Summary

Mirage follows a girl named Amani and her journey navigating the royal world of the Vathek empire. She is kidnapped one day and brought to be a double for the princess Maram, who is in great danger because of the public's opinion of her. Over the course of the book, she learns how to be Maram rather than herself and makes connections with others in the royal scene as she convinces everyone that she is not herself.

Likes

I love the cover as I said in my opening statement: I think it's beautiful and fits the book well. I feel like Flatiron almost always has beautiful covers for their published books and this is no exception. First, this story reminded me a lot of Star Wars and Padme. I absolutely love Star Wars and I love those early movies so that was a welcome reminder to something I already like. I thought that Amani was a very likable main character but because of the situation, she felt silenced to me. She did make moves but I felt like I was left wanting more from her character. I am sure that will change as the series goes on and she has the potential to be somewhat of a Laia from AEITA for me, which is super exciting because I love that series. I liked Idris, too, and their relationship development over the course of the book felt real and I enjoyed that.

Dislikes

The premise of Mirage was good, but I didn't feel too much of a connection to the story. I feel like I read it quicker than usual and I wasn't as enveloped as I usually am. I began to hear much more about this book lately and I had higher expectations because of that as well. I felt like it had a mix of character types and storylines from other books I've read and I appreciated that because then it added its own twist that did make it unique. Even though it was strongly reminding me of Star Wars, it wasn't that completely, and I feel that the world was built pretty well and I always love the space setting. I suppose I was just left wanting more and that is what deterred me from giving it a higher rating. I think I will pick up the next book in the series because it pulled me in a lot more in the end with the plot.

Recommendation

I would recommend this book to fans of Star Wars as well as An Ember in the Ashes. I felt like it was a mix of these :)

This book actually took me far longer to read than I anticipated. Generally, this is not a good sign for a 300 page young adult novel but with Mirage it was a little different. It became pretty clear from the beginning that I was a little out of my league with this one. I’m just so un-used to science fiction that my reading fluency was embarrassingly poor. There were just too many strange names, people and descriptions that I had to pause too many times to figure it out. In my opinion, reading fluency has just as much to do with the reader as it does with the author, so I can’t hold Daud too much at fault here. Still, if SF/F is not something you read a lot, it may take you a bit to get into the flow. For me, I finally got there around 40% of the way through.

But even with this personal difficulty, Mirage was such a pleasure to read.

First of all, for a debut novel, I was impressed with Daud’s voice. Amani was a wonderful, strong and believable hero & she is surrounded by a cast of fantastic side characters – each one just as full and tragic as the last. I absolutely adored Princess Maram. She has a fantastic vein of cruelty in her but at the same time just the right amount of vulnerability that you really have no idea what side she is really on.

At the same time, Idris is sweet and playful. He is a breath of fresh air among the brutal backdrop of Vathek rule. But of course, he is not that simple. He has his own demons, just like everyone else. I love how the events of the past, all happening so long ago that our main cast really had no hand in them, still effects each character in their own unique way. There are so many tragic consequences to their war.

And then of course, there is a delicious streak of feminism weaved into the backbone of the novel. Without forcing it down your throat or even making it too obvious – it just is. Women are the heroes of this world, and that alone is something to be excited about.

“…you are not defined by the men in your life, no matter how powerful. You lived before them and you shall live after them. You can’t let them determine your path.”

There were a few things that I didn’t love overall about Mirage. I would have liked to see a little more of an ending, as opposed to the set up to Book #2 that we got. Especially with debut authors, I’m less forgiving about not giving me an excellent ending. In the same vein, I’m not sure why Daud thought she needed to include the Prologue. To me in was unnecessary and it made the climatic moments at the end of the novel less impactful. It felt like we were building to something big. Unfortunately, the drama just sort of petered out and resolved far too quickly.

But, while the ending was only so-so, Daud definitely delivered on the final scene. She got me excited for the next installment. And I guess if that’s what you’re ultimately left with, it could be worse… 🙂

So, I thought this was a fantasy when I started it. And it almost could be; the writing is so lush and beautiful, and it reads like a fantasy. But it’s actually science fiction, which I’m not the biggest fan of, and yet it worked for me. It’s a bit on the slower side, as in there’s not a whole lot of action. The MC, Amani, is taken from her home to be the target for a princess she hates. But through everything, there is a fight in Amani that you can’t help admiring. She might have been beaten down and turned into someone she can’t even recognize, but she’s still fighting against the bonds that hold her to the colonizers that took what wasn’t theirs. There is so much political intrigue here, but it packs emotional punches too. Amani loves her family dearly, and Idris longs for his homeland and people, that both the characters have a lot of feelings to sort through, and dive headfirst into a romance that is as bitter as it is sweet. I’m so invested in them that I’m eager for the next book; I hope the sequel delivers the same voicey, luscious tone that accompanied Mirage.

The latest diverse offering in the YA Fantasy realm, Mirage by Somaiya Daud is a fresh, unique, Moroccan-inspired space fantasy. It had a few details that didn't work for me personally, but it was still an engaging read. I gave it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Amani lives on the moon Cadiz, and her planetary system is under the repressive occupation of the Vathek people. On the evening of her coming of age celebration, she is kidnapped by the Vath and taken to the capitol planet Andala. She learns that she is an almost identical match to the Crown Princess Maram, and will be trained to be her body double in public. Maram is half Vathek, half Andalaan, and hated by both. Cruel and despotic like her Vathek father, Maram's life is threatened by the rebels that still attempt to throw of Vathek rule. Amani must learn to impersonate Maram perfectly or her family will face the consequences of her failure.

As Amani is pulled deeper in Maram's dangerous world, she grows to understand the princess better, and develops a doomed attraction to Maram's fiance Idris. Pulled into a rebel plot, Amani must decide how best to serve her people; using her influence to soften Maram's heart...or getting rid of her altogether.

My thoughts: This book was super easy to read, but there were a few things that kept it from getting a full 4 or 5 star rating. First, the book was relatively short, so I felt things progressed too quickly. We kept hearing how cruel and harsh Maram was, but didn't see it in action more than once or twice. And Amani kept remarking on how perfectly she acted like Maram, but the few times she was in public she said very little, or people noticed that Maram was acting off. It would have been nice to see Amani have to REALLY become the cruel princess and deal with the emotional fallout. There's a small instant where she has to make a hard choice, but she seemed to get over the guilt pretty quickly.

Second, the romance was sweet, but again because of the length of the book, happened really quickly, and honestly was kind of uninspiring.

Third, and this was totally my own opinion, the author's writing style was a bit too flowery and emotive for my personal taste. I ended up skimming a lot of the descriptive or introspective passages. But other reviewers love that aspect, so to each their own.

Now the good! Loved the setting. Loved the Moroccan feel, and putting in space took it to a whole new level. Amani was very likable, feminist heroine. The are several really intriguing secondary characters who I definitely want to see more of in the sequels. And the underlying narrative of colonization and native/cultural suppression...YES. These are stories that need to be told, and from this perspective. All in all, I'm really looking forward the rest of this series.

*I received an advanced copy of this title for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There were moments when I glimpsed the world as it was before the occupation of the Vath. When my mother or father spoke without thinking, or a village aunt said when I was young, or a man sang an old song I’d never heard before. The bones of our old ways of life were there, barely traceable, and I wanted them back. I wanted all of us to remember what we’d been, how strong we were. And endurance was strength, to be sure, but even a rock wore away to nothing if asked to endure enough rain. I could want until I was dead and nothing would come to pass. Wanting never solved anything.

First impressions: Isn’t the cover gorgeous? I was really excited to read this because of the summary – intrigue, invaders, sci-fi inspired by middle eastern stories – all sounds amazing!

The story starts with Amani as she prepares to go through a ritual through which girls in her tradition become adults and receive a tattoo on their faces expressing their family’s hopes and dreams for their future. Part way through the celebration, Vathek soldiers arrive and Amani is kidnapped. When she wakes up, she meets the half-Vathek princess Maram, hated by both sides and discovers that she is to be her body double.

I connected with Amani straight away – she is a sympathetic, yet realistic character, a girl with her head stuck in the clouds even as she understands what she has to do with her feet on the ground. She handles herself with control and dignity, even when she is treated with disdain, attempting to follow the example of a heroine of legend, Massinia, and take control of her destiny.

One character I did not expect to like, but grew to love, was Maram herself. At first she seems like the typical spoiled princess, but her character grows and changes the most over the course of the book, as Amani challenges her preconceptions and allows her the opportunity to be a girl rather than a symbol or a politician.

It is hard for me to express everything I loved about this book without spoiling the story, but, needless to say I was completely hooked and will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!

It was Maram’s voice that came out of me, but my sentiment had shaped the speech. I’d avoided mention of the Vath and hoped that in hearing Maram, in seeing her— me— wearing the old Andalaan seal, those who witnessed the consecration of the ground would leave with hope. Would think of our endurance and our survival. More than that, I hoped that Maram would think back on the words she’d helped me craft, and envision a world without the cruelties of her father’s reign. It was a small hope, I thought, looking out over the crowd . But an important one— if Maram could be the ruler that her father had failed to be, that her mother had wanted to be, then there was hope for us— for all of us. Wasn’t there? I had to believe it.

My family would always be in danger now. Because I had dared to dream of a world without the Vath. Because I’d dared to put that dream into action. And the danger would never fade.

What I liked: Amani’s character, Maram’s character growth, the way the romance developed naturally and slowly, it was refreshing to read about a culture that wasn’t based around Europe, the importance of storytelling and poetry to the characters, the familial relationships.

Even better if: In amny ways the world-building was very rich, with the legends and poetry. Yet, at times I found the world-building about the invading empire a bit confusing – I would have benefitted from a bit more of an explanation for the motives behind the Vathek invasion. I am guessing we will see more of the ‘science’ in the science-fiction in the next book.

How you could use it in your classroom: Any lovers of fantasy or sci-fi will also enjoy this! This could also be used to spark discussion about rites of passage to adulthood (I was fascinated by the facial tattoos), as well as digging into the politics of being an invader / invaded country and how to rule fairly.

3.5 stars

Poetry-loving, gentle Amani is celebrating her majority when she's kidnapped by the Vath overseers. It turns out that she has an uncanny resemblance to the Vath princess, the half-Andalan, half-Vath, and 100% cruel Maram. And Maram needs a body double. Slowly, Amani is molded to double as her hated enemy's second self...and begins to realize that there are many ways to resist.

This could easily have been a five star read. From the Middle Eastern sci-fi setting to the background and world-building with a woman prophet and the love of all things poetry and the consequences of a world ruled by ruthless conquerors, it had everything going for it.

I loved the in-depth look of Maram and how she straddled both of her cultural inheritances, had been trained to hate one, and yet felt completely apart from both. Her character had so much complexities that I wish had been explored further and that more time had been spent on Amani and her relationship instead of that incredibly forced instalovefest with Idris-the-YA-Snoozefest.

Seriously. This book lost 1.5 lovely, amazing stars because the plot just seemed to draaaaaaag every time Idris and Amani got together. Right from the instant, she felt something between them, but they never really had an intellectual conversation, discussed their feelings, or did anything deep at all. Idris had such potential to be a rich character (his entire family was dead, he was stripped of his cultural birthrate, he was basically a hostage to the Vath—all of this is mentioned and shown but it never really went deeper). It was 100% puppy love. I'm not sure if that was the point or not, however, but I felt like Idris could have been cut out almost completely and everything I disliked would be twenty billion times better.

I also wished that the sci-fi portion was a little stronger. I wanted to know a little more about how technology interacted between the Vath and the Andala, how it was used to keep the Andalans in check, how the rebels managed to bypass it, etc., etc. And how the varying planets and moons differed from each other and how the galactic coalition saw the Vath's attack. I wanted more world-building, in other words. So much had been done, but I was so intrigued and fascinated by the world that I just want more.

Definitely going to be tuning in for book 2—I want to see how this series continues.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Amani, our 16 year old heroine receives facial tattoo’s that tell a story about her family’s history as well as attributes of her personality. When some robot type soldiers scan her face and take her hostage, I was intrigued. OK, this is a Moorish/Sci-fi book. Interesting! When Amani finds out why she has been taken, because she has features close enough to be their princesses body double I thought hmmm again. I’m not sure how this is all going to fit together. Even though at times I stopped to hmmm at the plot, I did think Samaiya Daud crafted a really interesting world.

As I read further the interesting bits seemed to fade away until I felt like I was reading another Alwyn Hamilton novel though not as exciting. A young woman finds herself in unfortunate circumstances and rises above her situation to take a stand against the evil empire and fall in love. Don’t get me wrong, it was an enjoyable story! It just felt kind of familiar. What wasn’t familiar was the science fiction aspect of it and I really wish that the feeling was more sci-fi than Moroccan? It was that that made this novel original, although I suppose a mash-up of the two hasn’t been done before.

Characters:

Amani was a nice solid heroine. Once she got past her circumstance she was determined to make a difference. I always like a heroine who doesn’t turn to mush when things get difficult. The Vathek is a conquering race who has subjugated the natives, slowly killing them off (sounds familiar to us Americans, doesn’t it?) and Amani wants to do her part to help stop them.

The evil Princess Maram, who’d had Amani kidnapped to be her stand in was the most interesting character. She was evil, anxious, and confused and her flaws made her interesting. As the story went on and we learned how sad her life was, she went from black and white 2D to full 3D technicolor. I wished that this book had been written from her POV instead of Amani’s.

Yes, there was also a love interest. Idris? Ilbis? I’ll be truthful, I couldn’t get Idris Elba out of my head and have smashed his name together in my head. Anyway, he was from one of the subjugated tribes, fated to be the sole survivor and marry the evil princess. Instead he hangs with her body double. You can guess what happens to that love triangle.

Did I love this book? No. Did I hate it? Definitely not! I just couldn’t get past some similarities to other novels I’d read and that kind of ruined it for me. If the pace had been a bit quicker, I might’ve enjoyed it a bit more. However, other readers have absolutely LOVED this novel. I say, read it and you be the judge!

❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

This was stunning. I thought how could there be such a thing as a Sci-Fi /Fantasy your either Science Fiction or your Fantasy you can't really be both. And I will admit I was wrong. This totally works. And I think the reason it works is that this leaned towards more fantasy than Sci-Fi. they both weren't jockeying to be center stage.

The gist of the story is our MC is arrested for a crime that is so unbelievably ridiculous <spoiler>I'm sorry you can't help your face.. And must now impersonate a cruel princess and learn what it all takes to be a royal. I loved the Moroccan inspired themes that was weaved throughout. It was nice to see the planet and cultural identities that wasn't inspired by Medieval European history that we see so much in Fantasy. I really enjoyed Amani as a character it was so cute to see her geek out over poetry I think we can all relate to geeking out over something we love. There is definitely some feminism themes weaved throughout but it sometimes seems to get lost when our protagonist is interacting with the love interest and it kind falls in the insta love trope we sometimes see in the YA genre.. This is more of a character driven fantasy than say action driven fantasy like Furyborn which released earlier this year. I enjoyed both but I know some people prefer more action and adventure in there Fantasy reads. And pretty much all Sci-Fi is action driven. I am hoping we get to see more of the Sci-Fi side in the next installment and the interplanetary system. that would be so intriguing to learn about.

Overall this is a nice addition to the fantasy genre and a great addition to the own voices authors that I will recommend to everyone in search of a more diverse read.

What an amazing read. Great world-building. Heartbreaking and fast-paced. I will definitely be recommending.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested a review copy of Somaiya Daud's debut novel Mirage, but I'm glad I submitted that request! This books is quite unique, and I loved it a lot!

Mirage is a very unique blend of science fiction, fantasy, and cultural fiction tied up in a beautiful and immersive young adult novel. I've not seen many books like this one before, and I haven't seen these genres combined as Daud has done.

The imagery and world-building in Mirage are the strongest elements in this story, and both are gorgeously constructed and described. Buildings and clothing reflect the aesthetic and values of Amani's culture, and the ruling culture (the Vathek) that steals her away. Architecture is very arabesque and styled in a traditionally Middle Eastern/Moroccan fashion, and attest to the strength of the Vathek. Daud spends a lot of time crafting atmospheric as integral to the three-dimensional feel of this world. An example of Daud's skill at description is as follows:

"This portion of the palace somehow surpassed the beauty of the old queen's wing. Gleaming stone walls were carved with arabesque arches and inlaid with bright blue and orange tiles. Many of the walkways opened up onto gardens and courtyards, and birdsong twined with the sound of babbling water. True sunlight streamed through glass ceilings. I was led through porticoes and lovers' alcoves, passed through clouds of perfume and air filled with the trill of music."

It's as if the world itself--the cultures--is just as much a character as Amani or the princess.

Daud's focus adds a layer of realism to the overall reading experience. Readers will recognize elements of the real world. and I loved seeing a bit of the Middle East in my mind as I read--mixed with this new and exciting universe. I don't think I would have been as nearly as immersed in this book as I was without that deep and rich world-building. It's not common in YA as usually romantic story arch or action take a front seat to crafting living worlds. As an aside, I couldn't help but picture Tatooine from Star Wars, since it was a desert-like planet with a rich culture--and Daud's world felt like visiting Tatooine in some respects. If this was an intentional nod or inspiration, it's quite creative.

As much as the world surrounding Amani drives the story, character development is actually the focus here. Amani is an interesting character, the native captured by the colonizer and forced into serving her oppressors--so we have clear themes of colonialism and native oppression driving this story. This comes with some interesting back and forth between her and Maram--the princess to whom she is to serve as a body double and navigate the culture of her oppressors. Both women begin as distinctly separate people. Amani is someone who values family, community, and poetry, evident by her reproach of the prince in his poor translations of her people's folklore. Maram is the princess who comes from both Vathek and Kushaila (Amani's culture), and her mother's Kushaila roots is something she tries to suppress. She goes through life with an iron will and heart of stone. Maram has no love or respect for Kushaila culture and works to bully this out of Amani.

Over time, however, Amani is subtly able to rebel by reconnecting to her Kushaila roots through Idris, and the two come together over these shared interests. As Amani notes,

"And this, poetry like this, was all we had to preserve our stories, our music, our history."

At the same time, the wealth, power, and sparkle of Maram's life seduces Amani in many ways. This draws on themes of assimilation and acculturation and Amani struggles to retain her sense of self and identity. Ultimately, readers will find her strong, and her position will only strengthen her resolve. On the other hand, we have Maram, who is not wholly villainous and is also a victim of her world. She is not good enough for either of her cultures, so her brutality is her last attempt at power. She is the "hyphenated" the "inbetween" and she becomes one who has no identity because of her position. While not an excuse for being brutal and cruel (as there is no excuse for the brutality of colonialism), we can sympathize with her position. The women are two representations of the sad consequences of imperialism and colonialism on the Other. Moreover, Daud crafts a quite feminist novel as well, as both women can be seen as victims of the violent, patriarchal societies that have created them and keep them as they are. Further, Daud expertly draws subtle context from Morocco's history with French colonialism and its brutalities. Through it all, there is push for hope, for freedom from cruelty and oppression--from those in power and from that we create ourselves. As Amani wonders:

"those who witnessed the consecration of the ground would leave with hope. Would think of our endurance and our survival. More than that, I hoped that Maram would think back on the words she'd helped me craft, and envision a world without the cruelties of her father's reign. It was a small hope, I thought...but an important one--if Maram could be the ruler that her father had failed to be, that her mother had wanted her to be, then there was hope for us--for all of us."

Again, these interweavings make Mirage a living, breathing, immersive world.

Daud's novel is definitely character-driven, and the story focuses on conversation and character narrative for its progression. We aren't stuck with incessant action scenes, battles, or quests. We are presented with characters who are deeply flawed, multi-faceted, and all too human. Likewise, we are given a look into a world riddled with cruelty, brutality, but one that is also full of love and beauty. This kind of sums up this entire novel--this books is gorgeous, and I can't wait to get my hands on the second in this stunning duology.

There is so much more in this novel that I could talk about, dissect, analyze, but then I'd leave you with nothing, no surprises to look forward to. Because, ultimately, reading this book is an experience, and is one you should take for yourself. It's utterly brilliant and is worthy of the praise and hype it's getting. It may be one of the most important releases of the year.

In a world ruled by the Vath, Amani and her family try to make the best of it. She enjoys the poetry from before the Vathek took over and often wonder what it would have been like before.

On Amani's majority night, she is kidnapped in front of her family and brought to the royal palace. She then discovers that she looks just like the princess Miram, who is half-Vathek. And that, because Miram's advisors believe there will be an attempt on her life, the princess must have a body double. Amani is taught to become the princess, and then eventually is able to step into her life.

But trying to reconcile her new life with her anti-Vath beliefs is difficult. She must, though, because her life, her family's lives, and the lives of so many others depend on it.

This was such a great book and I'm excited for the next one! The world-building is awesome, the characters are fleshed out well, and the culture is fascinating. I'm going to be waiting impatiently for book two! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mirage was everything I had hoped it would be. With dynamic characters, beautiful writing, and an important message, I was completely captivated from the beginning and there wasn’t much I didn’t enjoy. This is such a wonderful debut novel and I can’t wait for more from this author.

Mirage is Moroccan-inspired sci-fi story that reads like a fantasy. The elements of the two genres blend seamlessly together. From the lush writing to the vivid descriptions, Somaiya Daud has created an intriguing world that I couldn’t get enough of. It was so easy to sit down and become immersed in the story I was reading.

The characters in Mirage were very well-developed and interesting. Amani was a wonderful protagonist with admiring inner strength and values. Maram is a complex character, with many different layers to her. She was so fascinating and I was surprised to find myself really liking her. The author gave her character a lot of depth which made the story so much more exciting. I loved watching how the interactions between Maram and Amani changed over time, and the reluctant friendship that began to develop. In regards to the romance; it did feel a little fast, but I didn’t mind it that much since it was subtle and there was so many other wonderful things happening in the story.

Mirage was a pleasant surprise, and I’m still in awe that this is Somaiya Daud’s debut. Her writing, world-building, plot, and characters all came together perfectly to create an intricate, engaging story. I would definitely recommend giving this book a read as soon as it releases!

“The crown of Dihya had been stripped from me, my face changed, my body broken. But I was not a slave and I was not a spare.”

Stars (Out of 10): 9/10 Stars

Favorite Character: Amani

I was approved for this ARC months ago, and I hate that I only just now got to it! It beat all of my expectations, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the series.

From the beginning, Mirage hooked me. Something about Amani, our main character, felt so genuine and real, yet she was still an incredibly kind and likable person. She’s the type of main character I haven’t seen in a while, as most YA Fantasy narrators seem to all be “stubborn” and “strong” lately, so it was really refreshing to read something new. Additionally, Amani was quite a layered character. She had a heart of gold that truly cared about those hurting around her, regardless of their race, but she was also still a strong character, making decisions for herself and her own happiness. At the same time, she was still touched by the influence of power, and this led to some great inner monologue as Amani struggled between the identity of her past and the girl she was forced to become.

Not only does Mirage have a fantastic main character, the supporting cast is extremely fleshed out as well. The love interest is more than just his looks/love for the main character, but is also seen grieving for his family, and also struggling between his childhood identity and the one first upon him by the conquerors and his need to stay alive. (Also, I must say that this romance feels really well done, as it isn’t the main focus of the novel/does not define either of the characters, but rather adds and builds upon the characters and story that is already there). Additionally, we also have the cruel princess that Amani is a body double for, and while at first she gives off the impression of your standard evil princess, she ends up being so much more. She faces an internal struggle just like everyone else, and reading that was one of my favorite parts of the book.

All of this leads to a book that is rather character driven. The effects of colonialism in this world is explored through the personal effects on the characters, as well as the overarching effects on the native culture of the planet. It gives a new perspective on this topic, compared to recent YA Fantasy novels that deal with this topic, as it aims to show us the pain of the conquered through less overtly violent means. While there is still action and violence, it is mainly kept in the beginning of the tale, and the story seems to move towards a different way of losing yourself in a world conquered.

I also really loved the world and culture built into this book. While we don’t learn a lot at all about the conquerors, the Vath, we do learn a lot about Amani’s own culture and religion. Amani specifically is an extremely religious character, and the stories and poetry built into her culture and religion is a large driving force in the personal narrative of Amani, and even some of the other stories taking place in the book. It adds a whole other layer to Mirage, and works to fully immerse you in both the world and the story, since it is so well intertwined.

The only reason I dropped my rating a little was due to certain aspects of the plot and the pacing of the story. The plot itself was wonderful and interesting, but just occurred rather passively. Most of the events in the story are enacted by others around Amani, rather than herself, and she mainly seems to be reacting towards everything and following the actions and plans of others. However, this is the most realistic option, as Amani is in no position to be making her own plans and choices for most the book. My other issue was pacing. In terms of that, this book felt almost like a flat line. It was an incredible read nonetheless, but there weren’t really moments of surprise or increased intensity, and even the ending had me reading at the same speed and pace as the beginning of the book.

All in all, I absolutely loved this debut, and am so lucky to have gotten the chance to read it early! I highly recommend this novel to those that have found some YA Fantasy novels falling short lately, and want to be reminded what makes the genre so great.

Mirage by Somiaya Daud is an excellent novel. I find her writing to be refreshing in a genre that is overrun with writing of a dystopian nature. Amani is different type of heroine. Taken on the night of an important ceremony in her culture, she rises to the occasion, reluctantly. She is outspoken, but then learns to be less so to survive the nightmare of her captors.  I found myself cheering for her and the maturity she shows in order to achieve this survival. Without spoiling the novel for you, Mirage is a worthy read. I would read it if you are looking for a great read. 

In all honesty, I found myself finding parallels to other events in our human history. To many times an alien race comes to overthrow an established people to take their resources and their land. I am sure Somaiya didn't write this to be political but the novel speaks of these and other issues that itself is a mirage of us. Not everything is what it seems. 

Thank you Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced copies.

I set aside time today to finish this book because I just wanted it to be over. I had heard such hype about it and was looking forward to an exciting sci fi adventure but instead it just dragged along. The main sci fi thing about it is that the Vath are from somewhere else in the solar system. But other than that knowledge about them, they basically act like humans (or like whatever the original people are on the planets where Amani lives), except meaner, so there's not much of a sci fi element. The world that was built was fine but the mythology of the culture was not explained clearly enough for me to embrace it or even understand some of it at times. I wasn't 100% sure what a tesleet was until at least half to three quarters of the way into the book. The love scenes were long, particularly the actual consummation scene, without drawing me in with the descriptions of how Idris didn't speak the language but he could read what she was feeling, etc. On a side note, that poem about ploughing and flushing - OH MY!

Plot-wise, not a whole lot happened. Once Amani got the knack of being Maram, there was the romance and some pretty clothes and a bunch of scenes where Amani met people are fooled them or confessed to them. Even the spying was pretty lackluster. I needed more political intrigue or action. Finally, I expected some sort of revelation about why the two girls looked so much alike, especially since Maram is only half Andalaan (I think that's the ethnicity...) and all the Vathek look very much alike in coloring. I assumed we'd find out they were sisters and then Amani would have to deal with her own tie to her oppressors, but no explanation was offered for the resemblance. It's clear this is book one in a series so maybe that will come up later. For now I have to assume that they're "cousins, identical cousins...".

Somaiya Daud as a debut author displays a deft hand at her craft with this Moroccan-inspired story. Aside from the visual appeal, from the first page the reader is drawn in with the descriptions of Andalaan culture, the people, and what the Vathek colonization and continuing effects thereof has meant for them, more specifically for Amani and her story in Mirage. As I was reading this novel, I felt so much: love, terror, empathy, dread. It was so intense, reading this book.

Immediately drawn into the story of Amani, growing up under the Vathek occupation, I was interested in the detail of everything. Somaiya wove so much in descriptions of events (such as the majority ceremony) stories of deities, and continued to build upon these foundations with her characters.

Amani is the person through whom the story is told and whose perspective we learn things through. Her memories, her history, and most importantly to the events of the book, what life is like because of the Vath, the people that colonized her planet and ultimately kidnap her for their own purposes. There are many instances throughout the book that demonstrate colonialism, the attempts to obliterate the Andalaan culture, so much harshness that draws many parallels to real world events that make some scenes alternately sad, heartbreaking, and stomach churning-ly terrifying.

Mirage was also, I found, a nice blend of character and plot driven narrative. It neither relied too heavily on one or the other. There was much to learn and to derive from the narrative, and rich as it was, you then saw it flow through the characters, influencing their evolution. Early on it was easy to think that they might be one dimensional, but there were subtle moments, a flinch or a comment, that built upon one another until you realized that everyone was either changing or not entirely who they were to begin with. It was confusing, but in a fun, Chesire Cat grin spreading sort of way where you are so happy to realize that there's a new discovery to be made about the people you're reading about.

I liked how, even though Amani had a lot of work to do in order to be prepared as Maram's body double, the necessary elements of this preparation were not conveyed to the reader in excruciating detail. The progress was evident, as shown through tests Amani was put to, and small scenes to training with Nadine, a High Vath secretary of the King. That was enough and it kept the plot moving along, a much appreciated thing where it could easily have been bogged down with text that ran to minutiae that was unnecessary.

Mirage has much to offer its readers from political intrigue to historical threads and more. There's a lot it can teach, a lot it can give, and I think it changes each time you pick it up because there are facets in the magic of reading this book. It's possible to understand something new each time you read a certain passage, like watching a movie over and over again and noticing something new in a familiar scene. Somaiya Daud in her debut has hit a level of exquisite quality and more from her, and from the world of Mirage, will be much anticipated from me.

I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like Mirage before. It’s young adult for sure, though the character ages fall on the cusp, but the world itself feels like a lush mix of fantasy and science fiction that immediately caught my attention. After finishing this book, I don’t remember the characters so much as the world.

This Moroccan-inspired novel follows Amani as she’s dragged away from her home on a distant moon to become the body double for a princess. Talk about a shock. You can’t help but feel for her as she’s stripped of everything that connected her to her people and forced to become brutal and cold like Princess Maram. All around I expected great things here because the premise alone was intriguing. But Mirage fell a bit flat at times.

It’s slow. There’s no other way around it. The action is dulled by the intense focus on Amani and her feelings, her relationship with Maram, with Maram’s fiancé Idris, and how she’s handling the entire situation. While not a bad thing, it just didn’t appeal to me as a reader. I definitely needed more to stay engaged. Especially when the romance was introduced.

For the record, this book was by no means bad but the romance is what knocked a star off my rating. I can get behind insta-love and love triangles in the right situations, but this romance was too much of a whirlwind to buy into it. Almost immediately after meeting each other, Amani and Idris have chemistry (or we’re supposed to believe they do because I wasn’t feeling it). And from that point on, the romance consumed the story. All of which I don’t understand because there’s such a strong focus on the characters’ internal decisions that you’d think the romance would excel.

I. Love. Romances. I do. But not when I don’t ship it and it just wasn’t there. Amani became lovestruck and I lost interest in her.

It’s a shame because her and Maram’s relationship was my favorite. Enemies-to-friends, each questioning their opinions of the other, they showed growth. There wasn’t an easy way out for them. I wanted more of that. They showed such strength of character, especially Amani and what she endures, how she continues pushing forward no matter what. . . it’s inspiring. When we talk about strong female characters, this is what I’m talking about. It’s not about being physically strong (though there’s nothing wrong with that) but a mental strength.

But the characters didn’t sell it for me.

I breezed through this book and that’s largely in part to the world-building. I wasn’t so interested in the writing style but the actual world–this combination of droids and moons and intricate cultures and faith–sold me from page one. I would read the sequel simply for more of that world. Mirage hits on some tough topics too, spanning colonialism from its overall impact to other cultures down to its effect on the everyday person. It’s not a perspective I often see (generally it seems to be the flip side where a colonizer develops sympathy). We need this book and Amani’s story. We need this perspective.

I think Mirage is going to be a smash hit when it comes out. I had issues with it, primarily with the romance and pacing, but it’s a solid debut and I definitely plan to read the sequel.

I feel so honored that you allowed me to review this book. Without giving anything away I will say this was absolutely incredible! One of the best books of the year!

This book was such a shame, it had every potential to be my newest addition to my all-time favorite shelf. It has all the factors/tropes I ever loved, princes, secret identity, fantasy/sci-fi, royalty, and even the idea of being a princess' doppelganger and posing in replacement as her body double seems really promising. So what went wrong?

I try to not pin all the problem I have with this book on the fact that this book didn't have a slow-burn/hate-love relationship (which is SUCH a missed opportunity by the way. Definitely was the first huge blow I got and a big disappointment for me personally). I also know it's not the story's problem, because like I said previously, the story of this book was one of the things that drew me in because it seems so interesting. Maram also proved herself to be a very well-written and in-depth villain that is not "pure" evil, and despite never going into her head once, we still can sense her inner pain of being so hated, stuck "in-between" due to her heritage, and it makes her a very intriguing antagonist.

So back to my point, what ruined this book for me?

The narration.

My alarm bells started ringing like crazy the moment immediately after the first few pages, because several adjectives popped into my head when I'm describing this narration to myself that immediately got me realized how this is going to be a problem for me: soft, kind of weak, slow, gentle...and almost boring.

This reminded me, again, how important it is to make sure your book's narrative interesting to read. Because we are viewing the story al from one pair of eyes (usually), so no matter how good your story is, if your main character is...boring, your narrative is boring, it's going to do some serious damage to one's reading experience.

~ I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~

I did not know what to expect from this book. The blurb read a lot like Aimee Carter's Pawn, so I was hesitant to pick it up. Miss Daud's story although it may have some similar features (the rebellion aspect), weaves a unique tale with a dense cultural background. I loved the distinct cultures of the Kushaila and the Vathekaar, and how the characters navigate these two worlds. I enjoyed the imperfections of Maram's character and how her story line developed over the course of the book. I think this book is a good start to an entertaining series. I can't wait to see what happens next.