'Somaiya Daud is a rare talent. A smart, romantic, exciting debut.' - Veronica Roth, #1 New York Timesbestselling author of Divergent
'Prepare yourself for a story that's enriching, thrilling, and captivating' - BuzzFeed
'By turns thrilling and ruminative, sexy and heartbreaking' - Sabaa Tahir, author of an Ember in the Ashes
The crown of Dihya had been stripped from me, my face changed, my body broken. But I was not a slave and I was not a spare.
I was my mother's daughter, and I would survive and endure. I would find my way back home.
In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, sixteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation and receiving a sign that one day, she, too, will have adventures, and travel beyond her isolated moon.
But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects. She is kidnapped by the government and taken in secret to the royal palace. There, 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 to appear in public, 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, and she soon realises that one wrong move could lead to her death...
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Review
A *BuzzFeed, Publishers Weekly*, Bustle, and Hypable most anticipated book of 2018***ABA IndieNext Pick***Junior Library Guild SelectionALA Booklist Top 10 Scifi/Fantasy & Horror Book for YouthAmazon/Audible Best New Release**
*“This poetically written novel will appeal to many, particularly fans of Cinder by Marissa Meyer and An Ember in the Ashes* by Sabaa Tahir. Verdict: This debut novel has what it takes to be the next big thing in sci-fi/fantasy.” ―*School Library Journal, ***starred review
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“This gorgeously written, immersive, and captivating series starter is sure to have fans eager for a sequel.” ―ALA Booklist*,* starred review
“Prepare yourself for a story that’s enriching, thrilling, and captivating.” ―BuzzFeed
“Mirage is smart, sexy, and devilishly clever. Somaiya Daud has penned a tale worthy of all the stars in the sky, and I can't wait to read what she writes next.” ―Renée Ahdieh, author of *The Wrath and the Dawn*
“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 Choksi, author of *The Star-Touched Queen*
“Somaiya Daud’s Mirage reads like the lushest of fantasies, set in an unforgettably immersive world that is both dangerous and impossibly lovely. The characters are complex and nuanced, and the story is by turns romantic, harrowing, climactic and hopeful, though the unresolved ending paves the way for an even grander sequel. I didn’t want it to end, and I can't wait to return to the world Daud has created.” ―Rosalyn Eves, author of *Blood Rose Rebellion*
“Mirage is full of my favorite things: secrets, intrigue, gorgeous mythology, and complicated characters. It will break your heart and fill you with hope.” ―Kat Howard, author of *An Unkindness of Magicians*
“A rich, dazzling, powerful debut. Somaiya Daud is an author to watch.” ―Tahereh Mafi, author of the Shatter Me series, Furthermore, and *Whichwood***
“Lush and dangerous, Mirage had me entranced. Amani’s journey―from rural innocent to calculating young woman, from village girl to royal impersonator―is galactic. Daud’s novel asks, ‘what does it mean to impersonate your enemy?’ And the answer she provides here is nothing short of thrilling. I was here for all of it, and I desperately need to know what happens next.” ―Tochi Onyebuchi, author of *Beasts Made of Night*
“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, author of Divergent and *Carve the Mark*
“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, coauthor of Beautiful Creatures and author of *Black Widow: Forever Red*
****“Mirage *had me enthralled from its first page to its last. It’s a heart-wrenching, romantic, and exhilarating page-turner. Begin preparing yourselves for it now. Somaiya Daud is a brilliant writer and she has written a brilliant book.” ―Courtney Summers, author of Sadie“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, author of An Ember in the Ashes ***“Readers will appreciate the rich world and prose built by a much-needed diverse voice.” ―***Kirkus Reviews***
About the Author
Somaiya Daud is a twenty-something writer and PhD candidate at the University of Washington. A former bookseller in the children's department at Politics and Prose in Washington, DC, Somaiya is passionate about Arabic poetry, the stars, and the Gothic novel. Mirage is her debut novel.