In the secluded hills of northern England during the 18th
century, Lady Amalia (Lia) Langford has grown up the
youngest daughter of the drákon clan's Alpha. Even though
her siblings think Lia hasn't inherited any special gifts,
since she's been unable to Turn -- shapeshifting from human
to smoke to dragon and then back -- she's been keeping a
secret. Not only can she hear the haunting song of the
diamond known as Draumr, Lia also possesses the rare gift
of being able to hear the future in her dreams.
Draumr is the one thing that has the power to enslave the
drákon, so is feared above all else. From her dreams, Lia
realizes that the fate of her clan is at stake and it's her
destiny to locate the stone, which is buried deep somewhere
within the Carpathian Mountains. However, she also knows
she'll not be alone in her quest, for her visions include a
man -- Zane, the street-smart urchin her mother rescued
years ago, who's grown into an even more devious and
cunning adult. Zane is also the only man Lia has ever been
passionately attracted to, and her dreams have shown her
two versions of the final outcome of their joint quest for
the priceless gem. Which one will come true?
Shana Abé has followed her hardcover debut, THE
SMOKE THIEF, with another stunning example of a unique and
absorbing paranormal historical romance. The plot moves
along at a brisk pace and the characters are life-like and
captivating. This engrossing story kept me glued to the
pages. An excellent read!
In the remote hills of northern England lives a powerful
clan with a centuries-old secret. They are the drákon,
shape-shifters who possess the ability to Turn—changing
from human to smoke to dragon. And from the very stones of
the earth, they hear hypnotic songs of beauty and wonder.
But there is one stone they fear....
Buried deep within the bowels of the Carpathian Mountains
lies the legendary dreaming diamond known as Draumr, the
only gem with the power to enslave the drákon. Since
childhood, Lady Amalia Langford, daughter of the clan’s
Alpha, has heard its haunting ballad but kept it secret,
along with another rare Gift....
Lia can hear the future, much in the way she hears the call
of Draumr. And in that future, she realizes that the
diamond — along with the fate of the drákon — rests in the
hands of a human man, one who straddles two worlds.
Ruthlessly clever, Zane has risen through London’s criminal
underworld to become its ruler. Once a street urchin saved
by Lia’s mother, Zane is also privy to the secrets of the
clan — and is the only human they trust to bring them
Draumr. But he does nothing selflessly.
Zane’s hunt for the gem takes him to Hungary, where he is
shocked to encounter a bold, beautiful young noblewoman:
Lia. She has broken every rule of the drákon to join him,
driven by the urgent song of Draumr — and her visions of
Zane. In one future, he is her ally. In another, her
overlord. In both, he is her lover. Now, to protect her
tribe, Lia must tie her fate to Zane’s, to the one man
capable of stealing her future — and destroying her
heart....