My rating: 4/5
A great start to a badass series!
Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton for accepting my request on netgalley and hosting a giveaway on goodreads! I must be very fortunate to have received a physical and digital arc!
This book releases on the 18th of May in the UK! I recommend that everyone check it out!
Spoiler free!
A badass story with an awesome main character named Mariko defying the hell out of gender stereotypes! They don't apply to this lady! Women who defy norms always make my heart happy. We are unstoppable.
This book is basically Mulan in Japan! In the best way possible! (I mean how can anything based off Mulan be bad?). Mariko is so clever and awesome and I just adored her endlessly. She is a pleasure to read, and so great (I'm sorry I use the word 'great' so much in all my reviews).
This book is about Mariko, who gets sold by her father into a marriage with the emperor of Japan's second son. However, on her way to the palace, her journey gets intercepted by an attempt on her life. Mariko is faced with the decision of what to do to save herself and attempt to uncover who tried to kill her and why. Throughout her journey, we see more and more of Mariko's clever tongue and wit, as she discovers who she is and who she wants to be.
The action in this book was perfect. It was descriptive so I understood everything, but at the same time not too fleshed out or fast that I got confused or bored. You get tired about hearing the same people fighting after a while. Not this book, though!
The romance was on point! Don't even get me started! ON POINT. I was freaking out from the goodness! I can't wait for it to come out so I can talk about it with people who know what I mean! Badass woman + badass love interest = match made in heaven. The encounters between the two were enchanting.
But is Mariko better than Shazi from The Wrath and the Dawn? I have to sadly say no! I loved Mariko, but she didn't reach Shazi-level. Maybe I just have a soft spot for Shazi because of the Arabic words in The Wrath and the Dawn. It makes me feel somewhat closer to her. Regardless, this is a fantastic read, and Renée Ahdieh is definitely an auto-buy for me now!
Love,
Yomna
But is Mariko better than Shazi from The Wrath and the Dawn? I have to sadly say no! I loved Mariko, but she didn't reach Shazi-level. Maybe I just have a soft spot for Shazi because of the Arabic words in The Wrath and the Dawn. It makes me feel somewhat closer to her. Regardless, this is a fantastic read, and Renée Ahdieh is definitely an auto-buy for me now!
Love,
Yomna
You received *both* an e-ARC and a physical copy? Wow, that's amazing! Lucky you ;D
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear you enjoyed this book (:
I know right! I was so surprised too! It was such a pleasure to have both! I definitely recommend this!
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