Flame in the Mist

Renee Ahdieh builds a rich world, but seems lackluster when compared to The Wrath and the Dawn.
Plot: Guys. Flame in the Mist doesn't take any prisoners! It opened with Mariko being transported to her betrothed, the first son of the emperor who does not have a claim to the throne. On the way, her envoy was attacked by a vicious clan slaughtering everyone but her. In order to survive, Mariko disguised herself as a young man and crossed paths with the deadly Black Clan once again. Mariko entered a deadly game of deception by trying to get close to the clan leaders and learning who paid them to kill her.

I know this is very unfair, but I can't help but hold this book to The Wrath and the Dawn and Flame in the Mist just can't compete. I took me the better part of the novel to get my groove with this book because it was a rather slow book. Despite being told from multiple perspectives, it never felt like much was uncovered. The last third of the book is nothing but hard-hitters and it seems like Book 2 will be more action-packed.

Characters: Mariko was a beautifully written character, and I loved how much time Renee allowed for introspection. In feudal Japan, a woman was only worth the amount of her dowry and political connections, and Mariko was offered the rare opportunity to experience the freedom of being a man and realize just how many life experiences she was excluded from.

This novel was told from various perspectives, mostly Mariko's, but her brother also had chapters from his perspective as well as other key players. I wish the chapters told from other perspectives were more consistent and provided more background to Mariko's predicament.

And lastly, the romance. We all know the general skeleton of Mulan, and I was curious to how Ahdieh would write the romance. From Mariko's perspective, it was obvious who she was gravitating toward, but because we were given very few chapters from the love interest's perspective, it was hard to determine how he felt about Mariko, disguise and all.

Worldbuilding: Bless that glossary that Renee Ahdieh included in the back of the book, it was much appreciated! It was easy to fall in love with feudal Japan and the author was fantastic in portraying the culture and customs. If you know Renee Ahdieh, you know she loves to write about food and Flame in the Mist was no exception. I just wanted to cook the entire time I was reading this!

There is a bit of magic mentioned in Flame in the Mist that was never fully addressed. The magic was something that was accepted by everyone in the world, but it was unclear who possessed magic. Hell, even the trees were magic. I got lots of questions about that.

Short N Sweet: Flame in the Mist is an interesting take on Mulan that would have used a bit more polishing.

What a suspenseful tale! Fans of Renee Ahdieh will surely enjoy this novel as well. It has her usual dose of beautiful writing, sexy romance, wicked twists, secrets, lies, meticulous plotting, and magic.

Set in feudal Japan,"Flame in the Mist" centers on Mariko, a powerful samurai's daughter who is against her wishes betrothed to the emperor's second son. En route to the imperial city, her convoy is ambushed by the deadly Black Clan. After narrowly escaping the attack with her life, Mariko seeks revenge and answers by disguising as a boy and infiltrating the Black Clan's ranks. But not all is as it seems, and she begins to question everything.

Renee continues to enchant readers with her beautiful and wholly unique writing style. I will forever love the way that she constructs her sentences. She adds a little flair and finesse to every sentence. The prose just meshed so well with the tale Renee crafted. There was plenty of action to keep readers enthralled, but Mariko's attempts to ingratiate herself to the Black Clan was equally mesmerizing. There was so much drama and suspense woven into this tale to keep readers turning the pages.

I loved the setting of feudal Japan. So much of this book centers around honor and duty, and it was fascinating to see these characters struggle through their decisions, heavily weighed down by the Japanese ideals. One of Renee's strengths is her use of setting in her stories. Just as in "The Wrath and The Dawn", Renee does an amazing job not only describing the surroundings but also incorporating it into her storyline. In this book you'll experience the deadly Jukai forest filled with magical creatures and bloodthirsty trees.

Mariko is an inquisitive and stubborn main character. Although this book is cast as a Mulan retelling, there are few similarities besides disguising oneself as a man and the idea of bringing honor to your family. I loved Mariko's tenacity. She longs to be free of the caged life her father has planned for her and proves to show her worth beyond an advantageous union. This book is also highly feminist, which I LOVED.

I was expecting a bit more romance in this book, but Renee provided the perfect amount. It's not as heavy as "The Wrath and The Dawn", but it is certainly steamy and intense. And that is all I will say!

Like her previous novels, Renee told this story in third-person point of view, and it worked out well. Perspectives from secondary characters including Okami, Ranmaru, the emperor, and Kenshin. The secondary characters in this book all possess interesting backstories and backgrounds that include more secrets and cause more conflicts for the characters.

The only thing I didn't really like was the lack of clarity. There is magic present in this book, but every time it was brought up I was left so confused. I wish the magic were better described and more fleshed out.

This book was decidedly different from my expectations, but I loved in nonetheless. Renee delivered a sumptuous story interwoven with so many secrets and lies and revelations to leave readers reeling and desperate for the second part in this duology.

This book got intensively hyped up in the bookish community, and I was so very curious about a retelling of Mulan set in a fantasy Japan. I simply had to see what the fuss was about. All I have to say is – I’m addicted. Okay, that’s not all I have to say, but it does sum up my feelings pretty well. Now that I am done with Flame in the Mist, I can’t believe I didn’t read it slower, and I am so happy it’s a series.

First of all, as you can see from the synopsis, it’s not a retelling of Mulan at all, and I am not sure why this rumor spread. Mariko is from Japan and not China, and she doesn’t go to war. The similarities end with both Mariko and Mulan disguising themselves as boys in order to fight for what they believe. In the case of Mulan, the safety of her family. For Mariko, truth and freedom.

The writing style of this book was very pleasant to read, beautiful and full of metaphors. I loved the Japanese mythology, which gave the book such a wonderfully magical and lush feeling. The plot does get slower after the first third, but it picks up pace by the last and becomes impossible to put down. I was also surprised by how this book touches on feminist issues with not so much as a moment’s hesitation.

Only small things bothered me about this novel: the “I’m not like other girls” trope, some decisions Mariko makes which are a bit senseless to me, how much we’re told she’s “smart and weird” instead of shown how smart and weird she is, the unconvincing romance. However, for me the merits of Flame in the Mist by far outweigh its flaws.

I absolutely loved Flame in the Mist, I'm definitely putting it in my favourite books of the year category and I'm already desperately awaiting the sequel. Renee Ahdieh's writing is so beautiful and she completely pulled me into her world from the first page. This story has obviously taken some inspiration from Mulan but it's set in Feudal Japan rather than in China and the story doesn't follow exactly the same path as the original. There is enough to remind you of Mulan but it equally holds up as a story in its own right.

Mariko has spent her whole life knowing that her only real task in life is to marry whoever her parents deem to be the best match for her. No matter how much she loves studying and no matter how skilled she is at alchemy her future has already been mapped out for her, especially now her parents have agreed to a political marriage to the Emperor's illegitimate son. She is on her way to the city to prepare for her marriage when her party is ambushed by The Black Clan, a notorious group of rebels who are considered a dangerous threat. When Mariko is left alone in the woods with no way back home and no idea who she can trust she decides to disguise herself as a boy and infiltrate The Black Clan to try and find out who paid them to kill her. When she finally manages to find the rebels she's in for quite a shock though, nothing is what it first seemed and the more she learns about them the more she starts to question everything she's ever been told.

While Mariko is infiltrating The Black Clan we also follow her twin brother Kenshin as he searches for his sister. Kenshin is a fierce samurai warrior who puts honour and decency above all else but he will do whatever it takes to find Mariko and bring her home safely, even if it means crossing lines he never would have considered before. I loved how multifaceted all of these characters were, nothing is black and white and they each have complicated motivations for their actions. Alongside Mariko and Kenshin there are some fabulous side characters who add lots of depth to the story, and Renee Ahdieh's descriptive writing will have you smelling the cherry blossoms as you read.

This is a story full of secrets and betrayal, everyone is hiding something and there are so many different plots going on it can be hard to keep track of them. There is just a hint of romance which I'm pretty hopeful will be expanded upon in the second book, I'm not going to say too much but there are several potential couples I'm already rooting for and there wasn't a single case of insta-love in sight. As much as I enjoyed The Wrath and the Dawn I think Renee Ahdieh has stepped things up a gear here and I can't wait to see how the story ends.

Holy *Beep* on a *beep* Sandwich this book was good. But first I want to address the whole Mulan thing. Flame in the Mist is inspired by Mulan, it is not retelling. So there is no reason to get your panties in a bunch for wrong cultures as it is not a retelling of the Savior of China. The main thing that are similar is it is a female who has to masquerade as a man in a camp of fighters. I say fighters because Mulan infiltrates an actual Army Camp as a soldier where as Mariko is infiltrating NINJAS!!!

Mariko is on her way to the imperial palace to meet her bethrothed, the prince, when her caravan enters the Jukai forest which some believe is haunted as well as the stomping grounds of the Black Clan aka Ninjas who are kinda like Robin Hood but more ninja-like. THey are the scourge of the Emperor and no one really knows who they are or what they are truly like. They are run by Renmaru & Okami who are two Ronin, which i belive are sons of prestigous Samurai's but where unfortunately killed in the past.

Mariko wants to find out why she was targeted to be killed and why the Black Clan was the one to do it. So she sets out to find them and disguises herself as a boy to do so to avoid having her life threatened once more.

Of course, once she is finally in the Black Clan's camp she begins to meet many of the Clan members are starts to slwoly question everything she knew.

While Mariko is doing her own infilatrating, her twin brother, the Dragon of Ka, decides to do some investigating of his own. He knows deep down that she wasn't killed when the caravan was attacked and will stop at nothing to find her and bring her home.

Ahdieh writes yet another beautiful setting and has such a way with words that you don't realize just how far she has pulled you in until you've suddenly finished the book. FITM is no different and is completely different than her amazingly written Wrath and the Dawn series.

The last 10% of the book is just full of surprises and twists and just make you want to jump in the future and get the second book straight away.

Flame in the Mist is an absolute awesome and spellbinding story and i can't wait to see where the sequel takes it.

Also Ninjas.

I have a friend who loves Renee Ahdieh books. She talked so highly of her books that I tried to read "The Rose and the Dagger", but I couldn't quite get into it. I didn't feel that had to do with Ahdieh's style or story; it was just that the setting and the characters didn't quite capture my interest at the time. That said, I was still curious when I saw "Flame in the Mist." I thought with its feudal Japan setting, which I like, that this book would interest me more.

The story centers on Mariko who is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor. She's not exactly thrilled by the situation but must obey. On her way to the imperial city, she and her escort group are ambushed. She escapes but then decides to disguise herself as a boy to infiltrate the group that slaughtered her convoy and tried to kill her.

It is to seek vengeance, not freedom from her marriage path. I did like how Ahdieh takes Mariko through the arc of changes that take her from anger to understanding and the myriad of conflicts both internal and external that can cause. She also, of course, finds a way to insert a budding romance.

I liked the setting, the time period, the characters and the good chemistry between Mariko and Okami. The action scenes are well done and the socio-political intrigue was well crafted as well. About the only thing I wasn't too keen on was that this is the first book of a series but that's par for the course with YA books these days so while I wasn't keen on the cliffhanger, I wasn't surprised either. Other than that, it is solid entertainment.

Renee Ahdieh has fast become one of my favourite young adult authors. Her ability to transport the reader to an entirely different place and time in history is masterful. Flame in the Mist is no exception.

We are taken on a journey with Mariko through feudal Japan. As a girl and the daughter of an ambitious samurai, Marika's place is set for her. She will marry a royal son. Even before her convoy is attacked, the reader is aware of Marika's frustration with the lack of choice in her life. When she is given the gift of escaping the attack with her life, she seizes the opportunity to start a new life. But being raised with a samurai brother and father, Mariko's sense of honour run deeps. Instead of running away and claiming a life of her own, she using the opportunity to track the band of thiefs who attack her and take revenge upon them.

What follows is a tale filled with courage, magic, adventure, and romance. This is the start of a new series by Ahdieh. One I will be reading for sure!

I have a friend who loves Renee Ahdieh books. She talked so highly of her books that I tried to read "The Rose and the Dagger", but I couldn't quite get into it. I didn't feel that had to do with Ahdieh's style or story; it was just that the setting and the characters didn't quite capture my interest at the time. That said, I was still curious when I saw "Flame in the Mist." I thought with its feudal Japan setting, which I like, that this book would interest me more.

The story centers on Mariko who is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor. She's not exactly thrilled by the situation but must obey. On her way to the imperial city, she and her escort group are ambushed. She escapes but then decides to disguise herself as a boy to infiltrate the group that slaughtered her convoy and tried to kill her.

It is to seek vengeance, not freedom from her marriage path. I did like how Ahdieh takes Mariko through the arc of changes that take her from anger to understanding and the myriad of conflicts both internal and external that can cause. She also, of course, finds a way to insert a budding romance.

I liked the setting, the time period, the characters and the good chemistry between Mariko and Okami. The action scenes are well done and the socio-political intrigue was well crafted as well. About the only thing I wasn't too keen on was that this is the first book of a series but that's par for the course with YA books these days so while I wasn't keen on the cliffhanger, I wasn't surprised either. Other than that, it is solid entertainment.

Renee Ahdieh has fast become one of my favourite young adult authors. Her ability to transport the reader to an entirely different place and time in history is masterful. Flame in the Mist is no exception.

We are taken on a journey with Mariko through feudal Japan. As a girl and the daughter of an ambitious samurai, Marika's place is set for her. She will marry a royal son. Even before her convoy is attacked, the reader is aware of Marika's frustration with the lack of choice in her life. When she is given the gift of escaping the attack with her life, she seizes the opportunity to start a new life. But being raised with a samurai brother and father, Mariko's sense of honour run deeps. Instead of running away and claiming a life of her own, she using the opportunity to track the band of thiefs who attack her and take revenge upon them.

What follows is a tale filled with courage, magic, adventure, and romance. This is the start of a new series by Ahdieh. One I will be reading for sure!

I received this free digital ARC from the publisher via Penguin’s First to Read in exchange for my honest review.

Slow Start
This book kind of took forever to pick up. :/ I mean, it had an interesting setting and some hints of intrigue and mystery, but those didn’t arrive until later on in the story. The beginning of the book is definitely held up with lack of answers to questions and random elements of the world that lack explanation.

Cliche
I won’t get into the details because this isn’t the spoilers section, but much of the plot was cliche. I wouldn’t necessarily say I knew what was going to happen, but when it all unraveled, I was a bit disappointed by the lack of surprise and ingenuity. Because of how things unfolded at the beginning of the story, I thought ‘hey! maybe this will be different’ and then the end hit and I was just like ‘yup. not original after all.’

Bland
I could not stand the main character in this book. She doesn’t really have a character arc at all. She’s the same character in the beginning as she is in the end despite the author’s attempts to make it seem like she’s a whole new person. (she’s not) And I did not like her. I think it has more to do with her not having a strong personality than anything else because I can’t really say she wasn’t ‘strong’ or ‘smart’ or something. She just… was bland. I didn’t care what happened to her.

Dialect
Okay. This is just me being nit-picky, but there were a couple of slip-ups in the dialect used in the book. The world is built off Japanese culture. (I’m pretty sure it was intended to exist in a historical Japan with some magic, especially since it used many references to Japanese traditions.) That being said, many words should not have been used: ‘heaven,’ ‘devil,’ and a couple others. Those are words brought into common speak via Christianity and have no place in a Japanese society otherwise uninfluenced by Western society. Sorry, but no.

This was pretty gripping from the get go. Mariko is on her way to be married when her entourage is attacked. The attackers don’t realise they’ve left her alive and because she is near Jukai Forest she believes the deed has been perpetrated by the infamous Black Clan. Hoping to betray the Black Clan and revenge the deaths of her servants, Mariko makes her way through the forest inserting herself into the group dressed as a boy. Adventures ensue.

I loved that Mariko is not a helpless heroine. Despite the setting, she doesn’t necessarily conform to gender roles of the period, which I appreciated. It is written in such a way that it fits in the narrative and isn’t a contemporary implant into that age. I also liked that matter what situation she gets in and despite at times being harrowing, she is always thinking and intrepid, which was quite refreshing to read. She most definitely displays bushidō!

I adored the setting. So often fantasy, particularly in the YA I come across seems to have a very European backdrop. Japan, the culture and mythology is so rich and I felt how it was portrayed was vivid and exciting. Plus, much sweeping court intrigues and magical elements. I think this reminded me a little of Robin Hood and the rising tide of anger amongst the people against the powers that be. There was a little romance and while the tension ramps up a little towards the end of the book it didn’t feel like a total cliff hanger.

I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

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.

pooled ink Reviews:
4.5 Stars

The first thing I’ll say is that this book did not disappoint.
There was a lot of hype over this book as well as many comparisons to Mulan, both of which had me excited but skeptical. My opinion after reading it? It lived up to the hype. I loved it! However Mariko being a clever and inventive Asian girl disguised as a boy who is trained to survive and fight is pretty much where the Mulan comparisons end. That being said, as much as I love Mulan, I really appreciate how this book stands completely on its own, as does its protagonist, Mariko. There are similarities to be sure, but truly they are two equally epic but distinctly different stories.

FLAME IN THE MIST has tinges of magic, pulses of romance, huffs of action, a current of danger, and a breath of life. Absolutely riveting, the characters and the story itself come to life turning each page faster than the last as the stakes climb higher and the secrets grow heavier. Many hidden plots dance throughout, pulling strings where none can see, only to leave you wide-eyed and yearning for the truth after turning the final page.

Read my FULL review on my Wordpress site: Pooled Ink

Hidden identities, Katanas, and Rebels, oh my!

We're dropped into the action of the story as Mariko is being transported to her betrothed to begin her new life. When her caravan is suddenly attacked she is forced, first, into survival mode and then into revenge. These events start the ball rolling on a journey of discovery and opens her eyes to her old world and new. I love the worlds that Renee Ahdieh creates but what really sells the stories is the relationships between all sorts of characters. Familial, Friendly, and Romantic are all explored fantastically throughout the adventure. This story does end on a bit of a cliffhanger so I am glad I read this novel closer to the release of the second book. Whew! Don't have to wait too long. Also, I love the blue version of the cover! Gorgeous!

I got this book through the the store Vine program to review. This was a very well done YA fantasy book set in Feudal Japan. I can tell a lot of research and time went into creating the setting.

The book is well written and overall I enjoyed the characters and the setting. The story is a fairly typical power struggle type of story between factions. Entwined within this is the more personable story about a lord's daughter who decides to join the very men who tried to kill her by disguising herself a man in order to learn the purpose behind the attack on her.

While I thought everything about this book was well done for some reason it didn't really grab me and suck me in like some fantasy stories. I wasn't ever really dying to know what happened next. I just kind of read it and thought "Huh, well that was pretty good."

Overall this was a well done book that I enjoyed reading. I would recommend to those who enjoy YA fantasy set in an Asian setting. While I enjoyed the book, I didn’t absolutely love it so right now I am unsure whether or not I will continue the series.

Flame in The Mist by Renee Ahdieh centers around Japan and is the story of Mariko, a young woman who feels she is looked down upon because she is a female. She has a twin brother who is a warrior and she would like to be a warrior too. While on her way to becoming the bride of someone she never met that has been arranged by her father, her caravan is attacked and everyone is killed except for her. She gets away but before too long, finds the Black Clan who are the ones she believes were the attackers and wants to find out who wanted her dead.

This story has quite a bit of action in it and I enjoyed reading it even though parts were a bit confusing. The names were strange but I liked the relationship that developed between Okami and Marika. I liked how Marika was able to fool people into believing she was a guy. I did not really understand the magical stuff in this book like the enchanted forest and the beast that came and went. Some things just didn’t make sense to me. The strange ending left me hanging. I did not like the way it ended at all and for me, that brought my rating down from a 4 to a 3.

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 roller-coaster 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!!)

Feudal Japan, a Mulan-like character, and some magic. This is Flame in the Mist, where people are not what you think and trees will kill. Mariko is set to marry into the royal family, and is headed that way, when her caravan is set upon by bandits. Not just any bandits though - a group intent on killing her. She manages to escape, and decides that her only chance to find out who and why is to become a boy and try to infiltrate the group she suspects.

Ahdieh does a great job with the Japanese culture, and the touches of magic are not overwhelming but feel perfect for the cultural identity within the story. The only downside I really had with the book was the abrupt ending. There is what seems like a resolution of sorts, but then...chaos ensues and everything changes...and then it ends. I get that there is another book coming, but cliffhangers so abrupt are just too jarring.

Overall, however, this was a good story and one that I will certainly plan on following up on when the second comes out.

This book captivated me from the very beginning, it starts off right away into the action. Mariko is being sent away to her betrothed Raiden, but on the way there her convoy is attacked and Mariko is left for dead. But Mariko doesn't die and she is determined to find out who is responsible for the hit on her life. Mariko disguises herself as a boy and infiltrate the Black Clan who she believes is responsible for killing the people in her convoy and trying to kill her.

Overall the story is very interesting to read but in the end, nothing is resolved. I still don't know who is responsible for putting the hit on Mariko's life unless it was told and I just didn't grasp it. There is a lot that I don't understand at the end, I feel like I am missing parts of the story. I feel like nothing is answered in the book and at the end I am more confused than anything. Also, the main character believes herself as very smart but her actions do not show that.

In the end, I have mixed feelings about this book.

Flame in the Mist was a really good story. Sometimes when I read books that are set in a culture I know not much about I can get lost, but the author did a great job with her explanations. I got a lost a bit though I can't lie and I am a bit unsure of the bigger picture that she is trying to create, but I think I have the gist so I am good.

The thing I liked the most was the pacing of the story. It was quick and didn't feel like an almost 400 page book. Things moved, characters developed, and the story wrapped its way around with ease. My one problem is with Mariko. She needed to be a bit fiercer for me. I appreciated how the author chose to have her grow throughout the book, but I would've liked to have seen her be a bit tougher by the end.

This one does end in a cliffhanger so be warned. That shouldn't dis way you from reading this though, it definitely deserves a read and the ending is rather fantastic so don't worry too much about the cliffhanger

I received this book through NetGalley as a granted wish by the publisher Penguin Group & Putnam Juvenile. I also got it in exchange for an honest review. I’m thanking NetGalley, Penguin Group and Putnam Juvenile for granting me the wish and providing me with the copy of this book.

“Be as swift as the wind. As silent as the forest. As fierce as the fire. As unshakable as the mountain. And you can do anything…”

When I got the e-mail from NetGalley telling me I got approved to get an ARC of this book I was really, really happy!!

I really wanted to read it before publication and I managed to do that. I tried to review it before publication, but there I did not manage…

This was my first read from Renée Ahdieh, and it did not disappoint me at all!! I really liked the book. I had to get used to it in the beginning, but now I can’t wait for the sequel!!!!!

It was really fun to read another story set in Asia… Don’t read many books with Asian influence, but they’re gaining ground in the book market.. [read Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee and A Mortal Song by Megan Crewe last year] I really love to read about different cultures. Culture in common intrigues me, but I really like Samurai culture.

Mariko is a very strong character. Raised to be obedient and pretty, but stubborn and a survivalist. Her story in this book is amazing. I really loved her part and how she handled the world. The way she thinks in a place where she was taught not to think for herself is pretty amazing. She handles situations, tricks dangerous people and survives a dangerous game she started. But she’s not the only strong female in this book… And I like how Renée gives strength to other female characters. But not only the female characters are given strength and personality. I admire her gift of creating characters.

I won’t spoil the story, but if you’ve read it, you will probably agree with me. About Mariko and the other females and about male characters like Ranmaru, Okami and her brother the Dragon of Kai. But in retrospect, there are weak characters in the book. I will not call names, but read and decide for yourself ;]

It was a really good book with an interesting story. I did feel like waiting forever for the obvious romance growing in this story hihi…. But it’s real cute and not as obvious as I thought before ;] Like I said can’t wait for the second book, and will probably read The Wrath & the Dawn series sooner than I thought =]

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book, I first heard of it when FairyLoot announced it was going to be the book in their (May?) box. Though I'm not subscribed to their boxes I watch the unboxings on Instagram and the glowing reviews everyone gave this book are what made me request it from NetGalley - that and the description they gave it of being a retelling of Mulan (my all time favourite Disney film) and 47 Ronin (which I think I'm going to watch based purely on how much I enjoyed this book).

I loved the setting and the characters and the fact Mariko - like Mulan - is not totally pathetic nor completely selfless in her decision to disguise herself and fight. I'm looking forward to the next book but the unannounced release date is making me regret reading this one in a day as the ending leaves a lot of questions unanswered.

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: BORING!!!!!! This book was both boring and confusing! And I felt like I really needed to have the glossary at the back open so I could look up all the words. You need a degree in Samurai for this one folks!

Check out author's other books or related books? Yes, I will I loved her other series that was based on a 1,0001 Nights.

Recommend this book? Not unless you have a background in Sameri lingo or you don't mind being confused.

Notes and Opinions: This one did not work out for me at all. I kept trying to keep going but gave up around 100 pages. I just couldn't force myself to go any further. This book started out with such a great premise. I was not confused with the start of this book at all but shortly after the book gets really started what I found was a story blended with Japan's Samurai which ended up being very confusing. For the most part, I could have lived with not knowing what all the words were. I have seen the movie The Last Samurai like a million times so some of the words I knew what they were as well as some of the things that I had seen happen. But the story itself was very boring. It went through numerous POVs which made the book feel very choppy and that paired with the names of the characters I found it hard to keep everyone straight. By the time we got back into Markio's POV I had totally forgotten what her name was and was trying to figure out who this person was. Yes, it was that bad.

The other issue I had which I guess this book was supposed to be a retelling of the story of Mulan at least loosely based. Was the entire bases for Markio for going off on her own. During the time after she is almost killed she talks about how her virtue will be in question because she is in the woods. But yet now she has been in the woods for 5+ days to try to find out who is trying to kill her but for some reason, that won't have the same outcome. So it was a little weird.

I really wished that Renee would have taken the plot of Mulan and went full force with it. It would have been an amazing retelling just like her other story The Wrath in the Dawn was I couldn't put it down. This one though just didn't live up to the expectations that I had for it. Which really makes me sad because I have this as a signed copy now.

Go Into This One Knowing: 47 Ronin meets Mulan in a very boring, far-fetched story that will make you wonder if you should get a degree in all things Samurai.

This book was purchased from Books a Million as well as recieved in my Fairyloot box.

For my first Mulan retelling and my first Renee Ahdieh book I was not disappointed. This was incredible. All of the characters are fantastic and easy to fall in love with. I adored the world and magic. And I would be shocked if anyone finished reading this book and didn't feel empowered. Seeing the different views on women and seeing Mariko break from the stereotypes and just be whoever she wanted was so amazing and just made you cheer for her by the end. Speaking of the end, it just makes you want more and to see what happens next so I can't wait for the next book. Beautifully written and beautiful cover. Everyone needs to go pick up this book.

In contrast with her previous series (The Wrath and the Dawn) this book seems like more of the same.

A girl out for revenge. A guy out to find/rescue her. She falls in love-ish with the enemy. There's a potential love triangle. She says she's strong but really she's not. The magic is rather lame. The scenes are described in minutiae to the point it's bothersome, detracting from the plot, and then, of course, there's the dreaded cliffhanger. This is TWATD, deuxième partie.

That said, Ms Ahdieh certainly can write.

I. AM. BLOWN. AWAY. Wow. I'm truly speechless. What a wonderful story. I couldn't put it down. Hidden identities, misdirection, mystery, magic, OH MY! This is a duology, so we are left with a lot of questions and sone major reveals. It's a whopper of a cliffhanger, but it felt right and gave you enough to be satisfied. The next book can't cook be carry enough. Just wow!

I loved this story and these characters so much. I didn't have many problems with the book as a whole besides choppy sentences and I wish some of the characters were fleshed out a little more. Other than that I had a blast with this adventure. I cannot wait to buy it for my collection and to read the next one when it comes out.

While crimes against sentence structure were committed in this book by the author, I lay the blame firmly in hands the editorial staff, who seem to have a vendetta against commas. A strategic comma, editor friends, sells better books...

The book doesn't contain enough action or interaction between characters; attacks and ambushes pepper the plot suddenly, without the proper easing in and out, leaving long sections in between full of internal dialogue. We spend a lot of time in Mariko's head, cogitating repetitive backstory and her talking to herself, and yet I still found it difficult to believe her character and actions: women of that culture and time have such social expectation that they wouldn't just decide to murder and then masquerade overnight, in the short span of time we are led to believe Mariko makes her decision. The internal dialogue rarely justifies her decision-making, as it concerns mainly observations of other people and society, as well as reflection on her past, rather than scheming and logic. As such, I found it difficult to believe in -- and then root for -- Mariko as she executes her plan and then face her past in Kenshin. If the plot points, events, and tension continued to come, page after page, to keep the conflict taut, I would have been turning pages so fast I didn't question each decision, but because we spend so many pages in internal dialogue, not just of Mariko but also of supporting characters like the emperor and Kenshin, I found my mind wandering into doubts about whether or not these characters could make such a change from the normal lives they have led up to now.

I think the world itself is believable, with clans and kingdoms all vying for power, and I enjoyed reading about how the societal norms and expectations limit what the characters must keep secret. I just question Mariko's transformation, and how she is able to pull off a male's voice as well as the rapid suppression of the past and culture drilled into her.

On a side note, the cover and stylistic design - font, chapter dividers, colors - are beautiful, but the pages all have uneven length, as if the printer just ripped them apart without some dimension metric. As a result, the edges of the pages all vary in length, often even adjacent pages, making them hard to flip, grasp, turn, and look at.

Not remembering much about the Mulan story, other than what I remember from watching the Disney movie version, I was very excited to read this story. It started off with a bang. Mariko is on her way to be married to the Emperor's son. Her wagon is ambushed and everyone is killed except for her. She ends up finding her way through an enchanted forest and becomes part of the Black Clan, a notorious group of thugs. The kicker is that she joins this group dressed as a man. Everyone is fooled-really how did she live with them for weeks and they didn't suspect?? Anyways, after Mariko joins the Black Clan and we get to know its' members the story starts to sag and the action fades. I didn't need the romance. I wanted more action, more myth and magic. I realize that the author is creating a series here and needs to build up characters and plot, but I struggled to finish this and won't be continuing the series. Thank you First to Read for the free galley in exchange for an honest review.

Eh there was some enjoyment in the beginning, but as the story progressed I felt plot points began to feel rushed and even more illogical. Mariko was supposed to be clever and everyone always talks about her being clever, but for the majority of the book she acts like an idiot.

Ahdieh's writing is beautiful and enchanting, even if the plot isn't all that surprising or twisty. You know where it's going from the start, but you can't help but keep turning the pages!

Beautifully written and addictive. You won't be able to put this down!

I have nothing but praise for this book, beautifully written and kept my attention from the very beginning. Well researched and a nice mix of the supernatural with the historical culture of feudal japan. I can't wait for her next book. The book follows several different characters points of view and surprising twists are unpredictable and keep you thinking. The heroin is strong but also realistic and grows naturally throughout the story and all of the supporting characters feel fully fleshed out. Over all amazing!

What a beautiful cover.

Samurai! A woman refuses to be ‘just a wife!’ Lady chemists for the win! A twin searching for his lost sister! Yay!

I had read Renee Ahdieh’s re-telling of Shahrzad (The Wrath and the Dawn) which was pretty good, though the love-triangle got a bit annoying in places. Here, the writing was not that great and while I want to know what happens, I could not get through the slow, slow pace of *girl cut her hair and disguises as boy *girl scouts the poor ugly dirty smelly people *girl is so very very tedious. Unfortunately, multiple view-points don’t help the plot move along.

I think the samurai brother is the most interesting character.
Opening the story with a prologue of gory seppuku might not have been the best idea either.

This was a very intriguing story! It has the right amount of magic, intrigue, and deception mixed together with action and a dash of love story thrown in. For once, I did not see the ending twist(s) and look forward to the next book in the series!