In the quiet streets of Prague all manner of otherworldly creatures lurk in the shadows. Unbeknownst to its citizens, their only hope against the tide of predators are the dauntless lamplighters - a secret elite of monster hunters whose light staves off the darkness each night. Domek Myska leads a life teeming with fraught encounters with the worst kind of evil: pijavice, bloodthirsty and soulless vampiric creatures. Despite this, Domek find solace in his moments spent in the company of his friend, the clever and beautiful Lady Ora Fischerová-- a widow with secrets of her own.
When Domek finds himself stalked by the spirit of
the White Lady - a ghost who haunts the baroque halls of Prague castle - he
stumbles across the sentient essence of a will-o'-the-wisp, a mischievous
spirit known to lead lost travellers to their death, but who, once captured,
are bound to serve the desires of their owners.
After discovering a conspiracy amongst the
pijavice that could see them unleash terror on the daylight world, Domek finds
himself in a race against those who aim to twist alchemical science for their
own dangerous gain.
Review:
I picked this book because of the title. Being born in Czech Republic and knowing old Prague quite well I was able to picture the little side streets lined with cobblestones, the theatres, the castle and churches described in this book.
Great for any fantasy and all things supernatural lovers – it might be slightly more difficult to read for people not familiar with the Czech words – pijavica (vampire), vodnik (under water man) etc. But I loved it. It made the book homelier for me. And of course the good writing and story line really helped.
We are introduced to the world of lamplighters, really they are the monster hunters, hiding behind a simple job. They keep the streets and humans safe from the monsters lurking in the shadows. Domek is one of them and thinks he knows his job and friends well until he finds a small jar with a trapped soul in it.
Enter Olga Fisherova. Attractive widow with her eyes on the mysterious Domek. Slight problems is, she is one the monsters he hunts. They will have to find a way to settle their differences as they both fight for the good.
Thank you to NetGalley for access to this fab book.
Rating: 4/5
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