Book Review | Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Flame in the Mist 
by Renee Ahdieh

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.

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Flame in the Mist is a new book in a new series (hoping) by Renee Ahdieh and I think it's her take on the story of Mulan. Even if this was set in Feudal Japan and not China, the similarities are there to a point. We have Mariko, a girl who grew up in a slightly upper class family who is ambushed on her way to be married to a prince of the Empire. She survives, cuts her hair, dresses like a boy, and vows to get revenge for the lives that were lost because of the Black Clan. Cutting her hair and dressing as a boy was about the last of the similarities of the stories. Mariko has a brilliant mind, that's no question, but she's no warrior. She tries to become one but she's still a long way off by the end of the book which was a cliff hanger. Argh!

I actually loved Shazi from the authors previous series, and I did expect the character of Mariko to be at least just as bad ass as her. That did not disappoint. I did see the love story coming from a mile away though. Yes it was that obvious. And then the final twist in the story got me at the end and made me want for more. I loved the descriptions of everything fro the place, the food (of how to prepare it artistically), and what the Geiko's (Geisha) looked like and how they moved (that one I particularly loved).

Altogether it was a pretty good read and deserves a high star rating.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐