This review contains affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you click and purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business and allowing me to continue providing you a reliable resource for clean book ratings.
Amani has really only ever known her home as occupied by the harsh invaders the Vathek empire. She does wish she could live in the time it was different, not that long ago — when her Andalaan culture could be one she cherished and took part in fully, when she and her family could live peacefully in their quiet village and go about their business. When she could take time to read and ponder on the poetry dedicated to Massinia, the prophetess of their religion, and maybe even write some of her own.
Her life is hard, but she has her beloved family. Then one night, during the cultural ceremony marking her entry into adulthood, she is taken by the Vath to the royal palace, where the half-Andalaan, half-Vathek Princess Maram lives. It turns out Amani looks uncannily like Maram, and she is now being trained to be her body double for certain events — to keep the real princess safe in case of any attacks. Maram is cruel and hated by the people the Vatheks have conquered; her appearance is very Andalaan, but her personality is very much a product of her Vathek upbringing and the personality and expectations of her ruthless father the king.
Amani finds a way to do what she’s told, and as time goes along, she finds a place in the world she’s been thrust into. She particularly enjoys the company of Maram’s fiancé, Idris, a fellow native of her world who was born into privilege but is being forced to play a role as well, though not a secret one, to stay alive in their harsh reality.
As time goes on, Amani finds it may be possible for her to make a difference, to effect some change. But most possibilities are very dangerous options. Can she risk her life, the lives of her family, her connection to Idris and even to the princess?
This is a story that’s not unusual in its setup — young woman has to find ways to be courageous, to survive, to look deep inside herself, etc., in a tough world of some kind — but it’s enjoyable. Mirage is set on a moon that’s been colonized by people from the planet it orbits. There are people who live on various star systems and other planets, and there’s technology that enables travel, communications, etc., but the book has no more elements of science fiction and doesn’t feel of that genre at all. Those are just facts underlying the story. And the setting is very much Moroccan: the colors, the foods, the culture and language. It’s very rich and descriptive. Amani is a young woman who doesn’t consider herself strong or courageous, but she has opportunities to find those qualities in herself and to create a place for herself in a life she didn’t expect. “Strong women” threads run throughout the book in different ways but aren’t in-your-face. I enjoyed that.
Rated: Mild, for essentially no bad language; for some kissing but nothing more (there is only a very brief reference in the reading of some passionate poetry to erotic/sexual themes that is poetical and not necessarily straightforward; the heroine gets a little embarrassed reading it); violence occurs but is not detailed or gory or disturbing.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
