The Smoke Thief

The Smoke Thief by Shana Abé
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this book due to the fact that it was recommended to me after reading the Dragonkin series by G.A. Aiken. And I have to say, I was NOT disappointed.

This series combines two of my favorite things... historical romance... and dragons. Yes, that's right, I said dragons!

Clarissa Rue Hawthorne is a half-blooded drakon who doesn't fit in in the elite world that the drakon live. So, when she finds out that she has the power to Turn, she fakes her own death in order to run from what she knows is a future with a man who will never love her. Now living in London, Clarissa uses her powers to steal from the ton, London's elite society.

But when Christoff, the drakon Alpha, and the rest of the drakon hear of this mysterious "Smoke Thief," they know instantly that it's one of their own, and they decide to set a trap to catch him... or her. What Christoff didn't expect to find is a female drakon who stirs the beast within him.

Will Clarissa, known as Rue, be able to talk her way out of the future she ran from in the past?

This book was excellent. Intrigue, romance, fire, passion, and excitement. Everything I want in a book. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is the fact that Rue and Christoff "Kit", have a tendency to fight what they're feeling, or at least Rue does, and that tends to get a little old.

I love Rue's character, she's strong, she's smart, and she's funny. She matches perfectly with the character of Kit, who is also strong, and very much an alpha-male type of character. The side-characters of Zane and Nick help to make the story stronger, even though we see so little of them.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series, and am glad it's sitting on my bookshelf right now!

~♥~
Lady D