The Smoke Thief by Shana Abé

When Clarissa was a child in the community of Drakon living in England, she was an outcast, hated by the other women for being only half-Drakon. The only thing that kept her living in the village, which she hated, was her love for its lord, a Drakon named Christoff Longford. But when he betrayed her childish love by sleeping with the girl who usually abused her, Melanie, the last thing that tied her to her home was gone.

Soon after, her shawl and cap were found in the mud by the side of the river, apparently caught there while the girl wearing them had been swept away. But Clarissa hadn't died- she'd faked her death and ran to the city, and become a thief who often masqueraded as a man. She stole jewels, using her powers as a Drakon to become as smoke to steal into the homes of rich noblemen and women of the Ton and take their most precious jewels away from them.

But her reputation as a thief has preceeded her, and now Clarissa is being hunted by her old love, Christoff. But the thief's appearance as a man has sent Christoff in search of a male thief. But will he ever realize his mistake and come after Rue/Clarissa instead? Especially when Herte, the purple diamond he used to lure Rue out of hiding is stolen by a male thief?

Christoff's people. and the council who rule them, are unhappy that Christoff lost the gem that was to be used to entrap the thief. But when Rue tells them that she can lead them to another runaway, one who really *is* the Smoke Thief they have been looking for, and that she can ensure that not only is the runaway recaptured but Herte regained, how can Christoff do anything but agree with her, even if her price is to be left to go her own way and not be his wife?

But as Rue and Christoff search for the thief and the gem, he is injured, and when the Drakon's blood is infected, they go mad, shifting from human to Dragon, to Mist, and back again. Can Rue save Christoff's life, or will she, given how he has treated her? And when she begins to fall in love with him, will she be able to leave him? Or will he leave his people behind to live with her in the city? Is there any hope for the two of them to begin a life together, or are their wants and needs too dissimillar for them to ever be happy?

This is the prequel to "The Dream Thief", which I read a couple of years ago. This is a prequel to that story, where we learn about Clarissa, a half-breed Drakon who was despised and hated and mistreated by the other girls for being who she was, but who turned out to be stronger than all of them. and who eventually comes back to where she was born to rule- and to hopefully change the way the other Drakon treat those they feel don't fit in. That's the reason Rue ran (Clarissa's middle name is Rue, and she goes by both during the story), as well as the other thief, and Christoff realizes that isn't right, and sets out to change it, with Rue's help.

But in the meantime, the two of them fight- sometimes with words, and sometimes as Dragons. The descriptions of the characters are absolutely gorgeous- a feast for the eyes and the soul. Especially Rue, who is pearly-white with scales edged in gold, lean and beautiful. I was awed, reading it. But this novel also has an interesting storyline, and sets up the storyline for the next book, with the amazing jewel known as Draumr, and of Rue's daughter, Amalia, who hears it singing to her from the depths of the mountain where the last Princess of the Drakon flung it to keep it from the hands of both men and Drakon.

I found this book rather amazing, and I really enjoyed reading it. The love that grows between Rue and Christoff is more intellectual than Visceral, but in the end, you don't doubt that Christoff has won over the reticent Rue and will do anything to keep her happy- except leave his people. But it's still an enjoyable book, and I do recommend it.