Domek Myska is a lamplighter in 19th Century Prague. Every night, he walks the streets to, yes, light the gas streetlamps, but also to fight the monsters that prey upon unwitting people every night. And by "monster" I'm being quite literal — he hunts the vampiric pijavice, as well as poltergeists, ghosts, and all manner of supernatural evil. One night during a battle, he comes into possession of a powerful will-o'-the-wisp that has somehow been trapped and forced into servitude for a pijavice. While he doesn't know how or why, Domek does know that no good can come of this combination, and is determined to figure it out. Meanwhile, the clever, beautiful, and mysterious widow Lady Ora Fischerova keeps popping up in his life. There's something special about her, no doubt, but Domek can't quite put his finger on it.
For a debut novel, this was so good!! The world-building, the complex characters and relationships, the descriptions of the creatures...all of it was spot on. I don't know if Jarvis plans to return to Ora and Domek's Prague in future books, but I know I certainly wouldn't complain. That said, I'm pretty sure I'll read whatever she comes up with next. This was fantastic.
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