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3.5 stars
I got this book for 5.40 USD at a nearby bookstore. I was enticed by the book cover and the synopsis, but I postponed reading this book. I only read it 6 months later after buying it.
The crown of Dihya had been stripped from me, my face changed, my body broken. But I was not a slave and I was not a spare. I was my mother’s daughter, and I would survive and endure. I would find my way back home.
I love how this book is very character-driven and fast-paced. For months, I have been reading books that were plot-driven to a fault and painfully slow-paced. In that sense, Mirage was refreshing to read. I was very interested in Maram's complex character. She is not simply a bad villain, she has a good back story. Also, Amani is a well-rounded character; she grew on me as I progressed through the book. Amani and Idris's romance, however, was unexciting. I kind of thought that it would be Maram and Amani that will have a romantic relationship. That is okay for me because I did not read this book for the romance.
And this, poetry like this, was all we had to preserve our stories, our music, our history.
This book touched upon subjects of colonialism and the elimination of indigenous tribes. I was so impressed by how Amani's dying culture was established and showed in the story. But, I became confused by the terminologies used in the book. Makhzen. Tesleet. Daan. I wrote all those terms down and defined them though.
As for the writing, it was fantastic. It was very evident just from the first page that Daud is incredibly skilled in writing stories. I am looking forward to getting the second book! I wonder what will happen next.
I got this book for 5.40 USD at a nearby bookstore. I was enticed by the book cover and the synopsis, but I postponed reading this book. I only read it 6 months later after buying it.
The crown of Dihya had been stripped from me, my face changed, my body broken. But I was not a slave and I was not a spare. I was my mother’s daughter, and I would survive and endure. I would find my way back home.
I love how this book is very character-driven and fast-paced. For months, I have been reading books that were plot-driven to a fault and painfully slow-paced. In that sense, Mirage was refreshing to read. I was very interested in Maram's complex character. She is not simply a bad villain, she has a good back story. Also, Amani is a well-rounded character; she grew on me as I progressed through the book. Amani and Idris's romance, however, was unexciting. I kind of thought that it would be Maram and Amani that will have a romantic relationship. That is okay for me because I did not read this book for the romance.
And this, poetry like this, was all we had to preserve our stories, our music, our history.
This book touched upon subjects of colonialism and the elimination of indigenous tribes. I was so impressed by how Amani's dying culture was established and showed in the story. But, I became confused by the terminologies used in the book. Makhzen. Tesleet. Daan. I wrote all those terms down and defined them though.
As for the writing, it was fantastic. It was very evident just from the first page that Daud is incredibly skilled in writing stories. I am looking forward to getting the second book! I wonder what will happen next.