Somaiya Daud’s debut epic fantasy novel Mirage follows Amani, an eighteen-year-old dreamer living in a world controlled by the all powerful Vathek empire. All Amani wants is freedom: freedom to explore, write poetry, and travel to far off places. These dreams are shattered when Amani is kidnapped from her small village and taken to the royal palace, where she must act as a body double for the beautiful, but hated, Princess Maram. Amani’s new life comes with luxury, glamour, and the Princess’s stunning fiance, Idris. But it also comes with the understanding that at any moment, Amani must be prepared to sacrifice her life for the Princess.
Daud stopped by the Macmillan Audio studio to talk everything Mirage: from how her own Moroccan roots inspired this story, to how her writing bridges the gaps between sci-fi, fantasy, and history. She also explained how the audiobook enhances the novel’s poetic language and how Rasha Zamamiri’s narration brings the voices Somaiya imagined for her characters to life.
Listen below!
Mirage is available August 28th from Flatiron Books—get the audio edition here, or pre-order the physical and ebook editions at the links below!
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Mirage
