“There is such strength in being a woman. But it is a strength you must choose for yourself. No one can choose it for you. We can bend the wind to our ear if we would only try.”
Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh is a stunning story of female empowerment set in the time of feudal Japan. Mariko, the daughter of a wealthy samurai, is being sent with a convoy to the capital, where she will marry the second son of the royal household. This is Mariko’s fate, no matter that she is a crafty, warrior-minded young woman with strong alchemic skills. She was born a girl, and so her mind is worthless. On the way to her betrothed, Mariko’s convoy is attacked by a group of bandits known as the Black Clan. The only survivor, Mariko vows revenge on the Black Clan and disguises herself as a boy to hunt them down. After finding them in a bar and running her mouth, she is drugged and taken by the Black Clan to earn her keep and possibly join them. She learns the history between the leader of the Black Clan, Ranmaru, and his right-hand, Okami, and the reason they loot and murder these corrupt rich officials. As Mariko enjoys the freedom her fake gender lends her, uncovers more secrets about the samurais that rule Japan, including her father, and slowly grows closer to Okami, a boy with mysterious powers and a dangerous past that has shaped who he is. In the background, Mariko’s brother Kenshin looks for Mariko. At the palace, betrayal is brewing and death looms on the horizon. In the midst of conflict, a fractured empire rife with hidden magic, Mariko must grow and adapt in order to learn who she can trust, how to push forward, and the role she is meant to play in the upcoming future.
“She refused to die like an animal locked in a cage. Like a girl with nothing to save her name. Better to die by the sword. Better to die at the mercy of the nightbeasts. To die in the night air. Free.”
In this stunning new duology, Ahdieh brings to life the historical setting of feudal Japan, led by the samurais. Dense woods, wise old denizens, and courtly backstabbing are all beautifully wrought. Ahdieh once again brings to you a wealth of strong characters, old and young, female and male. Mariko is cleverly written as a cunning mind who refuses to be restricted by the binds that are forced upon her by the men that control the country. Samurai culture is wonderfully perpetuated in this story, including real-life concepts of deception, honour, and loyalty, or lack thereof. As Mariko initially ventures on a journey to prove her self-worth and avenge her friend, she discovers cruel truths about her country and learns about the honour among thieves. Dark, magical, and astonishingly spellbinding, you are introduced to a brilliant world that teaches you to stay true to who you are and never be afraid.
“Sometimes we must fall forward to keep moving. Remain motionless—remain unyielding—and you are as good as dead. Death follows indecision, like a twisted shadow. Fall forward. Keep moving. Even if you must pick yourself up first.”
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