Mirage

by Miranda Marie

Emma White knew she wouldn’t get a happily ever after. Even after Natan got them both out of his parents’ house and away from his manipulative sister, a warning hung in the back of her mind. Threatening their tentative peace with something she couldn’t name or define – a voice Natan insisted was only a ghost from her past.

He's coming. Can you hear the footsteps?

But it wasn’t a ghost, and she didn’t react fast enough.

When Natan Silverman vanishes, leaving behind a wrecked, bloodied apartment, Emma knows who did it even before the call comes. A man she hoped she’d never hear from again, who she had prayed was dead. The one person on earth that she’s always feared more than she fears herself: the man who raised her. The weapon’s creator.

And now he’s taken Natan.

The choice she is given is simple: return to being her master’s weapon, or allow him to break Natan the same way he destroyed her. With the help of a bitter ex-soldier who seems more shadow than man, Emma attempts the impossible. She must outsmart the person that taught her how to be a hurricane.

The second and last installment of Miranda Marie’s 4.5 Star Rated Whispers of White Duology, Mirage is equal parts tragedy, poetry, and mystery. Exploring themes like PTSD, social anxiety, childhood abuse, and choosing your own path, it’s a must-read.

Genres: Science Fiction

580 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

Miranda Marie is 20 years old and lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota. She began writing when she was about 10 years old. Because she was dyslexic, reading was very difficult for her. Finding writing easier, she lost herself in worlds of her own making.

In 2015, she was diagnosed with a rare, disabling genetic syndrome called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Due to the restraints put on her by her health, most of her time is spent working on her writing/artsy endeavors and talking to her friends and family.

She participates in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) every fall, where she wrote and reworked Azalei’s Riders and Azalei's Strategy (published May 10th, 2017). She enjoys the community there, where she met many of her friends.

She has a fascination for turtles, as she believes they are basically mini dragons with built-in armor. She enjoys collecting turtle jewelry and knickknacks.

Learn more on her blog: http://jumpinginpuddles-lookingforsta...

Or connect with her on:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Azaleis-Ride...

Twitter - Miranda Marie @AzaleisRiders

Instagram - mirandamarieauthor

Tumblr: The Fire Rain Chronicles

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book, and the duology as a whole. Miranda Marie surrounded me with a haunting tale exposing the depths of human darkness, while at the same time covering everything in a sheen of hope. I loved my entire experience. The characters are so rich, alive, so human. The themes of forgiveness, second chances, and the beautiful sides of humanity are woven together with a thread so dark that if written by any other author would create a story leaving you hopeless and terrified.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars & 3/10 hearts. I absolutely loved the first book in this series and was so excited for this book. For the first 1/4 it fulfilled my expectations. The writing was gorgeous. I loved Natan & Emma’s interaction (though he did get a little too touchy), and Tasha & Daniel’s. (I love Daniel). I already really, really liked Loban. All these things raise it to 3 stars. But when things began to happen, my love for this book began to wane. It became so dark and almost depressive—I had to go peek at the ending to make sure people would survive. The plot kept slamming me against brick walls and leaving me despairingly saying, “it’s all over now.” And I felt so betrayed by a certain character. Also, there was way too much hugging and touching (holding her face, brushing away her hair, tapping her cheek, etc.,), some flirting, and even a cheek kiss and some forehead kisses. And in the last part of the book there’s a scene where Emma is in a coma and Natan wants to keep an eye on her at night, so he lies down in the bed beside her. Cringe. And the whole ending did not end like I wanted it to. (I admit my ending was a little irrealistic, but it would have been so beautiful!) Also, there was simply no mention of Christ to lighten the dark. So all things considered, I was disappointed. I may like it better when I reread it though. And I definitely intend to read more of this author because I LOVED Echoes.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an absolutely amazing second book in a duology. Full, hopefully coherent review to come, but suffice it to say for now that Mirage was every bit as good as Echoes, which I thought was impossible to achieve. This duology is really something special and deserves MUCH more attention!

TW inside spoiler tags: child abuse/neglect, PTSD, anxiety/panic attacks (not explicitly stated but that's how I interpreted it), guns. Everything is tastefully handled, but just a heads up.