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booksthatburn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
MIRAGE is a story of a girl forced to be the body double for the princess assumed to be the next monarch of her colonized planet. As Amani adjusts to the strict requirements of her new role, she starts connecting with others who are trying to end the occupation.
I love the worldbuilding in MIRAGE. It’s concerned with language, culture, and class dynamics reinforced through colonization. Its suffuses everything from Amani's life with her family to the Vathek court and everything in between. It was obvious to me that many parts of the language are based on Arabic, and the interview with the author which is included in the audiobook clarified for me that it was specifically influenced by Moroccan culture. Even before I knew which specific country's history had contributed to the worldbuilding, there were so many wonderfully detailed moments which filled this picture of a people who went to space and have been living on this moon for so long that their culture references a long history on that moon and not their arrival from somewhere else.
This deals heavily with the cruelty of colonizers, and the difficulty of Amani trying to stay alive when everything she does to preserve her life also helps her oppressors. The Vathek colonizers are quasi-European, culturally and aesthetically different from those they’re subjugating. Long stretches in the middle are a bit more hopeful, as every time Amani is sent somewhere instead of the princess it’s more time that she can interact without a harsh gaze upon her. One complication is that the princess is engaged to be married, so Amani interacts with her fiancé, Idris, who isn't supposed to know about the body double. I like Idris, his dynamic with Amani is really sweet. I especially love the way that they slowly begin discussing more of their history and shared culture together, since Idris was made to forget his first language years ago but Amani still can read and speak it.
As the first book of a trilogy, this establishes Amani's transformation away from who she was before she was kidnapped. There's more of a focus on Vathek culture because Amani has to become familiar with the Vathek court to survive. The ending was a dramatic shift and I'm excited for how the next book handles things.
I love the worldbuilding in MIRAGE. It’s concerned with language, culture, and class dynamics reinforced through colonization. Its suffuses everything from Amani's life with her family to the Vathek court and everything in between. It was obvious to me that many parts of the language are based on Arabic, and the interview with the author which is included in the audiobook clarified for me that it was specifically influenced by Moroccan culture. Even before I knew which specific country's history had contributed to the worldbuilding, there were so many wonderfully detailed moments which filled this picture of a people who went to space and have been living on this moon for so long that their culture references a long history on that moon and not their arrival from somewhere else.
This deals heavily with the cruelty of colonizers, and the difficulty of Amani trying to stay alive when everything she does to preserve her life also helps her oppressors. The Vathek colonizers are quasi-European, culturally and aesthetically different from those they’re subjugating. Long stretches in the middle are a bit more hopeful, as every time Amani is sent somewhere instead of the princess it’s more time that she can interact without a harsh gaze upon her. One complication is that the princess is engaged to be married, so Amani interacts with her fiancé, Idris, who isn't supposed to know about the body double. I like Idris, his dynamic with Amani is really sweet. I especially love the way that they slowly begin discussing more of their history and shared culture together, since Idris was made to forget his first language years ago but Amani still can read and speak it.
As the first book of a trilogy, this establishes Amani's transformation away from who she was before she was kidnapped. There's more of a focus on Vathek culture because Amani has to become familiar with the Vathek court to survive. The ending was a dramatic shift and I'm excited for how the next book handles things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Blood, Gun violence, Racism, Police brutality, Colonisation, and Slavery
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Physical abuse, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Medical content, and Torture
Minor: Sexual content and Pregnancy
mlottermoser's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Space drama with middle eastern culture versus invaders. Stolen from her family to be the princess’s body double, Amani must decide who to trust and her role in the palace.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Medical trauma, Blood, Gun violence, and Toxic relationship
ericadawson's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
It took me a while to finish this book, so part of this review is based on memory.
I enjoyed it! I liked the writing style and the setting, even if it was a bit confusing to me. I liked the worldbuilding and the use of white colonialism and imperialism in a way that wasn't hamfisted or heavy-handed. Amani is a very contemplative character. I wish her flaws would have been on display more.
Unfortunately, the book's rating is dragged down for me by two things: the uneven pacing in terms of political development, and Idris. For the former, I didn't feel like the stakes were quite as high until past the halfway mark. When Amani's confidence in her task grew, I felt like the sense of danger fell with it until it felt like we were reading about Amani doing a regular job at work. The political tension wasn't maintained very well, in my mind.
As for the second problem--I'm sorry, Idris was very flat to me. What he has in common with Amani is that they are both Kushaila, but that's it. He's lost a connection to his culture, but he doesn't feel nearly as tangible as Amani does as a character. When Maram warned Amani about Idris, I expected something to come of it--that perhaps Idris would turn out to be manipulative or overbearing or controlling. He's just a romantic puppy. He's just a Hottie Cardboard Cuttout.
As much as I love turmoil between duty and friendship, I wish that Amani and Maram's relationship had been more reciprocal--perhaps, as Amani grew to like and gain the trust of Maram, Maram would have done more than simply not continue to abuse Amani. Either way, I'm still rooting for their friendship.
I liked the voice/writing style, especially toward the end. Overall, a good book.
I enjoyed it! I liked the writing style and the setting, even if it was a bit confusing to me. I liked the worldbuilding and the use of white colonialism and imperialism in a way that wasn't hamfisted or heavy-handed. Amani is a very contemplative character. I wish her flaws would have been on display more.
Unfortunately, the book's rating is dragged down for me by two things: the uneven pacing in terms of political development, and Idris. For the former, I didn't feel like the stakes were quite as high until past the halfway mark. When Amani's confidence in her task grew, I felt like the sense of danger fell with it until it felt like we were reading about Amani doing a regular job at work. The political tension wasn't maintained very well, in my mind.
As for the second problem--I'm sorry, Idris was very flat to me. What he has in common with Amani is that they are both Kushaila, but that's it. He's lost a connection to his culture, but he doesn't feel nearly as tangible as Amani does as a character. When Maram warned Amani about Idris, I expected something to come of it--that perhaps Idris would turn out to be manipulative or overbearing or controlling. He's just a romantic puppy. He's just a Hottie Cardboard Cuttout.
As much as I love turmoil between duty and friendship, I wish that Amani and Maram's relationship had been more reciprocal--perhaps, as Amani grew to like and gain the trust of Maram, Maram would have done more than simply not continue to abuse Amani. Either way, I'm still rooting for their friendship.
I liked the voice/writing style, especially toward the end. Overall, a good book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood
corvicore's review
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Blood, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, and Xenophobia
folded_between_pages_of_books's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, and Torture
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