**I received an ARC from Netgalley for this tour. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
Mirage by Somaiya Daud
Release Date: August 28, 2018
My Rating: 3.75 stars
Summary: 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.
A few of my friends who I trust entirely for book recs talked about Mirage CONSTANTLY, so I knew I had to check this book out. When I saw the sign-ups for this blog tour, I knew I had to jump on this chance! And I was not disappointed: Mirage was beautiful.
This book is so so amazing on so many levels. First, it's a fantasy set in a science fiction world, if that makes sense. Daud has created this entire fantastical setting rooted in Moroccan history and set in space. The worldbuilding, for me, was one of the best parts; I loved reading about Amani and her ancestral traditions, traditions made forbidden by the stifling Vathek empire. I also really liked the relationship between Amani and Maram, for whom she is the body double. They both help each other grow in an unexpected way. Also, the romance in this book was cute, if not a little insta-lovey.
I particularly loved the influence of religion and religious works. Amani loves the poetry of Massinia, and we get to read some of it. Some of these lines stood out to me:
Our souls will return home, we will returnAnd one of the paraphrased quotes:
We will set our feet in the rose of the citadel
You are not defined by the men in your life, no matter how powerful. You lived before them and you shall live after them. You can't let them determine your path.This poetry, as Amani says, is one of the few ways her people can hold onto their culture. The oppression under the Vathek empire is a central point of the book, but Daud writes the real suffering, the true ache these people feel, so subtly.
Daud's writing is by far one of the standout aspects. And the fact that this is her debut? Astounding. Every sentence is so lyrical, so poetic. I really loved the lushness of it all.
My real issue with this book, though I shouldn't really use the word issue, was that everything felt so . . . similarly intense? Like, on a scale from 1 to 10, I would say the entire book rests at a 5 with no real deviation. Yes, the writing is beautiful and I loved it, but plot wise, it felt a little complacent. This book was by no means boring, but I wish it had more peaks and troughs in its intensity.
Mirage is magical and atmospheric and mesmerizing. The writing is phenomenal, and the worldbuilding is exquisite. I wholeheartedly recommend it, so pick it up this Tuesday!
About the Author: Somaiya Daud was born in a Midwestern city, and spent a large part of her childhood and adolescence moving around. Like most writers, she started when she was young and never really stopped. Her love of all things books propelled her to get a degree in English literature (specializing in the medieval and early modern), and while she worked on her Master’s degree she doubled as a bookseller at Politics and Prose in their children’s department. Determined to remain in school for as long as possible, she packed her bags in 2014 and moved the west coast to pursue a doctoral degree in English literature. Now she’s preparing to write a dissertation on Victorians, rocks, race, and the environment. Mirage is her debut, and is due from Flatiron Books in 8/28/2018.Giveaway:
Prize: 1 finished copy of Mirage
- US only
- ends August 30th
Tour Schedule:
August 22
Book Briefs - Review
The Desert Bibliophile - Review
Luchia Houghton - Review
Crazy for YA - Review
August 23
My Thoughts Literally - Review
Velvet Spade Reads - Review
Portrait of a Book - Review
August 24
Chrikaru Reads - Review
Library of a Book Witch - Review
Firstbooklove - Excerpt
Living a Hundred Lives - Review
August 25
MetalPhantasmReads - Review
Here's to Happy Endings - Review
Bookish Wanderess - Review
Milky Way of Books - Review
August 26
Never Too Many To Read - Review
Are You My Book? - Review
Magical Reads - Review
Uwadis - Review
August 27
Paperback Princess - Review
The Clever Reader - Review
Pooled Ink - Review
The Layaway Dragon - Review
Bibliobibuli YA - Review
Bibliobibuli YA - Review
August 28
The Bibliophagist - Review
The Reading Life - Review
Rhythmicbooktrovert - Review
Kati's Bookaholic Rambling Reviews - Review
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