Hello
Readers,
Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read this ebook for free in
exchange for an honest review.
Mirage
is Somaiya Daud’s debut novel, the book is a gripping tale of lies, cruelty,
political conspiracies, colonialism and rebellion. The book is set in a
fabulously detailed world with plenty of cultural detail that is Moroccan
inspired, I honestly loved reading the Moroccan inspired traditions and
familial heritage. The beautiful poetry, and the way Somaiya seamlessly fuses
science fiction and fantasy together at times it felt a little more like a
fantasy novel, with a timeless quality to the setting, just as you let fall
into the fantasy bubble then a Droid comes along to remind everyone it is
sci-fi after all. The way the traditions, heritage and sci-fi elements are
beautifully intertwined is a magnificent unique twist! Unlike anything have
read before.
On
a serious note, cultural destruction is a very prominent theme throughout this
book. Mirage follows Amani, a young girl growing up in a poverty-stricken
village on a planet called Cadiz, the daughter planet of Andala. The day of Amani’s Majority Night, a
spiritual blessing into the life of adulthood, she is kidnapped by imperial
droids and taken to the palace of King Mathis to serve as the body double for
Princess Maram. Amani is forced to shed
her old identity and receives rigorous lessons on Princess Maram’s personality
and mannerisms. Amani is in way over her
head she is living under constant threat of assassination, the physical and
emotional abuse from the Royals, along with studying the Vathek, history,
ancestry, and customs. However, despite the horrors of this new life, Amani
finds comfort in poetry and Idris, Princess Maram’s fiancé. She risks her life
every day for a brutal princess and is forced to fool all of the Vathek royalty
into thinking that she is in fact Maram.
There
is a whole cast of gorgeous characters, I’m going to focus on Maram and Amani.
Maram
When
we first meet Maram, she is undeniably cruel. But then as the story progresses,
we start to see a different side to her. A sad and lonely woman, broken and
moulded by what people have done to her, starts to emerge. Maram is much, much
more complicated, and far darker character, especially at first, Maram is so
hated that her life is in jeopardy every time she makes public appearances,
therefore Amani takes Maram place during functions. I loved the character
development between her and Amani is beautiful and timid. Maram is torn between
what her father wants her to be, and what her dead mother wished her to be.
Amani
Amani
is a likeable character who sees the good in the other characters despite their
cultural and political differences. Amani has a rough time, but I admired the
way she handled the changes. She is
genuinely a good protagonist and narrator for the story. She’s not rash or
foolish or recklessly brave for no reason. She’s smart and compassionate, but
she’s not entirely perfect either. She understands her situation in the palace
and does not unnecessarily risk her life to do something stupidly heroic.
Mirage
is an intriguing book the collapse of right and wrong progresses further
as the story continues. We find we don’t know whose side we’re on anymore, or
what the precise cost of peace is. The book moves slowly building the flame of
rebellion and tension perfectly. Somaiya enhances the story every so often by adding poetry into very heartfelt moments,
encouraged by beautiful prose. I love the strong female characters, love, hope,
sci-fi (I wasn’t expecting so many Sci-Fi elements but it was such a pleasant
surprise), fantasy and explores another culture so wonderfully. This book was
all-in-all a beautiful debut and I can’t wait to read the next in the series!
L x
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