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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Fabulous! 4.25
Such LUSH world building. I want to visit immediately! The way Ms. Daud describes the buildings, nature, and outfits makes me want to live in this world forever (minus the ongoing war such).
I loved all the characters and how we got to see them grow as the novel concluded. I feel that pacing and character development is really hard to capture sometimes. However, every character's action/reasoning felt natural and did not feel rushed/forced. I've noticed that typically there is either a really face paced plot or deep character development (not both), but I felt that this story got each right with the amount of pages total.
Highly recommend for a different perspective and for anyone who wants to read about people that are are fighting for something bigger than themselves. Even the smallest kindness and being vulnerable can have a huge impact.
Such LUSH world building. I want to visit immediately! The way Ms. Daud describes the buildings, nature, and outfits makes me want to live in this world forever (minus the ongoing war such).
I loved all the characters and how we got to see them grow as the novel concluded. I feel that pacing and character development is really hard to capture sometimes. However, every character's action/reasoning felt natural and did not feel rushed/forced. I've noticed that typically there is either a really face paced plot or deep character development (not both), but I felt that this story got each right with the amount of pages total.
Highly recommend for a different perspective and for anyone who wants to read about people that are are fighting for something bigger than themselves. Even the smallest kindness and being vulnerable can have a huge impact.
Not bad. Great word building. Already ordered the second book.
I had trouble getting into this slow starter, but the complex relationship between Amani and the cruel princess for whom she will act as a body double made it interesting enough to finish. The world building is basically Moroccan Star Wars, which is fun, and there are some great passages about the effects colonization has on all the characters.
Amani lives on one of the planets ruled by the Vathek empire. She and her family try to stay under the radar of the empire but her days of tranquility ends when she is kidnapped by the cruel Princess Maram for the purpose of becoming her stand-in. Amani must now learn to become the princess while trying to figure out how to survive and ultimately escape. Amani and the other characters go through a lot of growth throughout the novel. Amani starts out wondering what's her place in the world but through the course of her travels she realizes the extent of the cruelty of the Vathek empire as well as the way they use ethnic hatred to enable their rule. Daud uses her interplanetary setting to look at ethnic hatred and she does a remarkable job at making her message clear. Especially interesting is the relationship between doppelgangers Amani and Princess Maram. As Amani gets into her role she starts to understand the princess and she starts to wonder whether such cruelty resides in herself. Highly recommended for fantasy fans who want some court intrigue with their fantasy.
Well, it just reminded me so much of other books I already read. And they all did better than this book in the things I was reminded of. For example, the world and the Vath were similar to the world of Carve The Mark and the Shotet, only that the later was way more detailed and complex. Amani´s training before her task reminded me of Darrow´s in Red Rising, only that the later was more intense. And all the body-double stuff reminded me of The Diabolic, only that the later was super exciting and this book was just not.
Another thing that bothered me, was the love story. I think, if it wasn´t for the ending I wouldn´t have minded the romance, but at the end, there was just so much unnecessary angst and stupid ideas!
Although, I wouldn´t say this is a bad book. You can read it if you like Sci-Fi and the story does sound kind of intriguing. I just wish it was more fleshed out and unique...
I don´t think I`ll continue this series.
Another thing that bothered me, was the love story. I think, if it wasn´t for the ending I wouldn´t have minded the romance, but at the end, there was just so much unnecessary angst and stupid ideas!
Although, I wouldn´t say this is a bad book. You can read it if you like Sci-Fi and the story does sound kind of intriguing. I just wish it was more fleshed out and unique...
I don´t think I`ll continue this series.
Interesting premise, but some plot events and characterizations were too far fetched for me ... I thought Maram's redeeming qualities were introduced too soon and too quickly to be believable and Idris and Amani's relationship happened too conveniently (he just happens to know she isn't Maram after their first meeting ... ?)
Really loved this! Quick read, kept me engaged, loved the world and the culture within it!!
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I give it a 3.5/4 star. The story line had such an interesting premise. I think one of the main let downs was not always understanding the political history like who was related to who and which planets/systems were allied. I’ll admit I also found the storyline a bit flat with the occasional beating or scalding or almost being caught in a predicament. I haven’t been surprised by anything yet, I waited until the end for any kind of table to majorly be turned. I will applaud the author on trying to build pressure in high stake situations but again I found that it was towards almost the very end of the book that there was some climax. I had so much hope and it was crushed by the cliff hanger. At least there is chance for the sequel to build more on Amani’s fate (let her suffer no more) and potentially reunite a few of my favourite relationships. I want Nadine to die (just going to put that out there). I will say character building was great especially with Maram (although the turn at the end hurt a bit) and sometimes Amani who started off defiant and slowly became mopey and then finally became headstrong and stood up for her values. I would have preferred to meet Idris earlier than we did because I feel like, although their attraction and relationship appeared to build naturally, it was only a matter of chapters before Amani thought she was head over heels in love. Nevertheless, their romance was very pure and gentle and sad. Her writing was also beautiful but could become quite vague. All in all, I read this book so fast because it was such an easy book to read with everything well described and dialogue well worded. I would grab this book again if I was looking for an empowering female book.
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.
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.