Mirage by Jenn Reese

A World of Possibilities

             Imagine a world where humans and animals have combined. Imagine a world where centaurs roam the deserts, fishtailed merpeople called Kampii swim the seas, winged humans soar on mountain peaks and the Serpentii with their snake tails replacing legs slither underground. Amid this peaceful scene, two Kampii, a winged Aviar and an Equian without his centaur body cross an endless desert to save the world from the tyrant, Karl Strand. Their only hope: convince the ruler of the Equians, the High Khan, to resist the approaching armies. Unfortunately, Karl Strand has infiltrated the Equian capital of Mirage and all may be lost.  
             This book could not have been any more exiting. Only enough mysteries are solved at any one time to make reading satisfying but intriguing. Many humorous lines make this book memorable. One of my favorite scenes is when Dash, the horseless Equian, rescues Aluna the Kampii from the desert. Dash comments, "Nathif brought you back from so close to sundeath that I think our great sun feels cheated." Nathif is a Serpentii healer and sundeath is the sun-worshipping Equians word for a fatal heatstroke. The human evolution aspect of the story adds an interesting twist to the story while the lack of apparent civilization and a return to hunter-gatherer civilization leaves readers pondering the future of the human race.