The fourth novel in the stunning Stravaganza series, City of Secrets, brings characters from the first book back to the fore and reignites our faith in Mary Hoffman's writting prowess.
From the blurb;
'Luciano is as dear to me as my own child,' Rodolfo tole Professor Constantin. 'I want you to teach him what you can. And keep him from being killed.'
'When Matt is unexpectedly transported to the ancient Scriptorium of Padavia, he discovers he is a Stravagante who can travel through time and place using his talisman, a leather-bound book. Together with Luciano, now studying at the University and Arianna, in disguise as a boy, and with the help of fellow Stravaganti, he must fight the ambitious and dangerous di Chimici family, who not only are on the verge of breaking through into our world, but have terrifying designs upon Luciano himself....'
With the return of Lucien we get to learn the true cost, and change, his choices have put upon him, and all the risks that come with those changes.
Matt is a strong headed character who is quick to get his footing in the world of Talia, though is helped by the force of fellow Stravagante who we've seen in previous books, and swiftly moves into the story as it builds in excitement and desperation.
As the plot thickens our story darkens, with Hoffman unwinding the spool of consequence that she has been tightening since the close of the first stunning novel, City of Masks. While our main characters face off against the family Di Chimici, who have plagued the stories throughout, we are asked to question how much we know about their political motives, and whether being part of the family is the same as being aligned to them.
Our characters are asked to gamble on trust in this novel, drawing from all of their past experiences, adventures and achievements in the world of Talia to try to unravel the devious plots of the Di Chimici before it is too late.
City of Secrets is an explosive, dark, turn for the Stravaganza series, in which the risks have never been higher.
We Give City of Secrets Four Stars
ISBN - 978-0-7475-3250-1 Cover Price - £6.99 First published in Great Britain in 2008 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc