This was seriously the best surprise ever. I didn't have high hopes of being approved to get such an anticipated novel, so I resigned myself to sobbing into a printed out copy of this cover. I mean, look at this COVER!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing to read this in advance and let you all know about this stunning debut novel. They made it so I did not have to sob into paper any longer.

This novel follows Maia, who is the daughter of a tailor and a pretty good tailor in her own right. When the chance to work in the royal palace comes to her door, she impersonates one of her brothers in her sick father's stead. This is where the Mulan similarity comes in. Once she arrives, she discovers that she has actually to compete to win the title of the imperial tailor. This is where the Project Runway aspect comes in.

And then it becomes it's very own story.

The first half is what the pitch described. We have competition. We have a girl disguised as a boy. But wait...oh wait. Maia has some magic scissors, yo, and grapples with using them to create the clothing the would-be-queen wants. And just when you think the love interest is going to be obvious...I am suddenly GOD SMACKED.

The second half is almost an entirely different book, which I loved. I felt like I was getting two in one. Maia sets off on a journey with someone (I won't say who because I am not about that spoilers stuff) and learns that she may not be who she thought she was. Holy crap, this half of the book was intense and filled with so much action and so much romance; I was drooling onto my Kindle. I was utterly shocked at the turns Elizabeth Lim took me through. Make more books like this and I shall fill my shelf with them.

This story took me by surprise. I was expecting something cool and ended up with something extraordinary. Lim's writing is fluid and easy to read. There were next to no info dumping and flowery descriptions that made me want to roll my eyes. It was all so perfect. The character of Maia was determined and prone to faults but knew just when to make amends with that and move the eff on with life. She reminded me a lot of Fallon from The Valiant series; strong and devoted.

I can not say enough positive things about how wonderful this book is! I came for the description of "Mulan meets Project Runway" and stayed for the amazing story that unfolded! You can see how the author is greatly influenced by mythology and fairy tales and uses those inspirations to weave a novel that is as complex and lush as the cloth that the main character, Maia, embroiders. For fans of The Hunger Games, An Ember in the Ashes, Sarah J. Maas, and Marissa Meyer.

Dreaming for something beyond what society tells you you’re able to do can only get you so far but having the gumption to pursue your dreams with courage and dedication might just help you to accomplish them. With the opportunity of a lifetime on her doorstep, Maia ventures toward achieving her dream in Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim.

Maia has long dreamt of becoming a great tailor, but as a female she is expected to marry well in order to help her family instead of earning a living with her skill. When a royal messenger requests her father’s presence at the palace Maia takes his place, posing as her only remaining brother to help save her father and brother from financial ruin. Upon arriving at the palace, Maia learns she’s in a competition with eleven others vying to become the emperor’s tailor. With odd tasks set out for the hopeful tailors by the emperor’s reluctant betrothed, they demonstrate their artistry and skill to prove their worthiness. Despite appearing as her brother, Maia captures the unwanted attention of the Lord Enchanter Edan, who can see through her disguise and begins to tease her and goad her into using her grandmother’s scissors, which appear to be magical. The final challenge proves to be incredibly difficult, requiring Maia to make the three dresses of the goddess Amana, leading her on a life-changing journey across the kingdom.

The narrative grows from simple to sweeping as it weaves together a blend of magical myths, political and courtly intrigue, and social commentary on women’s status into an entertaining tale that is evocative of Mulan as promised in the blurb. Though there is a good portion of the story that is fairly predictable, the narrative is captivating and moves rather quickly despite its page length. The world feels well realized, the rules for magic are well established and presented, and the characters are crafted with realistic faults to make them more relatable; the dialogue and relationship growth between Maia and Edan, though overly familiar to near cliché, was quite amusing (and cute) as they verbally sparred and slowly built trust into a stronger, more developed relationship, which added to the emotional punch of the ending and anticipation for a next installment.

Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

This was a cool and unique plot, definitely with Mulan and Project Runway vibes! The writing was great with wonderful wordly descriptions!

Wow, just...WOW. I haven't read a fantasy book in a while, and this one was definitely a great start of a new series! At first, I was drawn to it for its gorgeous cover, but the premise of the story is what truly piqued my interest. Not only does the story do well in delivering the Mulan elements (which are incorporated really well btw), but the story itself and how the plot was able to transition smoothly into other story arcs.

Aside from the great plot are the great characters, especially Maia and Edan. It's pretty obvious that the romance would be between this two just from reading the description for the book, but what I really appreciate is that it was not a relationship that started off as an insta-love. It took some time and development, both from the plot and characters for it to development, which is great because it makes the relationship that much more deeper and complex. I truly hate it when characters instantly are drawn towards one another. That kind of love is too simple and overdone. Also, I adore the two MCs, not just for their chemistry, but as characters themselves. Maia is a strong, stubborn, and determined girl, which is necessary to even survive the events that she had to endure from the beginning of the story, to the adventure she had to embark on, and to the future events to come. I loved how the love for her family was able to carry her through such events, along with her love for Edan. Edan himself was also such a loveable character. I knew I was gonna like him the first time he teased Maia. His teasing, cunning, and arrogant nature, accompanied by his softer side, give great dimensions to his already mysterious character, as his life story/past is only revealed slowly throughout the book. Maia and Edan are great MCs and can't wait for what is to come for them in the next book!😁

Overall, Lim does a great job in delivering an amazing story that centers around a competition (who doesn't like that?). Not only does this competition create a good story, but it was also able to develop into a more complex plot once adventure was added into the mix. Although this book has left me wanting more, I am slightly disheartened that there will be quite a bit of waiting on my end until the sequel is released. Definitely worth the read if you enjoy a story that involves competition, magic, fantasy, adventure, and romance!

A great story! I loved the fairy tales and magic woven into this. That ending was pretty killer too. At times, it was a bit predictable, but overall still a pretty fun and enjoyable read! Plus, the description used for the tailoring creations in this were just beautiful.

I hope there is another is in the series!

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

Definitely project runway meets Mulan. I loved the beautiful cover and that’s what actually drew me to the book in the first place. I loved the premise of this book, I just think it was missing some action and it started to lag. I would still recommend.

Reading Spin the Dawn was similar to being handed your favorite dessert - do you devour it all at once or savor the experience one amazing bite at a time. This story will definitely rank as one of my favorite reads of all time.

Gorgeously written, humorous and thrilling, Lim has created a light-hearted adventure story with stakes that could not be more deadly. Each character, setting and arc was vibrant and so, so original.

The love story however was my favorite part. Slowly built and based on growing affection for the person and not mere appearance, Maia and Aden are a twosome for the ages. I'm already pacing for the next installment.

Content -

Violence and mood: Even with the creepy climax, the overall vibe was refreshingly light, more focused on the adventure than melodrama and blood-letting.

Romantic: A few basic kisses ... and because this is 2019 and no one can keep their britches in tact anymore, there is one, brief, tactfully handled - but unnecessary - love scene *cue my eyerolling*

Language: Two d***

An elegant phenomenon. Spin the Dawn whisks readers to a faraway land brimming with deception, intrigue, and magic. This novel offers a plethora of twists. The writing scintillates and enraptures. I highly recommend,

Thank you for the early copy!

Review:

I've been reading more and more of my 2019 ARCS. I've been noticing that the majority of 2019 releases I've read have been 5-star reads for me. It makes me excited even more this new year and the great novels coming out!

What I Loved:

Cover. I'm not the only one who adores the cover, it was the main reason I requested the ARC on netgalley. It is a stunning cover. I'm already planning on getting a copy for my shelf when the hardcover comes out and buying it as a gift for a few people. :D

Plot/World Building. I knew that I would love this new world Lim has crafted when I saw the beautiful map at the start. It was so fleshed out and unique that I fell completely in love with this world and the story. It is compared to Mulan and others but I felt it was more original than a retelling.

Magic. I loved the magic system Lim created and even found myself wanting more or at least more magic done by the main character. I enjoyed the fact that parts of the magic were explained, mainly Edan's magic while Lim's magic was still left a mystery for the next novels in the series.

Pacing. It has been a while since I picked up a novel and managed to nearly finish it in a single day. I found the pacing worked really well. Even the middle, where the setting/main story changes drastically but I never felt like the pacing was slow. It was action packed pretty much from the start.

Characters. I enjoyed the novel solely follows Maia Tamarin and did not have other points of view. She was a great main character who was easy to connect with by the end. The main love interest, Maia's family, and other side characters were well-crafted too. I enjoyed how the main antagonists of the story were not just straight up evil, they had motivations for their less than great actions.

I recommend checking this great new YA Fantasy release, it has amazing characters and stunning world-building.

Rating:

5 Stars Out of 5 Stars

What a book!!

“Spin the Dawn” follows Maia as she struggles to be the obedient daughter her father expects her to be as she secretly hopes to live out her dreams as the imperial tailor and when the opportunity presents itself for her to compete in a challenge to win said title she jumps at the chance even if it means donning a disguise.

This is such a unique take on the classic Mulan tale and I loved every second of it! It also manages to blend other fairy tales and mythology to create a world that’s layered with magic and intrigue as well as demons and betrayal and I couldn’t put this book down!

Maia is such a great character who is willing to do what it takes to win but has enough heart to want to do it based on her talents alone and not with help from those who offer even though those “gifts” come with strings attached. Each of the surrounding characters also have some interesting attributes with an Emperor who may not be as strong as he appears, a Lady from another land who is more steel than porcelain and an Enchanter who believes just as much in the power of faith as he does magic.

This is a really treat story and that ending makes me so excited for what may come next and I can’t wait to see where we go!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**

I've given myself a few days after finishing this before I gathered my thoughts of the book. Because... well, I had a lot.

First off, that cover is GORGEOUS. I requested an advanced copy of this title off the cover alone.
Secondly, "Mulan meets Project Runway" is probably the greatest combination I never thought I needed, until I read about it and knew I needed nothing else.

Okay, now for the actual review:

Maia is a great character. She's strong, willing to do anything she can for her survival, and she is courageous.
In Mulan-like fashion, she cuts off her hair and pretends to be her brother so she can exceed in her craft and save her father from soiling the family name.
I loved the idea of a competition to be the Imperial Tailor. In all of the competition stories I've read, this one intrigued me the absolute most.

My only qualm, which I had to knock of a star for, is that I feel like this would have been so much better if it were split into two novels. I'm usually the one to say "these could have been one long novel" but no. This one has two solid plots with a lull in the middle, and I would have loved if they were split and each part was fleshed out.
The pacing was a bit off.

But I still loved it and I cannot wait for the next part of the adventure.

Oh, oh my. This book is magical.
Cinematic storytelling. I don't usually visualize stories as I read, but I could see this one so clearly. Like a wondrous movie from my childhood filled with fairytale adventures and epic journeys, and joy and heartbreak, and I think I am babbling, but I want the next book now.

I know so many people who will love every second of this book.

I really loved this book it was so riveting I was hooked from the very beginning. I really liked the characters especially Maia and Edan their relationship was so interesting I also liked the slow build up of the romance. I liked the fact that there was no insta romance. I loved the story it was very compelling I really liked how magic works in the world of this book. I enjoyed the Mulan like elements it made for a really interesting story that was so well written. So overall I loved this book and can't wait for more.
-Got off of Netgalley for an honest review.-