The Tears of the Salamander- Peter Dckinson
In this sophisticated story, Dickinson takes readers inside a volcanic mountain of fire, where a salamander sheds healing tears and excerts liquid gold. 13 yaer-old Alfredo is happy with his life, singing in the choir and learning from his father. Then comes the tragedy: the family house burns. Alfredo, the only survivor, is whisked away to his ancestral home by his mysterious uncle, who has another motive. Although simple and well written, Dickinson's story is complex as Alfredo moves from a wary gratefulness to discover the horrifying truth: his uncle, who controls the volcano, is ready to use his socerer's powers to claim Alfredo's strong, young body for his own. Not everything here is easy to understand: the power of the salamanders and the mystical relationship they have with the mountain's fire are sometimes too esoteric to grasp. The Tears of the Salamander is well written, and the fierce beauty of the mountain and its fire will linger in memory.