Most of her friends have become withdrawn over the last few months when Isabel finds a small pouch of mosaic stones. The tesserae transport her into Classe, a coastal town in Talia.
Isabel befriends the prosperous merchant and secret Stravagante, Flavia. The kind woman helps Isabel find her feet and connect with other Stravagante both in Talia and at home in England.
As she's getting used to nightly adventures, Isabel discovers her beloved Classe is under threat from the Gate People and their fleet. While she is shadowed by her twin brother at home, in Classe she has purpose and feels important. She helps Flavia prepare for the coming invasion, but her plans are thrown out of sync when her brother, Charlie, takes her talisman and accidentally stravigates too.
Charlie is caught in the invasion and Isabel faces the chance that her plans in Classe will fail and her secret will be revealed putting her adventures on indefinite hold. But her new friends from school help Charlie see that Isabel and the people of Classe have much to do to save their beloved city from attack - both by land and sea.
Much like Italy's Ravenna, Classe has a deep connection with the art of mosaic. The beauty draws Isabel as the drama and political instability give her purpose. With one more member of their Stravagante club the teens begin to notice a pattern in who is chosen. The mystery of how and why remain unsolved, but their mission in Talia continues.
City of Ships is the fifth in the Stravaganza series following City of Secrets and preceding City of Swords. Classe has a new element: International trade; and the Di Chimi family have opened a door they cannot hope to close alone. Teen and young adult readers will enjoy this story independently or as an installment in the series.
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