Mirage
Books | Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Epic
3.5
(303)
Somaiya Daud
“A refreshing and unique coming-of-age story...a beautiful and necessary meditation on finding strength in one’s culture.” —Entertainment Weekly, Top Pick of the Month“A YA marvel that will shock breath into your lungs. If you loved The Wrath and the Dawn and Children of Blood and Bone, Mirage will captivate you.” —The Christian Science Monitor“This debut fantasy has what it takes to be the next big thing in sci-fi/fantasy.” —SLJ, starred review“Immersive, captivating.” —ALA Booklist, starred reviewIn a world 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 home.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.
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Author
Somaiya Daud
Pages
384
Publisher
Flatiron Books
Published Date
2018-08-28
ISBN
1250126444 9781250126443
Community ReviewsSee all
"Absolutely incredible! I knew almost as soon as I started reading Mirage that this would be an all time favorite and now that I’ve finished, that absolutely remains true. I don’t know the last time I was so excited for each new sentence in a book. Powerful, intimate, mesmerizing, rallying, depth!<br/><br/>The writing is so beautiful, the worlds are vivid, I believed everything about all of the characters. I just loved this from beginning to end."
Reading into the Void
"So good, and so underrated!"
Sophia <3
"I loved this book. The world building is amazing and unique, and I think about it even months after reading about it. Very exited to read Court of Lions. "
Florence Webster
"The sci-fi worldbuilding in this book was really interesting, and I liked the nuanced outlook on the ways that colonization can affect a culture and people’s lives. However, the characters kind of felt glossed over and the romance was pretty silly. <br/><br/>This next criticism might be better in the next book but it definitely felt like Amani was mostly reacting to things happening around her instead of taking any kind of action as a character."
a
awesome_user_984860
"this is such beautiful ✨"
Guneet Dhaliwal
"It may just be the novelty of it in a eurocentric industry. But seeing how an author creates an inspiring world that does not villainize faith, religion, and family support, but encourages it, is something that I and other younger adults could use more of in our libraries. "
scifinatic Tizz
"This sounds like The Prince and the Pauper mixed in with The Man in the Iron Mask..."
Tanya Tate
"This should have started out with, "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." Because the world building made me think of Star Wars the entire time. Numerous inhabited planets, moons and star systems. Space crafts, an evil imperial force, incest, rebels... The only things missing were lightsaber battles.<br/><br/>Maram's character growth was so rapid, it was almost contradictory. I hear she becomes a narrator in the sequel though and that she's more interesting.<br/><br/>Overall, it wasn't outstanding, but it has substance."
Michelle G
"I read it in a day! "
Emma Carignan
