Once again Renee has taken back to the fantasy realm of feudal Japan to continue with Mariko’s story. This was just as exciting as the previous novel. The author manages to infuse tales and myths of old Japan and mould them into a rich and fascinating fantasy world. This had lots of plot twists and turns, which made for an engaging read. If you enjoyed book one, then then you will love this exciting conclusion to this fantasy story.

I was not a huge fan of Flame in the Mist bur was intrigued enough to finish the duology. I found there to be large parts of the story where nothing was happening and other parts when it was just pure action, but what I did enjoy was Renee Ahdieh's writing and that was no exception this time around. The story was much more engaging and the pacing suited me much better, it was definitely much more mature and developed. The characters were much more complex and it was a refreshing change to focus on more political aspects that the romance.
I still am not crazy over the plot, I feel that the general storyline can be quite unbalanced.
Overall it was a great conclusion to a good duology.

I love anything Renee Ahdieh writes amd this was no exception! Her writing style is sooo beautiful and just takes me on an amazing magical journey. I feel thoroughly immersed in her world building amd invested emotionally in her characters. I didnt want this book to end.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed Flame in the mist and this sequel did not disappoint, this takes place 3 days after the events in the previous book. I liked that we got to know Raiden and Roku better in this one. How I pictured them in my head in the first book however is the complete opposite of how they were portrayed in this one, I was pleasantly surprised at the roles their characters played.
I think the best part though is how everything you think at the beginning of the book gets completely turned on it's head, those you think are villains... well they're not all they appear, and friendships form that I wasn't expecting. I am gutted that this is a duology as I would really love to read more of Mariko and Okami's story.

Perhaps it was a bad idea to immediately dive into this just after reading Flame in the Mist. But what can I say? Smoke in the Sun had been lying on my Kindle for so long , and I was ignoring it because I hadn't read the first book. So I get my hands on Flame in the Mist and guess what? I was totally enchanted. So much that I couldn't resist reading the second book, Smoke in the Sun. And this time too the book was a totally engaging read . I finished it in a very short span of time, because I couldn't let go of it. I simply had to read it further and spare myself from the misery of not knowing what happened. I was hooked to it. It was such an enjoyable read, I had lots of fun reading it.
So I should make it clear that this is not just Mariko' s story. There are a lot of other characters , both important and trivial , which take the story forward. I like how the author gave us a view into each of their hearts and minds and wove an excellent story. The setting in this book was mainly Heian Castle, in Inako and that was quite a contrast from the jungle. But like I said, the author has adeptly incorporated different perspectives and it is an absolute delight for the reader to know all and see all.
So in short I LOVED THE BOOK and the characters and the story and everything basically. This book outshines Flame in the Mist in many aspects. Be prepared for more lies, more secrets and more bloodshed.
The only complaint I have is that I wanted more of the ending. I wanted more of how it all ended, how all the loose ends were resolved ,more satisfactorily than just a small epilogue. I mean , I would like to know what happened to Kenshin and Yumi and so on. But nevertheless, all those fans of teen and historical fiction , you should definitely check this out. This was amazing and breathtaking and Renne Ahdieh manages to hold our attention all the time.

Having really enjoyed the first book in this duology, I have to confess that I was a little disappointed with this follow up. It tells the continuing story of Mariko as she attempts to infiltrate the Imperial family in an effort to support her friends in the Black Clan by passing vital information to them. The plot here is very straightforward, with little of the intricacy of the first book. Indeed, much of the action revolves around the Imperial palace and the machinations of Roku, the new emperor, and Raiden, his brother and Mariko's new husband. This isn't an issue in and of itself, but it meant that the climax of the book seems to come from nowhere with very little build up in terms of believable character traits and behaviours. I felt that some of the characters were given very short shrift and there seemed to be a lot of threads left dangling. The narrative distance employed in the first book is still here and it works equally as well as it did there. Similarly, there are some very evocative descriptions of scenery, but the quality of description doesn't seem to pass over into the characterisation. All in all, I think that this novel does tie up the series, but I was left feeling pretty unsatisfied by the way it does it.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Hello my fellow readers! Let's just jump straight into it without any preamble - this book was beyond phenomenal, I highly recommend, and I just had to take a couple of days to process it before jumping into the review in an attempt to make it coherent. I was so excited when I received a copy of this book, and I cannot wait to share my thoughts on it with you.

Starting with the best parts, my favorite aspect of this novel has got to be the setting. The world that Ahdieh has constructed contains nods to Japanese mythology and culture, but with a fantastical and unique spin. I absolutely loved, not only reading about the world itself - with the creatures and landscape present - but also the social constructs. Almost my favorite aspects of the novel was Mariko learning to navigate the royal court, with that setting in particular being the best part.

Furthermore, Mariko herself is a very interesting main character. I really like that she never shies away from her flaws - she sort of owns them, and more often than not, is able to turn them around to her advantage. Considering how much she has grown as a character since the first book, there were so many instances were she is completely selfless, which I found to be very inspiring in itself.

The book also has so many different layers to it - the issues surrounding the class hierarchy, sexism, doing the right thing... all of these themes were explored, but again, with interesting twists. It is hard to discuss without going into specifics, but multiple characters that I disliked on sight, turned out to be completely different than what I had imagine them to be.

My one comment on the book is that I am not a huge fan of multiple point of views, which is something this novel had. I personally pretty much always pick a character whom I like the most - in this instance, it was Mariko - and almost end up skipping past all of the other character's POVs to get back to my favorite. However, seeing as this is a personal preference, it has not really retracted anything from my review.

Overall, I thought that this was an excellent conclusion to the duology, filled with dynamic characters and a fascinating read centered around Japanese mythology. If this is at all your thing, and you like novels with a multiple POVs, then this is the book for you!

I am so upset that this is only a duology! I am so far from ready to leave these characters and this world that Ahdieh has created. I want a whole series, not just two books. I love the powerful female characters, Mariko and Yumi at the forefront and the two mothers of the emperor's sons, pulling the strings from behind the screen.

I loved how so much of Mariko's role in this book was based around her playing the harmless girl, allowing herself to be Raiden's bride, finding out what she can and then sneaking around in the night. Not enough books show this sort of strength and intelligence but it's as much the role of a ninja as jumping over rooftops and whirling around nunchunks. It was so great to see not one but two strong kunoichi showing their skills.

I loved the male characters as well, though I felt that they were not written as well as the female characters. I liked to see Kenshin and Raiden and how our view of them was changed as the book went.

I've been meaning to read Ahdieh's other books for a while and now I can't wait to get into them.

A wonderful conclusion to a duology that’s built upon its predecessor to create a magical world with colourful characters set against the backdrop of Feudal Japan. The story follows almost immediately after the conclusion of The Flame In The Mist, with little time to catch your breath before the action begins. We find Mariko being transported to the Emperors palace to meet her future husband, the emperor’s eldest illegitimate son Raiden. Okami is captured, bound in chains beneath the same palace, and Kenshen is still dealing with the aftermath of his misdemeanours, with blood on his hands and his loyalty to his new emperor called into question.

This felt immediately like a more mature and well developed novel compared to the previous instalment. The characters are well established, allowing the author to build up an emotional connection with the reader. Mariko is now not only a fierce and confident ‘spy’, but also a source of inspiration to those around her - especially Yumi, who can see a similar conflict she shares with her own brother in Mariko. There’s also a certain amount of jealously over her ability to be readily accepted for who she really is by the Black Clan, which gives Yumi the strength to follow her own path based on Mariko’s courage. It was good to see both characters flourish after a promising introduction in The Flame In The Mist. As usual, Marko’s interactions with Okami are suitably tense and filled with the right level of passion to propel their love story throughout the novel.

I was surprised to find that my favourite character in the novel was actually Raiden. A deeply complex character, the older brother forced to serve a younger brother, brought up to hate him yet still resolutely loyal and protective of him. There are feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and a growing respect for his would-be bride Mariko that spills over into protection - not only for her, but the whole court. Kanako, his mother, is similar in her initial complexity. Again, she’s fiercely loyal to her son but I found that she was a little more reserved in her personality with little backstory to support her overall scheme and justify her actions. I wanted to know more about why Kanako made the various choices she makes throughout the novel, and also how.

The world building is subtle, with talk of demons and a complex magical system that binds humans to various creatures via a sacrifice. However, I felt it needed developing a bit more, and was lacking in detail. This was perhaps my main issue with Kanako, who’s story and plan is so closely linked to these demons that with a ore in-depth explanation of her journey and process to becoming ‘one’ with her various demons, I might have understood her more.

Other themes through the novel included the pattern of accepting responsibility for your actions and the idea that respect should be earned not given freely. Roku, as Emperor, has no one to keep him in check, allowing him to grow sadistic and mad with rage. Theres no empathy or compassion for his elders and respected council, leading to anarchy and destruction in his city. There’s no honour or goodness, unlike Okami, who has the respect and loyalty of his Black Clan family and the ability to lead where anyone will follow. They’re the light and darkness to the story and perfect opposites and the eventual showdown between the two demonstrates this well.

I enjoyed this thoroughly, and thought it was a refreshing YA fantasy novel that covered some important themes in an entertaining way. A great addition to the genre.

3.5 stars

I can’t believe I’m only giving this book 3.5 stars. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and having loved Flame in the Mist I fully expected this to blow me away but it just never happened.

I’d love to say it was me and not the book but I don’t think that’s the case I’m afraid. It’s true that I picked this up having just read some absolutely brilliant books and it was always going to struggle to compete but I’m sorry to say that this is a book with some problems and my more recent reads just highlighted them to me.

It did begin well and I loved the similarities in the first few pages to the opening scene in Flame in the Mist. My immediate thought was “YES!!! This is going to be so good” but within the first couple of chapters my hopes began to sink. It was wonderful being back in the beautiful, magical and dangerous world the author created but I just got so confused. In fairness this was, at least in part, my own fault as I couldn’t wholly remember the first book so should maybe have had a quick re read but it took me a while to figure out who was who again, what relation they were to each other and how they’d ended up in their current positions. It probably didn’t help that at the end of the last book there was a big reveal that certain characters weren’t who you thought and this book began with trying to recap that as well as introduce a few new(ish) characters. My poor brain which is rubbish with names and relationships at the best of times just couldn’t keep up.

I think the story just became too big for me and the author tried to bring in too many storylines and characters. There wasn’t enough space for it in one book and as a result it became too thin and lost focus. There are a lot of characters and it’s told from multiple pov’s so I struggled to connect with it or really feel anything. It’s so frustrating because I love the author’s writing, the world she has created is brilliant and there is potentially a great story there but I couldn’t get to it because it’s trying to do too much all at once. I kind of wish it’d just stuck with main character Mariko and let her be the star.

Mariko is a wonderful character and I love how she has developed over this duology. It’s great to see a female lead who doesn’t have any special powers or super fighting ability but instead uses her intelligence and wits. She has her doubts and her insecurities and that makes her incredibly relateable. I wish she’d been given a little more page time as she begins this story in enemy territory (the palace) and has to play a game she lacks skill in (lying and deceiving) to save the person she loves. The most memorable scenes in this are in fact when she’s either lying and scheming or with Okami, but then I do love Okami and the relationship between them.

The other characters are interesting and there are some welcome additions, Raiden and Kanaka for example, but I’m not sure all were necessary and it became confusing (for me at any rate). I loved when Mariko was amongst the Black Clan but they feature very briefly and instead we have a lot of new characters within the palace. We get to meet the new emperor Roku and his brother (and Mariko’s betrothed) Raiden. There is the old Empress, Roku’s mother and her ladies, Raiden’s mother, the various Lords and advisors and even some servants and soldiers. It’s a lot and there just isn’t the time to fully develop all of them, and to be honest I’m not sure they serve much of a purpose to the story.

The story itself felt quite slow to me but when I think about it there was a lot of action. There are twists and turns, political intrigue, betrayal, torture, battles and even executions/murder but for some reason I just never felt any excitement or emotion from it. Even deaths which should have triggered some kind of reaction passed me by and when I suddenly realized it was all over I felt a little let down. It seemed very rushed and not the ending the story deserved. So much was left incomplete and unfinished and it was just so unsatisfying.

Anyway, it isn’t all bad. The world the author creates is wonderful and there are some very lovely moments I just think it could have been more. I have however been a little down on YA fantasy lately though so please don’t let my review put you off. It is still a duology worth reading for the world building alone.

I actually finished this sequel to Flame in the Mist on the 7th of June, but I wanted to have some time to think about the review I was going to write, because apparently I've forgotten how to write them again, so we'll see how this goes.

Good news! This is a duology! More good news! This book is great!

I really enjoyed reading this book, I generally was so excited even while reading it.
There was a lot of things that seemed to be setting up foreshadowing but sadly they were red herrings - that would have been a fantastic event had it happened.
I did spend a lot of the book wondering who would be left at the end and while the ending wasn't what I first expected, it certainly was good.
There was a whole element to this story that I wasn't expecting and while I'd have liked some more information on this whole thing - as it apparently affected at least 4 people - I don't think I was too confused with how little we were told.

Surprisingly though, I feel like there were a lot of lose ends left - which I don't remember being the case with TWATD. There are many more characters involved in this story though so perhaps that's it.
Some of my most pressing - and hopefully vague enough - questions are: What about Kenshin etc? Yumi? Her brother? The new Emperor?!
Cause things are a little different now....a more rounded epilogue may have been nice.
Will these guys be getting novellas? Please!

Also surprising was my shift of feelings about a certain character or two. One makes more sense than the other, they are one of the many characters that grew and changed into better people. The other one seemed so intent on fighting alone though, there were other ways for them to reach their goal, especially later, but they just kept forging ahead.

This wouldn't be a full review without talking about Mariko and Okami.
They are another fantastic example of how to write a couple [as a partnership NOT a love triangle!].
In summery; they met, didn't get on, ended up influencing each other, fell in love, accepted each other, influenced each other some more, influenced others, respected each others commitments, respected each other and saved the world.
I also liked that they knew that loving each other might not be enough. How they accepted some things but demanded better of each other about others.
The people they made themselves together really influenced those around them too and that was just so satisfying.

Another great duology from Renée Ahdieh and I most definitely recommend it, as well as it's predecessor The Wrarth and the Dawn!
I think that Renée has hit the sweet spot with duologys containing partnerships-not-love triangles and I am looking forward to the next one.

Smoke in the Sun is the sequel to Flame in the Mist, continuing Okami and Mariko's journey. I feel however that Smoke in the Sun is slightly disappointing compared to Flame in the Mist.

The world building is so atmospheric and you can tell that Renee has took time to research the culture of old world Japan to base the setting in. It is also useful that there is a glossary at the back of terms the reader may not know.

Mariko goes through a strong character arc and has to deal with very different challenges in the city compared to the forest. She very much has to go it alone a lot of the time using just her cunning and inventiveness, this is part of what makes it an enjoyable read. That being said my favourite character would be Mariko's brother Kenshin, the reader can see his flaws and strengths and he develops a lot of depth during Smoke in the Sun and your heart goes out to him.

The ending of Smoke in the Sun feels rushed as so much is revealed and has to be concluded in the last 30 pages, it leaves you wanting more but not in a good way. This affected a lot of the enjoyment for me as I assumed that due to what all had to come that there would be a third book instead of a quick wrap up.

*ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Smoke in the Sun is a wonderful sequel to Flame in the Mist. Beautifully written with a stunning, detailed setting and complex characters. Overall, a solid conclusion to this outstanding duology.

This was a great sequel to Flame in the Mist. I love Asian inspired fantasies and this series has not disappointed me.

I really enjoyed this book and liked where the story went and how it was paced. I liked that there were many strong women in the book that held fast to their beliefs and showed their worth and power. I will also spare a moment to say that Raiden and Kenshin grew on me in this book as well. I love multifaceted characters and those two were prime examples. I also liked that no one was really either black or white, they had all done some bad and some good, they were all human.

Following the revelations at the end of Flame In The Mist (warning, this post will contain spoilers for book one), I’ve been desperate to read book two, Smoke In The Sun.

With Mariko ‘rescued’ from the clutches of the Black Clan by her betrothed, Prince Raiden and her brother, the Dragon of KAi, Kenshin, she is taken to Heian Castle in the imperial city of Inako to face the future. With Okami imprisoned in the depths of the castle, Mariko desperately wants to find a way to free him. So she keeps up pretence of her kidnap, and works to convince Raiden of her loyalty to him and the Emperor of Wa.

I really enjoyed the conclusion to this duology. Largely set within Heian Castle and the city of Inako, it has a different atmospheric feel to the Jukai forest of book one, but it’s a setting that Ahdieh ones again captures beautifully with her descriptive writing.

The character development in this second book was so interesting. I really enjoyed getting to know everyone a bit more – with Yumi, Raiden and Roku standing out for me.

I actually discovered after I finished Smoke In The Sun that there are two short stories available that are set between books one and two – Okami and Yumi. They are available for free on the kindle. You definitely don’t need to read them for Smoke In The Sun, they are really just like extra chapters. Okami’s focusses on his ride in the wagon to the castle following his capture. Yumi’s was actually more interesting to me, it gives us a bit more of an insight into her character in preparation for the second book.

To be honest, my only real complaint about this book is that I felt the ending was rather rushed. To me, it lacked the detail that the rest of the two novels possess. I know it’s obviously at a faster pace than the rest, but I just felt like I wanted more. I was so near the end and started to doubt whether this actually was a duology; how could it finish in so few pages? But it does and I’d have liked a bit more from it.

All in all though, I really enjoyed this book and its predecessor. I loved the setting of Feudal Japan and everything that went along with it. Each character has their own individual struggles and issues, drawing me in and making me want to read more about them.

Then, of course, we have Ahdieh’s writing style which just adds to the journey of this tale. She, seemingly effortlessly, painted the feudal Japan setting in my mind, and brought her characters to life. I could smell Okami (warm stone and wood smoke), hear the creaking of the nightingale floors and envisage the colours of Mariko’s silk kimonos.

It’s an easy read, but it’s a fantastic tale and I’m definitely going to miss some of these characters.

Thank you to NetGally for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars!

“She would not turn her back on what defined her, even if others perceived it as a weakness."

I originally didn’t know what to think going into this, I thought Flame in the Mist was okay, and had no idea where the journey would take us, but this was SO good! I have to admit I had hit a bit of a reading slump part way through this for a number of reasons, I wasn’t as engaged as what I would of liked. There’s a lot of build up going on and a lot of plotting on what is to come. So to say it was a slow burn is pretty accurate. However the last 50% of this book was SO well executed. I honestly didn’t want to put it down, I was so engrossed and hanging on edge for what was to come.

This time around we saw a lot more characters from the empire; in relation to this Raiden, Roku and both mothers. My god, this family is a hot mess with so much going on, but I LOVED it. Did I see myself kind o low key loving Raiden? Not a chance. Did it happen? HOW COULD IT NOT! It just snuck up on me out of nowhere, and I honestly loved seeing his character develop into something so much more than what I originally thought. Roku is so evil, and you can see him become more and more engrossed in his power and what that did to him (in relation to other events that happened throughout). Kanako is another character I didn’t expect to enjoy half as much as what I did! I loved discovering all of her secrets and what she did and her parts played, I just. Ahhhhh it was so good!

“It had taken her losing everything she knew to finally understand. Feeling pain and sorrow was not at all a sign of weakness. It was a sign of love."

Mariko is such a well developed character, we see her grow from strength to strength and not only that but helps others see their worth. Although she has to face difficulties in this journey I liked seeing her thought process, especially in regards to the front she puts on, and how she focuses on other things that happened in her life to show a specific emotion. Then we have Okami, this time around I kind of missed him because for me personally he did nothing of interest. It was interesting to learn parts of his back story, but I missed him and The Black Clan this time around.

What I liked?
- The plotting and the deception, it was very very juicy
- The complicated relationship between Kenshin and Mariko, they both had very different opinions on matters and how to act, but Kenshins small gestures without Marikoeven realising.
- THE MURDERS
- THE WEDDING, arrows flying everywhere!
- Raidens redemption. I love that boy. Sorry, not sorry.
- Revenge. It was great!
- THE FINAL BLOW I was low key smiling with happiness
- Did I mention Radien?

What I didn’t like?
- I don’t know if I missed it, but I’m not really sure what happened to a lot of characters at the end?
- Parts of the book (for me) the pacing as just a little bit too slow to begin with
- I missed The Black Clan,

“Respect is not a thing granted. It is a thing earned."

Overall I really enjoyed the final book in this duo logy, I’m kind of sad it’s over because I got very very invested in Raiden to say the least. It was jam packed with action, and I kind of need more.

5 Words: Family, loyalty, attraction, betrayal, power.

THIS is how you write a second book. It was wonderful and I enjoyed it so much more than the first.

As I started this book I was like "help, what happened in the first one?" and I searched for recaps. Because you have to have read the first book to read this one, it picks back up only days after the first and there is very little reflection on what happened previously.

I really feel that Mariko grew and changed so much in this book, even more than in the first. Where I wasn't much of a fan in the first book, I absolutely loved her in Smoke in the Sun. She had this new, ruthless edge to her

Also I am pretending that the epilogue does not exist as that means my ship sank.

Full review to come.

I’m so lucky to have received an e-arc of this from netgalley. I requested it in the hopes of getting it, not actually expecting to and I was so happy to find out that I did in fact get an arc of this truly wonderful book. Smoke in the Sun follows on from Flame in the mist. We follow Mariko as she combats the expectations of her and what she wants to do in the world. Mariko manipulates Kenshin and Prince Raiden into thinking that she was kidnapped by the black clan and held against her will and because they think she is a docile little girl, they believe her. She must play the part of bride-to-be and infiltrate the enemy from within. I must admit, I love Renée Ahdieh’s writing as it is captivating but it always leaves me straight after reading the book so I had to read a couple of reviews and recaps to remember what was happening in the previous book. But I truly enjoyed this enigmatic read and it was a fantastic finale to the duology.

4 out of 5 stars.

After Okami was captured in Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice but to return to Inako and face the dangers she ran from and her betrothal to Prince Raiden. Mariko’s only choice is to convince her betrothed, her brother and the rest of the Heian Castle that she was captured by the Black Clan against her will in the hope they will dismiss her so she can plot to help Okami escape. But the very safety of the empire might be at stake and just helping Okami escape might not be enough.

It took me a week and a half to read this book. A week and a half! I definitely think I should have reread Flame in the Mist first because I completely forgot everything. I sort of knew where we were, but it took me about 30% of the book to just remember who was who and I had no hope of remembering any back story or motives. However, with how slow this duology has turned out to be, I don’t think I would ever have finished them.

Renee Ahdieh shows a few nice moments of good writing and world-building, but ultimately I don’t find anything memorable. The plot and execution are incredibly slow. There’s never a sense of urgency or panic. I never found a moment that had me relating or getting emotionally invested in any of the characters. While there was clearly less romance in this one compared to the first one when it was present it was very gushy and slightly over-the-top for my liking – pretty sure they’ve only known each other for two months tops. Calm down.

Honestly, if this duology was put into one book it may have actually felt like something happened. Both felt incredibly dragged out. Had I reread my review before requesting this on NetGalley I probably would rethought my request. We get through 70-ish% of this book before we get any action of any kind and then it only lasts a couple of chapters before slowing right back down. Rather than an action-packed, intense ending the story just fizzles out. There was a moment I actually thought this was going to be a trilogy, since nothing was happening and I thought there’s no way everything will resolve in the last 5% of the book…but it did…rather quickly.

In all, Smoke in the Sun felt lack-lustre and unexciting. Rather than thrill and anticipation I was met with boredom and an underdeveloped plot and characters. I rather like the idea this duology, unfortunately it just never gets going. I don’t think I’d even be able to explain this duology to anyone if they asked because it just wasn’t memorable. I almost feel as though the book has things missing. The flow felt quite discombobulated which definitely didn’t aid it in any way. Overall, very long-winded and tedious. It came very close to a DNF.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback