In the sumptuous finale of the #1 New York Times bestselling Flame in the Mist series, Mariko returns to stifling court life in order to save the boy she wasn’t supposed to fall for.
“Mariko is a heroine worth following to the thrilling conclusion.”—Booklist
For weeks, seventeen-year-old Mariko pretended to be a boy to infiltrate the notorious Black Clan and bring her would-be murderer to justice. She didn’t expect to find a place for herself among the group of fighters—a life of usefulness—and she certainly didn’t expect to fall in love. Now she heads to the imperial castle to resume a life she never wanted to save the boy she loves.
Ōkami has been captured, and his execution is a certainty. Mariko will do what she must to ensure his survival—even marry the sovereign’s brother, saying goodbye to a life with Ōkami forever.
As Mariko settles into her days at court—making both friends and enemies—and attempting Ōkami’s rescue at night, the secrets of the royal court begin to unravel as competing agendas collide. One arrow sets into motion a series of deadly events even the most powerful magic cannot contain. Mariko and Ōkami risk everything to right past wrongs and restore the honor of a kingdom thrown into chaos by a sudden war, hoping against hope that when the dust settles, they will find a way to be together.
On sale: June 5, 2018
Age: 12 and up
Grade: Grade 7 & Up
Page count: 432 Pages
ISBN: 9781524738143
Reading level: Lexile: 820L
Renée Ahdieh is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her spare time, she likes to dance salsa and collect shoes. She is passionate about all kinds of curry, rescue dogs, and college basketball. The first few years of her life were spent in a high-rise in South Korea; consequently, Renée enjoys having her head in the clouds. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and their tiny overlord of a dog. She is the author of
The Beautiful,
Flame in the Mist, and
Smoke in the Sun as well as the #1
New York Times bestselling
The Wrath & the Dawn and its sequel,
The Rose & the Dagger.
“If the first book in this duology (
Flame in the Mist, 2017) was a slow burn, this conclusion is all action . . . Mariko is a heroine worth following to the thrilling conclusion.”
—Booklist
“With admirable brio, Ahdieh serves up intrigues and counterintrigues, battles and betrayals . . . interludes of heated romance…Nuanced female characters drive the action.”
—Kirkus Reviews“A well-written, lavish conclusion to the dreamlike world created in Flame in the Mist.”
—School Library Journal
