Court of Lions by Somaiya Daud

"I stared in the mirror, my mind carefully blank. The woman who stared back was neither Amani nor Maram, but a princess who resembled neither. She was aloof and remote, without the great range that characterized Maram or the innocence that had characterized me for a time."

On a planet on the brink of revolution, Amani has been forced into isolation. She’s been torn from the boy she loves and has given up contact with her fellow rebels to protect her family. In taking risks for the rebel cause, Amani may have lost Maram’s trust forever. But the princess is more complex than she seems, and now Amani is once more at her capricious nature. One wrong move could see her executed for high treason.

On the eve of Maram’s marriage to Idris comes an unexpected proposal: in exchange for taking her place in the festivities, Maram will keep Amani’s rebel associations a secret. Alone and desperate, Amani is thrust into the center of the court, navigating the dangerous factions on the princess's behalf. But the court is not what she expects. As a risky plan grows in her mind, and with the rebels poised to make their stand, Amani begins to believe her world might have a future. But every choice she makes comes with a cost. Can Amani risk the ones she loves the most for a war she's not sure she can win?

Although I was not a huge fan of Mirage, I was excited to see what Somaiya Daud had in store for Maram and Amani. And she did not disappoint on that front.
I, for one, genuinely enjoyed watching Maram and Amani grow. At the beginning of this book, Maram has retreated from Amani, and Amani must work to win her trust back, all while trying to put Maram on the throne. It’s a complicated dance of politics and passion, and it’s hooking. My only problem was that they jump from one emotion to the other in a very jerky fashion. It becomes difficult to form any type of emotional connection with the characters when they all come across as stiff bodies. Still, watching Maram open up slowly was sweet, and Amani’s struggle to save her planet was valiant.
Plot wise, however, the book holds up … fine. It is not exhilarating or heart-melting, but it is interesting and evenly paced. There are no real twists, nothing actually shocking happened. (There was definitely a scene near the end that was a "plot twist" but ... I just wasn't invested enough to feel anything at that point.) The story progressed with some turns and surprises and it was an overall smooth read. It settles down with a smooth ending to the duology, and I can happily stop worrying about all the characters (cliffhanger ending for Mirage, I'm looking at you).
Surprisingly, this book picks up a lot of slack from Mirage. One of my concerns with Mirage was that hardly anything seemed to happen; this has been remedied to a great extent. Another was the confusing and overly flowery language that attempted to emulate poetry; this, too has been more or less eliminated. The confusing world building, on the other hand, becomes more prominent. However, this time, it is relevant to the plot as Amani and Maram try to navigate the slippery politics of the court. I honestly could not keep the names of all the characters, houses (?), tribes, and cultures straight. I do think it could have been somewhat simplified while still keeping the essence of the story, but it was better than Mirage.
I also personally find this cover much better than that of Mirage! This depiction makes it much more clear what the book is actually about, as compared to the geometric designs of Mirage. However, the decision to change the cover style between the two books of a duology does not sit well with me. Also, the cartoon-ish style makes it look childish, especially when compared to the elegant design of Mirage.
At the end of the day, nothing really stood out about Court of Lions. This book is a worthwhile read if you love Maram, Amani, and Idris. Otherwise, the relatively formulaic plot, stiff writing, and rather slow pace keep it from being outstanding.