“Waiting on” Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine. The purpose is to spotlight upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.
My pick for this week: Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
Expected publication:
May 2nd, 2017
Goodreads link
What it’s about:
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn, comes a sweeping, action-packed YA adventure set against the backdrop of Feudal Japan where Mulan meets Tamora Pierce.
The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor’s favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family’s standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace.
Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she’s quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami. Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she’s ever known.
Why I am waiting for this release:
It’s a Mulan-based story by Renee Ahdieh. I repeat: a Mulan-based story by Renee Ahdieh!
This is everything I could have ever dreamed of! I love Mulan and I loved The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee so I’m pretty sure this will be equally beautiful and epic.
Plus have you seen that cover? It is so gorgeous and I am in love <3 It was just released yesterday, and on top of that you can also already read an excerpt at Entertainment Weekly.
Love the sound of a Mulan retelling. The cover is gorgeous (not that I judge books on their covers but pretty covers are just so nice to look at!).
This one sounds interesting. I like the alchemist element. Adding this one to my to-read list!
Great pick Lindsey 🙂
It does sound amazing! Mulan and alchemists sound like such a fun combination. And I agree, the cover is so gorgeous! I know you can’t judge a book by it’s cover but it does help if it looks so nice 😉