Flame in the Mist by Renee AhdiehMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is actually pretty good, even though I had a few struggles with it. It was difficult to get into initially, and I really had to stick with it before it started to pull me in. Also, it ends on a big cliffhanger, instead of with any resolution, and I confess I struggled with the pacing throughout most of the story. Nothing moves fast enough, then everything moves too fast to be enjoyed and explained well.
Regardless, it is still an interesting story that takes place in feudal Japan, which is a great change of pace. It's a bit of a cross between fantasy and historical, with samurai and also some magic.
I would definitely read the next one, because this story improved the longer I read it. I loved the culture of the world and the unique voice, which bodes well for a 2nd book.
This gets a solid 4, because even though I had some complaints above that sound kind of serious, there's something really good here that I do love. The characters are refreshingly unique, not just quirky, but actually inherently different from other YA characters.
Some people are calling this a Mulan retelling. Nope. It's not. Minus the girl pretends to be boy thing, that's about the only similarity I saw, so that comparison is misleading people. But you may like it even though it's not a Mulan retelling, so give it a try. Just hang in there through the rocky start until things kick up a notch.
Pages: 393
