The Lights of Prague

This month I’ve been all about reading books involving vampires. My final vampiric novel is one I’ve had on my shelf for a couple of years: The Lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis. I picked this up when it first came out, in part because of its eye-catching cover, and partly because I’m interested in reading more books set in Prague. Now was the perfect time to read a spooky vampire novel as Halloween draws closer.

Summary

Domek Myska is a lamplighter in Prague, working at nights and seeing all kinds of unnatural creatures. One night he sees the spirit of the White Lady, and in his escape, inadvertently comes across a will-o’-the-wisp captured in a strange container. He is now the master of this sentient essence, but he must be very careful about how he wields this new power. Domek is also becoming friends with Lady Ora Fischerová, a widow with her own secrets: She is a pijavice, a vampiric creature who has lived far longer than Domek realizes. Ora is finding herself roped into a scheme she doesn’t want to be part of, but she may not have a choice. Both Domek and Ora’s paths will cross more and more, first as friends, and later as their secret lives finally clash.

Review

The Lights of Prague is a book I’ve been wanting to read for the last couple of years, both for its spooky plot and its setting in the City of a Hundred Spires. It follows two main characters: Domek Myska, an honorable if naive lamplighter who works by night, and Lady Ora Fischerová, a wealthy widow who’s secretly a pijavice—a sort of vampire. Domek accidentally becomes the master of a will-o’-the-wisp and needs to ward off danger at every turn. Ora is battling issues within the pijavice community, issues she doesn’t want to involve herself with but that could turn ugly for all if she doesn’t.

Domek and Ora’s parts are equally engaging, even if their characters are quite different. Domek is determined to always do the right thing, and he’s willing to jump into trouble if it means saving others. He may not know everything, but he’s ready to do his best at all cost. Ora is much more apathetic at the beginning, wanting to avoid issues that don’t concern her. The problem is that she will be forced to get involved, so she reluctantly uses what power and knowledge she has to try to mitigate the situation. She’s tough and won’t be intimidated by anybody—not at this age and after so much time lived as a pijavice.

Throughout the whole story, The Lights of Prague has a murky, ominous atmosphere that I loved. I also enjoyed getting to know the different supernatural creatures, from the pijavices like Ora, to the will-o’-the-wisp essence with his history and snark. There’s also a growing sense of unease in both protagonists’ lives, from the danger that seems to be following Domek to the increasing threats that Ora is beginning to see among other pijavices. Are Ora and Domek at odds with each other, despite their friendship? Or might they be able to help each other through the looming and growing risks?

Audiobook

Pete Cross does a wonderful job of narrating The Lights of Prague. He puts on different voices for each character, making it easy to distinguish between them. One of my favorite aspects of the audio here is how the will-o’-the-wisp has a ghostly effect on his voice—it makes his parts stand out more and gives this audiobook a lot more spooky atmosphere! This is definitely a case where the audiobook seems to be a more immersive and engrossing experience than reading the physical book would have been.

Final Thoughts

The Lights of Prague is a perfect read for spooky season, with all the atmosphere and magic that you could crave. It has various mysterious creatures and malicious plots that all come together for an exciting end. This is a great debut novel, and I will absolutely be reading more from Nicole Jarvis in the future.

Get the Book

You can buy The Lights of Prague here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

The Lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis
Audiobook Narrator	Pete Cross
Audience	Adult
Genre	Fantasy; Historical Fiction
Setting	Czech Republic
Book Length	11.75 hours
Format I Read	Audiobook
Original Publication Date	May 25, 2021
Publisher	Titan Books

Official Summary

For readers of VE Schwab and The Witcher, science and magic clash in atmospheric gaslight-era Prague.

In the quiet streets of Prague all manner of mysterious creatures lurk in the shadows. Unbeknownst to its citizens, their only hope against the tide of predators are the dauntless lamplighters – 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 finds 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 captured in a mysterious container. Now, as its bearer, Domek wields its power, but the wisp, known for leading travellers to their deaths, will not be so easily controlled.

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.