Leslie Inglis

This book takes place directly after [b:Flame in the Mist 23308087 Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist, #1) Renée Ahdieh https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1476724612l/23308087.SY75.jpg 42862752] ends. Hattori Mariko is preparing to fulfill her role as an Imperial Bride while the Black Clan looks to reassemble.I liked this, but not as much as the first book. I really felt like there should have been a third book in this series to wrap up the loose ends.The last third of the book felt rushed to me. I would have liked more information on Kanako, she seemed like an evil sorceress with her zombies and hidden world but Mariko's relationship with her never touched on that. I would have liked more information on Hattori Kenshin - did he ever figure out that he had been ensorcelled and by whom? What about his relationship with Amaya? What about his relationship with Yumi? The info about Okami's parents felt rushed. I could go on about almost each character.Although I enjoyed the book, and read through it quite quickly, it left me feeling a bit disappointed. Would love to see this as a drama on Netflix! (and maybe they could solve some of my problems...)

An introspective jewel box of a book. The audiobook from Libby is highly recommended.

Interesting view into a completely different lifestyle, both in terms of time (the 1960s!) and class (rich and famous!) This was a quick, name-dropping read.

Overall I enjoyed this book and thought it posed some interesting questions.
I thought the ending was weak and wished it had been given the same consideration as the rest of the book.

A bit dry in audio format, but very interesting.