Somaiya Daud – författare

“A refreshing and unique coming-of-age story...a beautiful and necessary meditation on finding strength in one’s culture.” —Entertainment Weekly, Top Pick of the Month“A YA marvel that will shock breath into your lungs. If you loved The Wrath and the Dawn and Children of Blood and Bone, Mirage will captivate you.” —The Christian Science Monitor“This debut fantasy has what it takes to be the next big thing in sci-fi/fantasy.” —SLJ, starred review“Immersive, captivating.” —ALA Booklist, starred reviewIn a world dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated home.But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where 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, someone to appear in public as Maram, 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. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection...because one wrong move could lead to her death.

"Narrator Rasha Zamamiri delivers an enchanting conclusion to a fantasy series immersed in Moroccan-inspired traditions that emotionally connect listeners to vivid characters with high stakes...Filled with political intrigue, this audiobook is hard to pause." -- AudioFile Magazine Court of Lions is the long-awaited second and final installment in the “smart, sexy, and devilishly clever”, Somaiya Daud''s 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 Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books"In the conclusion to the Mirage duology, identity and self-acceptance are inextricably tied to revolution and the dismantling of colonial oppression and power...A solid conclusion." -- Kirkus

“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, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divergent and Carve the MarkA stunning epic fantasy audiobook inspired by the author’s Moroccan heritage about a poor girl who must become the body double of a princess of a ruthless empire hailed as ”a rich, dazzling, powerful debut” by Tahereh Mafi, the New York Times author of the Shatter Me seriesIn a world dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated home.But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where 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, someone to appear in public as Maram, 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. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection...because one wrong move could lead to her death.More praise for Mirage:“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 Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen"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, #1 New York Times bestselling author Beautiful Creatures & Black Widow: Forever Red"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, New York Times bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes

The stunning and lushly imagined Sunday Times bestseller about a girl who is kidnapped and forced to become the body double for the princess of a ruthless empire.''A smart, romantic, exciting debut from a rare talent'' Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divergent In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-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 . . .''By turns thrilling and ruminative, sexy and heartbreaking'' Sabaa Tahir, author of an Ember in the Ashes''Enriching, thrilling, and captivating'' BuzzFeed''Lush and dangerous, Mirage had me entranced'' Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Riot Baby

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?