The first part of an epic steampunk trilogy for all lovers of fantasy, adventure and the century of steam.

Fantasy, Science fiction  |  English sample translation available

The era of airships, steam cars and books is ending. A reckless inheritor of a rare book, a pragmatic engineer and a noblewoman in distress undertake an adventurous journey into a country of mythical creatures and precious wood. Will our heroes uncover the secret of lost electricity or will the shah, who controls the wormwood’s mysterious power, win?

This steampunk novel invites the reader to a world where books are valuable, timber is a symbol of wealth and spells are just as real as steam.

Daniel Tučka (b. 1976) is a native of Brno, but lives and works in Prague. He focuses on sci-fi and fantasy, and since 2008, he has been a regular finalist in Czech fantasy literary competitions. His stories can be found in numerous collections, as well asthe Pevnost magazine. Tučka’s debut novel, the urban fantasy Umrlčí tanec (The Dead Man’s Dance), was published in 2012. This was followed by the epic Pelyněk trilogy (Wormwood, 2017-2018), combining steampunk, fantasy and adventure.