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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I picked up this book expecting fantasy and was very thrown by the prologue when someone pulls out a blaster. But by the end, it really truly felt like a YA fantasy novel - even better, it was a YA fantasy novel that I enjoyed. Amani is kidnapped from her family and made to serve as body double to Maram, the cruel princess of the Vathek empire. Amani quickly finds herself falling for Maram’s fiancé and trying to befriend Maram, all while sympathizing with the rebels.
I loved how we got to see non-Western cultures represented in this book and experience Arabic poetry traditions through the poems Amani loves. I liked the political intrigue we saw going on, however, the book was quite slow at points due to the fact that Amani was kept so far away from everything. I hope to see more of Maram and her life in the sequel. I also really liked that Amani recognizes her choices are limited but continues to strive to do something. The whole evil-empire trope, while common, works well here since we’re getting to see both sides to some extent.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, partly because it’s beautifully written. I’m looking forward to seeing how the sequel advances the story - particularly the relationship between Maram and Amani.
I loved how we got to see non-Western cultures represented in this book and experience Arabic poetry traditions through the poems Amani loves. I liked the political intrigue we saw going on, however, the book was quite slow at points due to the fact that Amani was kept so far away from everything. I hope to see more of Maram and her life in the sequel. I also really liked that Amani recognizes her choices are limited but continues to strive to do something. The whole evil-empire trope, while common, works well here since we’re getting to see both sides to some extent.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, partly because it’s beautifully written. I’m looking forward to seeing how the sequel advances the story - particularly the relationship between Maram and Amani.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This has been on my TBR for a long ass time. I'm slowly trying to go through that horrible list to bring it down.. but then I somehow scroll through unknown books and I add even more to my pile. It's a never-ending nightmare that I can't wait to dive into. I need ALL the books.
Mirage was an okay kind of book. Maybe I was expecting more from it because I've seen so many people read and rave about it. Yet, for the most part, I was just bored with the whole thing. First, I got the audio book but then it wasn't working. No matter where I was, wifi or not, the thing just wouldn't play in certain sections or at all. At one point, I almost threw my phone at the wall or outside the window while driving 80 mph.
Once I gave up on the audio, I got the ebook. After getting it on my kindle, I did a little jiggle dance. I still sent little worshipping words to the book gods because god forbid my kindle crash or something. Maybe this book was cursed and that's why it wasn't working for me. Or maybe it just wasn't meant to be.
Luckily for me, it worked! I was so happy to dive into it that I kind of blocked out the rest of the world. At first, the book was good or maybe I was just young and naïve. After a couple of chapters, I realized how slowly I was reading. No, it wasn't because I was trying to digest everything - it was because I was bored out of my mind. The characters were okay but they didn't really grab my attention. Then there's the romance and that was something I could've gone without if I'm being honest.
Overall, it was kind of meh to me. I wish I liked it a lot more than I originally did. Hoping the second book gets better as well. If not, I'm doomed.
Mirage was an okay kind of book. Maybe I was expecting more from it because I've seen so many people read and rave about it. Yet, for the most part, I was just bored with the whole thing. First, I got the audio book but then it wasn't working. No matter where I was, wifi or not, the thing just wouldn't play in certain sections or at all. At one point, I almost threw my phone at the wall or outside the window while driving 80 mph.
Once I gave up on the audio, I got the ebook. After getting it on my kindle, I did a little jiggle dance. I still sent little worshipping words to the book gods because god forbid my kindle crash or something. Maybe this book was cursed and that's why it wasn't working for me. Or maybe it just wasn't meant to be.
Luckily for me, it worked! I was so happy to dive into it that I kind of blocked out the rest of the world. At first, the book was good or maybe I was just young and naïve. After a couple of chapters, I realized how slowly I was reading. No, it wasn't because I was trying to digest everything - it was because I was bored out of my mind. The characters were okay but they didn't really grab my attention. Then there's the romance and that was something I could've gone without if I'm being honest.
Overall, it was kind of meh to me. I wish I liked it a lot more than I originally did. Hoping the second book gets better as well. If not, I'm doomed.
I loved how character development and the growth that we see emotionally between the two main characters, the ending made me want to scream, so you know it was good, I need the sequel!
Think Moroccan inspired Sci-Fi with droids and inter star system politics to navigate and you have Mirage. This book gets a definite 3.5 stars from me.
Somaiya Daud's debut novel hits hard with the plot and the characters. We meet Amani and Maram in this book and they are doppelgangers and as much as they look alike, their personalities are polar opposites. While Amani is a kind, friendly girl who loves her family, Maram is cold-hearted and cruel to her family and the people she rules. Amani is a village girl (something Maram loves to emphasis) and Maram is the heir to the Andalaan Empire. An empire that was conquered by her father and despite being half Andalaan, she has been brought up in the cruel ways of the Vath, making the conquered Andalaan people loathe her to the point where she kidnapped Amani so that she can be Maram's body double due to threats on Maram's life.
The dynamic between the two start off as the conqueror and the conquered and it evolves as the book goes on. The book is told from Amani's POV and as she is plunged into Maram's world of navigating her peers, politics and even Maram's Andalaan side of the family who she doesn't get along with.
This starts off well and towards the middle it does fall into a lull but picks up again. Despite this book being about Maram and Amani, we see less of Maram. I like the fact that the romance wasn't over powering in this book. The only thing that would have annoyed me was how Amani kept going in and out of Maram's personality as the book progressed. I didn't understand why she was being nice to the waiter when we know Maram would have knocked him down. By doing that she makes it easier for people to suspect that she might not be Maram.
I am looking forward to reading the next book and seeing how Maram's and Amani's relationship changes after the final events of this book.
Somaiya Daud's debut novel hits hard with the plot and the characters. We meet Amani and Maram in this book and they are doppelgangers and as much as they look alike, their personalities are polar opposites. While Amani is a kind, friendly girl who loves her family, Maram is cold-hearted and cruel to her family and the people she rules. Amani is a village girl (something Maram loves to emphasis) and Maram is the heir to the Andalaan Empire. An empire that was conquered by her father and despite being half Andalaan, she has been brought up in the cruel ways of the Vath, making the conquered Andalaan people loathe her to the point where she kidnapped Amani so that she can be Maram's body double due to threats on Maram's life.
The dynamic between the two start off as the conqueror and the conquered and it evolves as the book goes on. The book is told from Amani's POV and as she is plunged into Maram's world of navigating her peers, politics and even Maram's Andalaan side of the family who she doesn't get along with.
This starts off well and towards the middle it does fall into a lull but picks up again. Despite this book being about Maram and Amani, we see less of Maram. I like the fact that the romance wasn't over powering in this book. The only thing that would have annoyed me was how Amani kept going in and out of Maram's personality as the book progressed. I didn't understand why she was being nice to the waiter when we know Maram would have knocked him down. By doing that she makes it easier for people to suspect that she might not be Maram.
Spoiler
I am looking forward to reading the next book and seeing how Maram's and Amani's relationship changes after the final events of this book.
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book is a masterpiece. It truly is. It had me from page one. There aren't words to describe how much fun this book was to read. There were countless days when the first thought on my mind was when I would get to read more.
I thought that the aspects in this book were flawlessly balanced. We had character growth, relationships, world building, detailed plot, suspense, excitement, and so much more. I absolutely loved the cultural influence in this book. It added uniqueness and character.
Also, I can't help but mention how much I am extremely thankful for the fact that there is no profanity anywhere in this book. I wish more authors would realize that it just isn't necessary. Thank you to the author a million times for that decision.
I'm so excited to continue and see what happens to the characters that I have grown to love!
I thought that the aspects in this book were flawlessly balanced. We had character growth, relationships, world building, detailed plot, suspense, excitement, and so much more. I absolutely loved the cultural influence in this book. It added uniqueness and character.
Also, I can't help but mention how much I am extremely thankful for the fact that there is no profanity anywhere in this book. I wish more authors would realize that it just isn't necessary. Thank you to the author a million times for that decision.
I'm so excited to continue and see what happens to the characters that I have grown to love!
Maybe like a 2.5? Not one hundred percent sure. There's nothing I really DISLIKED about this book per se. I liked pretty much all the ideas, I just felt like the writing lacked the flow necessary to pull it all together. This is a common complaint I have with many books so it could be just me but I felt like the author was just stating events that were happening one after the other and I didn't really FEEL a lot while reading. Also, insta love is...something I am never here for unless it is really well done.
I did like the Moroccan setting and the characters and everything, in somewhat of a more detatched manner than I would have liked, but still. Also I felt super cool for actually knowing the Arabic song referenced in it with my woefully limited Arabic knowledge lmao so I guess that part was awesome and possibly the most involved I felt reading the whole book 😂
I did like the Moroccan setting and the characters and everything, in somewhat of a more detatched manner than I would have liked, but still. Also I felt super cool for actually knowing the Arabic song referenced in it with my woefully limited Arabic knowledge lmao so I guess that part was awesome and possibly the most involved I felt reading the whole book 😂
I found the plot to be very slow, the romance was very insta-love and I didn't like that if it was slowed and built through out the trilogy I would have liked it more. I did enjoy the history (the one that was not marred with bloodshed) the Kushailan history was beautiful and I also enjoyed the poetry in the book.
The book’s premise sounded so interesting and very promising, definitely something I’d enjoy, but I knew as soon as I started reading it that this wasn’t going to be as good as I’d hoped. The writing was a bit bland and the plot predictable, and nothing really happened. I was bored the entire time, as I had no connection to our characters and not much motivation to keep reading, other than that it was a fairly short book so I might as well finish it.