John. The Secret of the Alchemist: The Fate of the Stone.

WARD, John. The secret of the alchemist. (The Fate of the Stone, Part 1.) 8 cds. 7.5 hrs, 2003. 1-74093-565-9. $64.00. The stone of sorrow. (The Fate of the Stone, Part 2.) 7 cds. 7 hrs. 2003. 1-74093-664-7. $56.00. Read by Colin Moody. Bolinda Audio. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. SA *

In Part I, two teenagers meet during a literary competition in Italy. Jake Giacometti, from Scotland, is conservative and laid back and not much of a risk taker, at least not until he meets British Helen deHavilland, who is headstrong, impulsive and virtually fearless. Her father is something of a wheeler-dealer in the art world, and had he not tried to cheat a customer, Jake and Helen's fantastic adventures might never have happened. But he did, and Steven de Havilland's shady dealings are basically the scenario for both of these volumes. In The Secret of the Alchemist, they find themselves up against an arch villain who uses magic and the black arts to achieve his ends; he is right behind the teenagers and Helen's father in a race through Italy in order to learn the secret of an old painting. During this time, they actually come face to face with both Dante Alighieri and Sir Thomas Aquinas, thanks to wizardry and some good luck.

Part II is more intense, filled with richer imagery and a new cast of characters (along with Helen and Jake and the somewhat scurrilous Mr. deHavilland). Characters include the monstrous and seemingly immortal Draganou, the enigmatic Zoe, whose allegiances are always in question, and the dead but mind-controlled Dr. Negulescu. You have to be alert to follow the complexities of the story of a search for a treasure of priceless value. The final scene takes place in an underground palace in Turkey, with all characters in attendance. As Helen wraps her hand around the object of all their desires, the final four words spoken are "The end, for now."

With such a rich story, scrupulously crafted characters from both sides of the morality standard, and a couple of teenagers who are both heroic and still humanly vulnerable, Moody has wonderful material to work with, and he makes the most of it. His slightly raspy voice almost magically transforms into many voices. Miles Klein, Frisco, TX

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.