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kellysrambles 's review for:
Flame in the Mist
by Renée Ahdieh
Behind a gorgeous cover, Flame in the Mist is a well written historical fantasy with some serious Mulan vibes and a beautiful Japanese setting steeped in culture and gorgeous scenery.
This book does not hold back on the darkness. The opening chapter threw us straight into the middle of things, setting the scene for the rest of this complex, dark and bloody tale. When Mariko is the lone survivor of an ambush she decides to take things into her own hands and find out why she was under attack. Breaking her way into the confidence of the Black Clan, Mariko uncovers a list of forbidden truths and discovers more about herself than she thought was possible.
I have to say that I found this book a little difficult to follow at times and the first half of the book was a bit too slow for my liking. However, the final 25% really picked up the pace and I couldn’t get enough of this novel. There were certainly plenty of surprises’ along the way and I wasn’t able to predict how this book would end. I loved the culture and the use of Japanese vocabulary throughout the book. It was helpful to have a handy glossary at the back for any moments where I was unsure but it wasn’t often that I needed to check it as Renee Ahdieh’s writing is so beautiful and detailed that my mind was able to take in the Japanese words with an understanding I didn’t know I possessed.
My favourite thing about this book is how much it breaks all those feminist stereotypes. Mariko is a girl therefore she shouldn’t be a warrior, she shouldn’t carry a weapon, she shouldn’t be learning to fight with a sword but Mariko does all of these things and so much more. There are some seriously excellent moments for feminism in this book and I loved that!
On the whole I enjoyed this story but thought that at times it was a little wordy (if that makes sense??) and it confused me a little. The ending has been really intrigued though and there were certainly plenty of loose ends that were nowhere near being tied up so I’ll definitely be back for book two!
A big thank you to Netgalley, Hodder and Renee Ahdieh for my advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This book does not hold back on the darkness. The opening chapter threw us straight into the middle of things, setting the scene for the rest of this complex, dark and bloody tale. When Mariko is the lone survivor of an ambush she decides to take things into her own hands and find out why she was under attack. Breaking her way into the confidence of the Black Clan, Mariko uncovers a list of forbidden truths and discovers more about herself than she thought was possible.
I have to say that I found this book a little difficult to follow at times and the first half of the book was a bit too slow for my liking. However, the final 25% really picked up the pace and I couldn’t get enough of this novel. There were certainly plenty of surprises’ along the way and I wasn’t able to predict how this book would end. I loved the culture and the use of Japanese vocabulary throughout the book. It was helpful to have a handy glossary at the back for any moments where I was unsure but it wasn’t often that I needed to check it as Renee Ahdieh’s writing is so beautiful and detailed that my mind was able to take in the Japanese words with an understanding I didn’t know I possessed.
My favourite thing about this book is how much it breaks all those feminist stereotypes. Mariko is a girl therefore she shouldn’t be a warrior, she shouldn’t carry a weapon, she shouldn’t be learning to fight with a sword but Mariko does all of these things and so much more. There are some seriously excellent moments for feminism in this book and I loved that!
On the whole I enjoyed this story but thought that at times it was a little wordy (if that makes sense??) and it confused me a little. The ending has been really intrigued though and there were certainly plenty of loose ends that were nowhere near being tied up so I’ll definitely be back for book two!
A big thank you to Netgalley, Hodder and Renee Ahdieh for my advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.