This book just wasn't what it could have been.

First, here's an overall assessment without spoilers.

The first 34% of the book was entirely unnecessary. I was so sad because I loved book one so much! But, this book seemed to have been thrown together instead of plotted out like Mirage was.

The characters just weren't themselves, especially Maram. I adored her in book one in that she was so complex, and I truly pitied her despite her cruelty. But in this book she was someone else, someone I'd never met before. She suddenly tore down all of her walls and became open. There wasn't any moment where she tore them down, though, they just vanished.

The plot was non-existent. Amani was a rebel in book one, and, until that 34% mark, she didn't do anything rebellious at all. She just swooned over Idris. He's definitely swoon-worthy, but he's not why I'm reading the book. I'm doing that for Amani and her people, to see justice done! I didn't even feel like I got that.

SPOILER Review: The things that made zero sense.

Maram and her lover. So, I won't say her name because I'm not going to be THAT spoilery, but Maram is suddenly a lesbian. Why? I have no idea. My gaydar is on point, but I got none of that vibe in book one. It wasn't a bad thing at all, but it was so strange. It was part of why she felt like someone new. Suddenly, she was daring and going after what she wanted instead of staying quiet, afraid, and cruel. Who is this Maram and why didn't I see her slowly become this instead of waking up and deciding to be a different person?

Did I mention that her lover is the Tesleet in human form from book one? Yes, the one that visited Amani. WEIRD.

Also, apparently Amani's mother used to be a leader of the rebels. Against, something totally random that was never alluded to, just suddenly included.

The first third of the book was Amani and Idris deciding to break up, and then not really doing that. I get why they couldn't, since she does stand in for Maram, but it felt weird to read about her pining after him when they wanted each other and were two feet apart twenty four seven.

Amani's reunion with her family was way too short. I wanted to cry with joy, but I felt oddly disconnected. It was only one page long.

END OF SPOILERS

This isn't a bad book. However, it isn't what I needed. Mirage was so good, and well planned, and this book simply doesn't feel planned at all. It's very jarring at times, with seemingly random events. I'll definitely read future books from this author, but this one isn't even close to the glory of Mirage.

I finished this book a week or two ago and have really struggled what to write in the review. I loved the first book in this series, and I was thrilled to receive an e-ARC to review. I thought the first book was fun, diverse, innovative, and engaging.

To me, much of this book fell flat. While I was ultimately satisfied with the ending, I found that the journey to the end wasn't at all what I expected. While I hadn't been sure how the series would end, I would have never guessed the approach the author took. That isn't always a bad thing, but when it seems so disconnected from the first book, it can be.

About a third of the way through the book, I was sure that I would give it a very low review. But, the ending did save it a bit for me.

Thank you publishers and Netgalley for the free e-ARC

Didn't finish at 50%. I tried to continue this book especially since I loved the first one in the series so much but for some reason I wasn't interested in picking it back up each time. I found the political strategy slow moving and I couldn't keep up with the various territories and courts. I like the mix of kingdoms and science fiction but it also was hard to keep track of those kingdoms, planets, cultures, etc. I love Armani though and think she is such a strong character. I also like getting some chapters from Maram's point of view and seeing her soft side. Her romance was also sweet but subtle to not take away from the real story which is the rebellion. I think this one was a bit of a let down compared to how great Mirage was. I lost interest in what happens to the characters which I don't do often. Hopefully, it's just me and I may try again another time. But for now, I need something that really takes hold of me and doesn't let go.

”You have the makings of a great queen, Maram,” I said. “And I did what I could to save that.”

“Court of Lions” follows Amani as she works to prove her loyalty to the princess and not risk the safety of her family but with a royal wedding on the horizon she finds that her face is needed in the public eye more than she would have liked but with her kind nature and Maram’s strategic eye they work together to stage a coup and allow the rightful heir to seize the throne.

This book was so good up until the climax which does not deserve such a title.

A majority of this book is careful maneuvering of political loyalties as Maram and Amani work to make allies amongst those who have rather bloody histories with each other in order prove that children do not have to bear the weight of their parents sins. All of these little details were written so well and it was nice to see how both of these women were able to work together and bring out different qualities in the other in order to make them both stronger through their union and I enjoyed every second.

The little glimpses into Maram really helped to flesh her out for me and show some of the soft behind the steel. The romance in the book was not lacking but was done with a careful hand to give us tender moments or painful angst without it feeling like it was taking away from the bigger picture which I appreciated.

Now on to my struggle, this book is all bark and no bite. We have an entire work dedicated to building this rebellion and taking out the King all for it to end basically with a whisper to the point that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop because it was over so fast.

I feel like this is a good series that unfortunately for me was a let down by how it ended but if you take away those few pages and rework a different resolution to the conflict you can easily jump back into the story and be happy with its conclusion but as of right now I’m happy with what it was but disappointed with what that could have been.

This was a great follow up to Mirage! This once again swept me away in this world, which is unique and beautiful. Once Again, I could not put this book down!

”You have the makings of a great queen, Maram,” I said. “And I did what I could to save that.”

I was seriously pleased by the character development in this book. Even characters that is made my mind up about in book one, changed my mind in this book.

Amani and Idris and their “will they-won’t they” had me a bit nervous but their scenes together made my heart swell.

And OMG Aghraas? Her and Maram was something I definitely didn’t see coming and I’m glad it happened!

The plot was amazing, and kept me interested and I loved every minute of it!

4/5 🌟’s

Court of Lions was a truly wonderful ending to the Mirage duology. Mirage was one of my favorite reads in 2018, and I was so excited to get an ARC of Court of Lions.
The most incredible thing about this book was the character development. At the beginning of Mirage, Princess Maram is selfish, cruel, spoiled, and bitter. But, by the end of Court of Lions, Maram is kind, loving, and strong, all because of Amani. Amani herself becomes stronger in her convictions and, in my opinion, much braver than she was at the start of the series. I was awed at how far both of them, but Maram especially, come in this book, and the addition of Maram's point of view made it even easier to see her changing attitudes and perspectives.
At its core, this series deals with racism and colonialism, two very important topics. I really liked how the author set up the colonialism in this world in such a blatantly horrific way, putting into perspective what happens in the real world that people of privilege may not have ever thought about. I think that theme made the book all the more thought-provoking.
Court of Lions was an incredible conclusion to the duology, and I can't wait to read the next book the author writes!

"I stared in the mirror, my mind carefully blank. The woman who stared back was neither Amani nor Maram, but a princess who resembled neither. She was aloof and remote, without the great range that characterized Maram or the innocence that had characterized me for a time."
Although I was not a huge fan of Mirage, I was excited to see what Somaiya Daud had in store for Maram and Amani. And she did not disappoint on that front.
I, for one, genuinely enjoyed watching Maram and Amani grow. At the beginning of this book, Maram has retreated from Amani, and Amani must work to win her trust back, all while trying to put Maram on the throne. It’s a complicated dance of politics and passion, and it’s hooking. My only problem was that they jump from one emotion to the other in a very jerky fashion. It becomes difficult to form any type of emotional connection with the characters when they all come across as stiff bodies. Still, watching Maram open up slowly was sweet, and Amani’s struggle to save her planet was valiant.
Plot wise, however, the book holds up … fine. It is not exhilarating or heart-melting, but it is interesting and evenly paced. There are no real twists, nothing actually shocking happened. (There was definitely a scene near the end that was a "plot twist" but ... I just wasn't invested enough to feel anything at that point.) The story progressed with some turns and surprises and it was an overall smooth read. It settles down with a smooth ending to the duology, and I can happily stop worrying about all the characters (cliffhanger ending for Mirage, I'm looking at you).
Surprisingly, this book picks up a lot of slack from Mirage. One of my concerns with Mirage was that hardly anything seemed to happen; this has been remedied to a great extent. Another was the confusing and overly flowery language that attempted to emulate poetry; this, too has been more or less eliminated. The confusing world building, on the other hand, becomes more prominent. However, this time, it is relevant to the plot as Amani and Maram try to navigate the slippery politics of the court. I honestly could not keep the names of all the characters, houses (?), tribes, and cultures straight. I do think it could have been somewhat simplified while still keeping the essence of the story, but it was better than Mirage.
I also personally find this cover much better than that of Mirage! This depiction makes it much more clear what the book is actually about, as compared to the geometric designs of Mirage. However, the decision to change the cover style between the two books of a duology does not sit well with me. Also, the cartoon-ish style makes it look childish, especially when compared to the elegant design of Mirage.
At the end of the day, nothing really stood out about Court of Lions. This book is a worthwhile read if you love Maram, Amani, and Idris. Otherwise, the relatively formulaic plot, stiff writing, and rather slow pace keep it from being outstanding.

This book was amazing! Strong plot! Powerful characters! A plot that held my attention the entire time!!!! I couldn’t put it down. I needed to find out what happened next!

I'm not quite sure what to say about this one. Not because I have strong, conflicting feelings, but instead quite the opposite. There isn't much to say about this book. It was fine, a decent sequel; though it did suffer from middle-book syndrome quite a bit. The characters developed and there were moments that I enjoyed their growth. Yet, I couldn't find myself caring that much. It seemed that very little happened, even though things were clearly happening. Most of this book focuses on Amani amassing allies, as well as an insight into both she and Maram's personal conflicts. There were moments it was interesting, and moments when it seemed to drag more than a snail carrying years worth of family trauma.

So, yes, I liked it, but I also didn't feel much of anything about it. I enjoyed the political intrigue and angst of the first book a bit more, but this is definitely a sequel that can stand on its own. It just didn't do much for me personally. I'd still recommend it if you enjoyed the first book.

Forbidden love, found sisterhood, rebellion and uprising. When I found Mirage a year ago I didn't realize it wasn't a standalone. I felt like I was left hanging, but I was so excited that I would get more of these incredible characters.

I will say I am thoroughly disappointed in the cover change. The cover of Mirage is just gorgeous and totally sucked me in. The new cover for Court of Lions is pretty, but I would have much preferred it to be a exclusive inside dust jacket print.

Annoyance at the cover change aside I love this book, the world, the characters, the imagery. Daud is fabulous and I cannot wait to read whatever comes next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and FlatIron Books for this eARC.

**3.5 Stars**

“Court of Lions” follows Amani as she works to prove her loyalty to the princess and not risk the safety of her family but with a royal wedding on the horizon she finds that her face is needed in the public eye more than she would have liked but with her kind nature and Maram’s strategic eye they work together to stage a coup and allow the rightful heir to seize the throne.

This book was so good up until the climax which does not deserve such a title.

A majority of this book is careful maneuvering of political loyalties as Maram and Amani work to make allies amongst those who have rather bloody histories with each other in order prove that children do not have to bear the weight of their parents sins. All of these little details were written so well and it was nice to see how both of these women were able to work together and bring out different qualities in the other in order to make them both stronger through their union and I enjoyed every second.

The little glimpses into Maram really helped to flesh her out for me and show some of the soft behind the steel. The romance in the book was not lacking but was done with a careful hand to give us tender moments or painful angst without it feeling like it was taking away from the bigger picture which I appreciated.

Now on to my struggle, this book is all bark and no bite. We have an entire work dedicated to building this rebellion and taking out the King all for it to end basically with a whisper to the point that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop because it was over so fast.

I feel like this is a good series that unfortunately for me was a let down by how it ended but if you take away those few pages and rework a different resolution to the conflict you can easily jump back into the story and be happy with its conclusion but as of right now I’m happy with what it was but disappointed with what that could have been.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**