Name: Flame in the Mist
Rating: 3.83625730994152 (171 reviews)
ISBN: 9780606408783

Renee Ahdieh

The daughter of a prominent samurai in feudal Japan is targeted by a dangerous gang of bandits who want to prevent her political marriage, a situation that compels her to disguise herself as a boy and infiltrate the gang's ranks in order to stop the

Flame in the Mist

Renée Ahdieh

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn, comes a sweeping, action-packed YA adventure set against the backdrop of Feudal Japan where Mulan meets Tamora Pierce.The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place--she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort--a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace. Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan's secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami. Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she's ever known.

Flame in the Mist #1

Vicky  Nuñez 

What an incredible journey! This is what I love about books, one instant you're in your home and the next you're in the Japanese forest traveling in a wooden box.
 I was super excited when I started reading this book, I've never read anything by Renée Ahdieh nor have I ever read anything like this. The first few chapters are a bit difficult to get into because there are so many foreign words and its such a different setting from what I am usually accustomed to. But once you get into the story and you start using the Glossary at the end of the book, you're set. 
This story has it all: honorable samurais, a ronin with a torturous past and a girl who wants to be free. I loved Mariko's character, her strength and cleverness. I also loved both of the ronins, Takeda and Okami. I loved the writing and how it described the Japanese setting. I especially loved the description of the city of Inako, with its flowing river filled with pink petals. In short, I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to the next in the series.

alexandra

i'm conflicted. there are a few reasons but mostly because:

1) it took me a looooooong time to finish and i considered dnf-ing. i couldn't get into it, despite loving the writing and plot right off the bat. BUT when i actually got around to it, i finished it in no time.

2) i love the feudal japan setting!! but it got difficult to read, and at times, felt detached. 

3) the plot feels unclear. even now, i feel like i can't properly explain what's going on because it wasn't resolved. i didn't realize it would be a series and now i'm like WHY because the ending feels extremely unfinished to me. i know there should be another novel because there's so much more to the story BUT STILL.

4) i love our mc!!! she's so wonderfully feminist. but there are times when she repeats herself (in her mind) so much i had to roll my eyes. i have mixed feelings on the others. i love the love interest and his ~crew~ but i wasn't sure about them for a bit.

5) writing is great and there were SO MANY times i felt the need to highlight quotes. LOVE. aside from – as mentioned earlier – the occasionally feeling of "hard to read"

if i could describe it in short: mulan meets robin hood meets assassins.

Beatrix Haase

I just couldn't get into this. To me, it felt really slow and I felt it dragging in a lot of places. Not my favorite Renee Ahdieh book.

I liked the concept, just not how it was executed. 

Bea

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn, comes a sweeping, action-packed YA adventure set against the backdrop of Feudal Japan. 'This story . . . will undoubtedly enthrall readers.' - Kirkus Mariko has always known that being a woman means she's not in control of her own fate. But Mariko is the daughter of a prominent samurai and a cunning alchemist in her own right, and she refuses to be ignored. When she is ambushed by a group of bandits known as the Black Clan enroute to a political marriage to Minamoto Raiden - the emperor's son - Mariko realises she has two choices: she can wait to be rescued... or she can take matters into her own hands, hunt down the clan and find the person who wants her dead. Disguising herself as a peasant boy, Mariko infiltrates the Black Clan's hideout and befriends their leader, the rebel ronin Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, Okami. Ranmaru and Okami warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. But as Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets that will force her to question everything she's ever known.

I really loved the plot of this book! It had many elements I loved and historical fantasy is something I really love so this was perfect!! The romance however brought this down for me, I wasn’t really a fan of that element I would have enjoyed the book more overall without it.

I enjoyed the characters a lot and the Robin Hood and Mulan elements to the story were really good, it was really interesting and the plot kept me on my toes! Mariko was a great main character and I really did Ōkami’s character too he was great.

Overall I did really enjoy this book and I finished it in 1.5 days bc it was so easy to read!

dija

"I believe the stars align so souls can find one another. Whether they are meant to be souls in love or souls in life remains to be seen.” 

Rtc (hopefully???)

Lillie

This book was definitely a page-turner, but I felt kept being let down by what was on the other side of the page. 

 3/5 stars



A Flame In The Mist is set in the world of feudal Japan with a bit of magic thrown in. Mariko, our heroine, is introduced to us when she is on her way to meet her husband, the next emperor of Wa. However, things don't go as planned and her convey is attacked by a band of men called the Black Clan. Mariko survives and decides not to back down from the challenge to become more than just a piece her father uses to barter with. She becomes a he and infiltrates the Black Clan while her brother, Kenshin, sets out to find and bring his sister home. Treachery and mystery ensue as Mariko tries to unravel the lies she has been told all her life. 

Don't let my review spoil your appetite for this book, as I don't regret reading it. Although, there are so many points where I wanted to say, "What?". 

The idea and setting behind this book is amazing! Magic and treachery all within a feudal Japan sounds like a story I can't wait to read. However, it all just falls flat. The magic system within this book lacks explanation or really an introduction at all and just leaves you clueless. I believe the author was relying on the reader to bring a bit of knowledge about Japanese myths and folklore but I am not an expert on either, which made the book a bit confusing to read. I had to google quite a few things in order to understand what was truly happening at points.

The characters within this book are okay. I didn't feel connected to any of them even though the author had almost 400 pages to introduce us. Mariko had some really great shining moments but she also made very strange decisions, similar to almost everyone in this book. Like, what side are you on, Mariko? A cute guy is all it takes for you to forget about you wanting the Black Clan dead, yet this is supposed to be a book about female empowerment... 

There was a good bit of romance but most of the dialogue in this book felt like filler. The author could have genuinely cut out most of the philosophical conversations and the characters wouldn't have suffered. 

My biggest disappointment with this book was the lack of purpose. Halfway through the book, I found myself asking, what is Mariko doing? Simply because I forgot her motivations as to why she was doing all of this when she started making... throwing stars and bombs? That was an interesting side quest I still am confused about. The ending also revealed nothing and there wasn’t any sort of closure, which also was disappointing. 

Overall, I can see the potential in  Flame in the Mist and this series but I am not sure if this book gave me enough to keep me coming back for the sequel. Perhaps the sequel will hold more answers and fewer cliffhangers.

Kirsten Simkiss

Have you ever read a book and thought, "This book sounds awesome! I'm really excited to see how this goes?" If so, you may also be familiar with realizing that the book you're reading didn't live up to those hopeful expectations when you actually sank your teeth into it. This book was one of those for me. While enjoyable enough, I don't feel comfortable going anywhere higher for a rating that 3.5 stars out of the usual 5. Here's why.

For this entire book, I couldn't help but notice how cliche everything in the book was. Granted, it is a YA novel, but I knew this going in. It was more juvenile than I had anticipated, which was surprising considering how much YA writing I read regularly. It took me about a hundred pages to realize that it felt like reading the novelization of a manga. Everything was going so fast and the characters were all basically one note with only Mariko displaying true character growth. I can tell you that I honestly probably would have preferred this as a manga. Also, I'm pretty well versed in Japanese culture and some of the details had me rolling my eyes. I get that it's for teens, but give them some credit. Most teens have watched anime - they don't need a beginner tutorial. Also, why do you have to italicize everything in a foreign language? We get it! We know what a kunai is! Stop it with the italics!

I've seen a lot of comparisons in other reviews between the story of Mariko and the story of Mulan. Honestly, it borrows some aspects of Mulan, but let's not kid ourselves: Mulan was so much more of a bad ass than Mariko was here. Mariko spends three quarters of the book angry with people she blindly blames for her attempted murder. Shockingly (not), you find out later that (view spoiler)[they didn't do it after all, meaning she's been spending half the book seething with hatred at these people for no reason at all because shockingly (not) it wasn't them. (hide spoiler)] If you're good at reading foreshadowing, this should come as no shock at all to you.

The plot is okay by any standards. It's not a particularly deep story line. I feel like the court intrigue needed to be pushed way further than it was. Actually, they spend more time trying to hook the main characters up than anything else, which is annoying. I'm a big fan of romances that come about over time and trial as opposed to romances that the writers force in for the sake of making the plot interesting. Overall, I just felt like the characters all needed more fleshing out than they got. I also felt the book could use more polishing than I think it got. You also get almost no answers for anything that happened in the book, presumably to be revealed in later installments of the series.

Overall, this book isn't for me, but I can see how others would enjoy it.

Megan Lowe

Holy. Wow!
I loved this book! I loved the rich culture, the lovable characters, the intrigue.
I loved the setting of this book, I pictured it so clearly in my head, even if there were strong shades of memoir of a geisha.
I loved Mariko. I loved Ranmaru and Okami. I have hopes for Kenshin and am I trigger by Raiden. And who can forget Yoshi, Yumi, who I want to see more of, and Ren?
I do think this book started a little slow, and I would’ve liked to have seen more magic, but the twists and turns in this book make up for it!
I HIGHLY recommend!

Jasmine Neville

Absolutely loved this book. It will probably forever be on my favourites list

Steysha

Amanda Rocha

Despite the rumors, Renée Ahdieh's long anticipated Flame In The Mist is more likely inspired by the story of Mulan rather than existing as a retelling of the tale. Many elements seem to echo the popular Disney's Mulan cartoon (she cuts off her hair, saves the life of an important warrior, and lives a secret double life as a man), including one of the important quotes of the book: "Be as swift as the wind. As silent as the forest. As fierce as the fire. As unshakable as the mountain." (143) 





Similar to Wrath And The Dawn, Flame In The Mist begins with arranged marriage. Control is a large theme of the novel: Mariko feels "locked in a cage" (20). Torn between a duty to marry and a desire to have control over her own life, Mariko must make difficult choices in order to find her place. She wants to be more useful than the quiet life she is obligated to assume. The Black Clan gives her this opportunity.

"She'd wanted her body to be her own. The decision to be hers and hers alone. Her body was not for sale. It did not belong to her parents to sell to the highest bidder. Nor did it belong to Minamoto Raiden or to any other man. She was not half. She was wholly her own." (197)
The few other females in the story provide insight into the role women play within the culture of the novel. Mariko's mother grants us a glimpse at the typical wife. Her stiffly rigid and unquestioning character generalizes the expectation that a women quietly follows her husbands wishes. Okami's sister Yumi however, is a female character similar to Mariko: "The young woman did not stand or move from a place of subservience. Nor did she convey any sense that her existence was based solely on the whims of men. Her head was high, her gait proud. This young woman was not a plaything (208)." Yumi is a strong female like Mariko, who imparts wisdom that makes Mariko realize the power of being a woman. She explains that "being a woman is a challenge I must fight. Like being born under a stormy sky." (346)

"There is such strength in being a woman. But this is a strength you must choose for yourself. No one can choose it for you. We can bend the wind to our ear if we would only try." (347)
This book challenges the expectation that females should be a certain way, removing the connotations of demure, gentle, or sensitive. Through the main character Mariko, the author provides an example for young girls to follow proudly. You are not just a body. You have a voice and a brain, and can use them to your advantage.

248 water is not beholden to anything it can cut through Rock it can vanish Into Thin Air with time it can even destroy iron you should not see it as a weakness I believe we are all things depending on the situation given the right time and right circumstance any man or woman can be water or fire or Earth or wind in any
Ultimately, Mariko finds herself through struggle in the forest. Rising to her challenges, she embraces the freedom that comes with becoming a kagemusha.

The Bushido principles that Samurai value stand in contrast to the tennents laid out before Mariko as she swears her life to being a kagemusha, a shadow warrior for the Black Clan. Whereas Bushido values courage, integrity, benevolence, respect, honesty, honor, and loyalty, the kagemusha "fight for justice irrespective of Honor, [...] see all those before you as equal, regardless of birth or rank, [and are willing to use] all manner of subterfuge - even lying, cheating, stealing" (356) to achieve goals and protect secrets. Mariko finds freedom in the values of the Black Clan, and begins to see the oppressive the differences that separate Samurai from Kagemusha. "The Black Clan had welcomed her. Not a single one of them had turned their back on her, though they all knew who she was. What she had done." (358) Mariko feels useful, respected, listened to amongst the Black Clan, and ultimately chooses freedom over duty.

"She fought back -- with both words and strength of conviction -- as no girl ever had in his experience." (279)
The challenges that Mariko faces shape her and help her to grow into the powerful warrior she becomes. She must constantly fight to prove herself. To prove that she is not worthless. To herself, and to the clan. Her persistence and intellect help her to embrace her experiences, no matter how costly, and her dedication to doing the right thing guides her honorably. Mariko grows from a sheltered girl into a powerful warrior, in control of her own destiny.

Mariko grows into a truly strong YA heroine in this book. Not only is she intelligent and open-minded to true learning and listening, she is often able to separate logic from feeling and act in a logical way that many readers respect.

"A flame in the mist." (280)
A general concencus among readers seems to be that the book starts slow. For me, it took nearly the first hundred pages to really capture my heart. Because I loved Wrath And The Dawn so much, I kept reading, and am so glad that I did. The love story becomes truly engrossing, and I cannot wait to find out what happens in the next book. The sequel to Flame In The Mist is set to be released in May of 2018.

https://wordpress.com/post/thewandere...

Emi Gilmore 

4/5 stars

  "Be as swift as the wind. As silent as the forest. As fierce as the fire. As unshakable as the mountain."   

You might be saying to yourself, “Wow? A review for Mist in the Flame? Didn’t you promise to post this three weeks ago?”  Actually, you aren’t, but I’m going to pretend you actually care and are.  Which I reply to you. Yes. I was. But I got lazy. It happens. But better late than never. 

First just a huge thank you for Penguin Teen sending me an arc of this book. You guys are the coolest. If there’s any other arc you wanna send my way, please don’t hold back. 

So now that I got all that out of the way. I just wanna say that this review isn't just a review. It's also my eulogy. Because this book actually killed me. 

  R.I.P Emi
June 1998-May 2017.
She died doing what she loves. Crying over fictional characters.  

I've been dead for three weeks and y'all didn't even notice.  Rude. But I'm gonna forgive you if you pick up this book and join me here in the afterlife. 

This book is just so awesome? It makes me wanna run into the forest and join a group outlaws. Do they even exist anymore? Do they accept emotionally unstable introverts? If you like action, beautiful covers, girls who are better than you, and some other stuff, this book is just what you are looking for. It's also really informational? Before reading this, all I knew about Samurai is pretty much nothing and I learned so much about their history. obviously, I will never be an expert, but it's nice to read about a topic that isn't taught in schools very often. 

The writing is also so beautiful. Renee Ahdieh is establishing herself as a very consistent author which is great and all but she's also incredibly gorgeous so I'm very much intimidated by her entire life.  The Wrath & the Dawn  is still higher on my favorites list then this one, but this was a great follow-up to that series. 

So if you didn't know what this book is about. It's marketed as a Mulan meets 47 Ronin. I am unfamiliar on 47 Ronin, so I don't know how accurate that is. But the Mulan part. It's a pretty good comparison. However, if you are going into this book expecting the entire plot of Mulan conveyed using the English alphabet and paper, you are wrong. It's there, but this book is its own separate entity. 

At the beginning of this book, Mariko, who's father is this big bad Samurai, is being sent off to marry some dude she doesn't love. Pretty stereotypical. But when she was traveling to go get married off, her party is attacked and everyone dies. But she manages to get away. Mariko figures that this group called the Black Clan was responsible because they wanted to kill her. So, instead of running the opposite direction like  any  sane person would, she disguises herself as a boy and goes undercover in the Black Clan to figure out why the hell they wanted to assassinate her.

I'll be honest. The first part of this book is kinda slow. There is just a lot of haning around, not doing much in the woods. But once you prevail into the last part, everything becomes worth it. 

Let's talk characters. Shall we? It's been awhile since I finished this book, so I don't remember too many details. But I'll try. 

 Markio.  Can I be her? I want to be her. She's better than you. My only complaint is that she's supposed to be like this mastermind with scientific stuff, but we don't get to see that a lot. 

 Okami.  I wasn't paying any attention to his character, to be honest. I didn't think he would be important. Then Ahdieh went in a direction I didn't expect with him and I regretted barely giving him a second glance. Don't be me. Appreciate him throughout the entire novel. 

 Ranmaru.  I'm gonna be honest with you. I kinda don't remember his character very much? He reminded me of Robin Hood though. 

 Kenshin.  He's Markio brother and he's kind of an asshole. But I'm not really surprised. But I did really love how much he loved his sister? (view spoiler)[ But would your brother work as hard as he did to find you? He set the brotherly love bar really high. I'm thinking about disappearing to see if mine would. He probably wouldn't even know I was gone.  (hide spoiler)]

In conclusion. This book is amazing and you should read it. Honestly, I don't know how you are reading this and just ignoring the beautiful cover.  Except, is it a peacock or a phoenix on the cover? I just can't figure it out.

Laura Kehoe

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! I know I'm in the minority on this, but I personally wasn't as into the Wrath and the Dawn, mostly because of the insta-love aspect. So I went into Flame in the Mist with some trepidation. But, seeing as this was a retelling of Mulan, I also know I couldn't pass this one up,since Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies everrrrrr. And you know what? I really liked this book a lot. The characters were strong, the plot moved at a good pace, and the world was so interesting. It wasn't perfect, but overall I had such a wonderful time reading this book. I would highly recommend giving it a read!

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn, comes a sweeping, action-packed YA adventure set against the backdrop of Feudal Japan where Mulan meets Throne of Glass. The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace. Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and track down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she's within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she's appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she's ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.

I loved the idea but not in love with the execution. I felt at parts that the characters and their reactions weren’t real enough or fleshed out. Too much black and white and not enough gray! Mariko, girl, who’s side are you on again?

Maria

я не оценила предыдущую серию автора - очень уже предсказуемо все там, где замешана 1000 и 1 ночь, да и ближневосточные сеттинги и нравы меня не сильно интересуют. но эта, японская - совсем другое дело. катаны так и свистят, лепестки с вишен так и сыплются!

Becky

Did I love this book as much as Ahdieh's last one? Probably not. Did I get sucked right in all the same? Damn straight I did.

I was intrigued by the concept of this one. It had a Japanese setting and although I didn't fully understand the history of the book I liked the idea of it. Whilst I've studied some very basic Japanese history I would love to learn more of the time of samurais and the Japanese emperor and basically the period this book was set as I think that would really help me appreciate the layers of this book a whole lot more.

I have to say, I thought this would be a bit of a predictable read as I am finding a lot of fantasy and YA lately has left me a little disappointed it didn't do enough to be original but I admit there were a couple of twists in this one I was not expecting. I didn't necessarily like all the twists but I did like being surprised. I am always pleased when a book can do something unexpected.

I liked seeing Mariko grow as a character and the lessons she learnt spending her tome with the black clan and how they made her a stronger person but also joe he intelligence and resourcefulness she has always possessed finally got a chance to shine when she got to make her own path in the world. I was a little disappointed some of the secondary characters didn't get to experience the same degree of growth as they did come across a little flat at times but hopefully they can be developed in the next book.

It was a good book and I enjoyed it rather surprisingly.

Tânia Borges

Mayra Melo

4.5.

Ahdieh's writing is wonderful, and her characters are fully formed. Loved all of them.

Katie Holem

Jessica Williamson

3.75 Stars

Probably the most important thing to note is that this story is 100% NOT a Mulan retelling. It is being marketed as such, and in actuality, the only similarity the two have are they both feature a female character who pretends to be a boy. That's the only similarity. 

Mariko - a fascinating character for a YA. She's supposed to be essentially a lady of the court who is to be sold off to another family and just be happy about it. But Mariko wants to rebel against her family. She will do as they ask, but she'll do it her way. I enjoyed that about her. 

Okami - Surprise after surprise come with this character. He is fun to read and provides some good entertainment. Every time you learn something new about him, another secret looms.

Kenshin - Probably one of the most conflicted characters here. He wants to follow the tenants of the Samurai, but that doesn't always fall in line with what his father, his master, wants him to do. I can't wait to see this character develop in the next book. There are many different ways for him to go.

Ranmaru, Ren, Yoshi, Amaya, and Yumi - Well developed and fun to read. Each provides an important lesson to either Mariko or Kenshin throughout the book. They serve the story well.

Roku, Raiden, Kanako, Genmei, the emperor & Mariko's parents - None of these characters feel fully developed quite yet, but they were all seen very sporadically throughout the novel that I feel like they will have a larger part in the second novel (where applicable). 

The Good - I like the writing style, it's enjoyable to read. The plot is interesting, and there is a lot of political drama (my favorite). The characters are well developed, and their story lines are believable.

The Bad - There's some kind of a magic system in place here, and it isn't explained in the slightest. I mean, one of the magic users states that they used their families fortune to buy their powers, but that was a story for another day. So, there are people who have magic and sell it to the highest bidder? And it's used so sporadically. There's a bit at the beginning and then nothing for about half of the book, and then it comes back full force. It doesn't work for me.

There was no ending. The last chapter is titled "An Ending" and I think it's trying to be sarcastic because there is no end. There will be a second book in this, making it a duolgy, but there is just no conclusion in any way in this first book. It was very unsatisfying.

All in all, a decent first installment in this series. I would like to see things more fully explained in the sequel. The last few chapters of this left a lot of drama to resolve.

Sofia Blomqvist Rytters

Lisa W.

4.5 to be more accurate. This book was surprisingly better than I thought it would be. So many twists and turns that kept me on edge. Part of it was difficult for me to understand but I didn’t let that stop me.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn, comes a sweeping, action-packed YA adventure set against the backdrop of Feudal Japan. Mariko has always known that being a woman means she's not in control of her own fate. But Mariko is the daughter of a prominent samurai and a cunning alchemist in her own right, and she refuses to be ignored. When she is ambushed by a group of bandits known as the Black Clan enroute to a political marriage to Minamoto Raiden - the emperor's son - Mariko realises she has two choices: she can wait to be rescued... or she can take matters into her own hands, hunt down the clan and find the person who wants her dead. Disguising herself as a peasant boy, Mariko infiltrates the Black Clan's hideout and befriends their leader, the rebel ronin Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, Okami. Ranmaru and Okami warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. But as Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets that will force her to question everything she's ever known.

Sophie Elaina 

I definitely was not expecting to like this book as much as I did but oh my goodness did I enjoy every single second of it! Even when I first started it I wasn't completely sure about it, but it just hit me all of a sudden about half way through that I absolutely adored these characters. The beginning is a little bit slow and hard to get into but I feel as though if I were to re-read the first chapter now I would understand it a lot better having already read about these characters and what happens if that makes sense at all.

This book follows Mariko the daughter of a prominent samurai. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits, known as the Black Clan. Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets and betrayal, which force her to question everything she's ever known.

“Sometimes we must fall forward to keep moving. Remain motionless—remain unyielding—and you are as good as dead.
Death follows indecision, like a twisted shadow. Fall forward. Keep moving. Even if you must pick yourself up first.”

There were some things that were very heavily Mulan inspired but there were some things that caught me so off guard and surprised the hell out of me. Thinking about the plot twists now, I have no idea how I didn't see some of them coming but they were just so good. Some really brilliant things happened that I did not expect and this book really kept me on my toes. The whole book was much more mysterious and magical that I first expected, and most definitely in a good way.

Some of the characters are very unreliable however I found that very interesting and it really added to the banter between the characters and there were moments I just couldn't believe what was being said, it was hilarious. Very important morals are weaved throughout the plot and I am extremely excited to see how those things progress in the next book and that cliffhanger had me screaming at the pages, because I literally need to know what happens next right now.

“I believe the stars align so souls can find one another. Whether they are meant to be souls in love or souls in life remains to be seen.” 

There is a very swoon-worthy slow burning romance that I enjoyed and I feel was done right in my opinion and certainly didn't take up the plot or become too overpowering which I am really glad about. Not to mention amazing friendships that start to develop that are very cute and I am intrigued to see how all of these relationships fare in the next book.

Some of the scenes between Mariko and Okami were just hilarious! For starters Okami reminds me a little bit of Rhysand from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. Whether thats because of recently reading A Court of Wings and Ruin or not I don't know but he has some of the same characteristics and I couldn't help but thinking after reading of some of the things that Okami's character says that it was such a Rhys thing to say. I think that is partly why I fell in love with his character. Especially when he says:

“You are first and foremost a person. A reckless, foolish person, but a person nonetheless. If I ever say you are not permitted to do something, rest assured that the last reason I would ever say so would be because you are a girl.” 

Renée Ahdieh's writing style was beautiful to read, this is the first book that I have read by her but I will be picking up other books of hers soon because I really really enjoyed this, probably one of my favourite reads of the year so far! The plot was really fast paced and full of exciting twists and I flew through it. I really recommend!

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and Renée Ahdieh for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

razan 

Buddy read with Noha

Whew,that was one hell of a confusing ride ,i'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book, and i couldn't not compare it to The Wrath and the Dawn which means I had high expectations, I wouldn't say I was majorly let down but there were couple of disappointments here and there that caused it to be a 3.5/4 star rating . 

Okay let's get down to business !


things i didn't like 
Plotwise : 
 if we looked at TWATD by the end of that book we knew exactly what was going on and we knew what Shazi & Khalid's goal for the next book was, the events and the characters were connected somehow, but Flame in The Mist confused me a lot, I still don't know what the main characters motives are and what the hell is going on with all these side plotlines and how they're going to benefit the main story ?and who the heck is the villain? Give me something to tickle my brain a little, don't let me hanging in the void like that !

Don't get me wrong as a fantasy reader I live for plot twists and friends-turning-foes situation it's exciting when it's done right but when you find yourself going back and rereading the previous pages trying to comprehend how things happened and come up with nothing but more confusion; that's usually not a good sign .

Same goes for some of the side characters and the big party of I-have-no-idea-what-am i-supposed- to-be-in-this-story .



However the things that saved the book for me and let me tell you that they're a lot !
The setting : was magnificent and the discrption of the surroundings was so vivid and interesting , i mean who wouldn't love a Japanese folklore based book with all their culture,sophisticated lifestyle, clothes and amazing Samurai warriors, i found myself googling more stuff about Japan and learning the names of the clothes and food from the glossary 


The pacing also was so good it's definitely a slow burner book so there's no major action/adrenalin pumping scenes but the things that happened were effective at least the things that I fully understood !

The romance : oh man there's of course our main characters Okami & Mariko all I'm saying about them is that I SHIP IT I ship it as far as the universe can go 💖
as for the rest I'm not spoiling it but I need more of them, things are burning slowly between them-pun intended- but I hope they find their happy ending 

Nonetheless I enjoyed it immensely and it's worth the read ,hoping for the next book to be a 500 awsome pages of explanations , great romance and lots of actions scenes with lots of samurai katana welders, otherwise I'll be majorly disappointed .

Flame in the Mist

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Highlights