I'd heard mixed things about this book, but I really wanted to read some Moroccan-inspired scifi, so I picked this up. I got out of it what I wanted to. Daud has some interesting themes about colonialism and heritage. I really enjoyed the cultural details in this world (the food, tattooing, the importance of poetry) and the protagonist Amani. I liked her quiet strength and her commitment to the Kushaila traditions and people. I believed her insta-love romance with Idris. She wasn't too far off age-wise from being married in her village, and he was the only one consistently kind to her once she was in the palace. They had a funny moment where Idris accidentally gifted her some erotic poetry because he can't read the same languages as her. I would've liked more sci fi elements in this story. Life in the Oumalich star system is pretty similar to life on Earth. There's some advanced tech and a few alien birds, but it's pretty much all in the background. It seemed like a missed opportunity for Daud to explore the weirdness of space or explain more about the tech in her world, especially with all the planet hopping that happens.

I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to get into the story. The whole body double situation seemed like a massive security breach waiting to happen, and I was surprised that such a technologically advanced society couldn't come up with a better solution for protecting the princess. Amani seemed to have pretty free reign during her missions, and Maram used her in situations where it seemed like it could easily open the royal family up to spying and sabotage. I was also perplexed by Amani's relationship with Maram. Amani considers herself a slave of the royal family, but she willingly takes on responsibilities and risks for Maram that didn't make sense to me, especially considering the role Maram has in her captivity. She had a cute joke about it, but I was baffled by how the transition happened.