Smoke in the Sun

This is the sequel to Flame in the Mist, a story set in feudal Japan. 

While the first book was like Mulan, this last one takes the protagonist, Mariko, into the silken inner workings of the emperor's court. As the betrothed to the bastard brother of the new emperor, Mariko must rely on her deceit and analytical mind to save the ones she loves. 

Devour worthy. This is a fast read if you have a couple hours of uninterrupted read time.