City of Masks (Stravaganza)

by Mary Hoffman | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
ISBN: 0747576149 Global Overview for this book
Registered by loriped of Keizer, Oregon USA on 7/15/2013
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3 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by loriped from Keizer, Oregon USA on Monday, July 15, 2013
Set in a parallel world, where Italy is called Talia and Venice is called Bellezza, the narrative follows Lucien, who in our world is very ill. Given a marbled notebook to help him communicate when his throat hurts too much to speak, the notebook is the means that transports Lucien to this magical, dangerous new world set in an alternative sixteenth century, and thrills to the delight of political intrigue and danger of assassination attempts both foiled and successful. The parallel Venice is astonishingly evoked, with the silks and velvets, the sensuousness of the food and the elegance of the city and its waterways all beautifully and powerfully described. The world of Talia is unforgettably and convincingly real.

Journal Entry 2 by loriped at Keizer, Oregon USA on Monday, July 15, 2013
Sending out to someone special for her birthday.

Journal Entry 3 by wingAzukiwing at Miami, Florida USA on Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Er, how come I haven't journaled this at all?

Thanks Lori, for the lovely birthday package. So sorry that somehow I didn't journal the
arrival of this book properly. I just finished reading it and find it very enjoyable. I love parallel world stories in general, and this one is rather nicely done, with a lot of clever twists and turns in plot that kept me flying through the pages.

Now this book is on its way to celebrate another birthday!!

Journal Entry 4 by HoserLauren at Mississauga, Ontario Canada on Friday, November 15, 2013
Received this as part of my fantastic birthday package.
Thanks Azuki for helping me celebrate another year!

Journal Entry 5 by HoserLauren at Burlington, Ontario Canada on Monday, September 16, 2019
Before my thoughts on the book, I think it's necessary to mention that this cover has to be one of the absolute worst designed covers I've seen in ages. Who wants two eyeballs staring at them when they put this book down? Hideous.

Thankfully the book is better than the cover though it too has its problems. Everything seems to be slightly half assed in this book. The main character can travel to a different but similar world, hundreds of years before his current time. A light history is given of the city and how its political system came to be, but it was too light and didn't make complete sense to me. I still don't understand why the events described ended up in unmarried females wearing masks.

The characters were also kind of half assed. Lucien is the main character and suffering from cancer in his current world but that all passes in a blur for his escapades in this alternate reality, where those characters aren't completely flushed out either.

The book wasn't bad. It was an interesting enough plot to keep me going, but I don't think I'd continue the Stravaganza series.

Journal Entry 6 by HoserLauren at LFL - Newell in Burlington, Ontario Canada on Sunday, June 7, 2020

Released 3 yrs ago (6/7/2020 UTC) at LFL - Newell in Burlington, Ontario Canada

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

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