Kniha mrtvých – Slatter A. G. (2026)

This Czech-language fantasy novel follows the Briar family, which has ruled the town of Silverton for centuries. Through their abilities and magic, the family protects the inhabitants and has earned their trust. Ordinarily, witches would be hunted and burned, but the Church has granted them an exception because they guard the border with the neighboring Dark Lands, where enemies who drink the blood of their victims threaten to attack. Ellie Briar is troubled because she is the first person in her family in centuries to be born without magical abilities. Instead, she becomes the town’s capable administrator, responsible among other things for countering the constant threat from the Church. When her grandmother suddenly dies, the position of Briar witch passes to Ellie’s cousin Audra. At her grandmother’s funeral, Ellie unexpectedly discovers that she can see Silverton’s dead and speak with spirits. Through her attentiveness and intelligence, she gradually uncovers terrible family secrets and learns the truth about burned witches, lost spellbooks and the crimes of many townspeople. Ellie knows, as do the other women in her family, that magic always demands a price, but whose blood will be shed remains the question. As destruction threatens the world of both the living and the dead, she must decide whom she can trust.