I appreciate scif-fi where world building isn't the be all and end all of the plot. Apart from some referenced technology, this plot could happen just about anywhere and any time. While most of the events of the plot are entirely expected, the character development takes some interesting directions. Worth a read, for sure.

Really 3.5 is more honest, but I skewed it up so more people will feel encouraged to read this ownvoices novel.

Also, thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this book, but it had its flaws.

Likes
The romance
Maram as a character
The dynamic between Amani and Maram
Amani’s brand of strong female character
The use of Moroccan culture

Dislikes
The world-building
The instalove
The repetitive nature of Amani’s narration
Amani trusts way too easily and things tend to work a little too well for her
No stakes

I still say you should read this book.

<b>The World building was incredible and atmospheric</b>. It’s Moroccan inspired (ownvoices too), which was cool to see, even though I probably didn’t catch a lot of how the culture and history translated into the book. However, here is a really great Review that talks a bit about how the book was drawn from recent Moroccan history, if you’re interested. Because of the mentioned history, the book has a focus on oppression and translates into a sci-fi setting, which was really well done. The world felt vivid and interesting, mainly due to the focus on native poetry and legends, which made the world come alive and added an extra layer of depth! Like I mentioned, we also get a huge insight on the Kushaila people and their culture through the main character. That also included the Vathek oppression, who have colonized almost all of the galaxy, while erasing native culture and history wherever they go. The book perfectly talks about this topic in-depth, especially about the complex history and consequences that the occupation has caused. I don’t really have words for how well done it was, but let me just say that this book is important. Furthermore, I wanted to mention that Mirage felt more like fantasy at times (at least when it comes to the overall atmosphere), which isn’t bad as I love Fantasy. In truth the book is light sci-fi. That’s perfect for beginners, who might be overwhelmed by more heavy sci-fi.

<b>I have only complaint when it comes to the world building</b>. Why are there people who look exactly like someone else? Maram obviously knew there was someone who looked like her and searched for Amani, yet it’s never explained why they look-alike. It hopefully will be explained in the sequel, but I didn’t think it was a good choice to keep the reader completely in the dark. Since Maram didn’t seem to be too surprised about having a double, it seemed weird why she never explained how she knew this, because obviously she had to know, since she actively searched for Amani. My personal theory? Probably something with clones, that would be cool and it’s sci-fi so who knows?

<b>Amani was such a great protagonist to have.</b> For starters, I immediately loved the relationship she had with her family and friends, it was great to see it, before everything went to hell and she was kidnapped. Amani – rightfully – starts out as scared and lonely. She is dragged away by those who oppressed her people to serve as a body double to the princess who is so hated by the Kushaila people that she fears to go outside. The beginning is very hard to read, because there’s a lot of abuse and violence that Amani has to endure when she is forced to learn how to best become like Maram. It was heartbreaking to watch what they did to her and how they stripped her of things belonging to her culture and identity. However, Amani endures. She grows stronger and more confident, she becomes exactly why they wanted her to be and she excels at it. Still, Amani is also very kind and feels for her people. It was great to see her love for her own culture and people, that prompted her to take risks and try to help as much as she could in her unique position. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where her journey leads her, as in the end things are going down and … Amani makes mistakes (even though I never thought she was guilty, this girl did the best she could and acted incredibly selfless), but there is also hope. You’ll see what I mean when you get to the end.

<b>I hated Maram a lot in the beginning, but she was a well crafted antagonist.</b> Obviously I’m not willing to forget how she treated Amani in the beginning, it was horrible and definitely not okay. The strength of Maram as an antagonist is that you can actually understand her actions, even if you don’t agree with them. She isn’t evil just because, she has motivations and a background story, which is something that takes a villan to the next level. Yes I hated her, but through Amani’s observations, we also saw that Maram’s life had forged her into this person as well. We saw how her heritage of both Vathek and Kushaila made her an outsider on both sides, made her feel alone wherever she went. How do you best protect yourself against that? By being cruel, mean, cold and never letting anyone get close, so they don’t betray you. It doesn’t make Maram a good person, but you could kind of understand where she was coming from and why she decided to reject her Kushaila heritage. She responded with rage and hatred to protect herself. Throughout the course of the book we also see Amani and Maram’s relationship growing from hatred to something more positive which I really didn’t expect as Maram was so horrible in the beginning. But I think that every good book should have a dynamic between the protagonist and antagonist that gets explored and that’s exactly what happens here. Amani can help her discover more of her rejected heritage and after a while Maram even opens up, prompting Amani to consider that there is hope for her becoming a better queen as her father. Still, their relationship is messy and if you’ve read the book you know why.

<b>I liked the romance and love interest.</b> The romance is between Amani and Maram’s fiance and it’s a forbidden romance, which is one of my favorite romance tropes, so I was thrilled! Idris was a very kind person and certainly had his charm, so it was very easy to like him and root for his relationship with Amani. He was the only person she could be truly open with and he actually understood her situation, as he is Kushaila, but has no real memory of the culture and language anymore. Instead he is just as caged as Amani is, forced to play a role after his entire family was murdered to set an example. However, she also can help him understand more about his people and reads the language for him as he cannot barely read Kushaila at all. My heart really reached out for him and I totally understood what drew Amani and him together. They had great chemistry and fit together very well. Furthermore, their relationship is built on so much respect, it was really nice to see that and to have no love triangle! I enjoyed all the scenes they had together and the end broke my heart.

<b>The only thing I had issues with is the plot & pacing in the middle.</b> That’s kind of what made me drop 1 star, because the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. But let’s start out with the good stuff. I loved the beginning and end of the story. Both were very fast paced and full of suspense and tension. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and really felt with the characters. Especially the ending is perfect as it’s so bittersweet. A lot of things went wrong, but there is also hope. However, the middle didn’t convince me as much. It took me a while to know why exactly and I think it has to do with (1) how the pacing was a bit too slow in comparison to ending and beginning and (2) that the premise of the body double was a bit underused, causing lower stakes and conflict. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the focus on family, tradition and characters! I wasn’t bored or unengaged, so the slower pacing didn’t bother me, but it wasn’t ideal either. Especially how the premise was used didn’t live up to my expectations. Of course we see Amani in her role as the body double. But whole things were at stake for her, the tension and conflict weren’t as high as they could have been. The problem being that I didn’t really worry for Amani as much as I hoped to. It also felt like the plotline in the middle was a bit linear, without many downs. That was nice to read, but the conflict could have been higher at times. That’s the only thing I can say without delving into spoilers.

<spoiler><b>Okay let’s talk about what I mean a bit more in-depth</b>

** Until the end when Maram was set to be assassinated and Amani went in her place, nothing ever happened to her. There was no attack on her life, so I never really feared for her.

** Likewise, I didn’t buy it that there was no threat at all at Amani’s life during all the events that she attended as Maram. It’s made very clear that Maram fears for her life, but I honestly didn’t get why after a while, as nothing remotely threatening happened.

** There is always a risk, but this potential for higher tension and stakes was underused. I would have found it more realistic, if the rebels had only tried to make an attempt on her life, so it turned out that Maram’s fears were justified. But, since we were always told about the risk but never really shown it, I couldn’t completely buy it. Therefore, this aspect disappointed me a bot.

** Furthermore, I wanted at least one person – except from the one who found out – to see some difference in Amani and suspect something was up. I felt like Amani was almost too perfect in her imitation, so there was no big conflict about someone discovering her. The stakes would have been higher if she had wavered more and maybe even failed once, with a huge conflict about disposing of the one who found out or something like that.</spoiler>

<b>IN CONCLUSION:</b> <i>Mirage</i> is a <b>great Moroccan inspired sci-fi story</b>, which talks about very important topics, such as oppression, family and culture. This is definitely a book that you don’t want to miss out on. It has a great heroine, a complex villain and a great swoon worthy romance. My only issues was with the plot pacing in the middle, but apart from that the story really gripped me. I can only highly recommend it!

Lately I have been reading so many books with very cool and creative worlds, and Mirage was no exception. Probably one of the most unique things about this book is that it is a science fiction book with a Middle Eastern inspiration. Desert landscapes are common in science fiction but one that was so grounded in the setting and culture of the people of the desert and Middle East is not something I think I have read before. It was definitely cool and I really enjoyed being able to experience the culture. Especially because it's a book which has it's own history and mythology and you know I love that. And the author did a really good job of showing the reader the world instead of telling them. In fact, she may have done too good a job. I felt like I wanted to learn so much more about the science fiction aspect of the book and we didn't get that.

The other thing that I liked about this book was the characters, especially the female characters. Amani was a really good main character. She is the kind of female character that I love in that she is not your typical kickass femme fatale. She's vulnerable and a reluctant hero who is forced into a terrible position and has to show a lot of inner strength to make it through. She's easy to get behind in that way because you are in her head and can completely sympathize. But there were other really interesting and complex characters. One of the ones I liked best was Maram, the princess who Amani becomes the body double for. Maram could have easily become a total cliche bad girl, but she was super complex and had really great development throughout the book. I wish her father Mathias had a little more development and screen time because he was really interesting and could have gone very dark but he wasn't around much.

If you read this book then you may have noticed that I didn't mention Idris as a character that I liked, and believe me there is a reason for that. It's not that I didn't like Idris, who by the way is the love interest. He was a fine character. I just really hated the romance here. This is probably no surprise to most of you, I don't like a lot of romance. But here it was really tough because the romance was so much a part of this book and I really wish it wasn't. This had all the hallmarks of romances I don't enjoy. The character fell hard and fell fast after what was definitely insta-love. And she made so many of her decisions based on her feelings for this guy. I felt like the romance kind of took over the plot of the book in portions, which is something a lot of people love but I am not one of those people.

Which, brings me to the portion of the book I wish was different, the plot. There was a lot of promise to this book when it came to the plot but it just didn't deliver for me. There was a good amount of political intrigue here. I love books that combine fish out of water stories along with court politics and that's what this book had. For me, it was at it's best when it was focusing on the rebellion and the relationship between the rulers and the people they ruler. There were some really good scenes where it explored these aspects of the story. But I wish there were more of them. It got there in the end and I think the next book in the series is going in a really great direction, but in this one it just felt like it had a little bit of first book syndrome.

I liked this book but I feel like I'm a bit of a black sheep here. Maybe it was the hype monster, maybe it was first book syndrome, or maybe this just wasn't my kind of read. However, it did have some great things like a really good world and complex characters.

ARC provided via Netgalley.

I was intrigued by the blurb right off the bat. The fact that the cultral background is not your stereotypical Eauropean foundation thrilled me to no end. I love when authors used other cultures for their characters and story foundations because it gives readers a different look into a culture many are ignorant about. That is mostly what got me through the book.

I also loved the character twist. The heorine, is not your sterotypical Disney princess. She's more of an anti-princess in a way. Amani is a female character I grew to like. This book won't be for everyone because of the fantasy element and the overused concept of a special female character who is also a princess, but I see this being a good read for 8th-9th graders in a way. Not necessarily your older teen crowd.

I highly approve, overall, and can't wait for the next in the series.

This book was a solid 3 stars for me, I didn't dislike it but it also isn't really a book I would recommend to someone with similar tastes as mine. I think it would be enjoyable to younger YA readers who enjoy a shorter, straight forward story without a lot of additional world building and character development.

Things I liked:
Amani's devotion to her family - an admiral quality in any YA protagonist and this was clearly her driving force for most of the story.
The world - while I would have liked more world building, I was still very intrigued by the political system the author developed and the tense relations between Vathek and Cadiz.
The relationship between Amani and Maram - this was really my favorite thing about the book and felt like the core of the story. I would hope to see more of this in the next book and I was way more into their burgeoning friendship than the romance.

Things I didn't like:
The romance - It was boring. There was no mystery here, it was obvious right away that Amani would fall for Idris and the fact that he returned her feelings almost immediately and was ready to marry her by the end of the book had me rolling my eyes. I actually feel like the romance could have been completely removed from the story and it wouldn't have been missed.
The pacing and plot - Things just moved way too fast for me and I felt like there was overall very little development of the characters. This is something I frequently have a problem with in YA fiction due to the low word count. World building and character development gets sacrificed for plot and I don't form the right attachments to characters. However, I know plenty of people who prefer the shorter, faster paced narratives and don't need a lot of extras. I think those are the readers who are going to really enjoy this book.

Amira lives in a time when her home and the surrounding areas are under the control of a cruel regime, in which many people have been killed and countless others are oppressed. One night at her coming of age party, Amira is roughly torn from her family because she looks just like the princess. She is taken to the palace and treated cruelly by Princess Maram and her advisor Nadine, and over time Amira is transformed into a body double of Maram. Maram is hated across the kingdom for her cruelty and she is constantly in danger of being assassinated, so Amira is forced to attend high risk events as the princess. When Amira meets and gets to know Idris, Maram's fiance, they begin to fall in love. Will Amira have the strength to do the right thing, even if it means losing her family, Idris, and even her life?
I loved this book, especially since it's a unique sci-fi romance with elements of fantasy woven in. The story takes place in space on moons and planets, and each one has a different environment and diverse people. The political intrigue was interesting, especially when Amira decides to become a spy for the resistance. The circumstances Amira had to endure were heartbreaking, especially being separated from her family and her forbidden relationship with Idris. Their relationship was sweet and smoldering, and I can't wait to find out what happens next. I highly recommend this book and am eagerly anticipating the sequel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

As a debut author, I didn't know quote what to expect from Somaiya Daud, but she ultimately brought us the diverse, feminist YA fantasy we've been waiting for. Yes, Mirage has some problems such as a ton of tropes, but in the end it's a fantastic story that has definitely become one of my favorites of the year.

Daud has a wonderful, almost poetic writing style which lends very well to the world building of the book. Her words truly made the world come to life, and I could certainly see some of the Moroccan inspired aspects. Also, I will admit that I did not read the synopsis before starting Mirage (something I often do) so I was sort of surprised by the Sci-Fi aspects of the story, but I think Daud did a great job at incorporating them in. Sadly, though, I did not like the characters as much as I'd hoped I would. Maram was hands down my favorite, and I think Daud did a fantastic job in bringing her character to life and making her an intersting, complex villain, but I thought that Amani was just ok, and Idris was the worst. Mostly I hated the romance between Amani and Idris--it was completely unequally and really ruined the characters for me. I will say though that the cliffhanger at the end of the book had me completely and utterly shook, and, for that reason, I am very much looking forward to the next installment in this series.

Overall I give Mirage 4 out of 5 starts for being an interesting read with one of my new favorite villains, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun YA read.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

The beginning of this was so promising but then there were some character developments and it just kinda slumped after that. I didn't care for the romance, it was dull, lifeless and instant and Maram turned from a villain to a dishrag. The world building was interesting but I think it need more detail. This wasn't bad by any means but I wanted more from it.

I love a romance novel wrapped up fantasy and sprinkled with sci-fi. Forbidden romance with fantastic dialogue!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an unbiased review.

This was a fun and fast paced read with a thrilling ending! I loved the strong, feisty, and clever heroine! I thought the love triangle was well-done and compelling! The only thing I did not like about this book was the world-building. It took a while for me to understand the world. Still, it was a breathtaking novel, and I would recommend this for fans of Rebel of Sands!

I need the physical copy of this book like yesterday! I love stories like this one! it was brilliant and imaginative in every way! The characters keep you hooked.

First, I’d like to start by saying, OMG THIS BOOOOOK. It was lush and beautiful and everything I could want in a book. I could just gush all day about it.

I keep hearing about this subgenre called Science Fantasy that mixes elements of both Sci-Fi and Fantasy and I had no idea what that actually looked like until I read this book. The world-building is just like that of a fantasy, except the story takes place in a solar-system where many of the planets and moons are habitable and the characters are able to travel easily between them in spaceships. It is my new favorite thing and I want more!

Our main character is a girl named Amani. She lives on a moon in this solar-system with her parents and brothers. She is taken from her home by royal droids and taken to the palace where she finds out she looks almost identical to the Princess, Maram, and was brought there to become the Princess’ body double. She must go in Maram’s place to any event that is deemed even remotely dangerous. Now her life is in danger no matter what she does. If she does not impersonate Maram well, she is threatened with violence from Maram and other’s within the palace who know her secret. And she may well be killed in the Princess’ place at an event.

But not everything is terrible. Amani befriends Maram’s fiance, Idris, as they spend a lot of time traveling to and from different events together. And the friendship might grow into something more…

The story is just so good and the descriptions are rich! I enjoyed the characters so much as well and I was super excited to see the relationship develop and change between Amani and Maram. I cannot wait for the next book!

Mirage is a diverse science fiction novel that discusses the importance of heritage and respecting others even if their background doesn't match your own.

While I was interested in the overall plot, the sci-fi elements confused me so much that I was constantly brought out of the story. Between that and the secondary language sprinkled throughout the book, I was never able to fully immerse myself into what was going on. The timeline of events moved far too fast after the half-way point and I wasn't particularly satisfied with the ending either. What I did find great was the friendship that formed between our MC and the princess.

Even though I didn't have the best reading experience with this debut, I still think it was written beautifully and others will really enjoy it. This was truly an introduction to the world and a chance to get to know each of the characters. I will not be continuing on with this series in the future but am happy to have given it a chance.

Mirage is a Moroccan inspired story which I love. It keeps in tune to the new series by Rick Riordan that is coming out in where mythology of different cultures are explored. his is a perfect book to recommend to a diverse audience.

The story here didn't sound like a particularly new idea from just reading the blurb, but the world that the author managed to create was pretty amazing. The themes she managed to touch on are still sadly relevant today, and is handled well. The characters were well developed and interesting, and I actually found myself invested in what happened to them. I'm looking forward to the sequel(s?) to see what happens to them.

Mirage is a unique blend of Moroccan influence blended with a space setting. Eighteen year old Amani dreams of life before the Vathek empire's domination of the star system. Kidnapped by the regime and spirited away to the palace in secret, Amani discovers the she is the doppelganger for the Empire's heir, 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. During her education and time spent posing as the princess, Amani develops feelings for Maram's finance, Idris. With rebellion afoot, Amani must make tough decisions and decide where her loyalties should remain. Will she honor her family, her heart or the beginning of something bigger than herself?

The novel is a lovely mix of romance, politics, adventure and intrigue. The author's Moroccan heritage adds depth to the world-building and characters.

❝ I wanted answers, but no one here would be able to give them to me. My family, my fate, my home–they were all out of my grasp for now. Perhaps forever. ❞

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

What first caught my attention for this book was obviously the cover. The design and symmetry just look so sleek and elegant, plus, the colors work so well together. It’s a very well designed cover. Of course, once the cover did its job I found myself looking at the description and felt some connections to Red Queen and An Ember in the Ashes. With Red Queen, it was the way the main characters were both pretending to be someone else and living among royalty. It was also kind of similar in terms of the (forbidden) romance.

For An Ember in the Ashes, it was more of the similarities in world building. Both series were about a conquered people who lived in constant fear and oppression, and both had rebellions attempting to overthrow the current state. Later on, there’s also the added element of the main character, Amani, deciding to work with the rebels and be a spy. Although, Amani does considerably less spying and consorting with the rebels than Laia did.

That being said, this book felt like it was still its own. It didn’t feel like it was trying to be something else and I appreciated that since I’ve read some books lately that very obviously try to emulate popular series and it ends up being a very poor imitation. Honestly, this book did miss on some of the points I was hoping to see. With Amani being a body double, I was really expecting more action in the book where her life was in danger but that honestly didn’t happen until the very end of the book. I think the book felt kind of slow for that reason because I kept anticipating something that never came along.

However, despite there not being the action that I wanted, I found that I really enjoyed the relationships built between Amani and our two other main characters. First, there was the relationship between Amani and Idris. I liked the easygoing friendship that they forged because of their situation. I liked that Idris could make Amani feel seen and that he helped her remember the best parts of herself that were numbed after she started imitating Maram. And I also liked that while there was some attraction the romance still developed naturally throughout the book instead of going the insta-love route.

The other relationship that I really enjoyed and that surprised me was the one between Amani and Maram. This was arguably my favorite of the two. Amani and Maram, predictably, had a very tense relationship at first. Maram was cruel and lashed out at people as a means to protect her image and to survive in a world were weakness was not an option. Of course, there was also the fact that Amani was taken against her will from her home and forced to risk her life as Maram’s body double. So it wasn’t friendly by any means at first. But, as the story progressed it felt like Maram let her down her guard more and more. Amani became somewhat of a confidant to Maram and I liked the moments where we see that tenuous friendship being forged.

❝ She had a fire in here, an unquenchable flame that would devour all that stood in her path. ❞

Amani was also both Maram and Idris’s connection to Andalaan culture. She is almost a refuge to them both because she is the one person who they can be themselves around. Amani is a great resource for both of them because she can answer questions they have about their heritage that they can’t trust anyone else to ask. I think Amani was very kind to be able to think about things from Maram’s perspective and to have the patience to slowly get her to open her mind to ruling in a different way.

Before I talk about the ending I’d like to add in a note about another element of the book that I didn’t exactly enjoy. I know that I talked about the lack of action being somewhat of an issue, but the other thing that contributed to my decision to settle on a 4-star review was the strange blend of sci-fi and medieval/tribal/middle eastern type of setting. It felt like we had royalty with handmaidens, these middle eastern kinds of cultural references (the building styles, seating styles, etc)–and then we had droids and tablets, and space-ships. It just felt a little odd to read about these kinds of medieval and middle eastern aspects but then have the sci-fi elements make appearances every now and then.

The ending was certainly fast-paced. Things happened very quickly and everything that Amani had built was suddenly at stake. I think it was a bittersweet moment because Amani risked so much and lost so much on both sides (from Maram and the rebellion) but she came out much stronger from it; she had a purpose and felt alive. I liked the way that things left off for Amani and Idris romantically because it just felt like things weren’t entirely over.

I’m very curious how things will continue in the next book between Amani and Maram. I’d like to see the relationship repaired and hopefully they can get something of that trust back, but honestly, it’s all up in the air at this point. This book may not have given me what I expected, but it was well written and I’m looking forward to continuing the series in the future.

Mirage was released on August 28th, it’s a book that’s worth checking out!

I couldn’t put this gorgeous little book down! Miss Daud’s writing and world building were lush and immersive and I couldn’t get enough. The different planets and moons were very fascinating and I loved how unique they were.

The plot was fantastic, it moved at a fast but not rushed pace and it kept me turning the pages like a madman. I found the romance wasn’t too over the top or gushy and the ship works. The profanity was nonexistent, and made the book that more enjoyable for me. Overall the book was riveting and hooked me from the first chapter, was fast paced, and very enjoyable. If you’re looking for an immersive sci-fi with a unique twist look no further!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Recommendation: ages 14 and up

FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this book in exchange for an honest review

I actually didn't finish this book. It isn't horrible or anything, but the pacing is way too slow for my past. I was almost half way through and just didn't care enough about the characters to continue. I have too many other things to read to keep trudging through a book I find boring.

Even still, the world-building was great, and it was really great to see a non-Western inspiration for a science fiction. This is listed a sci-fi (they're in space on planets with an evil group of people in charge, and I definitely got some Star Wars vibe), but it reads like a fantasy, perhaps because of all of the lush descriptions.

It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't for me.