Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh

Author: Renee Ahdieh

Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group

Date: June 5, 2018

Pages: 432

Format: ARC

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Purchase Links: [Chapters/Indigo] [Amazon]

Goodreads Synopsis:

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 Dawn. After 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. 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. 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. 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.

My Review:

* Thank you Penguin Random House for sending me a ARC of Smoke in the Sun for an honest review *

Smoke in the Sun takes place right where Flame in the Mist left off. Mariko is no longer pretending to be a man in a group of thieves and outlaws, but instead a proper lady in court. Markio needs to play her role and devise a plan to free Okami, the man who stole her heart, from imprisonment before his death.

Renee Ahdieh is a storyteller. Her stories are filled with an intriguing plot and amazing characters. She completely draws you in with her words and compels you to keep reading. Now having read all four of her books I can always look forward to her superb stories and magical writing style.

Mariko fully develops in this book. I loved seeing her grow through her journey and into a spectacular independent woman. Yumi and Tsuneoki and some other side characters though they have a perspective I felt their development lacking. I have a feeling that there may be a spin-off series with some of the side characters and I would be very excited to see that.

Unlike The Wrath and The Dawn duology, the romance in this duology isn’t the main focus, it’s more in the background. I wasn’t as in love with the characters for this reason. I had the expectation I was going to get another Shahrzad and Khalid. Don't get me wrong the romance was still swoon-worthy, and I was living for it, I just wanted more.

My main disappointment was with the ending. I felt it was rushed and undeveloped. There were only less than 100 pages left and I thought that there was no way this is going to end, there were many things that still needed to be resolved. I assumed that it changed into a trilogy and I was okay with that. Smoke in the Sun is a great sequel but unfortunately, it never lived up to the expectation. The ending was choppy and created way too many gaps from the story. Overall Smoke in the Sun was very enjoyable but felt short near the end.

#ReneeAhdieh #FlameintheMist #4stars