Holy wow, we loved this book - it’s so pretty and we are both preordering physical copies as we speak! Mirage is the diverse fantasy adventure we needed and gave us the complex female characters we wanted. The Moroccan inspired setting and culture mixed with the science fiction element of space travel and conquest made this YA fantasy stand out from the mold. We couldn’t put this captivating book down and hope you all give this book a chance.

What We Liked
The Writing and Worldbuilding - We find it hard to believe that this is Duad’s debut novel because she crafts a magical world for her readers. Mirage isn’t your typical mindless fantasy - it’s full of rich cultural descriptions about the different tribes of Andala and life under colonial rule. There is a focus on poetry and folklore in this story that weaves their history. Amani and many of the native Andalans grasp onto this as their culture is slowly eradicated by the Vathek. The detail that Duad put into creating a rich history and world is heartbreaking and breathtaking at the same time.

The Villainous Maram - We loved watching the evolution of Maram, the evil princess who kidnaps Amani as she develops into a character that you want to like despite her past actions. Maram is a complex villain than what we usually see in YA and watching her struggle with hating pieces of herself and her heritage was compelling to read. Maram made us feel things we weren’t prepared to feel and we liked it.

Amani’s Character Growth - The journey of Amani from a terrified kidnapped girl into a strong force that fights her captors every step of the way was one of my favorite parts of this book. At times Amani seemed naive, but overall she developed into a realistic and sensible character who fights for her agency and her people. The difference in her maturity from the beginning to the end of the book is vast and we are excited to see her further development.

Maram and Amani’s Friendship - Their friendship was unexpected and at times made us feel uncomfortable but together they challenged prejudices and really acted like sisters. We found ourselves rooting for this friendship over the romance because they had such a wonderful dynamic. Their bickering was fantastic to read.

The Romance - The romance that peaked throughout this story was perfect. The novel isn’t driven by the romantic plot line, but the romance is sweet, slow burning and the perfect amount of happiness and love peeking through a brutal story. Idris was a little too perfect to be believed at times, so we are interested to see who he turns out to be.

What We Disliked
The Vathek - The Vathek are pure evil and having to read the descriptions of their oppressive rule and how they seek to erase all cultures and beliefs that are not their own was difficult.

There just wasn’t much to not like in this book. It was a great fantasy read without the book hangover. Give it a try!

I was expecting the pacing to be slower than it was; I kind of sped through this one. Granted, this is a pretty slow, character focused story that did drag in the middle, but the dynamic between Amani and Maram was so interesting that I flew through this. Yet, despite it's character focused plot, the overlying themes of colonization, appropriation, erasure and so many other harmful things are at the forefront. We have a rebellion happening in the background and we see how this not only Amani, but third parties as well. And watching Amani enduring what she did and finding hope and determination to survive shows who she is as a person who didn't see them self as strong. As for Maram... at first, I didn't know what to think of her. Daud definitely made me sympathize with her while not excusing her actions. And the relationship between the two made me nervous— captor/captive relationships usually do, but I'd love to see how things develop especially after that cliffhanger ending. If I'm honest, despite all of the subplots occurring, things I feel took a step back in terms of progress, so I'm hoping that book to will step it up in furthering all aspects of the book. This has such an interesting concept, interesting characters, interesting everything, yet I was confused about a few things.

In a world dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated home. But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.

I received Mirage in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley. This book is described as being a Science Fiction story inspired by the author's Moroccan upbringing, which intrigued me. I was excited to see what kind of unique setting the author, Somaiya Daud, came up with and what kind of plot she'd come up with to go along. 

The setting of the book definitely did not disappoint. The hybrid between the completely foreign world of Aliana and the culture of Morocco worked beautifully together. It also creates some complicated dynamics between races in the story, that are mirror images to the real world. Amani's race has been subjugated by the Vathek race but she and her family keep their culture alive through celebrating traditions, that create a dynamic and unique backdrop to the story. 

The characters of the book are complex and compelling. Amani goes through a lot of change and development through the book, making her an excellent main character, but even Maram, who appears to be the antagonist at the start of the story, changes and becomes a fully three-dimensions character as the story progresses. Every character proves to be more than the reader originally thought, and none of them are purely good or evil, making them incredibly memorable and interesting. 

Mirage was a fast and fun read, thanks for a fast-paced plot. Tensions are high for Amani from the beginning and every event in the story, ramps up the tension, intrigue and excitement. While I wouldn't consider there to be any real "twists" as the plot unfolds gradually, I was happy with the direction the story took and it surpassed my expectations. This was a book that I quite literally could not put down and was left thinking about for days finishing the last chapter. 

The Moroccan-inspired Science Fiction novel, Mirage, has a beautiful setting, complex characters and intriguing plot line. If you love Star Wars and The Children of Blood and Bone, you'll love the dynamic and intricacies of the world the author created as well as the exciting new technology. Somaiya Daud's debut novel is well worth the read!

I received a review copy of Mirage by Somaiya Daud from Netgalley, and these are my personal opinions of the review copy. I was really excited going into this book! Reminded me a bit of Star Wars: Phantom Menace and I was interested to see how this version of a body double in space story would play out. Unfortunately, I did not love this book and I think it has some flaws.

Character and character development are some of the most important things in a book to me. If I don’t care about the characters, then I just don’t care about the book. Initially, I was really drawn to the primary character, Amani, because she has a deep sense of respect and love for her family. So often you see YA characters who hate or fight with their parents/siblings so it was refreshing to see a character who really loved them. Amani appreciates everything her parents did to help her survive in turbulent times, and that made her really interesting to me. Her development stymies a bit though when she becomes a royal body double for Princess Maram. Since this happens only about 3 chapters in, my interest in Amani waned quickly.

The body double plot isn’t something I have read a lot of, so I don’t have any major points of comparison. I find the premise interesting because you have a chance, not only for the non-royal to see how those in power live and behave but also for the royal to learn more about those she believes are beneath her. I expected Amani and Maram to learn a lot from each other and to both grown and change as a result of their close proximity and intense training. That didn’t really happen, though. In addition, the training felt far to fast and I didn’t believe that Amani was able to learn everything she needed to about portraying Maram.

There is a small amount of romance, but I found it predictable and unnecessary. I could tell from the beginning it would end badly, so it was a bit painful to watch.

There were a ton of other characters, but almost none of them made a major impression on me. So much of the plot felt chaotic, and some things didn’t make sense. I found it odd that Maram would be the one orchestrating her body double situation with no input from her father for instance. There was an attempt to make Maram a more sympathetic character throughout the story and it just felt forced. Overall the characters and plot felt underdeveloped.

Mirage is one of the best books I've read all year.

I just adore this book!!! The characters were great-every one- Amani was terrific but so were Maram, Amani's love interest, and the other side characters, all three dimensional and so real. The writing and setting were gorgeous. I can't wait for the next book.

Mirage with its stunning cover and its roots in Morrocan culture caught my attention, despite not being much of a YA fantasy reader. It sounded so interesting too because it fused together elements of science-fiction and fantasy. While overall reading this book was a decent experience, Mirage fell short of my expectations.

The story revolved around Amani, a young woman who dreams of being a poet. Kidnapped and forced to act as the body-double of as the Princess of the Vathek empire, Maram, she finds her life turned upside down. Amani was a passionate girl. Her love for poetry and her desires for adventure shone through the Mirage. Her main goal throughout this book was to get back to the safety of her home and family.

This was where my biggest issue with Mirage stemmed from. Though you could sense that Amani wanted to go home, I never felt like she actively tried to get out of her situation. This baffled me because this was the core of the plot.

Princess Maram was an intriguing character. She was cold-hearted and cruel, but there were shades and layers to her characters. I almost wish that we will get a novella told in her POV because I'm interested in knowing more about the background that turned her into such a vicious ruler.

My biggest problem with Mirage was the romance. Princess Maram's fiancee, Idris, figured out early on that Amani was a body double. After just a couple of interactions, these two were head over heels over each other and it made no sense. The romance was rushed and felt incredibly out of place. Not to mention, we begin to see no progress in the plot because of this romance. I took away much of my enjoyment of this book. There were no sparks between Idris and Amani too which didn't help this book.

Next, the plot. Mirage seemed to go nowhere when it comes to the story, mostly because Amani did absolutely nothing to get out her kidnapping. This meant that the book was dull in many places. Towards the second half, we did get to see some progress including common fantasy tropes such as secret rebellions and court politics.

In the end, this wasn't a book that 100% impressed me. I think there is much potential here and I only hope it gets explored in the subsequent books.

This Morrocan-inspired novel is one that, susprisingly, has a combination of fantasy and a bit of science fiction.

I’m not a huge fan of Sci-Fi’s but this title got me. The concept is not as new as it may sound, especially in the fantasy category, but I must say that this book has a lot of potential. That interplanetary setting, the moon and the stars? Refreshing. I’d been taken in to a new world. Though it had me confused at first, I was thankful that information regarding the different places were thrown carefully.

Things I liked:

1. the strong and competent female characters - both Amani and Maram are flawed and later on, both developed and became two likable characters. Mirage is a character-driven story. You will be a witness as to how huge the changes were talking about the relationship between the two.

2. the distinction and well-defined culture - like what I said earlier, the different cultures were refreshing as it were complex. But it is pretty obvious that the author did a great job in dumping the important details. Poetry is one aspect that was beautifully aligned with one of the cultures.

3. The narrative - I loved how Daud weaved the story together. The way she wrote it. It’s not always that i get to love an author’s writing style, especially if one has a completely complex world building.

What I did not like:

1. The pacing - it’s rather inconsistent. Most of the time it’s too slow, some other time it’s too fast. Just like how the first installment ended.

2. Insta-love - DO I still need to explain this one? I wanted something that’s slow burn, something organic.

Overall, Mirage is a great introduction to a duology and I cannot wait to dive in to the second installment!

**full review to come**

Mirage is a character driven story following Amani who is taken from her village because she looks like the soon to be queen of her planet, Maram. Amani’s home world has been overtaken by the Vathek and as the Vathek’s king prepares to pass the power over to his half-Vathek daughter, Maram finds her life to be potentially in danger as the very unloved future ruler of Amani’s home.

Amani, looking very much like Maram is taken is as her body double to handle situations that might be too dangerous, or even too boring, for Maram and put her life on the line for the cruel and unwanted queen. Amani finds herself in a tough position as she becomes close to Maram’s fiance, Idris, bound together because of politics, Maram herself, and other people who aren’t happy with Vathek rule.

I found the world to be quite beautiful in description. The author does an amazing job of painting a scene with words. I loved the weaving of poetry into the story, the mythology/folklore of the world being used throughout. I’m not very familiar with Moroccan culture and don’t know how much is strictly that and how much was created just for this world but it was very fascinating. Amani is an interesting character, she’s strong not in the fact that she is a kick-butt, superhero kinda girl, but in her kindness and desire to see the best in an awful situation. Gonna be honest though, don’t want to give anything away but Maram might be my favorite character in this story, she’s infinitely complex and very, very interesting. This is the first in a series and I’ll be looking forward to book two to see how it picks up after that ending.

First of all, let me thank Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the chance to read and review this book: Mirage by Somaiya Daud.
As always, these thoughts are my own. This review is spoiler-free and no main plot points are revealed.

I give this story 3.5 stars.

Synopsis:

In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure and travel beyond her isolated moon.

But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.

As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection…because one wrong move could lead to her death.

YA Sci-Fi that feels almost like Historical Fantasy.
Okay, I’ll be honest, I had NO IDEA that this was sci-fi until a droid popped up on the page. Wow. It had been so long since i requested it from Netgalley that it had totally slipped my mind. And with a title and a cover like that, I was expecting a fantasy, or even historical fiction. What I got was a brilliantly crafted novel, laden heavily with an Arabic/ Indian vibe and some rich worldbuilding.

I loved Amani, the main character. She acts like a real person who’s been kidnapped + forced to be a body double. She doesn’t while away her time sneaking out and fighting back, she settles in a waits, serves, and watches. The depth of world and the expert combination of middle-east vibes + sci-fi astonished me. I’m in for more.

However, I was disappointed in her reasoning to stay and her complacency near the end. This book got a 3.5 star rating because of it (I can’t say, it’s spoilers, but you’ll figure it out, sweetie) as well as the fact that I’m not one hundred percent sure that this story has a plot. It does, of course, but it’s not clear from the beginning what Amani wants and where she’s going, and there’s no clear inciting incident or denouement. It’s just a part of a book, leading to another book in the series later on, and that disappoints me. It seems like most series nowadays don’t have individual books, just one giant book broken up between a series.

Have you read Mirage? What were your opinions?

Mirage was a fascinating, character-driven adventure blended with a rare mixture of both sci-fi and fantasy. Daud’s unique premise and richly written culture easily transported me into the war-torn star system held under a brutal regime and the conflicted heroine at its very center forced to lose her identity in place of another. Filled with danger and espionage, Amani’s journey will captivate readers from the very first page.

I fell in love with the atmospheric writing of the people and locations, but mostly I fell for Amani and her tragic circumstance. The brutality of being stripped of your religion, culture, freedom, and individuality were sharply poignant and I loved that Daud allowed her to feel contention and strife for her new life—to struggle with grieving who she was versus the guilt of finding joy in parts of her new life. And how effective that storytelling was to making you feel the same way as you experienced it with her. She was a grounded young woman filled with resiliency, but with an equally caring heart—the two halves of her always warring on who to protect. It made for one hell of a story.

Sadly, the one element that felt unnecessary to the story was the romance between Amani and Idris. I had really hoped for it to provoke a response from me—to feel the push-pull of that war between letting themselves fall for one another or to resist it—but it never jumped from the pages. I do hope it’ll be more developed in the next installment and become a better source of tension and emotion.

Mirage was a powerful exploration of female empowerment and friendship. There was a wealth of humanity and depth to be found in every character and the diverse relationships they had (or didn’t) between each other; I’m looking forward to seeing them develop (or deteriorate) as the story continues. With so much more to explore and an ending left hanging, I’m more than anxious for the second book.

"You are not defined by the men in your life, no matter how powerful, You've lived before them and you shall live after them. You can't let them determine your path."
I normally don't quote ARCs because things may change but this ARC had two that stuck out to me: (1) "Wanting never solved anything" and (2) the one quoted above.

This book has it all: setting, characters, themes, romance. The world had a futuristic/tech vibe (I absolutely loved it). The beginning of the book reminded me of Star Wars because of the desert setting with Imperial Droids and a rebellion faction fighting for their country. Trigger warnings for allusion to certain things that happen when a country gets invaded and its people are seen as "less" than the invading group {ie. violence against the existing population in various forms].

Usually the endings are where the climactic scenes are, but in this case, I felt as though those scenes were more in the beginning of the book and the ending was rather anticlimactic because you knew what was going to happen. The characters developed nicely during the story, and there is some political intrigue and a rebellion brewing. The story ends where the reader can guess how the repercussions will play out over the course of the series, but you only see the initial ones. I will definitely be picking up the rest of this series!

3.5 stars

The aspect that most drew me to this story was the Moroccan influenced fantasy world inspired by the author’s heritage. The book takes place in space and includes droids and other sci-fi aspects, but those weren’t discussed as much and to me the story seemed to have more of a fantasy feel.

I loved the rich sense of heritage and culture. The character development- especially in terms of the main character’s interactions with the princess- was really intriguing.

The world and politics were a little confusing to me and I had a hard time keeping everything straight, but I know that the final edition has some really beautiful maps in it that will help with the location aspect.

I also felt like the story was pretty straightforward. There weren’t many twists or things that surprised me.

I definitely enjoyed reading the book, but for me it lacked that ‘it’ factor to push it over the edge. It didn’t totally draw me in and make it so difficult to put down like other YA books I’ve loved. But I know that factor can be subjective, and there are many other early reviewers who absolutely loved it.

For those who are wondering about content level: There is a lot of reference to killing and destruction that previously happened to lead to the time of the story, but I didn’t feel like it was overly gory in it’s descriptions. There is one romantic scene that gets steamy.

The Vath conquered 18-year-old Amani's planet and have attempted to suppress their religious and cultural practices, yet they still flourish here and there, the survivors hanging on to their heritage. Amani is such a survivor, though too young to remember the Vath conquest. She loves outlawed poetry, has a deep connection with her family, and honors her religion. On the day she becomes an adult and receives her daan (a tattoo connecting her to her family), droids take her. Because Amani happens to look like the Vathek heir Maram.

I loved a lot of this--the religion, poetry, the importance of family. The home world-building is wonderful. I also liked Amani, and the love interest was good without being overdone. I did think the Vath were too one-dimensional and vapid. There are several things that happen that seem convenient, for the Vath (and Maram) surely would've caught on or realized that it was problematic. But, despite these flaws, I will be continuing the series. It's a strong debut, and I love the world and Amani's place in it.

Sidenote: Fantasy or sci-fi? It's sci-fi in that there are droids and space, but there's also myths coming alive and it just reads like a fantasy. Guess it's both. :)

[Posted on Goodreads 08/06]
[Posted on Book Riot Peek Over Our Shoulders 08/09]

This book is such a unique blend of fantasy and sci-fi! I love the world that the author created, with complex technology and space travel set in a more cultural and agricultural setting. The author really took the time to build the culture and religious beliefs of her characters while also incorporating futuristic technology and fantasy/sci-fi elements. The writing was well-done and I enjoyed the character development. It took a few chapters for me to really get into the book, but once I was in, I was hooked. I'm really looking forward to the second book!

This is a fantastic debut! Amani is such a compelling character, and her relationship with Maram is complex and believable. Daud's writing is smooth and her plotting is top-notch. I thought it fizzled a little at the end (it seemed to be building to something a little more earth-shattering), but I sincerely hope there is a sequel.

What I loved most was the world-building: detailed, unique, and based on cultures we don't get enough of in YA. Daud tackles a lot of important themes (the effects of colonialism the most prominent) without coming across as preachy. This is an exemplar of good science fiction: fascinating, thoughtful, and truthful about our present as much as our future.

I was so excited to read this book and it did not disappoint me. Amani is a girl who lives on a moon ruled by a cruel and ruthless empire. When she is abducted and taken to the palace she realizes that she looks almost identical to the Princess. Amani must start life anew as a double for the princess or face possible death. But, as Amani starts a new life, she discovers more about herself and the royal that she must now become. She must immerse herself in the world of royal courts and politics while convincing everyone, including the princess's fiance, that she is the princess.
The story is fast moving and twists and turns throughout. It is part sci-fi, part fantasy, and part romance for young adult/ new adult. I love the character development and the drama that is so typical of any 18-year-old - especially if you are a spoiled-brat, entitled princess. Although I knew that this was the first book in a series, I was hoping that I would have more of a solid ending. I can't wait for the next book in the series to find out what happens.

Wow, I really enjoyed this book! There was a romance in it but that wasn’t the main focus. It contained elements of politics, love, friendship, and poetry. Surprisingly, I liked all of the characters and even more startling found myself genuinely caring about what happened to them. The book ended somewhat predictably but even so it managed to intrigue me enough to agree to wait for the next book. There was a small cliffhanger at the end but it served as a bringer of hope and joy so I’ll forgive the author for that. I will definitely look into reading more from this author.

Lots of wonderful world-building though this feels more like a fantasy than science fiction, even if there are space ships and various planets.

The story flies by with some great characters and an engrossing story of colonization, betrayal and subterfuge. I enjoyed this page turner even if a few elements didn’t quite work for me. (Amani is very quick to trust and take huge risks and Maram’s character swings felt inconsistent.)

Still, it’s well-told and a refreshingly different world. The story ends with tons more to be resolved in future books so settle in for an interesting series!

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.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Very good world building and well written book. The narrator is kind of naive and not the fierce heroine I like my protagonists to be, but still a fun and entertaining book.