The highly anticipated sequel to New York Times bestselling Flame in the Mist–an addictive, sumptuous finale that will leave readers breathless from the bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn. After Okami is captured in the Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice–to rescue him, she must return to Inako and face the dangers that have been waiting for her in the Heian Castle. She tricks her … face the dangers that have been waiting for her in the Heian Castle. She tricks her brother, Kenshin, and betrothed, Raiden, into thinking she was being held by the Black Clan against her will, playing the part of the dutiful bride-to-be to infiltrate the emperor’s ranks and uncover the truth behind the betrayal that almost left her dead.
With the wedding plans already underway, Mariko pretends to be consumed with her upcoming nuptials, all the while using her royal standing to peel back the layers of lies and deception surrounding the imperial court. But each secret she unfurls gives way to the next, ensnaring Mariko and Okami in a political scheme that threatens their honor, their love and the very safety of the empire.
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This is an excellent conclusion to the ‘Flame in the Mist’ duology. It’s just sad that there are only two main books in this series; however, the story ended well, which is something that a lot of things these days don’t do. Unlike other books, which go on longer than necessary just for profit, this series knew when to end.
The writing is amazing, conjuring images of Feudal Japan in vivid detail, yet leaving enough unsaid for some of your own conclusions to be drawn. Mariko is still a fierce character, and the best part is that, throughout her journey, she learns and adapts. Another strong female is Yumi, whom we get to see more of in this sequel. Her attitude and strength are a point of solace for Mariko, and their friendship is a nice break between betrayals and fighting.
This book is amazing, and I would suggest ‘Smoke in the Sun’ to any and all who have read and enjoyed ‘Flame in the Mist’ in any way.
This is the sequel to “Flame in the Mist”, and thank goodness for it! I was raging at the cliffhanger ending until I knew this one existed to wrap up the storyline.
I truly love the main character, Mariko. She is resilient, brave, intelligent, and she GROWS. I mean, characters are supposed to grow and change throughout the story. Readers don’t like static characters (typically). But, she really stands out as a character who evolves drastically from beginning to end.
Actually, the 2nd main character ALSO changes and grows, especially near the end. Wow! Pretty cool, Rene Ahdieh, making them so realistic!
Now, I have to have a happy ending. That’s just who I am. I read for escapism, and if the story I’ve catapulted into leaves me sad or unsatisfied…well, honestly, I feel like it was a waste of my time. Life is hard enough. It’s disappointing and challenging and stressful and heartbreaking and can be a major bummer sometimes. SO, I do not want my efforts to escape those bad feeling to be for naught.
All this to say—pretty happy ending! Not completely without sadness, but I’ll take it.
With this being the second part of the Flame in the Mist duology. I am going to keep this super short so I don’t spoil the story if you have not read it yet.
Mariko is no longer having to pose as a boy but she has to don an even bigger facade in this installment. When she reaches the capital she is thrown into court politics and she is expected to carry on with the arranged marriage. Mariko has to balance her heart and her duty.
Mariko shows how clever she is as she tries different ways to try to free Ōkami. I loved it when we got to see private moments between Markio and Ōkami., the way he spoke to her just melted my heart.
Renée Ahdieh’s writing is just beautiful and I loved how I felt like I was being transported to feudal Japan.
Nowhere near as good as the first. The story and characters were all over the place and it never really came together.
Renee Ahdieh’s sequel to Flame in the Mist is just as good as the original.
This review is basically one giant spoiler. Continue at your own risk.
THAT’S THE END?! Huh??? This book was allllll build-up and then the ending was so abrupt and left so many loose ends! What is the Black Clan going to do now – stay together or disband; be roaming renegades still, or settle down? Is Yumi still going to become a geiko, or will she finally be welcomed into the Black Clan? What becomes of Kenshin, and do he and Mariko ever mend fences? Does Mariko ever talk to her parents again? It seemed like Raiden was falling for Mariko – how did he decide to let her go, and does he still harbor any anger against Okami? Does Raiden know that his mother died? Is there any fallout for the people who were zombies for Kanako? And how does life pan out for Mariko and Okami, considering the deal he made with his demon to never have a family of his own (does Mariko even know about that)? ARGH!! This book was so good – well-written and suspenseful and great world-building – but how can it end like this, with almost no resolutions?!