Curses and Smoke

Convincing performances by Marisol Ramirez and Zach Villa make listeners care about Tag, the medical slave, and Lucia, the aristocratic daughter of his brutal master. Their forbidden teenage romance blossoms in the shadow of the inevitable eruption of Vesuvius and the subsequent destruction of Pompeii. Speaking in alternating chapters as the would-be lovers, Ramirez sounds bright and intelligent as Lucia, while Villa's Tag sounds noble and brave. Listeners will want to know how (or whether) the couple escapes the fury of the mountain, even as the countdown to disaster continues. While the writing in the final scenes (the destruction of Pompeii) proves more fizzle than fire, well-developed characters, careful period research, and two appealing narrations make this worthwhile listening for older teens. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine