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 Throne of Glass.
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 Black Clan
and track down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she's
within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she's
appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself
falling in love--a love that will force her to question everything she's
ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.