Paperback, 448 pages
Published Feb. 12, 2013 by Harper Perennial.
Wonderful alternative history (flipping a real tragedy on its head) where fundamentalist Christians bomb towers in Baghdad, Iraq. Mustafa Baghdadi is part of homeland security team in Iraq w. Salim and Amal-fighting Christian terrorism when the twin towers in Baghdad are attacked. Saddam Hussein is a gangster, Osama is a senator with evil intents. Mustafa's team travel to USA to find source of artifacts that suggest the world is a mirage and the U of Arab States is not real, but USA is a superpower, meet David Koresh, Tim McVeigh, Rumsfeld; at end mirage goes away leaving them facing an unknown world.
Started very promisingly & was engaging but should have just stuck to being an alternate history novel & left all fantasy elements out.
The problem with alternate reality stories -- especially ones that try to 'mirror' reality -- is that it can be too easy to get 'cute' with your ideas. The Mirage is a solid example of this. An abundance of tricksy bullshit almost derails what is otherwise a terrific central idea.
