I really tried. This was NOT a bad book--just not for me.

Very, very fast read. A lovely, strong female protagonist is set into a loosely realistic (Heian period?) Japan where her misadventures begin from the outset of the narrative. Personally, I would have liked a little more on the politics behind the narrative but I think that might be asking a bit much from a book this brief and intended for a YA audience. The conclusion is obviously built to support a second installment and I will be eager to see if that actually comes to pass. ( )

I feel like this book tried a little too hard at times.
It’s a historical adventure with a hint of magic, lots of lies, a secret identity and greedy upper class daimyo.
I really liked the Japanese setting (I don’t think the author is Japanese or an scholar on Edo Japan but I didn’t find any dumb anachronisms with my limited wikipedia knowledge).
I also liked that Mariko is not great at fighting, but makes smoke bombs instead and the way both Mariko and her brother learn how unfair life is for the common people. They each get realise the reailty behind their aristocratic upbringing.

What annoyed me was the way a lot of things were written as something deeper and more dramatic than what actually happened.

- Sometimes we must fall forward to keep moving. Mariko had not understood it at the time. Only recently had she begun to grasp its meaning. Remain motionless—remain unyielding—and you are as good as dead. Death follows indecision, like a twisted shadow.
- “Don’t trouble yourself by explaining. Honor bears no weight with me.” The Wolf continued studying her. “And I find knowledge a poison to a weak mind.”
- “To even attempt something, one must first believe in the possibility. And then be granted an opportunity.”

Which are pretty words, but the story was not so complex or deep to sound like that. A lot of things happen conveniently as the plot demands, and Mariko’s decisions are not always the smartest.
Similarly, Mariko mentions a lot that she wants to be more than a girl meant for marriage, but the book never goes further into the patriarchal world that resulted in her being married off.

Regardless, it was fun to read as an historical adventure, and I have to admit that I am kinda curious about the sequel. ( )

Firstly, YAY GIRL POWER! Reading a new book by Renee Ahdieh reminds me just how much I really do love her first duology, The Wrath and the Dawn and The Rose and the Dagger. I had been holding off on reading Flame in the Mist until I was going on vacation because I knew once I got to the really good and juicy parts about halfway in, I wouldn’t be able to put it down – and I certainly did not want anything to interfere with my ability to read it straight through!

As with my review of Wrath and Dawn last week, I marvel over Renee Ahdieh’s storytelling. She creates such compelling characters and intricate plot lines that I love to sink my teeth into. She also has been some of the wittiest protagonists I have ever read to date. Her female protagonists are feminists – proud and fierce but still have their weaknesses and flaws. Her love interests for said feminist protagonists remind me of a certain male in A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy in the sense that they are loyal to their women and encouraging them be themselves 100%.

But back to Flame in the Mist specifically – I love the take on Japanese mythology (it is not at all based on Mulan, whatever rumors you may hear) and how Renee Ahdieh twists in a bit of Robin Hood lore as well (whether it is purposeful or coincidence I’m not sure, but I love it!). Mariko is a protagonist to be admired as well, and Ahdieh’s now trademark style of romance is still swoon-worthy, even for the most callused and cold-hearted of readers. I recommend it thoroughly and I cannot wait for the second book in the duology next May! ( )

A fairly entertaining story, although less action-oriented than the blurb might lead you to believe. The main character is a strategist rather than a fighter, so the story revolves primarily around her plans and plots to avenge the brutal slaughter of members of her household and an attempted murder on her life. In this way, it reminds me a bit of The Winner's Curse series although not nearly as well-written. The writing uses far too many sentence fragments which has the effect of both stopping the flow of the story constantly while making just about everything sound super dramatic. I switched over to the audiobook and this became less distracting. ( )