I was provided this novel (as an advanced reader copy) by NetGalley. All views expressed in this review are my own. My review does contain spoilers, so please be aware of that before reading.

I want to preface this review by saying that this book isn't bad. Despite the synopsis painting it as a one-of-a-kind story, it was a stereotypical YA fantasy. That doesn't mean it's bad or you shouldn't read it, but my disappointment and irritation the farther I got into this book, as I began nit-picking everything apart, made it difficult for me to enjoy this book.

This novel is about a young girl who is a tailor in a seaside town. She dreams of one day becoming the imperial tailor, and when the previous one suspiciously dies, she is given the opportunity of a lifetime. However, she must compete against master tailors in order to reach her dreams, in a very Project Runway-esque scenario as the synopsis says. The hard part is that she must pretend to be a boy, as women aren't allowed to be tailors in this fantasy world. I doubt it's going to be that much of a surprise to find out that Maia wins this competition, despite not being a master. While it was nice to see her win, it was also a bit unrealistic as she was literally up against the best in the world (and she only won because of her magic scissors and because the last competitor was cheating; i don't really consider that winning fair and square).

Maia has a pair of magic scissors given to her by her father, that seem to do all of the work for her and make her feel like she's cheating. However, once her stereotypical love interest (we'll get back to him later) tells her that everyone's cheating so it's fine, she decides to use them. A lot of this novel hinges on Maia deciding to use these scissors against her better judgement, but we are never really told what they can do. Maia uses them for sewing, but then somehow knows that using them on some bushes will create a barrier against the people trying to kill her??

One of my biggest issues with this book is Maia herself. She is a tailor who hasn't seen much of the world, and doesn't know how to do many of the things that traditional YA heroines like Celaena know how to do. She has never ridden a horse before, but somehow perfects it. She has never been in a fight before, but manages to kill men twice her size (and with her magic scissor no less) (also I learned in Vampire Academy that Maia is stabbing someone in the heart completely wrong). It all just seems incredibly unrealistic. Maia wasn't the stereotypical badass warrior that many fantasy women are, and that was fine. It would have been better to see her use her wits or her sewing powers more frequently in order to survive on this quest, rather than only using her scissors at the last second (which again, Maia doesn't know the extent of the powers of, and yet somehow knows that it'll work??? please) and somehow morphing into a warrior-wannabe after 3 months of travel.

I wish that more of the book had been dedicated to the competition itself, which is what I had expected going into this novel. Less than half of the book was spent on it, so I was a bit disappointed by that. The subsequent journey to gather ingredients to make mythical dresses felt quite repetitive, and Maia wasn't an adventurer or a warrior but somehow became one when the opportunity arose. Also, Edan was there.

Edan is Maia's love interest. Of course they're forbidden to be together, because he's an enchanter bound to the emperor and she's parading around as a boy (and doing an awful job at that). When the goodreads summary tells you this book is for fans of Sarah J. Maas, they're not wrong; Edan is literally Rhys. He's 500 years old, for starters (which is oddly the same as Rhysand). He's tall, so of course Maia wants him. Maia and Edan spend over half the novel saying that they don't think they like each other (not even that they can't because it's forbidden) to suddenly talking about procreating together?? The pacing of their romance is senseless. They admit that they like each other, and then are dropping declarations of love all over the place.

Maia's characterization wasn't great, as mentioned above, but there were many moments in the book where things just didn't make sense. Maia is incredibly sick, and then is springing to her feet and running to Edan. Maia risks her life to go back to Edan, only to run away again when he tells her to. Maia wants to give up the dream she just achieved just for a man (GROSS), and in turn decides to take away his livelihood as well without even asking him.

There were many moments in this book that reminded me of other YA novels, which i have mentioned above, and even books like Twilight and The Hunger Games. Obviously, it is impossible to make a book that isn't in some way influenced by other works of media, but this book just wasn't for me. As I continued through the book, I highlighted passage after passage, taking notes in my irritation, and I just could not enjoy this book though I wanted to.

This does not mean that this book is bad; it just wasn't the book for me.

I absolutely devoured this completely stunning read that wove tales that became the most beautiful of stories inside my head,

This book as nothing like what I though tit was going to be. The blurb doesn’t do it justice at all. Maia is a tailor. The twist is that she isn’t allowed to be a tailor. She is secretly running her father’s business because he is too ill to do so. So when he is summoned to the palace things get tricky.

Maia enters the royal tailor competition disguised as one of her brothers and from there I was HOOKED. I couldn’t stop reading. This was one of the most addicting reads I have grabbed up in a long time and I need more!

Think the blurb, plus an amazing bunch of twists and a cast of characters that literally feel like you are watching a YA fantasy reality show. BUT SO MUCH BETTER!

SPIN THE DAWN is an unbelievably fantastic read with some elements of a high-stakes PROJECT RUNWAY, some elements of FLAME IN THE MIST, and a whole new adventure, romance, and captivating plot. Maia is the only daughter of a tailor in a kingdom where women are wives and men can have trades. Her three older brothers have talents that have nothing to do with the tailoring trade, and so, it is unfortunate that Maia is the one with the skills, but born female.

The kingdom is at war, and her brothers must go fight. Maia is left alone with her father, as her mother died when she was young. As her father is ailing, he cannot work and thus, they would starve. Maia instead takes on the work, running the shop and doing the tailoring. The war is barely ended with peace won by the emperor agreeing to marry the daughter of his rival. When the imperial tailor dies, Maia’s father is called to the imperial city to work for the emperor, based on some work Maia had done with her skill. Instead, Maia poses as her brother, Keton, and travels in his stead.

Once she arrives, she enters a contest with eleven other men who will compete at difficult tasks to become the imperial tailor. The competition is high stakes with short time allotments and increasingly strange requests (much like PROJECT RUNWAY)- as well as competitors who are willing to sabotage and maybe even murder to win. Reluctantly aided by the scissors gifted to her from her father and the imperial enchanter, Edan, Maia is eager to prove herself and her skills to win the competition.

However, her trials are soon to become even more difficult when the bride-to-be requests dresses of legend that would require Maia to undergo impossible tasks and face incredible odds to create them- but the alternative is too terrible to imagine.

What I loved: The world and character building in the book are incredible. Maia leaps off the page, as do the many other characters that appear- her family and the people at the imperial court- they are all so beautifully crafted that they are easy to imagine. With lyrical prose, this world blooms before our eyes as Maia must compete and then accomplish the impossible.

With the addition of a forbidden romance, this book completely enchanted me from start to finish. I loved it at the expense of sleep, and I have absolutely no regrets. With feminism, adventure, danger, and sacrifice, this book is simply gorgeous. The plot is unbelievably engrossing, and the writing style is simply perfect. Information is revealed in a seamless way to keep the reader engaged without bogging down any part of the story with details. With magic, myths, and romance, this book is other-worldly amazing.

Final verdict: Fans of Sarah J. Maas, Renee Ahdieh, Rae Carson, and Sabaa Tahir will revel in this incredible new YA fantasy. I highly recommend for anyone of any age looking for an extraordinary read. This book builds a new world and characters who quickly intrigued me and became close to my heart- readers will not regret picking up this gorgeously lyrical and lush YA fantasy/adventure!

<b> 5 stars</b>

Welcome to the world of <b>Imaginations</b>! A mixture of <b>Mulan, Aladdin, Cinderella</b> and it's full of <I>M A G I C</I> ! This is so Disney-like in one book and it's <b>fantastic</b> and you're in for a ride!


<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/11thnyggFkrmmc/giphy.gif" width="400" height="300" alt="description"/>

I swear this was written by a group of <b>Disney Imagineers</b> and they wouldn't it let published until near perfection. But it is perfect! If you're a truly a fan of Disney and Fantasy itself, this is for you!

Believe the hype people and you would not be disappointed!

I cannot wait for the sequel and this book is not even published yet!!

What a great start of a series! <b><u> I swear 2019 is the Year of YA Books. </b></U>
<blockquote>
<I>"It is the price we pay for our power."</I>
</blockquote>

____________________________________________________________

<b>Project Runway meets Mulan?</b>
<blockquote>
<i>Uhmm.. okay... </i>
</blockquote>
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l0HlE4DO6SoCm6A00/giphy.gif" width="450" height="300" alt="description"/>
<blockquote>
<i><b>"Spin the Dawn is pure magic. Romance, artistry, and deep enchantment."</i></b>
</blockquote>
<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/yxZzO0ndEWQhZPJLbJ/giphy.gif" width="450" height="300" alt="description"/>

<b><u><center>Thank you NetGalley for e-ARC. Cannot wait to read this.</b><u>

This book is pitch as Mulan Retelling but some part are kinda Beauty and The Beast, Rapunzel and Aladdin retelling too 😍😍

I can confirm that this book is live up to hype and expectation. So page turner and each chapter ending leave me wanting more. I managed to finish in one sitting.

Maia is likeable and strong heroine. She has strong morale ground. Her story and journey made me you want to root for her.

While I disagree with some her behavior, Elizabeth explain her circumstances nicely and made me understand why she act like that. She is still young and there are lot of things that she has too learn.

I also love Edan. He remind me of Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles 😍
😍

Btw, did you know Edan means Crazy in bahasa?
I laugh out loud when read his name. Eventough his name means something else in the book.
I think the Indonesia meaning fits Edan's behavior/personality too

And the ending. Why? Why?
I thought this book is stand alone (my bad for not realize that it is not)
Ugh! I need book two right now😱
😭

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you @CaffeineTours Netgalley and Penguin Random House for giving me the chance to read and review this book early

This book exceeded all my expectations. It was an amazing fantasy, with a little bit of a retelling thrown in, and great world-building. I can't wait for the sequel. The description says that it's Project Runway meets Mulan, which is a pretty accurate combo actually. The retelling it reminded me of is Allerleirauh, or Thousandfurs. In that story, , the main character fashions three dresses - out of the sun, moon and stars. The main character of Spin the Dawn is the tailor, and she is the one who has to make these mythical gowns. I loved the entire setup before this as well. It almost felt like two separate stories. The contest between the tailors was story number one, and the search for the dress materials was story number two. They flowed well together, however. I was riveted the entire time. I definitely recommend this book - it's one of my favorite reads of 2019.

Billed as “Mulan” meets Project Runway, this is a wonderful blend of various stories, that moves beyond the opening premise of a young woman, Maia, pretending to be her brother to enter a tailoring competition to save her family’s honor. This first section of the book, centered around pleasing a foreign princess trying to avoid an arranged marriage to the suspiciously robust Emperor. Where this part of the book excels is in providing enough mystery about the motivations of each of the people in a position off power over Maia. Maia is faced with impossible tasks (think unconventional challenges of PR) and sabotage. She struggles to work through these challenges on her own, but is encouraged to use the magical scissors that she has inherited from her grandmother by the emperor’s enchanter, Edan, who has taken an interest in her. Like the Emperor, Edan too is wrapped in mystery. While it becomes clear fairly quickly that he will be the love interest for Maia to fulfill the fairy tale tropes that Lim is playing with, there is enough of interest in his circumstances as dictated by the magical world building to make up for what he may lack in differentiation from other YA leading men.

Maia is a strong character and her strength is allowed to come through in the first part of the book as an embrace of the challenges of care taking, a passion for her craft and practical cleverness. It is a pleasure to see her be allowed to keep these strengths (and for others to appreciate them) even as she hides her gender.

The second half of the book departs in a different more adventurous direction. Maia is challenged to create three fabled dresses using sunlight, moonlight and the blood of the stars. Here the tale takes on elements of stories of three impossible tasks, in a way reminiscent of the impossible journey presented in East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and the challenges of finding Donkeyskin’s dresses.

Edan joins her over the course of the journey and a relationship develops revealing much more of the world that Lim has created and what the role of an enchanter is within it. This journey allows Lim to more fully describe the world linking all of these different tropes together (including some from Aladdin) and her descriptions are a big part of what makes her writing come alive. In both the early tailoring competition and in the description of the various locales to which Maia and Edan travel, Lim’s work shines.

The book was consistently gripping and the pacing, despite the major shift in focus part way through, was strong though out. As this is the start of a series some questions are left unanswered. The mysteries of the first part of the book become clearer, though they are somewhat predictable, they are presented with enough complications to leave some doubt for the reader along the way.

I look forward to seeing what Lim puts forth in the next installment and what other fairy tale stories she weaves in.

"Make me the dresses of Amana." ... "One woven with the laughter of the sun. Another embroidered with the tears of the moon, and lastly, one painted with the blood of the stars."

Maia Tamarin's life has not been easy. Her father, once a prominent tailor, can hardly sew anymore after the death of her mother. The Five Winters War has left two of her older brothers dead and the surviving brother crippled, adding to the sorrows and poverty she lives in. Maia inherited her father's talent, but her gender prevents her from having a business of her own and restoring her family's honor. But when an opportunity arises to partake in a challenge to become the new Emperor's tailor, she disguises herself as her brother to participate. The competition is fierce, the judge--the Emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, the formidable Lady Sarnai--is even fiercer, and the challenges test all of Maia's skill. But as the competition progresses, Maia finds herself under the watchful gaze of the Emperor's Enchanter, Edan. Especially because Maia used a pair of magic scissors--given to her by her father before she left, and previously owned by her grandmother--to create a piece for the trials. When Maia is challenged to create three mythical dresses made for the goddess Amana, she is full of fear and self-doubt. After all, finding the laughter of the sun, tears of the moon, and blood of the stars are not typically found among silk and thread. No one has ever managed to create these dresses. But for the sake of peace in her country, Maia must succeed.

Or die trying.

A phenomenal fantasy tale, full of lush descriptions, and a wonderful world full of magic, "Spin the Dawn" is breathtaking and addicting. Readers will be anxious to follow up with Maia, Edan, and other characters in next year's highly anticipated sequel.

Dear Husband,
If you read any of my reviews, please read this one. I know I can buy myself this book, but feel free to gift it to me. I would be very happy with a copy of this book! Be aware that I will be talking to you about it until you're sick of it... but at least you'll have a happy wife :)

As for everyone else, I obviously really enjoyed this book. I actually don't keep up with the young adult fantasy genre anymore. I'm in my 30s now, and I feel that I've aged out of the genre and I get too frustrated with poorly written stories that are predictable and full of overdone tropes. I'm horrible and it was the cover that drew me in for "Spin the Dawn." I heard "Mulan" and "Project Runway" as well... but just look at that cover! I didn't have high expectations because I know I really shouldn't base the book on its cover, but "Spin the Dawn" blew me away from the first chapter.
There isn't really much for me to say about this book that hasn't already been said- there are already so many reviews that talk about how fun this book is. How great the characters are.
The first half of the book (the "Mulan" meets "Project Runway" part) was pure entertainment. At this point in the story, I would have happily given a 5-star review just for being fun and a light read.
The plot thickens though as Maia goes on a quest and works to save herself, her family, and Edan- the story moved away from "Project Runway/Mulan" and into its own world. I actually preferred the second half of the book because I saw more character development and a better, less predictable story.
The world-building from this book was amazing. I want to read this book again just for that.

So if you like sewing, fantasy, YA, kind of cheesy romance... and especially the combination of it, go for this book! I have to admit, there are very VERY few YA adult series that I enjoy as a series- I'm really hoping for a strong follow-up.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. I am looking forward to the next book!

First of all, look at this cover. Second of all, this book is pitched as Mulan BUT she wants to be the realm’s tailor and has magic scissors. This is certainly not the book I ever thought I would want, but once it existed I NEEDED IT. I read a lot of YA, so once I find an idea I’ve never explored before it becomes required reading. Mulan is also my favorite Disney movie, so there’s that.
I should say straight up that this book creates a world that I want to stay in. I love this world. One of my biggest complaints with fantasy is that they sometimes forget a larger world and this book is firmly set in political connections between several different nations and peoples, each with their own religions, cultures, etc. This fact alone makes a book really important to me. Also, I like the characters. I’ll admit that I don’t they that they are anything in particular to write home about, as I’ve seen them characteristics many times before, but given the interesting storyline and the setting, I don’t really mind.
So here are the details on the plot because the plot is the thing I have strong feelings about. Main character Maia’s family has been decimated by the lately ended war between her country and another, which took the lives of two of her brothers and maimed her third. Her father, once a renown tailor, has turned to drink and depression and isn’t much for his craft anymore. So when the Emperor comes calling for all of the best tailors in the land to come compete for the title of Imperial Tailor, Maia disguises herself as her brother and takes her father’s place in the competition.
There is a reason this is blurbed as “Project Runway meets Mulan.” There is a literal Project Runway style competition that takes up the front half of the book, complete with various ridiculously crazy (and awesome) challenges. You are prepped for this going in, so it isn’t a surprise, but it also … isn’t a surprise. I’m pretty over this plot type, myself. Weirdly enough, so is Lim. The competition plot line peters out faster than I expected, leading to Maia having to go on a crazy cross country adventure with the court magician, Edan. Magic and romance ensue, surprise! (Also, the romance moves so fast for me. This 0 to 60 stuff is not necessary. Can’t love ever just grow not come out ready for life and death?)
To be fair, there were some plot choices made that were out of the ordinary for me. I cannot talk about them because that would mean spoilers. I only want to say that this plot is not an entire cliché. Smart decisions were made, I feel, to talk back to this tired plot set up. Given the decisions made in this one, the next book is going to be GREAT. I have enough love for Lim’s writing to be super excited. I loved the experience enough to want more, more, more. However, at the end of the read, I have this weird feeling that I wanted the series to start at the next book. This plot set up feels so overdone that I could have taken in what happened here in a recap style rather than needing a book about it. It just set up all the world building and back story you needed.
Take this all with a grain of salt. I’m just tired of these competition plots. They’re all starting to blur. Lim still makes enough smart choices even within this framework to impress me, and I love the world that she’s created. I am excited to read the next one. Just … you might want to get this one from the library because, on its own, it’s only so-so. I reserve judgement on the entire series until the next book. Which I need. Now.

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

This was a really well done. I can't even completely call this a retelling, it goes far beyond that, its more a reimagining.
We meet Maia Tamarin, youngest daughter of one of the more famed tailors, in the land.
But she's a girl and it not permitted to become a Master Tailor, because of the laws, only men can become a Master.
But she learns all she can anyways, often completing the work for her ailing father, the wealthy clientele cannot tell the difference. She spends all her time learning from everyone she can come into contact with. Embroidery, weaving, as many types of stitching as she can, draping, painting. All while keeping her dream to one day become the Emperor's Master Tailor.

In a twist of fate she finds herself taking her father's place when the old Master Tailor dies, and find herself disguised as her brother and the youngest among the 12 participants to become the Imperial Tailor. At the last second her father gifts her a pair of strange scissors that belonged to her grandmother.

A haughty princess, a mesmerizing Emperor, conniving old men, sabotage and a curious Imperial Enchanter await her.

Maia will find herself on a journey she could never imagine, of magic and love, and the impossible. Of discovering how far you will go to help your family and those you love. And that the things of fairy tales are much closer to life than she would ever believe.'

I enjoyed everything about this. And really hope Maia and Edan will find each other again.

Spin the Dawn is an outstanding YA fantasy being referred to as Mulan meets Project Runway. I am here to confirm that this comparison is spot on! If you enjoy novels by Sarah J. Maas, Roshani Chokshi, Renée Ahdieh, or similar authors, this is very much a book you'll want to get your hands on asap. The writing is beautiful and really pulls readers in. There is Chinese mythology throughout. The romance is sweet. And the characters are so rich. They certainly won't be forgotten anytime soon. If you're looking for your next favorite YA fantasy novel, be sure to pick Spin the Dawn up asap!

Thanks to NetGalley for this title! I'm so freaking excited to dive into this story. Not going to lie, the cover plus the promise of Mulan just pulled me in.

4.5 Stars

Loved the writing, loved the characters! Now, I know this won't be the most popular thing to say but... I don't care about Project Runway. Yeah, I know. What pulled me into this novel was that stunning cover and the idea of a Mulan retelling because Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies. I just love the story so much. I was not disappointed with this novel. Maia is an awesome character. She's smart and very talented. Not gonna lie, I even got into all the tailoring talk.

My only issue with this story is how it kind of feels like two in one. For the first part of the book we are in a totally different place than we are for the second half. Which is fine, just kind of throws you off for a second. I love the romance in this book, I will say that this book (as most YA books these days) is a bit progressive. So take from that what you will.

Overall, this is a fun story that will leave you wanting the sequel in your hands right now!

Will go live on my blog: 7/3/2019

Spin the Dawn has all the right materials: lovely, weightless writing, a fascinating premise, and sparkling magic suiting any fairy-tale. Because of that, I have to set my rating firmly into "it's not you, it's me - " I was feeling underwhelmed and unengaged, but it was by no means flawed or clumsy. Just...a little shaky, is all, but a little shakiness can collapse under heavy emotional moments and well-deserved payoff that don't feel right for the story.

Spin the Dawn was two lovely books spliced into one unimpressive, though unoffensive, book. The quest half felt distinct from the competition half, and though both were really engaging, pinning them together didn't do the book any favours.

However I'm still confident that others can push through it with better luck than I.

3.5 stars ~

Wow. What an epically thrilling adventure. I've never read something so unique in my life! I absolutely adored the characters, plot line, details, and action. It was perfectly original in every way, and Maia's craft (tailoring) was so different than any other book I've read. I found the tale wildly exhilarating, but at the same time exhausting. Most of my complaints have to do with the religion + magic combo . . . the demonic influences, and the spirit animals.

A shout-out to NetGalley for being so awesome!! And providing me with an ARC!!

**NOTE** You can find my more detailed reviews on my blog and goodreads site!!

I honestly have no words right now how amazing this book was and the journey that it took me on! I was expecting to fall in love with this characters the way that I did but omg that’s what’s great about it. The store was an insane ride and that ending had me in tears I can’t wait for book 2

A magical story of a girl who disguises herself as a boy to become a Master Tailor and must embark on a journey to make dresses of the sun, moon and stars. I honestly couldn’t put this book down.

Maia is an extremely appealing and relatable heroine, torn between her desire to help her family and her dreams of becoming a great tailor in her own right. She’s headstrong and kind of stubborn and yet so brave and awesome. I can’t wait to see more of her story.

(Thanks to Random House Children’s and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel - longer and more detailed review coming to Culturess later this year!)

This was a very enjoyable read! The characters are strong, the world building was phenomenal, and the magic system actually made sense. I loved that I could see about three different fairy tales influencing the story, but not in an overly predictable way. I am extremely anxious for the second book because WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO NOW????!!!!

There are only two things keeping me from giving this a 5 star rating:

1. There were a lot of times when where the characters were placed physically didn't match the action that was supposedly happening. Like, it says that Edan sits down, pulling Maia with him, then Maia's later action says she knelt beside him, as if she were going directly from standing to kneeling. I had to go back and reread multiple times thinking, "Wait, when did that happen? Where are we?" A little frustrating.

2. And this probably has more to do with my mood at the moment than anything else, but I just wasn't fully gripped. It didn't feel as epic as it should have. Like I said, this could totally just be me in a funk. I liked it, but didn't ever feel the desire to gush and fangirl. I will still read the next one though, because it was definitely a good story!

Picking up this book, the Mulan meets Project Runway vibes are intense. I mistakenly thought the first half of the book would be the entirety of the story, but I was wrong. It is so much more than what it seems. The story line is absolutely enchanting and it was hard to put down once the story picked up (which doesn't take long). I adored Maia's character and Edan - I thought their dynamic was refreshing throughout the story and it made it much easier to get into.

One thing I wasn't a fan of was the ending! If I could go and change the course of events (or find out what happens next) I would be much happier! I'm still in shock over what happened and honestly, I want to scream at Elizabeth over it. We're getting a book 2 right?

Overall, I ADORED this story and I think it is a hard book to overshadow. Magic, sewing, enchanters, and trials are everything I need to say "heck yeah!" to this story and give it the five stars it deserves.

Spin The Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

Synopsis etc. :

When Maia Tamarin is presented with an opportunity to change her fortunes, she doesn't think twice about dressing as a boy and traveling to the Summer Palace to attain it. She knows she could lose her life if she is discovered, but the risk is worth it to save her family from ruin and achieve her own dream of becoming tailor to the emperor. 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 a series of 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. But nothing could prepare her for the final challenge: Maia must 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. . . . Along their journey she learns more about Edan as well as the dresses and the things she will need to make to complete their journey and come out alive. But as their relationship grows and their journey continues Maias challenges become more difficult, as do the secrets she learns along the way. How far will she go to prove she is as good, better than any man in the Empire!?


My Thoughts:

Steeped in vibrant, and lush Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.
Fast paced, and extremely creative narrative, complex, layered, and beautiful characters, not to mention the vivid world building, and simmering magical elements!! Maia is an extraordinary, talented, beautiful, strong, and brave female character!! Her bravery may very well be what saves her family and change the rights of their empires women, for she can do what no man can!! A tale for the ages, you are sure to love!! We sure did!!