Hidden In A Masquerade

Do you ever wonder what it would have been like to live hundreds of years in the past? Maybe in the Egyptian times, or medieval England, or the Italian renaissance. Well, that last one came true for Lucien Mulholland in British author Mary Hoffman’s first book in the Stravanagza series, City of Masks. Lucien, after falling asleep, is transported to a wondrous, and dangerous, place called Talia. Talia seems to be a parallel version of our Italy, and many things in this world are reversed, like they value silver, whereas we value gold. But, there are more disturbing things going on in this beautiful place.

Lucien has cancer, a pretty bad one, too.  He is bedridden and can’t go to school or see any of his friends. His cancer may be getting better, but Lucien still feels weak and somewhat lonely. One day his father brings home this marbled-covered notebook from some lady’s garage/take-what-you-want sale. Lucien in amazed by it, and when he falls asleep dreaming of lagoons and canals, he wakes up in Bellezza. Bellezza is a city, much like our own Venice, and he arrived on a sacred day where anyone who was not born in the city will be executed.

When he arrives he meets an island girl named Arianna who snuck onto the island to become one on the Duchessa’s gondoliers. But she is wearing a disguise, dressed like a boy, because it’s illegal for a girl to scull a gondolier. But by saving Lucien, and giving him her boy’s disguise, she has to wait another year before she can sneak on again. She quickly takes him to a public place and they talk over some light food. Arianna explains where he is and the significance of the day. He tells her that he in from Anglia, or England, and she tells him that he should go by Luciano instead, because it’s a native Talian name.

He is accidentally picked to be one of the gondoliers, instead of Arianna, which makes her furious and she leaves him. He is escorted to a room and falls asleep, only to wake to his own bedroom. At first he believes it’s a dream but, when he returns to the palazzo, he realizes it isn’t. Then, Signor Rodolfo, Senator of Bellezza, and a scientist, calls for Lucien to come to his laboratory. Rodolfo is a kind man who knows of Lucien’s abilities. This is where Lucien learns of stravagation, and is taken in under Rodolfo as his apprentice. But, he must do all the scientific work as well, to pass as an actual apprentice, but during the day he is free to explore the city with Arianna, who is given the punishment of spending awhile with her aunt in Bellezza.

This book is pretty good for all the sides of me. The little kid in me is fascinated by the concept of time travel and just going back to such a time period. The teenager in me loves the action, danger and the problems that Lucien is faced with every day, not only in his world, but in Talia, too. The adult in me loves listening to how life was back in this historical period, and how it affects his life in this world. I have grown to love some of these characters like Lucien, Arianna, and Guido; depending on where you are in your book and if you’ve found Guido. There is a lot of good writing in here, and it seems so far a good start in the stravaganza series.

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