City of Stars is the second book in the Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman, and A Sting in the Tail is the corresponding short story[1].
“ | ...she saw behind him a miraculous creature that could have been the model of the horse in her hand. A beautiful coal-black foal with black feathery wings folded at its shoulders. | ” |
—City of Stars, Chapter 1: Families |
Synopsis[]
Georgia is an ordinary girl, living in London with her mother, stepfather and bully of a stepbrother and coping with the difficulties of growing up. But all that changes when she buys a tiny figurine in the form of a winged horse and suddenly finds herself swept up into the world of the Stravagante. Her talisman, the figurine, transports her to Remora the Talian parallel to Siena, Italy. There she meets Lucien, the Stravagante we first met in City of Masks and many other fascinating people who are in the midst of preparing for the Stellata, the city's annual horse race. Intrigue, romance, and the rare appearance of a true winged horse ensure an exciting adventure to rival the first in this captivating series.
Contents[]
- Prologue: The Flying Horse
- 1. Families
- 2. A New Stravagante
- 3. A City Divided
- 4. A Ghost
- 5. The Shadow of Doubt
- 6. The Youngest Son
- 7. A Harp Plays in Santa Fina
- 8. The Manoush
- 9. Written in the Stars
- 10. Luciano's Story
- 11. The Sound of Drums
- 12. A Circle of Cards
- 13. A Courtship
- 14. Wings
- 15. A Ghost in the Palace
- 16. First Flight
- 17. Translation
- 18. Rivals
- 19. The Dirt Goes Down
- 20. Flying Colours
- 21. Go and Return a Winner
- 22. Star Riders
- 23. The Ram on Fire
- 24. Nets of Gold
- 25. The Shadow Falls
- Epilogue: The Thirteenth Rider
- A Note on the Stellata and the Palio
- di Chimici family tree
Characters[]
- Georgia O'Grady, the protagonist, a lonely and underconfident girl.
- Maura O'Grady, Georgia's mother, a social worker.
- Ralph Lewis, Georgia's stepfather, an electrician.
- Russell Lewis, Georgia's abusive stepbrother.
- Mortimer Goldsmith, an antique shop owner in Islington.
- Paolo Montalbani, the Horsemaster of the Ram, a Stravagante.
- Cesare Montalbani, Paolo's eldest son and an accomplished horseman.
- Gaetano di Chimici, the third son of Duke Niccolò di Chimici, a scholarly young man.
- Falco di Chimici, the youngest son of Duke Niccolò, he adores his older brother Gaetano and loves their father, even though he has no illusions about what his father is truly capable of. Falco’s mother died a year ago.
- Duke Niccolò di Chimici, head of the powerful and rich di Chimici family.
- Ferdinando di Chimici, Pope Lenient VI and the Prince of Remora, he is second son of the previous Duke of Giglia and Duke Niccolò’s younger brother.
- Francesca Albani, the daughter of Jacopo the Younger, childhood sweetheart of Gaetano.
- Alice Greaves, a new girl at Barnsbury Comprehensive who befriends Georgia.
Cover Gallery[]
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 |