As much as I wanted to read this book when I was first granted access via NetGalley I never managed to get round to reading it. I have now gone back through and read the Synopsis and found that now this book is just not for me and will not be reviewing. I want to thank the publisher for allowing me to have access to the book but due to my tastes changing in reading this book no longer appeals to me.

Mirage was a great read for me and Court of Lions did not let me down. Any book with sapphic romance gets me excited and this was so cute! Lots of drama and plot but also strong friendship vibes and an overall good feeling. Solid duology.

I loved MIRAGE when I first read it so was eager to read its sequel and find out what happens next with Amani. The world-building is richly detailed and immersive and I love the engaging characters and gripping plot.

Oh my. This sequel was so fantastic! I liked it even more than Mirage. The space fantasy genre is something very close to my heart, so you can guess how much I loved being back in this world! The stakes were higher, the characters ruthless, and the romance between our favourite cinnamon rolls was the sweetest! Somaiya Daud's writing is so magical and I can't wait to read more books by her!!

This was such a highly anticipated read for me after reading mirage and loving it especially because I don’t actually read a lot of Sci-Fi!

The story just dropped with culture and I found it so beautifully told!

I loved Amani and Maram and they both had really stand out moments that gave me life! The journey that they both went on gave me all of the feels that I wanted!

Absolutely loved it! I would sell my soul for Maram!

I really enjoyed reading Mirage and after the ending, I was curious to see how the story wraps up in Court of Lions and I thought I would also enjoy this book. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

The first thing that, compared to the first book, it was extremely boring. I couldn't read 10 pages without getting tired and wanting to put the book down. Everything happened way too easily and with no big conflict or any consequences of the actions. I felt like the stakes were super low with this book, and I wish they had been higher. Structure wise it was also a very weak book. Over the first 75% it felt like nothing was happening (which I wouldn't mind if it were a character-driven story, but this didn't even feel character-driven) and then everything happened during the last few pages. Which was way too quick, and the story ended way too perfectly.

I enjoyed that we had two perspectives in this book and that we got to know Maram a little better and that she was more active in this story. Her romance though, I didn't enjoy too much. I like that it was a sapphic romance, but for my taste, it was too much insta-love. Generally, this is my problem with the romances in this story. Too much insta-love and not enough development. Because of this insta-love I didn't root for any of the relationships and I didn't feel them. They just felt bland.

I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the story and how the book wrapped up.

Court of Lions is the second book in the Mirage duology. The story picks up straight after the events of book one and we’re still following Amani as she is forced into life as Maram’s body double. Amani has a difficult decision to make as tensions continue to rise and the spark of rebellion is ignited. Is she willing to sacrifice everything to save her people and can she help Maram to become the Queen her country so desperately needs?

Mirage was one of my favourite reads of 2019. I flew through it in a single day and I absolutely fell in love with the characters. Court of Lions was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020 and while I did really enjoy it, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It’s a really solid book but I just didn’t connect with the story in the same way I did Mirage. In this second book it focuses much more on court politics, of Amani gathering followers and helping Maram to stand up for herself. Until the last few chapters the stakes didn’t feel as high – when the rebellion actually kicked off I couldn’t put the book down, but I struggled a little in the middle.

One of the stand out things about Mirage are the brilliant characters and the complex female relationships. I loved seeing Amani and Maram continue to grow and work together for the good of the country. I also really liked the romance that developed Maram and Aghraas. Court of Lions offered a satisfying conclusion to a really fascinating story and I’m keen to read more from Somaiya Daud in the future.

I forgot how much I loved this world until I jumped back in on the second book, the moon it is set on just sounds so magical and makes you want to be there living in the book with all the characters.
I loved that we were able to see Mariam's POV too in this book, there wasn't much but it was nice to see her thoughts on what was happening I would have loved that in the first book too.
Overall, a lovely duology that I'll definitely be buying a finished copy

Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton & Somaiya Daud for my arc of Court of Lions in exchange for an honest review.

Please be aware there will be some minor spoilers for book one, Mirage the rest of the review is spoiler free.
You can read my review of Mirage here: https://lifehasafunnywayofsneakinguponyou.wordpress.com/2018/05/13/mirage-by-somiaya-daud-review/

Synopsis: Amani the poor country girl forced into slavery as body double to the cruel but complex Maram and Maram herself have formed a tenuous friendship. A sisterhood that crossed the boundaries between them and something which if cultivated could change the world. Amani is desperate to continue her work with the rebels and bring freedom and peace to the people of their planet but can she get Maram on side?

I loved the first book in this series, Mirage and Court of Lions was equally enjoyable, we got allll the sapphic romance in this one as well as more Amani and Idris which I am totally here for. There was plenty of drama but also such a celebration of womanhood, friendship and kindness and that's mostly the best ingredients for a book in my opinion! If City of Brass meets The Illuminae Files sounds like your thing then this series is for you!

So, this is North African inspired. Set in space. AND there is a f/f romance. And all the great things from Mirage continue on in Court of Lions. Oh, and revolution. I think I enjoyed this second installment more than I did the first, but then, it’s been a while. I would definitely recommend Court of Lions. The characters are nuanced, the world building is excellent and I like the writing style. The duology is unique in concept, while still hitting the mark for comfortingly familiar YA tropes.

Both the relationships featured in Court of Lions are well-crafted and avoid the pitfalls of insta-love or unreasonable over-commitment. Although, there is an element of arranged marriage to the book, but that is a trope that I kind of adore…

Court intrigue, secrets and rebellions rise in this magical Moroccan follow up to Mirage.

This was the perfect ending to the duology, with political machinations and complicated female relationships taking centre stage. Maram and Amani are wonderful characters. Compelling, passionate and intelligent, each woman is similar yet also so different from the other. They may share the same face, but their personalities quite often clash. However, both of them have a great character arc and development, learning to rule with compassion or learning to navigate the ways of the court.

Because of its political nature, this is quite slow paced - however, the writing does a good job at building up the narrative and continuing to expand the world that we first glimpse in Mirage. It never feels over done, preferring to gradually add layers of information to the political landscape subtly and letting us see the world through the eyes of our protagonists. The inclusion of so much Moroccan culture, folklore and food was also a great, unique addition. It adds a richness to the world, bringing colour to what could have otherwise been a rather stale story.

A great ending to a unique, richly developed fantasy steeped in culture and lore that has feisty, intelligent women at the front of the story. Highly recommend.

(3.5)

I enjoyed Mirage and the premise of Amani being Maram’s body double, it was very Star Wars! I also liked the friends to starcrossed lovers storyline for Amani and Idris however Court of Lions fell a little flat for me. It was full of political moves but for the first 75% paved itself well and then rushed the ending.

This was such a wonderful addition to Mirage! It's so interesting that we get to see more of the politics, but also more of Maram's life! Somaiya Daud did an incredible job at crafting such a unique world. Because it's been a few years since the first book was released, there was a real anticipation when it comes to this sequel, and I'm glad to say it did not disappoint!

I'm always loathe to talk about the plot of sequels but i will say this made for an excellent read.
I love these characters and would definitely urge you to pick up this series if you can.

I read the first book in this duology when it first came out so the gap between reading the books probably didn’t help me with this. That being said, this is definitely a series I would read again as I think I would gain something more from this a second time round.

We pick up where we finished in book one , there was a little background to refresh but not too much. The first third felt quite slow and repetitive with the main conflict feeling overdone. I kept waiting for something to happen. The middle third picked up slightly but found myself waiting for the action. The final third was jam packed with action and a great resolution to the story.

Overall I do think the pacing could have been worked on, but I’m partly putting that down to the conditions I was reading this under.

It is a slow paced sequel and sometimes I felt myself wanting more tension, more conflict.

I would say it’s a 3.75 stars but imagine this could be higher on another read.

I write this review with a heavy heart. Not because I didn’t truly, deeply, and completely adore this book, but because life got in the way and I wasn’t able to read and review in the preferred time frame. Sigh. Bad arc reviewer!

However, once everyone was out of hospital and settled, I was able to dive into Daud’s brilliant world again.
Everything that I loved about book one was right here, and everything that I didn’t know that I needed. Again, the relationship between Amani and Maram, Princess and double, ruler and servant was front and centre. While there is more than enough romance to satisfy everyone, it was this relationship that made me love these books so much.
The incredible world building of Mirage is only strengthened in Court of Lions, with more characters, more cultures, and more mythology. The faith that Amani relies on so heavily in Mirage is used And explored beautifully, while Daud manages to still leave an openness to other beliefs within her world.
Perhaps the strongest part of this duology, for me, was the importance of family, the kind that you choose. Maram’s choice between her blood family and the cruelty of her father’s people, and her chosen family, such as Amani And the absolute best new character who I will say nothing about because of spoilers, is at the heart of Court of Lions.
5 out of 5.

(4.5 stars)

This book was such a pleasant surprise. Surpasses its predecessor and offers a lush, beautifully written and engrossing conclusion to the 'Mirage' duology. It's a pity that 'Court of Lions' isn't getting nearly as much buzz as 'Mirage' did...not sure why though!

Daud's prose is absolutely lovely - I have so many highlights on my Kindle! Some might think it flowery, but apparently I was in the mood for luxurious writing and found it beautiful, lyrical and a pleasure to read. The outfit descriptions were a fan artist's dream and a clever way to explore the difference in cultures between the Kushaila and the Vath.

The pacing felt faster and generally more interesting than ‘Mirage’, and the already intricate world-building was layered even further. The sci-fi elements are light and it felt more like a Moroccan-inspired high fantasy that just happened to be set on a spacefaring planet. There were quite a number of place, people and tribal names, each with a slightly different history with the Vathek conquest. This variation in history meant each character has slightly different motives for either rebelling against the Vath, not rebelling, or something in between, and made for some interesting court politics.

That being said, the political machinations are relatively straightforward as they have to wrap up within one book. (As opposed to, say, the five and counting – hopefully – ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ novels.) Physical book readers may find flipping to the cast list at the front and the reference information at the back (and maybe the map) useful while reading this. While the world-building was great, I had some questions about what the ‘galactic senate’ was – I’d thought the Vathek Empire answered to no one, or am I forgetting stuff from ‘Mirage’?
Most of the conflicts here are subdued, either court politics or internal struggle, but there were certainly a couple of high energy clashes too. The antagonist is ‘the Vath’ at large – the violent colonisers and the need to dismantle the fundamentally unequal system they have forced onto Andala and its peoples.

I think a large part of why I was so engrossed was down to the romance. I am unashamedly obsessed with the slow-burn yearning of not one, but two forbidden romance subplots, one of which was sapphic! It’s been a while since I’ve read a book with this little ‘skinship’ and so strong on the heavy tension and burning chemistry in the space between bodies.

All the characters felt distinct but of course Amani and Maram are the most nuanced. I absolutely loved Maram’s chapters as she grapples with her internal identity conflict, struggling to reconcile her Kushaila and Vathek halves. (Also because SAPPHIC ROMANCE. Lol.) Her character development is amazing – I was so proud of her and she has some of the best lines. I became so invested in Maram and I kept hoping the next chapters were hers!

I also enjoyed reading the bond between Amani and Maram, two girls identical (yet so different) due to a twist of cosmic fate – or is there something deeper going on? (Loved that twist!) I liked the recurring tesleet (a holy bird) motif throughout, and its circular significance (‘Court of Lions’ opens with a story about a tesleet nestling) becomes clear at the end.

I’m so glad I decided to pick up the sequel to ‘Mirage’ and I look forward to Daud’s future work!

'All of us have suffered one loss or another. All of us live in the shadow of that. And those losses do not absolve us of the choices we make.'

Having just finished Mirage, I could not wait to dive into this. Did I love it as much as Mirage? Yes and no.

• The culturism was fabulous.....
• It was a slower pace but the middle sort of dragged for me.....
• My heart bled for Amani and what she had to do in the line of (forced) duty, that girl is so strong......
• The trio plotting....fabulous......
• My love for Maram grew with every page. I lived for her pov but I wanted more......
• Maram and her love interest made my heart soar......
• Idris and Amani....LOVED!

This was still a fabulous sequel but I didn't get all the feels I did with Mirage but I would defo reread!

Free ARC from Netgalley

I was absolutely delighted to receive this book early as it felt like we've waited forever for it's release (always happens when you're curious to find out what is going to happen next).

What a great second book!

I love both of our main characters Amani and Maram and it was my pleasure to witness their complicated journey further.

Written in a very beautiful and engaging manner it kept your attention all the way through and I appreciated all the little twists, turns and reveals.

Highly recommended

This book is the amazing conclusion to a great duology! I read Mirage when it first came out and I absolutely loved it, the sequel didn't disappoint either!

I love the unique setting of this story of it is clearly a middle Eastern fantasy, but it is also set in space which I found to be a refreshing change.

All of the characters had great depth and well ...character and there wasn't a single one that I disliked. There was also a f/f in this which I wasn't expecting but I really enjoyed.

This was a fantastic duology and now I need to get physical copies!