This. This was probably the best ARC I've received from NetGalley in a long, long time - and I'm still in shock that I got to read it earlier than I'd planned.

This story is a loose retelling of Mulan, set in feudal Japan. The main character, Mariko, is the daughter of a samurai, the sister of the legendary Dragon of Kai and betrothed to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the Emperor's favorite consort. En route to the capital, Mariko's escort is ambushed and she is the only one to escape. Having overheard some of the mercenaries she believes the attack was conducted by the Black Clan - a gang of bandits living somewhere near where she was attacked - and in order to find out the truth she disguises herself as a boy and infiltrates the clan. Soon Mariko realizes that things are not exactly as they seem - and what she once thought was the truth is a mere mirage.

To be fair, even though I knew this would be set in a Japan-inspired country upon starting this I would have liked to see it set in China. The legend of Hua Mulan is, after all, Chinese and we seriously do not have enough YA books set in China - and before you ask, China and Japan are as different as England and France, so one does not replace the other.

Still, I found myself loving this story. Bits and pieces were a bit predictable and sometimes felt rushed, but the majority of the story was amazing. The ending blew my mind - I had not expected that twist - and I am now very, very excited for the next book. Even though that one doesn't even have a release date.

4.5/5 stars

What a pleasant surprise! I didn't know what to expect from Flame in the Mist as it was my first time reading Renée Ahdieh, and I have to say that my non-expectations were blown away.

Flame in the Mist is everything I want to read in a book: it is engaging, the plot is really entertaining -I had so much fun reading it!- and the writing style was really good.
As for the characters, Mariko is exactly the kind of character I love to read about, she is fiercely loyal and smart -even though her decisions were a bit "dumb" sometimes- as for the rest of the characters, I absolutely loved them -especially Yoshi, Ranmaru and Okami. My only complain: I would have loved to see more character development and to know more about them. I also had a bit of trouble with the writing style -even though I thought it was pretty good- some of the movements were a bit ... "confusing" : sometimes a character would be there and then all of a sudden they would moved without the author telling it and it was a bit confusing to me. I also felt like the author spent a lot of time telling how Mariko was smart and witty instead of really showing it. Those aren't really important issues and didn't hinder my reading experience at all, it is just that I noticed these "issues" so I had to mention them on my review.

Oh! I forgot to mention the romance! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. I SHIP IT 100% -which makes me so happy because I have a lot of trouble with romance in YA lately, but this one was really well done in my opinion!

All in all Flame in the Mist was a really great book and I cannot wait to read the sequel!

Mariko knew her purpose as the daughter of a prominent Samurai was to be pawn in political maneuvering by being given as a bride to a family of higher standing. She is being delivered to her fiancé, the second son of the Emperor, when her caravan is attacked. Hidden by the dead body of her servant, she is the only survivor of the slaughter that was ordered to kill her. Who wants her dead and why? Mariko believes it is the Black Clan that was hired to do the deed. For once she decides to take control of her future and rather than make her way home, she disguises herself as a boy and journeys deep into the forest to find the Black Clan. She is impressed with the leader, Ranmaru, who is deeply respected by his loyal outlaws. She thinks very little of Okami, until she sees his fighting prowess. Ranmaru accepts her into the group and orders her training. In truth, the Black Clan is a Japanese Robin Hood type outfit. Despite their honor and overall compassionate behavior, Mariko persists in believing the Black Clan attacked her caravan. Meanwhile, Mariko's fierce twin brother, Samurai Kenshin is tracking her and does not believe she was killed. Lots of inward thinking leads her to revelation that the Black Clan acts more like a family than her true family.

While formulaic - the pampered noble who must quickly adapt; forbidden love; Robin Hood; revenge; family honor, political manipulation - the story works. The writing is descriptive so that the feel of the forest is ever present and the characters are clearly drawn. However, one thing that is bothering me is that the conversations between Okami and Mariko when she was disguised as a boy, were rather flirtatious when Mariko tried to converse as a man. I tended to lose track of names and the abundant insertion of Japanese words is a bit annoying but I happily read it all and am eager to go back and read her other books. Great for readers eager for adventure, bloodshed and political maneuvering set in feudal Japan - oh yes, a bit of romance too.

I requested this on Netgalley a few days ago and after a long day of watching television and stuffing myself with Easter chocolates i finally decide to check my mail. Seeing the mail from Netgalley i was just like-ugh probably got rejected. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I WASN'T!!!! I still can't believe i got an ARC of this book-it's one of the most anticipated books of this year!!!! So a huge huge thanks to Penguin for this; it seriously made my week-but this in no way affects my review!

One thing that would be cool to clear up-this is not a Mulan retelling. Aside from the protagonist dressing up as a boy, a background of a war ridden Japan and the importance of honor permeating the whole book-that's where the similarities end!


Mariko wasn't physically a warrior like Mulan but she was intellectually pretty smart and she kind of sets herself apart from her society because she's too curious. She tends to question things instead of just going along with them like women are expected to do. And unlike Mulan, dressing up as a man doesn't allow her to become a warrior like Mulan wanted to be but it just gets her the freedom which she craves . At least it's the first step to figuring out who she is without societal constraints. So while she went through an existentialist crisis at the beginning of the book i can really see her character start to take shape when she was given her freedom. She has a super sharp mind and incredibly creative when it comes to custom weaponry!


"When Mariko had erred, it had usually been intentional. An attempt to push barriers. Or a desire to learn. Usually it was that. A wish to know more. As she grew from a curious child into an even more curious young woman, the word she most often overheard at her back was odd. Much too odd. Far too prone to asking questions.
Far too apt to linger in places she wasn’t meant to be.”



Romance wise, going into this book i was absolutely terrified that a love triangle would erupt. And then i kept getting the feeling that a love triangle was gonna happen the more we got introduced to the characters but thankfully it didn't! I think a love triangle would have totally ruined it so thank the YA gods the author didn't fall into that trap!

I'm not going to go too much in depth with who the love interest is cause it's better if you figure it out for yourself whenever you read it but he was awesome!!! The first few lines in which he was described was certainly...unique. But he is seriously amazing and his character develops from cold and untouchable to someone with a lot of vulnerabilities and secrets.

One of my favorite things in Ahdieh's books is her phenomenal word building! The World building was hands down absolutely FANTASTIC!!! It was a total immersion into the culture and the background down to the smallest details of food! Seriously spectacular!

I do wish we had a little more romance-i guess i was used to it from Wrath and the Dawn! Now this might make me totally crazy but i was imaging the whole book as an anime in my head-i watch way too much anime! And the fantasy elements weren't so prominent on this book so hopefully in book 2 we'll get more of that :P

I also have to mention that one of my favorite characters was Kenshin-Mariko's brother and the Dragon Of Kai. He was quite complex but from the very first chapter from his POV he was just oozing power and strength! And the mutual trust, love and dedication between Mariko and him was completely adorable! He never gave up on his sister no matter what anyone else said.

"Mariko was not dead. She was simply fighting a different kind of war. Though Kenshin had yet to understand her purpose, he believed in his younger sister. Supported her.
Just as he knew she believed in and supported him. They would always be there for each other. Whatever may come."

And the ending omigosh!!! There's just twist after twist after twist. I had to put my kindle down for a while after i finished and just process EVERYTHING.

And the villains in this book? Ahdieh will keep you guessing until the very last pages and then blow everything up with another twist!


Then there was the moment when there were no more pages to swipe on my kindle and i was so angry that i was glaring at my kindle like it could somehow magically make more pages appear.
*Me swearing at the ending*


Whew once i calmed down and realized that it's not my kindle's fault i actually got around to writing a review :P Amazing side characters, amazing world building, amazing main characters, amazing plot and amazing setting! This book certainly lived up to all its hype!!!

I enjoyed this ARC from Netgalley for a number of reasons: the setting, the villains and the growing backstory of the characters.

Mariko is on her way to be married to a prince. She seems resigned to her fate until her escort caravan is supposedly attacked by bandits known as the Black Clan. When her escorting soldiers and her maid is killing - and she's left for dead - Mariko decides to find out why the Black Clan have it in for her. She knows their hideout is close by so she leaves the ruins of her carriage, puts on peasant boy clothes and sets off.

Meanwhile, her brother starts searching for her. He has to navigate treacherous waters with the Emperor, whose wife and mistress are constantly vying for power. One of them is also responsible for the attack on Marieko for nefarious, unknown reasons that will probably be revealed in the sequel.

Mariko's developing relationship with Okami, who is the Black Clan's second-in-command, held my interest. Okami has a mysterious past that gives him an edge against other love interests in this genre, and also pits him against Mariko's erstwhile fiance. How much did the fiance know about the plans to kill her? Is her own father? Is Mariko doomed no matter how she tries to escape? These questions arise as the plot deepens.

This was a fun, escapist read that, if wasn't completely absorbing, also kept me reading

I liked the premise and i'm excited to get deeper into the series so more of those fun world building items can be revealed. As is it read like a book set in our world with hints at magic and so obviously i'm intrigued.

Here's the thing. I found Mariko and Okami to be really interesting characters and their interactions to be super interesting but also totally unbelievable. It all read like a head-cannon ship. But also at the same time I DON'T CARE BECAUSE IT'S MY HEAD CANNON SHIP TOO. Like it could have been built better or whatever but I got what I wanted so i'm not mad about it.

I did not believe I could love anything more than the Wrath and the Dawn until I read Flame in the Mist. This is an epic story of adventure, discovering who you are, and finding your place in the world. This book has a strong female protagonist who struggles to be more than a bargaining chip in a marriage contract. With tremendous courage, she embarks on a path of danger and excitement where she learns about who she is and all that she can accomplish. This book is a must read for everyone!

Renee Ahdieh stunned us with The Wrath and the Dawn, and she does no less with Flame in the Mist. The character development, setting, dialogue are A+. Keep writing, Ms. Ahdieh!

Overall, really liked this book. We follow our mc, Mariko, through an incredible journey written beautifully as only Renee Ahdieh can write. Our story is interesting from the start, watching and waiting to find out about where the story will take me. The storytelling is lush and filled with easy to picture settings and people. It was exciting to see where this story went. The hardest part was trying to keep some of the names straight throughout the story and trying to remember them all. Beautiful and gorgeous story, very enjoyable read! Would highly recommend.

I adored this book. I don't even have the words to say how much I loved it. Well-crafted, nuanced characters, fantastic world-building, one of the prettiest covers I have ever seen! Can't wait for more!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a digital ARC of “Flame in the Mist” by Renée Ahdieh. I read Renée Ahdieh’s first series “The Wrath & the Dawn” and loved it so I am not surprised that I loved this book even more. The world building is fantastic and everything is so luxurious. This is a Mulan retelling and the story is fabulous! Her fans will love this story and uninitiated readers will love her new work as well.

If I could I would give three and half stars to the book. I think the world the author created is new a different from other YA books out there. I felt like this was more of a set up nothing was resolved in this book. No major plot. I also felt most of the characters were not done being set up or given enough description. We did get several different POVs not all of them were "fleshed out" as much as I want them to be. I am on fence about this book and recommending it to people. I guess it depends on the next book.

A few dozen pages in to Flame in the Mist, I found myself regretting that I hadn’t yet read Renee Ahdieh’s first duology (The Wrath and the Dawn) because, hoo-boy! Can she write! Her words are beautiful and set the tone so perfectly. And her descriptions are so visceral that I was able to clearly visualize each scene and setting of Mariko’s world; it is not often that I am able to create such immersive mental images. There’s a simmering tension in this book that keeps the pages turning: anxiety as lies are threaded and we await their unwinding, as intentions are masked and manipulated (and we hope that one character we kind of like doesn't do anything awful), and as uncertainty persists as to who is pulling the strings in this story.

The latter is certainly a question that plagues both Mariko and her twin brother, Kenshin, who acts as a secondary protagonist, driving the B plot, and I found both their stories to be equally investing. (Hoping to see more of Kenshin in the next book and to get some quality sibling interaction.) Mariko is a clever, determined, and brave, but also flawed and believable. She knows her assets and how to use them, and rather than transforming into an uber-insta-warrior the second she picks up a blade, she maintains her limitations and manages to use them to her advantage.

Also, there is a romance, and it is very well-developed. The word smolder comes to mind.

So, yes, this a good one. The pieces all seem to be in place for the second book, and I can't wait to read it.

As always, Renée Ahdieh's writing is beautiful, lyrical, and mesmerising. Full of action, adventure, and a delicious romance, Ahdieh sweeps you up in Mariko's tale and easily keeps you enraptured throughout the story. Fans of her debut series will not be disappointed with this one!

This book was so good. I was caught up right from the start; I couldn't put it down and read it all in one sitting! Mariko was such a wonderful character and the plot was so engaging. Excellent!

Oh my God, this book was amazing! What an epic start to Renee Ahdieh's new series! The world-building was fantastic—I loved the whole japanese/samurai era vibe. The characters were very unique and interesting, I instantly fell inlove with the members of The Black Clan. The romance was totally swoonworthy! Mariko and Okami's chemistry was so palpable, it hurts! I'm shipping them so hard! This book was so unputdownable I finished reading it in three hours! Renee Ahdieh definitely outdid herself with this series, I loved it more than The Wrath & the Dawn. I can't wait for book two! I highly recommend it!!!