Somaiya Daud

Two identical girls, one a princess, the other a rebel. Who will rule the empire? Amani must make a devastating choice between revolution and family in this sequel to the instant Sunday Times bestseller Mirage. After being swept up into the brutal Vathek court, Amani, the ordinary girl forced to serve as the half-Vathek princess's body double, has been forced into complete isolation. The cruel but complex princess, Maram, with whom Amani had cultivated a tenuous friendship, discovered Amani's connection to the rebellion and has forced her into silence, and if Amani crosses Maram once more, her identity - and her betrayal - will be revealed to everyone in the court. Amani is desperate to continue helping the rebellion, to fight for her people's freedom. But she must make a devastating decision: will she step aside, and watch her people suffer, or continue to aid them, and put herself and her family in mortal danger? And whatever she chooses, can she bear to remain separated, forever, from Maram's fiancé, Idris?

Mirage Book 2

Court of Lions

Linara K.S

just couldn't get myself to be invested in the plot. Idk maybe it's a me thing or perhaps its the fact that there is a bit too much of politics happening and not much when it comes to the characters and plot. I would like to pick it back up when i have the time to see if my rating of this book was affected by my circumstance as well (i was stressed and had too much on my mind when reading this last week)

Stephanie Ridiculous

Livia

This book, although didn't blow my mind, delivered what I wanted out of it. The character growth, the plot, the struggles and progression, and how beautifully the whole scheme was carried out were amazing. I love Amani here, how she grew to become even more fearless yet still being smart about the whole thing. But the real jewel is Maram. She had gone through so much since the start of this book, and her journey of dismantling the foreign, colonizer half and embracing her mother's heritage, slowly but surely, is a joy to witness. I also love that she is unapologetically sapphic and embraces it. And what I appreciate about this book is that the resolution isn't just the end. We get to see a peak of what happened after the climax happened and I love it for them.

Merve A. 

this story was a perfect blend of politics, friendship, family, rebellion, and love. i loved seeing the characters struggling between what they were taught to be true, and what they were finding out. amani and maram were my absolute favorites and their bond brought me so much joy (and also brought me to tears, i love them so much 🥺). but i also cared about the secondary characters and loved reading about them. also the rebels and the makhzen forming a badass girl gang was all i needed 🤩

The long-awaited second and final installment in the “smart, sexy, and devilishly clever” Mirage series (Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Beautiful)! On a planet on the brink of revolution, Amani has been forced into isolation. She’s been torn from the boy she loves and has given up contact with her fellow rebels to protect her family. In taking risks for the rebel cause, Amani may have lost Maram’s trust forever. But the princess is more complex than she seems, and now Amani is once more at her capricious nature. One wrong move could see her executed for high treason. On the eve of Maram’s marriage to Idris comes an unexpected proposal: in exchange for taking her place in the festivities, Maram will keep Amani’s rebel associations a secret. Alone and desperate, Amani is thrust into the center of the court, navigating the dangerous factions on the princess's behalf. But the court is not what she expects. As a risky plan grows in her mind, and with the rebels poised to make their stand, Amani begins to believe her world might have a future. But every choice she makes comes with a cost. Can Amani risk the ones she loves the most for a war she's not sure she can win?

A Mirage Novel

Jennifer

This is overall a pretty easy though not completely satisfying read. I enjoyed Maram's backstory and the diversity representation but I feel like the romance overshadowed other aspects of the novel e.g. character development in real time and some bits & pieces of the worldbuilding felt incomplete. Nevertheless I think the concept of the Mirage duology is pretty interesting.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Court of Lions

Author: Somaiya Daud

Book Series: Mirage Book 2

Diversity: Moroccan based characters

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: kidnapping, switching places tales, Moroccan characters

Publication Date: August 6, 2020

Publisher: Hodder

Pages: 336

Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, some sexual content, violence, slight gore)

Synopsis: After being swept up into the brutal Vathek court, Amani, the ordinary girl forced to serve as the half-Vathek princess's body double, has been forced into complete isolation. The cruel but complex princess, Maram, with whom Amani had cultivated a tenuous friendship, discovered Amani's connection to the rebellion and has forced her into silence, and if Amani crosses Maram once more, her identity - and her betrayal - will be revealed to everyone in the court.

Amani is desperate to continue helping the rebellion, to fight for her people's freedom. But she must make a devastating decision: will she step aside, and watch her people suffer, or continue to aid them, and put herself and her family in mortal danger? And whatever she chooses, can she bear to remain separated, forever, from Maram's fiancé, Idris?

Review: Overall, I thought the series greatly improved from the first series. I loved the whole series and I love how much more developed the characters became in this book, especially Maram. I loved the duel POV and loved Maram’s scenes the best in the book. The world building continued to be grand and I loved the plot of this book.

However, the book is incredibly slow and the book does tend to slow down even more at random times, especially during Amani and Idris’ scenes.

Verdict: It’s a great duology! Definitely one that’s unique and will be rememberable.

Chloé

Tetiana Bilokin

Zahia Saeed 

Katharine Butler 

Alice

izzy

Rina

Somaiya Daud's Court of Lions is the long-awaited second and final installment in the “smart, sexy, and devilishly clever” Mirage series (Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Beautiful)! On a planet on the brink of revolution, Amani has been forced into isolation. She’s been torn from the boy she loves and has given up contact with her fellow rebels to protect her family. In taking risks for the rebel cause, Amani may have lost Maram’s trust forever. But the princess is more complex than she seems, and now Amani is once more at her capricious nature. One wrong move could see her executed for high treason. On the eve of Maram’s marriage to Idris comes an unexpected proposal: in exchange for taking her place in the festivities, Maram will keep Amani’s rebel associations a secret. Alone and desperate, Amani is thrust into the center of the court, navigating the dangerous factions on the princess's behalf. But the court is not what she expects. As a risky plan grows in her mind, and with the rebels poised to make their stand, Amani begins to believe her world might have a future. But every choice she makes comes with a cost. Can Amani risk the ones she loves the most for a war she's not sure she can win?

Court of Lions Mirage Book 2

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