Okay so quick back story before I start off this review…

Back when I was a kid, I had a knack for drawing stuff, most especially gowns and dresses. I can distinctly recall myself watching Elie Saab fashion shows way back when, and would later possess this drive to imitate or recreate them as sketches. Unfortunately, as time went by, my love for drawing dwindled down mainly because of lack of support. (I mean… I didn’t know that I was gay back then, and so my parents weren’t as lenient with me as they are now. They reprimanded me and said that drawing those kinds of stuff wasn’t something a boy should be doing and so I tried to find different things to busy myself with.) But needless to say that my love for elegant and opulent evening gowns and dresses never really went away. It was just suppressed and was later on awakened by Elizabeth Lim’s Spin The Dawn.

Pitched as Mulan meets Project Runway, Spin The Dawn tells the story of Maia Tamarin, an aspiring tailor, who dreams of becoming the imperial tailor of the kingdom of A’landi. But since she’s born female, all she’s supposed to hope to achieve is to find a good man to marry. But when her father is summoned by the palace to join a fierce competition by creating magnificent dresses and accessories fit for royalty, she has no choice but to pose as one of her brothers and take her father’s place.

I absolutely adored the way that the world of A’landi was built and improved. I appreciated how with every chapter, the setting just keeps getting better and better—from the imperial palace, to the dessert, to just about anywhere Maia went to. I was personally impressed by how well-written this specific aspect of the story was. To me, it felt like the world had such strong foundations, and the storytelling contributed to making the story a lot more vivid, and graphic—sometimes a little too unrealistic, but what can we expect from a fantasy novel, right? I really enjoyed accompanying Maia on her quests and to see her push herself to be the best she can be to see her plans through made my reading experience all the more special. For this aspect alone, Spin The Dawn already wowed the living heck out of me and I’m absolutely looking forward to seeing what different parts of A’landi we’ll all get to discover in the next installment.

The characterization in this is also commendable and I like how each and every character who were in the narrative actually played major roles in telling Maia’s story. I consider it a pet peeve whenever there are too many characters who do little to better the plot line of a story and so I really did appreciate the line up the readers are given here. From Maia’s brothers, to Emperor Khanujin and Lady Sarnai, to even the magical creatures Maia and Edan encountered during their quest, they all somehow, in their own small way, had important parts to play in the story. And in the end, everything paid off quite splendidly. I really enjoyed reading about Maia, and Edan, and to see our main character transform from a young girl to a fierce, passionate and inspiring woman in just a few pages delighted me in more ways than one, and I look forward to seeing and knowing more about them, again, in the sequel.

Another aspect that I really, really enjoyed was the star-crossed lovers romance between Maia and Edan. If any of you guys can recall, I’ve said in quite a few of my reviews that I usually dislike romance being present in fantasy stories. This is because it can easily take away the spotlight from the story being action-packed or magic-filled. But that just wasn’t the case for Spin The Dawn. Maia and Edan’s love story complemented the fantasy and action aspect of the story and I couldn’t have pictured this book to be so impressive and so well-written if it not for their romance. (I’m sorry, I’m a romance reader through and through! It’s a known fact!) The way they helped each other in every possible way to allow for Maia to create dresses that incorporated the goddess Amana’s children—the sun, the moon, and the stars—was both thrilling and, dare I say, romantic and I absolutely wanted more! Here’s to hoping that there will be more of Maia and Edan in the next book.

“Reading Spin The Dawn feels like watching Mulan and an episode of Project Runway at the same time but with magic and much higher stakes. Maia’s story breathed life into a classic genre and it will have you gripping it’s pages from start to finish. Equal parts romantic, heart-stopping, and magically enchanting, Spin The Dawn will no doubt be an easy favorite for those who are on the lookout for diverse, fantasy narratives that lend a spotlight to POC voices and stories.”

I ended up giving Spin the Dawn 4.5 stars! Overall, did enjoy it but just had a few minor issues and didn't connect with it that much. I felt the beginning was a little slow but once I was past that I flew through the second half. I enjoyed the romance and liked the main character. The writing had really good descriptions and thought that the plot was unique. I am definitely going to be continuing with the next one. Thank you netgalley for granting my request!

5/5 stars

I loved this beautifully written fantasy that will easily be my favorite retelling of the year! I honestly wasn't prepared for how much I loved this one and it may be because it had a bit of several genres within the story.

<u>Synopsis</u>
Maia longs to follow in her father's footsteps as a tailor in the emperor's court, however she's a girl. When a summons arrives for her ailing father to be a court's tailor, Maia takes his place to gain the position in hopes of supporting her family. However, she discovers she must compete in a contest as one of twelve applicants. If that's not enough, the final challenge is impossible and will require her to journey to find the makings of three magical dresses.

<u>Pacing and Points of View</u>
The overall pacing was fast and consisted of Maia's entire point of view. I fell headfirst into the beautiful writing style and didn't surface to the real world for awhile.

<u>Characters and World Building</u>
The world in this story was beautifully built and had an otherworldly feel to it. I could see the scenery, costumes and landscapes in my head so easily. I would love for this to become a movie one day just to be able to get one glimpse of the magic! Speaking of magic, Maia and Edan's characters were so much fun to read and I love them so much! It was nice to see a different kind of strong female. One that didn't have to prove her strength with physical actions or fighting, but with good deeds and caring for her family. The scenes between Maia and her family or Edan were my absolute favorite scenes! The teasing, chemistry and wondering who's side certain characters were on kept me guessing and reading every page. I'm so glad this story will have a sequel so we can explore more of these characters different sides!

<u>Overall</u>
Overall, I really loved the first book in this new duology that was packed full of fantasy, beautiful world building, gorgeous writing and Chinese mythology. I cannot wait to read the sequel and anything this author writes in the future!

I'm so grateful that I was granted an advanced NetGalley copy. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Children's for allowing me the opportunity to read this amazing digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I seen that Spin the Dawn was a mix between Project Runaway and Mulan, I knew I needed to read it as soon as possible! I had so much fun reading Spin the Dawn. There are basically two different parts to this story, which I really liked. You have the competition and then the journey that Maia goes on to get the materials to make the dresses. I really enjoyed both parts of the story, but felt like the actual second part was overall the best. Maia gets to go on a crazy adventure and see different parts of the world that she never has before. There are quite a few obstacles along the way, but it made the story interesting and on the edge of my seat at times. I really enjoyed the world building and the descriptions of the different places that Maia had to travel; it made it really easy to envision them.

I loved Maia’s character so much. At the start she seemed a bit unsure of things, but continued to grow throughout the story as she experienced and learned more of the world. I really liked how much she loves her family and what she’s willing to go through for them. Edan was a fun character and I liked the relationship development between him and Maia. It did seem odd and a bit insta-love at times though. There are some characters that I hope we learn more about in the sequel, like the Emperor and Lady Sarnai. Even more about Edan would be great as well. I feel like not enough was written about them or what they went through in the past leading up to the events in this book. I think a lot of the focus was on Maia and her development, so I am hoping the sequel tells more about other key characters in the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed Spin the Dawn. I loved the magic, the adventure, and I had a lot of fun reading it. The ending was perfect and has left me wanting more!

Spin the Dawn is a great series opener from Elizabeth Lim. It totally deserves and lives up to the hype surrounding it. To be honest, as soon as I heard it compared to Mulan, I knew it would be right up my alley. I loved getting to know this Chinese folklore inspired world, the whimsical and fairy tale-esque sense of magic, and the cast of characters. The detail in the world-building and in the descriptions of the clothing are marvelously lush. Aside from Lim's beautiful writing style, all of the characters are a joy to get to know especially Maia herself. She's competitively ambitious, determined, and devoted to her family. The romance aspect of the story wasn't my favorite, but honestly that's no surprise there as I was more in it for the competition and the awesome adventure, as usual. Overall, I have a feeling you'll enjoy Spin the Dawn, the first novel in The Blood of Stars series by Elizabeth Lim, if you like Disney's Mulan, Renée Ahdieh, and Leigh Bardugo. I can't wait to see where this series goes in the future.

Maia dreams of being a master tailor like her father. A dream is all it is though because only men can be master tailors. She will just have to be content with working in the shop with her father.

When her father is summoned to the palace, he is not well enough to go. The messenger will allow his son to go in his place. Maia must pose as her brother. It's the only way she will ever be a master tailor.

This book was a pleasant surprise! I thought it sounded pretty good, but I thought the romance would ruin it for me. The story was strong enough that the romance didn't take away from it. I loved the writing style. Maia and Edan are great characters. I will definitely read the next one.

This was a great adventure/romance/fantasy read. The description says Project Runway meets Mulan and that is what it is! (Throw a bit of Aladdin in there also) There are so many fantasies out there in the YA world and sometimes I feel like they are all too similar, but this was very different. The main character enters a contest to become the Emperor's master tailor and has to pose as a male because females are not allowed to have these kinds of positions. She is given an (almost) impossible challenge and goes on a mission with the help of an Enchanter. I read this quickly and found myself wanting to go to bed at night to read more. That's always a good sign! I will definitely be putting this in the hands of my high school students!

Fives stars: At last a imaginative YA fantasy that I loved.

Maia has been sewing since she could hold a needle. At sixteen, she is the one keeping her father’s shop running since her older brothers went off to war, and her father ailing father is no longer able to keep up with the demands. When a royal summoner arrives at the shop commanding Maia’s father go to court to compete to be the Emperor’s tailor, Maia takes a daring chance. It is forbidden for women to be the imperial tailor, but Maia has no choice, since her brother returned home injured and her father isn’t able to sew, she decides to pose as a boy and go in her father’s place. Once Maia arrives at court, she is faced with a daunting task. She must compete against twelve other tailors. Amidst backstabbing and treachery, Maia presses on, only to be faced with the most impossible task of all. To be the imperial tailor, Maia must sew three mythical dresses: one from the sun, the moon, and the stars. Can Maia achieve this herculean task and keep her secret or will she die trying?
What I Liked:
*It has been a long time since I have been impressed by a YA fantasy. I was thrilled when Spin the Dawn delivered a fantastic story with impressive world building, imaginative story lines, magic, impossible quests, unforgettable characters and a swoon worthy romance. I loved this one!
*Maia is a wonderful protagonist. She begins the story as a talented but overlooked tailor because she is a girl. Once she begins posing as a boy to compete in the contest, things get exciting. I loved her courage, her devotion to her family and her belief in her abilities. It was a tremendous journey, and I was thrilled with her growth along the way. I loved her! Then there is Edan, a mysterious and brooding hero. He has plenty of secrets, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about him early on. However, as the story progresses, his layers peel away and we learn some of his secrets. I truly grew to love him. He like, Maia, loves fiercely and he is loyal as well as courageous. I thought he was the perfect counterpart to Maia.
*The cast of secondary characters is just as delightful. I long to know more about Lady Sarnai and her lover as well as the old tailor who befriends Maia.
*The story itself is fantastic. There is rarely a dull moment. I loved the numerous conflicts, the adventure, the originality and so much more. This book is packed with action, danger, magic, romance and adventure. Grab it.
*The world building is excellent. The author creates her own world, but it borrows heavily on Chinese culture. I enjoyed the various settings from the desert, to the mountains and a ghostly realm. I enjoyed the descriptions, and I felt like I was transported to this unique world.
*The romance is fantastic. It starts out antagonistic, and then it moves into a hesitant friendship. The reader, like Maia, isn’t sure whether to trust the male suitor, but soon all that changes when he makes several great sacrifices to help her. I loved that this was a slow burn romance, and when it gets to that magical moment, it is perfect. I especially liked how each party was willing to make great personal sacrifices for the other. This romance was pure and beautiful.
*I loved that this book has so much going for it. There is excellent world building, myths, magic, action, impossible quests and an unforgettable romance. I can’t wait for more!
*I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Kim Mai Guest. I thought Ms. Guest did a tremendous job with the narration. Her characters voices are excellent, and it was easy to immerse into the story. I highly recommend grabbing the audiobook if you can.
And The Not So Much:
*Sigh.....the books ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. It isn’t a terrible heart stopping ending, but there is so much left undone, and I am worried about the fate of certain characters. I hope it isn’t a long wait for book two. Normally, a cliffhanger would lower my rating, but this was such an enthralling book, I gave it a pass.
*I personally don’t like the marketing comparison for this book. It is being sold as Mulan meets Project Runway, this book is so much more than that. It is imaginative, sophisticated and wonderful. Also don’t hesitate because this one is labeled as YA. It does not have a YA vibe to it at all.
*I wish there was more explanation on the magical aspects. Some people in the land feared magic. I think a little more explanation on the beliefs of the people was needed.

Spin the Dawn is a book that grabbed my attention and kept me enthralled throughout. I loved this imaginative story with its unique world building, bold characters, captivating story lines, magic and a lovely romance. It has been a long time since I read and loved a YA fantasy, so I was thrilled to find this gem. If you want a terrific read, look no further, this is one to grab!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

This was just okay for me. We were told things rather than shown. The romance over took the plot and the magic was never explained.

They say this book is a cross between Mulan and Project runway and I can see what they were talking about. I definitely enjoyed my time reading it. The writing was ok, character development was good. The storyline felt solid for a first book in a series. Overall a good book. I didn't care for the romance though. As someone who reads a lot of romance books I didn't really find this particular romance to be believable.

Spin the Dawn brings the story of a girl who wished to be celebrated as a master tailor. Because she is a girl, she won't ever get that status, so when the Emperor calls for master tailors to participate in his contest, she goes in place of her brother. While there, the 12 tailors are tasked with challenges to impress the reluctant bride-to-be, and Maia, armed with a pair of magic scissors discovers that magic is real, and much more potent than she imagined. She is further tasked to create three wedding gowns for the princess, which would be from the myths of their kingdom, and to get the ingredients for those gowns, she would have to go on a perilous journey along the Silk Road and across the kingdom where she would be tested.

The comparisons to Mulan for this story seem premature, because aside from the cross-dressing in Chinese kingdom bit, it has nothing in common. It has, instead, more in common with Howl's Moving Castle and One Thousand and One Nights, as the story contains many motifs and inspirations from them. Maia's story can be divided into two parts - the contest and the quest, and they have different vibes in the story. While in the palace, Maia is competing against other master tailors, who aren't above sabotage or using magic; Maia, meanwhile, is hesitant to use her magic scissors which make what she imagines the creation to be, possible. In the quest, however, the plot tones down the magic subplot and shifts to adventure and romance, and opens up the story with a fairytale touch, and sets up things for the next book.

I liked the magic system and the tone of the story; the writing was also beautiful enough that I was engrossed in the plot pretty quickly; the story foreshadows a lot and a bit more obviously, though, which worked against it, because it had so much to gain from its twists. The romance is cute - Edan and Maia have tons of chemistry, and the banter is adorable; Edan is basically immortal but he is the opposite of the brooding mage you would expect, and Maia's exasperation with his flirting plays off well. However, as a romance, it didn't entirely convince me, even though I liked their dynamic well enough. The pacing was a bit faster than to allow the whimsy to set in, but with the timeline, I guess it couldn't be helped. The ending delivers a nice gut-punch of a climax, so the wait for the next book is sure to be a bit torturous.

Verdict: I loved the concept, world, and the storyline but the romance could have been written better.

I knew this was going to be good, but I definitely did not know just how good it would be.
Elizabeth Lim’s Spin the Dawn was a classic-style story with a lush and beautiful world and gorgeous prose. Featuring the classic “girl dressing as a boy” trope, a Project-Runway-esque competition, and a quest, Spin the Dawn weaves tradition and fantasy into a phenomenal story.
I’m definitely excited to read the sequel because ohmygoshthatending! I’m not going to spoil anything but it’s definitely going to be different from Spin the Dawn and where Maia started at the beginning of her story. I can tell it’s going to take a darker turn and I’m so ready for that dynamism (and I have a good feeling about the sequel!)
But before I get too far ahead of myself, here’s my thoughts on Spin the Dawn:
The structure was solid.
I do want to talk a little bit about this: it was definitely interesting and I’m honestly kind of undecided on this particular element.
Because the first part is the competition: Maia is trying not to expose that she’s a girl while still trying to win a competition rigged against her to become the Imperial Tailor. It has three challenges and is very classic in the way its portrayed.
And then after comes the search to make the three magical dresses: where Maia ventures on a journey across the world to find the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. Which is a big feat, and things begin to spice up character-wise and Maia begins to deviate from that perfect “girl dressing as a boy to save her family” trope.
Finally, we get to the wrap-up, and although I’m a bit bummed it wasn’t another set of three, I realize that would have been kind of A Lot™. And it deviates the most from the classic tropes, but also has the most development character-wise.
And I just wanted to take the time to point it all out, because although I’m not entirely in love with the structure, I still think that it effectively carried out the story, which is what matters.
This was so lush and beautiful! I absolutely adored the magic.
And of course, the writing is top notch.
It was lush and I felt immersed in the world—with the beautiful world, the intricacies to Maia’s craft, and so much more.
Plus, all the dress descriptions were beautiful and I totally swooned during those parts. Obviously, if you’re looking for something lovely and lush and an immersive read, you should definitely check out Spin the Dawn.
One of the only things I wasn’t sold on was the romance.
Okay, there was nothing glaringly bad about it, but I guess it boils down to the fact that I wasn’t into the Maia x Edan relationship.
Like…he’s a 500+ year old sorcerer, and she’s a teenager. He’s the court magician who has power, and she’s just a girl who’s trying to make it to save her family. He knows the secret that can break her, and she’s indebted to him for keeping it.
Honestly one of the biggest reasons why I don’t ship it is because of the power imbalance. Edan is so much older than her (he looks teen-ish though!), he has power—both magical and against Maia—and it just wasn’t a dynamic I was into.
If you really want to know, I personally hope in the second book they break up and Maia scorches the earth and all those who wronged her, forgoes Edan, and finds someone else or rocks on by herself.
I obviously read way too much into this than other readers, but I just felt like Edan was Not a Good Fit for Her—at least where she was when she got into a relationship with him. I think if they were on equal standing when it started, I would have been okay with it, and although Edan is a totally nice guy and didn’t use the power against her really, it was still something that I was just kind of not a fan of.
Also, a small note on ableism:
I read an advance reader’s copy of Spin the Dawn, and it contains ableist tropes (magic cure, girl pretending to have a disability as she is disguised as her brother). However, the author has stated that the ableism has been changed for the finished copy.
If I do a reread of the finished copy, I will update on my thoughts on this. (Or link some reviews from disabled folks who read the finished copy!) I still thought this was notable to include, and it’s a warning for anyone reading the ARC version.
Overall though, I’d definitely recommend!
This is great for people who enjoyed Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao (which also has a classic quest-like structure, but puts a spin on it).
I loved the world and the story was definitely compelling, and I’m itching to see how different of a turn the sequel takes on! Also, if it has a red cover I’m definitely going to scream.

Maia dreams of becoming the Imperial tailor to the emperor, but that is a job no woman can hold, in this land of magic and enchanters. Yet when only one of her three brothers returns from war, with broken legs, and a summons arrives from the emperor for Maia’s father or a man from her household to come be part of a challenge to win the job of her dreams, she cuts her hair and assumes the stumbling stature and mannerisms of her brother. At the palace, the challenge is more complex than she’d imagined, not because she doesn’t have the talent, for she was also gifted a family heirloom of magic scissors by her father, but because of the cutthroat competition she must face. The items Maia must sew are for the emperor’s betrothed, a woman who is the daughter of the shansen who began the war against the emperor, and whose rumored lover is part of her guard. Maia must overcome the bitter, impossible tasks of the princess, the sabotage attempts of her fellow competitors, and the annoying, cryptic advice of the kingdom’s enchanter, a handsome man who is bound to serve the emperor all his days, no matter the personal cost.

Perfect for fans of Rin Chupeco's Bone Witch Series, any of Sarah J. Maas’ series, or other Young Adult fantasy/adventure novels. Spin the Dawn is part mystic oriental culture, part adventure story, part tragic romance. It is a world that will delightfully consume you with its clever weaving together of fate, will power, adventure, and magic.

This story is essentially about Maia, a young girl hoping to become the new imperial tailer. The only problem is that women are forbidden to become tailors. She must navigate through the cutthroat environment of the competition and the dangerous quest she must fulfill, all while keeping her identity a secret.

Overall I enjoyed the writing and the plot progression. I think my main problem with this book was the romance. In the beginning we follow Maia in her competition to become the imperial tailor, while in the second half we follow her quest to complete three mythical and magical dresses. I enjoyed the first portion of the book, but the second half was very much overshadowed by the romance. I was excited to see the romance develop since they had great chemistry in the beginning, but in the span of a few chapters they were very deeply in love and I just didn’t believe it? It may just be a personal preference but I would have definitely enjoyed this book so much more had the romance been more drawn out and angsty. The reasons these two can’t be together would have made the perfect situation for that kind of development, but instead I found it to be instalovey and slightly irritating. Along those same lines, I found Maia to be a very frustrating character. I admired her determination and loyalty to her family, but I found she made very stupid decisions.

For a debut novel, I don’t think the writing was too bad. However in the arc at least, I think it would have benefitted from going through a few more edits. There were some inconsistencies and many overused phrases.

Despite my issues with the characterization and romance, I did really enjoy the world building and the progression of the plot. I enjoyed the mythology aspects of the quest, along with the descriptions of the many places Maia and Edan visit. I enjoyed so much how the folklore and the stories shared in this world are actually true, and our MC has to go on a journey surrounded by it. I really enjoyed the ending as well and I am interested in where the story will go from here. It wasn’t enough to make up for the issues I had up to that point..

Overall, I found this novel to be a promising debut perfect for fans of fantasy and journey stories.

ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Spin the Dawn is the book I didn’t know I needed and I want to cry from how happy I am that I read it and that it could revolutionize my life. As a baby blogger, I rarely read contemporary. I exclusive read fantasy. These past few years though, fantasy has not really been holding my attention and I find myself avoiding it for the most part except for a few books here and there. Before Spin the Dawn, the last high fantasy I read was Wicked Saints back in April. I rated in 4 stars at the time but in retrospect it was not a 4 star read given that for half the book, my attention wandered. For the first time in literal years, I don’t want to read contemporary. I want to read fantasy now and find the books that work for me.

Spin the Dawn is a book that captivated me from the first page and I struggled to put it down. It’s the fantasy I didn’t even know I was craving and I am so happy, so so so happy that I picked it up. I’ve also realized that my issue with fantasy books might not be the genre itself but more that the fantasy that comes out these days isn’t always my thing. I love hero’s journeys and adventures. I don’t always love blood & gore and that seems to be more common in fantasy these days.

Maia Tamarin wants to become the emperor’s tailor and prove herself to a world that claims she would be unfit for such a profession. She also wants to provide for what’s left of her family after the war all crushed their spirits and took away her two brothers. When the emperor’s orders summon her father to the capital to compete for a position as the emperor’s tailor, Maia decides to go in his place. Little does she know that a whole world of magic and betrayal await her.

Neither Maia or Edan are wholly unique as characters. Badass female leads and snarky boys are a dime a dozen in YA, but that doesn’t mean I love that any less or that I didn’t scream any time they so much as glanced at one another. It also doesn’t mean that their voices weren’t unique or that they weren’t incredibly well-written.

Maia is smart and talented but also stubborn to a fault sometimes. She wants to prove herself so badly that she will refuse help even when her competitors don’t. Yes she grows but she also doesn’t become a completely different person. Just… a more mature version of herself who can ask for help (but also more.) I love that even with all the extraordinary magic and power around and in her, she seems completely ordinary at times. She isn’t ‘not like the other girls.’ She has goals she wants to accomplish and people she wants to protect.

Not to be dramatic or anything but the romance b/w Maia and Edan is to die for, imho. The BANTER. The SUPPORTIVENESS. The slow build up??? Dying just thinking about it tbh. I loved Maia and Edan as individuals and I loved them even more together.

If that wasn’t enough, Spin the Dawn takes us on a journey to find three magical items to make three magical dresses from that could award the wearer with godly powers. The pacing was ~just~ right for me and I honestly went through 387 pages faster than I do with some contemporaries of a similar length.

Anyone who loves hero’s journeys set in luscious fantastical worlds will love this book. But beware, those who do not enjoy cliff hangers will want to wait until the sequel is out to read this one because YES, this book will also punch you in the feels. And yes, you will be desperate for the sequel upon finishing. I am honestly so glad a sequel is already in the works because I would have died otherwise. Anyway, to sum up, I have not loved a fantasy as much as I loved Spin the Dawn in ages and I truly think that it is worth the read.

First off, I was a little hesitant going into this book, I wasn’t sure how if this was going to be for me. I had no reason to worry what so ever, I loved this book, it the first book in I don’t know how long that I have rated five stars.

This is the best take on Mulan that I have ever read, I could tell it was a Mulan retelling but with its unique spin on the story. I loved that the story takes place after the war, and we get to see the after events of it, which does add a very unique element to this retelling.

One of my favorite parts of the story and made the story for me, Maia is a strong but relatable. I loved the family dynamic, Maia is very loyal and she is willing to do anything for those she loves.

Hands down Edan was my favorite character and has officially joined the ranks of my favorite book boyfriends. He reminded me a lot of the darkling at the beginning of the book, but as the story progressed he became such a wonderful character. I loved how much he cares for Maia, and he’s willing to give up anything to protect her. I’m very interested in seeing his character progression in the next book, I’m curious to learn more about his mysterious past.

The world-building of this book was done well in my opinion, and I think that it leaves a lot of room in the next book for expansion. I also very excited to learn more about Edan, and I’m hoping that we get his perspective in the next book, we can hope.

I’m very picky about the ending of books, they can completely ruin the book for me if they’re not well done. This ending was incredible and not what I expected, and it left me highly anticipating the next book, and I have a long wait in front of me.

Goodness, I did not really think I'd love this book so much but I do 😍😭
Right from the start, I was hooked and sold!! The writing is simply phenomenal and poetic, and the characters are so so so well written!

Maia is a strong and brave girl who is a master tailer. I loved her determination and how she overcame every obstacle that life threw her way. Towards the end, she did get a little too blind in love but that's alright.

Edan, oh Edan!! I loved this enchanter and he totally Bewitched me with his words and magic. Broken by an oath and fuelled by power, Edan is a character you cannot help but love. He's mischievous sometimes but he has a soft heart. And I adored Edan and Maia's witty banter and bickering and kisses 🤭

That ending just left me completely emotional. IT JUST ENDED SO ABRUPTLY GOODNESS I kept turning the pages for more 😭
My only complain is that I have to wait probably a year for the sequel to come out and that's not so good 😭

I loved this book a lot and all the magical instances in it. The dresses were totally swoon worthy and I wish they were real so I could've worn them too 🤭😂
This book was enchanting and gorgeous, with poetic narration and magical imagery. Loved it immensely and I can't wait for the sequel 😭

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an early copy of this book. All views expressed are fully mine.

Based on the synopsis I wasn’t sure if this book was gonna be for me. But as soon as I read the prologue, I knew it would. I was immediately sucked in.

The world was described so beautifully that I felt like I was living in the pages. I could visualize everything. I couldn’t put the book down. It was so unique.

Now we sit and wait, very impatiently, for the next book.

Spin the Dawn is the YA fantasy I've been searching for. I've been struggling with the genre because there are so many books out and it's so hard to not compare them all. But this book? Pssh. Top 5 of the year, easy, it was so good.

Immediately we're thrown into a Mulan-esque story of Maia, the daughter of a once-famous tailor, taking her father's place in a competition to become the imperial tailor, which is where the Project Runway comp comes in. And I was hooked. I love a good competition and when a bit of unexpected magic is thrown in, I was sold. I think I was so invested because I knew the stakes from the beginning. First, Maia is cross-dressing and would be executed if she's found out, but her family needs her to be successful in order to survive comfortably. Maia has a motive that the reader can get behind.

But if I'm being honest, while I loved the competition portion of the book, it's only a small portion of a much larger plot and that's where I became truly enthralled.

Maia must create three divine dresses which requires an epic journey to find the pieces to make them. Accompanied by the emperor's sorcerer, she faces one perilous task after the next. And the whole time I'm reading this, I'm just thinking "this is Daine and Numair from Tamora Pierce's Immortals quartet." Because they felt like that pair (which is one of my favorites of all time so YAY), and then the quest itself gave me vibes from Lioness Rampant (also by Tamora Pierce). Those are some of my favorite childhood books, and remain favorites today, so seeing some of the same story elements spun into something new really resonated with me. To be clear, I don't think Spin the Dawn rips those books off or anything. It's a strong book on its own. There are simply similarities that I found and really enjoyed!

Maia is the kind of strong heroine I want to see more of. I hate that, so often, "strong" female characters are written as warriors and it comes down to their physical/magical strength, but that's not the only kind of strength. Maia proves that. She has flaws and weaknesses, but she finds a way to overcome each one. She'll do anything for those she loves, even if she's outmatched and outgunned. I want to see younger readers looking up her. 

Also, I don't want to say TOO much and accidentally spoil anything but this book has one of my absolute favorite ships and I was swooning over the romance before it even started.

I'll be honest, I thought this book was a standalone initially (because clearly I didn't check the Goodreads page. . . ) but by the end I was dying for more and I'm so happy there will be a sequel! I have nothing but gushing praise for this book and have a feeling I'll be adding Elizabeth Lim to my auto-buy author list. Can't recommend Spin the Dawn to YA fantasy readers looking for a new twist on a questing story!

I loved Spin the Dawn. I thought the story was engaging and I’m all about an adventure with a strong Fairytale vibe.

So I know the description pairs it as Project Runway Mulan but I thought it took a lot of pieces from many different Fairy Tales. Yes it’s a girl who is disguising herself in order to bring honor to her family, when her father can not but I felt the story really held its own. I wouldn’t call it a retelling at all.

I loved the competition of the Tailors because that always brings its own court drama and intrigue. Of course you never know who to trust. Trust No One but I am also happy to see that some of the other tailors were indeed honorable. As much as I did enjoy the challenges my favorite part of the story is the final challenge.

There is a fairytale by Charles Perrault called Donkey Skin and in the story the girl has three dresses. One of the Sun, one of the Moon and one of the Sky. When I was a girl, i desperately wanted the dresses. I loved the entire idea of them. What I love so much about Spin the Dawn is that not only does it have similar dresses but it also includes the journey to make the dresses. I will always love a book with journey to achieve tasks. I’m not sure why but maybe it’s the Fairytale lover in me. Especially when it helps relationships grow stronger like that of Maia and Edan.

I think we see a lot of Maia’s strength and love of her family in the first part of the story. I think when she embarks on her journey though is when she truly shines. She wants to prove that a woman can be the imperial tailor that her skill is not based on gender and maybe catch some glory. Her heart is great and I love how she grows as a character and sees how to find real happiness in protecting those she loves.

I also really liked Edan’s character as well. Plus his affection for Maia is so sweet and only gets better as they grow closer. Ah I loved reading the parts where they interact.

I actually really like Lady Sarnai as well because she is also having to struggle with a role she was born to. She just wants a chance to show herself the same way Maia does. That doesn’t mean she needs to be cruel but at least you can see where her anger comes from.

So that ending. I have to say that if the story ended at where it ended and there was no more books. I would be happy with it. I’m also very happy that this is book one of The Blood and the Stars series.