3.5 stars

I'll admit that I wasn't a huge fan of Renee Ahdieh other series The Wrath & the Dawn but I thought this sounded really intriguing. I thought the Flame in the Mist was definitely a step up and I really enjoyed the book! Full of great characters and phenomenal world building, this book managed to surprise me with just how grand of an adventure it had in store. Definitely recommend giving this a try.

Feudal Japan Mulan-esque fantasy? Sign me up!
Unfortunately, this was a bit of a let down for me, especially after LOVING her Wrath and the Dawn duology.
Things I loved:
- the setting! I loved hearing about the forests and cherry blossoms and palaces! Beautiful!
- the feminist themes from the main character
- the members of the Black Clan. I really grew to love them.
Things I didn't like
- the confusing magic?? I'm still confused as to how it works and where it comes from, but maybe these questions will be answered in the next book.
- the very sudden and unbelievable romance. It made NO sense to me
- the ending felt quite rushed and confusing

Hopefully the second book will answer some of my questions!

I found FITM really hard to get into at first, but once I got past the first few chapters, I was gripped to my seat until the very end! I love, love, LOVE everything about all of Renee Ahdieh's previous books and FITM was just as good. With an amazing story, excellent plot and complicated characters, all paired as useul with her beautiful writing, Renee spun a thrilling adventure between these pages.

I saw none of the plot twists coming and was shocked and taken aback by all of them. The way this book concluded, I am SO excited to see where the second book goes. If it's anything as exciting as FITM was, I know I'm in for an exciting ride.

My review: Firstly, I loved that this was set in feudal Japan. Ninjas! Throwing stars! Tea ceremonies! Add to that a kickass heroine, swoony boys, and magical powers, and you have a great read. I agree with other reviewers who found the names a bit tricky to keep track of, especially since some characters had multiple names, but other than that I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading the sequel. This was my first Renee Ahdieh book and I will certainly be reading her other works now.

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

My rating: 4/5

I really enjoyed this book, was a great read. Looking forward to more books.

Mariko is from a wealthy family in an alternate Japan, sent to be betrothed to the Emperor's second son. On her way to the palace her carriage is attacked and everyone is killed, but she manages to escape and decides that she needs to pretend to be a boy and try and find who wanted to kill her rather than returning home.
Apart from the setting, I found this book quite unoriginal. There is the heroine wanting to be more than her "station" and as strong and powerful as the men, the hint of a love triangle, a dash of insta-love, and some simplistic political intrigue. Worst of all is an ending that isn't an ending at all, but requires you to get through the rest of the books to know the ending.
Meh. Don't care that much.
Scrapes in for 3 stars.

Started off strong but swiftly moved to mediocre. Marika was somewhat annoying for reasons I cannot quite pin down but I found her behaviour inconsistent and somewhat immature at times. The romance felt a bit forced but did lead to some quite steamy moments. I also found the number of characters a bit overwhelming. I think because the "Minor players" were not well personalised? I did enjoy the setting - it's always refreshing to read a Japanese themed fantasy - and would have enjoyed a bit more mythology. In terms of writing style, the tendency to follow up a sentence with a short, incomplete sentence that more or less meant the same thing, made the prose read haltingly and rather ruined my immersion.

Flame in the Mist is Reneé Ahdieh’s latest novel and is a lusciously vivid and rich fantasy tale set in feudal Japan that sweeps its reader into a story of magic, adventure and unexpected discoveries.

The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko is on her way to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed—the Emperors second son--when her convoy is set upon by a group of bandits and she barely escapes with her life. The sole survivor of the violent attack, Mariko thirsts for revenge and the opportunity to prove to her family that she is more than just a bride to be sold. Intelligent and cunning, Mariko disguises herself as a boy and sets out to infiltrate the group who attacked her convoy, an infamous group known as the Black Clan. Whispers and stories of the Black Clan paint a brutal, cruel band of thieves, but as Mariko slips between their ranks, she begins to see another side to the feared traitors. Torn between what she knows and her heart, Mariko finds herself delving deeper into the Black Clan, but as she begins to fall in love with a boy as deadly as a wolf and mysterious as they come, will Mariko be able to achieve what she set out to do? Or will the truth change everything she thought she knew?

Initially Flame in the Mist wasn’t an easy novel for me to sink my teeth into. Thrust straight into Mariko’s story, I found it hard to connect in the beginning but after the first few chapters I found myself effortlessly slipping into the story as I began to fall in love with the characters and their fire. Paying homage to the classic tale of Mulan, Reneé Ahdieh weaves classical Japanese history with magic and enticing character relationships to create a tale that had me eagerly reading along and keen to see what comes next.

Similar to Mulan, Flame in the Mist’s heroine Mariko disguises herself as a boy—only in this tale it’s a band of thieves she infiltrates, not an army. There was something so addictive in watching Mariko become a part of the Black Clan. Pampered and privileged, Mariko hasn’t had to work a hard day in her life, but even tempered, clever and cunning, she quickly takes to life within the Clan, refusing to let those who would see her fail get her down. I liked Mariko. She was actually kind and I thought Ahdieh wrote her well. She very much fills her role in the story.

And many of the other characters were very beguiling too, including the devilish and cheeky members of the Black Clan and Mariko’s twin brother Kenshin. Ranmaru, Yoshi Ren and of course the most important of them all, the mysterious but swoon-worthy Okami all won me over and I adored the different dynamics they all had together. They brought such life and fire to the story; I loved that.

Reneé Ahdieh writes an effortless romance within the story that while electric and burning, doesn’t take anything away from the other aspects of the story. I still found myself completely bewitched however by the growing relationship that I just knew was heading in the direction it was. Flame in the Mist features some intriguing mythology and hints of magic too that I’m hoping Ahdieh explores further in the next novel. It was just enough to entice you and make you intrigued without explaining too much.

Mysterious, magical and entertaining, Flame in the Mist is full of adventure, development and budding betrayals. There is something sinister going on within the royal family and with Reneé Ahdieh setting things up to completely bewitch her reader, I for one am highly anticipating the release of the next novel so I can join Mariko once more after the climactic ending of this wonderful fantasy tale!

Man, that cover is just exceptional. I don't know what sacrifice to the cover gods Renee Ahdieh made, but she has some fabulous covers to her novels. From the peacock/phoenix to the flower shurikens: seriously, wow.

I think the major positive to the book is the beautiful writing. The writing was something that caught my attention in The Wrath and the Dawn, and Ahdieh's prose does not disappoint in Flame in the Mist. The book is relatively short, but that certainly doesn't mean that it doesn't have a lot of content. In fact, because it was so short, it felt like a book that could easily be read in one sitting, and I found myself racing through all the action.

Mariko is a fantastic, strong protagonist, and there is very little to dislike about her. While it was perhaps slightly unbelievable how easily she disguised herself as a man and entered a group of supposedly deadly bandits, I feel like that aspect didn't bother me that much for some reason. Probably because the rest of the story was believable enough. The romance was adorable, although I have seen comments that it is a bit speedy. I personally felt like it was alright, and put some interesting spins on some classic romance tropes.

I need to start looking at Goodreads more often, because I was super surprised that the book was not a standalone! I was heading towards the end of the novel and was thinking to myself, how could this story possibly end in so few pages, and lo and behold, there's a sequel. A sequel I will most definitely be highly anticipating.

Ratings
Overall: 9/10
Plot: 4/5
Romance: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
World Building: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 5/5

*I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.
So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace.
The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt 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.

Rating: 5/5 stars!!!!!

THIS. BOOK!

I FUCKING LOVED THIS BOOK oh my sweet bby jesus I am so 100% ABOUT this. I absolutely adore the setting- ancient Asian novels are always always amazing (Eon or Dragonkeeper anyone??) and the old girl pretending to be a boy (wow actually all three books mentioned here have that plot) thing legit never gets old PLUS the enemies to lovers trope is FIRE like I bloody eat that shit up this book could slap me in the face (and tbh it really did a few times with how some scenes played out) and I would say thank you because g damn I’m obsessed.

(insert spoilers warning here btw)

Okay so Mariko is such a baben bad ass I love it when the female MC is one of the smartest people in the room yaaas queen.
The whole thing with the Wolf and his GAY PANIC GAVE ME LIFE I was cackling it was played out 100x better than in Mulan tbh.
The two of them together is straight fire the sexual tension is off the charts AND I LOVE IT.

Okay but so many elements of this book are left unexplained which I mean I did mostly ignore because i was far too busy enjoying myself here but alright so
1. The magic?? Majorly left unexplained?? How does it work what are the limitations etc any sort of detail might have been nice.
2. Ranmaru can shapeshift and he never said anything about knowing Mariko was a girl and just ??????? why drop that little plot twist in there???? It was just such a random thing to do.
3. Oh yeah the fact that Ranmaru and the Wolf had switched identities I mean did kinda suspect and it now makes everything fit better together because now Mariko is with someone important and powerful and will be more dramatic.
4. THE FUCKING MAKE OUT SESH BY THE HOTSPRING KILL ME NOW
5. Like honest to god so many parts of this book I had to stop and raise my hands to the sky and praise the universe because YAAAAAAS you’ll know what I mean.
6. Okay this one most of all- Mariko just decides to go back to the Black Clan?? AND THEY JUST LET HER like wtf okay this was my most problematic bit why when they all find out she betrayed them and that she was a woman in disguise and her brother was the enemy of the Clan etc etc etc like so many reasons why would they all be like yeah chill come hang we’ll make you official. WHAT. And Wolf is all pissed and ditches her with his sister etc but after he comes back and gives her the silent treatment for a few days he’s like bby lemme whisper in your ear during their tent rendezvous? Idk man.

EITHER WAY I cannot wait for the next book like I am so so keen I will count the days tbh.

A Mulan inspired story set in historical Japan, what’s not to love about Flame in the Mist? Unfortunately, I found it to be a disappointing read, wishing it was something it was not.

The novel starts out strong as the Emperor’s daughter Mariko, finds herself as the target of the Black Clan bandits and barely escapes with her life. In order to gain vengeance and prevent this threat from her royal family, she dresses as a boy and joins the Black Clan to find out their plans.

After she joins the Black Clan however, the novel really slows down as Mariko gets to know each and every one of them. She’s fearless, sarcastic and often tests the leaders of the Clan, and I had no idea why they let this mysterious stranger who they know IS LYING TO THEM get away with it. Already, I began questioning what the motives of the Black Clan were, who are supposedly murderers and thieves. With the honourable Okami, who is a fearless Wolf set to train Mariko in weapons and thievery, and the leader Raiden, Mariko begins warming to the clan. Even though they sought out to kill her.

I found I had to constantly suspend my disbelief during Mariko’s journey, as she continually snarks out the leaders of the Black Clan. At one stage, she even lodges a THROWING STAR in Okami’s back, with little consequence. This is brushed off and to my further disbelief, a romance blooms from this. It happens suddenly built upon lies, lies between each other, lies to the people they trust in. I can’t really get behind a romance like this.

I liked Mariko’s sass, intellect and drive to do what’s right, but I thought she brushed aside her initial beliefs too easily and betrayal happens too quickly. Like The Wrath and the Dawn, the same type of twist occurs and I felt like I saw it coming from a mile away. There’s a strong thread of feminism in the book, which I appreciated as Mariko constantly questioned why she couldn’t do things that males did. But I liked the lesson she learnt, that women could wield influence in other ways.

The perspective shifts to her brother Kenshin who is the Dragon of Kai, a famed samurai of the Emperor. He’s known for honour, for violence and for doing what’s right. But as we hear more of him, my perspective of him shifted – he was incredibly boring and we were repetitively told the same thing about him every time he appeared. He’s searching for Mariko, he wants to find Mariko, Mariko couldn’t have done this, Mariko couldn’t have done that. His character felt really forced to me.

If you’re interested in Flame in the Mist, you probably want to know about how the Japanese setting was pulled off. Set in an undisclosed part of historical Japan, I loved the beautiful cherry blossoms, the throwing stars and the maiko who appeared in the story. With Abdieh’s enchanting writing, I was transported to the land of the rising sun. However, it didn’t feel entirely authentic to me for some reason.

The names of the characters, reflecting Japanese anime and pop culture had me constantly questioning the validity of the story though, which could’ve been entirely a coincidence, but pulled me out of the story (eg. Kenshin from the anime Rurouni Kenshin, Raiden from Mortal Kombat, etc.).

As a YA historical fantasy set in the Eastern setting, I definitely had high expectations for Flame in the Mist. Unfortunately, due to the forced characters and plot, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It’s a slow read where you have to suspend your disbelief at times, although I did appreciate the Japanese setting.

By the way, there’s a glossary at the back for the Japanese words used in the story. You’re welcome.

Reading [book:Flame in the Mist|34410197] was not the experience that I expected it to be. Don't get me wrong - I loved it (I did rate it four stars after all!), but I think I went into this both expecting something else and being pleasantly surprised when I didn't get it.

I only read Ahdieh's other series, <a href="http://bookreviewsbydi.blogspot.com/2017/03/review-wrath-dawn-renee-ahdieh.html">The Wrath and the Dawn</a>, pretty recently (beginning of 2017) and I absolutely adored it so I was really looking forward to being able to fall in love with another of her worlds and set of characters and hand out all the stars once again. Unfortunately this one fell a little short of a five star for me but there was still plenty to love in this book and the wait for the second is going to be excruciating.

First of all I need to explain that this isn't exactly a Mulan retelling... It's more of an 'inspired by' kind of story. I actually really appreciated the twists that were put into this and the fact that it's completely its own tale.

Set in feudal Japan, the story begins on the intrepid and heart wrenching note of a boy witnessing his father's execution. It wasn't nearly what I was expecting to read when I first opened this book and yet <b>the grittiness and indomitable spirit of the book took hold of me and I was swept away</b>.

Our main character is Mariko and she is far from the typical YA heroine; she is no femme fatale; she doesn't know how to fight; she has no special talents of any kind (save for her wits and her determination) and, other than being betrothed to the son of the Emperor she is not 'the chosen one' in any way. She is just a girl who doesn't want to be treated like someone's property; a woman in a man's world.

<blockquote><b><i>
Hatorri Mariko was not just any girl.
She was more.
</i></b></blockquote>

As I grew accustomed to in Ahdieh's previous books, <b>the world building and sense of place while reading was just astounding</b>. The settings are always vibrant and full of avid details - you can just imagine yourself to be there. The tastes, the smells, a real sense of history and culture - everything is ALIVE and as a reader you are immediately transported.

<b>The descriptions of food are particularly divine</b> which is again, something I grew accustomed to in Ahdieh's previous books. Even something so simple as an egg became a taste sensation when described so artfully by Ahdieh.

<blockquote><b><i>The white of the egg was cool and creamy. Light as a feather. Its center was the warm yellow of a dandelion. Steam rose from it in a perfect curl. In short, it was quite possibly the most delicious thing Mariko had eaten in her entire life.</i></b></blockquote>

I can't possibly review this book without also mentioning the diversity. Not only is it set in feudal Japan (so we have Japanese characters, customs and traditions etc.) but there is also a disabled character <i>AND</i> the book is wonderfully feminist. I was thrilled at how the disabled character was handled as well - the disability didn't define the character. To me, it was just a great representation.

<blockquote><b><i>... Mariko marveled at the fluidity of his movements. His wooden limb did not hamper him. Nor did it grant him any advantage, in that heedless way of stories. It was not a gift, nor was it a blessing.
It simply was. Just as he simply was.</i></b></blockquote>

<b>The romance was understated in this book and yet it was so perfect.</b> I definitely felt the sizzle and enjoyed watching the hate-to-love relationship (my favourite romance trope!!!) unfold on the pages.

<blockquote><b><i>“You don’t believe your great love is out there, simply waiting to be found?”
“Do you?” Mariko pitched her voice low. Graveled with disbelief.
Ranmaru’s broad lips spread into an easy smile. “I believe the stars align so that souls can find one another. Whether they are meant to be souls in love or souls in life remains to be seen.”</i></b></blockquote>

There are some fantasy aspects introduced in this book although it's not <i>heavily</i> played upon. There's a lot of magical realism here though I think it could be expanded a lot in book two.

I was captivated and entertained throughout and I loved reading about all of these characters, even the side characters and I cannot wait to see more of them in the next book. There are twists and turns and everyone seemed to have their own agenda - overall it's <b>a great blend of fantasy, history, political intrigue and action.</b>

<blockquote><b><i>“There is such strength in being a woman. But it 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.”</i></b></blockquote>

Can read review in the link provided!

Waiting for Flame in the Mist was worth it. Despite a slow start and getting hooked almost midway, I enjoyed the book. The plot was solid. Ahdieh continues to sweep me away with her words. The characters were well developed, though I'm over the mysterious, brooding love interest. As for the use of Japanese culture, it didn't feel like just a backdrop. Much respect and care were given into incorporating it into the story. I will review in more detail when I read the official copy.

Hands down, I completely fell in love with this book. From the very first page, I was swept into this rich, emotive and vibrant world with flawed and wonderful characters, lush landscapes, and with a splash of mythology.

This book is stunningly written - Renee Ahdieh captured each character's vulnerabilities and strengths, quirks and emotions, and their loyalty. At the moment, maybe because I'm still riding the high of this book, but I can't fault it! As a super mythology fan, I loved the way Renee weaved that into this sensual and brutal story. I also lost count of how many times my stomach swoon flipped - Okami and Mariko are two beautiful characters that I had major emotional swells for - and their chemistry and gradual relationship build was just a joy to read. Can I also add again, that Mariko was such an amazing character. Not only does she kick serious behind, but she is a wonderfully curious, strong-willed and fiercely intelligent character - and I was instantly immersed in her journey.

I CANNOT wait for the next book, I can feel myself already getting antsy to find out what happens - and in the meantime, I absolutely want to read this book again!

I really enjoyed this book but some of the inaccuracies regarding medieval Japan irked me. Even though I know it's supposed to be a fictional rendering I still had trouble moving past it, but that's just my onion! I also found that even though I wanted it to happen, the romance happened very quickly and suddenly - again just my preference because I like a good, slow burn.
Apart from those two main issues I absolutely loved Flame in the Mist and can't wait for the rest of the series to come out! I'll have to tide myself over with reading Renee Ahdieh's other books.

Hattori Mariko is a seventeen-year-old teenage girl about to be married to Minamoto Riaden, the Prince and son of the Emperor's favourite consort. She has no desire to do this and knows it will be a strain on her to take on this life but she also knows that she doesn't have the luxury of choice as the daughter of the family and she must honour her parent's wishes. As a young woman, she rarely sees life outside of her home but she's full of courage and bravery and unknown determination. She accepts her fate but on the way to meet her future husband, her convoy is attacked by the fearsome Black Clan and while many are killed she was their only target but also, the only survivor.

Just days after Mariko escapes her plotted death she sits, drinking sáke and waiting for the Black Clan to show up so she can see their leader and find out why they want her dead. Then she sees a young man who looks so out of place but who she thinks must be the leader, Takeda Ranmaru. At first, she thinks he's just another honourless, dirty man that kills and steals for money but when she overhears the word rōnin and hears an old family name from the Emperor's circle she thinks Ranmaru must be a masterless samurai or at least the son of one fallen from grace. So she steps away from the path of marrying Riaden and fulfilling her family, at least until she discovers what they want from her, so she falls in with their clan and follows them into the deadly, fearsome forest to find out why they were after her and who they are.

I saw this book around so often and while I really wanted to read it I was stopped constantly because I was worried I wouldn't enjoy it. That honestly would have been a little heartbreaking but after so many fantastic reviews I finally gave my heart over to it! I didn't know much at all about it other than publishers and reviewers were advertising it as a Mulan retelling BUT it's actually very different because it's a Japanese story (Mulan is a Chinese story/legend) with an emphasis on one girl's story and bravery, rōnin and samurai, geisha and geiko and many other beautifully traditional things. I think it could be inspired by Mulan because Mariko is thrown into a ruthless life where she chops off all her hair and dresses as a man to go undetected into the danger so obviously there are a few parallels there but it stops there and becomes it's own story entirely.

I love that this book had rōnin, geisha and daifuku because rōnin and geisha are both such fascinating titles of their time and I have an actual addiction to chocolate daifuku, I'm talking four boxes gone in a week when I'm pacing myself! Admitably, I don't know much about rōnin further than the stories and legend of the forty-seven rōnin but it made me ecstatically happy to see that first mention of them in the book because I've never read about them in a YA book or any book so it was such a thrill. I have actually had a huge interest in the beauty of geisha since I was younger so I've read a few books and biographies about the actual woman who were geisha and I appreciate that hard dedication they had to their skill and profession. I love that a female character in this book is a geiko and it's interesting to see the opinion Mariko had of her at first turn into appraisal as she can't deny her obvious beauty and skill in her work.

Mariko starts her story as a young woman going into a very structured life she doesn't feel at home in and is then thrown into a world of total mystery and uncertainty that feels like the perfect place for her. It's so fantastic to watch as she goes from the runt of the clan and slowly starts to learn their ways and designs her own weapons, I really liked that part. This story was wonderfully written by the author of a popular YA series, The Wrath and The Dawn, and I didn't think an author could go from that sort of story to this one and write it so well but I was wrong, this book was incredible. I really enjoyed the writing style and even though she wrote from at least three main perspectives she still made each one interesting to read and defined on their own.

Also, if you're wondering about a love interest this book definitely has one but it doesn't come up until later in the story and it was so worth the wait. You just know she'll end up getting romantically involved with someone while you're reading this book but all I'll say is that I was so surprised at first but then it was so perfect and became one of my favourite parts of the book! I can't actually think of any fault in this book that sticks in my mind because it was such an enjoyable read for me. I can't wait to see the finished copy in stores so I can purchase it and I am so ready for the second book even though the first isn't even out yet. The wait will definitely be torture if I keep thinking about it!

Cover Art:
This cover is really pretty. I like how they incorporated the throwing stars in with the flowers around the peacock. I'm not sure what the peacock has to do with the actual story as I don't remember a peacock ever being mentioned. But it is still a gorgeous cover.

Writing:
This book is written in third person POV, which I don't really enjoy that much. It's not horrible but I just feel like I can't connect with the characters as much as I can with first person POV. I enjoyed Renee Ahdieh's writing but I think this book would have been soo much better in first person POV.

I kinda wish that I had known at the start that there was a glossary at the back of the book because there were a fair few terms mentioned that were in a different language and I had no idea what some of them meant. Like the odd one I could figure out what it meant, but most I had no idea and it was really frustrating. As I read the book in digital copy I didn't even know it was there until the last page and I swiped across and there it was! Would have been handier at the start.

Plot:
I enjoyed the aspects of this book that were similar to Mulan. I had never even heard of a Mulan retelling until this book, so I enjoyed that part of it. Obviously it didn't stick exactly to plot of Mulan but some of the main points were still present. In Mulan, Mulan volunteers to go to war in her father's place by dressing up as a man. Where as this story takes a different turn of events to lead to Mariko pretending to be a man, involve arranged marriages, a dark forest, unknown creatures and a plot to kill Mariko. This story is a little bit darker at times as well, but I have never read the original Mulan story, it could be even darker than this one, I've only seen the Disney movie and as it's a children's move its pretty tame most of the time. In this story Mariko's brother also plays a major role, which I enjoyed sometimes and then others not so much. He was kind of a confusing character, but I will talk about that more in the Characters section below. I don't believe Mulan had a brother in the Disney adaptation of the story, so this was an interesting addition.

Also I don't understand the magic system in this book at all. There is one guy who has these magnificent powers, there is a woman who walks through a tree into some other place and that's about the extent of the magic and it just confused me. Also at one point it implied that the guy with magnificent powers paid or something to be given the powers which is even more confusing.

Also, I don't understand at all what the point was of showing Ranmaru's feelings for Yumi. There was no explanation at all as to why she was ignoring him. How Ranmaru came to have feelings for Yumi, outside of her physical appearance. It just didn't make sense that they put it in there for like one page and then said no more about it.

Another odd bit was the part where Okami found out that Mariko was actually a female. So, I kinda understand why Mariko kissed Okami, but I don't get why he kissed her back. Only a few minutes ago he believed she was a male, I have nothing against 2 males having feelings for eachother, but it just didn't make sense. I don't know if the author was going for an insta love type deal when it comes to Okami's feelings for Mariko or what it was.

And the last thing that isn't specifically plot, it's more the characters, but I'm putting it here anyway... Why does no one in this damn book tell the truth.. It's kinda irritating. Mariko, Okami, Ranmaru, Mariko's father, The Empress and the royal consort (can't remember her name) are all lying and keeping secrets. It was getting a little monotonous.

Characters:
So I have already said that I couldn't really connect with or fully understand the characters because it was in third person POV. But I'll still talk about some of the main characters.

I didn't mind Mariko, I like that most of the time she made calculated decisions and never gave up on what she was trying to do. Okami was that character that showed no emotions and then does for the right person, while I don't hate that type of character, they also aren't my favourite. Like we get it, you're tough.. You are allowed to show happiness atleast.. Ranmaru, I don't really know, he may have been the clan leader but he was still kinda background in the story itself most of the time. Yoshi, first off I'm surprised that spelling of this name isn't trademarked to Mario Bros or Nintendo or something. But anyway, I liked him, he was interesting and treated Mariko like a human being from the start even if sometimes she annoyed him. Kenshin, was just I don't know. He was confusing most of the time. Like I know that he was just trying to save his sister, but some rationally thinking sometimes wouldn't have hurt! And what has with killing that old guy and the two kids and waking up and not remembering doing it?! Sorry what and how?

Overall:
Well this book was okay, but it wasn't fabulous. There was a lot of confusing elements and seen as this is the first book in a duology, there is a lot of things that need to be explained in that second book. Is one book really going to be enough? I disliked the third person POV in this book. Third person POV can be done really well, for example, Harry Potter.. So it's not that I hate Third Person POV as Harry Potter is my favourite series ever. But this book there was just no connection to characters and a majority of the time I just didn't understand why they did anything.

To say I was blown away by Flame in the Mist would be an understatement. Loosely inspired by Mulan, Renee Ahdieh has effortlessly woven an intricate tale of deceit, politics, romance and magic. The fact that this novel is a hype book – which promised to be incredible – had me slightly worried, but thankfully, the fear wore off and I was truly able to appreciate the book.

I was highly impressed by Ahdieh’s characters in Flame in the Mist. In her previous work The Wrath & the Dawn, I couldn’t completely connect with the characters (even less so in The Rose & the Dagger) because I felt that the pacing was too fast and the romance developed far too quickly. That was not the case in Flame in the Mist.

What captured my attention was Mariko’s feminist dialogue and her anger at the way her society – based upon feudal Japan – treated women. Mariko, an aristocrat, had her entire future planned for her by her father – he simply informed her that he arranged her marriage to someone she never met before, rather than ask her of her opinion. She detested the expectations placed on women during this time, but she was also unable to escape or be treated with the same respect a man would garner. That is, until she was kidnapped and then disguised herself in order to prove her worth. There are some amazing feminist/empowering quotes in this novel and you can’t help but form an emotional connection with Mariko. Despite the fact that those of us in the Western World no longer live in feudal societies, women are still not treated as equally as men are. Mariko is an empathetic character; women of all cultures will be able to draw parallels between Mariko’s circumstances and their own.

I knew from the second he appeared on the page that my favourite character would be Ōkami, and I was right. Ōkami was the second-in-command of the Black Clan’s leaderm and a ruthless warrior who might have access to otherworldly powers. Ōkami’s interactions with Mariko were written to perfection: you could literally feel the tension between them. Ahdieh wonderfully developed the romance element in Flame in the Mist, as opposed to the forced romance in her The Wrath & the Dawn. I was also surprised by the direction Ahdieh took for the love interest. If you’ve read the blurb you might have, like me, thought that this book included a love-triangle, but rest assured, IT DOES NOT AND THANK YOU AHDIEH FOR THAT. By focusing on just one love interest, the romance was allowed to develop naturally and realistically; it kept me perched on the edge of my seat, waiting for the big reveal. The enemies to lovers romance was done quite beautifully.

While this was a great novel, there were a few factors that prevent me from giving it a full five star rating. (No spoilers):

1. The beginning was very slow. So slow, in fact, that I considered DNFing this book. Thankfully I didn’t, because I supremely enjoyed the rest of the book. I had decided I would give the book till about the 40% to entice me, and if it didn’t, I would DNF it. I started liking it at 30%.

2. Mariko’s logic makes zero sense. There were many occasions while reading where I had to put the book down and just shake my head because Mariko’s reasoning behind her actions was so incredibly flawed. I won’t give away my biggest annoyance (which comes towards the end of the novel), but the one I can say without spoiling anyone (because it’s in the blurb) comes through her decision to don a male disguise and hunt the Black Clan: she justifies being alone in the forest – which might lead some to question her “virtue” – and hunting these people, in order to spare her family the “embarrassment of having their daughter turned away … [and] spare them the risk of having their family name soiled under a cloud of suspicion”. Yes Mariko, the only way to stop rumours of your “soiled virtue” is to spend more time ALONE in a forest full of thieves, murderers and criminals. Solid thinking right there.

3. The writing was very touch and go. There were many occasions that I was impressed by the sophistication of Ahdieh’s prose, but just as many occasions where I rolled my eyes from how dramatic and over the top the writing was. It felt like Mariko had just discovered the meaning of life, when she was actually just describing something quite mundane. There was no in-between. While this didn’t completely disrupt my reading experience like it did in The Rose & the Dagger, it was still a little irritating.

4. The inclusion of magic. I said this in my review of The Rose & the Dagger and it is apparent here too: Ahdieh drops magical elements into the text with no warning. The world-building does not make this feel like a novel that would have magic in it. The magic is never explained or developed – it’s just there. An example from the novel: “From the moment he’d watched her conjure animals from the stuff of shadows, he’d found her to be the most beautiful woman he’d ever beheld.” You can’t just throw a sentence like that in a novel and not elaborate – and yet Ahdieh has done this consistently in all of her novels. Flame in the Mist feature bloodsucking trees, shapeshifters, and sorceresses – and yet all of the characters, including Mariko who didn’t know that things like these even exist – don’t react to them. Again, very irritating.

Aside from these few issues, Flame in the Mist was a fantastic book and I highly recommend it. I honestly did not expect to enjoy this book – and was considering giving up on Ahdieh’s future books too if I didn’t – but was pleasantly surprised when I suddenly loved it. Flame in the Mist is an intriguing, romantic, political adventure story. It was certainly a wild ride and I can’t wait for the next book in the duology.