After Reading: CITY OF DARK MAGIC Series by Magnus Flyte

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Once a city of enormous wealth and culture, Prague was home to emperors, alchemists, astronomers, and, as it’s whispered, hell portals. When music student Sarah Weston lands a summer job at Prague Castle cataloging Beethoven’s manuscripts, she has no idea how dangerous her life is about to become. Prague is a threshold, Sarah is warned, and it is steeped in blood.
     
Soon after Sarah arrives, strange things begin to happen. She learns that her mentor, who was working at the castle, may not have committed suicide after all. Could his cryptic notes be warnings? As Sarah parses his clues about Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved,” she manages to get arrested, to have tantric sex in a public fountain, and to discover a time-warping drug. She also catches the attention of a four-hundred-year-old dwarf, the handsome Prince Max, and a powerful U.S. senator with secrets she will do anything to hide.

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In this action-packed sequel to City of Dark Magic, we find musicologist Sarah Weston in Vienna in search of a cure for her friend Pollina, who is now gravely ill and who may not have much time left. Meanwhile, Nicolas Pertusato, in London in search of an ancient alchemical cure for the girl, discovers an old enemy is one step ahead of him. In Prague, Prince Max tries to unravel the strange reappearance of a long dead saint while being pursued by a seductive red-headed historian with dark motives of her own.

In the city of Beethoven, Mozart, and Freud, Sarah becomes the target in a deadly web of intrigue that involves a scientist on the run, stolen art, seductive pastries, a few surprises from long-dead alchemists, a distractingly attractive horseman who’s more than a little bloodthirsty, and a trail of secrets and lies. But nothing will be more dangerous than the brilliant and vindictive villain who seeks to bend time itself. Sarah must travel deep into an ancient mystery to save the people she loves. (Goodreads)

Dang have I been bad about blogging this summer. I wish I had a good excuse, but I really don't. Just been busy, and struggling to find the time, or energy. Well, focus on the latter, really. Anyhow, I have still been reading :)

This series is pretty dang fun! I ran across them randomly at one of my favorite local used book shops and am glad I snagged them. There's all sorts of lovely intrigue and strange happenings, and wonderful cities that I loved visiting, even if just on the page. Sarah was an interesting character--one whom I could identify with on certain things (especially on the academic side of things), but there were a few one-offs that I struggled with. Her background was portrayed as very humble, but it didn't seem to play out well in her character, and I did wonder a few times at some of her...exploits. Maybe I'm a prude, but I kinda went 'uhhh, okay...?' at a few encounters that seemed a little over-the-top ;) Anyhow, I did enjoy learning more about Beethoven and Prague, as well as Vienna. I always love a little fun information. The science in the book itself was...sketchy at best, but done in a way that I was at least able to ignore the parts that were more silly that science. Anyhow, overall, a good book series that I really enjoyed. Honestly, if there were another in the series I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat!