Smoke mirror

This artifact is coveted by Emperor Rudolf II himself. The chase is on.

No sooner does the impoverished knight Jacob Jelinek of Hirschberg recover from one case than another challenge arrives in the autumn of 1597. Quite possibly even more dangerous. With his companion Matěj Sadl, he sets out to find the mysterious subiectum, a magical artefact coveted by Emperor Rudolf II himself. The trail leads them to Most, where the family of the recently deceased alchemist Edward Kelly lives.
This artefact is supposed to be a mirror through which one can supposedly reach angels and spirits of the dead, and whose last owner was the famous magister. As it soon turns out, there are more people grazing on the smoky mirror than Jakub would have expected. Soon, he becomes sick not only of the handsome Johanna Kelly and her daughter, but also of all the cunning opportunists trying to please the Emperor.
More and more bloodthirsty vultures are circling, ruthless orders are coming from the highest places, and something's not quite right about Kelly's death. There are too many dangerous pitfalls and not only Jakub and Matěj's honour, but also their lives are at stake.
A historical detective story from the golden Prague, a city of intrigue, crime and vice.