Stravaganza

Sequel to City of Masks, the setting is again Talia, the parallel world very similar to 16th-century Italy, but the main character in this book is Georgia - who has a love of horses. She is desperate to buy a little, dusty winged horse that has appeared in a local antique shop. This tiny, winged horse proves to be the talisman that transports Georgia right into the rivalries and the high-octane excitement of the hugely competitive Stellata horse race. Mary Hoffman proved herself a mistress of a narrative tour-de-force with City of Masks and this sequel will not disappoint. Fans will be thrilled too that favourite characters from the first book, such as Lucien and Arianna, again appear.

The sixth title in the ever popular Stravaganza series

The latest installment in the critically acclaimed Stravaganza series begins with Matt, the new Stravagante. Despite having a beautiful and very smart girlfriend, Matt is insecure because he is dyslexic. He discovers that he is capable of traveling between two worlds when a leather-bound book transports him from his home in England to Talia, the parallel-world version of Italy, where he meets a fellow-Stravagante named Luciano-who is hiding from the powerful di Chimici family. Luciano has just killed the head of that family in a duel, and is in grave danger. Banding together, Matt and Luciano must resist the di Chimici family, who are on the verge of making a terrifying breakthrough into our world.

Georgia is an ordinary girl, living in London with her mother, stepfather, and bully of a stepbrother, and coping with the difficulties of growing up. But her life takes a sudden change when she buys a tiny figurine of a winged horse, and suddenly finds herself swept up into the world of the Stravagante. The tiny horse becomes her magical time-travel talisman and transports her to Remora, the Talian parallel to the city of Siena, Italy. There she meets Lucien, the Stravagante we first met in City of Masks, and many other fascinating people who are in the midst of preparing for the Stellata, the annual horse race run each year in the city. Intrigue, romance, and the rare appearance of a true winged horse ensure an exciting adventure to rival the first in this captivating series.

Feeling inferior to her talented twin brother, teenaged Isabel is transported to a parallel world that resembles the Italian Renaissance city-state of Ravenna, where she tries to save the city from attack by the fierce Gate people.

Drawn to France to explore the myth of Saint Christopher and the "cynocephalus" or the dog-headed, Annja Creed finds herself repeatedly and inexplicably targeted by vicious mercenaries. Her best defense is to trace this brutal violence back to its source, which she soon discovers to be a millionaire and self-professed descendant of King Charlemagne. Original.

A mysterious warrior travels the kingdom of Auroria, battling monstrous creatures and seeking adventure. Few know this warrior's true identity as the young and inexperienced masked monarch, Queen Vivian! Stravaganza chronicles a world where humans are not at the top of the food chain, and the Queen in the Iron Mask must learn to use both her sword and her throne to protect her people from the dangers looming beyond the city walls.

The new installment in the critically acclaimed Stravaganza series transports readers to a world much like our own-but where magic and piracy come to life in the Italian town of Classe. The new Stravagante is Isabel, a visitor from our world who befriends Flavia, a successful female merchant of spices, silks, and tapestries. But Flavia soon finds herself an outcast and a pirate, while Isabel learns that Classe is under threat of attack by the fierce Gate people. What can she do to help save the city? Fans of fantasy and historical fiction alike who have flocked to the Stravaganza series will welcome this action-packed adventure, which can be read alone or as a companion to the previous novels. Look out for the other books in this series: City of Masks, City of Stars, City of Flowers, City of Secrets, and City of Swords-out next year!