By Imogen Rossi (author) Part of the The Last Apprentice series
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There’s trickery of all kinds afoot in this sprightly murder mystery with an artistic and historical background. Bianca, the youngest apprentice of the great painter Annunzio di Lombardi, loves learning her skills by watching the master. When he collapses suddenly after drinking a cup of wine Bianca is sure that there is something afoot.
How Bianca and Marco, the young tumbler who helps her, uncover the secrets of the painter and the plots against him is a glorious escapade ending in a flying adventure and the unmasking of the counterfeit duchess.
A Piece of Passion from Emily Thomas, Publisher Imagine an Italy where Casanova wanders the cobbled streets and Leonardo da Vinci sips wine next to a Venetian bridge. And then imagine a plucky twelve-year-old heroine called Bianca - a painter's assistant - who lives in La Luminosa: a place very like Venice, but enriched by magic and dark secrets - not to mention a dangerous underworld.
Bianca is the best kind of heroine - the unwitting kind. The kind that was minding her own business thank-you-very-much until trouble came knocking on her door. In this, the first of a fabulous three-part adventure, Bianca bravely goes in search of a possible killer, and uncovers some startling and dangerous truths in the corridors of the royal palace...
It's a perfect, gripping adventure with a female lead to truly admire. Just don't try to visit La Luminosa yourself, you'll get lost finding it...
In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for The Disappearing Duchess a small number of members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title. Here's a taster.... ' A captivating and magical tale to get lost in. A realistic story highlighted with fantasy moments of brilliance where the impossible somehow becomes possible.' Liam Pickering
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Twelve-year-old Bianca feels like the luckiest girl in Venice. She's apprenticed to the most famous painter in the world - Annunzio di Lombardi - and she's learning all the tricks of the trade in the most glamorous and powerful place in the city: the Duchess' Palace. But one night disaster strikes.
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Bianca's beloved Lombardi is given a poisoned cup of wine at a party, and collapses - but not before giving Bianca a magical paintbrush, which allows her to travel through hidden doorways throughout the city. Bianca will have to use all of her pluck, courage and cunning to find out who tried to hurt her master - and to discover what is wrong with the Duchess, who is behaving very strangely indeed...
Kids love to read and a small number of members were lucky enough to be invited to review The Disappearing Duchess . You can read their reviews below.
Madi Campbell, age 13 - 'This book is absolutely amazing! It is written with extreme thought, the description makes you feel like you are there in the scene. This brilliant book will engross you from the very beginning.' Click Here to read the full review.
Amrit Bunet, age 15 - 'Step into the world of art, mystery and glamour with this enchanted tale of Bianca revealing the truth behind the death of her admired master with the help of a magical and mystifying paintbrush.' Click Here to read the full review.
Liam Pickering, age 11 - 'A captivating and magical tale to get lost in. A realistic story highlighted with fantasy moments of brilliance where the impossible somehow becomes possible.' Click Here to read the full review.
Damien, age 10 - ' The Disappearing Dutchess is a wonderful read for all ages.' Click Here to read the full review.
Kulsuma Begum age 16 - ' The Disappearing Duchess is the perfect book for 9-14 year olds who are looking for a great story with action, adventure and mystery.' Click Here to read the full review.
Shannon Mitchell - 'Stunning! Full of a sense of mystery and wonder this book will take you away to a different place.' Click Here to read the full review.
Tessa Harris. aged 10 - 'It's got lots of detail and vivid descriptions and it grabs your attention causing you to read on in order to find out what happens next.' Click Here to read the full review.
Jessica Tilley, age 11 - 'The book was really good, and I enjoyed learning about her paintings. It is a very fun read. It is fun to follow her magic adventure.' Click Here to read the full review.
Octavia Sharman, age 13 - 'The story line was very creative and was definitely an interesting read...I would recommend it to someone who loves mysteries.' Click Here to read the full review.
Imogen Rossi grew up in London but her favourite place in the world is Venice during the Carnival. She spent most of her summer holidays in Italy where she passed the time doodling and writing stories. She loves to paint, though she isn't very good at it, and she sings in a choir. She most enjoys stories involving mystery, magic and time travel. She has a collection of Venetian carnival masks and two cats named Leonardo and Michelangelo (Lenny and Mike for short).
the best books for 9-12 year olds
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Twelve-year-old Bianca feels like the luckiest girl in Venice. She's apprenticed to the most famous painter in the world - Annunzio di Lombardi - and she's learning all the tricks of the trade in the most glamorous and powerful place in the city: the Duchess' Palace.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Disappearing Duchess and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Disappearing Duchess features in the following genres: Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Recommendations, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Paperback. Not Available.
Disappearing Duchess was written by Imogen Rossi and published by Hot Key Books
Disappearing Duchess has 202 pages
Yes it is part of The Last Apprentice series
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