This is the second in a series by Shana Abé about a clan that lives in remote northern England.
The Drákon clan has a secret: they possess the ability to Turn into smoke or dragons. Unfortunately, not all of the clan can Turn; Lady Amalia Langford, daughter of the hero and heroine of the first book in this series (The Smoke Thief), isn't able to. However, Amalia, or Lia, is keeping some secrets.
Although she can't Turn, she seems to be having dreams about the future, and they involve Zane, a human and a master thief.
Zane and Lia find themselves traveling to the Carpathian mountains in search of a special diamond, known as Draumr, which has the power to enslave her kind. They soon find themselves in company with others of Amalia's kind, who may not be peaceful toward them. Zane's position as one of the few humans to know about the Drákon tribe means that his life may well be forfeit, and Lia's window into the future shows her that things will not be good. For Zane, finding the diamond will bring him riches, but Lia knows that if Zane has it, her
own future will suffer.
This book is an easy read, even if the first book in the series hasn't been read. Amalia and Zane are both great characters; Zane particularly
is an amalgamation of the events of his difficult childhood and his own mental strength and resourcefulness. The romantic side of this book takes a back seat
to the actions, including traveling by coach into central Europe, meeting other dragons, and finding the diamond.
In some ways the romance isn't very well fleshed out, but it's an enjoyable read and an interesting twist on the dragon legends.