Obsidian Ridge by Jess Lebow

The Kingdom of Erlkazar has had a problem with potions, more specifically, potions that are like drugs, and the King has decided to crack down on the makers of these potions. To tracx down the often-secretive makers of the potions, he has sent his crack infiltrator and spy, known as the Claw, to take down two brothers who spend their time making the potions in slaughterhouses and forgotten places at night, then move on to selling their dark stuff the very next day, leaving no sign that they have actually been there.

The stuff they make is called the Elixir, and hunger for this potion in the people has made charlatans sell deadly and innocuous things to people desperate to buy it. Meanwhile, the Princess of the Kingdom, Mariko, does her work spying for her father in the seedy lower city, always in disguise. But she has a secret- she's in love with the Claw, and the two of them often steal moments alone together while each works in their own way to take down the charlatans and dealers in real Elixir.

But soon a threat to the city will put all thoughts of the Elixir aside. For a floating fortress called Obsidian Ridge is coming to the capital city, and the wizard who is master of the castle needs Mariko of Erlkazar for his new bride. This master of Obsidian Ridge, Xeries, slowly drains the power, beauty and life from each of his brides. The last one he took was in Calimshan a century ago. But the Princess he took as his bride then is little more than a bundle of dry bones and dessicated skin, unable to die unless and until Xeries does, the same as all his other brides.

He threatens the Kingdom of Erlkazar with famine and death until Princess Mariko is handed over to him. But there is a problem- Mariko has been discovered and abducted by the main criminal cartel of Erlkazar, led by a secretive woman known only as the Abbess, and she wants lots of concessions from the King before she hands over Mariko to save the Kingdom.

The only person who knows where the Abbess might be hiding Mariko is the only living survivor of the two brothers whom the Claw fought for making the Elixir, and he has been incarcerated in a magical prison called the Wheel. Once you enter, you only leave in death, and the Claw must discover where not only his target is, but also where Mariko is. But can he do so before Xeries destroys Erlkazar with his spells? And can Xeries be taken care of once and for all?

This was a very good book, though the beginning of the book sort of goes out on a limb with the whole "potions as dangerous drugs" connection. I was wondering where the writer was going with this, but I must say that the whole section became much more a part of the whole later on, when the people behind the drug-making ended up being such major characters in the tale.

The biggest surprise was the identity of the assassin/spy Claw, and the story does manage to keep it secret for something like 1/2 to 2/3 of the book. I confess that even I didn't see the real identity of Claw coming, which was actually nice after the unsurprises of some of the books I've read lately. There was also another surprise waiting in the wings, the identity of the Abbess, who is also unmasked, but not until very late in the book. Sadly, this one wasn't as much of a surprise, but I wasn't completely certain as to who she was- simply because her real identity doesn't appear very much.

This tale I found surprisingly suspenseful and a cracking good read. It certainly managed to keep many characters secrets close and made them something of an actual surprise rather than an "Oh, I was right after all" kind of feeling, which was definitely a nice change. Recommended.