Publisher's Synopsis
1588: The 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. Giordano 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.
