Flame in the Mist

Okay, I loved The Wrath and the Dawn. And I have watched Mulan at least ten more times than is reasonable as an adult. So I cannot even express how much I have been looking forward to this book. And sure enough, it was amazing.

At first, I was pretty unsure about this book. Mariko felt two dimesional. Her personality didn't seem to extend beyond her desire to figure out why the Black Clan had tried to kill her. The characters seemed so straightforward. It took a while, but Mariko does grow throughout the book. The seemingly simple world becomes more complex and the characters that felt straightforward have secrets of their own. I should have trusted Renée Ahdieh. Her stories are always more complex than they seem.

And the romance! It was sweet but without the innocence you usually see in YA. Mariko knows what she wants and she's not shy about it. I actually thought a different character was going to be the romantic interest so I won't say anything more here.

This book was amazing. Renée Ahdieh builds a fantastic world and there's always so many secrets to discover in her books. If you like stories with secrets, determined characters who know what they want, and awesome worlds, I recommend reading Flame in the Mist.

Tense	3rd person past
POV	Mostly Mariko with periodic chapters from other characters
Love Triangle	No
Magic	Some, I expect it to play a bigger part in the next book

Flame in the Mist comes out May 16.