'In a room at the top of a tall house overlooking a canal, a man sat dealing cards onto a desk covered in black silk. He made a circle of twelve cards, face up, methodically moving widdershins, placed a thirteenth in the middle of the circle, then leaned back and contemplated the pattern. "Strange," he murmured.'
Imagine you are one moment ill in bed, and the next transported to a world that is awash in deception, intrigue, glamour. This is exactly what happens to Lucien. In a spine-tingling discovery, Lucien finds out that he is in fact a 'Stravagante' - somebody who, with the help of a talisman, can transport himself in time and place. But that is not all - in his new-found world, it seems that he is integral to saving the city, Bellezza, from disaster . . .
Swishing velvet, glittering masks, political intrigue and treachery, a demanding and imperious Duchessa - Mary Hoffman has combined all these and more to create the world of Bellezza. Inspired by Venice, the city is filled with an extraordinary richness that touches all the senses - thrillingly spiced with danger.
