Stravaganza Series by Mary Hoffman

Lucien is seriously ill but his life is transformed when an old Italian notebook gives him the power to become a stravagante, a time traveller with access to 16th century Italy. He wakes up in Bellezza (Venice) during carnival time and meets Arianna, a girl his own age who is disguised as a boy in the hope of being selected as one of the Duchessa's mandoliers... moreLucien is seriously ill but his life is transformed when an old Italian notebook gives him the power to become a stravagante, a time traveller with access to 16th century Italy. He wakes up in Bellezza (Venice) during carnival time and meets Arianna, a girl his own age who is disguised as a boy in the hope of being selected as one of the Duchessa's mandoliers. Arianna gives Lucien her boy's clothing and he is selected as a mandolier himself, becoming a friend of fellow-stravagante Rodolfo, the Duchessa's lover, and saving the Duchessa's life when she is threatened by an assassin hired by the powerful di Chimici family. For state occasions the Duchessa uses her maid Giuliana as a body-double but Guiliana commits the fatal mistake of revealing the secret to her fiance Enrico and a sequence of devastating consequences unravels. Meanwhile Lucien has met the original stravagante, the Elizabethan alchemist William Dethridge, and he begins to understand that he may be called to follow in his footsteps. less

Dreaming of a city with flying horses was one thing... But coming face to face with someone she knew to be dead - that was something else again.Georgia would love nothing more than to ride horses every day and avoid her annoying stepbrother at all costs. But she could never have guessed that a tiny, antique winged horse figurine would be the key to her escape to another world and another time... moreDreaming of a city with flying horses was one thing... But coming face to face with someone she knew to be dead - that was something else again.Georgia would love nothing more than to ride horses every day and avoid her annoying stepbrother at all costs. But she could never have guessed that a tiny, antique winged horse figurine would be the key to her escape to another world and another time. When Georgia arrives in a sixteenth-century city called Remora, she is plunged into a dangerous and treacherous world of horse-racing, family honour and deadly rivalry. And there, as a new Stravagante, Georgia will have a dramatic and extraordinary role to play... less

The Stravaganza series returns with ever-more-dangerous politics and intrigue. Sky, a new Stravagante, is whisked away from his dreary life in London to Giglia, the Talian version of Florence. Featuring favorite characters from the first two titles in the series, including Georgia and Falco, as well as a host of exciting new characters, this breathtaking adventure will not disappoint.But beware-in the beautiful City of Flowers, much that seems beautiful is in fact poisonous...

The latest installment in the critically acclaimed Stravaganza series begins with Matt, the new Stravagante. Despite having a beautiful and very smart girlfriend, Matt is insecure because he is dyslexic. He discovers that he is capable of traveling between two worlds when a leather-bound book transports him from his home in England to Talia, the parallel-world version of Italy, where he meets a fellow-Stravagante named Luciano-who is hiding from the powerful di Chimici family... moreThe latest installment in the critically acclaimed Stravaganza series begins with Matt, the new Stravagante. Despite having a beautiful and very smart girlfriend, Matt is insecure because he is dyslexic. He discovers that he is capable of traveling between two worlds when a leather-bound book transports him from his home in England to Talia, the parallel-world version of Italy, where he meets a fellow-Stravagante named Luciano-who is hiding from the powerful di Chimici family. Luciano has just killed the head of that family in a duel, and is in grave danger. Banding together, Matt and Luciano must resist the di Chimici family, who are on the verge of making a terrifying breakthroughinto our world. less

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 Italian town of Classe. The new Stravagante is Isabel, a visitor from our world who befriends Flavia, a successful female merchant of spices, silks, and tapestries. But Flavia soon finds herself an outcast and a pirate, while Isabel learns that Classe is under threat of attack by the fierce Gate people... moreThe 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 Italian town of Classe. The new Stravagante is Isabel, a visitor from our world who befriends Flavia, a successful female merchant of spices, silks, and tapestries. But Flavia soon finds herself an outcast and a pirate, while Isabel learns that Classe is under threat of attack by the fierce Gate people. What can she do to help save the city?Fans of fantasy and historical fiction alike who have flocked to the Stravaganza series will welcome this action-packed adventure, which can be read alone or as a companion to the previous novels. less

Isabel was rushing to her next lesson when she nearly tripped over the little ped pouch. She picked it up, fascinated; it looked like a prop from a school play. It definitely did have something inside and she couldn't resist opening the string to see what it was.Until she finds the mysterious little bag that seems to be from another time and place, Isabel is anything but extraordinary... moreIsabel was rushing to her next lesson when she nearly tripped over the little ped pouch. She picked it up, fascinated; it looked like a prop from a school play. It definitely did have something inside and she couldn't resist opening the string to see what it was.Until she finds the mysterious little bag that seems to be from another time and place, Isabel is anything but extraordinary. Then she falls asleep with the bag in her hand and wakes up in another world altogether - a world where she is badly needed.Isabel is a Stravagante, a person who can travel through time and space to a country called Talia, which is much like Italy. There she meet Flavia, a wealthy merchant whose ships have been attacked by pirates. And piracy isn't the only danger the Stravaganti face. The fierce Gate people are planning an attack by sea, while enemies of the Stravaganti are plotting to learn their secrets. Isabel will have an important role to play - she just doesn't know what it is yet.A high-seas, high-stakes adventure awaits in this thrilling new novel by Mary Hoffman. less

Desperately unhappy, Laura has resorted to secretly self-harming. But Laura is a Stravagante, somebody who can travel in time and space. When she finds her talisman, a small silver dagger, she stravagates with it to sixteenth-century Fortezza, a town similar to Lucca in Italy, where she meets her Stravagante, who is a swordsmith. But Laura also meets the charming and attractive Ludo, and falls for him... moreDesperately unhappy, Laura has resorted to secretly self-harming. But Laura is a Stravagante, somebody who can travel in time and space. When she finds her talisman, a small silver dagger, she stravagates with it to sixteenth-century Fortezza, a town similar to Lucca in Italy, where she meets her Stravagante, who is a swordsmith. But Laura also meets the charming and attractive Ludo, and falls for him. Their love for each other is tested when Ludo lays claim to the crown of Fortezza, and Laura finds herself fighting on the side of the Stravaganti opposing him. less