Hoffman, Mary. City of secrets (Stravaganza).
Bloomsbury (St. Martins), 2008, 382p, $17.99, 978-1-59990-202-9.
In this newest addition to the Stravaganza series, Matt is another student at Barnsbury Comp who becomes a stravaganti after the discovery of his personal talisman. Matt is severely dyslexic, very insecure, and desperately trying to figure out his future. For his birthday, he has received yet another unwanted book token from his great-aunt that draws him into an antique store by a powerful impulse. There, he discovers an old book of spells and friends Georgia and Nick. When he sleeps that night with the book in his hand, he is transported to the Talian city Padavia, home of the great university. He has become a time traveler between alternate universes. In Padavia, he is no longer dyslexic but able to read and write fluently. He becomes a printer’s helper in Dr. Constantin’s Scriptorium and helps publish illegal books on both anatomy and magic. He discovers that Luciano, a fellow student who has died in his world but lives on in Talia, as well as Georgia and Nick, are also stravagantes. Together with other friends from the Talian cities of Bellaza, Giglia, and Remora, they must defeat the Church’s new laws against magic; prevent the deaths by burning of the Goddess worshipping Manoush, and save Luciano from the revenge of the di Chimici. All is done with panache and style.
This sprightly written and exciting time travel adventure is utterly fascinating. It offers both fantasy and suspenseful historical fiction in a well-paced plot and with engaging characters. With a Byzantine plot very redolent of Renaissance Italy and the de Medicis, the author weaves many strands into a marvelous whole, with the locations are beautifully rendered, and the characters are very three-dimensional. The story is told through the intertwined voices of the main characters, alternating between them. They all come from a different time and place in society and have different points of view. The author mixes adventure, political intrigues, mystery, a sixteenth century background, and a little romance into this very well done book.
This is a must purchase for any library who numbers fantasy readers among its users. They will be waiting impatiently for the next volume. SO
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