City of Ships (Stravaganza)

by Mary Hoffman

Set in Classe (Ravenna in our world), 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? A thrilling story packed with action, pirates and drama.

• ISBN10: 1599908328
• ISBN13: 9781599908328
• Publish Date: 3 July 2012 (first published 1 March 2010)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 27 May 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

"Surely to be a fighter you had to forget about your own personal safety and just hurl yourself at the enemy?"

I might have flew through City of Ships, but the series is starting to feel hollow.
 
The characters are flatter than a piece of cardboard, but they're still likable and I want them to succeed. Isabelle is a much better protagonist than Sky and Matt from the previous two books. She's brave and smart and it was nice to see her gain confidence and self-worth as she deals with her inferiority complex and jealousy towards her twin brother.

There are many characters and while I love the main cast from City of Masks and City of Stars, they barely get a chance to shine. The highlight of City of Ships is the developments between Beatrice and Filippo. 

Classe, like all cities in Talia, has its own atmosphere and uniqueness. I love the mosaic art, the marketplace, the ships, the pirates and the sea battle. However, the progression of events are rushed and it seems like this world is starting to run away from the author a little. There's interesting advancements to the time travelling but it adds even more plot holes. There's also some interesting themes and aspects but they aren't carried all the way through. 

City of Ships is interesting and entertaining, but it adds even more repetitiveness to the Stravaganza Sequence series.