Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh - ADVISABLE

Smoke in the Sun (Flame in the Mist, #2) by Renee Ahdieh,  408 pages.  G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2018.  $19.  

Content: Language: PG (5 swears); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13.  

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

Mariko has been “rescued” from the Black Clan by the emperor and his brother Raiden.  The original plan was that Mariko would marry Raiden and now that she has been returned, the plan will carry on.  Even though Mariko is still in love with the Black Clan leader, Okami, she decides that she is going to carry through with the wedding in an attempt to help the Black Clan against the evil emperor.  Mariko is up against the clock because Okami is in the prison being tortured nightly by the emperor.  

I loved Flame in the Mist and this second book in the duo-logy was a satisfying conclusion but lacked the adventure and action that the first book had.  I love the characters, so I cared to find out what happened to them, but I felt like the story was slow especially in the middle with the ending as the best part.  The violence was disgusting torture and gruesome bloody descriptions.  The mature content was make-out sessions. 

 Reviewer, C. Peterson