YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

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.

I HAVE STARTED AND IT IS GLORIUS

Finished Jewel Steel and Night Rain
(view spoiler)[I'be been trying to figure out whether Kenshin is one of the good guys or not. He is! Now we just have to figure out the parents. (hide spoiler)]

Quirks wrote: "Finished Jewel Steel and Night Rain
[spoilers removed]"

I was literally just going to find this link in the may threads and your comment popped up in my notifications Thank you! Saved me some time. :D

So very first thing that I noticed is that there is Korean in the thank yous at the front of the book. The word mom or eomma is there. I looked through the author's bio and it didn't mention her being Korean so I though it a little strange especially since this book is based on Japanese samurai. :/

2% (view spoiler)[So far I'm a bit annoyed by the thickness of the page and having to constantly turn the page to lean what a certain word is. I though my Japanese was better than this. (hide spoiler)]

10%(view spoiler)[I'm glad that Kenshin didn't give up on his sister being alive even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Even though it wasn't mentioned I wonder if it was a twin thing. (hide spoiler)]

90% (view spoiler)[O.O Ranmaru knew she was a girl all along! :O (hide spoiler)]

Review:(view spoiler)[I think I had too high of hopes for this book. When I saw that it was Japanese based I got super excited and it just didn't live up to that hope.

I liked Mariko. It was nice to have an intelligent, naive female character that liked to experiment with many things. I also didn't anticipate the romantic male lead. For almost half the book I kept thinking it would be Ranmaru not Okami.

I was very surprised that Okami was of royal blood. I did not see that.

I was also surprised that Ranmaru was willing to pose as Okami for so long.

I was disappointed in Kenshin and Mariko's family.

I was not surprised that the royal family was all a little crazy. The ending was fantastic!

The supernatural elements in this book confused me. (hide spoiler)]

Bookbuyer wrote: "10%[spoilers removed]"

I just think he wasn't willing to give up. She is his sister.

Finished An Honest Exchange
(view spoiler)[Okay, I'm getting very tired of Mariko. I tried to like, but I just can't do it. She's supposed to be smart, but we've seen none of that. Also, her reason for the infiltration is way too flimsy to last so long. It was only supposed to go for a few chapters and then expanded to build upon. But we're still supposed to care about her wanting to find the reason behind two characters we could not give two shits about, were killed. (hide spoiler)]

Bookbuyer wrote: "90% [spoilers removed]"

Yeah, that was a nice reveal.

Bookbuyer wrote: "Review:I think I had too high of hopes for this book. When I saw that it was Japanese based I got super excited and it just didn't live up to that hope.

I liked Mariko. It was nice to have an inte..."

(view spoiler)[I thought it was going to be Ranmaru too! Because of what we saw in the beginning of the book. Turns out that was Okami as well.

And I liked the ending too. If only the rest of the book could have been as good as the last third. (hide spoiler)]

I didn't realise there was a Buddy Read for this book! :o

Is it too late to join? ;-;

Natalie wrote: "I didn't realise there was a Buddy Read for this book! :o

Is it too late to join? ;-;"

Although I've already finished I can come back and comment. :)

Thanks c: I really appreciate it!

I've been wanting to read this book for a while, and I just never noticed there had been a buddy read for it xD;;

Hopefully I can start reading today c:

"The Beginning"

(view spoiler)[So we're starting off with seppuku/hara-kiri? That's a great way to begin a novel ._. (hide spoiler)]

Illusions and Expectations

(view spoiler)[A great first look on an older Mariko (who I'm assuming was the little girl in the previous chapter). The fact that she seems to be an inventor seems great! (hide spoiler)]

Natalie wrote: ""The Beginning"

[spoilers removed]"

lol. (view spoiler)[That's what I thought as well. Nothing like ritual suicide to start a book. :P (hide spoiler)]

Natalie wrote: "Illusions and Expectations

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I loved that she was an inventor as well! You don't see that too often in YA heroines. :) (hide spoiler)]

Bookbuyer wrote: "Natalie wrote: ""The Beginning"

[spoilers removed]"

lol. [spoilers removed]"

That's for sure XD''

Bookbuyer wrote: "Natalie wrote: "Illusions and Expectations

[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"
Agreed!

Not a Girl

(view spoiler)[Cutting her hair with a sword and wearing men's clothing? Very Mulan-esque.

I hope she displays some more Mulan-esque qualities throughout the novel, because Mulan is brilliant :| (hide spoiler)]

Natalie wrote: "Not a Girl

Cutting her hair with a sword and wearing men's clothing? Very Mulan-esque.

I hope she displays some more Mulan-esque qualities throughout the novel, because Mulan is brilliant :|"

Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time! :)

Bookbuyer wrote: "Natalie wrote: "Not a Girl

Cutting her hair with a sword and wearing men's clothing? Very Mulan-esque.

I hope she displays some more Mulan-esque qualities throughout the novel, because Mulan is b..."

Mine too! It's definitely one of my go-to's when I need a pick-me-up movie. That movie is just brilliant :|

Plus, I'll Make a Man Out of You is a masterpiece. And no one will ever convince me otherwise.

Natalie wrote: "Bookbuyer wrote: "Natalie wrote: "Not a Girl

Cutting her hair with a sword and wearing men's clothing? Very Mulan-esque.

I hope she displays some more Mulan-esque qualities throughout the novel, ..."

Lol. Yup. :D

Fall Forward to Keep Moving

(view spoiler)[Wait... is Takeda (the leader of the Black Clan) the son from the first chapter? The one whose father committed seppuku? (hide spoiler)]

The Consequence

(view spoiler)[
Lord Lackbeard? Well that's just brilliant XD

Okami (sleepy warrior guy) seems like a great character so far. I like him :| (hide spoiler)]

Many Kinds of Strength

(view spoiler)[
“Be as swift as the wind. As silent as the forest. As fierce as the fire. As unshakable as the mountain. And you can do anything . . . even take this branch from me.”
Okay, Okami definitely reminds me of Shang from Mulan.

(Does this mean that he and Mariko will end up together? Because she's basically Mulan herself :P)
(hide spoiler)]

An Honest Echange

(view spoiler)[I can't believe she threw a metal lantern at him ._.

...and then jumped from a roof onto her brother.
(hide spoiler)]

Foxglove

(view spoiler)[Huh. An accident that ends in her chest binds being exposed, and thus her identity as female being exposed. Now what does THAT remind me of... :P (hide spoiler)]

A Province of Pain

(view spoiler)[
Yikes o.O Mariko's father is taking advantage of his subjects?

I didn't really like him from what little I knew, but now he definitely seems far worse :|
(hide spoiler)]

Natalie wrote: "An Honest Echange

I can't believe she threw a metal lantern at him ._.

...and then jumped from a roof onto her brother.
"

lol. Desperate times call for desperate measures. :P

The Shadow Warrior

(view spoiler)[
So. She's going to save the day as herself - a girl - after being left behind somewhere by one who was aware of her... well... female-ness.

This doesn't seem at ALL like Mulan, nope :P
(hide spoiler)]

The Phoenix
Almost done!

(view spoiler)[
Wait...Okami is Ranmaru? Does this mean Ranmaru is Okami?
...Please don't change the names around in the next book. Because there's no way I can think of Okami (the sleepy guy) as Ranmaru (the leader) :|

I am so lost.
(hide spoiler)]

100%

(view spoiler)[
Huh. Full circle.

Started with a suicide, ended with a murder.
(hide spoiler)]

*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

Date Changed. Restarting June 13th 2017. Happy Reading ☺

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆
********************************************************************************************************************************************************

I'm going to jump in on this, too :)

I'll try to jump in sometime next week if I can find the book :)

1/4: (view spoiler)[The beginning is so intense! So much death and so much action. I'm so ready for this! (hide spoiler)]

2/4: (view spoiler)[I'm loving the Mulan-esque qualities that are arising in this. Mariko is such a strong protagonist. (hide spoiler)]

3/4: (view spoiler)[I'm loving some parts of this more than others. Mariko's antics are such fun to read from (especially when it sees her crawling across roofs and hurling lanterns) but the inevitable and obvious romance is not so fun. (hide spoiler)]

4/4: (view spoiler)[Honestly, that ending lost me a bit. Overall I did really enjoy this and I especially adored the evocative setting and authentic characters. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 1

(view spoiler)[ Great start! I can already tell that this is going to be an intense book. (hide spoiler)]

Maica wrote: "Chapter 1

[spoilers removed]"

It so is!

Chapter 9

(view spoiler)[ And now they meet.....

I loveeeeeee Renee's writing style. It feels so magical reading it.

Also bonus points for mentioning Takeda Shingen! He's in the otome game that I'm playing. Haha! (hide spoiler)]

Dannii wrote: "Maica wrote: "Chapter 1

[spoilers removed]"

It so is!"

I hate the fact that school keeps getting in the way of me and this book! So far it's been so gooood!

Maica wrote: "Dannii wrote: "Maica wrote: "Chapter 1

[spoilers removed]"

It so is!"

I hate the fact that school keeps getting in the way of me and this book! So far it's been so gooood!"

That sucks! School should realise you have other, more pressing, commitments :P

Chapter 18

(view spoiler)[ Almost halfway done! The writing is really good but I wish the pace will become faster. So far, there hasn't been a lot happening. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 19

(view spoiler)[ The story is finally picking up! (hide spoiler)]