Engaging and so elegantly written. I enjoyed the characters and the world and the struggles within. Not quite a Mulan retelling as promised but definitely inspired one way or another.

I have finally read a Renee Ahdieh book (I know!!). I was not prepared for how much I would love this story or Ahdieh’s writing. I really wish I had picked up Ahdieh’s other series, The Wrath & The Dawn, much earlier than I did (as I’ve now since read it). Ahdieh has definitely cemented herself as one of my auto-buy authors. There’s something about the way that she writes that sucks me in.

Set in Feudal Japan, Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan. After surviving the attack, Mariko disguises herself as a boy to infiltrate the Black Clan and seek her revenge. I imagine this is the point where everyone started screaming “Mulan retelling” and that is as far as the retelling goes in my opinion. This book is not Mulan. There’s no war (at least not in this book). I’d say that this was a book that was inspired by Mulan rather than a retelling of it.

For the large part, the secondary characters were far more interesting than Mariko herself. There was a lot more mystery and intrigue, more layers that I wanted to see get peeled back. My absolte favourites were Okami and Ranmaru. I honestly don’t care much for anyone else. Half the time I couldn’t even remember most peoples names because they had about 50 nicknames each and I got completely lost in it.

I still have huge questions marks dangling over the romance in this story. Ahdieh seems to have a preoccupation with writing the enemy turned lover plot line as evidenced in this novel and The Wrath and the Dawn. My issue is that for a large part it wasn’t particularly believable. Her love interest discovers that Mariko is actually a girl and 5 seconds later they’re kissing, and he has to distance himself because he can’t stop himself thinking about her? It felt rushed. It felt abrupt. What ever happened to a good old slow burn?

This was not a perfect read but I loved it nonetheless. I look forward to book two.

I've been waiting for this book for a long time, and I'm so glad to say that it didn't disappoint!
Flame in the Mist manages to be slow paced but action packed, with a slow burn romance and deep characters that I was invested in. I'd highly recommend this book!

If you wasn't already aware, this book is a Mulan retelling and a very good one at that. Mulan for me growing up was always that Disney Princess that defied expectations and showed young girls and women that they could pursue and achieve anything if they put their minds to it. In today's society, women are constantly subjugated because of their gender and there are always expectations where we should only be pretty and care for a family. Which of course it utterly wrong. Much like Mulan, 'Flame in the Mist' has many lessons for young women and girls and shows them how they should stand up for themselves and not be treated like you are unworthy purely because you are not a man. It shows us how we shouldn't conform to stereotypes given to us over the years and that they certainly do not determine who you are or what you can achieve in life. I am very thankful for this book and the hype that is surrounding it, as I believe that girls should be reminded of this and be told they can achieve and do anything. Thank you Renée for writing this book and being utterly fantastic!

In addition to the enlightening and inspiring messages this book conveys it is also highly entertaining and a fantastic read! I will admit that it took me a little while to get into it properly, but one I did, I was a machine - I just couldn't stop reading. Every chapter left you longing for more - more information and answers; more of the beloved characters who are slowly revealing themselves to you as you turn each page; more the mysteries surrounding the book, edging you to turn one more page. Never once was there a point where I couldn't be bothered to read anymore - the writing and the storytelling were extremely gripping. 
This is the first book I have read of Renée's but I have heard that her other duology which she is most known for - 'The Wrath and the Dawn' - is supposed to be equally as brilliant, so I will definitely be delving into that some time soon. Very exciting! 
In terms of characters, they are utterly charming - well most of them anyway. The protagonist Mariko wasn't someone that I thought I would like as much as I do as I initially thought she was very stubborn and slightly irritating, but as I carried on reading she ultimately grew on me and now I adore her!
On her way to new life that is arranged by her father (classic dad move), her convoy is ambushed by the notorious Black Clan and she is left for dead. However, she makes it out alive and makes it her mission to find out why the Black Clan tried to kill her, whilst also enjoying a sense of freedom. She cuts her hair and pretends to be a boy in order to infiltrate the enemy's group and learn their secrets in order to get the answers she most desperately desires. Coming from a pretty well-off family, gathering firewood, slugging through dirt and not bathing for days isn't something that Mariko is used to, so it is quite admirable to watch her battle through the mud and the pain in order to achieve her goals, despite all her life being told she is incapable of doing anything other than being a pretty, mannerly girl. Whilst we are on the topic of defying expectations, I would like to point out how unlike the majority of female protagonists who fall head over heels for any man that looks her way, Mariko did not. It was utterly refreshing to see her not instantly fall in love with a boy in their first 20 seconds of meeting each other, even if he is the enemy. This happens so often in YA books and it's so unrealistic and irritating, so thank goodness Mariko has come along and restored our faith in female protagonists who shows us they are so much more than a girl who needs a man to make her story interesting and exciting. 
In terms of the other characters in the book, they are also equally as interesting. You have the members of the Black Clan: Ranmaru -the leader of the clan, who despite many rumors and story's isn't as bad as everyone makes him out to be; Yoshi - a cook with a wooden leg who makes the tastiest boiled eggs around (so I've heard) and is also the most precious and lovely character; Ren - a boy who has seen some terrible things in his life, and despite his tough demeanor, cares for his clan with the utmost loyalty; and finally Ókami - or otherwise known as Wolf. A lazy, heard-hearted warrior who favours loyalty over anything else and carries the most mystery above anyone else. 
In addition the perspective of Mariko, we also get snippets of other characters also, one of them being Mariko's twin brother Kenshin who is the most notorious samurai around and loves a girl he can not have. O can't quite put my finger on whether or not I am a fan of him yet as although he loves his sister above anything else, he is also a major tool and needs to stop living in his fathers shadow - I do believe has great potential to become a very intriguing character, and hopefully one that will make better choices in the forthcoming book. 
As you can probably tell, I immensely enjoyed this book and am already desperate the next one as it ended on a very surprising and very interesting cliffhanger. I honestly don't know how I am going to cope with waiting until next year for the next book, but I can be certain it is definitely going to be worth the wait. 
I would very much recommend to anyone that wants to feel empowered and loves a book with great characters, nice writing and a very gripping story line. 
Favourite Quote: 'I believe that 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'

The moment I found out Renée Ahdieh was going to write MORE, I freaked out. Renée is easily my favourite author EVER! When I found out it was going to be a mashup of MULAN and 47 Ronin, I flipped my shit. They are the best movies ever, making me want to go Japan even more. When I found out the rights had been sold to publish Renée's books in the UK, that too, Hodder - I cried, because a) Hodder are amazing and b) bout time us UK folks got dem books!

Flame In The Mist follows young Hattori Mariko as she sets off to Inako - Heign Castle, to get married to the Emperor's favourite consorts son. But things don't go as planned as her 'people' get attacked supposedly by the Black Clan. Mariko sets off on a journey of self discover and to find the truth - why the Black Clan wanted her dead. The entire story, plot was so well paced and luring. I was intrigued and captivated by the Black Clan because just as Mariko was about to find out - nothing is what it seems.

The characters were so amazing and different. I instantly liked and connected to Mariko, headstrong and never one to bow down in the face of fear. She was on a journey to find herself, not as the daughter of the Hattori clan, not even as the betrothed of royalty, but as a person and a strong female. The Black Clan are lethal, an enigma and the unraveling of the truth behind them was stunning. As Mariko builds their trust, she finds something beneath them all, could she possibly see them as her enemies?

Renée has simply blown me away. I really liked that I could recognize a few rituals and traditions and it was so nice to see such intricate and beautiful names. Japan is stunning and one day I hope to travel there. The plot twist at the end was amazing, though I saw it coming - the build up was hella awesome, it was shocking and I need more.

Flame In The Mist will capture your heart and soul, make you fall in love with all that Japan has to offer, make you wish you were right in the heart of it all. But above all, make you crave the next chapter in this captivating and imaginative novel.

I wanted to love this book as much as I loved 'Wrath and the Dawn" but it fell a little flat.

I didn't feel connected to the characters or to the plot, I found that I just didn't care what happened and slowly went through the book just in the wish to finish. The hero was rather great and I can definitely see him appealing to the YA market, it's a great idea but it was lacking in places and felt a little under developed. Frustratingly I was disappointed, however, I will continue to read more from this author.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.


I read The Wrath and the Dawn for the first time in anticipation of Flame in the Mist‘s release, but I really wish I hadn’t — I couldn’t help but compare the two. I did enjoy this book — it has a well-constructed world filled with interesting men and women and a hint of magic. But where The Wrath and the Dawn drew me in instantly, Flame in the Mist was a little more slow to start.

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.*

This book is loosely based on the Mulan story, which you can clearly see outlined in the copy above. Mariko is destined to be a royal bride, but wants to prove her worth beyond the marriage market. When her convoy is attacked, she quickly dons the guise of a boy and tracks the Black Clan, who were contracted to have her killed, in order to find some answers. For me, her motivations just weren’t as clear-cut as, say, Shahrzad’s in Wrath or even Mulan’s in her own story. She infiltrates the clan in order to get answers, but also to enjoy the freedom that life as a boy. She certainly has a great deal of bravery to do so, but I question her motivation and approach. She just seems to bumble around and quite frankly makes incredibly poor choices for the first 40% or so of the book. We are constantly told how smart she is, but honestly I just didn’t see it until much, much later on in the book. She seems to have survived simply by luck rather than wit.

The themes of feminism and a woman’s worth pervade the book. Mariko wants to be treated as an equal to her brother and does not wish to live the life of a submissive royal wife. I expected her to become a much stronger force within the Black Clan or to even do more with her newfound freedom, but she falls flat in this respect. She’s always insisting that she wants to be treated better by her family and be more than a bargaining chip for power and position. Now, I am a pretty hardcore feminist and love books, particularly young adult fiction, that feature strong women and feminist themes, but I felt like the feminist theme was just being beaten over the head in this book — the phrase ‘prove her worth beyond the marriage market’ was repeated so often that it became a little obnoxious. We get it! Now go do something about it! I just didn’t believe her to be a great feminist hero, which I believe she was being set up to be, and I don’t feel the feminist themes were written as well as The Wrath and the Dawn.

I know that I’m criticizing a great deal here — I don’t want it to sound like I didn’t like this book. The world-building is wonderful — I think this is an area that Ahdeih excels as a writer. The feudal Japan-inspired world is a taste of something a little different for fantasy readers. I really loved the society she sets up and the levels of hierarchy. The minor side stories regarding the Emperor are likely going to be expanded in the next book, and I’m really looking forward to learning more. I also want to learn more about the magic that pervades the book — it’s a bit of a mystery at this point.

Overall, Flame in the Mist is a good read, but lacking when compared to her other books. Mariko is simply not as strong or compelling a character as Shahrzad, which I found disappointing. Regardless, I am looking forward to her expanding on this series and eagerly await the next installment of the story.



Rating: 3/5


*copy courtesy of Goodreads

Originally posted on The Copper Boom -
If it wasn’t for us gangly humanoids our little island would be covered, coast to coast, in a thriving, breathing forest.

The British Isles is the perfect growing conditions for conifers and broadleaves. With the exception of most of Scotland. Sorry, Scots.



We’ve done a lot to protect our woodlands, and the same can be said for many countries throughout the world. Japan, for instance, has an intense afforestation programme in place after almost logging themselves to death after the second world war.

What’s this got to do with books? Just get on with it, Sarah. I know! I can hear you. I’m just setting the scene. Trees are, after all, an integral part of human existence.

There is nothing I love more than cracking open a book and promptly getting lost in the woods.

And that can be read in different ways. I like getting so engrossed in a story that I’ve escaped reality for a few beautiful moments, glued to pages made from trees (ok, and sometimes digitally, but that doesn’t work as well for my analogy, does it?). And I also like those stories to cleverly lead me into the woods with a character and leave us there for a while.

There is something so metaphorically compelling about the presence of a large body of trees.



I’ll mention this now because it’s going to crop up often: I have an extreme fascination and interest in Asian history and culture, and I’m not making a generalisation by saying “Asian”. Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Malay… I love diving into literature and film set in or around any of these places.

This is how I knew ‘Flame in the Mist’ was going to be a great match for me. I will say this for anyone reluctant to pick up anything historical: ‘Flame in the Mist’ reads more like ‘Poison Study’ than something intensively historical. It’s fantastical in every sense of the word.

And there’s trees.

Can you gender an experience in the forest? I think so. I often feel like for boys and men it’s a feat of strength. Having to tap into something incredibly instinctual, primal and natural to overcome… nature! For instance, you see ‘Macbeth’, or better yet, ‘Throne of Blood’ and the forest becomes a serious obstacle and object of fear.



(Look, it was made in 1957. Just roll with it. I PROMISE it’s really good!)

Whereas for girls and women it’s often more of a test of limits and communion.

This is what I found so compelling about Mariko in ‘Flame in the Mist’. She disguised herself as a lad to survive, so her experience becomes a feat of strength, a test of spirit, an experience of gender and how you can be treated differently… But to find it ultimately doesn’t, and shouldn’t, matter to people on your wavelength.

It’s why I fell in love with Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’.



If you are a hardcore fan of Lian Hern (see: me), especially Tales of the Otori, then this series is going to rock your world, my friends. If you like a fun fantasy romp with a clever, almost political plot seamlessly woven into an action packed and swoon worthy story? Then yep, this is for you. If you like pointy objects, pick up this book. If you like ‘Mulan’ you’ll probably like this too. If you felt something (fear, affection, or anything in between) for the Kodama in Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘Princess Mononoke’…



…then yep. Boost ‘Flame in the Mist’ by Renée Ahdieh up your TBR. And then come talk to me about it!

Mariko has been raised for one important purpose – to marry. She is the only daughter of a prominent samurai and she is being used by her father to gain political advantage. Her fate was sealed as soon as she was born. It didn’t matter how intelligent or cunning she was. However, on a journey to the Imperial Palace to meet the man she is betrothed to, but on her way, her convoy is attacked by the Black Clan who were hired to kill her. Mariko was the only survivor, so when she’s alone and lost in the woods she decides to get her revenge and sets out to disguise herself as a peasant boy to infiltrate the Black Clan. However, she finds that the Black Clan are more than what meets the eye, and for the first time, Mariko and her intellect are actually admired.

Personally, I did really enjoy Flame in the Mist. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the romance, which came as no surprise because I also really enjoyed The Wrath and the Dawn. However, I am aware that Flame in the Mist had poor Japanese rep concerning Japanese history and naming etc. You can read this review here. I’ve also seen this pitched as a Mulan retelling, which is completely inaccurate. I’d say it is more inspired by Mulan than anything else, but Mulan is Chinese and Flame in the Mist is Japanese and the two aren’t interchangeable, and the motivations for both characters are completely different.

I really enjoyed Mariko. I enjoyed how cunning and manipulative she was, I enjoyed her wit and intellect. I loved how stubborn and fierce she was. She had some really excellent character growth throughout the novel in terms of finding out who she is and where she feels she belongs. Okami was also another favourite and I did really enjoy their hate-to-love romance. However, I felt like there was a lot of opportunities to talk about Okami and exploring bisexuality. I felt like he was obviously attracted to Mariko when she was disguised as a boy, and there was definitely an opportunity missed here which does appear a bit heteronormative. The same can be said in terms of the lack of trans rep or gender discourse. In a book set around disguising herself as a boy, it was, again, another missed opportunity. I also loved Kenshin and his devotion and loyalty to his sister. It was really admirable to read and I would have loved to have seen the two interact more than we saw.

I loved the theme of revenge, which was sort of similar in The Wrath and the Dawn, which is always a theme I enjoy. I enjoyed the worldbuilding, but I am aware it was inaccurate. However, I feel like the magic system was not explained at all and was very poorly developed. Hopefully, something that is going to be explored a bit more in the sequel?

I did enjoy the feminist themes in Flame in the Mist. How Mariko learnt that she isn’t just a possession to be sold for power and influence. However, I still wouldn’t call this a feminist novel because the lack of female characters is astounding. The writing itself though was exquisite. It’s descriptive and lush, which again came as no surprise because I loved the writing in TWATD.

Overall, Flame in the Mist is a fun and lush read which I would recommend for fantasy fans, but there are issues to be aware of.

As far as I am aware this is my first time reading a book set in feudal Japan, but I already know it won't be my last. The setting was so rich and lush and Ahdieh sensationally evoked the historical setting into a bold and vivid reality for the reader to experience. Part of my sadness at finishing this book came from realising my immersion into the world was purely imaginary.

The characters, as well, had an authenticity to them that transgressed the years between them and the reader and invoked in me a sense of them as both individuals both relative to today and credible for their time.

This immersive quality of writing sucked me right into this world and I was pleased to see that the plot lived up to the excellence of its backdrop. Bandits and samurais, rebels and emperors, peasants and alchemists all competed in this complex story-line. The lines between them become blurred and the distinction between the good guys and the bad soon becomes lost.

I was team Mariko from the moment I was introduced to her. Her character evidently transformed as she grew from all she encountered and, as she did, I fell more in love with her. Her strong feminist attitude made her an excellent role model and an easy protagonist to back.

My only source of discontent came from the romance that blossomed, over the course of the novel. It (thankfully!) didn't fall into the insta-love trope but I found it predictable and I would have greatly preferred the novel without its inclusion. For me, it added little to the overall plot and Mariko was a great character without a male-counterpart.

Yay!!! At long last we finally have a YA fantasy with a female main character we can relate to. Mariko may not have special snowflake super powers, be particularly blood thirsty or have incredible fighting skills which allow her to defeat all of her enemies and save the world in the blink of an eye but this story is all the better for it. She’s scared a lot of the time, she’s physically weaker than the boys but she’s smart and inventive and learns to use those abilities to hold her own and find her place.

The story is absolutely packed full of action. It begins with a young boy watching the execution of his father (which was brutal but gripping) and from there on in it doesn’t let up. I’ve seen a lot of reviews describing it as a Mulan retelling but while Mariko disguises herself as a boy and has to learn to fight that’s pretty much where the similarities end. There’s no noble purpose of trying to save her father by going off to war in his place but a slightly more selfish desire to find out who was behind an attack on her and also to find some freedom from the role she’s being pushed into.

There are a few twists and turns in the story and it definitely makes for some addictive reading. I have to confess there weren’t many twists that surprised me, I had an inkling around most of them, but it was still enjoyable following Mariko on her journey of discovery.

There is a bit of romance in this but it’s not too heavy and I really liked it as it has that hate to love thing going on. There’s a definite spark between Mariko and a certain bandit and one of the highlights of this book for me was the banter and teasing between them.

The other characters and the world the author creates were also fantastic. Ahdieh has a real talent for describing both people and places so that you can perfectly imagine them and they feel completely real.

With all these pluses this book could have been a five star read but it’s not quite perfect. It’s a little lacking in originality, Mariko does some downright silly things despite supposedly being clever and great at reading people and it felt like the magical elements were a bit light. I would have really liked to have a bit more explanation of the magic system in particular, although maybe the author’s leaving that till the next book in the series.

Overall it’s a great story and definitely one I’d recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC

I almost DNFed this book a few times, but still didn't think it was 1-star bad. It was more than once I put it down I had little motivation to pick it up again. Maybe I just don't connect to Ahdieh's stories. Her writing is beautiful, but I didn't love The Wrath and the Dawn the way other reviewer seemed to either. And I still haven't picked up The Rose and the Dagger.

Mariko - Mariko is the stereotypical Strong Female Character who is 'not like other girls' (she even says it at one point). Except she's not even all that Strong. I did have moments where I found Mariko interesting and compelling (surviving the massacre and attacker, designing weapons, her conversation with Yumi) but overall I found her too bland to really root for. I did like her relationship/ romance with Okami, and was really glad that for once there was no love triangle in this YA.

Feminism - Flame in the Mist was touted as being really feminist and to be honest, I failed to see it. Aside from Mariko, there's one secondary female character and a couple of minor ones. I actually found Amaya and Kanako far more compelling women, but one dies to provide a man's motivation for vengeance and one has about a paragraph of screentime. The female characters were far fewer, and far less developed, than the men.

Pacing - I really thought this book dragged. For me, the really interesting developments to Mariko's character and plot-line didn't kick in until about the 70-75% point. At that point I really did enjoy it but I think that the first half of the book could be massively cut without hurting the story. Maybe having one longer book instead of a duology? It also felt plotwise that the whole book was just a set-up for the sequel.

I have been sitting on this review for a while now, and I’ll be completely honest with you: now that think of it, this book didn’t impress me that much. To certain extent, it may have been my fault… I started reading FITM when the only thing I could think about was ACOWAR. At some point, I only wanted to be done with it so I could move on to better things. Guys, be done and move on? That should not be happening when you are reading a book, much less when the story is supposedly captivating.

Then, when I was finally done, I didn’t even spend a minute of my time writing a review. Like, I didn’t even give it a second thought. After all, I was so happy to be finally done. Instead, I started ACOWAR. Rookie mistake, I thought. But here I am now, a few weeks after reading Flame in the Mist and trying to put my thoughts together and you know what? Nothing. I know myself by now (sometimes, okay) and I might have gotten a bit carried away by the hype back when I started the book. Not that I disliked it or hated it. Not at all, on the contrary, Ahdieh is a word wizard. Her words are like magic. But that doesn’t change that as Flame in the Mist unraveled, it didn’t excite me. It didn’t pull me in as I wanted it to. Or maybe my timing was just not the best. Either way, I appreciate and applaud the writing style, world building and basically Ahdieh’s magic with words, but I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series.

I didn't realise this book was missing from my life, but it really was. It is exactly to my tastes as well as being so beautifully written and with some really real and very mysterious characters. There was so much going on, so many lies told, so many secrets hidden and I cannot wait to find out more. I'm so happy that there are going to be other books. I can't wait to find more what will happen.

It's all about ninjas and feminism, what could be better? This is a book that really looks at a women's place in the world, a place where Mariko's only option is to be married or bring dishonour to her family. It's about how women can take power in whatever way they can.

I loved how much the way of Bushido was compared with the way the ninja operate. I always love the comparisons with Samurai and Ninja because they are so routed in the same code but they differ so much in a lot of ways. It's fascinating.

I think I could read this series forever. It's definitely a new favourite. I can't wait for the next book!

Summary

Flame in the Mist is the story of Mariko, a girl who wants more than the role society has given her, who wants to do things on her own terms while still being honourable. She is also a girl who, in order to defend her family’s honour, goes running into deep, magical forest in search of the people who tried to kill her. Her path is one of confusion, both of the heart and mind, as well as one of magic, warriors and identity.

Plot

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It bares many similarities to Mulan, with its own twist on the tale (predictably so, since it’s set in Japan). The plot is one of surprises and, while there was the odd twist I could guess, there were plenty that left me surprised and ready for more. While the prologue was amazing and really drew me in, I found Mariko’s story-line slow to start off with. That being said, once it got going, it really got going. The only part which didn’t work for me was the big romance scene – this just came out of nowhere and felt like it was only in the book for the sake of being in the book.

Characters

Mariko is a phenomenal lead in this novel – she is cleaver, stubborn, conflicted and endearing. She makes plenty of mistakes and, no matter whose side you happen to be on at various points in the novel, above all, you want her to come out on top. Unfortunately, the other characters did not have quite the same impact. We’re only introduced to a small number of other characters, which does fit with the tones of the novel nicely. However, of them only Okami and Kenshin makes any real impact, and that’s only towards the end. This does work in the sense of them slowly developing as characters and becoming more complex than Mariko’s initial opinions of them, however it did make them difficult to connect to at the beginning of the novel.

I also feel like, as interesting as the other characters are, I did not get to see enough of them for them to make a lingering impression. This was particularly so with Ranmaru – we got hints of a fun, intriguing character, but not enough to make him feel real. I also wish we could have seen more of the Black Clan members as, aside from Okami, we only really get to know three of the others which reduced the idea of the clan being akin to a family for me.

World/Setting

Characters aside, this world is amazing. Set in feudal Japan, it incorporates Japanese history and custom with fantasy elements, creating a world that completely draws you in. Some of my favourite parts where when we really get to see the magical elements in action and Ahdieh describes these all beautifully. My only wish was to have seen more of it towards the beginning of the novel as, when we do start seeing the magic later on, it does feel a little out of nowhere.

Final Thoughts

While there were parts of the novel that did not quite work for me, the rest of it more than made up for any issues I did have. The book was simply an incredibly enjoyable read – it required no effort on my part and I was just drawn into the story. Ahdieh has a writing style that is perfect for weaving images in your head and getting to read a novel with strong feminist themes and a brilliant female lead just made me enjoy the book more. I cannot wait for the second book in this duology – Flame in the Mist¬ has raised a few questions which I would really like answered and ended on a couple of cliff-hangers. I would really recommend this book, especially if you’re a fan of Mulan, or just want a stunning cover on your book case.

This book was marketed as a mulan retelling which it is not... at all... If you do want to call this a mulan retelling let me tell you the book is 1% "reflection," 95% "I'll make a man out of you," and 3% sort of? Maybe? Battles or fights or whatever and the other 1% is the CRAZIEST romance I have EVER EVER EVER read (and I've read sjm books)

There is SO much repetition in this book, she repeats herself all the time, all the repetition everywhere, this book could have actually have been 100 pages, so much shorter, if she didn't literally repeat herself all the time and use so... many... ellipses and paragraph breaks. Did she have a word limit she had to hit or something????

There is literally no plot here. Girl decides to join the black clan disguised as a boy. New recruit is "trained" for the rest of the book. One day, she is revealed as a girl to the boy she hates. They kiss (ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.) The two sides have - NOT EVEN A BATTLE - an interaction, which results in Mariko pretending she was taken against her will and taken to her enemy - sound familiar?

I felt like I didn't know Mariko at all, you have her brother going "ahhhh Mariko is the cleverest girl I know" but we never see any evidence of it? Considering Mariko was the main character, you can imagine how the minor characters were treated as well.

Sorry for the super negative review, this just didn't work for me at all & I'm just so disappointed. I loved the whimsical romance in The Wrath and the Dawn (but mostly I loved Shazi and Khalid!!!) but this was just bizarre.

// Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review //

I knew absolutely nothing about this book when I went into it. The only thing I knew was that I really, really wanted to read Renee Ahdieh's previous series The Wrath and the Dawn, and so I hoped Flame in the Mist would grab my attention in the same way. Renee's writing is really wonderful, and I liked the characters and the setting of this novel, but some aspects of the story and the fantasy system fell flat to me and didn't feel properly brought to life.

Flame in the Mist is about Mariko, the daughter of a prominent samurai, who is attacked by the mysterious bandits the Black Clan as she travels to marry a man she has never met in the imperial city. Furious and determined to prove her worth to her family as more than a pawn to be sold in marriage, Mariko sets out on a mission to find the Black Clan, infiltrate them, and find out who paid them to kill her. She dons the disguise of a boy and does just that, and delves into a world of secrets, lies, intrigue and war.

I enjoyed Mariko's character and the Black Clan as a group. At first, I thought that Mariko might be a typical feisty strong female lead, but she is more than that. I appreciated that her strength lay more in her mind than in her physical abilities - she is not a fighter, although she tries. I also liked that we see her grapple with doubts and questions, as well as with a desire to be brave even though she cannot escape the fact that she is terrified. Okami and Ranmaru are the other two central characters in the Black Clan, and Mariko's brother, who we follow as he tries to track his missing sister. I enjoyed reading about the connections between these characters, and especially that there were different types of relationships. The romance does not overpower the story at all, but instead there is just the right amount of love for me, and there are also great friendships in the novel. My main issue was that the book swaps perspectives between these characters quite a bit, as well as some other minor characters, and sometimes the way this was done felt disjointed and confusing, and I felt like Renee Ahdieh spread the narration too thinly among too many characters.
I have tried to pick apart exactly why I couldn't connect to this story fully, and I couldn't find a single reason. The opening half of the story felt very flat to me, principally because I couldn't really understand why Mariko was doing what she was doing. I understood that she resented being married off, and I understood that she wanted to prove that she was more than just a weak girl, but I couldn't understand how she made the link from that to infiltrating the Black Clan to discover why they had tried to kill her. After the initial section of Mariko trying to find the Clan, we then have to sit through a large chunk which consists of her being treated as a sort of servant, and read as Okami and Ranmaru question whether they trust her. I think that because I was bored in this first section, I missed some vital details about the characters Okami and Ranmaru that made the second part harder to understand and get excited about, even though I felt like the story was picking up. I couldn't remember the details about the pair's history, and I'm still not sure I understand it.

The fantasy was also a bit vague. I found it so intriguing - there were trees that suck the blood out of people, and foxes made of smoke, and characters that could fly. But I had no idea where any of this came from and how it worked. I felt like the magical aspects of the book were quite randomly dropped into the book and for quite a large chunk of the book I wasn't sure if this was a fantasy novel or a sort of historical novel. When magic did turn up, it was merely shown for a passage, then it vanished again. It felt so random that I felt like it could have been taken out of the novel altogether and the story would have still functioned equally well without it.

Overall, there were parts of this book that I liked a lot and others that, although I didn't dislike, I just didn't really get. I would have loved for the story to have picked up quicker and for aspects of the novel to have been a bit clearer, specifically the magic system and the characters' pasts and goals. Although I didn't love this book, I think that I will read the second instalment of this duology when it is released just to see where the characters end up and where the story goes.

Behind a gorgeous cover, Flame in the Mist is a well written historical fantasy with some serious Mulan vibes and a beautiful Japanese setting steeped in culture and gorgeous scenery.

This book does not hold back on the darkness. The opening chapter threw us straight into the middle of things, setting the scene for the rest of this complex, dark and bloody tale. When Mariko is the lone survivor of an ambush she decides to take things into her own hands and find out why she was under attack. Breaking her way into the confidence of the Black Clan, Mariko uncovers a list of forbidden truths and discovers more about herself than she thought was possible.

I have to say that I found this book a little difficult to follow at times and the first half of the book was a bit too slow for my liking. However, the final 25% really picked up the pace and I couldn’t get enough of this novel. There were certainly plenty of surprises’ along the way and I wasn’t able to predict how this book would end. I loved the culture and the use of Japanese vocabulary throughout the book. It was helpful to have a handy glossary at the back for any moments where I was unsure but it wasn’t often that I needed to check it as Renee Ahdieh’s writing is so beautiful and detailed that my mind was able to take in the Japanese words with an understanding I didn’t know I possessed.

My favourite thing about this book is how much it breaks all those feminist stereotypes. Mariko is a girl therefore she shouldn’t be a warrior, she shouldn’t carry a weapon, she shouldn’t be learning to fight with a sword but Mariko does all of these things and so much more. There are some seriously excellent moments for feminism in this book and I loved that!

On the whole I enjoyed this story but thought that at times it was a little wordy (if that makes sense??) and it confused me a little. The ending has been really intrigued though and there were certainly plenty of loose ends that were nowhere near being tied up so I’ll definitely be back for book two!