Mirage - Book Review

Mirage (Mirage #1)
by Somaiya Daud

What is it about:
In a star system 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 moon.

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.

What did I think of it:
I'd call this book Science-Fantasy.
Yes, there are droids and interplanetary travel, but the setting overall doesn't have a SF feel. It is based on Arabian mythology and history and because of that it felt more like Fantasy than Science Fiction.

I very much enjoyed this story, but there were a few things in this story that felt off for me. First: the mood changed rather drastically a few times. It starts out harsh and grim, like the blurb promises, but then suddenly shifts to something much softer, almost fluffy, only to suddenly shift to grim again. These mood changes threw me a bit i'll confess. Even so much, that I think, the ending of this book would have worked better for me if the story's mood had been tense and grim throughout the book.

Apart from that I also thought Maram and her main assistant were a bunch of morons. A large part of this story wouldn't have been possible if Maram and he assistant had been just a tiny bit smarter.

That being said: Even with the sudden mood shifts and Maram's idiocy I very much enjoyed the story. The writing is beautiful, the characters mostly well thought out in how they act, and the story interesting. The ending makes that this story works really well as a standalone, but it also makes you eager for more. I will most probably get my trotters on the next book once it releases.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful Science-Fantasy read.


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