I loved everything about Flame and the Mist. Everything. I wasn't even really prepared to love it as much as I did because while I really enjoyed The Wrath and the Dawn and The Rose and the Dagger, I wouldn't rank them as one of my all-time favorite reads (my sister would absolutely disagree with me - she loves the books and has them in every format). So I wasn't expecting the thrilling ride and compelling tale that Renee Ahdieh weaves in FITM. 
 There are so many great things to say about this book. If you're reading this review right now because you're debating whether or not to pick this book up, stop debating and do it. You really won't regret it. The setting is vibrant and new, the characters magnetic, and the storyline is the best sort of surprise. 
 I liked that the author did not make our main character infallible, Mariko's as complex as the story is. She grows. She changes, but not in an eye-roll inducing way. I feel like the first book really has built Mariko into the person she needs to be for the second book, in the sense that now that we've seen her through this challenge we're ready to see her in real action. Her strength is largely intellectual, and where she's headed she's going to need it. Look out subterfuge, betrayal, and an annoying crown prince! 
 There are so many players on the board, but Ahdieh keeps the reader from being overwhelmed. I'm going to say, I actually really like Kenshin - I feel like he is a complex character with the mind of a warrior, and a heart of gold. He is redeemable. I hope. I also loved the use of magic in this story, I want to see more of it. To be honest, I want to see more of Okami in action. There are bits that I found sort of frustrating, like the treatment of truth, lies, honor, justice - it almost felt moot there at the end, like there wasn't a resolution for Mariko and the tenets she valued. But we still have a second book, so there's still time for more! 
 What I liked most about Flame and the Mist is that it was written so well, and in such a way that it felt like a proper story. Not just a book, but like a real story that you sort of want to curl up in and relive again. I loved it.