Mirage

All eighteen-year-old Amani has ever dreamed of is her coming-of-age ceremony. She loves her community and her home, even though she lives on the planet Andala’s more impoverished moon, Cadiz. Growing up, Amani’s family’s finances never worried her. She always focused on the positives: her family’s two farms, plenty of room to run wild, and her distance from the Andalan capital, Walili. Living on Cadiz, she can fully immerse herself in her favorite forbidden hobby: poetry. Ever since the Vathek Empire appeared in Andalan skies twenty years prior, the Empire’s been trying to erase their culture. The Vathek Empire only cares about important nobles and revolutionary leaders. No one worries about her family living on the edge of the world. Or at least, that’s what Amani believes. Then, Imperial soldiers appear at her coming-of-age ceremony and kidnap her.  

Trying to be brave despite her fear, Amani proves herself to be a strong and fierce protagonist with relatable flaws. She is taken to the Ziyaana, the Vathek palace in Walili, and left at the feet of the princess, whom she bears a strong resemblance to. The half-Vathek, half-Andalan princess, Maram, is on the cusp of receiving her inheritance, the Vathek Empire. However, the entire Andalan population despises Maram due to her cruelty. Therefore, Maram requires a body-double—and that is Amani.  

Imprisoned by the Empire, Amani is forced to contend with manipulative courtiers, Maram’s handsome though mysterious fiancé, Idris, and a stubborn underground rebellion that waits for her allegiance. Amani isn’t sure where to turn or whom she can trust. She doesn’t even know if she can trust Idris, for whom she is developing feelings. She only wants one thing: to go home. The longer she stays, the more danger she is in, as any wrong step would condemn her to death. However, she also realizes how much power this position gives her and that no empire can last forever, especially one as spread thin as the Vatheks.    

Amani is an independent and clever character who grows when challenged, leading by example and standing firm in her moral principles. The light romance between her and Idris doesn’t distract her from her goals. She exhibits a capacity for kindness and acceptance in both her budding love for Idris and for the family and friends she cultivates and learns to trust along the way. Overall, by following Amani’s example, the other characters grow and learn from their mistakes.  

Daud crafts powerful characters with unique personalities. Unfortunately, their development sometimes feels too rushed and is not as thoroughly explored as it could be. The Emperor, Mathis, is flat, and his daughter, Maram, goes from overly cruel and abusive to kind and sincere too quickly. While this doesn’t happen with Amani, it does detract from the overall story, which is very creative and complex in a fun way.  

The story is easy to follow, though there are occasionally words in Arabic that aren’t explained, but they’re simple to deduce from context clues. On the whole, Mirage boasts plenty of interesting political intrigue, inspiring female characters, and a wonderful science fiction atmosphere, all while incorporating elements of Middle Eastern and North African culture.  

Readers who enjoyed Children of Blood and Bone, Cinder, and Iron Widow will love the flair of the court drama, the otherworldly technology, and the fierce rebellion of a teenage girl who finds her voice in Mirage. The book is filled with people trying to find their place in the world, even when their culture, traditions, and religion are being stolen from them. Mirage tells a beautiful story with an uplifting message: true leadership potential exists in everyone, regardless of their economic background, family lineage, or personal doubts—they simply need to find the courage to advocate for themselves first. 

Sexual Content  

• Amani and Maram’s fiancé, Idris, fall in love. Then, he discovers she is not Maram. Soon after he tricks Amani into revealing herself, they have a deep, emotional conversation and go swimming together. While in the water, “[Idris’s] hands tangled in the wet mass of [Amani’s] hair. [She] felt as though [her] whole body was waiting for his kiss. [Her] fingers tightened in his and [she] rose up on her toes to meet him. . . He drew [Amani] closer until the lines of [their] bodies were pressed against one another.” It ends after the kiss.  
• After an argument with Maram, Idris finds Amani, and they play a game together. At the end of it, “[Idris] leaned forward and kissed [Amani].” They kiss, but they break away quickly, going to sleep individually.  
• While visiting his family, Idris gifts Amani his parents’ old poetry book. It contains a lot of romantic poetry, including the lines, “I urge you to come on feet faster than the wind, /Come and rise over my breast and take root in me and plough me. /And no matter what befalls you while we’re entwined, / Don’t let me go until you’ve flushed me thrice.” Amani blushes from reading it and sets it down. They talk a little more, and Idris kisses her goodnight. 
• After an assassination attempt on Amani, Idris finds her, worried about her. “[Amani’s] heart gave a painful thud as he leaned down and kissed [her]” to calm her down. He asks her to run away with him, and she declines, so he leaves.  

Violence  

• When Amani is abducted by the Imperial droids and taken from her coming-of-age ceremony, the robots attack her friend, Khadija, and her brother, Husnain. “There was no sound as the phaser went off, only the sudden weakening of Khadjia’s grip around my hand. Her fingers slipped from mine, and her body fell forward. Her knees hit the ground, and then she fell sideways, eyes open in shock. Red bloomed on her shoulder like a flower, staining the green lines crisscrossing her arms.” As Husnain protests Amani being taken, he is “[thrown] back nearly halfway across the courtyard. He landed against the fountain with a bloodcurdling sound, then fell to the floor, unmoving.” Neither of them dies from their wounds.   
• As Amani meets Maram, she talks back to her, angry about being taken from her family. In response, Maram “move[s] quickly, like a viper, and backhand[s] [Amani] with her ringed hand. Pain was quick and hot; it radiated over [Amani’s] cheekbone and down [her] jaw.”  
• After the slap, Amani continues to talk back to Maram. Maram calls for her pet bird and orders it to attack Amani. “The [bird] was silent as its claws slammed and then dug in [Amani’s] shoulders. They clenched, digging into flesh and bone, before it lifted [Amani] off [her] feet and dragged [her] back several feet.” The bird releases her, and Amani is dismissed from Maram’s presence. She heals quickly from the shoulder wounds. 
• Maram’s fiancé, Idris, is an Andalan hostage, forced to be engaged to Maram as part of a peace treaty. When Amani asks her servant, Tala, about his history, she discovers that he was forcibly taken from his family. Tala says, “There was no trial, no warning. A year passed. And then one night, Vathek forces stormed the strongholds of all the dissident families, pulled them from their beds, and shot them. Idris was allowed to live.” This is the extent of the violence described in terms of the Vathek takeover of Andala.  
• As Amani poses as Maram in a council meeting, the emperor, Mathis, suggests that they “bomb the coastal cities” to quiet the rebellion. They just discuss it during the meeting, but they don’t take action. 
• During Maram’s coronation as the official Imperial Heir, Amani is again posing as Maram when there is an assassination attempt against her. “One of the [guards] collapsed in front of [Amani]. [She] stared at him for a moment, uncomprehending, and watched a red stain spread across his chest.” The assassin approaches Amani, but she reveals herself as Maram’s body-double, and he pauses. The guards apprehend the assassin and handcuff him with no further violence. It is unclear if the shot member of the guard died or not.  
• When Maram and the emperor’s steward discover that Amani knew about the assassination before it happened, they punish her by showing her a live feed of her family being attacked. “One of the [guards] moved on screen, and slammed the butt of his gun against the back of her head. [Amani’s] mother was silent, though her face contorted into a grimace.” Nobody is fatally injured. After Amani begs, the steward shuts the live feed off, leaving Amani crying on the floor.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None 

Language  

• None 

Supernatural  

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• The Andalans and people on Cadiz have their own monotheistic religion. They worship the god, Dihya, and the prophetess, a Jesus-like figure, Massinia. Before her secular coming-of-age ceremony, Amani thinks about how “when Dihya wanted to give you a sign He slipped a feather into your hand [from a bird]. When He wanted to command you to a calling, to take action, He sent the bird itself. It was a holy and high calling.” At the end of the novel, Amani receives one of these birds, a sign she believes to be a reminder to stay brave. 
• Before her coming-of-age ceremony, Amani explains that “Massinia was the prophetess of our religion and though we all loved her, I loved her above all other things in our faith.” 
• Sent in Maram’s place to visit her grandmother’s palace, Amani visits the catacombs under the building, finding a religious statue. Amani “was transfixed by the image of [Massinia] on a horse, her black robes whipping in an unseen wind.” Amani comes across similar statues of Massinia during her travels and duties as Maram’s body-double.