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desiree930 's review for:
Flame in the Mist
by Renée Ahdieh
I loved this book. Renée Ahdieh has such a lyrical writing style. But what I love is that it's not just flowery language for the sake of sounding pretty. Her words have meaning, and the prose fits with the tone and themes of the story.
Mariko is the daughter of nobility. One day, she is attacked and left for dead, but manages to get away. From that point on, she disguises herself as a boy in order to get revenge on people who attacked her and find out the purpose for the attack.
This story is told from several different points of view, which really works for a story on the scale. I enjoyed each of the different POVs.
Mariko was a great character. She is smart, curious, and determined. She is also impetuous, impulsive, and reactionary, which tends to get her into trouble and create chaotic situations. I like that she is flawed.
Ōkami is a great match for her. I do wish we'd had a bit more from his perspective. I also wish that their relationship had evolved a little more slowly after he figures out her secret. It went from him thinking she is a boy to them rolling around on the ground...that is where the rating goes down just a bit for me.
I felt like the plot was really good once it got going. I will admit that it took me about 50-75 pages to really get hooked. Part of that may be because I was incredibly tired when I picked this book up. But it did feel a little slow in the beginning, action-wise. However, I felt like Ahdieh did a really great job within those first few chapters in establishing the world. I love the use of Japanese mythology and culture to construct the narrative here. There are so many euro-centric fantasy stories and re-tellings. It was awesome to read a book that focused on a different culture.
I've heard this book compared to Mulan, which I kind of understand, although I don't necessarily agree with the comparison. Mariko disguises herself as a boy to join up with a group of guys...that's about where the similarities end. First of all, the book is set in Japan, whereas Mulan is a Chinese tale. The story is full of customs and mythology from Japanese culture. And the reason she dresses as a man is completely different.
The ending was great, and I can't wait for the second in the series. I have loved everything I've read from Renée Ahdieh, and The Flame in the Mist was no exception.
Mariko is the daughter of nobility. One day, she is attacked and left for dead, but manages to get away. From that point on, she disguises herself as a boy in order to get revenge on people who attacked her and find out the purpose for the attack.
This story is told from several different points of view, which really works for a story on the scale. I enjoyed each of the different POVs.
Mariko was a great character. She is smart, curious, and determined. She is also impetuous, impulsive, and reactionary, which tends to get her into trouble and create chaotic situations. I like that she is flawed.
Ōkami is a great match for her. I do wish we'd had a bit more from his perspective. I also wish that their relationship had evolved a little more slowly after he figures out her secret. It went from him thinking she is a boy to them rolling around on the ground...that is where the rating goes down just a bit for me.
I felt like the plot was really good once it got going. I will admit that it took me about 50-75 pages to really get hooked. Part of that may be because I was incredibly tired when I picked this book up. But it did feel a little slow in the beginning, action-wise. However, I felt like Ahdieh did a really great job within those first few chapters in establishing the world. I love the use of Japanese mythology and culture to construct the narrative here. There are so many euro-centric fantasy stories and re-tellings. It was awesome to read a book that focused on a different culture.
I've heard this book compared to Mulan, which I kind of understand, although I don't necessarily agree with the comparison. Mariko disguises herself as a boy to join up with a group of guys...that's about where the similarities end. First of all, the book is set in Japan, whereas Mulan is a Chinese tale. The story is full of customs and mythology from Japanese culture. And the reason she dresses as a man is completely different.
The ending was great, and I can't wait for the second in the series. I have loved everything I've read from Renée Ahdieh, and The Flame in the Mist was no exception.