Synopsis:
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.
Review:
This was my first Renee Ahdieh book and I was hooked from the very start. The opening scene was really dark and emotional with the plot jumping to a decade later in the second chapter.
This book is a Mulan Retelling with a Japanese influence. It was really well researched and I’m glad that there was a glossary of the Japanese terms at the back of the book which lessened my confusion. The main character Mariko was such an empowering and awesome protagonist with her supporting characters who were equally strong and unique.
Mariko has several layers to her character. She’s smart, witty and makes me proud to be a woman. She took control of her choices and never let society define who she was. Furthermore, Flame in The Mist also brings real issues that women faced – of stereotyping and the way women were unfairly treated back then.
The plot was fast paced and filled with tension from the beginning. It heightened when Mariko infiltrated the Black Clan and was such a plot twisting ride which I really enjoyed! The other main characters such as Wolf and The Dragon of Kai were really incredible and I just liked all the characters! The ending was such a shock and surprise which you will most likely not see coming.
I’m really looking forward to the sequel!
Thank you to Pansing Books for sending me a review copy of Flame in The Mist.
*Flame in the Mist is available at all major bookstores
The Fiction Magnet 