Flame in the Mist Series #1

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The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Nevermind 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 Markio’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.

Set against the backdrop of feudal Japan.

Just from reading the back copy, I immediately thought of Tamora Pierce’s series, The Song of the Lioness.

Well, it’s not.

It’s an elevated Mulan. Only without the Disney element. There is no saving an entire country with a tiny lizard dragon and lucky cricket. That would have been pretty awesome though. But there is the presence of magic which is a bit confusing.  

At first, I wasn’t sure if the author was just hinting at the ordinary being extraordinary but not supernatural, or if it was actual magic. I questioned it for most of the book really.

To be fair, I am not versed in Japanese lore. The beasts and concepts mentioned could be common myths in the Land of the Rising Sun. As most supernatural occurrences are passed over as the norm but not really an integral part of the world. It is a bit odd but not out of place, if that makes sense.

Regardless, it didn’t become clear that an element of magic exists in this world under certain circumstances to specific people.

The story was also very slow. That didn’t bother me much though, it is the nature of the story — fitting. It wasn’t one that warranted fast-paced action. It seemed to be setting the stage for the sequel.

I did have a problem with the redundancy of it. Mariko and Okami are both very strong-willed characters. They are also written very well. But holy overkill, they constantly rehash the same thoughts over and over. Both continue to harbor secrets from each other. While we are privy to Mariko’s it isn’t until the end that we begin to understand the magnitude of Okami’s (a well-played if not unsurprising plot twist). Even then, we can tell it is just the tip of the iceberg.

There were many times I found myself scanning over Mariko’s inner monologue. I don’t feel I missed a single thing doing that as her thoughts seem to remain the same the entire time.

The relationship between Mariko and Okami is also very sudden. There was the typical build up and denial. Then all of a sudden, all denial magically disappeared, and they both gave in, no questions asked — mostly. It just seemed a bit too uncharacteristic for the pair of them. Subsequently, whenever they were around each other, they acted like two completely different people. I understand that can happen, but, like I said, it was out of character.

In complete honesty, I found the sequel to this book, Smoke in the Sun, at the Dollar Tree. I borrowed this one from the library so I could read the whole series. This author was on my radar because of the Beautiful book series— something else on my TBR list. But I was not familiar with this series.

Ultimately, I am glad I did. It is an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the conclusion.