Mirage by Somaiya Daud
Published 28th August 2018 by Hodder & Stoughton
Star Rating - ****
Goodreads Challenge - 23/75
I received an eARC of this via NetGalley in exchange for and honest review.
Synopsis (from Goodreads)
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; 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 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.
My Thoughts
I'd seen the cover of this one floating around book Twitter for a while so I thought I'd request it on NetGalley and I was really pleased when I was accepted to read it that I dived in pretty much straight away. My initial understanding was that this was a Moroccan style fantasy and this alone was enough to make me want to read it as I love African inspired fantasies. However, when I looked into it further I discovered this story was a blend of fantasy and sci-fi and this excited me even more. It sounded new and fresh and I couldn't wait to dive in and it's safe to say I wasn't disappointed.
I thought this book was a great mix of some more typical aspects of fantasy stories with a some interesting twists. Some may describe some of the aspects of this story as a bit tropey, particularly the romance, but I thought it was great all the same. The Moroccan inspiration and the sci-fi elements made the book stand out from others that I have read in a similar genre. When I first started reading this is actually reminded me of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer so I would say if you were a fan of that series then you will enjoy this one.
The plot was fast moving, we often moved on days or weeks at a time between each chapter. However, the author did this well and the story flowed, it wasn't disjointed at all. Again the plot was quite typical of fantasy novels that I've read but I still enjoyed it. I loved learning about the unique customs and cultures of the characters.
I liked the characters in this book too. I loved how strong-willed Amani was, she didn't give up and kept on fighting, even after being taken from her family. I also enjoyed Maram as a character. I thought she was quite a complex character and it was interesting to see both sides to her personality and how she handled herself in different situations. The conflicts and expectations she faces throughout the story enabled the author to really explore her character and I enjoyed that. I also quite enjoyed the romance, even though it was a little tropey. Idris was super sweet and I was definitely routing for him and Amani although, there were times when I felt a little sorry for Maram.
Overall I enjoyed this one. It was a great blend of fantasy and sci-fi with a Moroccan influences. I loved reading this one from start to finish and I can't wait to dive into the sequel.
Overall Rating
