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“Mariko has always known that being a woman means she’s not in control of her own fate. But Mariko is the daughter of a prominent samurai and a cunning alchemist in her own right, and she refuses to be ignored.
“When she is ambushed by a group of bandits known as the Black Clan en route to a political marriage to Minamoto Raiden - the emperor’s son - Mariko realises she has two choices: she can wait to be rescued - or she can take matters into her own hands, hunt down the clan and find the person who wants her dead.”
Renée Ahdieh was already on my radar with her sumptuous The Wrath and The Dawn series. Combine this gorgeous, diverse writing with a Mulan-inspired story and you have Flame In The Mist. Needless to say, I loved it.
Mariko was a brilliant character: smart, tough and awesome. I became so intrigued by her story that I didn’t want it to end, so of course I’ve already reserved the sequel, Smoke in the Sun.
Flame in the Mist is a completely immersive, diverse and great read.