Bumpy Oak Books

4 stars

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Somaiya Daud returns to the world of Mirage with its sequel, Court of Lions. Readers continue with the story of Amani, the girl stolen from her home to become a body double to the heir to the throne, Maram. With a world rich in culture, political intrigue, and rebellion, there are many twists and turns that Amani must navigate.

It is, of course, difficult to discuss a sequel without spoiling the prior book(s). As such, I will leave most of my descriptions vague to avoid doing so.

I much preferred this book to Mirage. Mirage set the stage for this book to happen and had a slower pace to accommodate all the changes happening for Amani. Court of Lions already had roles established and was constantly moving with new information and new challenges to navigate. The faster pace was definitely something that appealed to me.

Court of Lions wrapped up everything neatly and I liked where Daud took each plot point. I think this duology was a fun read that occupied a unique space in YA fantasy and look forward to seeing future works from Daud.