Mirage, Somaiya Daud
Mirage, Somaiya Daud
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Mirage
A Novel

Author: Somaiya Daud

Narrator: Rasha Zamamiri

Unabridged: 8 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/28/2018


Synopsis

“Mirage is full of characters who feel like they existed long before the story began, and a rich world that is as beautiful as it is cruel. Somaiya Daud is a rare talent. A smart, romantic, exciting debut.” —Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divergent and Carve the Mark

A stunning epic fantasy audiobook inspired by the author’s Moroccan heritage about a poor girl who must become the body double of a princess of a ruthless empire hailed as ”a rich, dazzling, powerful debut” by Tahereh Mafi, the New York Times author of the Shatter Me series

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.

More praise for Mirage:

“Daud is a masterful storyteller. Mirage gives readers an exquisitely wrought world with deft characters, death-defying stakes, and an aching romance. Bound to linger in your dreams.” — Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen

"MIRAGE reads as an impossible trick of the light, a feather that carves words into stone, a banquet of longing and loss. Every page comes roaring to life in a way that overwhelms and transforms you. This isn't a debut novel so much as an heirloom, and the work of a master storyteller." — Margaret Stohl, #1 New York Times bestselling author Beautiful Creatures & Black Widow: Forever Red

"With its breathtaking worldbuilding and characters who grabbed me from the first page, Mirage is by turns thrilling and ruminative, sexy and heartbreaking. Somaiya Daud has written a moving and unforgettable debut." — Sabaa Tahir, New York Times bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes

About Somaiya Daud

Somaiya Daud is the author of Mirage and holds a PhD from the University of Washington in English literature. A former bookseller in the children’s department at Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C., now she writes and teaches full time.


Reviews

“you are not defined by the men in your life, no matter how powerful. You lived before them and you shall live after them. You can’t let them determine your path.” 3 1/2 stars. Now THIS is the feminist YA fantasy of 2018, not Heart of Thorns. It's imperfect, yes, falling into a number of debut au......more

Goodreads review by Elle

Somaiya Daud didn’t have to come for us like this..... she’s like “here take this amazing multidimensional narrative about colonization and agency and internalized hatred for one’s culture, driven by a fantastic lady lead and her complex relationship with a fantastic lady antivillain, featuring fant......more

Goodreads review by Melanie

ARC provided by Flatiron in exchange for an honest review. You all should check out this amazing ownvoices review from Em! 💜 “On a small moon orbiting a large planet, in a small farmhouse in a small village, there was a box, and in this box was a feather.” Mirage is a magical, wonderful, im......more


Quotes

"Prepare to be transported to a whole new world by this powerful, captivating YA audiobook. Narrator Rasha Zamamiri weaves family, politics, romance, and science fiction into a beautifully delivered story of adventure and intrigue...A mesmerizing coming-of-age story, this is a must-listen." -AudioFile