City of Lost Dreams (City of Dark Magic #2)

City of Lost Dreams by Magnus Flyte (a pseudonym for authors Meg Howrey and Christina Lynch) is the sequel to City of Dark Magic.

Sarah Weston, a musicologist, is back in Europe. After her stay last year in Prague it is surprising she would return, but her friend Pollina needs her help. Pollina is a young music prodigy who is dying of a defect on one of her chromosomes. Sarah is back in Europe to hunt down a doctor doing experimental gene therapy.

Doing away with a linear passage of time, Flyte has created a mystery filled with long-dead musicians and alchemists, and a 400-year old dwarf, all in a setting of the amazing cities of Prague and Vienna.

While hard to fit into any one genre, the City of Lost Dreams series is bewitching and strange read that will stay in the minds of reader for a long time after they run out of pages.

Flyte, Magnus. (2013). City of Lost Dreams. New York: Penguin Books.

City of Dark Magic (City of Dark Magic #1)

City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte (a pseudonym for the writing team of Meg Howry and Christina Lynch) is the first book in a series by the same name.

Sarah Weston is a PhD student in music history, focusing on Beethoven. She has been invited to Prague Castle for a summer internship cataloging and setting up a room in the castle to display original material and works of Beethoven. Sarah assumes she was offered the internship because her mentor, Professor Sherbatsky, is also working in Prague.

Though her roommate warns her that Prague is built over a hell portal, Sarah is excited about the prospect of materials that Beethoven actually touched and owned. Prague Castle is owned by the Lobkowicz family, the current heir being Max Lobkowicz Anderson. One of the previous Prince Lobkowicz was Beethoven's patron.

After Sarah arrives in Prague, strange things begin to happen. She learns that her mentor is dead of an apparent suicide. Max is acting strange and is hiding something. Miles, who is in charge of all of the academics cataloging in the castle, acts like someone is watching him. And a mysterious dwarf who seems to be able to appear at will is either a friend or a spy.

Flyte has created a novel filled with music history, the history of Prague, magic, intrigue and humor. City of Dark Magic is a strange and wonderful read.

Flyte, Magnus. (2012). City of Dark Magic. New York: Penguin.