Smoke in the Sun

June 1, 2018
It's out of the outlaw forest and into the imperial court in this conclusion of a fantasy duology set in an alternate feudal Japan.Newly "rescued" from the Black Clan, Hattori Mariko returns to the path her noble family prescribes, affianced to the brother of the new Emperor of Wa. Mariko resolves to play the meek, dutiful maiden (even if that requires actually marrying brutal Raiden) in order to spy for the rebels and possibly rescue her beloved Okami. But with dark powers threatening everything Mariko cherishes, her cleverness may not be enough. With admirable brio, Ahdieh (Flame in the Mist, 2017, etc.) serves up intrigues and counterintrigues, battles and betrayals, harrowing scenes of graphic torture and interludes of heated romance, conveyed through no fewer than seven viewpoints. Nuanced female characters drive the action, including a gratifyingly matured Mariko: less preternaturally ingenious but more intelligent and aware; less insistent upon honor but unshakable in her integrity. Unfortunately, the choppy, overwrought prose again substitutes a deluge of Japanese vocabulary for thoughtful worldbuilding. The magical system, while clarified, still fails to fully explore its implications. Eventually the snarl of complicated schemes lurches to a rushed climax--entangling a (clichéd) lunatic villain, an (implausible) heel-face turn, and a (no, really!) weaponized zombie apocalypse--followed by a discordant epilogue littered with jaunty romantic banter and abandoned plotlines.Absolutely necessary to those who loved the first; otherwise mostly incoherent. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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May 15, 2018
Grades 9-12 Mariko is not the girl she was when she first left home to marry a stranger. After weeks of living, disguised as a boy, with a rogue samurai band, Mariko's wit, always sharp, has become finely honed. And she will need every measure of it: she's seemingly been rescued and is back where she started, preparing to marry the son of the emperor's favored consort. Meanwhile, Okami, traitor to the throne and the boy Mariko truly loves, has been captured and is awaiting execution. Mariko plays the part of simple maiden and dutiful wife-to-be while plotting Okami's rescue. But even if she can save him, she may not be able to free herself?court intrigue runs too deep. Worse, a dark magic seeps through the court, and it could change the course of history. If the first book in this duology (Flame in the Mist, 2017) was a slow burn, this conclusion is all action. A few ends remain loose, but the pace is nonstop, and Mariko is a heroine worth following to the thrilling conclusion. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Ahdieh's been hitting best-seller lists since she debuted, and this highly anticipated duology conclusion won't be any different.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)