I love Project Runway and Mulan, so combining them was a recipe for gold in my opinion.

Spin the Dawn has a slow start -- the opening chapters pretty much just recount the main character's childhood up to the present day -- but once the story really gets going it becomes incredibly engrossing.

Maia is an amazing character, who works hard even with magic at her disposal to grease the way, and I wish I could wear the outfits described in the book.

I greatly enjoyed this one. I originally requested it on a whim but now I'm glad I did. Multiple people who read it before me told me they loved and I'm happy to report it lived up to the hype entirely in my opinion. Recommending to as many readers as possible!!

This book was a little slow to catch my interest, but overall ..it was a fun read. I felt that the characters were relatable and the plot was well written. However, I did feel that the explanation of the magical aspects of the story was a little lacking and the romance came on suddenly. I would still recommend this book whole-heartedly to a friend and I'm excited to see where the story goes.

Title: Spin the Dawn
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: July 30th, 2019



eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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Synopsis: “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.” (Goodreads)

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My Review:
Spin the Dawn follows a young girl named Maia who must dress like her brother to try and secure the spot of imperial tailor to the emperor. She must keep her appearance up or face being sentenced to death and some would like to see that happen. She will also face her greatest task for the emperor’s bride-to-be as she must sew three magical dresses and if she fails it might not be just her life at stake.

The plot for this story is unique in its own way as it combines fantastical myths and alluring magic. No other book, as far as I know, has a magical pair of scissors that create such enchanting clothes and even then, Maia doesn’t use it as a crutch because she takes pride in her own work and doesn’t want to rely on magic.

Maia is a hardworker and loyal. She wants to do anything that will help her family get money besides marrying off for it. I felt for her when it came to her family but there wasn’t anything that made her unique. The relationship she stumbles into felt forced and I couldn’t get behind it. Edan was a more interesting character in the beginning but as their relationship progresses my like for him fizzled. None of the characters grasped my attention as they all felt flat.

The world building was also lacking and I really wanted more.

Overall, I wanted to love this book because the cover and synopsis are wonderful but it just lacked in too many areas for me. I know others will enjoy this book and I am sure its me and not the book.

I really enjoyed SPIN THE DAWN, and if you’re in the mood for a fantasy threaded with romance and spectacular character development, I think you’ll adore it as well! SPIN THE DAWN follows the story of Maia, a common tailor who gets the opportunity to become the next royal tailor (while posed as a boy, of course, to satisfy the exceptionally patriarchal kingdom that she lives in (which is also quite reminiscent of historical mainland China in general)). She enters a competition where she is the youngest, and least well-known tailor, with only her wits and a (perhaps magical?) set of scissors to survive. Along the way, she meets snarky magicians, bitter rivals, and a seemingly impossible quest that will take her across the terrain of the land.

"My whole life, I’d been told what I couldn’t do because I was a girl. Well, this was my chance to find out. The only thing I could do was take it."

I ADORED Maia’s characterization. I love how she, with only a pair of scissors passed down from her family, went into court and battled against older, bitter rivals, all while hiding the fact that she is a girl. Her single-handed determination and stubbornnes were really admirable, and I love how despite failures, she manages to pick herself up and continue on, learning even more through the process. As a character, she really demonstrates growth, as well as the potential to achieve even more despite humble backgrounds, and I really enjoyed that. We explore the frustrations of being a woman in a male-dominated society, as well as the loss you experience when the ones you love leave the earth. At the same time, we bask in Maia’s triumph over her unique dress creations, as well as the moment of satisfaction when she one-ups her rivals. It was really easy for me to connect to her as a character, as we experience both the struggles and successes of her life.

"Magic was real. VERY real. And the revelation that I’d somehow used it sent me reeling with a staggering send of wonder – and fear."

A little bit later in the book, we also enter a fun sort of quest that really tests the endurance of Maia, as well as her belief in magic. This allows her to spend time with Edan, the court magician and love interest. He was a pretty mysterious character as first, but as they spend time with each other, he also opens up. Despite that, I do think his character as a deuteragonist and developing romance with Maia were a couple of the weaker points of the book. I really didn’t connect to him as a character as much as I did with Maia, and other than important aspects of the storyline and maybe some fun dialogue (and maybeee help with Maia’s growth, just a bit), I don’t think he offered much else to the overall book and, because of that, I didn’t enjoy the romance as much. This was a shame, because the beautiful writing also focused on that, quite a bit, and while I thought it was eloquently written, it didn’t move me as much as it could have.

"I knew then that we were like two pieces of cloth, sewn together for life. Our stitches couldn’t be undone.
I wouldn’t let them."

I think SPIN THE DAWN was just filled with stunning imagery, and had a tight plot with magnificent characters, making for an overall solid debut. I’m really happy the cover is reflective of the gorgeous writing on the inside, and I’m really looking forward to the next book! I would highly advise readers to stick with the slower beginning and finish out the magical quest that Maia embarks on. With the vivid scenery, lovely burgeoning romance, and exceptional character development, I’d really recommend fantasy lovers to pick this one up!

Content/Trigger Warnings: alcoholism, loss of loved ones, mild violence, sexy times (not explicit)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I am loving all the #Ownvoices that is hitting the young adult genre and Spin the Dawn is no exception. It is hard to admit but once I saw that cover I added it to my TBR list and then reading the synopsis I knew I needed to read Spin the Dawn ASAP.. And I am so glad. Who doesn't love cutthroat fashion and a crossing dressing lady.
Spin the Dawn was so much more than I expected I really loved Maia as a protagonist due to some heartbreaks her once famous father now dwindles away in his tailoring shop where Maia does all the work despite having three bothers. When circumstance permit Maia seizes the opportunity to compete for her dream. unfortunately Maia has to compete with 12 others and to disguise herself as a boy. Let the games begin. The first half of Spin the Dawn definitely feels like Mulan but whoa the second half of the book and we are on a completely different story. It has now become a quest to craft three impossible dresses. I loved how it changed direction. I will also commend the author on her amazing world building I love when the world building is so lush and detailed its like your their witnessing and feeling everything. I cannot forget about the romance...ugh swoony.

Overall Spin the Dawn is an astounding fantasy /Asian fantasy read that will be a great addition to young adult demographic that everyone should pick up. You will not be disappointed.

Spin the Dawn promises drama and high-fashion competition, but falls short on delivering on that promise. It was billed as Project Runway meets Mulan, but there are some heavy Aladdin influences in there too. The writing felt like young middle grade, but the characters are 18-20 and there’s even a sex scene - yikes! The tonal dissonance between content and writing style was jarring from start to finish. The plot is all over the place - in many ways, this felt like multiple books shoved into one novel. There’s the sewing competition - this is over in the first half of the book. Then there’s the journey-quest - that’s only about 25% of the book. Then there’s the demon coming for her, which is a result of trying to break a curse on her love interest. Everything felt so surface level - there was no in-depth world building or character development. It all felt so rushed! I wish the sewing competition had been one whole book, so we could have actually felt tension in the competition and got to know the contestants better. The competition was undeniably fun but things went downhill quickly after the ensuing journey began. The journey-quest felt like a contrivance to force relationship development & makeout sessions between the MC and her love.

Overall, Spin the Dawn leaves much to be desired. It has a unique twist on the Mulan story but tries to do too much in one book. Younger readers who are okay with non-explicit sex scenes or hi-lo teens may get more out of this than adult or older teen readers.

The cover of this book combined with promise of a competition involving sewing had me intrigued. I was hooked from the first lines. There is a divide towards the middle that made reading this book a bit bumpy for me. Overall, I was not disappointed by this book and will likely pick up the sequel.

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley all thoughts and oppioins are my own. I loved this book. The cover for this book is amazing. It makes so much sense and fits with the plot so well. Now I know this book is a Mulan retelling in a way but I find this book also has some Aladan aspects included. I loved Maia and how she is determined to prove herself as a worthy seamstress. She's constantly told she's never going to make it because she's a girl. Honestly that made me the most irritated. It made me root for her hard core and I wanted to her to prove them wrong. This book does have a lot of romance in it. I know a lot of people prefer fantasy books with out a lot of romance but I was so happy that it was in this book. Even tho it was a tad bit cliche I thought it was super cute and I was wanting the two to be together as soon as they meet. Now if you like to hate character's there's one in here I know your going to hate. But no worries they are just a side character in this competition Maia is a part of. I really was hoping the two female characters would join forces and change all the men's minds. I feel like it would have made a bigger impact. I loved the adventure that they go on and how it changes them as people. Anyway I was buddy reading this book and found it so hard to stop reading when I was supposed to. I ended up finishing it before my buddy reading partner. I can't wait for the next book to come out. It's going to be so good.

I have to admit, I am a sucker for the girl dressed as a boy trope, so this book had an immediate edge for me. Maia dreams of becoming the best tailor in the empire. However, a dream is all that it can be as women are not allowed to be tailors, a career reserved only for men. So instead, she works quietly behind the scenes of her father’s business, gaining skill and experience, but knowing that she can never take over or become the face of the business. Instead, she will be expected to marry and be a good wife and all that boring stuff that is expected of women.

But when an invitation is extended to her father for an incredible opportunity and honor to the royal court, Maia seens an opportunity. Her father has been declining in ability and would certainly not be able to attend himself, and her brother would have no interest or ability as well. So, that leaves her, with the option of attending as her brother. It’s a real risk to both her and her father’s reputation, but the allure of it plus her confidence that she was skilled enough outweighs the risk.

This book, at least for a good section, has a definite Project Runway feel as the top tailors in the empire have been invited to compete for the sole position of imperial tailor. The competition is cut throat and there are a series of competitions with strict guidelines that make the task more challenging. This adds a layer of fun and excitement to the book, plus since I used to watch Project Runway, I just felt an added level of familiarity and amusement with these challenges.

The romance becomes a pretty heavy component of this book, and I found myself on the edge of enjoying it and trying to decide if it was too much, or maybe just too quick. I did fall on the side of enjoyment, but I suspect if it had been toned down a little, or slowed down a bit, I might not have questioned it.

Overall, this was an incredibly readable and enjoyable tale, one that I look forward to returning to in the next installment.

As an Asian-American reader, the worldbuilding and character development in this book really spoke to me. The in-book mythology was reminiscent of stories I heard as a child, and Maia's values / principles were relatable to me in a way that Western morality sometimes isn't. In fact, I just love Maia as a character - she's believably flawed, but hardworking with strong integrity that evokes sympathy even when she makes bad decisions. (And oh boy, does she ever make bad decisions.)

I wasn't completely swept away by the romance, mainly because I felt like I'd seen that exact subplot before (at best, it combined several tropes) - but on the other hand, I liked them both as individuals and I did enjoy their banter. I also really appreciate their mutual respect, the way they make each other stronger but are both strong individuals.

The ending was not one that I saw coming, with a few twists in quick succession that kept my attention glued to the page. I know Spin the Dawn hasn't even officially been released yet, but when does the sequel come out again?

[I will be posting a more in-depth review, with selected quotes and a fanmix, on July 3rd for the blog tour!]

Oh wow. I loved this. Like, I so loved this book. The storyline might sound a little familiar, but Elizabeth Lim is able to make this a wholly original novel that was slightly reminiscent of Tamora Pierce (who I love) but with a voice that was all her own. My only potential gripes were the, I don't know if choppiness right word, but essentially the book is very split into chunks that each have their own unique issues and subplot. But, to be honest, I just really loved this novel. So much.

"Seize the wind. Don't become the kite that never flies."

2.5 STARS


CW: loss of a loved one, implied alcoholism, sexual harassment, violence, fade to black sex scene

I really wanted to like this book. I really did. The summary alone has some of my favorite elements (can I say no to a competition? to magic? to pulling down the heavens and making something tangible out of them? of course not!), and almost all the talk about Spin the Dawn that I've seen so far has been upbeat and positive. So maybe this is me and not the book, but still, the bottom line is that I didn't exactly love it.

It started strong enough, with Maia entering the competition to become the next imperial tailor in her father's stead, posing as her brother. Up against eleven other tailors, she has to prove her skill with needle and thread (along with some more unconventional materials) in order to win the post. The competition's rewards mean everything to her, too: it would allow her to make sure her father and surviving brother are well-cared for the rest of their lives, and she won't have to marry the pushy baker's son and set her seamstress skills aside for the rest of her life. I was so excited to read this story of a girl besting all these arrogant grown men, not only with her own skill, but with magic they couldn't dream of possessing. I was thrilled, getting ready for all the close calls, waiting to see who would be eliminated each round!

And then the competition only took up the first third of the book, turning abruptly into a journey story mixed with a romance that had me on edge and frustrated for the rest of the book. 

Limiting the competition to the first third of the book and then switching the structure like that made me wish the book had picked one or the other, and not tried to do both. For me, it threw off the pacing, because the thrill of the competition was cut short (not to mention secondary characters present for the competition that I THOUGHT would be more important and more interesting basically held little importance in the end), and when it came to the journey, divided into three parts, it felt so heavily formulaic that I found myself skimming.

And the romance. Oh god. I know I'm kind of a crab about romance in YA lately (maybe I should just find some aro-spec books and chill with those for a while, get my bearings and have a good time), but this actually used one of my least favorite pairing tropes ever.

Yep, it used "immortal man falls in love with teenage girl and then keeps secrets that are supposedly for her own good," and I'm thoroughly unimpressed. And it's not even speculation, because the LI at one point admits to being over 500 years old! Not to mention he takes an interest in Maia because of the magic she wields through her scissors, then proceeds to torment the hell out of her for her stay in the palace for the competition. It just feels so...predatory to me that I can't like it, no matter how many times you throw in some cloak sharing and "oh I've never felt this way before in 500 years, you're so special." I breezed through the entire second half of the book because of this, because it made my skin crawl.

Not to mention Maia started this book centered on helping her brother and father stay alive, essentially, and she ends it basically obsessed with the fate of the LI. 

Maybe it's different in the final copy, but as it stands in the ARC, this really wasn't a book for me. The pacing didn't feel right, the romance is my least favorite kind, and I realized by the end of the book that even though I really wanted to care about the characters or the plot, I didn't. It had lost all appeal somewhere around the halfway mark, and maybe I should have DNFed.

That said, I suppose I should mention that there is a beautiful map in the front (no matter what, I always love a gorgeous map!), and that there's a sense of a world beyond just the palace and the little seaside down Maia comes from. I would have loved to see this world a little more in depth, get a better sense of some of the people and the folklore and everything that seems like should have gone with it, because that was interesting. Taken with the problems in the book, though, a hint of interest wasn't enough to really save the whole thing from being kind of disappointing. 

[This review will be posted to The Words Gremlin at approximately 10am EST on 7/8/19.]

The blurb of "Mulan meets Project Runway" doesn't quite do this book justice, though I'm sure it piques your attention. It's Mulan-inspired in that the main character, Maia, pretends to be a boy in order to compete in a trial to become the Royal Tailor. Maia's dream is to be a great tailor, and she already has a lot of developed talent from working in her father's shop. Girls aren't allowed to be tailors, however, so that's where the need to disguise oneself as a boy comes in. To compete in this trial is not all just for Maia; it is also so Maia can support her family and compete in her ailing father's and crippled brother's place. I liked that Maia wasn't just in it just for herself. She is willing to take a risk on her dreams to save her family. That's what really makes the book similar to Mulan. As for Project Runway, well, it's a competition to become the Royal Tailor, so obviously Maia and the other contestants have to put together some amazing fashion pieces. I can't comment much else because I've never actually have seen Project Runway, but I think this book is probably much better than the terrors of reality TV drama.I actually really enjoyed this book and I am happy to have read it.

The competition plot was a lot of fun to read. The character who comes up with the trials is pretty imaginative and no-nonsense, so the trials really put Maia and the other tailors to a test. While competing, Maia has to overcome the barriers of being from a poorer family (most of the other tailors are quite wealthy) and also hiding the fact that she is a girl. The girl disguising herself as a boy is one of my favorite troupes, but Maia's struggles are more due to the fact she is poor and also the youngest competitor. Not all of the other tailors play nice. The plot overall moves quickly, so nothing ever becomes stale. Gradually, more magic and worldbuilding is introduced throughout the story, which I think will keep you reading.

As for the characters, I did really like Maia, as I briefly covered above; she is a strong female character fighting for both her dreams and her family. She is determined to prove herself as a tailor, and though she has to pretend to be male in order to do it, she knows it'll be worth it if she can succeed. It was nice that her family supports her dreams, and that her dad would let her practice tailoring even though she was a girl. The other tailors are mostly there as antagonists. Maia does make a few friends amongst the competition, which is nice to have variety and a little bit of support. Lastly, the court magician, Edan, comes off as pretty mysterious and you'll probably want to read more about him. He is one of the few enchanters of this world, and maybe has some answers for Maia when she needs it most.

If I have one slight criticism, it would be the romance. It's only slight because I really just did not feel one way or another toward it. I was not rooting for the pairing nor was I fighting against it. It wasn't instalove or anything like that. I guess I felt the romance was there because all YA titles seem to need to have a romance, and while it was not a bad execution, it also was not very different or gripping. It's just the first book of a trilogy (I think), so things could certainly develop or take off in other directions, which could make the romance something that tugs more at my heart.

I recommend if you're looking for a fast-paced, Chinese-inspired YA fantasy with a strong heroine pretending to be a boy tossed into a tough competition and finding romance and magic along the way.

I received a free eARC via Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"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 enchanter, 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."

I'm a sucker for a good tailor tale...

3.5 Stars

Spin the Dawn is one of the summer young adult fantasy ARC’s that I wasn’t that excited about. This book was marketed as a Mulan re-telling and also compared to Project Runway, neither of which I was a fan of. I was actually pretty shocked with how much I enjoyed this book. While I did have some issues with it at times, Spin the Dawn was nothing like I had expected it to be.

Immediately once I started reading I noticed that the writing was very poetic, which is something that I love. The vivid descriptions helped bring this world to life. I also found the pacing of part one to be very fast and captivating. I loved the competition to become the imperial tailor, which is actually the part of the novel that I thought I would hate. I loved the backstabbing and corruption of court and quickly devoured the first third of the book.

In the beginning I found Maia very relatable. She was extremely determined and devoted to her family. I loved her competitiveness and just how ambitious she was. Her bold personality was fun to read about and I liked her as a main character. The ruthlessness of the competition combined with her pretending to be a boy brought out this outspoken side of her that I really loved. But once the book began to focus on the romance I felt like all of those parts I had admired about Maia didn’t shine as brightly.

Then the novel took a turn which I thought I would love, but I didn’t. The second part of the novel was more of an adventure where Maia and Edan traveled to find the essences of the sun, moon and stars to sew into dresses. Typically I love quests, but part two really dragged for me. Spin the Dawn began to focus on the romance between Maia and Edan, and I just wasn’t feeling it. The romance felt forced and fake to me. Edan was so much older than her and he really felt that way, where romances like this can work in books like Twilight, the maturity difference between them made it feel weird. The characters fell flat when there wasn’t much action and all of Maia’s feelings were told to us rather than shown through actions.

When I reached part three and they were back at court the book picked up again. Spin the Dawn just felt a bit choppy and the pacing wasn’t consistent. I loved the parts of the book that took place at court and enjoyed the competition for imperial tailor much more than I thought I would. The romance and characters fell a bit flat for me, but overall I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought that I would.

Upfront let me say I've never watched Project Runway or Moulin Rouge so my background on either is lacking and had nothing to do with my wanting to Spin the Dawn. Secondly, while the cover is brilliant and by the time I finished Spin the Dawn, I can understand how perfectly it fit the book, I am not a person drawn to big fancy covers, so again not why I wanted to read Spin the Dawn.


Thank you to Knopf Doubleday and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Next before I go into my experience reading Spin the Dawn. Looking at the age group it is aimed at (starting at seventh grade- middle school), I truly believe this is aimed at the earlier end of the young adult spectrum. In other words, where there are many young adult books that I believe you could stack against adult fantasy books without a problem and adults would love them all the same, this is not one of them. 

Let me make this clear: This is not at all a knock on Spin the Dawn. All I am pointing out is that in reviewing the book, I believe it important to review it for the audience that I believe it is aimed. Now, I could be wrong. However, I'm going to go on my belief and what I felt as I read the story, as that is all I can do. That is all any reader/reviewer can do.

Elizabeth Lim does a masterful job world building. She shifts from Maia's simple home life to the great Summer and Autumn palaces with ease, painting the portraits of the life of those that live a common life to those of great royalty. The same can be same of the character building. Despite the riches and luxury surrounding the royalty, you quickly find that both royalty and commoners have much suffering in common, even if for different reasons.

Lady Sarnai: He broke his promise to me. At first I thought it was because the war and magic had blackened his heart, but that is just the way of men. For what is a promise if it's made to a woman?

To Maia this is something she can greatly relate to, wanting to be in a man's world as the greatest tailor in all of A'landi, but having to make believe she is a boy in order to make her dreams come true. 

Lady Sarnai is forced into a marriage with the Emperor in order to make peace in A'landi after a long war that killed two of Maia's brothers and left one without the use of his legs. They have both suffered greatly from the war feeling trapped. Maia trying to escape a marriage with the baker's son, as well. 

During her time at the palace the emperor's enchanter becomes quite infatuated with Maia and there are hints as to why. When Lady Sarnai suddenly lays a quest at Maia's feet it becomes pretty clear as to what is happening. Although, again to a younger audience there will be more of a twist factor as to what is playing out ahead but I won't give it out here.

During this quest that the enchanter, Edan, accompanies Maia on, there are many beautiful and very dangerous landscapes that are encountered. Each are brilliantly developed by Lim's imagery. It pulls you into each place in a very Indiana Jones way, where you can truly go through the experience with both characters. 

It is throughout this experience that a simple and quaint relationship comes to develop between Edan and Maia. Older readers might find this budding relationship somewhat simple and the dialogue a bit childish. Younger audiences will fall right under its spell.

Additionally, hidden secrets about each is revealed both during and at the end of their travels. These might not be much of a shock or a twist to some of the older readers, but they will be many jaw dropping moments for the younger readers. Again, it didn't take out the enjoyment for me of the overall story. I don't believe it would rob it from others, either. 

While the younger group, will be absolutely enthralled by everything from beginning to end Spin the Dawn. In all honesty, there is one thing all readers will have in common: the cliffhanger (no spoiler). It is so heartbreaking that I was choked up. The decisions made in the face of knowing what they will mean, were brave, courageous and absolutely heartbreaking. No matter what your age, your heart will shatter by the end of Spin the Dawn. You can't help but want to know what happens next.

When I read the words “Mulan retelling” and saw the beautiful cover, I was totally on board for this. I’m a sucker for a good retelling, especially when it involves strong female heroines. And guys. Let me tell you. This DID NOT disappoint. I’m so excited to be sharing this book with everyone because it was so unexpectedly creative and wonderful!

I’ve heard a lot of people say this book is Mulan meets Project Runway and it’s true! Similar to Mulan, Maia goes to the palace in place of her father, but as a tailor. There’s a contest to determine who the best tailor is for the emperor and it gets CRAZY. I loved the competition aspect of this book because it sucked me right in and I couldn’t put it down. But I also want to emphasize that this novel is SOOOO MUCH MORE than that. It was actually shocking to me how little real estate the contest takes up in the book as a whole. Lim takes us on such a wild ride with this story and it was amazing!

Any y’all, don’t even get me STARTED on how beautiful the writing is. From page one, this is styled like an old fairytale and it was perfect. The language was so pretty and flowed so well, it was such a pleasure to read. Plus, a lot of the fantasy and magical elements added to that fairytale feeling and it was wonderful. Hearing Maia and Edan talk about all the gods was fun and Lim did such an excellent job bringing them to life.

*FINAL WORD*
This book is MAGICAL. It’s a fun story about an amazing female character and you all NEED to read it. I already can’t wait for book two!

This book is being pitched as Mulan meets Project Runaway and that is a pretty accurate description. Full of spectacular writing and a wonderful heroine, Spin the Dawn was a fun, fast-paced story that pulled me in from the first chapter.

I absolutely loved Maia. I thought she was a great protagonist and it was impossible not to root for her. Throughout the story, Maia shows a lot of perseverance and intelligence, and she grows as the novel goes on. I’m really looking forward to seeing what she accomplishes in the next book and how she’s going to deal with the cards she was dealt by the end of this book.

I also really enjoyed the writing; it was beautiful, yet simple. The first half of the story was very fast-paced and I had trouble putting it down. The second half started to slow down, but by then I was so invested in the characters and the story that it didn’t bother me one bit. The romance was really excellent as well! I loved Edan and how his relationship with Maia blossomed. It was great to see how supportive and protective of Maia he was.

Spin the Dawn was a wonderful book with a compassionate, strong heroine to cheer for and a charming enchanter that will steal your heart. Elizabeth Lim weaves a marvelous story and I can’t wait for people to fall in love with these characters!

Maia has talent as a tailor, as her father does. Her only dream is to have the opportunity to make clothes for the emperor himself. But as a woman, she is not allowed to be an imperial tailor. She has no choice, however, when a messenger comes from the palace seeking her father or one of her brothers. She dresses up as a man and goes herself, determined to succeed and prove to everyone that she can be just as good as any man.

I got a free advanced reading copy of Spin the Dawn in exchange for an honest review.

Spin the Dawn is a novel by Elizabeth Lim. It’s her debut novel, and it’s based on the Silk Road. This is actually the second novel I’ve read about the Silk Road this year, the first one being The Candle and the Flame. And, like The Candle and the Flame, it’s an #OwnVoices novel. And, it was absolutely spectacular.

It’s hard to write this review without completely and totally fangirling, actually. From the first few pages (are they still pages if I read them on a Kindle?), I was swept away into this Chinese-inspired land. It’s a land steeped in history, mythology, and tradition, and one I loved reading about and exploring, and luckily we really got the chance to see a lot of it!

I was actually surprised by that. When I started reading the novel, I thought there was a definite direction this novel was going, but it definitely twisted in a completely different way than I expected. In fact, I was actually really shocked in only the first quarter of the book! But the way it went was excellent, and I loved this twist in the tale, as it set the characters off in an epic quest, and in that quest, we learned more stories about the land and got closer to the characters themselves.

Maia is our main character in the book. The entire book is told from her first-person POV, and so we do get to know her very well. We get her motivations really quickly in the novel, especially as she experiences what happens to her brothers. She does grow and develop a great deal through the novel to, as she travels through her quest. Her skills change, she changes her mind and thoughts, and even falls in love.

Yup, love. And I actually liked it!

By now you might know that I often struggle with romance, not always loving how it’s written or how suddenly it seems to come around, but I loved the romance in this book. I’m a little reluctant to say who she falls in love with, for spoilers, but they are in the story summary, so I’m actually going to do it with a bit of a warning in case you don’t want to know.

SPOILER BEGINS

Her romance is with Edan, the court enchanter. On his end, it came much quicker than it did on Maia’s, but it always felt natural. It slowly grew into one I could really root for, and I loved reading about them together. What was also excellent is we got to learn a whole lot more about Edan and enchanters. His whole life is pretty mysterious from the beginning, and it gets revealed to us in bits and snippets. Each one is fascinating, and makes one understand Edan even more. It also made me very worried about the relationship, since it felt pretty star-crossed, but that feeling of worry was definitely a good thing since it kept me reading!

SPOILER ENDS

OK, and now I have to gush about the dresses! Lim does such a good job describing each dress that I could see them clearly in my mind’s eye, and I swear I’m going to have to figure out a way to either make them or get them. I absolutely adore clothes, and the more I read this book, the more I felt like adding to my already enormous clothing collection (I’m actually on a clothes-shopping ban because there’s no room left for new clothes in my closet [although that didn’t stop me from recently getting two pairs of shoes]). I just need these dresses!

Spin the Dawn was such an amazing book, and it’s actually part of a trilogy! Yes, the series is called The Blood of Stars, and I’ll for sure be reading the second novel.

Spin the Dawn comes out July 9th, and you can preorder it from Knopf Books for Young Readers!