Image and blurb from Goodreads
Title: Smoke in the Sun
(Flame in the Mist#2)
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publication date: June 5th, 2018
Category/Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: G.P. Putman's Son Books for Young Readers
For weeks, seventeen-year-old Mariko pretended to be a boy to infiltrate the notorious Black Clan and bring her would-be murderer to justice. She didn't expect to find a place for herself among the group of fighters—a life of usefulness—and she certainly didn't expect to fall in love. Now she heads to the imperial castle to resume a life she never wanted to save the boy she loves.
Ōkami has been captured, and his execution is a certainty. Mariko will do what she must to ensure his survival—even marry the sovereign's brother, saying goodbye to a life with Ōkami forever.
As Mariko settles into her days at court—making both friends and enemies—and attempting Ōkami's rescue at night, the secrets of the royal court begin to unravel as competing agendas collide. One arrow sets into motion a series of deadly events even the most powerful magic cannot contain. Mariko and Ōkami risk everything to right past wrongs and restore the honor of a kingdom thrown into chaos by a sudden war, hoping against hope that when the dust settles, they will find a way to be together.
Set against the backdrop of feudal Japan, Smoke in the Sun is the breathless, romantic, not-to-be-missed fiery conclusion to a spell-binding adventure.
Ōkami has been captured, and his execution is a certainty. Mariko will do what she must to ensure his survival—even marry the sovereign's brother, saying goodbye to a life with Ōkami forever.
As Mariko settles into her days at court—making both friends and enemies—and attempting Ōkami's rescue at night, the secrets of the royal court begin to unravel as competing agendas collide. One arrow sets into motion a series of deadly events even the most powerful magic cannot contain. Mariko and Ōkami risk everything to right past wrongs and restore the honor of a kingdom thrown into chaos by a sudden war, hoping against hope that when the dust settles, they will find a way to be together.
Set against the backdrop of feudal Japan, Smoke in the Sun is the breathless, romantic, not-to-be-missed fiery conclusion to a spell-binding adventure.
Buy Links: Amazon
4 “Feminist Mulan in Japan - Part 2” Stars
Another win for super talented writer Renée Ahdieh.
This book...no, this series left me feeling super proud of being a girl.
Even though we had a lot less Mariko this time around--she shared the spotlight with many others, including badasss Kanako, the former Emperor's consort (more on her later)--whenever Mariko made an appearance my love, respect and admiration for her grew. She was not a lovesick fool and, even when she was risking much for the person she loved, she did it in a clever way. I loved all her experiments, all the times she sacrificed what she truly wanted for the greater good and put herself out there to defend those who couldn't.
I loved, loved, LOVED her conversations and the growing friendship between Mariko and Yumi. There's nothing like reading about smart girls having smart conversation and making smart choices.
There was less Okami in this book than I wanted, because I love him. LOVE him. But when he came into scene, he was as clever and perfect as I remembered him. His support of Mariko, even when he worried about her safety, was just BEAUTIFUL to watch.
The Black Clan guys that I grew to love in the previous books were also quite absent, since most of this book took place in court and around it. But there were some special scenes involving them. I thought I'd feel one of those scenes a little more than I did, but I blame it on the fact that we didn't spend too much time with them this time around.
As you can see, the main characters from the first book had to share "book time" with the others, but that wasn't exactly a bad thing since Renée Ahdieh introduced us (or reintroduced us, should I say) to some awesome royal characters: Raiden, Mariko's soon-to-be husband; his mother, Kanako, a woman who possessed great magic and was obsessed with the idea of making her son Emperor; and Roku, the new Emperor.
I didn't expect to like Raiden's journey as much as I did, but the author managed to make me care for a character I was convinced I would hate by the end of the book. Same goes for Kanako. The woman does unspeakable things to achieve her goal, but I found it extremely hard to hate her. Sorry.
So, while I miss the special romantic vibe and most of the lovable characters from book One, as well as though the ending was a little rushed (because I wanted to know what happened to some of the other characters), I was enchanted by Renée Ahdieh's beautiful writing, the complex new main characters and the feminist and powerful narrative. It also didn't hurt that the epilogue was AMAZING!!!
This book...no, this series left me feeling super proud of being a girl.
I loved, loved, LOVED her conversations and the growing friendship between Mariko and Yumi. There's nothing like reading about smart girls having smart conversation and making smart choices.
There was less Okami in this book than I wanted, because I love him. LOVE him. But when he came into scene, he was as clever and perfect as I remembered him. His support of Mariko, even when he worried about her safety, was just BEAUTIFUL to watch.
The Black Clan guys that I grew to love in the previous books were also quite absent, since most of this book took place in court and around it. But there were some special scenes involving them. I thought I'd feel one of those scenes a little more than I did, but I blame it on the fact that we didn't spend too much time with them this time around.
As you can see, the main characters from the first book had to share "book time" with the others, but that wasn't exactly a bad thing since Renée Ahdieh introduced us (or reintroduced us, should I say) to some awesome royal characters: Raiden, Mariko's soon-to-be husband; his mother, Kanako, a woman who possessed great magic and was obsessed with the idea of making her son Emperor; and Roku, the new Emperor.
I didn't expect to like Raiden's journey as much as I did, but the author managed to make me care for a character I was convinced I would hate by the end of the book. Same goes for Kanako. The woman does unspeakable things to achieve her goal, but I found it extremely hard to hate her. Sorry.
So, while I miss the special romantic vibe and most of the lovable characters from book One, as well as though the ending was a little rushed (because I wanted to know what happened to some of the other characters), I was enchanted by Renée Ahdieh's beautiful writing, the complex new main characters and the feminist and powerful narrative. It also didn't hurt that the epilogue was AMAZING!!!
*If you liked this review (or not), if you read the book (or not), come say hello and leave your comments bellow.
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