Mariko is traveling to the imperial palace to meet the man she is betrothed to. She did not choose him, but since she is the daughter of a samurai of high standing, it is her destiny. It doesn’t matter that she is as smart as her twin brother and is a great alchemist. She was not born a boy and this is her fate. Unfortunately, Mariko doesn’t make it to the palace because her convoy is attacked by the Black Clan. She is the only survivor and is now planning her revenge. Will Mariko’s plan to infiltrate the Black Clan work? If she falls in love along the way will she be able to accept the truths she had been taught?

Flame in the Mist is the first book in a series by the name title. The adventure begins quickly with Mariko’s entire caravan being slaughtered and her running for her life. Ahdieh has created a story that is rich in characters and culture without spending endless pages on world building. Readers will want to follow Mariko on her journey and will not be satisfied until they have all their questions answered. Flame is the Mist will please both male and female readers and is recommended for anyone who enjoys a good adventure, especially if they appreciate the samurai culture.

This epic fantasy, with allusions to Mulan, is richly told in a beautifully drawn feudal Japan. It tells the story of the daughter of a prominent samurai, who disguises herself as a boy in order to survive - one of my favorite tropes, and it;s done so well. If you were a fan of Ahdieh's other work, "The Wrath and the Dawn", this is just as filled with adventure, romance, and lush prose. I adored Mariko as nobility-turned-warrior, and her chemistry with Okami was so much fun to read.

That ending though? I need the sequel NOW.

I’m so glad I was approved for this book on Netgalley! I loved The Wrath and the Dawn duology, so even though I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this one, I knew the writing would be fantastic, and I was so right about that.

This book is told through several perspectives, but the main one is definitly Mariko’s perspective. As this was an ARC, I found it confusing when the POVs changed, because I had no indication or tab letting me know that the change was happening. Still, Ahdieh did a great job with the different voices, even though the book is told in the third person.

I will admit that it took me a little bit to really get into this story, because I found the beginning of the book sort of slow, and I’m still slightly confused about some of the events of this book. With that said, I did fall in love with the story pretty easily, and I honestly just needed the second book STAT, so my questions would be answered right away. Seriously guys, I need to know some things urgently.

The characters are amazing, I loved Mariko and her strength and determination, and how much she grew to accept herself through this book. Okami and all the Black Can were such a nice surprise. And Yumi! I love Yumi and I want to see much more of her in the following books. Some characters surprised me in a positive way, while I’m still on the fence about some of them, but I do have high hopes for Kenshin.

There were so many twists, and the one thing that bothered me was the lack of answers. This is a book that clearly does not stand on its own, and the second one will be imperative to answer some MAJOR things in the plot, so yeah… I need book 2. The romance is sweet and amazing, and it doesn’t take away from the story, it adds to it. There is such a great amount of respect between the two, and I’m a fan, I SHIP IT!

GUYS, IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THIS ONE YET, DO IT NOW.
IT’S DETAILED AND INTRICATE AND BEAUTIFUL, WITH A KICK-ASS JAPANESE GIRL AS THE MAIN CHARACTER.
ALSO, YOU KNOW THIS IS SORT OF BASED ON MULAN, RIGHT? SO, READ IT.

This was beautiful storytelling. The cities and palaces and dynasties were described so vividly that it felt like the story was about real people. I absolutely loved the writing. I could picture everything perfectly.

Mulan retelling and feudal Japan? Uhm. YES PLEASE.

I honestly LOVED everything about Flame in the Mist. I admit the beginning was a bit slow-paced for me but the further I read, the better it got. I've read only one other series that centers around Japanese mythology (Red Winter by Annette Marie) and so far it has yet to disappoint me.
I think one of the reasons why I liked this book so much was because of how alike Mariko and Shazi was. They may not be as good as other kickass heroines in wielding swords but they're thinkers with an unyielding determination to stand firm with what they believe in. They get themselves out of difficult situations because of their intelligence, resourcefulness and ingenuity. And I greatly admired that.

Now I can't say much about the romance other than it was definitely slow burn. And who wouldn't love that?!
And I can't say much about The Black Clan. Because... I really don't know much about them. I think that's the one thing that really disappointed me about the book. Mariko was kidnapped and is living in the midst of this infamous band of mercenaries and I know zilch about them. How were they formed? What is their true purpose? How many of them are there? Where did they all come from? How did they gain such a scary reputation? Because they weren't all that scary to me. Seriously.

Overall Flame in the Mist is an amazing read! I devoured it in one sitting and now am dying to get my hands on book two. Because that ending? That ending was an absolute torture.

Oh and just so it's clear. The only reason I'm not giving this five stars is because I didn't obsess over it like I did with The Wrath and the Dawn. Because when it comes to Renee Ahdieh? The only other author you can compare Renee Ahdieh to is Renee Ahdieh.

I received an e-arc to read and review.

Spoilerfrei.

„Flame in the Mist“ ist der Auftakt einer soweit als Zweiteiler angekündigten Reihe. Öfters hört man, dass die Autorin Renée Ahdieh, die bereits die auf das Märchen „1001 Nacht“ basierende Dilogie „Zorn und Morgenröte“ und „Rache und Rosenblüte“ geschrieben hat, sich dieses Mal der Geschichte von Mulan (z.B. bekannt aus der Disney-Adaption) bedient hat. Ich würde es allerdings nur als leichte Inspiration sehen, viele Parallelen weisen die Geschichten nicht auf. Das Element, welches den Vergleich anheizt, wäre das Verkleiden einer jungen Frau als Mann und wie es ihr damit ergeht (kein Spoiler, passiert auf den ersten paar Seiten und bildet eine Grundthematik der Geschichte).

Bei „Flame in the Mist“ befinden wir uns inmitten von japanischen Traditionen anstatt chinesischen und auch kann die Zeit, zu der „Flame in the Mist“ spielt, um einiges später angesiedelt werden als das Volksmärchen Mulan.

Dieser Roman wurde im Mai 2017 auf Originalsprache Englisch veröffentlicht und wie ihr sehen könnt, konnte ich es kaum erwarten, das neue Abenteuer aus der Feder Ahdiehs zu lesen. Obwohl ich wegen Band 2 der „Zorn und Morgenröte“-Dilogie etwas enttäuscht zurückgelassen wurde, konnte mit die Autorin mit ihrem Schreibstil überzeugen und ich wollte mir ihre wunderbaren Umschreibungen nicht entgehen lassen. Ich wurde auch keineswegs enttäuscht, denn zusammenfassen kann ich schon einmal verraten, dass mit „Flame in the Mist“ sehr gut gefallen hat. Jetzt muss noch der zweite Teil, der wohl 2018 rauskommen wird, anknüpfen können und ich bin zufrieden.
Die ersten Seiten des Buchen beginnen so: Mariko, die Protagonistin und die Tochter eines Kaisers, soll einen Sohn eines anderen Reiches für Einflussgewinnung heiraten, auf dem Weg dorthin wird Mariko und ihr Geleitzug angegriffen. Mariko schafft es zu flüchten und muss sich von dahin weg ihren Weg bahnen.

Mariko thematisiert immer wieder die Stellung der Frau, welche Rolle Frauen spielen (müssen), wie sie selbst sein oder gesehen werden möchte. Diese Konflikte fand ich gut platziert, interessant zu folgen und verleiht dem Buch eine gewisse Note an Ernsthaftigkeit.

Mir gefielen die japanischen Beschreibungen und die dadurch entstehende Atmosphäre gut, es werden auch japanische Wörter verwendet, vor allem für Dinge wie Kleidung oder Waffen. Diese werden aber oft gleich darauf umschrieben, sodass man versteht, was damit gemeint ist.
(Beispiel: „He rested his Bō in the earth between them. Fresh blood stained one end oft he wooden staff.“ Pos. 261)

Ansonsten gibt es im Anhang ein Glossar, wo alle im Roman kursiv geschriebene Wörter erläutert werden, ansonsten hat auch Wikipedia viele Begriffe sofort erkannt. Ich denke, dass dieses Stilmittel entweder zur Stimmung beitragen kann oder es nett ist, den ein oder anderen Begriff mal gehört zu haben, aber auch nicht besonders stört, falls man das nicht unbedingt bräuchte.
Die Entwicklung der Geschichte fand ich gut ausgearbeitet und spannend, vor allem auch plausibler als z.B. bei Ahdiehs Vorgängerwerk „Rache und Rosenblüte“ (ich komme nicht herum, ihre Arbeiten zu vergleichen). Bei „Flame in the Mist“ ergibt es mehr Sinn, dass und inwiefern sich die agierenden Charaktere und Parteien kennen.

Leider wurden mir die Plottwists, die zum Ende des Romans gelüftet wurden, zu verwirrend und ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob ich etwas überlesen habe (was ich nicht glaube, weil ich langsam und konzentriert las) oder ob es daran lag, dass Englisch nicht meine Erstsprache ist. Hoffentlich wird „der Stand der Dinge“ am Anfang vom Nachfolgerband noch einmal aufgegriffen.
Zu der einen Vewirrung ging mir eine Entwicklung und Abhandlung etwas zu schnell, aber selbst da konnte ich das Lesen sehr genießen. Alles in allem bin ich dem Roman äußerst wohlwollend eingestimmt und freue mich auf den Nachfolgeband.


Fazit: Mit „Flame in the Mist“ legte Renée Ahdieh einen gelungenen Auftakt ihrer neuen Dilogie hin.
Spannende Szenen, eingebettet in fernöstliche Atmosphäre und wundervoller Sprache (mit ein paar Kraftausdrücken, die hier aber passten und demnach nicht negativ ins Gewicht fallen).
Hoffentlich gelingt der Übergang von diesem ersten Teil zu Teil 2 gut und kann mich abholen, das wäre großartig.

Ich empfehle dieses Buch Lesenden, die ein Jugendbuch suchen, wo eine starke Protagonistin ihren Weg geht und ihre Stellung als Frau reflektiert. Aufmerksamen LeserInnen, die Lust haben auf eine konfliktbehaftete, aber auch romantische Geschichte mit japanischen Vibes mit einem Touch „Mulan“.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I’m super disappointed that I didn't enjoy it. I read around 60% and I’m pretty sure that nothing happened in that time. There was a little bit of action at the beginning. That got me interested, but then….nothing after that. I was bored to tears. Things might have been picking up around the time I set it aside, but by that point I was pretty uninterested. I feel a little guilty for setting it aside. I loved The Wrath and the Dawn, so I had some high hopes for this one. It wasn’t wasn’t delivering. There was a lot of things that didn’t make sense or were brushed aside and that annoyed me too. Plus, the MC did some really dumb stuff for someone so ‘smart’. I'm sad to say that this book wasn't for me.

I cannot wait for the follow-up novel! While the first couple chapters took a while to grab me, in the long run, I couldn't put the book down.

Mariko is a clever young woman who is often seen as odd by her family. Her story begins when her convoy is attacked on the way to her wedding, in the imperial city, by the "Black Clan". Mariko wants to know why she was attacked and she knows that if she returns home her family will just resend her to the imperial city. So, she decides to find and infiltrate the clan while disguised as a man. While with the clan Mariko reluctantly finds herself caring for the others and valued for her cleverness. The members of the "Black Clan", which we meet, all have very different personalities and seem to have their own secrets. Meanwhile her brother, Kenshin "The dragon of Kai" is convinced that his sister is alive and is determined to find her. Mariko, the Black Clan, and Kenshin clash throughout the story which comes to a head in a heated confrontation. Additionally there ate hints of magic and supernatural creatures woven into the story which becomes more distinct towards the climax.

The story is very engaging and has many underlying plot lines which are waiting to be resolved in the next novel.

We first meet our main character as she was travelling in her litter to the emperor’s city of Inako, and from the very first page the rollercoaster of events started pouring out and never stopped until the very last page! I flew through the book in one sitting and immediately craved for more.

Mariko is nothing like an ordinary girl, born and raised in a wealthy family, promised to become a wife of the emperor’s first born son. Throughout the book we find out more and more details of her traits: brave, persistent, curious, inventive, passionate, at some points naive and reckless. The only thing she was not is boring.

I have to admit though, we heard a lot about how intelligent and smart Mariko was, and sometimes it seemed like a lot of talking and not a lot of showing, but the plot and all the characters were so different and interesting that it did not bother me not for a second.

And then we meet Okami! At exactly 51% through the book I posted on my GoodReads about how much I loved Okami. He was dangerous, fearless, full of secrets, – the perfect “bad boy” of this book (what is it about those bad boys that we love so much??)

The story takes us through small villages, through the deep dark forest to the majestic city. We see small glimpses of the world, ruled by the wealth and power. We see glimpses of richness and festivity, as well as the completely opposite livelihood of villagers and workers around the area.

There are samurais, Japanese swords and the art of samurai warriors. There is also a tiny drop of magic, that seems to come more to life in the next book (that I can’t wait to get my hands on!!). There are rivalry, lies, treachery and murders = What else would you want to see in a new YA series? Oh, yes! The perfectly measured romance!

I never seek for romance in fantasy books. Nevertheless, it’s always there. Most of the times it is too overpowering. Most of the times it will make me cringe. But not this time!

This romance was perfectly flirtatious. Just enough for you to get interested but not enough to wear you down, or even worse, to overpower the main story.

A great beginning to this new series – «Flame in the Mist» will introduce you to the magical world of Japanese folklore, amazing main and side characters and treacherous plot! Highly recommend this to any Fantasy, Romance or YA lover in general (or just anyone! Please, read it!!)

I have been waiting all my life for a YA Mulan retelling, and I am so thrilled that we finally have one! This story is about a girl who disguises herself as boy to get revenge on a group of men who attempted to assassinate her. The main character is brave and intelligent, and I adored the Feudal Japanese setting. This book is just so original and I definitely encourage everyone to read it.

It is shocking to me that I have never read a Mulan retelling before. Mulan is probably my favourite Disney movie, so when I saw that one of my favourite authors had written a retelling of it, I knew it was going to be good. This book tells the story of a girl who is attacked by a group of bandits and secretly joins their group while disguised as a boy to figure out who is responsible. I loved the whole secret society idea, and of course Mariko’s attempts to ensure that she isn’t found out. This book is so action-packed and will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat!

I adored Mariko’s character! She is so strong and intelligent. Her plan to attack the Black Clan from within is so daring, and even though she is treated horribly at first, she remains determined. Mariko discovers her many talents while she is in the Black Clan and is committed to proving her worth as a female. She is the epitome of strength, courage, and independence, and I was definitely rooting for her the whole way.

The Feudal Japanese setting in Flame in the Mist is so original! I’ve read books set in Japan before, but I’ve never read anything set in Feudal Japan. The Japanese mythology and terms throughout the book are so interesting to me, and I feel like I learned a lot while reading. The descriptions of the scenery and culture are also so vivid, making the story come to life. After reading this book, I really need more books with this setting.

Flame in the Mist is the Mulan retelling that I’ve always wanted. The main character is headstrong and independent, and the setting is very unique. I can’t wait for the sequel to be released!

The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. For political gain, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort. But on the way to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by a the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace.

Disguised as a boy, Mariko seeks to infiltrate 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.

Ahdieh excels at writing a detailed, compelling narrative a cut above that typically found in YA fiction. While the story is steeped in Japanese tradition and history, she's able to blend an air of modernity through fantasy and budding romance that will appeal to many readers. Mariko is a fantastic female protagonist who years to be seen as more than just a girl whose body and dowry will provide her father with power and standing.

I did feel as if the pacing slowed a bit toward the middle; however, the ending was solid with plenty of action, secrets and betrayals. There are several cliffhangers that will have readers clamoring for the next book.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I love Japan. I’ve never been there, but it’s in the top 3 on my travel wishlist. I got so incredibly excited when I found Flame in the Mist, mainly because of its setting. I was able to imagine everything so vividly! Renée did a wonderful job at worldbuilding and it absolutely did not disappoint.

The plot is a little bit slow at first. When I put the book down the first time I didn’t continue until days later, simply because I didn’t feel the need to know what would happen next. Once I did pick it up again, though, I just could not put it down! Renée’s writing is absolutely beautiful in a way I can’t really explain. It was a bit difficult at first (English is not my first language…) but once I got used to it, I just wanted more! I kind of literally want to quote all the quotes because man, I highlighted a lot.

Flame in the Mist is told through multiple POVs, mostly through the main character Mariko’s and her brother Kenshin’s. It was a bit confusing to me sometimes. That was probably because new chapters didn’t start on new pages, but right below the ending of the previous chapter. I did really like the multiple points of view, though. It really moved the story along. Plus, I’m sure it’ll be easier to switch between POVs when chapters start on new pages, hehe!

Mariko is an amazing main character. She’s super smart and there’s not a single thing I don’t like about her. I mean, she was ambushed and nearly killed but then she turns into this badass and I just LOVE IT. And it’s super realistic too. Sometimes the badass-ness is just overdone but it was developed so nicely! Her brother Kenshin is a whole different story for me. But I can’t quite put my finger on why I don’t like him, to be honest. Maybe it’s this whole Dragon of Kai thing? Like, what is it even supposed to mean? I don’t feel like we got to see his badass samurai side… But that could just be me, ha!

The romance was a little predictable but still so wonderful. AHH! ***spoiler!(-ish? hehe…) and Mariko are my new OTP! They’re the CUTEST! Again, it was predictable but I so did not mind at all. I just want more!

Flame in the Mist is absolutely wonderful! I know that when this review goes up, the book won’t even be officially out yet, but I’m already so excited for the sequel! I still have some unanswered questions which will probably be answered in whatever comes next. Be sure to get yourself a copy, because you do not want to miss out on the beauty that’s Flame in the Mist!

I received this book a little before its release and I must confess that I was curious to read the new novel by Renee Ahdieh, unfortunately, I think this author and I are not book friend.

I love the heroine, Mariko is the daughter of a popular samurai in her country. The latter managed to arrange a marriage between Mariko and the son of the emperor. Everyone would like to see her flourish in the role of a discreet but attentive young girl however, she is far from it. She is independent, curious, does not hesitate to break the rules of society around women and the feminist message behind her character touched me a lot. Another very nice point, the romance, it is built slowly but it was sexy at times, so many flirts.

Another nice point, the Asian mythology (Japanese, I think), I do not think I've read many books with this kind of mythology and I found it very interesting. There is also a little magic touch that shows a very big potential for the sequel, however, I would have liked the author to go further in this mythology, to know more about it.

Let us now start from what disturbed me, the plot. I feel like, I'm the only one, but for me this book is a copy of The wrath and The dawn. In TWATD we follow Shahrzad who will infiltrate the khalid to take revenge, we follow in parallel her cousin who will do everything to save her. Here we see Mariko who will infiltrate the black clan to have answers, we will follow in parallel her brother who tries to save her. I already struggle with everything I read to find an innovative book, but when an author uses the same strings, I'm kind of disappointed. I got this feeling pretty quickly and I have to admit that even if I find this book better than TWATD I remain ambiguous with it, it has good elements but the impression of reading a stuff I have already read 2 years ago, I did not like it.

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.



AAAAAAAAAAA!!!I love this book so much I could scream forever. When I first found out that I got an ARC I was so excited I couldn’t stop jumping up and down. It’s my first book by Renee, but it definitely won’t be the last. Not only did the plot sound very exciting, but the praise surrounding Ahdieh and her previous works was huge, so I know I had found a gem. Flame in the Mist, however, managed something I almost thought impossible: to surpass my expectations.



The first 15-20 % of the book was a bit slower than the rest; and it was absolutely vital to the story. I think that, by making the first part – where Mariko is still the daughter of noble family – slower than the rest – when she lets go of her identity and follows the Black Clan – Ahdieh managed to show the contrast of Mariko’s previous lifestyle to her current one, without confusing flashbacks or endless inner monologues; the book’s pacing solely showcases these differences.



I looooved this book’s setting. Set in feudal Japan, its time and place were vital and played key-roles in the story. This particular story could not have been set in another country. Which brings me to a point I’ve wanted to make for quite some time now: the setting (both time and place) should actually play a part in the story. How often, while reading a contemporary set somewhere in the US, have I thought “I seriously have no idea where this book takes place” or “Switch a few street names and this could literally be a million different american cities” ? See, setting is actually vital for giving your story life, for making it stand apart from the rest. And Flame in the Mist uses its setting to its full potential; all it takes is a few simple, beautiful lines from Ahdieh and the places materialize in front of your eyes, offering a unique story.



Probably the book’s best part and highest asset is its characters. Ahdieh’s characterisation shines throughout her pages: more “show” and less “tell”, she creates three-dimensional, well-developed characters, each one unique in their traits, agendas and interests. Even characters that seemed unimportant, irrelevant or shallow at first, quickly develop into almost fleshed out human beings and it’s wonderful. The relationships between the characters, their love, their hate, their need for one another, move the story forward; especially the bonds of the Black Clan, a pleasant surprise that I can’t wait to see explored and developed even more into the second instalment.



So, is this book a Mulan re-telling as has been said? No, not really. It may have been inspired by Mulan, but no more than the Throne of Glass series is inspired by Cinderella – which, until someone pointed it out, had completely escaped my notice. There are some similarities, but neither the place nor the way this story goes will remind you of Mulan.



**An ARC was provided via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.**

This is my very first Renée Ahdieh’s novel and unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I would like to.
I think the author had some pretty good ideas for this story, I loved how fearless and feminist Mariko’s character was. and I also think Ahdieh did a very great job at describing that haunted wood and all the spirits that lived in here.
But, these were the only good things about this novel. After the first few pages, I found myself very boring. Nothing really happened and the characters didn’t do anything interest. The romance between Mariko and Okami was also very disappointing and predicable. The mystery around who wanted to kill Mariko wasn’t enough to keep me entertain. And the setting / the world building were practically nonexistent, since the author didn’t seem to bother to write those important things.
Therefore, I’m hoping to have better luck next time, with some of her other novels, because this one was a very difficult and frustrating read.

As soon as I saw the cover and the mention of Mulan, I was sold. Flame In The Mist has been on my list of most anticipated 2017 releases ever since I first heard about it... I read a teaser back in January in one of the Buzz Books editions, and what I saw was GOOD. So good that my expectations were extraordinary high when starting this new series by Renee Ahdieh, but somehow Flame In The Mist managed to be ever better than expected. I practically devoured its pages and loved every single minute of it. The setting, the writing style, the characters (Mariko, Okami!!!), the plot... It doesn't happen often that I hand out the full five star rating, but I just couldn't give this story any lower. Both the worldbuilding and the writing style feel rich, engaging and very well developed and executed. I also enjoyed that Flame In The Mist is set in Japan and talks about a culture I'm personally not all that familiar with. The characters started to grow on me almost instantly and I LOVED Mariko as a main character. A little note though: even though this story basically blew me away, I did feel my love would have been even greater without the romance... It's not all that distracting, but there is a hint of a future love triangle I'm not that sure/happy about. It was too insignificant to influence my rating though. I just cannot wait to find out what the future has in store; the wait for the sequel is surely going to be a long one! If you like the genre, this is definitely a must-read.

FLAME IN THE MIST definitely is a book everyone should get. Renee Ahdieh comes back with an A+ book about feudal Japan, revenge, a girl dressing a boy to enact that revenge, found family, royals that lie, an enemies to lovers otp that burns my insides, and so much more.

This book is magic. You go find a dictionary and search for magic and a picture of Flame in the Mist appears, I assure you. In many ways is magic; the writing itself, gosh Renee writes beautifully and my heart stops every single time I encounter one of her books. I've read every single one and I will continue to do so. The words inside speak louder and the settings she writes are always so wonderful.

But also because there is definitely some magic involved in this book. There are SO MANY secrets, I don't even know the full things yet. At the end of book #1 you're still like WHAT IS HAPPENING. It has so much inside and everything is so important. A single detail says a lot in this book so be careful and pay attention. There are many characters and we all know how Renee loves to write multiple POVs in third person, this is the same. We have Mariko, our MC who gets attacked in the first chapter and decided to have revenge on the Black Clan for killing her guards and friend. We have Ranmaru and Okami, two Black Clan boys, one a leader and one the "Wolf" of the clan, the one who is so powerful and dangerous. We have Mariko's brother, Kenshin, who is searching for her and knows she isn't dead. We have the royal family, we don't know a lot about them, they have SO MANY SECRETS. I want to know sob.

The otp/ship is my favorite thing about this book. Just like with THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, Renee delivers fireworks and angst and enemies to lovers and iconic couple. Just saying, this will be the favorite of many.

I am desperate for book #2. FLAME IN THE MIST hasn't even come out yet and I need book 2 in my life. It's a VITAL FOR ME TO LIVE. This always happens with Ahdieh's books and will keep happening, I'm sure. She draws emotions out of you with her books and make you feel everything. I adore it.

Ahdieh has created another amazing world, this time a place inhabited by samurai. Mariko is a twin who is close to her brother Kenshin. On her journey to marry the Emperor’s son, her party is viciously attacked and slaughtered. Kenshin was not with his sister and he immediately investigates the carnage left behind, determining that his sister is still alive. Mariko barely escaped the attack and is determined to find out who ordered her murder and why. To do this, she disguises herself as a boy and fixates on the Black Clan, a group she suspects ambushed her entourage. The Black Clan take her prisoner and she is forced to do their bidding. One of the leaders, Okami, is mysterious and so intriguing. The leader Ranmaru is Okami’s close friend and he wants Mariko as a new recruit. The relationships are fascinating and the action heats up when Kenshin and Mariko’s former fiancée team up to find her. There is so much intrigue here and it is riveting. Besides well-drawn characters, the forest itself has a personality. There are supernatural elements in the woods that add mystery to the story – plants that attack, a boy who is almost magical, animals that watch and listen and an eerie feeling that permeates the forest. This book has romance, adventure, mystery and is nearly impossible to put down. The writing is wonderful and the ending is masterful. A delight that will captivate readers.

Review can also be found on *Milky Way of Books*

When I first learned about this book my mind screamed "MULAN"! Well, I was close in the end. Just missed a little in geography.

Flame in the Mist takes place in Feudal Japan, where emperors rule, samurai fight and beautiful geiko dance and sing. The story is not only about Mariko-chan, the protsgonist but it also covers almost all the characters of the book.

Told in third POV, this book was a beauty of historical details. It's obvious that Renee did a stellar job in her research in order to give the best image of how the people lived and the traditions they believe.

Mariko is a strong character, albeit a little too curious for her own good. She doesn't want to become a bride, sold and bought, she has plans and she is smart. Her meeting with the Black Clan, even if it is mysterious, gives to Mariko the chance to explore herself. And the romance was slow-burn too!

Okami, Ranmaru, the imperial brothers, even the politics in the Palace were interesting. But the best part of the book was when they visted Hanami and the geiko district. If you've watched "Memories of a Geisha" you'll understand!

Flame in the Mist, despite not giving too much of the plot away, captured me with its gorgeous world-building, the quick pace and the characters. Rennee Ahdieh is an auto-buy author and her transition from Arabia to Japan was flawless! Recommended!