Sequel to City of Masks, the setting is again Talia, the parallel world very similar to 16th-century Italy, but the main character in this book is Georgia - who has a love of horses.

She is desperate to buy a little, dusty winged horse that has appeared in a local antique shop.

This tiny, winged horse proves to be the talisman that transports Georgia right into the rivalries and the high-octane excitement of the hugely competitive Stellata horse race.

Mary Hoffman proved herself a mistress of a narrative tour-de-force with City of Masks and this sequel will not disappoint.

Fans will be thrilled too that favourite characters from the first book, such as Lucien and Arianna, again appear.