*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Wow. Just wow. Trust me, it is not an over-exaggeration to say that Spin the Dawn left me in a state of awe. Maia’s skills allow her to spin celestial light into gowns, but Elizabeth Lim possesses the power to weave the world into her story.

Spin the Dawn is a Mulan story (of which there are definitely not enough in this world) where the main character, Maia, must pretend to be a boy in order to win a Project Runway-esque contest. Of course, there is SaBoTaGe, ~love~, and MAGIC along the way.

In this world, like so many others, women are basically only good for being daughters and wives. So, despite being the only talented (and able-bodied) tailor in her family, Maia has no hope of running her father’s shop or becoming a Master Tailor. At least, not until the Emperor summons her father to compete to become the next court tailor, and Maia takes his place disguised as her brother (see, I told you there were major Mulan vibes!). She goes to court to take place in this competition and runs into some challenges. Namely, old men who think they are better than her (grr), a picky Princess trying to delay her marriage, and a nosy Enchanter with beautiful blue eyes (I’m sure you can guess what happens there). Maia faces challenge after challenge, just trying to support her family and achieve her dream, doing one impossible task after another.

Though the major struggles in the book seem to fall to the side in the second half, new ones (perhaps more pressing ones) emerge. This is more than just dress-making, there are kingdoms and lives at stake (and hearts <3).

One thing that can almost be underestimated about this book is the beginning, because, you see, it begins at the end. Just one page with Maia’s thoughts (which must come from the events in the very last chapter), filled with warning and doubt. This page and its sentiment can almost be forgotten as you truly begin the book, but at the end, after everything happens, you will flip back to that page and reread it, searching for the answers you desperately need. I know because that is what I did, and I desperately need book two to provide those answers (and I need book two ASAP).

What more can I say? Spin the Dawn is a masterpiece. The author flawlessly weaves world-building and color descriptions into a story line that will have you staying up until four A.M. in the morning to finish it (again, I know this from personal experience). Definitely read this book if you have the chance, and if you don’t have the chance, make one!

(P.S., the series is titled the Blood of the Stars?!?! It’s so dramatic and fitting that I love it just for that.)

Thanks, Netgalley, for the ARC!

Now I have to wait a year for the next book. Also, I’d say it was more a Mulan and Aladdin mash up with Project Runway considering, but that’s me being nit-picky about the details.

I've never watched Project Runway, and it's been years since I've watched Mulan.  It was the stunning cover and enticing description that drew me to this book.

The solid, imaginative world-building, and Chinese-inspired land are a perfect backdrop for this story.  Descriptions of Maia's creations and her world are done to perfection, and the magic system is original and explained well.

Maia is everything I enjoy in a main character - feisty, competitive, intelligent, stubborn.  She dreams of becoming the emperor's tailor, a position only men are permitted to fill.  To Maia, that's a minor setback, and she finds a way to enter the competition pitting her against eleven men who are far more experienced in the craft.  I initially thought Edan would be detrimental in her quest, but he turned out to be my favorite character.  Charming, intuitive, and mischievous, he's supportive from their first meeting, and has many secrets of his own.

While the first half of the book is all about the competition, the second half is vastly different, with some nail-biting moments.  Along with lots and lots of romance.  That's not an issue for plenty of readers, but it comes close to monopolizing the last 50% of the book, and is something I didn't expect from the description.  The relationship between Maia and Edan is well-portrayed, if a bit predictable, and isn't without its challenges.

Spin the Dawn is a unique YA fantasy inspired by Chinese culture and mythology, and is set in a magical world, but leans heavily on more romance than I prefer - and I know I'm in the minority in that opinion! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I’m a sucker for fancy dresses and so a book about creating magical fancy dresses was one I automatically requested without much research. Fortunately for me it was a pretty good read! This is a YA fantasy, so I anticipated that it would have a few of the age old tropes of yore– no surprises there. I’ll be honest, the kind of stereotypical YA things that did pop up didn’t bother me all that much.

I liked the main character here – she was brave without being gung-ho the way many “brave” female characters are portrayed. She wanted to save her family and also prove that she, a girl, could be the imperial tailor. The others competing for the position of imperial tailor were mostly unsympathetic to what they thought was the youngest and most inexperienced competitor there. On top of that, the new Empress (who the competition is basically for) is difficult to please. She ends up demanding that she be made three mythical dresses and only then will our MC be able to rest. Thus begins the real story…

Maia is sent on a quest to find the impossible materials for the dresses – elements of the sun, moon, and stars. BUT SHE HAS MAGIC SCISSORS and a handsome, cursed sorcerer to help her out. Cue love interest, right? This whole falling in love with the handsome, ancient guy who is totally unavailable because he’s cursed to live forever thing is the tropiest trope of them all. And I still liked it. It was fairly well played out in the book and it made me happy.

Overall, this was a surprisingly good book. I’m more hesitant to read YA now since I’ve come across so many that just blend together, but Spin the Dawn was satisfying and felt like a tried and true tale. I’ll be interested to read the sequel and hope it is even better than the first.

This book really surprised me. From reading the summary I thought it was going to basically be Mulan, but instead of being a solider she’d be a tailor. Spinning the Dawn is so much more than that! It does start out with a very Mulan feel in the beginning, but I love Mulan so that wasn’t a big deal to me. But, then the story expanded and we got into some nice lore of the world. I was completely sucked in for all, but a small portion of this book.

Now, lets talk about the characters. Mainly Maia and Edan. Maia is our Mulan, a strong, skilled woman who has big dreams that are limited by her gender. I really enjoyed reading her she’s strong and willing to work very hard for what she wants. The only thing that really was a downside of her was that she really didn’t seem to have a flaw. She had moments of weakness and being a woman in this story made things difficult for her, but otherwise I didn’t really pick up on a flaw. Edan, is charming. I was a bit suspicious of him and I don’t want to give any spoilers away, but I really enjoyed his character. He’s where there’s a lot of cool backstory. He also doesn’t have to seem to really have a flaw. Other than the lack of even a small character flaw in my opinion I really enjoy these characters.

World building. I loved the bits of lore that this book gave us. There are obviously a variety of beliefs and stories. They’re so well written that I really enjoyed how they twined into the story. There’s some other little things with world building like different currency and whatnot, but I’m in it for the lore.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and got more out of it that I originally anticipated. If you enjoyed Mulan or just a good fantasy read I would encourage you to purchase this book when it is released on July 9th.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Holy cow I read this book so quickly! I just couldn’t put this book down and had to finish it as quickly as possible! I really love the main character Maia and the journey that she embarks on both physically and mentally. She is such a great character to read about! I also loved the color descriptions and fabric details, it was breathtaking!! I highly recommend this book!

Hello Again!

Some of you may have already seen or read this review on my Goodreads (I wrote this shortly after finishing the book but I wanted to save it's posting on my site for release day next month). The day this book comes out I will most likely be busy (I am either going to be participating in a readathon or working on moving into my new place if it is all ready so I wanted to have my thoughts all ready to go since I will be busy.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Maia wants to become the greatest tailor in all the land, however, there are a few obstacles in the way of that dream. For example, she is a girl and master tailors who work for the palace can only be male. Another reason is that her family is in pieces, her brothers were in the war (two of them lost their lives, and one returns home never the same) her father is broken over this loss and the loss of his wife and needs help to run the shop. Maia is the only help her family has, she keeps the shop running, food around for her father, and is trying her best to help her brother upon his return. However, when a mysterious visitor from the palace shows up and demands to see Maia's father she knows something must be up. This visitor from the palace wants either Maia's father or brother to come to the palace to take on the job of imperial tailor. This job would be working for the emperor and is a high honor but Maia knows neither her brother nor her father could take this on and she is not allowed to even though is she the best tailor in her family. Maia decides she will dress as her brother and go to the palace to take the job, this will give her family enough money and save the shop while allowing her to fulfill her dreams. Maia must remain in her disguise while at the palace and upon arrival she finds out that she is not going just to claim a job, but rather she is stepping into a competition. Several tailors have been brought forth and only one will be chosen to be the tailor for the new princess (not the emperor like Maia first thought).

There is so much more to the plot of this book including a character I do not want to bring up here to spoil anything and a quest that happens in the book that I also do not want to bring up to spoil anything. However, I will say I loved the quest that happens after the competition for imperial tailor. It may be one of my favorite quests that I have ever read about. Additionally, the whole competition for tailor was awesome, it was like an episode of project runway and in some way, I can not explain reminded me of the Selection series (I think it was the amazing dress covers). I gave this book 4.5 stars on Goodreads and I am definitely looking forward to the second book in the series!

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

A+ | A spectacular and solid fantasy novel that has everything I love: magic, a protagonist I can connect with, side characters that feel human, a romance that is actually believable and developed rather than shoved down my throat, an actual journey.

Where do I begin?

This book is marketed as Mulan meets Project Runway. However, it’s so much more than that. Yes, it has elements of both with the whole taking her father’s place after an imperial summons and the competition to design clothes. However, about 30% of the way in, it shifts to another direction - our protagonist, Maia, is sent on this impossible journey to craft three mythological dresses that had once been made for a goddess. She’s joined by the endearing Edan, the Emperor’s Enchanter. It has elements of The One Thousand and One Nights/The Arabian Nights and imperial China mixed into the fray.

I adored Maia. I adored Edan. I adored Lady Sarnai.

Each one of these characters felt human with real feelings, especially Lady Sarnai. I focus on her because she could have easily become this one-dimensional character that I could care less about, but she didn’t. Instead, I want to know more about this young woman - what are her motives? Why does she act the way she does? Believe in the things she believes in? What was her childhood like? Look, I know I’m focusing on Lady Sarnai here, but I can’t help it. She’s interesting. She reminds me of Empress Tanashiri/Danashiri from Empress Ki who was a character I honestly enjoyed more than Seung Nyang.

I love complex characters and it was so refreshing to see here.

As for Maia? God, where do I begin aside from reiterating how much I adored her?

I do. I adore Maia because she feels so real. She actually has a personality! It isn’t just filial piety that drives her to impersonate her brother, but her own desire to shatter the glass ceiling. Both are equally important to her. She never forgets either reason while she’s there in the imperial palace. Also, the fact that she makes mistakes is just an entire chef kiss moods. She’s funny and passionate and a hard worker. She could have easily won the competition if she used the magic she had at her disposal, but she didn’t once she knew what she had in her grasp. I have to admire her for it because she believed in herself and in her abilities so much.

Still, did I find myself shaking my head at her? Did I get annoyed with her? Oh absolutely. There were those moments when I rolled my eyes, to be honest. But still, the fact that I didn’t spend the majority of this book rolling my eyes is a good thing.

And by God, Edan? I loved him. He is enchanting and humorous and oh so imperfect. He is respectful, protective, and sweet, but also loves to tease Maia. When we first meet him, I honestly thought he was an ass - an arrogant ass who definitely needed to be smacked with a slipper. However, as the pages went on and we got to spend more time with him through Maia’s eyes, he turned out to be a good cookie. His story honestly pulled at my slightly blackened heart and

The relationship in this novel is a not a slow-burn, but it’s not all-consuming wildfire love that gets shoved down our throats, either. It’s a realistic relationship because it was built on friendship and trust and banter. It’s been a long time since I watched Empress Ki, but the relationship here sort of reminded me of Seung Nyang and Wang Yu’s relationship - at least before shit went down and she had to become Toghon Temur's concubine. It’s one of those relationships that I can cheer on, rather than roll my eyes at every time they confess their feelings for each other.

And we can’t forget about the worldbuilding.

One of the most essential things in fantasy is to have good worldbuilding - a universe that has weight to it. Any piece of fantasy media that has good worldbuilding gets a gold star in my book and it gets another if that fantasy is inspired by Asia - be it East Asia, South East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, or the Middle East.

Spin the Dawn gets both of these gold stars. It’s definitely influenced by China which is just so refreshing to see. It felt like I was reading a novelization of a really, really, REALLY good Chinese historical drama with fantasy lovingly placed into it.

If you’re looking for a well-written fantasy with compelling characters, this is the book for you.

Thank you to Random House Children’s, Knopf Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for providing me with an ebook version of ARC. I received this in exchange for a review. My opinions are my own.

I went into this book a little apprehensive because I read Reflection by this author and while I enjoyed it I didn't love it. I have to say I enjoyed the cross over between project runway and Mulan in this story. The overall story was great and the pacing was good too. I can't wait for book two to be announced and released. Plus the cover is gorgeous and I can't wait to own a physical copy.

Rating: 4½ stars out of 5

Spin the Dawn is a jewel of a book. It's rare to read a really exciting and original twist on the familiar tale of royal court scheming and the long journey of impossible seeming quests; however, Elizabeth Lim is able to put just such a 'spin' on these tried and true formats in her novel 'Spin the Dawn'.

We are first introduced to our protagonist, Maia, daughter of a talented but aging tailor who is incredibly skilled in her own right. When a contest for the next imperial tailor is announced and her father is summoned to the palace to participate, Maia disguises herself as her brother and goes in his stead. During the beginning half of the novel, we watch as the contest unfolds as well as meeting the majority of the other major players in this story: namely, the irresistible Emperor, his demanding and cruel betrothed, and a very mysterious lord enchanter. The second half of the book revolves around an epic quest to secure the materials needed for mythical dressmaking, and the fallout of this quest for the inhabitants in the palace and beyond.

From the very start, this story engaged wonderfully. I did not want to put this book down! World building is perfectly balanced, and the amount of mystery surrounding each character is masterfully written. I absolutely loved the gorgeous descriptions of Maia's tailoring work, enabling the reader to envision each piece that she was creating in such detail. Each scene was a joy to read and I was kept on my toes, learning about these characters and wondering what they'd do next. If there are any critiques to be made, the transition from the first to second half of the book was the tiniest bit clunky, and some of the earlier dialogue gets little repetitive.

Overall, this book is a very memorable, well-written, and unique bit of young adult fantasy and adventure that I will be recommending to all whilst I anxiously await the next installment.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this book with all of my being! What an extraordinary tale of magic, ghosts, demons, love, and sacrifice. Maia has got to be the most selfless character I have ever come across. She takes care of those she loves. Having to disguise herself as a boy in order to take her father's place as a contender for Imperial Tailor, and deal with all of the crap that the other contenders threw her way was enough to make anyone want to quit, but not her. This book isn't even published yet and I need the second book now because that ending paragraph....all the feels!

An amazing book that I flew through. I loved the characters and how the story was character driven. I do not have any complaints about this book. The author has an amazing way with words and how she wove the story together has me excited for the next book!

Hmm. That's really my main thought in regards to this story.

On one hand, I'm always here for girls taking their father's/brother's place in a competition! And I loved that this competition wasn't a "if you lose, you die!" kind of competition. But on the other hand...so much of this was so slow.

I feel like the competition took a back seat to Maia and Edan (the Imperial Enchanter)'s growing relationship. The Project Runway aspect of the book was over before the book even hit its halfway point.

The magic aspects of this book were interesting, as they seemed plucked straight from a Chinese fairy tale.That was something I truly did enjoy. Maia and Edan's bickering was kind of cute, but got repetitive and old after a while.

I think this story would work well for younger YA readers, as it's light on any real touchy material.I give Spin the Dawn 3 out of 5 golden scissors.

Spin the Dawn is a Chinese-inspired fairy tale about a girl called Maia who disguises herself as a boy to protect her family and win a chance at becoming the Emperor’s Royal Tailor. But her path is clouded by the Emperor’s fiance, who demands that the winner of the tailoring competition fulfill an impossible task (one that will be familiar if you read “Allerleirauh” as a kid). To Maia’s sometime relief and sometimes frustration, the Emperor’s magician, Edan, has taken an interest in her; and her father has given her a pair of scissors that enable her to do wonderful feats with her sewing.

The good: I looooved Elizabeth Lim’s world. The way to my heart is always through a road trip, so I was delighted when Maia’s tailor-trials-at-court days were over and her kicky-road-trip-with-Edan days began. They travel through many different parts of the world, and Lim describes each one in fascinating, vivid detail. Kicky road trips 5ever. Though the magic in this book has many, many, many varieties, features, and rules, it was all still fun to discover, and its limitations fun to watch Maia and Edan circumvent.

The bad: I still don’t like stories where the love interest in hundreds of years old, yet has Never Felt Love until he met this one teenage girl. The power dynamics are squicky, and Maia and Edan were no exception. I appreciated that Lim didn’t topple them into insta-love — they have a fair amount of banter and trust-building before anyone kisses anyone — but I still wasn’t able to suspend disbelief. Since the back half of the book is heavily predicated on buy-in for Maia and Edan’s romance, it made for ultimately a slightly unsatisfying read.

Note: I received an e-galley of Spin the Dawn for review from the publisher.

I loved Spin the Dawn way more than I thought I would.

Maia was happy at home with her family. She had a mother, father, and three brothers. They were tailors and Maia excelled at it. After her mom died, Maia took on the responsibilty of taking care of the men. But there was a war going on and two of her brothers were lost. The youngest came home with broken legs and it was possible he couldn't walk again. Her father was depressed and couldn't work. So Maia took on all the shop's responsibilities. But they were still struggling to eat. The local baker's son wanted to marry her, but he was horrible.

One day, a mom came asking for her father. Emperor Khanujin needed a new imperial tailor. He ordered that either her father or brother arrive, so matter what. Maia had to make a decision that was very risky. She cut her hair, bound her chest, and put on boys clothes. She pretended to be a boy so that her family could survive. When she arrived, she found out that she wasn't picked as the imperial tailor. There was to be a competition to decide who was the best. She was up against a lot of older, master tailors. Before leaving, her father gave her a pair of scissors that were her grandmothers. He said they were special and she would know when to use them. The men harrassed Maia often, still believing she was a young boy. When her first creation was ruined, she was in her room and saw her scissors glowing. Maia never believed in magic. But they were calling to her. The scissors were enchanted and helped her create whatever she wanted. She had to be careful. Lady Sarnai thought magic was evil. She was to marry Emperor Khanujin as a way to keep the peace and not have war again. Lady Sarnai is unhappy and makes the challenges harder and harder.

A young man started noticing Maia. She found out that he was the Emperor's enchanter. He was rumored to be hundreds of years old, but looked close to Maia's age. He used magic and saw through her, but decided to keep her secret. He enjoyed their banter and she intrigued him. At some point, Edan, the enchanter, was sent with Maia to complete a quest that was thought impossible. It was the only way to keep her life and the lives of her father and brother. Maia had no choice, but Edan snuck out to help her.

During this time, they face great challenges, but also become close. Edan starts telling Maia his secrets and he falls in love for the first time. There were dangers everywhere, including a price on Edan's head. Maia decided that in the end, she would do anything to save Edan, even if it means cursing herself.

The pacing was great and I flew through this book. I loved Maia and Edan's banter and how they slowly fell in love. I cannot wait to see what happens in book two.

Warnings for whipping, forced marriage, sexist comments (women aren't allowed to hold positions like imperial tailor), death of soldiers from war, and things like demons and ghosts. Also, what is close to slavery.


Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy for review. I gave this book 5 stars.

3.5 stars

I was so close to giving this 3 stars because the middle section was a slog, but the third act came through with that delicious fruit of character development. Elizabeth Lim said Beaky Rights and Filial Piety! We also stan Babas who stan their daughters!

The beginning was great – we’re introduced to Maia’s family and the setup for her to take on Keton’s identity to compete for the Imperial Tailor position was well-done. How great is it to read an Asian dad stanning tf out of his daughter?! I was shook. Also, another thing to note – it was awesome that Maia’s competition was a group of petty (mostly?) old men. I did not expect the competition portion to only last 1/3 of the book. It was fairly easy to pick up that something was not all right with the emperor, which is fine. It would have been nice to have a bit more intrigue to keep the reveal from being too predictable.

Edan and Maia are so cute together, though I wish their relationship was given more depth. Part 2 was the perfect opportunity to add more layers and I felt it was a missed opportunity not to go the extra mile considering how boss Part 3 turned out to be. But for real, their interactions are adorable. I stan Maia’s power moves in Part 3 and I can never say no to her having a magical hawk bf.

This is more suited to be a middle grade novel given how straight forward the writing is, but then it swerves into YA in the third act. The sex scene was done tastefully, which I feel was appropriate for younger teens based on the reading level of the book.

I dislike how Part 2: The Journey was handled. So much more could have been done with the quest aspect and development of Maia and Edan beyond what we were given. But no, they have a grocery list of material needed for Sarnai’s wedding dresses, and then they get the things. Near the end of this section when Maia was being tempted by the ghosts wasn’t very emotionally resonant. It would be easy to forget what the stakes were if she failed, even though we know her family is in danger if she can’t collect all 3 items she needs.

While Maia becomes braver and more willing to take risks over the course of the book, her character arc isn’t matched up with any specific goal other than to protect her family, which we already knew that since it was what got the story rolling in the first place. Shifting her new goal to free Edan from his oath can work, but without further development for their relationship, it just comes across as the story being all about Edan rather than our girl Maia, who was framed as THE protag this entire time.

Part 3 is when things get real – Maia’s views on the emperor and lady Sarnai went a total 180 and I love that. Despite my problems with Part 2, they didn’t matter as much when I realized the direction Maia was going after her talk with the monk and when she tried on the dresses. I still feel as though the time in Part 2 could have been used better to solidify Maia’s actions leading up to the ending. I get that Maia and Edan spent months on the road retrieving materials and being thrust into dangerous situations – I just needed something more than Edan spilling the tea about the emperor for Maia to realize he ain’t all that.

Overall, Spin the Dawn was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to want a sequel so badly while I was reading (especially during part 2), but after finishing I definitely want a continuation! I'm so glad I was able to read and review StD early. On a personal note, any motifs including the sun, moon and stars will put me in a good mood, and so does the fact that this book’s cover is so gorgeous and so fitting for this story. I'm also really glad to hear that the magical cure for Keton's disability is going to be taken out for the finalized version of Spin the Dawn.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Part Mulan and part Project Runway, Spin the Dawn was an really fun take on fantasy. There were a lot of things I loved about this book. Particularly, I really enjoyed seeing a ya (especially a fantasy) protagonist who has a skill like fashion designing that is distinctly valued in this world. In so many stories it's all about who is the best politician or the best swordsperson, that skills like sewing or cooking are overlooked.

I also enjoyed the romance. I think when it comes to romances featuring an older/immortal man thinks can get sketchy very quickly, but Edan wasn't a controlling jerk, possessive or abusive. He was funny, kind of a show off sometimes, but he was genuinely a good person, so that really pleased me as well.

This book managed to fit a lot into it. I sometimes wished that it could have been longer to flesh out the different parts more, especially the first half with the contest. Honestly, the events in this book could have taken up two books. I also felt there were some parts where the prose felt stiff, particularly when Maia was having some kind of internal monologue. The clothes were always described beautifully, and those were always the best parts.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, and I cannot wait for the second book. I hope we get to see more of Lady Sarnai, and some of the darker side of Maia.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Spin the Dawn has been on my most anticipated book list of 2019 for a long time. Anything with royalty intrigues me. Which, in this case, Maia our main character enters a competition to become the next tailor to the emperor, but she has to do it disguised as a man and hope her secret doesn’t get out.
Spin the Dawn is marketed as Mulan meets Project Runway. I will say the beginning of the novel has a lot of Mulan feels to it, but it does not last throughout the story. It moves towards adventure and romance through the second half of the book.
A reason on why I docked a star is because there were times where I felt the characters main thoughts were jaded and juvenile when it came to the romance. Plus, I wish there was more to the trials Maia had to go through to get magic for the dresses she has to make.
Spin the Dawn definitely has a lot of twists and turns and is a book that is very hard to put down.

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.

I was hooked from the moment I read project runway meets Mulan. I instantly had to have this book. I absolutely loved this story. A beautifully written tale of love, loss, heartbreak and determination. From the beginning we see the main character Maia, fighting not in the sense of actual combat but fighting to help provide for her family. She dreams of becoming the tailor for the emperor only she cannot, she was born a girl. To help her family she enters the competition to become the tailor to the Emperor. I wish there was more on the competition. This part moved very quickly. I wished it would have gone into a little more detail. It was a fast read that enjoyed very much. I wanted more on the backstory of why a competition is held, what purpose it serves and how it came to be.

This was my main problem the constant reminder because she is a girl she cannot be something she aspires for. But also love how the author proved to us that because she is a girl she can do anything, her gender does not determine who she is and what she can do. I felt a connection to some of the characters. The side characters were overly developed to me, they were one dimensional. Maia was a strong main character who was willing to do whatever necessary to protect the people she loves.

There was intrigue and there was folklore, both of which I love in stories. There were pieces of the folklore that I was a little confused about, not much detail was placed on who they were.
That ending left me wanting more. I hope the next book is a direct sequel because I need to know what happens.

I was ecstatic to get Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim because the cover is utterly gorgeous (seriously, look at it, I weep) and the story sounded so intriguing!

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming a master tailor, but despite her skill and vision, women are forbidden from taking such a role in A’landi. After misfortune befalls her family, leaving them more destitute than they’ve ever been, Maia also has the opportunity to jump at her chance: a royal messenger has summoned her father, a once renowned tailor, to court. Posing as her brother Keton, Maia travels to court as a boy to take part in a grand competition. If she can prove her mettle against eleven other tailors, she will become the Imperial Tailor. If she can’t, she and her family will be out of options outside of marrying her off—that is, if she isn’t discovered as a girl and put to death first.

However, treachery from her fellow competitors lurks around every corner, and the court enchanter, Edan, seems to peer straight through her disguise. And then the final challenge arrives, one that has previously been impossible to fulfill. To appease the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, Maia must embark on a journey to find the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of the stars and craft three dresses from them. But these dresses were never supposed to exist, so what will it mean for Maia and the kingdom if she actually succeeds?

Maia proves to be an engaging protagonist. She’s definitely young and makes mistakes—the plot is merciless on her in the beginning—but she also has unwavering conviction and loyalty to her family. I love how determined she was to achieve her dream and fulfill her passion no matter what.

Her family relationships and the sorrow that accompanies them also feel real and have lasting impact. Even when Maia is apart from them, they are on her mind all the time, and the memories she has of them are vivid and moving. There’s one scene in particular that evoked so much sympathy and empathy from me, I don’t know if I would’ve had the strength to carry on through it like she did.

My favorite part of Spin the Dawn definitely involves the competition itself. Here, Lim demonstrates the beauty of her descriptive prose and creativity—both for the novel’s plot and in the clothes Maia and the other tailors create. Personally, I’m dying to see fan art of this book because it will be stunning. The twist with Maia’s scissors is also enchanting; I was so frustrated when Maia refused to use them at first, but I also understood her need to prove herself in her own way.

Maia’s competitors are also a colorful cast of characters. Despite their ill intentions, they all interact with Maia in entertaining and interesting ways, especially since they all think she is a boy. I’m still somewhat sad that their presence in the book was cut short.

At first, I became intrigued by the mystery surrounding the Emperor, but that soon waned. What continued to hold my attention was Edan, the Lord Enchanter.

First of all, Edan is absolutely the mischievous, witty character I always tend to like. His magic has also prolonged his life, turning him into a semi-immortal, which is only a bonus for me. Watching Maia and Edan dance around each other in the palace—with Maia warily suspicious and annoyed by him—is the kind of dessert for which I always go back for seconds.

However, the first half where all of this takes place is also where the novel is at its strongest. Some of that strength bleeds into the rest of the story until you get to the last third of the book, and then I’m afraid the plot and characters lost me a bit—or at least, my interest.

You see, I loved the idea of crafting three dresses using the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of the stars. I was vibrating with excitement to see how Maia would accomplish this seemingly impossible task, what the dresses would look like, how she would craft them, and what would happen once these forbidden things were formed.

As it turns out, Maia accomplishes this rather easily because Edan goes with her, offering his magic at every point he can. I’m not saying that Maia doesn’t struggle a bit–she does. Alone, she definitely couldn’t have done it, but with Edan’s magic, it became simplified. This is not so much a strike against her as it is a strike against everyone else who has ever had an enchanter at their disposal. I would think that if these dresses were so desired, someone who also had access to an enchanter could have also pulled it off. I never saw what made Maia’s particular circumstances so special, other than Edan genuinely wanted to help her.

Then there’s the matter of Maia and Edan’s relationship: their romance developed too fast, especially from Edan’s side of things. Maia, I can understand. She’s young, inexperienced, and impressionable. As a being who is centuries old, Edan has no such excuse. As long as he is bound by oath, he cannot fall in love; he will not age as his lover will, and he knows it will only end in heartbreak for them both—and that’s just one barrier of many. Yet, all it takes is for Maia to possess a little magic and be interesting to him, and suddenly his convictions fly out the window?

It could be that it was so easy because Edan was just so desperate to be loved, but if Lim wanted me to believe that, then I needed to be shown it. I needed a lot more of Edan wrestling with himself.

It’s disappointing because I love their banter and uncertainty of trust and motivation in the first half. I love Edan in the first half, but he and Maia talking together is a novelty that wears off when it is just them alone together for the last half of the book, with neither of them having much character interaction with anyone else. I enjoy most when Maia has a variety of different characters to interact with in addition to Edan. I just became less enthused with them together the further the story went because there is no real conflict between them, and nothing seems to be driving Edan besides helping Maia.

Writing this also just made me realize that I barely saw Edan interact significantly with any other character except Maia. Hmm, that’s a shame.

This contributes to why my rating dropped, but the real reason is because Maia’s motivations change from involving herself and her family to becoming preoccupied with Edan and her love for him. To the point where she sacrifices everything for his sake so they can be together…and yet not… I won’t lie; I am still so thrown by her choices, just as I’m a little let down by what the power of the dresses was ultimately used for.

In the midst of all this, there’s also a good bit involving some vengeful ghosts and a demon, to say nothing of what’s going on with the Emperor, Lady Sarnai, and the shansen. That latter bit, though, is some vague “conflict” that is hinted at constantly in the background, but there is no follow through or reveal of what’s going on in this book. And I just don’t care all that much, about any of it, even the demon stuff, which is normally my jam. I’m finding it hard to envision where the next two books are going because the current direction is underwhelming.

While it certainly has highs that are dreamy and spellbinding, Spin the Dawn also has lows that drag it closer to earth than it was ever supposed to be. Though I mostly enjoyed it, there are a few things I wish had been handled with a less heavy hand. The book might have benefited more as being a standalone, but I’ll find out for sure once I read the next book.

Mostly because I am still interested in Maia as a character and her journey, and I have hope that I will be as invested in Edan with the next installment as I was during most of this book. I just hope Lim raises the bar higher with the plot and character motivation next time while bringing her wonderful prose and description with her.