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

"Prepare yourself for a story that's enriching, thrilling, and captivating" - BuzzFeed

"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

"Superb . . . a beautiful and necessary meditation on finding strength in one's culture" - Entertainment Weekly

"Riveting . . . Readers who love clever, independent young women, protagonists of colour, cultures we don't normally get to see positively represented in fiction, lite-SF, space opera, royal court intrigue, and delectable insta-love will inhale Mirage" - Tor.com

"Beautifully detailed, with enchanting poetry and characters you'll come to care for, Mirage is an exciting introduction to what is sure to be a thrilling series" - CultureFly

"This is a book that will blow you away from the moment you start" - Escapades of a Book Worm