This was totally not the kind of book I was expecting to read. I'm saying this in both a good and a bad way. This book is dark, gritty and cruel. It's upsetting that I didn't really enjoy this book as much as I should. I tried to like and get into it but I just couldn't force myself but I'm so glad that I'm over it now.
To be in the ruler of a dark and evil government called the Vath is everyone's nightmare. Amani was already living in enough fear as it is but then was kidnapped by force. It always starts this way, the less oppressed by the one who has more. It is w sad world to live in, one I would really love not to be a part of.
As I have mentioned, this was not the book I was expecting to read when Amani was taken hostage against her will, it was actually because of her features that resemble the heir for the throne. But then they became closer, became friends and everything changes. It shows that the exterior means nothing when Maram's interior has light and a softness to it. That she isn't all that she seems to be.
This was a book more that highlights more on friendship and the length one would make for their family. Love has only a minuscule of the whole proportion because Amani ends up choosing her family and the rebellion instead of running away with Idris.
Now that I really look back to the entire premise of the plot, I realised that this is actually a great book but it's a shame that I wasn't all that into it. Still, I look forward to what the author had to offer next and see how the rebellion take charge of the story.

An absolutely amazing story with breathtaking worlds building and strong , amazing , kick ass characters this was a new type of fantasy for me and I’m so glad I took the plunge and read it .

I don't evwn know why i requested this book at this point.

It's extremely short and just like very other baaic YA.

So if you like every other YA novel, this is for you, if you expect something different... Not so much

I found this book okay, mainly an average one for me. It never quite sucked me in and I found the characters bland and sort of boring. The love interest did nothing for me which is never a good sign. My favourite part of the book was the interactions between the Princess and the MC, I loved the sniping and the cattiness but unfortunately there just wasn't enough.

I was given a chance to review this book on NetGalley, but the first time I tried reading it I was in a reading slump. However, I knew I wanted to read this book as the premise sounded interesting and I left it to a later date. Overall, I enjoyed reading Mirage, but it wasn't my favourite book and I think that is because I had been reading so many amazing 5-star reads, it was hard to keep up with them. I love that this is inspired by Middle-Eastern culture, which definitely came across in the writing and I love the sci-fi edge that this book had.

Amani's home is ruled by the Vathek, a brutal empire who invaded the star system and sent her family into poverty. She dreams of being able to escape her life and go on an adventure, but one day she is kidnapped by the Vathek and brought to the home of the half-Vathek Princess Maram. It is there that she discovers the two of them look identical and how they plan to use Amani as a body double in dangerous situations. Amani has to become the princess if she wants to keep her family safe, which means she is thrust into a world full of politics and beautiful palaces, with Maram's fiance, Idris, by her side. 

I will start off by saying that I found the worldbuilding to be quite interesting at times, such as how it is set on a completely different planet, but it was also a little confusing. There was quite a bit of info-dumping at the beginning, which I don't mind too much but it slowed the book down a lot. Some things were mentioned and never really explained properly, so I just had to have a guess at what they were. I think it was too much at times and it didn't need to be as the idea itself is interesting enough to capture my attention, as well as the characters.

This is definitely a character-driven book, which is something I enjoyed as I loved reading about Amani. I felt her pain as she was taken away from her family and thrust into this unknown world. The first meeting between Amani and Maram doesn't go well, as can be expected with a cruel princess who doesn't care about anyone but herself, but along the way we see something growing between the two. We begin to realise why Maram acts the way she does and I might even say that it made her likeable towards the end of the book.

Something else that I enjoyed was the romance. It isn't epic like some of the other books I have read, but it was pleasant enough and has made me excited to read more about the characters. While Idris might be engaged to Maram, you can see that he really cares about Amani and they both share their own stories of how the Vathek had ruined their lives.

While there are sci-fi elements in this book, it reads like a fantasy book, which is one of the reasons why I liked it. If you're looking for an action-packed book, this isn't the one for you. It is a lot slower, focusing on the history of the world and the relationships between the characters instead. I really enjoyed the unique setting and would be interested in reading the sequel to see what happens. Overall, I'm going to give Mirage a solid 3 stars.

This story follow Amani as she is celebrating her, and her friend turning 18 when she is kidnapped by the government. She looks exactly like the princess, Maram, and is set to be her body double. She has to go in her place if there is potential danger.

I really liked this book and didn't expect it was sci-fi! I only knew the basics of this story, which was that it had doppelgangers,and was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the writing and the world it was it set in. It was interesting to learn about the planet and how it was occupied.

I really liked Amani and how she stood up for herself and learned about her own planets history even though it was taken over by a different planet before she was born.She emphasised with Maram,and I did too. That also made her naive in some aspects but it was definitely a positive .Maram was a character that grew on me and that's all I'm going to say.I liked Idris, and I felt very sorry for him.

I say this in many of my reviews, but I did not like the romance. Again, it was too rushed,they only met a few times and spent a bit of time together and were in love! 

Overall, I found this book to be very interesting. I would recommend this book even if you don't like sci-fi as it is definitely light sci-fi.

4/5

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the E-ARC. All opinions are my own.

❝ 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. ❞

Well so were should I begin with this book ?? // Me confused //What first caught my attention for this book was obviously the cover. The colors works so well together. It’s a very well designed cover. The book can see traces of loads of YA Dystopian and fantasy and yet it remains distinct and fresh lease of writing. I just can’t help but loving this book and can’t help gushing about this book. THE BOOK HAS ALL THE ELEMENTS TO BECOME A MEMORABLE BOOK. The book has sibling love,a feisty heroine , an anti – heroine and lots intriguing characters that have so potential to carry forward the story. I never once was bored from the writing, and was on the edge of my seat for the entire duration of the read. The beautiful themes of love and loss, friendship and solitude, kindness in despair are all so incredibly illustrated by Daud’s brilliant writing.

“You do not kneel or bend, I told myself. To anyone. You continue.”

There is Amani, a village girl who lands in the Vathek Headquarters and is here to impersonate Maram – the half-Vathek princess who is the future Queen of Vathek. But her destiny has something else in the store and that’s what story is all about . Then there is Maram , who is mostly misunderstood by others . Then the sibling love between Hussain and Amani is sooooooo adorable. Idris is the another mystery person and I think that there are various shades of the characters . The story has a lot of potential and though this book was a tad slow. But there are lots of things that can happen in the next installment (actually the storyline is begging ) and I CAN’T WAIT TO READ THE OTHER SEQUEL…….

The start of a refreshingly different teen series with the vibe of a dystopian fantasy but with a sci-fi setting. I would have appreciated a little more detailed world-building but I liked that the slightly slower pace gave room for the characters to breath. A good balance of characters, plot and action for me, I'd like to read the next one.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

Everyone Amani knows is struggling to survive under a brutal occupation by the Vathek Empire, they are punished for the slightest thing, their culture is slowly being stripped from them and they have become little more than slaves who work hard only to have their crops and produce taken from them by the Vathek elite. Life is hard and although Amani has always dreamed of adventure the last thing she ever wanted was to be forced away from her family and taken to the Vathek capital. It's only when she arrives at the palace that she realises why she was taken, Amani is a perfect double for the Vathek princess and she is there to take over Maram's public appearances. Maram is extremely disliked even among her own people and in constant danger so Amani is going to be the one who takes all the risks putting her own life on the line to protect Maram. So now Amani must learn to mimic her enemy and all it will take is one tiny slip up and her life will be forfeit.

Mirage is a beautifully written debut by Somaiya Daud, the Moroccan inspired setting is rich in detail and described so well you'll feel like you're actually there. The story itself is a fairly slow paced one but with writing this lovely that really doesn't matter and I enjoyed getting the chance to really get to know the characters well. It's very easy to relate to Amani but I was surprised at how interesting Maram's character is too. She's a very angry and bitter girl who has a mean streak a mile wide and I'm never going to be rooting for her as a hero but she's far more complex than most bad guys and the slowly building alliance between her and Amani was really interesting to see. Then you have Idris, Maram's fiancé, whom Amani is forced to spend a lot of time with at public appearances. There seems to be the start of a slow build romance there but he has his own motives for everything he does so it's hard to tell what the outcome will be.

I really enjoyed this story and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where Somaiya Daud takes things throughout the rest of the series.

“You are not defined by the men in your life, no matter how powerful. You lived before them and you shall live after them.”

Mirage is a gorgeous tale of faith, family and friendship. The things we are willing to do for them and in the name of them. Amani was just one of the many characters in this book to show real endurance. This book was a true showcase in standing up for your beliefs and injustice. (It must also be said, Amani's relationship with Maram was so well written and just fascinating to watch unfold!)

"You do not kneel or bend, I told myself. To anyone. You continue."

(All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release)

My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an odd one for me. Don’t get me wrong I thoroughly enjoyed it though to me it read more like a fantasy set in a desert-like country (similar to Rebel of the Sands) than a Sci-Fi. That aspect almost seemed forced – like the author wanted it to be a Sci-Fi but relied too heavily on the familiarity of this world to describe and set the scene. That being said I think this is the only negative thing I really have to say about this book!

Amani – our protagonist – is kidnapped and taken from her moon right in the middle of her coming of age ceremony. She has just received her marks to identify her as a woman when droids invade the ceremony, scan her face, and steal her away. What could the royals possibly want with her?

That question is soon answered, and The book then continues on a trajectory of hushed rebellion, a seemingly cruel princess secretly wanting to do what is right, and a forbidden love.

The relationship which developed through the pages between Amani and Maram is a complex one and it is a real credit to the author that a reader can go from despising a character to making them root for their redemption in just one book. This was Maram – utterly cruel, until she starts to let her guard down. And through the eyes of Amani we see this transformation of character, almost like Amani was entirely blinded by hatred for the conquering royals but eventually saw the conflict that lay there too. Much different to the conflicts within her village but present all the same.

Though there are few parallels between the world of oppressed villagers and the world of royalty compared in the story, those that are outlined carry important messages and are fundamental to the story.

The pace of this book is pretty good in my opinion. I have read reviews where people have said the beginning was too slow for them, and everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I do see why someone might feel that way. For me this introduction was imperative in setting the scene well and laying the foundations for relationships and plot twists later on in the story. I enjoyed these parts; concentrating on world building and detail rather than favouring pace and action over a intricate and carefully build world.

I thought I’d got this book figured out mid way through but was pleasantly surprised to find out I was wrong (I both love and hate being right. I feel a sense of achievement and pride but then the book is less entertaining). So it is safe to say that this is a good book with a strong storylinge and a satisfying twist.

I am very excited to see where the rest of this series goes! The ending delivered just the right amount of intrigue to have me desperate to read the next book! Similarly to the rest of this book, the ending is strong, and maintains the pace set.

Overall I’m awarding this 4.5/5. Initially the setting and people seemed forced but as the book went on the author settled into a steady pace and provided an entertaining and engaging story. I’d recommend this to fans of the Rebel of the Sands series by Alwyn Hamilton, or Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I can’t wait to see what book #2 brings.

THIS BOOK. I requested a copy of Mirage on Netgalley because it sounded like it had quite an interesting premise. After meaning to get around to it for a while I picked it up on a whim and honestly this is easily one of my top five favourite books of the year. I could not put this down and I’m so excited to find out what’s going to happen next.

Mirage is a stunning debut that complexly weaves fantasy and science fiction elements to create this gorgeous world where no one is safe and things can change in the blink of an eye. I love the blend of planets and technology with mythology and faith. It worked so well together and I enjoyed every second in this world.

The story is fast-paced and told from the point of view of our main character Amani. My one criticism with this book would be that I wanted more, I’d have loved more time to explore the different places Amani visits, and find out more about the different cultures and people that are ruled by the Vathek. The characters are also completely fascinating. Amani who is dealing with this horrific situation of being a body double and pretty much a slave – she chooses to remain strong and fight back instead of breaking under such an awful situation. I also really loved Maram, she’s a complex character – a future Queen hated by everyone for being half Vathek and half Kushaila, on the surface she seems like your typical villain but there’s so much more going on.

Mirage blends so many themes and ideas in a really beautiful way. There’s family and friendship, what it means to belong and a dash of romance too. There’s also much darker themes as the story looks at the subjugation of the Andaalan people who are forced to speak a new language and serve the new ruling Vathek. This story is gripping and engaging and will definitely leave you on the edge of your seat wanting more. Your only problem is going to be waiting for the release of Court of Lions in 2019.

I absolutely love those rare books that combine science fiction and fantasy elements. Naturally I was naturally thrilled when I heard about Mirage, a Moroccan-inspired YA book that does just that. If you’re looking for a gorgeous tale with lush worldbuilding, I couldn’t recommend Mirage more highly.

The thing that stands out most to me about Mirage is the incredibly beautiful and intricate worldbuilding. Daud does an incredible job of painting a picture of Amani’s world in your head -- the clothing, the architecture, the history, and the clashing cultures are all so wonderfully done. She manages to do all of this, as well as give us a fully-realised plot, in just over 300 pages. Daud is a master of bringing a world to life and showing it to the reader without heaping information on them.

The story is told in the first person by Amani, a girl torn away from her family to serve the empire that destroyed her world. Despite all of this, Amani is an incredibly kind character. I really loved her interactions with those around her, despite who they were, and her constant struggle to stay optimistic. I am usually less interested in ‘nice’ characters, as I tend to find them a little dull, but Amani’s anger at her treatment combined with her kindness towards others made her a compelling character.

The only real weak point of the book for me was the romance -- I guess I just didn’t believe in it. Idris felt like a sexy empty vessel who’s only purpose was the be the love interest. I never really got a sense of who Idris was -- although I’m hoping this is something that gets tackled in later books. I wish that a little more time was spent developing the romance between the two of them, as they sort of fall into the romance very easily. Being in love with the identical body double of your fiancee has to be a little more troublesome than the book implied, right?

I really enjoyed reading Mirage and am so looking forward to the next book in the series. Despite a few hiccups with the romance, it is a gorgeous and well-developed diverse book.

I was thrilled to receive a proof of Mirage from Hodderscape in exchange for an honest review as I’d seen it mentioned on Twitter for quite a while and I was intrigued to read it. I’m glad to say it didn’t disappoint. In fact, it was one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s a YA sci-fi which surprised me as I hadn’t heard it was set in space. Most of the action takes place on the planet Andala but we also visit inhabited moons such as Cadiz. The story explores the invasion and occupation of Andala and the huge ramifications this had on the indigenous tribes and their culture. It was done in a thought-provoking and nuanced manner that addressed issues such as erasure, appropriation and colonialism.

The main character is eighteen-year-old Amani, part of the Kushaila tribe that is now subjugated by the Vathek. By the end of the book, I felt that I knew Amani so well as she seemed to jump off the page. Her love of poetry and literature was easy to identify with, and her sibling bond with Aziz and, especially Husnain, was perfectly described. Princess Maram was a very interesting character and I would love the next book to be written from her point of view. Maram is a living symbol of the tensions between the colonisers and the colonised due to her half-Vathek half-Kushaila heritage. After her actions at the beginning of the story, it’s incredible that the author can inspire the reader to have any sympathy for her. Idris ibn Salih was a wonderful love interest as the romance never overshadowed Amani’s storyline yet their interactions were always engaging.

As the brewing rebellion draw Amani into their web, the action slowly builds due to political machinations and power struggles, laying the groundwork for the sequel (which I can’t wait to read by the way!). The aspect I loved most about this story was the richly descriptive language that evoked a stunning Moroccan-inspired setting seeping with a beautiful and complex cultural heritage. The prose was so lyrical that I couldn’t put the book down and finished it in a few hours. Mirage is released in a couple of weeks and I would definitely recommend buying or borrowing it as soon as you can.

I received a copy from Netgalley.

I was really looking forward to this one. I got approved for a review copy from Netgalley and then I got a gorgeous purple edged sprayed exclusive signed copy from my Fairyloot September subscription box. But unfortunately, no matter how pretty the book is – I just didn’t like it.

I was really disappointed. I sort of went in blind with this one, I didn’t reread the synopsis before I started – I was admittedly expecting a fantasy, and I got a sci-fi. The sci-fi actually read like a fantasy novel. The world building was interesting, the characters were okay, but the plot I found tedious and boring, the romance eye rolling and predictable.

At just over 300 pages it’s a relatively short book and was at least interesting enough that I didn’t DNF it, but it was a big snooze for me.

The basics of the plot are the heroine Amani’s people and her home planet have been conquered, and leaving under the harsh rule of the new rulers, the Vath. They are workers, live in a close community, Amani has siblings and friends and looking forward to her majority night ceremony. One thing I did actually like was the details to Amani’s religion, described in detail with deep history and stories without being preachy. Her faith gives her hope when everything looks bleak.

Until without warning Amani is taken away with Vath soliders and removed from her home planet to the Vath royalty homeworld. Her whole world is stripped from her when she learns she’s the exact image of the crown princess Maram, who needs a body double to attend public events as there has been threats upon her life. Maram is cold, cruel and emotionless. Amani is to be trained how to be Maram – dress like her, act like her, study her know her life and her world as if it were her own. If she fails or talks out of turn, she’s punished, harshly.

The writing is beautiful, it’s very poetic and poetry plays a large part of the plot, but it takes so long for anything to actually happen, the pretty writing gets flowery and annoying after a while. When Amani is training in her new forced position, it’s hard not to feel for the girl. Her family has been torn from her, everything she knows has gone, she’s got no one to help or anyone who can understand the pain she’s going through.

Though she determined to be strong and look for an opportunity to escape. Unfortunately, one of her jobs as posing as Maram includes spending time with Maram’s fiancée, Idris. Idris has his own backstory and was one of the more interesting characters, however, as soon as Amani has her first encounter with him…it’s painfully obvious where it’s going to go.

During the course of her training, Amari is sent on various outings as Maram, and learns that not everything is as it seems. There’s a rebellion brewing and she could play her own part to free her people. There’s a try at a political sort of side plot once Amari gets involved in both sides of the rebellion, but there’s a lot of talking and not much action.

Of course everything for Amani goes pear shaped and she finds herself in a terrible position – if things couldn’t get any worse – guess what – they do! Left on a cliff hanger of course, with two more books to follow. While it was kind of boring, I must admit I’m interested in seeing where it was going.

There were some interesting themes on family and standing up for your believes, being strong and trying to do the right thing in tough situations. The writing as I mentioned was lovely, so there’s definite potential there. It would work better for me as a fantasy rather than a sci-fi as that’s what it reads like. Admittedly, it’s an interesting way of writing.

Amani and Idris felt like the only fleshed out characters, though the romance was kind of eye rolling. Maram herself had potential as well as she does show some growth as the plot wears on but quickly reverts to how she was when the novel opens. Lots to explore in a follow up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for approving my request to view the title.

I received a copy of Mirage through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm giving it a solid 4 out of five. Honestly, there's a couple of things I could nitpick and say that were 'wrong' with it, but as a whole, I really enjoyed the book and can't wait for the sequel.

Amani is a pretty average village girl, who dreams of the way the world used to be before the Vathek rule. Dreaming of adventures that will take her out of the small village she calls 'home', owning more of the poetry she so desperately loves and even writing her own. Yet when her dreams finally start to come true, it's nothing like she'd hoped.

What should have been a joyous day for Amani, spent celebrating with the entire village, instead becomes a scene of devastation when the celebrations are crashed by the regime and Amani ends up kidnapped. The innocent village girl finds herself forced to emerge herself into a whole new class, surrounded by luxuries that she's never imagined. All the beautiful balls, pretty people and perfect palaces can't truly cover up the wealth of violence and fear beneath the shiny surface.


What I Loved:
- The villain of the story. They're complex, with layers and it makes the entire story so much more enjoyable to interact with.
- The romance. It's fair to say I'm a sucker for a smidge of romance in my YA, and this book nails it. It's barely there, but still so important and perfect.
- How emotions are portrayed. It could be pretty easy to skim over this one, but I think it's so important how the characters (Amani in particular) handle their emotions and the way in which they slowly develop rather than having one small moment completely change their opinion on something.

What I Didn't Like:
- The push of information to help the reader 'understand' the sci-fi world where the story is set. I just struggle to believe that there isn't a more natural way for both the history and social context to be integrated.
- This is probably me being a suck. Or maybe this will be rectified in the sequel even. But right now, I wish there had been more on Amani's family after her kidnapping.
- The 'sci-finess' of the whole story was a little light and hardly explained or incorporated. There is a brief visit to a moon and a handful of droids. To my knowledge that is all the sci-fi there is.
 
“You do not kneel or bend, I told myself. To anyone.”
― Somaiya Daud, Mirage.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a copy for review.

Amani lives in a star system ruled by the Vathek empire and longs for adventure. One day, she is kidnapped and taken to the royal palace to stand as the body double for the half-Vathek Princess Maram and be prepared to die in her place should anyone make an attempt on her life. Her place at court is precarious and full of danger, but she must play along if she ever wishes to see her family again.

I was really intrigued by the concept and set up of this novel and couldn't wait to read it and delve into this world. It definitely gave me The Lunar Chronicles vibes too which made me even more excited to begin and learn more about this world and its characters.

One of the things that I liked most about this novel is that it is very character-driven and you really get a feel of who they are and their motivations. A lot of fantasy and sci-fi novels can become too focused on the world and characters can easily be left behind and less developed but this definitely didn't too that. I feel that it had a nice balance. 

It was a very unique read and I will definitely consider reading the sequel when it comes out.

Eighteen-year-old Amani lives on a moon in a star system that has been conquered by the harsh Vathek empire. She lives on a farm with her family in a village that tries to keep their traditions from fading.
Amani's life changes when she is taken from her home to the royal palace. There Amani finds out that she and the half-Vathek Princess Maram look so similar that they could be twins. Amani is to be Maram's body-double, to go in her place to events that could be potentially dangerous. Amani has to learn to be exactly like Maram, and risk her life for the cruel half-Vathek princess.
As Amani settles into her new life, she grows close to Maram's fiancé, Idris.
Can Amani become Maram?
Will she see her family again?

After reading this blurb I was intrigued and this book did not disappoint!

Amani was a good protagonist and was very relatable and the world building was also excellent. I really enjoyed this story and I feel like it did a good job of setting up the story ready for the next book.

2.5 stars

Eighteen-year-old Amani lives on a moon in a star system that has been conquered by the harsh Vathek empire. She lives on a farm with her family in a village that tries to keep their traditions from fading.
Amani's life changes when she is taken from her home to the royal palace. There Amani finds out that she and the half-Vathek Princess Maram look so similar that they could be twins. Amani is to be Maram's body-double, to go in her place to events that could be potentially dangerous. Amani has to learn to be exactly like Maram, and risk her life for the cruel half-Vathek princess.
As Amani settles into her new life, she grows close to Maram's fiancé, Idris.
Can Amani become Maram?
Will she see her family again?

Reading the blurb for Mirage I was certain that I would love this book. Plus the cover is gorgeous.
Amani was a good protagonist. I thought that she was relatable and she was a good person. She coped well with having her life turned upside down. I liked that she was close to her family. The only slightly off thing about her, for me, was that the main character in the Rebel of the Sands books has the same name so I kept imagining her instead.
Maram was an interesting character. I disliked her to begin with but then I felt sorry for her.
I liked the sci-fi elements - the droids, blasters and spaceships - and the mythology was interesting.
The plot started off well for me but as soon as the romance began I found myself losing interest. In my opinion, it would have been more unique and interesting if Amani had fallen in love with her maid. It seemed pretty predictable to me who Amani's love interest would be. The romance wouldn't have bothered me so much if there had been more tension and build up between them, but I felt that it was rushed and that they barely knew each other.
It didn't really feel like much happened in the book, but as this is the first in a trilogy I suppose its purpose was to set up the sequels.
I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy Mirage more.

Overall this was an okay but disappointing read.

This story was really interesting, while at times it definitely focuses on character more than plot and there is a slight instalove aspect it's not unreadable and the main story is still very enjoyable. There was quite a bit of character development especially towards the end and I am looking forward to seeing how this develops further in the next book.