In fact, I wasn't sure I was going to continue with the duology.

Okay, I'm going to be honest about something: I remember enjoying the arc I read of Flame in the Mist last year but, before reading this book, I couldn't remember anything that happened. A night swirling with mystery, an unknowable energy pulsing in its depths. Set against the backdrop of feudal Japan, Smoke in the Sun is the breathless, romantic, not-to-be-missed fiery conclusion to a spell-binding adventure. 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. One arrow sets into motion a series of deadly events even the most powerful magic cannot contain. Mariko will do what she must to ensure his survival-even marry the sovereign's brother, saying goodbye to a life with Ōkami forever.Īs 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. Ōkami has been captured, and his execution is a certainty. Now she heads to the imperial castle to resume a life she never wanted to save the boy she loves. 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. But each secret she unfurls gives way to the next, ensnaring Mariko and Okami in a political scheme that threatens their honor, their love and very the safety of the empire.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. With the wedding plans already underway, Mariko pretends to be consumed with her upcoming nuptials, all the while using her royal standing to peel back the layers of lies and deception surrounding the imperial court. She tricks her brother, Kenshin, and betrothed, Raiden, into thinking she was being held by the Black Clan against her will, playing the part of the dutiful bride-to-be to infiltrate the emperor’s ranks and uncover the truth behind the betrayal that almost left her dead.

The highly anticipated sequel to Flame in the Mist – an addictive, sumptuous finale that will leave readers breathless from the bestselling author of The Wrath and the DawnĪfter Okami is captured in the Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice – to rescue him, she must return to Inako and face the dangers that have been waiting for her in the Heian Castle.

Smoke in the Sun by Renée Ahdieh