Today I wanted to review a book that I just finished reading, and I actually finished it in two days because I could not put it down! Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh takes the reader on one wild adventure of one girls journey to find who she really is in life, and where she belongs.
The description was taken from the Goodreads website:
"The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.
So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace.
The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires."
Mariko does not accept her fate of being a pawn for her family to gain power, and force her to marry some Prince she has never met. She knows that there is more out there for her, however she doesn't want to let her family down. When her convoy is attacked while taking her to her fiance, she barely escapes with her life, and makes it her mission to figure out who would want her killed. In so doing she is lead down a path of self discovery that she never thought was possible. She also is put in several positions where she must decide if she should follow her heart or protect her family.
What I loved most about this story is being drawn into a different culture, and the story being told from multiple characters points of view. You think that some stories being told from multiple points of view would get confusing, but it doesn't, and it allows the reader to see different versions of the story throughout the book.You will laugh, scream, feel pain, and be shocked when the ending is reveled. Yes it ends on a slight cliff hanger, however the second book Smoke in the Sun is already available so you don't have to wait that long to continue this amazing story.
Take a long needed journey to find your inner warrior my friends!
Image taken from the Goodreads website.
