City of Ships is the fifth book in the Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman. Its corresponding short story is The Fourth Wise Man[1].
“ | What is the book about this time? Not mosaics and ships and pirates and spies, although they are all in there. This time it is about belonging. It's a need felt by almost all human beings, to discover a group, whether of family, friends, colleagues or Stravaganti, where they can feel at home and free to be themselves. | ” |
Synopsis[]
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 Talian town of Classe.
The Stravagante is Isabel, a younger twin by a matter of minutes. Her talisman is a pouch of silver mosaic tiles and she stravagates to Classe, where she is met by Flavia, a successful female merchant who trades spices, silks, tapestries, and whose son is an outcast and a pirate. Isabel finds that Classe and Bellezza are under threat from attack by the fierce Gate people. What can she do to help save the city? This is a thrilling story packed with action, pirates and drama.
Contents[]
- Prologue: The Merchant of Classe
- 1. Imaginary Twin
- 2. A Diplomatic Gift
- 3. Belonging
- 4. Luciano and Arianna
- 5. Exiles
- 6. The Black Raider
- 7. Matchmaking
- 8. Defiance
- 9. Runaway
- 10. A Change of Direction
- 11. Spreading Wings
- 12. The Life Aquatic
- 13. War
- 14. The Prince of Giglia
- 15. Brothers
- 16. The Reality and the Dream
- 17. Andrea's Story
- 18. All at Sea
- 19. Out of His Depth
- 20. The World Turned Upside Down
- 21. The Gate of the Year
- 22. Death on the Water
- 23. The Battle of Classe
- 24. The Duke
- Epilogue: A Part of the Whole
- Historical Note
- The Sea Battle of Classe
- di Chimici family tree
- Dramatis Personae
- Acknowledgements
Characters[]
Stravaganti[]
- Isabel Evans
- Georgia O'Grady
- Nick Duke
- Sky Meadows
- Matt Wood
- Luciano Crinamorte
- Rodolfo Rossi
- Flavia
- William Dethridge
Talians[]
- Andrea
- Beatrice di Chimici
- Filippo Nucci
- Fausto Ventura
- Germano Mariano
- Enrico Poggi
- Rinaldo di Chimici
- Leonora Crinamorte
- Arianna Rossi
English[]
Cover Gallery[]
Other Facts[]
- Beatrice di Chimici marries Filippo Nucci at the end of the book and is disowned by her family[3]
Notes and References[]
- Early details about City of Ships suggested the Stravagante from Barnsbury would be a boy named Adam (or Alban[4]) and his mentor would be a merchant named Loredana according to the Guide to Talia. Subsequent revisions of the guide revealed the Stravagante would be named Isabel (previously the name assigned to the Stravagante to Montemurato, who was renamed Emily) and Loredana would renamed Flavia.[5]
- ↑ stravaganza.co.uk
- ↑ Message from Mary - City of Ships
- ↑ Epilogue of City of Ships
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Guide to Talia, winter 1579 - older version
Books City of Masks · City of Stars · City of Flowers · City of Secrets · City of Ships · City of Swords | |||
Short Stories A Talian Tale · A Sting in the Tail · An Impossible Task · Sugar Fox · The Fourth Wise Man · Under the Walls |