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infinite_tbr 's review for:
Mirage
by Somaiya Daud
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.