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Stravaganza: City of Masks
Unavailable
Stravaganza: City of Masks
Unavailable
Stravaganza: City of Masks
Audiobook9 hours

Stravaganza: City of Masks

Written by Mary Hoffman

Narrated by Kathe Mazur

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

During the day, Lucien battles cancer in his modern, normal life. But at night, he becomes a Stravagante, a time-traveler of sorts who finds himself in Belleza, a city parallel to old Venice. Befriended by a local girl and protected by an older Stravagante, Lucien uncovers a plot to murder the city's beloved ruler, the Duchessa. But to save the Duchessa and the city Lucien risks losing his only chance to return home to his family and his real life.

The well-paced, thick-with-plot story will hook the reader immediately and not let go until the superb, unexpected end. City of Masks is the first in a three-book arc from the gifted Mary Hoffman.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 6, 2005
ISBN9780739330968
Author

Mary Hoffman

Mary Hoffman is an acclaimed children's writer and critic. She is the author of the bestselling picture book Amazing Grace. Her Stravaganza sequence for Bloomsbury is so popular it has 80 current stories on Fanfiction.net. Her previous books for Bloomsbury also include: The Falconer's Knot (shortlisted for the Guardian Fiction Award and winner of the French Prix Polar Jeunesse 2009) and Troubadour (shortlisted for the Costa Book Award). Mary has three grown-up children and lives with her husband in West Oxfordshire. To follow Mary's thoughts on books and writing, go to http://bookmavenmary.blogspot.com Mary Hoffman is an acclaimed children's writer and critic. She is the author of the bestselling picture book Amazing Grace. Her Stravaganza sequence for Bloomsbury is so popular it has 80 current stories on Fanfiction.net. Her previous books for Bloomsbury also include: The Falconer's Knot (shortlisted for the Guardian Fiction Award and winner of the French Prix Polar Jeunesse 2009), Troubadour (nominated for the 2010 Carnegie Medal) and most recently David, a rich and epic tale based upon the creation of Michaelangelo's renowned statue of David. Mary lives with her husband in West Oxfordshire. To follow Mary's thoughts on books and writing, go to http://bookmavenmary.blogspot.com

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Reviews for Stravaganza

Rating: 3.8981191536050157 out of 5 stars
4/5

319 ratings17 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a really enjoyable book with a wonderful combination of time travel, history and fantasy. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    READ IN DUTCH

    I read this book about seven years ago, and when I was younger it was one of my favorites. I liked the setting, the story, everything about it. I read this first book almost as an accident as I only found out about it, when I saw it sitting in one of my friends bags while she was taking it home again after another friend had borrowed it. I asked if I could read it as well, and just about 24 hours later I had already finished and couldn't help myself starting the second book already. I really enjoyed it, and needless to say: I also wished I could travel to Renaissance Italy at Night...
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    A run of the mill plot mediocre writing nice setting ≠ great book. Definitely want to visit Venice now. Definitely do not want to read the sequel.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An enjoyable read for everyone.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Lucien is dying of cancer. His father gives him a notebook which becomes a talisman for Lucien to transport back in time to Venice in the 16th Century. In Venice at this time things are not going well the Duchessa knows her life is in danger. All girls over 16 must wear a mask so it is easy for the Duchess to foil plans. Excelllent read
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's not THE best book I've ever read, but it's probably my top ten.Lucien is a boy with cancer. One night, he finds that if he holds a small book when he sleeps, he is whisked away to another world, quite similar yet very different than a 1600s version of Venice, called Belleza. He is intrigued by this new place, and finds friends there. But, in Belleza the di Chimici extended family wants to gain the power of Stravagation, which is how Lucien gets to Belleza, and are soon on his heels....The way Mary Hoffman writes this book kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next. She also has bits in there for everyone: adventure, mystery, fantasy, and romance.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As a series, Stravaganza is heartfelt, fun, engaging, and fantastic. City of Masks is a great introduction novel to the Stravaganza series. Perfect for girls and boys who like mixing their fantasy with a bit of real life!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A hero who is terminally ill is an unusual premise for teen literature and it added a layer of unpredictability to this story of a life spent alternately in contemporary London and in the early modern equivalent of Venice from an alternate universe. The intrigue of the period is captured convincingly and the parallel world accommodates a fine disregard for inconvenient historical details. Good as the writing is, however, the very best thing about this book is its ingenious cover with the pierced dustjacket forming a mask for the eyes printed on the boards.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Mildly entertaining juvenile; central character being a dying child rather casts a pall.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    While City of Masks might not be a particularly revolutionary work, or the best thing ever, or anything, I find that it is a thoroughly enjoyable read, with a lot that appeals about it. While it is technically a YA novel, I feel that it doesn't really stick to the YA tropes, though the central character is a teenager, and thus I like to recommend it to people that don't generally care for YA novels.The basic premise of the novel and the rest of the Stravaganza series is that William Dethridge, while attempting alchemy in the 16th century, discovered a way to travel to an alternate universe Venice, called Bellezza. This alternate universe is very similar to our own, but with a few specific divergences - the most prominent in City of Masks are the shift of major Italian personages: the Doge of Venice is here traditionally a Duchess, the de Medici family are known as the de Chemicis. But, also, there are other things, like Christianity being less prominent, science involving actual magic, and silver being valued more than gold. People who can travel from one world to the other (through the use of talismans brought from the destination world) are known as Stravagantes, and Lucian becomes one when his father finds a marbled notebook at a construction site and brings it home to him. Lucian has cancer and is bedridden; the notebook is meant not only as a pretty present, but as a way for Lucian to communicate, because he is too weak to speak at first. One day he falls asleep while holding the notebook after being read to from a book about Venice, and when he awakens, he is in Bellezza.City of Masks follows several plot threads: what is happening to Lucian in modern-day London; the intrigues of the de Chemici family against the Duchessa; the adventures of Arianna, the first girl Lucian meets in Bellezza; and how Lucian settles into Bellezza as Luciano. The primary thread that ties everything together, from the Duchessa to her lover the head senator and scholar Rodolfo to Arianna and her family &c is the one involving the de Chemicis, who want to take control of Bellezza, preferably by killing the Duchessa.Along with the intrigue and adventure in the story (and the fantasy elements), there is a touch of romance, but not so much to feel out of place or overwhelming, like with Shannon Hale's novel Enna Burning. In fact, one of the things I like about City of Masks is that the plot feels very balanced and everything happens in a very satisfying way, without being too obvious early on or too bluntly done or whatever. It's very enjoyable and I've read it several times since I first discovered it without growing tired of it.My only concern about recommending this book freely is that Lucian is dying of cancer in his "real" life, and that might be difficult for some people. On the other hand, the ending is totally happy and satisfying, so it might be worth reading for that. I tend to forget about the dying of cancer part when I recommend the book to others, but having just finished another reread, that bit is fresh in my mind right now.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Eminently readable YA alternate history fantasy novel. I enjoyed it and plan to read other books by the same author.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    this book is a riveting tale about a young man who is able to travel between two times/dimensions via a book that his father found in a house near his highschool. Lucian is a sick boy in his world going through recovery from cemotherapy for cancer. But as he starts to travel he realizes that there is complication that go along with it. the only way he can get to the other world is being falling asleep with this book in his hands. But, his body stays in his world just as much as it exsists in the other one.I like this book because its suspensful and very interesting. It's able to keep my attention when i read it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!! THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER!!!!! READ IT, IT'S REALLY GOOD!!!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A world brought to life by Mary Hoffman. So familiar yet so different. You never know where this book will take you.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great story, I loved it!! A kid with cancer goes to this other world of magic and adventure, truly one of a kind!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Mary Hoffman's Stravaganza: City of Masks has a little bit of everything for everyone. The hero, a London Boy named Lucien who is combatting the side effects of chemotherapy, is given a leatherbound notebook from Venice his father found in an old attic one day. He inadvertently falls asleep with it in his hand and his transported to Venice of the 16th century. But oddly enough, this is not the 16th century of his world, but of a parallel dimension. And even odder than that, he seems to be healthy and whole in this other dimension. Hoffman has successfully woven a gripping adventure tale, a fantastical/historical portrait of the romantic city of Venice and a moving story of a boy and his family dealing with cancer all into one fast paced, original children's novel. I
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Quite a good read about a young boy with cancer who finds escape through a book to another world and a mirror of Venice, Bellezza. When he becomes embroiled in the politics of that city and the Duchessa he finds that he's integral to the saving of the city.Interesting and full of personalities and adventure.