Spin the Dawn~ Review

Ali here ~

Title: Spin the Dawn
Series: The Blood of Stars #1
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Release Date: July 9, 2019
Genres: YA Fantasy
Blurb: Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.

Amazon | Goodreads

*****What I Loved About This Book*****

• The fairy tale feel!
• Great pacing. While I was sucked in from the first chapter, by chapter two I was steadily flipping pages.
• The inner struggles Maia dealt with on moral issues
• Trying to figure out the dynamics between Maia, Emperor Khanujin, and Edan
• I loved the mystery behind the intentions of those in the palace
• Edan! His love of books. His protectiveness! Well, just everything about Edan!
• The banter between Edan and Maia!
• The competition
• A great mix of character of plot
• The slow burn!
• The twist on it usually being the female that’s cursed in fairy tales.
• The feels ~ happiness, dread, despair, hope, and of course LOVE!
• It has left me needing the next book now!
• Quotes ~

“Don’t become the kite that never flies.”

 

***What I Didn’t Like***

• There was one scene that I felt should have been very intense with what was taking place, but the words just didn’t appeal to my senses as I thought they should.

You can see there wasn’t much I didn’t like about this one. While this book doesn’t end on a cliffhanger in one sense, in does in other ways. It feels like a stopping point, and yet, it feels like there is more to the story than we’ve been given yet. And, while some things are resolved, more are left unresolved. And I need them to be fixed. NOW! So, I’m definitely anxiously awaiting what’s next! 4.5 stars!

Have you read the Spin the Dawn,  or any of Elizabeth Lim’s other books? What did you think??? Have a recommendation for me? 

Happy Reading,

Ali