COURT OF LIONS finishes the MIRAGE duology with aplomb. This YA fantasy series takes us to another planet and the two women who have been brought together amidst a challenging political climate. Amani is the daughters of poor farmers on an outer moon, Cadiz, who was captured by androids and brought to the palace. She is the shield (double) for the princess, Maram, who is half-Kushaila and half-Vathek. The Vathek conquered the Kushaila and cemented their victory by marrying Maram's mother and fathering Maram, who will take over the crown.

Maram and Amani had grown close in the first book, and their falling out at the end of the first plunges them into dangerous waters in the second. This sequel begins not long after the first ends with the royal wedding that had been planned for so long. As they navigate the current waters, Amani tests the bounds of her relationship with Maram and pushes her to become the queen she believes Maram could be. The rebellion is growing and questions remain about whom should lead.

What I loved: This book was even better than the first. Although it has a slow start, it soon launches into the action and political plotting that are absolutely engrossing. The characters are also growing here, both Amani and Maram, into the women they will become. I really loved that we get scenes from Maram's point-of-view as well as Amani's, which gives her a deeper character. She also finds her own romance, and it was brilliant to watch.

The ending sections gave me chills. There are poignant quotes, observations, and some surprises that I absolutely enjoyed reading. Nothing happens easily, but very carefully, and there are some great secondary messages about what makes a leader and the value of government. The mythology and world-building here is really strong, and I loved learning about their culture and the bits of their history that we see. This is a beautifully woven sequel that brings all the strings from the first book to a satisfying conclusion.

What left me wanting more: As a relatively small point, I wish that we could have witnessed more of the romances for both Amani and Maram. They had the potential to be so deep, and while I loved both of the couples, I would have liked a bit more depth/substance behind the built relationships.

Final verdict: Satisfying and enchanting, COURT OF LIONS is a perfect finale to a beautifully woven YA fantasy series. Highly recommend for fans of THE DIABOLIC, THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION, and SORCERY OF THORNS.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This is the sequel to last year outstanding novel Mirage. This second novel is decent but it in no way left me with the same feelings that book one did. One main thing that stood out is this is supposed to be a space novel and for a majority of the novel i forgot that tell some sort of space type thing was inserted into the novel. The growth of the characters is what made this novel. Maram and Amani come along ways from when we first met

after screaming for months about how Mirage captured my heart, Court of Lions came to crush the slim hope i had of this story not completely destroying every little piece of my heart.

this story was absolutely brillant. while it is on the slow side, i couldn’t help but fall in love with how the story evolved, drove into a climax and concluded. it is remarkable how the author put so much thought and creativity into bringing to live a story like this one, inspired by moroccan culture, a culture so vast and beautiful. i was delighted to spot every reference of the culture that i’m so proud to be part of.

the writing was soothing, poetic, though simple and easy to understand, which makes it easy to get into the story. i found myself gripped each time i picked it up, and couldn’t put it down. and while i still praise the writing of Mirage, i could definitely see that the author’s writing improved while reading Court of Lions. it was great, and now it’s even greater.

the thing about Court of Lions is that it is 100% character-driven. the main ones go through a lot of character development, and, to be quite honest, i wanted to hug them all. i love each one of them so so much. i have no words to describe how fond i am. i guess you could say they’re my little babies (even though they are probably my age).

Court of Lions was not only a great book in itself, it was also a great conclusion to this duology. i am so sad to let this world and characters go, but i am so so so happy with it.

Mirage. was one of my favourite reads of 2018 and I was delighted to receive a review copy of Court of Lions. Simply put, this was everything I wanted in the second half of this richly textured, Morrocan world inspired fantasy duology.

It's incredibly refreshing to find a YA fantasy which doesn't follow the usual frenetic formula, dropping the reader in in media reas but allows time for us to get to know the characters and build the world. This duology is nominally a sci-fi/ space fantasy. The empire involved in the conquest of various cultures and ethnic groups on a variety of planets, is spread across an entire galaxy. That said, most of the action in book one takes place on a small backwater moon called Cadiz and also on an imperial home world, and here it takes place on the Kushaila homeworld of Andalaan.

To summarise the plot of this book; at the end of Mirage, Amani (our pov MC) and Maram, the imperial princess she had been forced to become a body double for, had formed a tenuous friendship only for it to be fractured when it is revealed that Amani is associated with the rebels against the Vathek Empire. Here, we pick up pretty much straight away with Amani once more forced to act as Maram's double, while her family is held hostage to her good behaviour. Picking her way through the intrigues of Andalaan court and trying to repair her shattered friendship with Maram, Amani is tested again and again - not least with the torment of her hopeless love for Idris, Maram's betrothed.

If you are a reader who absolutely has to have plenty of action sequences, fight scenes and 'loud' drama, then you may find this one is not for you. The action is very much present but in the form of internal and emotional change, the journey of self rather than the external quest. This is a book about the relationships between people, the pushes and pulls of friendships, enmities and alliances with all the pressures of personality, ethnicity, culture and history behind them.

There is plenty to like about these books - the lyrical, expressive but very clear style; the careful layered characterisation; the meditation on themes such as freedom, identity, colonialism and justice. Something I especially enjoyed - and which will no doubt strike many western readers - is how many active female characters are involved, while their male counterparts are comparatively passive. This makes perfect sense in that the people most crushed by a regime are more likely to be active in seeking freedom with agency, but it is nevertheless a rather stark contrast compared to many YA fantasy writers who give us one or two female MCs and then very few other women in the cast at all! I especially liked the fact that this looked at how wars and rebellions are lost or won based on your ability to form alliances - which is what the women of this book do so well.

Amani is a delightful character - compassionate and brave without ever tipping into the realms of unbelievable goodness. Idris is adorable, if a little to willing to accept the status quo. Maram is one of my favourite characters. I must respectfully and completely disagree with a few reviewers who have described her as a basic spoiled princess. This is a very complex young woman who has desperately sought the approval of a father she can never please because she is a literal reminder of war crimes. She has been taught to hate half her heritage and therefore to hate half herself. In addition, when she displayed cruelty or coldness, she was met with slightly more approval. She's literally been gaslit and conditioned her entire life, and here we see Maram finally start to reject that. Aghraas, a young female falconer who comes to work on Maram's estate, is the tipping point. While Maram struggles with displaying vulnerability, she cannot avoid the fact that she falls for Aghraas. This is a very quiet, soft romance that isn't about big declarations, but is shown in looks and actions. (It is ridiculous to say that this is instalove btw - every time the pair are together on page, everything is about the romance growing between them; the important things are those not being said. Maybe that went over a few readers' heads?)

Final point but I love the inclusion of Arabic poetry as a storytelling tool. It echoed and cemented some of the mythological motifs - Houma and the tesleet birds for example. It was really beautiful to read and enriched the prose. This might be a space fantasy but it's also a piece of culture, offered generously for those who can accept it. Highly recommend both books, especially if you like quiet, emotionally intelligent and exquisitely written female led fantasy that's about the inner landscape of the characters, rather than who is charging around waving a sword.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book!

This is quite honestly one of my favorite books out of what I've read this year! I went back and read the first book, Mirage, before I attempted this one- I'm sure you could read this as a standalone but there is so many little details that have more impact if you read Mirage first. I was so immersed in this story line and almost mourn the fact that I've finished! The way Amani and Maram interact and their growing relationships with others is beautiful. The world that has been built is very detailed and intricate, from politics to fashion. I would 100% recommend this to everyone!

I’m so thankful I got an ARC for this book! It was an incredible finale for an incredible duology. The fashion was on point as always, the yearning was top notch in BOTH romances (yes I said both), and the commentary of colonialism is just amazing. This was truthfully the best book I’ve read in a long time.

The Characters:
Amani and Maram are my absolute favorite relationship in both Mirage and Court of Lions. Their differences and similarities are so interesting to watch as they unfold. As a doppelgänger, the lines can become blurred between what is YOU and what is the person you’re portraying. Those lines in Mirage were explored for Amani...in Court of Lions we get to see how those lines have blurred for Maram. We also get her POV in this book so we get to see what is going on behind her cold and calculated mask. The supporting cast of characters was also important with some new and welcome members. One in particular is very intriguing and I’m not sure if my reading comprehension is all that great but she gets some very interesting backstory that I was not prepared for. Amani and Maram’s pasts are brought to closer inspection and I really love their ties to their families and their lineage. I admire Amani for her overflowing love for those who are close to her and Maram’s fierce protection of the ones who gain her trust.

The World:
The fashion is ALWAYS an important character in the story and I absolutely adore that about Somaiya’s writing. There is no detail too small when it comes to the color, fabric, threads, buttons, veils, jewelry, etc when describing the STUNNING “armor” that is Amani and Maram’s wardrobes. Every color choice or embroidered motif has a very specific intention when worn, and I am always floored by those details.
The setting is very different this time around and I don’t want to go into too much detail but they have a very specific feel to them based on how each character interacts with that setting.
The POLITICS, oh Dihya the politics. Mirage was very focused on what goes on in the Vath empire and Court of Lions shifts to the Andaalan politics and its a very stark contrast to what we’ve seen before. Again, I don’t want to give too much away it there is very much still an element of subtle guidance from underneath that we got from Mirage happening here as well.

The Romance:
I literally let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding MULTIPLE TIMES while reading the romance scenes in this book. It isn’t too much because Amani and Maram have real things to do but boy was there tension! I was breathless reading the romance in this book and I guarantee you will be too. There is an LGBTQ+ romance in this book and it was written so well I felt my heart squeeze when they were together.

Overall:
The plot was great, the lead up was well paced, the ending was very chaotic but in the best of ways, and I really enjoyed this read. It asks some really important questions about identity, justice, and what you want to bring to the world. The commentary on colonization and the affect it has on the oppressed culture was handled with so much thought and care. There were so many different facets that were explored and so much complexity to the conversation with both Mirage and Court of Lions. I loved every second of this book and I hope you all feel the same way too by the end.

This book was the second and final installment of the Mirage series. I read MIrage in one day, and immediately wanted to get my hands on Court of Lions, and was fortunate to be approved for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Spoilers below:

What I loved:
- the growing friendship between Maram and Amani
- the tension between Idris and Amani
- Aghraas (need I say more?)
- The ending of this book was so happy and left me buoyant
- The lush descriptions of the cities, celebrations, and clothing worn by the characters

What I didn't love:
Mirage felt like it was building up into a larger series that would grow to encompass more of the world and take us on an epic adventure. I felt like Court of Lions, while a happy ending, could have expanded the series much more. Instead it seemed to follow a very straightforward path. It seems strange to dislike such a happy ending, but the whole last 50% I kept thinking "okay now something bad HAS to happen. It can't just be this easy." But it was that easy. Other than the tension between Idris and Amani it felt as though the entire revolution fell into their lap. Especially compared to Mirage, which had a lot of struggle, this book felt too easy for the characters. This is just my personal feelings, it doesn't mean the book was bad at all, I just wanted it to be a bit more difficult (personal taste here).

Overall:
I really enjoyed this series, and will purchase a set of the books for my classroom - they are great young adult novels! It was fun, and I enjoyed reading it despite my wishes for a more epic conclusion.

I love this follow up novel. The writing in this book is even better than the first. Its definitely worth the read!

Court of Lions, the long awaited sequel to one of my favorite reads in 2019. This book was packed full of court intrigue, angst, romance, secrets and my personal favorite: family drama. When I tell you, no one is doing sci-fi like BIPOC I mean it. I don’t often read sci-fi but Samiya Doud has created such a vivid world full of interesting cultures and complex politics.

Court of Lions is specifically an Ownvoices story with a Moroccan inspired setting and characters. The world this story takes place in is incredible, I loved reading the details about the palaces and the different foods that were made throughout the story. I especially enjoyed the focus of Maram reclaiming her mother’s heritage after all those years of her father and the people around her trying to make her disregard it. There’s something so powerful in reclaiming your identity after others have been trying to take it from you.

Maram’s development was one of the strongest points of the entire story. I loved her in Mirage and was absolutely thrilled that we got her POV in Court of Lions, it really helped the story flow better. Additionally I loved seeing her fall in love and begin to understand that the whole world wasn’t against her, I was so proud when she started taking those step to become the queen I knew she could be. Also just seeing Maram and Amani grow in their friendship was so GOOD.

Amani’s development was also great because she continued to grow in her self confidence. She took charge and worked endlessly to help her people with the power she was given. A lot of the book took place in political conversations that Amani led and even though she isn’t the real queen, I almost wish we could see her be queen because she was incredibly talented at playing the role. We also see Amani and Idris’ relationship develop more and I liked watching how the two of them worked together to help their people.

One of the main themes of the story was colonialism & its effect on the identities of the colonized. A lot of characters introduced throughout the story are trying to survive the brutality of the the Vathek empire which conquered their lands and rules through force. Even Maram suffers the consequences of her father’s conquest as she rediscovers her mother’s culture and family. It’s a thought-provoking look into the aftermath of these huge conquests and how they affect future generations.

While Court of Lions does explore the struggles with colonialism, it also explores the power and the forces that fight back. There’s a rebellion fighting against the Vathek empire and honestly I wished there was more information about the rebellion because there were a lot of unique characters that could have added more perspective to the story. However, Court of Lions mainly elaborates on worldstate, politics, conversation among the nobles and gives special focus to characters reclaiming & keeping cultural heritage alive. It broadens the reader's understanding of the world as a whole instead of being more focused on more character perspectives.

Overall this was a fantastic sequel. Where Mirage focused a lot on survival and stealth as Amani tried to befriend Maram and persuade her to listen. Court of Lions takes the shaky trust built from Mirage and turns it into a friendship that can save the world. If you were invested in the characters and world from the first story, you will love the development that happens throughout this book.

So I’m writing this review a little differently from how I write all of my other reviews- I’m going to be writing this as I read and telling you where I am in the book as I have my thoughts- I’ll definitely do everything I can not to post any real spoilers.
Ok, so I’m in Maram’s second chapter right now, and I really like how Maram’s chapters are from before the wedding and gave a glimpse into what was going on during Amani’s imprisonment while Amani’s chapters are from present day. I’m normally pretty iffy about timeline jumps unless they’re done well and I think Somaiya Daud does them really well here (so far anyway).
I really don’t want to be in Amani’s position- she really seems to care for Maram as a person and she wants Maram to be the best possible queen, but at the same time, Maram controls her in every way because they have her family and man, I can’t even imagine that pressure. What would it be like to have that kind of political pressure on you at all times, an entire kingdom, on your shoulders, but it’s not even your shoulders that it’s on- it’s on the shoulders of the person you’re forced to impersonate and you’re in love with her husband (that’s not a real spoiler- they get married like right at the beginning). And every time you think you’re done, every time you think you’ve done enough and the person pulling your strings is ready to take over and be themselves in public again, they decide that they want you to continue being them for a little longer and just do another thing.
I’m starting chapter 11 right now and ooo so many interesting things are happening! I feel like Amani is biting off more than she can chew again and she’s trying to do too much to gain freedom for both her people and her family, but I’m sure any of us would do the same. Maram’s interludes with her falconer are even more interesting now, but I’m a little confused about the actual location of where they’re happening.
I’m on page 109 right now and I didn’t realize how defeated Maram seems. She doesn’t seem quite as much of the fighter as I remember he being in book one- like don’t get me wrong, Amani was always more of a fighter of the two of them, but Maram still used to put up more of a fight. I hope she gets her spirit back within this book or at least in book 3!
Maram’s 5th chapter brings us to the present day and I’m liking everything about this book so far!
Aww I just finished and I loved everything about this book! I loved how much Maram grew and I loved Amani as always. The plot was great and the ending was perfect. This made me so happy to read and it’s such a great duology that I’m going to enjoy revisiting in years to come. Definitely check out both Mirage and Court of Lions!

Review to be posted on my blog around July 21st

Court of Lions was an absolutely captivating, inspiring, and lush world to fall into. In this stunning sequel, Amani and Maram continue to struggle to find their paths in a world defined by their identities and loyalties to family and country, and their relationship is truly the foundation of this duology. After the events of the first book, Maram and Amani have to repair their relationship and find trust in one another again. I appreciated the addition of Maram's point of view in this book, and it added a lot more depth to her character. With her relationship with Amani fractured at the start of this book, Maram is forced to depend more on herself to change, and her budding relationship with Aghraas was another stellar part of this book. In general, the amount of powerful and complex women within this series is one of my favorite parts. There are so many different characters that are women, and they're all different people, with different ways of existing in this world, and different methods of exercising agency and power within a colonial environment. These myriad personalities and realities of these women created such a fleshed-out feel to this world, and the representation of all these different stories was amazing. Another element of this series that makes it so powerful is the themes of colonization. power, and revolution. Continuing from Mirage, Court of Lions builds the action up, and furthers the plot of revolution and rebellion well. The anti-colonial narrative was powerful, compelling, and well-written. Once again, Court of Lions doesn't fail in capturing the different experiences of those under colonization. Between Amani, Idirs, Maram, and the other characters, this book isn't shying away from the consequences of colonialism, and how it shapes peoples' lives. With the three main characters we see different responses and experiences related to colonialism - and how people fight to exist and live within it. The tension and conflict between Amani and Idris about the rebellion was one of the best parts of the book for me, and their relationship never failed to make me feel all the feels. In conclusion, this book was amazing! The characters were all compelling and I felt invested in all their stories, the plot and action was also entertaining and filled with tension, and the cultural components that were interspersed in the world-building and throughout the series was beautiful as well, and finally, the core narrative of revolution against colonization was nuanced, powerful, and compelling.

5 stars - I loved it; it made me laugh and cry and sigh.

I was excited for this one because I really enjoyed Mirage, but was a little nervous because I thought it was the middle book and I'd have to suffer through another betrayal before getting the happy ending in the last book. So I was very nervous when I got to 80% and things were going well, and I kept anticipating that betrayal... and then I got my happy ending and realized no, there are only two books. XD Whoops. But also, whew, glad I don't have to wait another year to find out what Amani and Maram and Idris are going to do.

I also loved this book more than Mirage. Mirage is full of Amani being forced into acting as Maram's body double, and her family being punished whenever she steps out of line. The seeds of a friendship between her and Maram are there, but they keep being stamped on.

But this book has that friendship finally develop and shine, as they come to trust and rely on one another. We get a lot of Maram's vulnerability in this one, and a lot of Amani's strength. Showing Maram's softer side through her private interactions and relationship with Aghraas made me root for her all the more. There is a lot of focus on the earlier maneuvering between rebels and royals, with Amani at the center of it all, and the ending ends up a little rushed, but it's all so lovely that I can forgive that.

I love the world and culture and people Somaiya Daud has created here, and I would love to read another book about their adventures as they solidify Maram's rule and remove the Vath's claws from the planet.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Somaiya Daud returns to the world of Mirage with its sequel, Court of Lions. Readers continue with the story of Amani, the girl stolen from her home to become a body double to the heir to the throne, Maram. With a world rich in culture, political intrigue, and rebellion, there are many twists and turns that Amani must navigate.

It is, of course, difficult to discuss a sequel without spoiling the prior book(s). As such, I will leave most of my descriptions vague to avoid doing so.

I much preferred this book to Mirage. Mirage set the stage for this book to happen and had a slower pace to accommodate all the changes happening for Amani. Court of Lions already had roles established and was constantly moving with new information and new challenges to navigate. The faster pace was definitely something that appealed to me.

Court of Lions wrapped up everything neatly and I liked where Daud took each plot point. I think this duology was a fun read that occupied a unique space in YA fantasy and look forward to seeing future works from Daud.

Because those who are unfit to rule do not worry about the sins committed by their masters. And they make no effort to repair the harm done by them.

Court of Lions is the follow up to Mirage (2018) and is the closing to the saga. It begins only a few weeks after the end of the previous book, and the rift that opened up between Amani and Maram at the end of Mirage is still fresh and terrible. What’s different from the previous book is that this is no longer just a solo POV. Maram gets a couple of POV chapters sprinkled throughout the book. What’s great about this is that our two protagonists get to focus on different things in a novel that is high on political intrigue: navigating the ramifications of colonial occupation and your role in it (both girls, but the heightened stakes and clashes with allies are firmly Amani’s) and questions of legacy and what to do when you’ve inherited one set of enacted violence and the other set cut short by said violence and being unable to live authentically (Maram).

Whereas in many YA followups, it seems the trajectory is for the protagonist to pull back or dump their ambitions after encountering a stumbling block or just not care because the author found something else to play with, Amani is still very much set on taking down the Vath and protecting and pushing Maram to be better at the same time. Something that I love from Daud is that Amani is able to react and emote about the situation she’s in rather than writing the easy way out and just having her be passive or a blank slate about it. How it would be so easy to write Amani as delighting in basically role-playing as Idris’ now wife as Maram. How empty that would be, but Daud not only has sense, but skill because these moments are heart wrenching since it’s not a viable way to live or love.

Speaking of Amani and Idris, their conflict here is so good as they stand different sides with how to address colonial rule and what should be done about it. This also ties into how other characters’ respond to Amani’s ambitions especially these characters who hold more political power than her. A lot of them question what a village girl knows of the violence of the Vath and it’s refreshing to read Amani push back and lash out at them minimizing her experiences. What’s the point of the powerful if they do not protect the weak and refuse to empathize with them and weaponize those experiences to paint them as ignorant of oppression? There’s a complexity here about how everyone under colonial rule may not be on the same side (class traitors via imperialist collaboration; self-preservation as a response to targeted killings) that was tough, but welcoming to read. Some people who are ignorant of this will come away with the basic thought that ‘Amani is annoying’ here and just know, they’re wrong and shortsighted.

On the other hand, we finally get Maram’s POV and as I said in my Mirage review, I had been looking forward to it and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s hard to believe this was the same girl I hated in the first 30% of Mirage, when I hissed ‘Be nice to her’ at anyone who upset her at various points of CoL. We get to see what Maram was up to between the short time jump between Mirage and CoL and how she wrestles with her dual heritage and her role the Vath’s rule. It’s fascinating to watch Maram come into her own here with her desire to live authentically and the mental and emotional turbulence she goes when unable and the strides she’s made in comparison to Mirage and this is something that rings true in not only her own chapters, but is still present when the focus is Amani. It’s hard to talk about Maram because it feels like I’ll dive in spoiler territory, but I truly adore her. Her romance with Aghraas is also wonderful and is part of that desire for authenticity and choice since it’s contrasted with her arranged marriage with Idris. Also simple note, but Aghraas is super dreamy, who couldn’t love her, a master of falcons?

In more lifting what I’ve said from my Mirage review and doubling down on Daud being a consistent creator, I want to pickup an air horn and scream because relationships between women are still the foundation of this book and it’s so wonderful. Amani and Maram repair their relationship and Maram leans on her for support; in order for the plot to move forward, alliances between women must be created and maintained; we get so many more insights into mother-daughter relationships here; women get to fall in love with each other like everyone else as we see with Maram and Aghraas. You can so easily see that Daud loves and appreciates women and it’s not a struggle for her to depict and center them. A lot of other people should take notes.

Oh how I wish this was a trilogy instead of a duology, just to see how everything shift sin the aftermath of this book’s conclusion. But, that’s the sign of the good ending to me: I enjoy how it concludes, but so many things are given, so many questions are planted, that I would love to see a continuation, not to correct for any flaws, but to go through doors that have been constructed for us. If Daud ever decides to revist the Mirage universe, I will be here.

I fell back in love with Maram and Amani from the beginning of Court of Lions. This stunning sequel to Mirage has fabulous, heartfelt, and emotional characters paired with a story of rebellion and bravery. There's yearning which could fill an ocean with tears and a sapphic romance that had my heart in both knots and contagious grinning. I loved how Court of Lions was both character driven and action focused. Striking a great balance between high stakes and character depth, I found myself gripped in the clutches of Court of Lions.

Court of Lions had so many moments where my heart broke in a way that made tears leak from my eyes, but also in the best way? The ways Maram is struggling with her identity - having to erase and ignore pieces of herself - and her coming to terms with her queer identity. At the same time, there's my precious Amani who is brave, clever, and totally fierce - her scenes with that yearning made my heart weep. Sometimes systems cannot be rebuilt. They cannot be fixed and, instead, need to burn down.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of “Court of Lions” by Somaiya Daud. Thoughts and opinions are my own. Also please admire my restraint for not writing this introduction in all excited caps as I was so thrilled to get approved for this eARC!

“Mirage” is such a gorgeous book to experience. I’ve never read anything like it- sci-fi, fantasy, but somehow also feels historical? Just stunning! I read “Mirage” physically last year and decided to listen to the “Mirage” audio book after getting approved for the “Court of Lions” ARC. I wanted to refresh my memory of the story and I’m glad I gave the audio book a try for my reread as the narrator was wonderful. Also I may have been pronouncing some of the words and names wrong (like Idris) so I was glad to have the correct pronunciations in mind going into the sequel.

“Court of Lions” provides some insight into Maram’s viewpoint which I liked. She had just started to thaw in the first book before the ending when she’d steeled herself back up again. I did feel like she under-reacted to events in this book when compared with the first. She never seemed like a ‘shrug things off’ kind of person but it seemed like she did a lot of that in the second book.

Amani’s world continues to plunge into angst and turmoil until she finally reaches her limit. She could be indecisive at times in the first book regarding the rebellion and her role in it, so it was nice to see her take charge and start to shape things as Maram’s double but also as her friend. There was a lot of political maneuvering with other royal families that could be beneficial to the rebellion. I found it interesting but could see where other readers might find these parts to drag. Especially when the ending felt a bit rushed to me.

As with the first book, the descriptions in this world are opulent and gorgeous. The jewels, the gowns, the buildings, the ceremonies, the poetry- these all weave a lush and unique world. These are so descriptive but same as in the first book, they lull me into forgetting the sci-fi elements of the book so when droids or technology reappears it took me a moment to readjust and remember that was part of the story too.

All in all a strong duology and well worth the read. Also some queer rep in the second book was a welcome addition. I highly recommend the audiobooks to get a sense of the pronunciations and the poetry of the language of audiobooks are your thing.

4/5 stars

Thank You Netgalley for the ARC!

I like this story, but sometimes i forget that they have tech. The author hides it well in the story until something happens and then you have that moment where it takes a minute to remember they have it. I am usually not one for stories like that but this one was good.

The only thing i didn't like about the book was having the ending set up where there was no real lead to a 3rd, which Goodreads indicates there is. I really thought that was the ending and was fine with it. Now i have to hope that the 3rd is good and not just drawn out.

This literally hurts my heart. I expected so much more!

For starters, the romances BOTH OF THEM were insta love and awkward. Maram being queer was a cute addition to her character because without it, she’s pretty basic. A stuck up princess whose who entire personality is that they’re mixed. But her romance with Aghraas was weird and random. Sis came out of nowhere, and finessed her way into MARAMS heart 😂. We don’t know where she really comes from, we don’t know about her family or why she ends up following Maram. Whenever anyone asks her about herself all she says is “I’m here for Maram”......great. Idris and Amani never really had a strong bond from Mirage but I’m a sap and I do like seeing them together. Still the relationships were dry.

Second: It became very clear from the blurb that this book was going to center around Amani trying to be a spy and not getting caught by Maram. As well as helping Maram build political allies with the tribes. But there was hardly any action. I feel like if you’re gonna give me political intrigue YOU BETTER GIVE ME POLITICAL INTRIGUE!! I’m expecting some Olivia Pope from Scandal level of political intrigue. There was no action in this book. Barely any fight scenes. It needed more angst and suspense. I wanted higher stakes and more risks. Also Maram wasn’t even around for any of the politics. Amani did all the work while Maram got to reap the rewards.

That leads us into my third biggest issue... Maram is coddled by Everyone around her (other than her father). Even Amani, (who probably has Stockholm syndrome) was constantly telling Maram how amazing of a queen she would be.....BASED ON WHATTTTT. Sure Maram knew how to be cold and demand respect but she knows NOTHING about this planet, the people, the tribes, their traditions and showed NO INTEREST in getting to know them. She cried about how the Kushailas didn’t like her but made no moves to change their perception of her. She was immensely spoiled and coddled and I think it really stunted her character development.

I’m so mad that I didn’t love this book. I wanted to love it SOOO BAD! But it was just very lack luster and rushed to me. And pleaseeee don’t get me started on the making up of Quran verses thing.
2/5 ✨✨ (Copies form my goodreads account)

***I received an uncorrected proof of this ebook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

"I am not a compromise- I am the rightful heir to this planet, and I will not be undermined by those who believe me to be."✝

⭐⭐⭐

I did somewhat enjoy this volume, but not nearly as much as the first. I love the pre-existing world-building. I've never read anything quite like it before, which just makes it feel really magical and sucks me in when I'm reading.

I was SO excited to see Maram's POV... I was honestly really desperate for her perspective on a lot of things. And babygirl grew a little and found her inner-self, which was nice... but I was also hoping for a little bit more uniqueness between their perspectives. Amani and Maram are very different people, but some of their chapters could honestly have gone either way narrator wise. Maybe this is why Amani was in first person and Maram was in third? (Which is stylistic choice I personally really don't like, but to each their own).

I was super pumped for the *gay* but... it wasn't very good gay. It was VERY love-at-first-sight. I wanted so much more on-page emotional development. It felt more like the reader was just *told* these characters are in love. I also kept expecting the girlfriend to be a villain the whole time, because we knew basically nothing about her. 🙈

The middle of this book did feel like it dragged quite a bit, and then the "final scenes" kind of snuck up out of NOWHERE. This weakened the plot of the duology as a whole for the closure to happen so abruptly. I was reading an e-arc so I was like WAIT.... it's over?! Just like that? (I believe this was originally a trilogy, or perhaps still is??? But the end did feel pretty~final~so I am unsure about that).

Also, Amani should have ended up on the throne. She got the people on their side... she did all the work. I feel like Miram did grow as a person, but did she grow ENOUGH? No, she really didn't. I said what I said. 🤷🏻‍♀️

And finally... PUBLISHERS, PLEASE STOP CHANGING COVERS MID-SERIES. Words truly cannot express how much I hate this. And it hurts your authors! This was on my to-purchase list, but now that it does not match book 1 I am undecided if I want a copy for my shelf. 🙃

✝check against final text

This was the long-awaited sequel to Mirage, which I hadn’t read in a while so I reread in preparation for this book. I liked it even more the second time around and found this story of rebellion against colonialism even more refreshing, so I was particularly excited to read the sequel. Court of Lions takes us back to this lush world amidst a bed of beautiful prose and wonderful characterization.

After revealing her rebel connections, Amani is kept isolated, only to be brought back into Maram’s life for her wedding to Idris. She returns to her duties as Maram’s body double, but she also starts plotting to keep Maram on the throne as the rightful ruler of Andala. Meanwhile, Maram faces her fears of being queen and of being married when she forms a relationship with her mysterious new falconer.

The prose was stunning, as always. It had such a soft tone, which lent beauty to the words. I also thought it was fascinating to include Maram’s chapters, albeit how few of them we have. Being in her head allowed us to see more of her: her doubt, her wanting to be loved and not feared, her desire to be known as someone other than the cruel princess.

The plot was drenched in political intrigue, so much so that I had a little bit of trouble following certain details. It was interesting though, and I liked how everything resolved.

I also liked the characters; it was nice to return to them. Amani is strong-willed and resilient, Maram finds herself anew, and Idris realizes that he doesn’t have to live his life in fear. They all have such compelling dynamics as well. Despite her seeminly traitorous betrayal, Amani really does believe Maram will be a good queen, and she rebuilds her sister-like relationship with her. They put more trust in each other, as well as with Idris.

The romance was as passionate as the first book, but now we have two to follow in this book! Amani and Idris are wonderful, and I loved the growth in their interactions. They do have to face the fact that Idris is technically married to Maram, but I thought this was handled with grace. Anyways, Maram is a lesbian and she has a love interest; their romance was so soft. I loved them, and I loved seeing all of them happy!

I did have a few complaints about this book. First, much like the first book, I found that the romances moved far too quickly. Amani and Idris build up their relationship more here, but I thought they declared their love for each other without much development in the first book. Similarly, Maram and Aghraas have very little build-up before they were suddenly at the “I would do anything for you” stage. Don’t get me wrong, I loved both of these relationships and thought there was attraction between them, and there’s nothing wrong with falling in love quickly. I just would have preferred a little more build-up.

The other issue was the pacing; Maram only has a few chapters, which was fine because they were more about her personal characterization and didn’t contribute much to the plot. However, the first few of them took place before the contents of this book and then they caught up in the middle, which felt very uneven to me. Also, while I really enjoyed the first and last quarters, I thought the middle half dragged a bit. None of these were big issues and were more to my personal tastes, but I did still really enjoy this book!

Court of Lions was a wondrous sequel that had all the passion and heart of the first book. It was more plot-heavy, full of political intrigue and machinations, but the character development was carefully interspersed, particularly in Maram. Pick up Mirage if you haven’t already because this series is not to be missed!