Genre: Sci-Fi / Space Opera
Series: Mirage Book 1
Publisher: Flatiron Books / Macmillan
Source: Audio book via Libby
“A refreshing and unique coming-of-age story...a beautiful and necessary meditation on finding strength in one’s culture.” ―Entertainment Weekly, Top Pick of the Month
“A YA marvel that will shock breath into your lungs. If you loved The Wrath and the Dawn and Children of Blood and Bone, Mirage will captivate you.” ―The Christian Science Monitor
“This debut fantasy has what it takes to be the next big thing in sci-fi/fantasy.” ―SLJ, starred review
“Immersive, captivating.” ―ALA Booklist, starred review
Where to Buy: Shop local! Find your local independent bookstore at IndieBound!
Goodreads Summary:
In a world dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated home.
But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.
As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty―and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection...because one wrong move could lead to her death
In a world dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated home.
But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.
As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty―and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection...because one wrong move could lead to her death
My Review: ⭐⭐⭐ .5!
I'm going to admit that when I first heard of this book, I checked it out solely based on the cover and the fact that this was an Own Voices story by a debut author. When I read the title I imagined a rich, lush, fantasy story that takes place in a tropical setting or perhaps a desert. I was not, however, expecting a science-fiction space opera featuring a bad ass female lead. Guess I should definitely read the synopsis before diving into a story!
Mirage follows a young girl named Amani who is kidnapped from her home planet and taken to the Royal Palace. Upon arriving, she soon realizes that she was kidnapped by the cruel Vathek in order to impersonate the Princess Maram, whom she is nearly identical to, because they worry for her safety since she is hated by her people. During any event in which Princess Maram is required to be, Amani takes her place just in case something bad were to happen. It is in this position that she meets Maram's betrothed, Idris. Romance ensues, etc. etc.
I'm only giving this a 3.5 star review because I felt the story severely lacking in SOMETHING that I can't seem to put my finger on. The plot as a whole is actually pretty interesting and I found myself interested most of the time, but I think the world-building could have been a bit richer, and I also wish that there would be more explanations of what some of the unknown words mean (like types of food etc.). As for characterization, I really didn't connect to any of them. I didn't have a favorite, and none of them were really all that memorable. Amani was supposed to be a bad-ass, Maram was pretty unlikable, and Idris was just "okay" as a love interest. Mirage definitely left me wanting more.
I'll admit, I think the major disconnect for me is that I listened to this via Audiobook as opposed to reading it traditionally. There are definitely times where I love a book more reading it than listening to it, and I think this may be one of those books. I would be interested in rereading this with a physical copy to see if my review changes at all. I will definitely continue reading the series as they are released.
Mirage follows a young girl named Amani who is kidnapped from her home planet and taken to the Royal Palace. Upon arriving, she soon realizes that she was kidnapped by the cruel Vathek in order to impersonate the Princess Maram, whom she is nearly identical to, because they worry for her safety since she is hated by her people. During any event in which Princess Maram is required to be, Amani takes her place just in case something bad were to happen. It is in this position that she meets Maram's betrothed, Idris. Romance ensues, etc. etc.
I'm only giving this a 3.5 star review because I felt the story severely lacking in SOMETHING that I can't seem to put my finger on. The plot as a whole is actually pretty interesting and I found myself interested most of the time, but I think the world-building could have been a bit richer, and I also wish that there would be more explanations of what some of the unknown words mean (like types of food etc.). As for characterization, I really didn't connect to any of them. I didn't have a favorite, and none of them were really all that memorable. Amani was supposed to be a bad-ass, Maram was pretty unlikable, and Idris was just "okay" as a love interest. Mirage definitely left me wanting more.
I'll admit, I think the major disconnect for me is that I listened to this via Audiobook as opposed to reading it traditionally. There are definitely times where I love a book more reading it than listening to it, and I think this may be one of those books. I would be interested in rereading this with a physical copy to see if my review changes at all. I will definitely continue reading the series as they are released.
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