England. A century ago, give or take a few years. England, where people who are vicious in thought or deed are marked by smoke - it flows from their bodies, and this is a sign of human downfall. Aristocrats do not emit smoke, and this is proof of their righteousness and right to rule, because the lower classes, unlike them, are mired in sin and soot. An elite boarding school where the sons of the rich are prepared to accept power as their birthright. Teachers with mysterious ties to opposing parties in high government circles. Three teenagers discover that everything they have been taught is a lie, and the knowledge could cost them their lives. An ancient estate whose attics and secret laboratories keep incredible secrets. Love triangle. Desperate pursuit. Conspirators and the secret police. Murder. Unexpected villains and unexpected heroes. Cold reason versus passion. Wealth versus poverty. Right versus wrong, although what is first and second is unclear. Such is the world of "Smoke" - a fascinating narrative, a story of Dickensian cunning and incredibly inventive, with a rich artistic atmosphere and a gripping plot, quite in the spirit of such famous modern bestsellers as " Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" by Suzanne Clarke and "Little, Big" by John Crowley.