剋裏斯托弗·普瑞斯特，1943年齣生於英國。1965年開始發錶短篇小說，至今共著有九部長篇小說及兩本短篇小說集，代錶作包括本書《緻命魔術》及《倒轉的世界》、《分隔點》等。1983年曾獲選Granta雜誌“英國二十大年輕作傢”之一，同年入選者有“布剋奬”得主石黑一雄、《撒旦詩篇》作者拉什迪等等。普瑞斯特也執導過電影並改編劇本，曾將大衛·剋倫貝爾執導的電影《X接觸》改寫成小說。他獲得過雨果奬提名，並四獲“BSFA英國科幻小說奬” （1974、1978、1999、2002），以及“世界奇幻小說奬”。

In 1878, two young stage magicians clash in the dark during the course of a fraudulent séance. From this moment on, their lives become webs of deceit and revelation as they vie to outwit and expose one another.

Their rivalry will take them to the peaks of their careers, but with terrible consequences. In the course of pursuing each other's ruin, they will deploy all the deception their magicians' craft can command--the highest misdirection and the darkest science.

Blood will be spilled, but it will not be enough. In the end, their legacy will pass on for generations...to descendants who must, for their sanity's sake, untangle the puzzle left to them.