Stravaganza: City of Masks
By Dan Conrad


The story was about Lucien, a Stravagante who can travel through worlds: London, the real world, and Bellezza, the magical world. He got this ability from his father who bought him a notebook and it made him appear in this other world. It was called a talisman. In Bellezza he meets the Duchessa, Silvia, who rules the city. He meets other characters, learns secrets, and becomes trapped in Bellezza. The other characters are Arianna, Rodolfo, Lucien's father, Guiliana, Dr. Dethridge, and Leonora. Arianna learns the secret that Silvia is her mother. She is overwhelmed by the fact that she must take over the kingdom and be the next Duchessa. She wants to be a mandolier. Guiliana's plan to disguise herself as the Duchessa to get married fails and she dies. Silvia marries Rodolfo. Rodolfo helps Arianna and Lucien. Leonora marries Dr. Dethridge and they become Lucien's foster parents in Bellezza. Dr. Dethridge is another Stravagante. My favorite characters were Arianna and Rodolfo. Arianna, because when wearing a mask, she can make the right decision and show that the Duchessa(Silvia) is not what she seems. Rodolfo knows a lot about the magical town of Bellezza. He is a science wizard and has a cool house with a roof garden. Lucien and Arianna have many adventures on the restricted island and when Lucien is about to die of cancer, and he escapes to Bellezza. Rodolfo helps him by collecting a rose and giving it to Lucien for his new talisman after losing his old one.

I could relate to Arianna. She is very surprised and scared of the secrets that Silvia kept from her.

I liked this book because many dramatic things were going on. My favorite part was when Silvia almost got killed by Assassin Perol at the festival of colors. My least favorite part was when Guiliana dies. Silvia was supposed to die instead of Guiliana in the glass room.

I would recommend this book. Someone who likes reading about traveling and who would appreciate an imaginative, magical story would enjoy this book.