Stadt der Sterne

"Stadt der Sterne" ("City of Stars") is the second book in Mary Hoffman's Stravaganza series, in which contemporary teenagers travel between our world and Talia, a fantastical alternate-history Italy of rival city-states. This installment centers on Remora — a stand-in for Siena — and its fierce horse-race rivalry (echoing Siena's real-life Palio) with the neighboring city of Giglia.

A new Stravagante is drawn through a magical talisman into Remora's factional intrigue, romance, and danger, encountering familiar characters from the first book alongside new allies and enemies caught up in the city's high-stakes contest. As in the rest of the series, the novel blends real Italian history and culture with portal fantasy and court politics.