Stravaganza: City of Stars (2003)

The second in the Stravaganza series, the City of Masks is not a disappointment. While the role of main character shifts to a new character, a fifteen year old horse-loving girl named Georgia, the continuity between the first and second book is preserved in an interesting and surprisingly smooth fashion. Lucian, the main character from the first book, still functions as a prominent character, but the actions centers around his old school friend Georgia. This story continues the connections between our world and a place in a parallel world, 16th century Talia.

After purchasing a winged horse figurine from a local antique store, Georgia falls asleep while holding her new treasure. When she awakes, she is in the familiar surrounding of a stable but with no recollection of how she got there. She is greeted by a surprised boy, Cesare, and Georgia’s adventures in Talia as a Stravagante begin. Posing as a boy, Georgia explores this world in the disguise of a stable boy named Georgio with her new friend Cesare and her old friend Lucien, now Luciano.

While Georgia struggles with her tomboyish appearance and ruthless stepbrother’s bullying at home, Talia offers a sort of sanctuary, a place where Georgia feels useful, appreciated and at home. In a mulit-layerd story of politics (both of state and of the heart), Georgia finds herself mixed up with a dangerous and powerful family, the di Chimici, and a yearly festival called the Stelatta. Plotting together, Georgia, Luciano and the youngest di Chimici, the “crippled” Falco, the three plan for a way to have Falco translate (permanently live) into 21st century London where he would be healed and not be used according to the whim of his powerful father. As one can imagine, much

This is a wonderful story about friendships that defy obstacles and young people who are not afraid to be who they really are, not matter the cost. ( )

Sequel to Stravaganza: City of Masks, and set in the city of Remora in a parallel universe. The adventures of Georgia, a horse-loving tomboy are as exciting as the previous book.

I read this book a little, but honestly it kind of bored me. I know it's supposed to be exciting because there's time travel, and a gigantic horse race. But it seemed kind of young for me. Like it was something I could have love when I was eight or something. It is probably an amazing book too, but it just didn't appeal to me. ( )

A thrilling sequel to City of Masks it keeps your eyes locked on the pages. ( )

I don't know how she does it, but Hoffman manages to roll modern day issues with time travel and Italian history as well another dimension into one great novel. This time the stravaganti is a girl named Georgia who is suffering intense emotional abuse at the hands of her step brother and is a bit of a late bloomer. Georgia saves up enough money to buy a black, procelain pegasus she sees in the window of an antique shop. She inadvertently falls asleep with it and finds herself in Talia. Although she is as weak in spirit at the beginning of the book as Lucien was in body in the prequel to City of Stars, through her adventures in Talia she finds her own inner strength. ( )