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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Pretty close to a four star if only it felt like it had more gravity. The writing and the characters sometimes just... dull and do not have the pull they require. The romance was pretty underwhelming when it began, and quite decent by the end. But not enough for me :(
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I first started this book, but I definitely got a lot more than what I would have envisioned. I loved the relationship and growth of Amani and Maram, and the in depth exploration of these characters. The plot was suspenseful and kept a good pace. I do wish we got a little more out of the romance and build up, but that aside, I'm looking forward to see how this all wraps up in the next book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-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:
Complicated
The third star is for a fresh new heroine and space culture. Otherwise, it felt kind of run-of-the-mill dystopia.
Review posted on https://lauriesbookshelf.comA few months ago, I heard about Mirage by Somaiya Daud for the first time. All the glowing reviews of this book made me decide to pre-order it immediately and I received it last week. I instantly read it and here is my review.
General impression
My general impression of this book was pretty good. The writing style was easy to read and therefore it was kind of a quick read. Kind of? Yes, kind of.
Slow sometimes
The story however, was sometimes a bit slow. A bit too slow. Amani was a little too innocent for my liking. I would have raged with fury if I were in her situation. I understand that she was not quite in the position to make mistakes or do stupid things. However, this gave a bit of slowness to the story.
Characters
The characters in Mirage were nice, except for Maram. I really disliked her arrogance and bitchiness. She had a nice turning point, but was she able to hold on to that? I know the answer, but I will not tell you.
Great first book
I am not too sure how to rate Mirage. I faced the same issues as I did with Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. Mirage was also more building up and little action packed, but in contradiction to Three Dark Crowns, we have one POV here. In my opinion, this is a great first book in a series and I have a feeling that we will find more action in the sequel(s).
Conclusion
Mirage is kind of a quick read, even though it being slow sometimes. I really disliked Maram, I got fed up with her arrogance and bitchiness. I think this is a great first book in a series and I have a feeling that we will see lots more action in the sequel(s).This review was originally posted on Laurie's Bookshelf
General impression
My general impression of this book was pretty good. The writing style was easy to read and therefore it was kind of a quick read. Kind of? Yes, kind of.
Slow sometimes
The story however, was sometimes a bit slow. A bit too slow. Amani was a little too innocent for my liking. I would have raged with fury if I were in her situation. I understand that she was not quite in the position to make mistakes or do stupid things. However, this gave a bit of slowness to the story.
Characters
The characters in Mirage were nice, except for Maram. I really disliked her arrogance and bitchiness. She had a nice turning point, but was she able to hold on to that? I know the answer, but I will not tell you.
Great first book
I am not too sure how to rate Mirage. I faced the same issues as I did with Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. Mirage was also more building up and little action packed, but in contradiction to Three Dark Crowns, we have one POV here. In my opinion, this is a great first book in a series and I have a feeling that we will find more action in the sequel(s).
Conclusion
Mirage is kind of a quick read, even though it being slow sometimes. I really disliked Maram, I got fed up with her arrogance and bitchiness. I think this is a great first book in a series and I have a feeling that we will see lots more action in the sequel(s).This review was originally posted on Laurie's Bookshelf
While this one fell flat for me, I strongly believe that this is going to be a favorite for a lot of readers, and a hit fantasy of 2018!
The world was beautiful, but the places were really overwhelming for me to keep up with. There was no map (there will be in final copy - something that sucks about reading ARCs) so I had trouble sorting all the places out. I also didn't understand the conflict between the different places because I was overwhelmed by all the them and couldn't tell if they were cities, or countries, (planets??) etc. I wasn't sure what places were part of other larger provinces (or maybe even other planets). I don't necessarily think it's a lack of world building on the author's part - I just really like to look at a map, and in this one it's important. I do have a complaint about the world building, though - the occupation. I would have liked to have more information about it, other than it being what they call the Vathek invasion. I think that could have gone a long way toward helping understand the world and places as well.
While there were fantasy and sci-fi elements, this wasn't really a fantasy or a sci-fi. I loved the idea of the Dihya (their deity), the Tesleet (a mystical bird that is seen as a blessing from Dihya), and the droids (who were bodyguards for the royalty). Other than that, there wasn't really anything fantasy or sci-fi about this one other than the setting. It's kind of a blend consisting of sprinkle of high fantasy, a dash of sci-fi, and a heaping dose of romance. I loved the Arabian feel this one had; but at its core, this book is a romance.
Which brings me to what ruined it utterly for me. The romance. It moved WAY too fast - which could be partially because this book is only a little over 300 pages - but it was basically instalove, which I despise with the fire of a thousand suns. Amani and Idris only had two real interactions before they were kissing and suddenly making proclamations of love. Gag me with a spoon.
I was really enjoying this book in the first half. Like I mentioned above, this is an Arabian story, so I looooved the culture and the feel of the world. The prose was also beautiful. I was intrigued from the start, and I quite liked the idea of a girl getting stolen from her home and forced to play the body double of a Princess. The introduction of the romance was where I lost interest. After that I felt like all the exciting things I loved about it in the beginning disappeared in favor of the romance. It became a romance-driven story, and thus I became bored. The second half was a serious struggle for me, to the point that I almost DNFed it. Which is pretty bad, considering how short the story was.
I can't say I really cared about the characters much. I didn't care about Amani or Idris, or even Tala. I did, however find Princess Maram very interesting (which may make me a horrible person because she's kind of the villain?) because she was a multi faceted character and it felt like she was the only one that had real depth. I found myself craving catharsis between Maram and Amani, and I loved the kind of sisterhood they shared! I wish that relationship had been a focal point instead of the horrible romance.
I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. I don't know if I'll continue this series, but I think it has potential so I may try to pick up book 2, who knows!
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
"Mirage" besticht auf den ersten Blick nicht nur durch einen wunderschönes Cover, sondern auch durch eine liebevoll ausgearbeiteten Landkarte im Innern des Buches, die dem Leser einen ersten Überblick über die Welt geben soll, die die Autorin sich ausgedacht hat - und das ist Einiges. Die Geschichte spielt sich nicht nur auf einem (fiktiven) Planeten ab, sondern gleich in einer ganzen Galaxie mit unterschiedlichen Planeten, Völkern und entsprechenden Lebensweisen.
Damit hat Daud mit ihrer Idee den Grundstein zu einer eigentlich interessanten Geschichte legt. Leider wird das Potential, dass dieses umfangreiche Worldbuilding bieten würde, nicht mal annähernd genutzt. Viel mehr als im Klappentext erfährt man leider nicht wirklich über die Vath (die scheinbar die "Bösen" sein sollen?) oder das Herrschaftssystem. Man kann erahnen, dass Amani auf ihrem Heimatplaneten Cadiz eher einem Unterschichts-ähnlichen Arbeitervolk angehört, das seine ganz eigenen Traditionen und Rituale hegt, aber das ist schon alles. Ehe man sich versieht, wird Amani bei einem Fest von den Vath entführt. Der Grund? Sie sieht aus wie die Vath Prinzessin Maram, die von vielen gehasst wird und deshalb in grosser Gefahr schwebt. Damit ihr nichts passiert, soll Amani nun Marams Rolle einnehmen und sich dieser potentiellen Lebensgefahr immer wieder aussetzen.
Soweit so gut, das alles erfährt man bereits aus dem Klappentext. Leider passiert im Buch selbst nicht viel mehr, als der Klappentext im Vorfeld verraten hat. Ich hatte den Eindruck, dass die ganze Zeit über nur an der Oberfläche gekratzt wurde, denn auch die Charaktere blieben bis zum Schluss eher blass, da man bis auf Maram sehr wenig über die Hintergründe der Protagonisten erfährt. Das Buch ist sehr temporeich und die Autorin verliert keine Zeit mit ihrem Schreibstil, was mir in der Regel zwar lieber ist, als wenn eine Story unnötig in die Länge gezogen wird, aber hier hätte ich doch gerne mehr über das Worldbuilding erfahren. Am Ende wusste ich nicht viel mehr, als am Anfang und das fand ich etwas enttäuschend.
Der Grossteil der Geschichte nimmt Amanis Vorbereitung auf ihre Rolle als Maram ein. Sie muss lernen, wie man sich hochnäsig und unsympathisch verhält - etwas, das so gar nicht ihrem eigentlichen Charakter entspricht und deshalb verständlicherweise oftmals zu heiklen Situationen führt, in denen sich Amani nicht Prinzessinen-konform verhält, was ihrem Umfeld natürlich auffällt. Mit Idris wird dann auch das obligatorische Romantik-Element in die Geschichte eingefügt und die Entwicklung zwischen Amani und Idris verläuft doch sehr vorhersehbar.
Der Schreibstil ist für ein Debüt okay, mir hat aber oftmals die emotionale Verbindung zu den Charakteren gefehlt, der beim temporeichen Erzählstil leider auf der Strecke bleibt.
Fazit:
In ihrem Debüt wagt Somaiya Daud eine Mischung aus Young Adult Fantasy und Science-Fiction, für das sie sich ein eigentlich sehr interessantes Worldbuilding ausgedacht hat. Leider gelingt es ihr nicht, dass Potential ihrer eigenen Idee vollends zu nutzen. Der Plot wirkt stellenweise gehetzt und kratzt leider nur an der Oberfläche und auch die Charakter bleiben letztendlich sehr blass und eindimensional. Für ein Debüt okay, aber da ist noch viel Luft nach oben für die Fortsetzung(en). Von mir gibt es deshalb durchschnittliche 3 Sterne.
Damit hat Daud mit ihrer Idee den Grundstein zu einer eigentlich interessanten Geschichte legt. Leider wird das Potential, dass dieses umfangreiche Worldbuilding bieten würde, nicht mal annähernd genutzt. Viel mehr als im Klappentext erfährt man leider nicht wirklich über die Vath (die scheinbar die "Bösen" sein sollen?) oder das Herrschaftssystem. Man kann erahnen, dass Amani auf ihrem Heimatplaneten Cadiz eher einem Unterschichts-ähnlichen Arbeitervolk angehört, das seine ganz eigenen Traditionen und Rituale hegt, aber das ist schon alles. Ehe man sich versieht, wird Amani bei einem Fest von den Vath entführt. Der Grund? Sie sieht aus wie die Vath Prinzessin Maram, die von vielen gehasst wird und deshalb in grosser Gefahr schwebt. Damit ihr nichts passiert, soll Amani nun Marams Rolle einnehmen und sich dieser potentiellen Lebensgefahr immer wieder aussetzen.
Soweit so gut, das alles erfährt man bereits aus dem Klappentext. Leider passiert im Buch selbst nicht viel mehr, als der Klappentext im Vorfeld verraten hat. Ich hatte den Eindruck, dass die ganze Zeit über nur an der Oberfläche gekratzt wurde, denn auch die Charaktere blieben bis zum Schluss eher blass, da man bis auf Maram sehr wenig über die Hintergründe der Protagonisten erfährt. Das Buch ist sehr temporeich und die Autorin verliert keine Zeit mit ihrem Schreibstil, was mir in der Regel zwar lieber ist, als wenn eine Story unnötig in die Länge gezogen wird, aber hier hätte ich doch gerne mehr über das Worldbuilding erfahren. Am Ende wusste ich nicht viel mehr, als am Anfang und das fand ich etwas enttäuschend.
Der Grossteil der Geschichte nimmt Amanis Vorbereitung auf ihre Rolle als Maram ein. Sie muss lernen, wie man sich hochnäsig und unsympathisch verhält - etwas, das so gar nicht ihrem eigentlichen Charakter entspricht und deshalb verständlicherweise oftmals zu heiklen Situationen führt, in denen sich Amani nicht Prinzessinen-konform verhält, was ihrem Umfeld natürlich auffällt. Mit Idris wird dann auch das obligatorische Romantik-Element in die Geschichte eingefügt und die Entwicklung zwischen Amani und Idris verläuft doch sehr vorhersehbar.
Der Schreibstil ist für ein Debüt okay, mir hat aber oftmals die emotionale Verbindung zu den Charakteren gefehlt, der beim temporeichen Erzählstil leider auf der Strecke bleibt.
Fazit:
In ihrem Debüt wagt Somaiya Daud eine Mischung aus Young Adult Fantasy und Science-Fiction, für das sie sich ein eigentlich sehr interessantes Worldbuilding ausgedacht hat. Leider gelingt es ihr nicht, dass Potential ihrer eigenen Idee vollends zu nutzen. Der Plot wirkt stellenweise gehetzt und kratzt leider nur an der Oberfläche und auch die Charakter bleiben letztendlich sehr blass und eindimensional. Für ein Debüt okay, aber da ist noch viel Luft nach oben für die Fortsetzung(en). Von mir gibt es deshalb durchschnittliche 3 Sterne.
Fun & engaging! Rec. for 7th grade & up. There is one scene that could be interpreted as a sex scene, but it is totally nondescript. The plot moves a little slowly and it can be difficult to keep track of all the history/backstory, so it might be challenging for some younger middle school readers to follow. I love that the ending clearly sets us up for a sequel, but also stands on its own two feet as a solid ending. There are very few sci fi elements, so fantasy fans will find this engaging as well. Great for Lunar Chronicles fans.
I very much enjoyed the originality and concept of this fantasy novel, especially with the build on the classic themes of twins who are not twins (is that the terminology??). Amani had a simple and love-filled life on the moon of Cadiz. Living in a world of occupation and tyranny, Amani longed for the ancient poetry and traditions that have been crushed by the new Vath regime. When she is suddenly and publicly kidnapped on her majority night, where she was receiving the traditional face tattoos of her people, Amani's life is completely upended to become the double for the empire's heir, Maram. In her new role as decoy, Amani learns more about her oppressors while also discovering the flames of rebellion stoking all around her.
One of my favorite parts about original novel was also the most underdeveloped. Daud has cleverly taken the roots of Arabic language and culture and blasted it into space with new star systems, planets, and moons. However, I felt the specificity and grandness of her map to be lost in the story. Daud chose to focus on the characters and the kingdom of Andala, which as been conquered and ruled by the Vath. While there is some inter-moon travel and the conquering nation from a different star system, there was very little focus on the vastness of this galactic world. Too many of the people seem humanoid in form and even when traveling between moons, the journey almost seemed like it was between continents for how similar the moons and planet were in people and place. This could have all been intentional as a way to set up the world for the series but I am eager to feel experience more in the coming books.
That being said, Daud's building of the culture and people of Andala was mesmerizing. She was able to incorporate Arabic poetry and history into her new world very seamlessly. I loved the through-line of poetry and storytelling (especially the tales of Massinia) that you can see even with different families and cultures within Andala. Amani was a very strong character and relatable characters as well as Idris. While we saw some humanization of Maram through Amani's eyes, I'm eager to get more character development of all these people in Daud's next installment!
This was a very impressive debut with original fantasy (and perhaps an element of sci fi) ideas. I enjoyed reading it a lot and it got me very excited for future book(s) in the series.
One of my favorite parts about original novel was also the most underdeveloped. Daud has cleverly taken the roots of Arabic language and culture and blasted it into space with new star systems, planets, and moons. However, I felt the specificity and grandness of her map to be lost in the story. Daud chose to focus on the characters and the kingdom of Andala, which as been conquered and ruled by the Vath. While there is some inter-moon travel and the conquering nation from a different star system, there was very little focus on the vastness of this galactic world. Too many of the people seem humanoid in form and even when traveling between moons, the journey almost seemed like it was between continents for how similar the moons and planet were in people and place. This could have all been intentional as a way to set up the world for the series but I am eager to feel experience more in the coming books.
That being said, Daud's building of the culture and people of Andala was mesmerizing. She was able to incorporate Arabic poetry and history into her new world very seamlessly. I loved the through-line of poetry and storytelling (especially the tales of Massinia) that you can see even with different families and cultures within Andala. Amani was a very strong character and relatable characters as well as Idris. While we saw some humanization of Maram through Amani's eyes, I'm eager to get more character development of all these people in Daud's next installment!
This was a very impressive debut with original fantasy (and perhaps an element of sci fi) ideas. I enjoyed reading it a lot and it got me very excited for future book(s) in the series.