Review: The Riddle of Prague


The Riddle of Prague
by Laura De Bruce

This story actually overcame a personal pet peeve (first person present tense. . .it annoys me 90% of the time. I know it is trendy, but my head just kind of can't wrap around it.), but the story was so good that after a bit I didn't notice the tense (which to clarify, I know the tense isn't "wrong," it's just not my favorite narrative style).
I think what drew me in the most was the setting. Post Cold War Prague has a great mix of familiarity (this is history I have enough knowledge of without to read without feeling lost) and newness (I've never read a fantasy with this setting before and it was fun to explore.
The story introduces a lot of mythology without becoming confusing and even though there are a lot of characters (with multiple identities and all with secrets) it manages to be mysterious rather than confusing where it needs to be.
I has some well thought out twits and magic. Over all a fun read.

You can purchase it on Amazon through the link below:

The Riddle of Prague (QuickSilver Legacy Series Book 1)

When 18-year-old Hana Silna travels to Prague to reclaim her family's ancestral home, she finds herself on an adventure in a city brimming with secrets. She discovers a riddle by alchemist Edward Kelley that leads to a hidden flask containing an extraordinary elixir. When a ruthless enemy kidnaps her family, Hana has to find the flask to rescue them. On her quest she meets a mysterious man with a penchant for poetry, a Gypsy girl with a haunting past, and Alex, the motorcycle-riding son of a U.S. diplomat. Alex -- who's trying to save his sister from a crippling disease -- joins Hana on her race across Bohemia to find the flask. It's hard to trust anyone when the stakes are this high -- especially when surrounded by experts at deception. There's only one flask and Hana desperately needs to find it.