Prague, 1588A COURT IN TURMOILThe Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II, wants to expand the boundaries of human knowledge and his court is a haven for scientists, astrologers and alchemists. His abiding passion is the elusive hunt for the philosopher's stone and thus immortality. The Catholic Church fears he has pushed too far - into the forbidden realm of heresy - while the greatest powers in Christendom are concerned about the imperial line of succession.A MURDERED ALCHEMISTGiordano Bruno is sent to his court by Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth 1's spymaster. His task: to contact the famous English alchemist and mystic John Dee, another of Walsingham's spies. But Bruno's arrival in Prague coincides with the brutal murder of a rival alchemist - and John Dee himself has disappeared.AN UNFORGIVING ENEMYOrdered by the emperor to find the killer, Bruno's investigations bring him face to face with an old enemy from the Inquisition and he finds himself once more pitted against the might of the Catholic Church. When another murder takes place, Bruno is forced to re-evaluate everything he thought he knew. And he soon realizes that his own life is at stake...