Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Starred Review Daud's debut novel tells the story of 18-year-old Amani, whose planet is occupied by the Vathek empire. During a coming-of-age ceremony, she's kidnapped by the regime and smuggled into the royal palace, because she bears an uncanny resemblance to Maram, the cruel princess of the Vathek empire. Amani is to serve as Maram's body double for public events, and she must be ready to die in the princess' place, if required. Despite the beauty of the palace d the princess' fiancé, Idris ani wishes to return to her family. If she's to have any chance of that, she must play the princess to perfection . . . but one wrong move could mean her death. Daud's gorgeously written novel features lush and poetic language that brings the setting into vivid color. In addition to the blend of sf and fantasy, Daud supplies a dash of forbidden romance destined to leave the reader gasping for breath. Every character is complex, and, while there is a clear demarcation between what is right and wrong, no one is beyond redemption, especially the women characters, who rarely get such a narrative arc in the genre. With an ending that is gut-wrenching yet still hopeful, this immersive, captivating series starter is sure to have fans eager for the sequel.

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Eighteen-year-old Amani is abducted from her impoverished village by imperial droids and forced to act as Vathek Princess Maram's body double. She endures physical modifications and the loss of her family, home, culture, and faith. But determined, resilient Amani is more than the Vath bargained for. This sci-fi adventure is most notable for its stunning world-building, with its Moroccan-influenced setting, culture, and religion evoked in vivid detail.

Kirkus Reviews (Wed May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Abducted from her small village, Amani finds that her survival depends on being the perfect body double to an arrogant and cruel princess. Amani lives with her family in an impoverished village on Cadiz, a moon of the planet Andala that has been occupied by the Vathek Empire. At her coming-of-age ceremony she is violently stolen away to the imperial palace, Ziyaana, where she is shocked to find that she looks exactly like the princess Maram vak Mathis, known to be as cruel and ruthless as her Vathek father but with the visage of her Kushaila mother. In response to increased rebel attacks, Amani is groomed as a body double and must navigate the complexities of court, including the charms of Maram's fiance, Idris. Daud's debut, set in a Moroccan proxy world, addresses colonialism, appropriation, suppression, and erasure, along with orientalist tropes. Readers may recognize a possible reference to William Beckford's gothic orientalist novel Vathek, used to describe invading colonizers. In addition to a cast of characters of color, Daud also introduces concepts specific to the Indigenous Amazigh of Northwest Africa, including the warrior queen Dihya, who serves as a symbol of feminism and anti-colonialism.Though the machinations of politics and identity create a slowly burning narrative, readers will appreciate the rich world and prose built by a much-needed diverse voice. (Science fiction. 13-adult)

School Library Journal (Wed May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Gr 8 Up-Amani is kidnapped from her village and groomed to be a stand-in for the hated crown princess Maram vak Mathis. Maram is the daughter of the leader of the Vathek imperialists, who are occupying Cadiz, a moon of Andala, Amani's planet. Daud's intricate sci-fi world is reminiscent of Morocco, and she addresses real-world issues of colonialism and loss of culture while giving readers a strong, rebellious protagonist to root for and a steamy romance.