Flame in the Mist

*****Flame in the Mist***** is the first book in the fantasy duology by Renee Ahdieh. It is a retelling of *Mulan*.

## Blurb

The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she'd been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind 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 Mariko'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 hose 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 fids 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.

## Plot

The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace.

Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel *rōnin* Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami. Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she's ever known.

## Chapters

The Beginning

Illusions and Expectations

The Nightbeast

Not a Girl

The Dragon of Kai

The Golden Castle

A Calculated Risk

Fall Forward to Keep Moving

An Unmerited Blessing

The Choice

The Consequence

Jewel Steel and Night Rain

Many Kinds of Strength

Weakness of the Spirit

Jubokko

The Throwing Star

Rivets of Gold and Petal Pink Waters

Hanami

The Swinging Lantern

An Honest Exchange

The Hot Springs

Twisted Tales

Foxglove

A Lesson to be Learned

A Forest of Blood and Fire

A Murderous Rampage

Smokeshields and Sorrow

A Province of Pain

The Raid

My Name is Mariko

Lost in the Ashes

The Shadow Warrior

The Black Orchid

A Mountian of Fire

The Phoenix

An Ending