City of Lost Dreams: A Novel
The follow-up to City of Dark Magic (2012) finds musicologist Sarah Weston in Vienna, trying to find a cure for her young friend Pollina’s rare autoimmune disease. Nico, the dwarf made immortal in 1601 by the astronomer-alchemist Tycho Brahe, has his own idea about a cure, but it involves some pretty scary ancient technologies. Meanwhile, Sarah is trying to track down another doctor, but he has vanished, leaving behind an old clock apparently stolen from the British Museum; and as much as she’s reluctant to ask former lover Max Anderson for help, he’s the guy with the museum connections. Oh, and let’s not forget Westonia, the time-travel drug, and the villainous woman operating behind the scenes as a sort of puppetmaster. Trying to assign this book to a genre would probably result in a headache, so just think of it as a blend of urban fantasy, romantic comedy, and time-travel adventure, with an extra twist of weirdness. Flyte—a pseudonym for the team of novelist Meg Howrey and TV writer Christina Lynch—keeps things moving at a brisk clip, not giving us a chance to pick at any loose threads. Lots of fun. --David Pitt