Mary Hoffman was originally inspired to write the Stravaganza series after a family trip to Venice and an incident involving a gondola ride.
The existence of Talia parallels the contemporary 21st century world of England, which serves as a secondary setting and the origin of the protagonists of each book in the series.
Paolo, like Rodolfo, is a Stravagante and reveals to Georgia (who is mistaken initially for a boy and retains this as a disguise throughout the book, her name is Giorgio) that she has come at a very important time: a horse race known as the Stellata is about to take place.
The di Chimici family (antagonists in the first book) intend them to lose again to prove to the new Duchessa of Bellezza, Arianna Rossi (formerly Arianna Gasparini), and her father, Rodolfo, the advantages of joining their alliance by marrying Gaetano di Chimici, the homely but charming third son of the head of the family, Duke Niccolo of Giglia.
Lucien, the protagonist of the first book, now known as Luciano and living as a full-time resident of Bellezza — as well as other important supporting characters, such as Silvia (the old Duchessa), Rodolfo, and Arianna, appear again.
Sky, given the name Celestino Pascoli, finds himself embroiled in a world of art and intrigue as the di Chimici family prepares for four weddings.
Once again Bellezza's young Duchessa becomes involved as she has been invited as a guest by Gaetano di Chimici, one of the grooms and a personal friend of hers, and also to commission a statue of her sculpted by the great Giuditta Miele, another Stravagante.
Luciano, Arianna, Georgia, Falco di Chimici (now Nicholas Duke, foster-son of the Mulhollands), and other important characters from the previous books appear again, such as Silvia, and Rodolfo.
Another Stravagante from the modern world appears, a dyslexic but extremely intelligent young man named Matt, whose talisman happens to be a book.
Isabel, nicknamed "Bel", is the younger twin by ten minutes and has spent her entire life in the shadow of her brother Charlie, who is naturally more talented than she is at anything and is genuinely nice.
When she finds her talisman, a small silver dagger, she stravagates with it to sixteenth-century Fortezza, a town similar to Lucca in Italy, where she meets her Stravagante, who is a swordsmith.