"Hope might have set fire to all things, but out of those ashes the resistance to the Vath would rise. I would make sure of it."

This book has been receiving much hype in the YA community. Before its release, Mirage was compared to The Diabolic, which also follows a girl forced to impersonate an endangered royal. I haven't read the latter, so I was fortunately spared from jadedness or disappointment. In my honest opinion, this book mostly lives up to the hype, particularly in the cultural diversity department.

This book started with a captivating prologue. An unidentified boy aimed his gun at Maram, the infamous Vathek princess whose father had colonized Andalaan. Basically, from the very beginning, I was encouraged to dislike Maram. So when she had Amani kidnapped and abused, my feelings evolved into complete annoyance. It came to a point that I wanted to call her a female dog. Ahem. Spoiled princesses are all the more irritating when they have a penchant for unnecessary violence. I shall never forget how Maram ordered her giant bird to maul Amani. During that scene, I was like What the heck is wrong with you, girl?

Little did I know that my opinion of Maram would suddenly change (a little). A significant portion of the book focused on Amani and Maram's interactions, which were not always friendly. After a few months of functioning as a body double (human shield), Amani realized that she couldn't entirely blame Maram for being so despicable. After all, Maram was a half-blood, neither Vathek nor Andalaan. In other words, no one in the galaxy—not even her wicked father—really loved her. I myself began to sympathize with Maram once I grasped the severity of her upbringing. Nonetheless, I couldn't disregard my conviction that we are also products of our choices. If our parents raised us in a certain way, we can choose to be different. Sorry, Maram! xD

When I reached the penultimate chapters, I neither hated nor liked Maram. I understood her potential to be a "benevolent" queen, but I thought that Amani should've been more...critical toward her. Because if they had been in a "romantic" situation, I would have deducted points for Stockholm Syndrome. Is it okay for someone to willingly befriend and protect a kidnapper? (To be fair, Amani did so for ethical reasons.)

It's funny that I've talked so much about Maram when she's not even the main protagonist! Her impact was much more significant than Amani's. I did like Amani since she was a headstrong girl who treasured her family more than anything (including her partner in instalove named Idris). Still, her character arc was too familiar, perhaps even unremarkable. In this case, it's probably the genre's fault. Hahaha.

Overall, Mirage doesn't deserve a perfect rating, but it's still a noteworthy debut novel. Maram, who was such a multifaceted antagonist, tested my patience and made the story very interesting. I just hope that she'll have a permanent change of heart in the sequel.

this was pretty good. the world was really interesting, and it was a unique science-fiction that read like a fantasy. unfortunately i didn’t particularly care about the romance, but i found the relationship between the antagonist and the main character very interesting and i am excited for the sequel.

This book was so beautiful and I couldn't believe it was a debut novel!! It does feel. though, that I am reading the long-lost-princess-doppelganger trope more and more lately. I think there are worse tropes out there but this isn't becoming my favorite in a hurry. Anyway, aside from that, the world-building and the family/relationship dynamics were so great and I loved just the general flow and pacing. I can't wait to see where this story goes and how it ends.

Mirage was one of these books I had heard of, but wasn’t certain that it would be my cup of tea. See, even if book blogging has made me way more into fantasy books than I ever thought I would be, made me dabble into sci-fi just as well, I wasn’t sure that I would love this world. Yet I am thrilled to say that this book was a beautiful surprise for me.

INTRIGUING (BUT A BIT CONFUSING) WORLD

Mirage is a story about oppression, where a young girl, Amani, living with her family on a moon, poorly and facing oppression every day, is kidnapped by imperial droids and taken to the royal empire, only to realize she is the exact body-double of the princess and future heir of the throne. I have to admit that I was really nervous about the setting and world-building of this story, not being too familiar with sci-fi overall and, in the end, that’s what confused me the most. I could appreciate the world-building a whole lot, intricate and detailed, with North African and Moroccan inspirations (this is an #ownvoices Moroccan story) and some of it was quite fascinating. Yet, I felt more often than once a bit confused by it just as well, by the politics overall.

GREAT CHARACTERS CARRYING THE STORY TO ANOTHER LEVEL

Despite this confusion at times, I ended up appreciating Mirage way more than I thought I would and it’s all because of the characters. If the story is a bit slow-paced, the characters won me over more than once and they were the shining stars in this story. Mirage is definitely a character-driven book and I am ALL here for this.

Amani, our main character, is forced to take the princess’ place, to learn how to be her, to act and speak just like her in order to fool everyone. Amani struggles to find her own place and sense of identity in it all, yet as the story goes on, she manages to find herself and her cause, her will to fight and everything else. She is passionate and fierce, I had such a great time with her.

Yet, the shining star in the story really was… well, strangely, the Princess Maram. Her character arc was incredible, she was flawed, complex, she was mean and cruel yet she slowly grew, developed and showed who she really was as relationships with Amani developed. I loved it so, very much and she was my favorite in the entire story for sure.

CHARACTERS’ INTERACTIONS & FAMILY TIES: THE HEART AND LOVE OF THE STORY


Both the characters and their relationships to each other were really shining in this book, even more than the world-building, which is something I did not expect, but loved. I am a huge character kind of reader, as you know, so I was thrilled.

The relationships between Maram and Amani were fantastic and it was great to see them grow, change as the story went on. The romance was also great to read about: I appreciated how the two characters got to know each other and grew close to each other. The evolution of the relationship into a romance was a tad predictable, but I didn’t mind that much, because the characters were really adorable to follow together.

The family dynamics in this story were also really interesting to follow, from Amani’s ties to her own family, the separation and suffering of being far away from her home, to Maram’s complex relationship with her own father and the expectations he has for her as future heir of the kingdom…It was all really, really a great addition to the story.

OVERALL


If you’re looking for a great #ownvoices Moroccan inspired story, really focusing on character interactions and development, I’d definitely recommend Mirage. It’s a bit slow-paced, but the characters, for me, makes it all worth it. Complex, flawed and amazing overall, they shine in this story and make this a definitely promising first book to a series I’m curious to follow.

If I’m being totally honest, a lot of my expectations weren’t met – and I mean that in the best possible way. Somaiya Daud’s #OwnVoices, Moroccan-inspired dystopian debut novel delivered in a myriad of ways I never could have foreseen. Although I was expecting a thrillingly paced, adventure-filled narrative with incredibly high stakes and hard-hitting action, I found myself easily entranced by Daud’s wonderfully lush prose and charming cast of diverse characters.

As a science fantasy novel, Mirage had heavily emphasized fantasy elements set against a science fiction backdrop. The sci-fi aspect of the book fell a bit short as it mainly involved technology and weaponry while everything else was bathed in fantastical and cultural tones. Overall, I loved the royal atmosphere and beautifully intricate world-building.

Speaking of which, the world of Mirage was built and developed phenomenally. The incredibly rich cultures, well-established history, and endlessly fascinating religions — all perfection.

All of the characters were fleshed out and well-developed, which was great because the story was propelled forward by its characters rather than its plot. Honestly speaking, I found Maram to be an infinitely more fascinating character than Amani, the actual protagonist. Nonetheless, both of them showed excellent character growth(!!!). More importantly, I enjoyed watching their relationship develop and seeing them bring out the best in each other.

Generally, I liked all the character relationships in the story; however, personally, the romantic development between Amani and Maram’s fiancé Idris was the hugest letdown of the entire book. I really was not sold at all because they blatantly lacked chemistry and just fell pretty flat. Plus, I can’t help but feel that Idris and Amani are better off as friends and confidants instead of lovers.

On the other hand, I was totally hoping and praying for Amani and Maram to finally realize that they’d be absolutely perfect for each other! I mean, after that adorable cooking scene they had together? No doubt, no doubt, no doubt, no doubt. I stand by my opinion: Amani x Maram should have been the ship!!! This could have been the sci-fi enemies-to-lovers Sapphic romance we deserve!!! I AM ONE HELL OF A FRUSTRATED AMANI x MARAM SHIPPER, PEOPLE. I usually respect other people’s opinions, but I will immediately scoff at anyone who dares to look me in the eye and say that Amani and Idris are the better pairing compared to my Sapphic sweethearts, Amani and Maram. Idris is a temporary flame, but Amani x Maram is the one true endgame – fight me.

But I digress.

Another weak point of Mirage was definitely its very slow pacing that made it challenging for me to remain totally, consistently engaged. As I mentioned earlier, the story was very character-driven, which meant that not much transpired in terms of plot. Sluggish pacing + lacking plot = occasionally waning interest.

Political intrigue was a looming element in the story, and although I enjoyed learning the political systems and dynamics of the Vathek empire, things occasionally became too confusing for me to really appreciate. On a brighter note, I was fascinated by the exploration of faith, heritage, and pre-colonized poetry.

More than that, however, I really loved how, at its heart, Mirage is a hauntingly realistic, painfully true story about life under colonization. Throughout the story, we are shown the brutal aftermath of Vathek’s colonization and its continued effects on the Andalaan people. From living as second-class citizens in a world that used to be yours to being victims of cultural erasure, there were definitely a lot of parallels to our real world events and history. In fact, when I read that old-world Andalaan poetry and literature were banned and destroyed in order to avoid sparking rebellions and revolutionary ideas from the masses, I couldn’t help but compare this to the history of the Philippines – much of pre-colonial Filipino writings and artifacts were destroyed by our Spanish conquerors, and for centuries, my ancestors were strictly forbidden from learning Spanish.

Additionally, I loved the refreshingly honest perspective this story took. Instead of a plot where the colonizer eventually develops empathy towards the oppressed, I was shown how, at its crux, Princess Maram was simply a young girl caught in the mess of things and torn between two clashing identities that have both rejected her for different reasons. Towards the end of the story, not only did I empathize with her but also, I grew to become really fond of Maram’s character.

There were numerous important takeaways from Somaiya Daud’s stunningly lyrical debut novel. This is the kind of book I’d love to write a reaction/analysis paper on, really. Among all the little details about this story, one of my favorites would be the antagonist of the story. The true antagonist was not just one person; but rather, it’s an entire system – and I think that’s something we need to reflect more on when we’re faced with adversities and antagonism in real life.

Evocative, atmospheric and utterly spellbinding, Mirage is a culturally infused, socially relevant science fantasy novel teeming with colorful mythology and dark, gritty truths. I look forward to the sequel, and I am definitely crossing my fingers for more lovable Amani and Maram moments!

Disclosure: I received a digital ARC of Mirage from the publisher (via NetGalley) as part of my participation in a blog tour hosted by Aimee, Always. This affects neither my opinion nor the content of this review. Many thanks to the publishers and Aimee for the opportunity!

I nearly never read Scifi books, the few I’ve read haven’t been impressive but this one seemed like it might have a lot of elements I like, and it turned out to be a really enjoyable read. I’m not entirely satisfied by it, but it did deliver an engaging, well written, and surprisingly character driven, plot. The concept of this sounded like it had so much potential, and while I liked it it wasn’t as exiting as I’d expected or wanted. There was a lot of political intrigue and that’s something I always enjoy, but there wasn’t much action, I always expect a lot of action in a Scifi novel so I was surprised by what I got. I got a book that feels more like fantasy then Scifi, which was an unexpected delight since I love YA fantasy more then scifi. There was so much focus on the myths and religion of the world, and how those affect the characters and all of it was done wonderfully.

This follows a girl names Amani, a dreamer but she doesn’t feel like she can do anything to change the corrupt world she lives in, then her circumstances become even worse but she eventually get’s her chance to make a difference. Princess Maram who Amani becomes a body double for is my favorite character, she is cruel but you gradually see that there’s another side to her. Her character development is slow and wonderful, it never felt forced, and I’m really exited to see where her story will go. I also loved the relationship between Maram and Amari, they developed an unlikely friendship that I found far more compelling then the romance. At first Maram treats Amani horrible those actions are never excused or forgiven, however Amani does begin to understand Maram and sees that there is good in her.

The synopsis of this book sounded really interesting to me and I was very excited to read it since I had seen several bloggers raving about it. I am not a huge fan of science fiction, yet I continue trying to read it. I am not sure why. The story definitely has an interesting story line; the main character Amani is kidnapped by the regime, the Vathek empire she lives in and serves as a body double for Vathek Princess Maram. The story is well written and the characters are really interesting, I just wasn't a huge fan of the science fiction elements of the story.

Thank you to the publisher, Flatiron Books, for sending me an ARC of this book.

Mirage by Somaiya Daud is a beautifully written novel that is rich in detail from the world-building, to the culture, and deep thorough characterizations of the main characters of Amani, Princess Maram, and Idris.

Ms. Daud's novel is full of description and visual. I was captivated by Amani as a narrator. From the touching moment in the beginning with her brother Husnain, to the startling anxious moment the Imperial droids arrive and take Amani, and then every moment that followed after that with her future left uncertain. Throw in the cruel Princess Maram and Nadine, and then the moments with Idris that were some of my favorites, and this novel completely had me from start to the end.

I really enjoyed Ms. Daud's Mirage. It is fast-paced, well-written, and it has a strong heroine leading the way. Amani is true to herself throughout the novel and doesn't give up hope . She's a fighter and I can't wait to read what Ms. Daud has in store for her in book two.

Another character I found intriguing was Princess Maram. The relationship that Amani and her form is tenuous and unpredictable with Maram holding all the power, but it is interesting with the dynamics these two have and how their roles in this story will play out within the trilogy. I want to know what happens next.

Overall, Mirage by Somaiya Daud is a great novel that really pulls you in and leaves you wanting more. It's so richly woven with tension, romance, heartbreak and is simply just mesmerizing. I very much recommend and look forward to reading more by Ms. Daud.

(I voluntarily reviewed an advance review copy of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)

This book was very cheesy and a carbon copy of every other mediocre YA book that tried, but failed, to be interesting by adding numerous unnecessary tropes. Like:

~Love triangle- Check.
~Insta Love Connection - Check
~Self-involved, overly beautiful female teenage bitch- Check
~Broken family unit-Check
~Youth/Generation being targeted- Check
~Adults Being Tyrants – Check
~Strong Female Leads Who Out Shines The Male Characters- Check
~War Torn Society -Check
~ The Chosen One concept- Check
~Added/Borrowed known “Cultures” incorporated into the futuristic plotline- Check

I swear if you have read ANY YA book this year then you will see that most of its concept and/or outline has been copied and pasted into this dreadful book. I honestly feel sorry for everyone that is getting this book in their subscription boxes next month. Tropes are not always bad if you can write them into the storyline in a tactical way, but the author just threw all of them in this book to fill pages and to sell books. Speaking of the author, she is very rude and ungrateful to possible fans that reach out to her via email ~like she asks them to do via her social media. Stay humble my friend.

<i>Mirage</i> was a thought-provoking debut novel full of intriguing characters and political machinations galore. It was very much more of a character-driven book rather than an action-oriented one, which made <i>Mirage</i> slower than I was expecting. However, I love character-driven novels and was delighted to find a YA fantasy one.

The setting was lush and vividly imagined. But there weren’t many science fiction elements to this story. In fact, I actually forgot at times that this wasn’t just a fantasy novel. I’m hoping that future installments in the series meld the two together a bit better. In terms of plot, the beginning was fantastic and the ending had me totally hooked. However, the middle was a bit lacking in tension. I loved how Daud explored the idea of what it means to become your enemy but Amani's journey just fell a bit flat for me. 

Daud does an excellent job of not painting issues as merely black or white. Maram, although the villain of this novel, is complex and unexpectedly relatable. I would have loved to have more chapters with her in them or a few from her viewpoint. As much as I loved Maram though, I found it difficult to connect with Amani. However, I love political intrigue so seeing Amani learn how to navigate the Court was a highlight of the book for me. Additionally, the interpersonal dynamics were one of my favorite parts of the novel. I loved how the relationship between Amani and Maram changed and developed over the course of time. 

Ultimately, <i>Mirage</i> was a story that I wanted to love. And there were parts that I adored. But it didn’t quite work for me as a whole. However, I was intrigued enough that I’ll definitely continue on with the series. I’d recommend this one for fans of slower, more character-driven YA fantasy. 

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3.5 stars

Mirage has been one of my most anticipated reads for so long. Even though it fell somewhat flat for me, I do think so many people will fall in love with this novel and really treasure it.

The writing is rich and luscious and filled with all sorts of cultural details and descriptions that really immerse you in the world. It was so rich with culture and was really awesome to see an #OwnVoices debut novel showing off Moroccan culture.

Plus, the entire concept is really quite entertaining. I love reading about royalty, and the idea of a body double is so much fun that I hope it'll start a trope.

I think so many people will love this novel, and it's so well written, but I just didn't connect as well, and I think this is because of a few reasons.

1. I expected a lot of really cool sci-fi stuff, but didn't really get it. I'm a huge science fiction nerd, and when I read my sci-fi, I like it to be really sciencey. Especially space operas and things that occur on other planets.

So Mirage was definitely a surprise of sorts, because when I heard it was sci-fi and not fantasy, I got 10x more excited. But I get where the fantasy comparisons came from, because the whole structure, so to speak, is something you'd very commonly find in fantasy novels.

The colonialist themes (loved those!), the different countries, the princes and princesses and royalty. All of these are usually more common fantasy tropes, and a lot of the novel felt more like a fantasy than anything else, just because of how it was structured and the type of story it told.

Sure, some random tech was referenced from time to time--blasters, robot servants--but overall, it felt like a fantasy world that was patched up with sci-fi to fill the plot holes of removing tattoos and other things that would be hard to accomplish in a magic-less fantasy world.

And so I wasn't super into the world. Because as rich and luscious the writing and worldbuilding was, it just was not very sci-fi.

This is a book that will appeal very much to fantasy readers. If this book was actually just two continents and had some mysterious way of patching up a few plot holes, this book could have been a fantasy novel so easily.

And so, this is my biggest peeve about this novel, because I felt like it was never really sci-fi, but a fantasy novel shoved into a sci-fi format to take care of plot holes and make it potentially more marketable.

This is mostly a me-problem, but I think my overhyping and high expectations really made this aspect of the book crash and burn. If my expectations weren't so steep, I feel like I would have enjoyed this way more.

2. And honestly, I was just not in the mood for this book. It's such a luscious and rich novel, but it also was not as action packed as I expected or wanted.

A lot of this book is politics and wandering around and seeing things and standing places and learning how to be queen without the cringey fashion montage.

Things only really started speeding up till the climax and after, as this isn't your traditional "girl is trapped against her will" story.

Because the girl doesn't really try to escape. Ever. In the past, fictional protagonists in this situation try to escape, but I feel like the main character never really tried. She knew that her family would be hurt, and as admirable and true as this was, I felt like she was only passionate about the fact that she's in a cage when she needed to be for the plot.

I wanted her to be passionate and devastated about losing her daan (markings her people get when they come of age). I wanted her to be passionate about escape, passionate about her family, passionate about survival. And although she showed her passion in her actions, I didn't really feel her passion in the narration.

In any other mood, I would have loved a subversion of the "girl trapped against her will" trope, but at the moment, I just didn't really connect with the main character because I wanted something action and space heavy.

This meant I wasn't as into the romance as I could have been, but I did think Daud did a really good job with the romance and in building it and making it totally swoonworthy!

3. It's a first book. First books in general have a lot more exposition and don't wrap things up, so I feel like we didn't get to see as much of Maram as I wanted. Maram was one of my favorite characters with how interesting she was, and I feel like Daud did a marvelous job of really exposing her complexities and the ways she was more than just a cruel daughter of a cruel king.

Overall, this is a really great book, but it just ended up as not one of my favorites due to my own more personal dislikes of some elements and not being in the mood for this book. I definitely have the potential to fall completely in love with the second book or this book on a second reread, but I think this time around, it just didn't completely click with me.

This is such a well-written book and is rich with culture. I think so many people will love this, and definitely recommend you all check it out if the summary sounds interesting! I'd compare it to The Star-Touched Queen, so if you liked that, CHECK THIS OUT!

I received an arc of this book through Netgalley and Flatiron books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

<b> “On a small moon orbiting a large planet, in a small farmhouse in a small village, there was a box, and in this box was a feather.”</b>

When my friend recommended me this book because she loved it, I went in with high expectations. I was not disappointed. By the last chapter I was sobbing. Who doesn't love a book that takes their heart and just utterly destroys it? A book that leaves you craving the second installment, a book where you love the villain and want for her redemption so bad that you wish you could enter the book yourself.

This book delivers all of that and more. The three main characters are Amani, Maram, and Idris. Maram is the heir apparent (or is trying her damnedest to get that nomination from her father) to the Vath empire. Idris is Maram's betrothed, taken as a part of the treaty the Vath signed because they violated galactic law by conquering the Kushailan peoples and other planets surrounding their own moon of Andala. Amani is Maram's physical twin in just about every way, even though they are not biologically related.

All three of them are so three dimensional, just when you think you've seen all that you can about a characters depth, you find more.

The plot follows Amani as she's kidnapped by Maram to be her body double, to attend all events that may put Maram in harms way - people hate Maram. You follow Amani as she learns how to be Maram, how to navigate the Vath world, to remain true to herself and find a future free from Vath rule, and protect those she has come to hold so dearly to her heart.

The only downside I had with this book is that its marketed as sci-fi and yet the sci-fi elements almost felt like an afterthought. The book would have been virtually the same without space travel, and the droids. But that issue is so minor it didn't affect my rating.

Such an amazing debut novel. I look forward to many more by this author.

This isn't what I expected it to be, and I'm totally okay with that. This is a book that relies heavily on character development and runs at a slower pace - allowing its readers to really absorb its characters purpose as well as more complicated themes relating to colonialism and the eradication of native cultures. The author does a fantastic job with both of these elements, creating opportunities for discussion.

I think the only element that really had me confused was the sci-fi/fantasy hybrid. The inclusion of droids and the other more clearly sci-fi components felt superfluous and didn't seem to add much to what would have been a perfectly fine fantasy novel. I'm curious if they'll play a larger role in the subsequent books in the series, but for now the focus on the characters and their relationships is what carried this novel and made it the page turner that it was.

Overall - a great read for teens and one that has earned its place on YA shelves and would be an excellent choice for book clubs.

n this Moroccan inspired sci-fi/fantasy read, our protagonist, Amani, is taken away from her family and planet by an oppressive regime right in the middle of her coming of age ceremony. She soon discovers that she’s been taken because she looks exactly like the princess and heir to the throne, Maram. As assassination threats aimed at Maram get more serious, Amani realizes that she’s been taken to be trained as a body double. While at first swept away by the trappings of the court, Amani comes to understand that she faces mortal danger on two fronts: if she doesn’t portray the princess well enough, if she’s discovered, she’ll be killed. If she plays the princess too well, she’s likely to be assassinated.

When I read this premise, I knew I needed to get this book in my hands. I love court intrigue and the chance to learn about a new-to-me culture. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. For almost every element that I consider when considering a book’s merit, there was something that I liked and something that I hated. For example, take the world building. The Moroccan lense through which the world was built led to some rich cultural and fantastical elements as well as some pointed commentary about the negative effects of culture erasure and colonialism. However, the science fiction elements were completely out of place, unnecessary, and jarring. They’d take a spaceship to another planet and I would have totally forgotten they were in space, that’s how extraneous the science fiction elements were. There was a paradoxical wealth and dearth of technology that drove me a little crazy.

Maram was really well developed and was a very interesting character as she's got a bit of moral ambiguity going on. Amani was a little flat and seemed to have almost no agency. She falls into instalove with Maram’s fiancé who was even more flat than Amani, so perhaps they deserve each other? The plot meandered, and I often wondered where the story was going – it did get interesting after Amani realizes she’s in a great place to further resistance efforts but that realization was a long walk to a short drink of water, to use an aphorism from my childhood.

While I liked elements of the book, on the whole, it didn’t work for me. Many other reviewers have loved it, though, so if the premise sounds intriguing, you may consider giving it a try. For readers of Renee Ahdieh and Tomi Adeyemi. I liked half of it, so I’ll give it half of the stars: 2.5.

Thanks to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the eARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review. Mirage is available now – put your copy on hold today!

Wow! What a book Mirage was. I never expected this to be so diverse and character-driven. This book has a thin line between fantasy and science-fiction. Though I won’t call it necessarily a fantasy book, there were sci-fi elements like droids and data packets and planets and moons. The overall setting of the book is Moroccan-inspired which definitely adds a charm to the story.

This story is about Amani who is living with her parents and two brothers on the moon called Cadiz. On the day of her coming of age celebration, when she got her daan and officially entered to adulthood, she was kidnapped by Vathek droids and was taken to the royal palace, the Ziyaana, on the planet of Andala. There she finds that she looks identical to the cruel princess Maram and she was brought there to took Maram’s place in public gatherings because her life was in danger.

WHAT I LIKED
=> I loved Amani’s character. She made an interesting lead. I love how she was inclined towards poetry and in difficult times it was the poetry passed to her that gave her courage and pushed forward. I really admired how well connected she was to her culture and wanted to preserve the remaining bits and traditions, which was destroyed by Vathek rule.
=> The cruel princess, Maram, was my favorite character in the story. She was an enchanting villain with an interesting and complex development. I love villains who are more than simply bad. I hated her in the beginning but soon she became my favorite of all.
=> I really loved how the relationship between Amani and Maram changed over the time. From enemies, they were turning to kind of friends and Amani felt as if she was a big sister to Maram. I really loved that transformation, though it was short-lived.
=> Idris was the fiance of Maram but soon he fell for Amani. I simply adored him. His arrangement with Maram was merely politically based and when he opens up with Amani about his childhood and earlier life, it was wonderful to read about his story. I can’t wait to read more about Idris and his part in the new world arrangement.
=> All the other side characters were intricate and well-developed. I really hated Nadine, adored Tala. I really liked that how every character took its own space in the story and yet they never overwhelmed me.
=> The world building was wonderful. Somaiya Daud has crafted an amazing and horrifying world which you would definitely hate to live in. The planet and moon system and all have been created beautifully. But at the same time, the brutality of the Vathek empire has been depicted very well.
=> The book talks about the themes of colonialism and the erasure of native cultures. Andala had been invaded and occupied by cruel Vathek empire. This book also talks about the themes of love and loss, kindness, and friendship.
=> The writing was absolutely wonderful. Somaiya Daud’s writing was flowy and stunning and it kept me hooked to the story till the end. I was never bored by her words or the way she explained the events.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
=> As I said earlier, the story is heavily character-oriented so it doesn’t have a lot of things going on in terms of plot if you compare it with other YA fantasies. But the world building is fantastic and if you are okay with character-driven stories this will definitely keep you entertained.
=> The writing was really beautiful, but in some places, the scenes were dragged. The dialogues were quite less and it was more of descriptions and exploring relationships. So it appears a little slow at times.
=> I think the addition of sci-fi elements felt unnecessary? It could simply have been a straight-up fantasy. But the droids and live feed and other things add nothing interesting to the story.

Overall, Mirage is a powerful own-voices Moroccan inspired SFF with a strong heroine and an enchanting villain. The world-building is brilliant with rich cultural descriptions and well-developed characters. The themes of love, loss, friendship, colonial oppression, and rebellion have been depicted wonderfully. If you love to read character driven stories and don’t mind if the story is a little slow, then you would definitely enjoy this.

I go back and forth a little bit on classification for this book; it's smart and capable young adult fiction that happens to be set in space and is therefore science fiction on some level, but it's really quite difficult to decide whether it's dystopic or not. There is a kind of dynasty, with warring factions vying for power, and there is a resistance rising among the common people--and there are some of the other trappings familiar to readers of dystopic young adult science fiction and fantasy, such as a love triangle (or loyalty quadrangle, really) and a commoner who is required to put on fancy dresses for the first time. But there's a lot that's new and fresh, too, including an empire with aesthetics and a history and resonances that strike that perfect balance between introducing Western readers to the Bedouin people and other non-Western cultures and steering clear of cultural appropriation. There are still, despite the power and progress of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks hashtag, very few books which strike this balance out there, and I'm grateful for all of them. In addition to its importance, "Mirage" is a highly readable book with some beautiful descriptions woven in. I'll be first in line to beg Daud to make room for the LGBTQIA+ community in future installments, but the great thing about starting a new series is that such a hope springs eternal!

I absolutely loved this book! I don't typically read fantasy/sci-fi novels but Mirage sounded fascinating with its Moroccan-inspired setting and strong female protagonists. Amani's quiet courage, confidence, and loyalty to her people and her culture shine in the midst of the turmoil surrounding her. Maram represents everything Amani is not, but yet a reader can't help but want her to change, transform, and blossom into someone worth cheering for.

Mirage has everything - two opposing cultures vying for power, strong main characters, valuable and interesting supporting characters, and a luxurious setting painted to perfection. I can't wait for the next book in the series to see what happens next!

Mirage is a YA fantasy novel based on a recent historical period from the author’s ancestral land of Morocco. Known as the Years of Lead, it was a bloody episode during which dissidents were arrested or executed. In spite of the heavy subject matter, the author tells a charming story of love, friendship and being true to yourself.

In the Mizaal Galaxy there are stars and planets and moons – and rebels. A recent war has left the Imperialistic Vath in control of the region and the native tribes of the planet Andala and her terraformed moons are now their subjects. Given the Vath’s predilection for extreme violence, any resistance to their control receives a harsh and swift answer. In spite of that, small groups of Andalaan insurgents are plotting to regain control of their homelands. Known simply as the rebellion, these fighters wreak havoc on their conquerors, determined to throw off the dictatorship of Vath King Mathis and his daughter, the deeply unpopular Crown Princess Maram.

On Cadiz, a moon of Andala, it is the night of Amani’s majority and she is beyond excited. As a young girl of the Kushaila tribe, tonight’s ceremony means she will finally receive her daan, the special facial tattoos which mark out familial lineage and your parent’s hopes for your future. It has been a tough week, with rebels hiding in the fields and the Vath destroying those fields in retaliation. People wonder what the village will do for food and how many will be lost but in spite of that, tonight there will be a party. Amani’s evening has had a fortuitous start; she has been given special gifts by her mother and brother which seem to promise a bright future. Amani practically floats to the ceremony. When all the girls who are celebrating that night have received their marks, there is feasting and laughter and music. Until the Vath show up.

All the girls having their majority are lined up as the droid soldiers of their imperial conquerors scan each face, looking, Amani assumes, for rebels. But when they scan her face, they come to a stop. Her surprised resistance leads to violence, so Amani suppresses her fears and goes quietly with her captors.

Arriving at the imperial palace, she expects to be tortured for information about the rebels who had recently hidden in her town. It’s information she doesn’t have. Instead she learns she is to be the body double for Princess Maram. Maram has the heart of her cruel father and the face of her mother, the last Kushaila queen of Andala. The perfect blend of conqueror and conquered, Maram has no love for her mother’s people or their ways. She plans to continue her father’s violent rule – if she can survive long enough to gain power.

During their initial meeting, Amani learns firsthand that the rumors of Maram’s cruel nature are true. When Amani answers a question Maram asks with a less than desired deference, Maram has her hunting hawk grab Amani by the shoulder and drag her across the room. As Amani lays bleeding at Maram’s feet, she assures Amani that worse – far worse – awaits her and her family if she is anything but a pliable, biddable doll for the Imperial palace to mold as they see fit. With such incentive, Amani quickly learns how to dress, talk and speak like the princess until she is an exact replica of Maram.

Then she meets Idris ibn Salih, Maram’s fiancé who, like Amani and Maram, has Andalaan heritage. But unlike Maram, Idris embraces his culture and is a kind and gentle person. Soon, time spent with him is Amani’s only joy. Which is a very dangerous thing, for he belongs to Maram and Maram tolerates no rivals.

This is a slow burn story which focuses on relationships over action. Maram, Amani and Idris all live in highly volatile and dangerous positions within a warring political system. While galactic law demands that Maram inherit the planets once under her mother’s rule, thereby turning the Vath less into conquerors and more into legitimate heirs, there is plenty of opposition to that plan. Maram is dealing with both Vathek prejudice for her mixed blood, and a possible coup as relatives on her father’s side of the family consider how best to usurp her throne. She has been raised with only survival in mind, leaving her with a cruel and vindictive nature. Kindness to her mother’s people could be seen as either weakness or treason and both would lead to her being deposed. Yet as Amani discovers, Maram longs for true friendships. As the two girls get to know each other, a gradual softening occurs, allowing them to see value in each other.

Idris is a prince with no power. His family, once rulers within the Andala system, have almost all been killed, and those that haven’t are hostage to his good behavior. He is another nod to galactic law, serving as a royal stud who will increase the Andalaan strain of blood on Maram’s side of the vak Mathis line. Having learned to navigate his position through charm and intellect, he’s gained Maram’s affection as well as the love of all the people in Andala and its satellites. His precarious position is made even more vulnerable by his growing affection for Amani. She, not Maram, seems to understand his dreams, wishes and hopes for the future, but Amani’s life doesn’t belong to her and any relationship could see them, and their families killed and the people of Andala punished for the betrayal.

The prose here is smooth and the well-drawn characters are reminiscent of Western teens (and perhaps teens everywhere) in that they are searching for themselves and for where they fit into the world. That they lean more towards introspection than action makes sense given the nature of the story. Embedded into the prose are some images that are perhaps not easily accessible to Westerners such as the warrior queen Dihya, (also called Kahina) a Berber who fought against the Muslim invasion of Maghreb and the use of the term Vathek for the invaders, which refers to an eighteenth century French Orientalist novel which featured an Arabian caliph who denounces Islam and after a series of misadventures, winds up in hell. The themes they represent, though, – of female leadership, of the evils of colonial rule – are easily understood from the text.

Mirage is very much a first book which sets up the world and characters of which our adventure will be made. Perfectly designed to appeal to fans of Sabaa Tahir and Renee Ahdieh, this tale will make an excellent addition to any YA library.

Okay, so I had a rocky start to this book, because it reminded me of a few other books I recently read. And because of this I could not get into it. That being said, I think that I will come back and finish the book at a later time. There are some powerful and important themes, including hope in a disheartening reality. This is such an important theme in today’s world. Plus, Daud introduces a diverse perspective that is much needed in the YA genre. I would definitely recommend this book to readers that love a main character that perseveres and dreams despite the odds! Not to mention some very reputable reading sources have absolutely enjoyed this book, so I'm excited to dive in again soon!

I love this book! The concept is so genius - a young woman is kidnapped by a violent regime to act as a body double for a cruel and hated princess - and had me hooked from the very beginning. The characters are so strong and complex, and the relationships between them are riveting. I love a book that makes me feel conflicted about the villain. The world building is fantastic as well, and I hope we learn more about the star system in future books. The ending is such a cliff hanger! This is my first time reading a space opera, and what a fantastic place to start!