Basics
SPIN THE DAWN is one of those books that just feels like an old-timey fairy tale. While I love retellings that modernize the story, I also really appreciate how Elizabeth stuck to traditional fairy tale pacing and elements while still making the old tale brand new.


What I loved

It’s been pitched as a Mulan retelling meets Project Runway, which I think definitely fits to an extent. It’s like Mulan with scissors, and Project Runway if the participants had to go on deadly quests to acquire their supplies. But what I can’t figure out and my personal favorite part is that it also seems to be a retelling of my absolutely all time favorite fairy tale, Allerleirauh (Bearskin, Catskin, there are many translations) from the Grimm’s collection. The original is about a girl who tries to avoid a creepy marriage to her father (ew) by requesting dresses made of the sun, moon, and stars, which she assumes will be impossible. When he manages to get it done, she flees with the dresses hidden in walnuts and becomes a cook in a far-off kingdom’s palace. Either there’s another similar fairy tale Elizabeth is basing this on, or it’s a retelling. Either way, it’s super exciting to see my favorite tale reimagined so cleverly, from the point of view not of the princess, but of the person who has to make the damn dresses.


The setting is East Asian inspired, I believe primarily by China. I love seeing fantasy worlds that deviate from the stereotypical English medieval prototype that used to be omnipresent. Elizabeth’s world is intricate and immersive, from the linguistics to the food to the clothing. You feel instantly transported. It helps that she trusts her reader to catch onto unfamiliar words and ideas in context, rather than resorting to a lot of tedious infodumps like some fantasy authors do. You feel like you’re traveling to a new place and exploring, instead of getting a lecture.


While we’re talking about worldbuilding, I loved the mythology! This is a place with gods and superstitions, and folklore and fairy tales. It creates this solid sense of history and place. I love how Elizabeth shared some of the folktales Maia grew up on, and how they become so important to the plot.


Maia is a fierce, clever narrator who doesn’t rely on weapons or fighting to be badass. Her weapon of choice is a needle. She creates whole worlds with her outfits. She sews to take care of her family, to express herself, and to take charge of her own life. She likes traditionally feminine things like pretty dresses and there’s no shame for it. She’s also very stubborn, a trait that both keeps her going and gets her into trouble. I found that even when I disagreed with her choices, I found her believable and compelling as a character.


I love how Elizabeth explores family and grief. Maia’s mother died when she was young and two of her brothers died in the war. While grief isn’t the main subject of the text, Elizabeth does show how Maia grapples with her grief and how it affects the way she relates to her remaining brother and father in a sensitive, realistic way.


I freaking love Edan. He’s this sarcastic, arrogant enchanter who can never be serious, talks in riddles, and thrives on banter. My weakness! I loved the tension and repartee between him and Maia. He reminded me so much of Numair from Tamora Pierce’s books, but snarkier.


My favorite part of the story was the dress competition. Honestly, I wish it had gone on a little longer. It was fun watching Maia compete against all these cranky old male tailors, and to see their designs matched up against each other.


The side characters felt real and solid, even if they had small parts. I was especially intrigued by Lady Sarnai. You don’t interact with her much, but it’s clear that she has this full, rich backstory and her own trials and grief. I’d love to see more of her in the sequel.


The ending. Wow! I thought I knew where Elizabeth was going with the last few chapters, but she managed to surprise me. I love that she didn’t wrap everything up neatly. She forces Maia to make difficult choices and to live with the fallout.



What didn't work as well

Some of the dialogue is kind of wooden or people are talking about things that they know in a way that’s just meant to let the reader now. That tends to rip me out of the story.


The middle kind of lulls—oddly enough, because I think it goes a little too fast. The pacing in the competition is so taut and exciting, but when they’re journeying, they’re covering so much time and ground in such short page space that it’s hard to feel immersed. It felt like the trials were a bit too quick and convenient, just because there wasn’t enough time to dwell on them. There were also some really abrupt time jumps that threw me off.


Maia seems a little passive during the trials. Edan basically tells her everything she has to do. I connected with her most when she was taking charge, making dresses, and figuring things out for herself.


This is definitely a “me” issue that you may not care about, but I thought that Maia and Edan fell in love too quickly. A few weeks together, and they were already talking of marriage and a future! It’s not that I didn’t fully buy it; I just personally like the slow burn bantery stage, and so I get kind of bored once everything is smooth and there seems to be a perfect understanding between the characters.


Other things to know

It’s definitely a patriarchal world, so you should know that going in. Men have all the power, women are subjugated. There isn’t much allowance for anyone nonbinary. But interestingly, although it seems to be unusual to be openly gay, people in this world also don’t seem to have a problem with it.


There are also some threats of sexual violence. Personally I didn’t think they were excessive or gratuitous, but if that’s something that you don’t like seeing, be aware going in.


My thoughts overall

A glittering gem of a fairy tale with a unique mythology, clever premise, and exciting finale.

Will I read this author again? Definitely
Will I continue this series? Yes! I need to know what happens next!

★★★☆☆ // ★★★★☆
3.5 Stars (Rounds up on Goodreads)

The only reason this isn’t a solid 4-star read for me is that the pacing, I felt, had issues.

The actual “Project Runway” style challenges were glossed over extremely quickly. They felt rather forced and stiff, and so did Maia’s relationship with magic (she hates it, but she loves it, but she doesn’t believe in it, but now she does, but she thinks it’s cheating, but it isn’t and we aren’t sure why).

This is a Mulan-inspired story, right? So we can all safely assume that at some point, someone, somehow, discovers she is a woman? When this happens, it’s also rather glossed over and stiff. You can tell the author put the most love and attention into the second half of this book/ If she had spent more time on the first half, though, it could have been split into two books — since the disconnect between the two halves already make it feel like two volumes in a series, honestly.

The magic used by the court magician, Edan, is significantly more fleshed out and easier to understand. Without spoilers: The author puts certain checks and balances on his power that work quite well and help the story along, as well as flesh out his character. The worldbuilding as it pertains to his backstory was lovely.

As I mentioned earlier, the first and second halves of this book were quite different. I enjoyed the second half significantly more, though it took me longer to get through. I flew through the first half because everything happened insanely quickly, then the book seemed to get a second lease on life and started on a whole epic quest situation. I had a bit of fatigue at that point — it felt like the book should have ended after the initial trials and plot twist(s), but instead, it continued on into a whole other story. But once I got into that second story, it was much more interesting and I did enjoy it.

Overall, if the concept of “Project Runway and Mulan-inspired Fantasy” intrigues you as much as it did me, I do highly recommend you give this a read. It’s a fun little fantasy that has a fairly unique premise.

What an excellent novel. The publisher description labeled this novel as “Project Runway meets Mulan,” which already makes the novel interesting, especially when one thinks about these two concepts individually. Designing clothes, even though it seems to be a male-dominated enterprise, is often regarded as a more feminine concept. So that fact that this novel has Maia disguise herself as a man to enter a tailoring contest is already quite intriguing. It takes reality and constricts it into this mold that determines the worth of a woman in this world that Lim has created.

However, that is only one aspect of the novel that Lim has created as she goes from realism to the magical. Lim slowly incorporates the mysticism and magic into the tale as she goes into the storytelling. Maia has a pair of magic tailoring scissors that help her create beautiful things. However, Maia does not trust magic. The war and loss she has suffered have disillusioned her, and her beliefs make it seem as though magic is wrong. However, then it becomes the one thing that could save her.

It is an interesting take that takes her on a journey through the world. It is an eye-opening journey that lends itself to fantastic character development on Maia’s part. Maia goes from thinking the world operates in one way, to find a way to live in it in another way. Edan, the court enchanter, also opens her mind in various ways. He has been alive for centuries and has seen the world and the way it changes, offering up a new perspective to the world. It brings history to the tale, history that has been long forgotten and adds numerous layers to the story as it goes from a story about a girl entering a tailoring contest to a quest to create magical dresses.

Maia is not a complex character, but the level of depth from her narrative is compelling. She has the voice to carry the novel as she embarks on this journey to create these magical dresses, and each dress, each element brings about something different about herself that she must learn and face. These trials challenge her; they challenge her mind, body, and soul, and open different aspects of herself Maia did not know she had. It is a riveting journey that she goes on and her dynamics with Edan. They make such a great team, and Edan is such an enigmatic character. The way he moves and elevates the mystical part of the story perfectly balances out Maia’s realism.

Overall, it is quite an enjoyable novel. The magic that elevates the story and the way Lim intermingles aspects readers are familiar with make the story engaging. The whole story is a journey not just for the characters but for the reader as well.

Spin the Dawn was everything I could have hoped for and more. With a tag line like "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." it's hard to not get your expectations up.  How do I even go about formulating this whimsical, magical and romantic book into words?

First of all I loved how authentic the characters were to themselves. Never have I loved a headstrong and magnetic heroine like Maia. She knows she's great and she isn't willing to sit down and roll over (marry the bakers son? I think not!) just to keep the peace. I rooted for her from the very first page and watching her grow into the wonderfully magical tailor that she is at the end of the book kept me reading long into the night. Can we talk about Edan? Because hi, new book boyfriend alert right there. He was swoony and mysterious and full of shocking twists and turns. I fell head over heels for him just as Maia did.

The intricacies of this book astounded me as did the visualization Elizabeth Lim put into each scene, down to the tiny beading in those otherworldly dresses. No detail was overlooked and I marveled in it all. I'm not going into detail about the story as it best flows like a fairy tale as you read it and there are tons of spoilers if I did. But just know, this book is one of the best I have read this year.

This is not what I expected, but it definitely didn’t disappoint! Maia is the epitome of a strong, female character. Just like in Mulan, with no eligible male heir able to assist the emperor, Maia takes it upon herself to represent her family and restore honor to their name. In a time where women hold no power, she takes it upon herself to swallow her pride, dress like her brother, and hide her true identity from everyone else.

“And you?”
“The obedient one.”
“No”, Edan said. “You’re the strong one.”
The strong one. The one who held the seams of my family together.

But not everyone is deceived. The emperor’s Enchanter catches on to Maia’s ploy. Is he on her side or will he reveal her true identity?

I was definitely intrigued by the idea of a competition, sort of like Project Runway, but tailor-version. After the competition is over, Maia sets out on a new mission…a dangerous one that either she will succeed, or die painfully. This is the unexpected part since I thought the story would end at the end of the competition. But, alas! Another adventure!

"Yes, Sendo used to tell me fairy tales. How he’d love mine if he were still alive: the tale of a girl who’d sewn the sun, the moon, and the stars into three dresses, the tale of a girl whom a demon have vowed to possess.
It was the tale of a boy, too. A boy who could fly but not swim. A boy with the powers of the gods but the shackles of a slave. A boy who loved me.
It was a tale still being written."

I can’t choose a favorite character. I love Edan and Maia equally.

Spin the Dawn is a gorgeous, magical story of determination, survival, friendship, and family. When I first saw this book described as "Project Runway meets Mulan," I was immediately intrigued. I knew it would probably end up not being quite like that description, but I was still excited for what this book could be and I was not disappointed.

Spin the Dawn has a lot of elements that feel similar to other books--a girl dressing up as a boy, a competition of sorts that the protagonist must win, and, of course, plenty of magic and characters who you never really know if they're on your side or not. Despite these familiar elements, Lim managed to craft them all into a wholly unique and magical journey that felt fresh and exciting.

The story takes off when Maia enters a competition to follow her passion of being a professional tailor--a role that is usually left to men--in which the prize is to become the imperial. Once at the palace, things never completely go according to plan and Maia has not only the challenge of creating beautiful garments that pass the test of the Imperial Majesty's soon to be wife, but also the challenge of beating all of the other contestant, most of whom feel immediate rivalry towards Maia. I really liked how Lim handled this situation and had Maia react to the various pressures from those around her. She tries her best to stay true to herself and her morals, while also trying to survive the continuous sabotage of those around her. I really appreciated her strong independence and ability to handle a barrage of difficult obstacles that were constantly thrown her way.

Another prominent character that I found easy to become enamored with is Edan, the Lord Enchanter. I can't really say too much about him without going into too many details that could give way some spoilers, but he has a fairly important role in this story, especially when him and Maia leave to embark on a journey to find near impossible materials for some important dresses. Edan is one of those characters that seems tricky and never completely trustworthy, but is still entirely compelling. He remains fairly mysterious throughout most of the book and constantly has secrets to unravel, but his personality and motivations also are revealed as the book goes on and I really enjoyed getting to know him and seeing his relationship with Maia develop.

The world-building is also incredibly well done and I commend Lim for creating such a fully-fleshed and rich world. There is a lot of great mythology woven in that Lim has developed, as well as locations and culture that add so much depth to the story and characters involved.

I didn't have any major issues with this book, but on a minor note I did feel as though some of the perceived "near-impossible" challenges that Maia and Edan had to overcome didn't seem quite as difficult as they could have been, and some things felt a little too convenient. Despite this, there was still a significant sacrifice made at one point that really increased the gravity and risks in the story.

Overall, I've given Spin the Dawn 4.25 stars! I truly enjoyed this one and cannot wait for the next installment. This really stood out to me from other YA fantasy books and I look forward to reading more books from Lim (especially Magnolia Sword, which comes out this fall!).

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't put this book down! I loved all of the characters, which rarely happens. Maia is strong and fiercely loyal and Edan is full of secrets and tragedy. I already need the sequel.

Elizabeth Lim's Spin the Dawn is an absolute stand out amazing Fantasy novel. Not just in YA, but in general. The book is pitched thusly: "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."

I'll admit, the pitch is great, fantastic, and also not nearly as good as this book actually is. It's true, if you love Mulan, you will almost certainly love this book following Maia Tamarin as she attempts to become an imperial tailor and restore her family's honor. But if the pitch doesn't appeal to you, it's much more than that too. It's one of the few books I've read that has "parts" in a way that is actually sensible and readable, without dragging the plot or ruining the pacing. The book understands the fantastical parts of fantasy, touches on interesting politics, and creates excellent stakes for Maia and her companion Edan. The book also manages to set itself up for a sequel without losing the pace towards the end of the novel, or leaving us with an unsatisfying ending. It's excellent and I can't wait to pick it up in stores.

An interesting mix of a modern concept set in a historical/fantasy setting with romance and adventure mixed in. The book blurb's description of it as Project Runway meets Mulan is pretty apt.
The first part of the book definitely reads like any reality competition on TV these days - contest of skill, cruel opponents, callous judges, intense time limits, limited supplies and budgets, unreasonable challenges... Obviously the main character is the underdog. Maia, only daughter of Master Tailor Tamarin, poses as a boy to take her father's place in an imperial competition to be the Emperor's new tailor. Then suddenly that phase is over - I for one was rather glad. It read a little too modern for me.
And then we move on to the adventure phase that reads a little more like a fairy tale quest. This part was more my style. Maia embarks on a quest for the Shansen's daughter, bride-to-be of the Emperor, in an ultimate challenge to sew dresses of the sun, moon, and stars. Aiding her on her quest is the Royal Enchanter, who is certainly more than meets the eye. An growing attraction forces the two into a constant battle of wills in order to fulfill Maia's quest despite the treats posed to their budding relationship.
The ending is quite the cliffhanger, and seems to hint at a much darker tale to come...
Anyone considering this book for teens, there are some rather metaphorically descriptive sex scenes, not graphic, but in some detail nonetheless. There are also a few hints at people having same-sex relationships, but there are not actually any same-sex relationships in the book, and no graphic content of any kind.
Ultimately an interesting tale, some nice world-building, a promising start to a series, and a fairly light read.

I was not sure what to expect going into reading this book. From the description and gorgeous cover my interest was peaked, but I thought it might just be a so-so Mulan retelling, but I was totally wrong! I do not feel like the description did this book justice and is in fact it is a bit misleading. 'Project Runway meets Mulan' okay yes, but it is way more than that. In fact, it almost reads like two separate books because of the drastic change of pace halfway through.

We meet our main character, Maia as her world is effectively falling apart which begins with the death of her mother. Her country is then thrown in the war in which she loses two of her three brothers and the third is crippled. Her father, once a great tailor, becomes depressed and can no longer effectively run their tailoring business and Maia steps in to take over. Because she's a girl, and girls are looked down upon in this culture, she effectively runs it behind the scenes until a representative from the emperor comes knocking looking for a new royal tailor. Cue the Mulan retelling as she poses as her brother and goes to the palace to compete to become the emperor's new tailor.

Based on the description I thought this whole plot line would take up most, if not all, the book. No my friend. Halfway through the book she's sent on a quest with the emperor's enchanter, Edan, in search to make 3 dresses from legend - and her story expands from there.

I immensely enjoyed the book. Honestly, the Project Runway part was the worse part (if I had to pick). The world is vibrant, immersive and full of culture. The plot was extremely entertaining and the character dialogue was perfection. I particularly enjoyed the sweet romance that develops throughout the story and loved the way the story ended - which of course I'm dying for more!

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<p>When I started reading this, I was immediately sucked in because of the magic and the fact that I loved the character so much! The only thing I knew about the book was that it was a fashion related Mulan retelling, and let me tell you... this was so much more than I expected!</p>
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<p>The storytelling was so beautiful and I loved watching Maia grow and become more confident in her abilities as a tailor. I absolutely LOVED the incorporation of magic! I never felt lost when it came to the world building, which for some reason seems to be an issue whenever I read a book with magic.</p>
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<p>Maia was an interesting character to follow, and I really felt immersed into the story following her and learning the secrets (and admiring the handsome men in the novel) with her! Her emotions flowed through the pages and I felt her homesickness and her passion and her hesitation and fear as she felt it! It's always amazing to me how emotions can be transferred through the written word, and Elizabeth Lim did an amazing job with that!</p>
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<p>Of course, the element of romance was so absolutely perfect! I loved the interactions between the characters and there was one point where one of my favorite tropes was incorporated into the story (can't tell you which one because that would ruin the fun!)! Of course, the whole "forbidden romance" trope was also incorporated and the bit of slow-burn romance really made the whole story so much more emotional and fun!</p>
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<p>While I already said how much I loved Maia, Edan the magician was also a really great character! I loved his wit and learning about his story (though it was frustrating at times having to wait for more information to be revealed)! Let me just tell you, I totally yelled JUST KISS ALREADY a few times!</p>
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<p>The plot was also really interesting! I didn't expect the second half of the story to go the way it did, so that was a really great surprise! AND THE ENDING?! LET ME TELL YOU-- I WAS BLOWN AWAY! The ending of the story came like a flood and I was completely thrown off and didn't know what to expect! </p>
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<p style="text-align:center"><strong>If you enjoy retellings, fashion, political and romantic drama, #ownvoices stories, mythology and magic, this is the book for you! If you love strong and three dimensional female characters, forbidden magic, dark and handsome and extremely snarky males, exciting competitions, and impossible journeys, pick this book up IMMEDIATELY.</strong></p>
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That Project Runway meets Mulan tagline is no joke.  That is exactly what I thought I was reading the whole first part of the book, but then it becomes something else entirely. 

I can tell you right now I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.  Maia is a great character and yes, as I mentioned she gives off a Mulan vibe. She’s strong and I did enjoy that while this clearly takes place in a time and place where women were just meant to marry, the men in Maia’s life acknowledge and respect her strength.  

And Edan, well he is another book boyfriend for sure.  He’s dark and mysterious without being broody. In fact, he is extremely charming and charismatic, and the comic relief that this book needs. (Can you tell I am a fan?)    

The story is great, I read this book in two days, so to say it kept my attention is an understatement.  There was always something happening, but never too much like I find in other books. The pacing was also great!  Everything was well thought out and nothing felt rushed.

While I love that I was able to read this book early, it does mean the wait for the sequel is even longer.  Because believe me I will be reading the next book!

Maia is a very interesting main character, and I did like the other characters as well, although they all paled in comparison to how much I liked her.

But she's also not a badass warrior.

Maybe that's why I liked Spin the Dawn so much, because after a million and one amazing, badass, over the top, Aelin wannabe main characters, Maia is refreshingly different. She's strong in her own way, but that's not the way that is consideredly traditionally 'strong.'

With a newly ended war, the Emperor has promised to marry the daughter of his enemy to bind the peace, and so a new imperial tailor is needed. A messenger arrives, demanding that Maia's father or brother go to serve the Emperor. But her father is old and frail, and her brother can hardly stand after being wounded in the war, so it falls to Maia to take their place.

Surprisingly, the actual competition - that pits Maia, disguised as her brother, against other master tailors - is only a fraction of the book. The rest of it is taken up by her journey after the essence of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of the stars, which she will have to sew into three dresses.

That was the only thing I didn't love about this book. The pacing was, unfortunately, a bit off. During the competition, people were being eliminated so quickly that I don't think I could tell you any of their names if you paid me. And, to me at least, there never seemed to be any risk that Maia wouldn't win. If she hadn't won, there wouldn't have been any more of the book.

But outside of my issues with pacing, the story that it told was enchanting, if a bit romantic for my tastes. At first glance, it seemed that the love interest might be the Emperor, that's what I've come to expect out of YA, but instead, it's Edan, the Sorcerer. The romance is well written however, I can't fault it for that, I'm just more of a fan of plots than romance.

A slow, lackluster attempt at a Mulan retelling. I make the comparison only because, if I remember correctly, that's how this was originally pitched.

Here I think we might have another case of it's not you, it's me. Because while the writing itself was not bad, I struggled with this book the entire time. It was just downright boring to me.

I did not care about the characters, I did not care about the journey and the romance did little for me overall. But of the three the romance was probably the best part. Because at least we got some flirty banter and a few swoon-worthy moments. Still, that was not enough to save this book for me.

So if you're looking for a story that revolves around a Mulan-esque character that involves embroidery and is infinitely more interesting you're better off watching the Chinese drama Legend of Hua Mulan (2013).

I'm disappointed, to say the least, because I really wanted to love this. I was looking forward to a badass Asian heroine who would make me root for her. And sadly, for me, Maia is not it. I'm sure some will enjoy this slower paced sort of story, but I am not one of those people.

As soon as I saw "Spin the Dawn" pitched as Project Runway meets Mulan, I was sold. Maia Tamarin is a dynamic and engaging protagonist and Lim does an outstanding job making readers empathize with Maia's struggles. Maia is going against the patriarchy in the land of A'landi; she dreams of being the greatest tailor despite not being a man. She get the opportunity when the Emperor announces a competition for a new imperial tailor. Maia disguises herself as her brother and her journey begins.
The people of A'landi benefit from magic but are skeptical, fearful, and even hostile towards it. Maia encounters the court enchanter Edan and romantic intrigue ensures. Overall, I loved the first half of the book with the fashion competitions; the second half has a quest plot that while I enjoyed, it was felt somewhat cookie cutter.
I really enjoyed Maia as a character and I also was interested in her the main antagonist, Lady Sarnai, but she is less developed than other characters. The history and lore of A'landi was really well developed and a major strength of "Spin the Dawn." The end of the novel ends with dark foreshadowing and I will definitely be reading the sequel. Spin the Dawn is going to be featured in several book boxes and if you love gorgeous aesthetics, this book (and accompanying boxes) are must buys!

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for the ARC.

3.75 stars.

If you are tired of the dark, gritty, and violent fantasies and want something to break up the flow, this is the perfect choice for you. Spin the Dawn is a lovely, sweet book.

The main characters in Maia's life are all well meaning and supportive. Edan, although mysterious, is a true cinnamon roll at heart. Maia is determined and dedicated to her craft. In fact, my favorite scenes in the book were the ones where she is sewing, knitting, or mending. She takes such care to craft beautiful clothes that I was always enraptured by them.

I loved the world building in it. I felt immersed in it without being overburdened. The quests to gather the three materials for the dresses was pretty neat actually and had the strongest writing in them. You could really feel the splendor of the palace grounds, the crackling heat of the desert, and the bitter chill of the cold mountains.

Although the plot can be a bit predictable at times and the romance a little too saccharine for me, the story is upheld by the steady and consistent pacing. If you were wondering about the Mulan aspects of it - the most familiar pieces of the tale are present in here but other than that the story becomes wholly its own.

It's a fluffy and fun story, good for summer or those needing a palate cleanser from all the heavy and dark books they've been reading.

eArc provided by NetGalley.

This is a fantastic fantasy book with a great cast of characters and well developed world. I would definitely recommend this one to fellow fantasy lovers.

Gosh, I really liked this one. While some elements of this (including the romance, sigh) will feel familiar to longtime readers of YA fantasy, what I truly loved about it was the magic system and worldbuilding. There was something warm, playful, and magical to it. I don't want to call it light, or even light-hearted, but it was such a welcome departure from the gritty, grim, bloody things I've been reading it. The best word for it is: FUN. I enjoyed cheering for Maia, and would love to see that magic of this world on screen some day.

Review for Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim


ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
Thanks for the opportunity to review this book!


All opinions are my own.

Trigger Warnings (TW): For violence, sexism, graphic depiction of breaking bones. Stay safe, my friends!

Summary:

"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."

In Spin the Dawn we follow Maia, posing as her brother Keton, as she attempts to become the Master Tailor in the kingdom. She squares up against 11 other men who are all older and seemingly more experienced then she is, but she has a secret… a magical pair of scissors that help her create the masterpieces she dreams of in her head and her sketches. This incredible book is set in a Chinese-inspired kingdom and is so incredibly unique in its plot. However, the competition is only the beginning of the journey.


My Thoughts

Part One: The Trial
I really loved getting to know Maia during Part One. The contest itself is fascinating, and getting to read about how she and her competition handles the challenges is magical. Getting to watch her interactions with Edan were always entertaining as well. I would have happily read an entire book only centering on the competition, and a separate book for Part Two: The Journey. I was sad we didn’t get to see more relationship development between Maia and the other tailors, but what we did see was (mostly) so sweet and wholesome, and I had a great time getting sucked right into this story.

“The humming in my head was louder now. I looked down, feeling a strange trembling at my side. At first I thought it came from my scissors, but that was impossible, so I ignored it.

Then they started glowing.”
Quote taken from an ARC and is subject to change upon publication.


The magic in this book is unlike any that I’ve seen before. The setting reminded me of Girls of Paper and Fire, which I absolutely loved. They both have plots centering around a poor girl being sent to the kingdom for a task to gain favor with the king. In Spin the Dawn you get to see the kingdom, a competition, as well as Maia’s growth throughout her journey.

I will say that the pacing felt a bit quick for me. I would’ve happily read an entire 400 paged book about the competition and another book picking up where part two did. I think this is more of a personal thing, as I loved sinking into this book and its magic, but wanted more time to grow and love all the characters in both halves of the story.


Minor spoilers ahead
I felt that the romance was a bit rushed as well. It goes from being fairly juvenile to “I love you,” and getting more physical than I had expected it to, in a seemingly rushed manner. Don’t get me wrong, the physical scenes were very well done, and I enjoyed reading them, but I need way more time with characters to believe that they’ve fallen head over heels for each other.

Overall (TLDR)

4.25/5 Stars for me!
This magical Chinese-inspired novel centers around a young girl vying to become the Master Tailor of a kingdom in order to save her broken family from poverty. The magic within this story is unlike any I have ever read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and all of the characters within the novel. I would’ve loved to see this book split into two and expanded upon, if only to fall a bit more in love with each character. If you’re a fan of Girls of Paper and Fire I think that you will enjoy this as well. It was action packed and I devoured it within 24 hours! I definitely recommend this and I’ll be picking up the sequel as well.

Thank you again to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book!

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Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim starts out exactly as its pitch promises: it’s Project Runway meets Mulan. Maia, daughter of a tailor who has fallen on hard times, longs to be known for who she is inside, rather than as the girl everyone sees on the outside. Aside from singing "Reflection" and getting a talking dragon companion, she really does follow Disney's Mulan pretty closely. She shears off her hair and answers an imperial summons to save her father. She's hopelessly naive. She's terrible at pretending to be a boy. A stuffy bureaucrat looks down on her, and a hot dude starts believing in her. Honor is mentioned.

Then Project Runway starts up, and there are cash prizes for winners and elimination rounds for everyone. Marrying Mulan and Project runway is a clever way to sell a book, but I found myself wishing Lim had either really leaned into the competition aspect or at least put a different twist on it. As it is, it follows the show fairly closely, but lacks a sufficient understanding of why reality competitions are successful.

So, a slight discursus: what makes reality competitions fun to watch? The subject matter is just one aspect, and it's actually not the most important. Sure, you personally might not turn on a cooking show if you're not into cooking, but you can easily get sucked in if others are watching. What keeps most people watching is the construction of narrative for multiple characters, the drama of the stakes (and not actually the interpersonal drama, except insofar as it defines a hero or a villain), and the description of the process by experts.

We only have Maia to root for, and while she’s a compelling protagonist, we don’t get the snippets of other people’s lives. Almost everyone else is a nonentity or a villain, with one rather lackluster exception, and people are dismissed in droves, not one by one. They’re all also established masters of the craft; while an imperial position would be nice, we don’t have a good sense of how life-changing it would be for anyone except Maia. We also don’t get too many examples of expertise. Sure, there are details of embroidery and weaving, but I would have liked to see more of Lim’s research show on the page (she obviously did her research, and credit to her for that).

However, Lim does understand that we want to see the products of the competition, the clothes. It actually doesn't matter that we can't literally see them, since she's very good at describing the clothing, her prose neither too brief nor too purple. She also understands that we want a snarky judge, one who knows a lot and also knows what they like. Lady Sarnai's whims may frustrate Maia, but they're spot on for the format, very Klum-meets-Cowell.

But just as things settle into absolute predictability, there’s a sharp left turn: Lady Sarnai decides she doesn’t want lewks, she wants the actually impossible. She wants dresses made from sunlight, moonlight, and stars. She wants Maia to become the tailor of legend who crafted the three celestial dresses, or die trying.

The story of the tailor who made the three celestial dresses should have been seeded earlier in the plot, since this feels like it was two books: the book that was cleverly pitched, and then the book Lim actually wanted to write. Once the competition is over (and it's over surprisingly soon), the Project Runway aspect never really comes up again. The competition is an excuse to send Maia on the journey, but a number of other excuses might have worked just as well, since none of the other competitors help or hinder her on her journey. The pitch is basically prelude to the quest narrative, which sends Maia off to retrieve “the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of the stars.”

Perhaps because she spent a solid amount of time on the competition, the race to obtain these mysterious materials is straightforward. A little too straightforward. Things are difficult, but nothing really goes wrong until the very end. I’m torn about whether I like this or not, because it did keep the plot moving at a very consistent clip. On the other hand, everything felt inevitable rather than exciting.

Where Spin the Dawn won me over was in the charming dialogue and Lim's unique voice, which starts to come through more and more as the book progressed. I much prefer her original ideas and myths to her straightforward homages. She's creative and innovative, and I hope that she gains confidence to write her stories as she continues to publish. The magic spiders, hidden pools, labyrinthine temples and more are all brilliant details that make a rich and inviting world. And her characters, when given room to breathe, have so much potential. Edan, the sly sorcerer, and the other members of the court are far more interesting and complex once the tropes fade away.

There's a compelling political mystery going on in the background, which is a major reason I'll be eager to pick up book two. On it's face it's rather predictable as well: the emperor must marry the daughter of a rival to ensure peace. But there are huge questions about the cause of the rebellion, the motivations of the emperor, and the powers of his soon-to-be wife that really made things interesting. Why did the rebel leader resort to demonic aid? What really happened to the emperor's family that allowed a second and sickly son to ascend the throne? What part does magic play in all of this? Maia cannot really investigate since her status is so low, but her relative incuriosity was maddening at times. The war took a heavy toll on her family—doesn't she want to know more about what caused it?

Of course, Maia is distracted by her budding romance, so I can forgive her somewhat. Spin the Dawn is heavy on the romance, which is predictable but still appealing. I am not a huge fan of the particular trope Lim uses to create the romantic tension, but this is a highly personal preference. I'll leave it at that to avoid any spoilers, but the romance doesn't end where you'd expect, even given the tantalizing prologue.

The concluding volume, Unravel the Dusk, has a lot of work to do to stitch up all the loose threads and streamline the plot, but I have faith that Lim will find her footing. This is a solid debut from an author who is more creative than she lets on. I hope she unleashes everything she’s got for book two: it will be a wonder.