Flame in the Mist Book 2: Smoke in the Sun by Renée Ahdieh

Sequel to Flame in the Mist

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.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36010223-smoke-in-the-sun

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

The sequel to Flame in the Mist and it was everything I wanted and more! Beautifully written, the book takes place shortly where the last one left off. Mariko decides the best way to save her love, Okami, is from the inside. So she plays a very dangerous game as Raiden's bride-to-be to find a way to free him and help restore the empire to it's rightful glory. A lot of surprises in this book and it had a lot of points of views. It was nice to get the range of everyone. I thought going into this book I had a good read of the characters, but it turns out I was pretty wrong about some. The books had a lot of plot twists and though the ending left me happy, there was still some things I wish were included. Though I won't say what! I don't want to give any spoilers. What I will say is that if you liked the first one, you will definitely like this one as well. I'm sad to see the end of these books. I really wish there was more. But I loved the books all the same.