One of the best fantasy duologies I’ve read in a long time!! Amazing writing, wonderful characters. The world building makes you feel like you are there. This was a perfect ending, it did some scary things that made you think something was going to happen to the characters, but it wrapped up everything perfectly.

I was truly expecting this to be a trilogy for some reason, not a duology -- and it's rare that you read a book and think "actually, I do wish there was yet another book after this." I will admit that I thought the trilogy would be one book per mythical dress in the story (Stars, Sun, Moon), but now that I've finished the book, the duology of Dawn/Dusk should have made it obvious to me. I was delighted that this book further spun its way into exploring the weaver/cowherd myth as part of the backstory we get. The romance is still just as appealing, the pacing was good - although again, I wished for and thought (mistakenly) there would be a third book. Elizabeth Lim has a gorgeous way with words that is deeply enviable, and the characters and plot are engaging. I wished that we had more time with some of it - it didn't feel rushed per se, but I would have liked much more from the human antagonists and not just the magical ones. Overall I really enjoyed this, and will re-read again when it releases.

It's rare: but sometimes a sequel really outdoes the first volume. With Unravel the Dusk, Elizabeth Lim took a good book and made it even better. Main character Maya’s voice stays strong and resolute, never falters in her conviction, and with a great relationship to her love interest that never weakens her nor threatens to overshadow the great action. If anything, I enjoyed this second book in the series more than the first. I highly recommend both books in the series since they are a perfect example of what the YA genre needs more of in terms of depth and strength of characterization.

Story: Maya accomplished the impossible: she made Lady Sarnai robes made of the sun, the moon, and the stars. But she paid a terrible price for in order to do so: she took on the essence of a demon. Slowly turning into one herself, she is losing her connection to her humanity, including her memories and self. She knows she must return back to the well and confront the souls but at the same time, her kingdom is falling apart and war looks more and more imminent as the warlord's greed for power takes on an even deadlier turn.

What I enjoyed most about Lim’s book is that she managed to keep the female characters very strong but without losing their heart. There are no instances of ‘tell but not show’ syndrome; Maya and characters like Lady Sarnai prove they are equal to their male counterparts but also show why they are worthy of the partners who have chosen them. For once, we have no doubt that the love interests have chosen the women based on the strength of their personality and their heart. Neither are promoted for their looks and we don’t really see an instance of insta luv.

The action is excellent and the book flows smoothly. This isn’t a story of twists and turns so much as determination and strength. So our main character picks and chooses her battles but always with the best interest of her kingdom in mind. It will cost her much but she remains resolute that just saving her family isn’t enough. Along the way we get battles, subterfuge, court machinations, and everything from ghosts to very powerful demons.

When I started the first book I was wary: the description of a Mulan and Project Runway mashup sounded both silly and simplistic. But that was only in the first half or so of the book and I can say that the series built nicely, had excellent character development, and an ending that was about our main character accomplishing her goals (and not about getting a romance). I think the ending was best of all since it remained true to Maya’s ideals, the romance was light but well written, and the women never needed saving from the men. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Unravel the Dusk is the perfect conclusion for Spin the Dawn. The moment I started reading I immediately fell back into this world and felt as if I had never left. The story continues from where we left off and Maia is is battling demons literally inside and out.

In this story the stakes felt higher and the growth of both Maia and Edan as characters kept the story interesting. While there weren’t many new characters introduced into this book I enjoyed the additional details you learn about several of the characters from the first book. I only wish there was more time with Edan and Maia together. I loved all the time they spent together in the first book collecting the items needed for the dresses and I missed that peaceful one on one time. I understood that with the urgency of upcoming war that it wouldn’t have made much sense but I’ll still be over here wishing for a bit more Edan and Maia in my life.

"I didn't dare pray. Who knew whether it would be gods or demons that listened to me"

I feel like I watched my request for this to be accepted FOREVER then BAM! I. ME. WAS APPROVED. AND. LET. ME. TELL. YOU. WHAT. If you liked the first one you better get some of those sock suspenders because this will knock ya socks off.

There was so much from the very start that I can not really say too much without giving something away.

The whole way you see just how passionate about her family, Edan and even her country and how even though she was told that she was the thread holding her family together they are the only thing keeping her together.

We also get this totally bad ass demon Gyiu’rak. And my favorite stone cold Princess being everything and more! ♥️

I had to pause Midway to go buy the physical copy

I was provided with a free ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I felt that this was a fabulous follow-up and conclusion to this duology. The plot moves quickly, as it should because all Hades breaks loose in this one, and it kept me engaged in the story. I really think that Lim's character development is wonderful, with the exception of Khanujin, the Emperor. I just feel that he is much more cruel in this one than in the previous one, so much so that it was a very blatant difference. I guess it could be written off as to the reader having more interaction with him in this one than in Spin the Dawn, I just wish it weren't so. He seems to have no redeeming qualities, however his behavior is explained as him only doing what he needs to do for his country. But I think there's more to it than that and that was just an easy way to write off what a jerk he was. I need a better reason than that.

Every thing else about this book was wonderful: vivid descriptions, fast-moving, engaging plot, and memorable characters (Can I get a shout for my girl Ammi?!). I was already recommending Spin the Dawn to my library patrons, and I have no doubt that I'll have a substantial hold list once this book releases!

Maia Tamarin, Imperial Tailor, has successfully crafted the three legendary dresses of the goddess Amana using the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of the stars. All three dresses are to be the crown jewels at the wedding of the Emperor and Lady Sarnai, the Shansen's daughter. But making the dresses came at a horrible cost: Maia is slowly turning into a demon, doomed to become the guardian of the Forgotten Isles, sparing her lover--the former Lord Enchanter, Edan--from the punishment. Maia is determined to make it through the wedding, which will solidify peace throughout A'landi.

Fate has other plans.

The thrilling sequel and conclusion to "The Blood of Stars" duology takes readers back to the realm of A'landi, full of demons, ghosts, enchanters, and more as Maia and Edan fight for peace. Readers will also be thrilled to see the full extent of the power of the dresses Maia has created, and root for her in her external fight against the Shansen and her internal fight against the demon growing within her.

Brilliantly written and utterly fantastic, "Unravel the Dusk" is as gorgeous, thrilling, and captivating as "Spin the Dawn".

This was fabulous. Just as good maybe even better then the first. watching Maia struggle through her "transformation" into a demon was heartbreaking but she stayed strong and she ended up conquering the demon within.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC. 3.5 stars. Satisfying ending, but I felt it lacked something the first book had. Still enjoyed seeing the end of this journey.

Well, this was quite a different book from the first one. While the first one dealt with the competition, the growing relationship between Maia and Edan, and their journey to find the things needed to create the gowns that were commanded by the Emperor, this one mostly dealt with how Maia coped or didn’t with the growing demon inside of her. This one was just as good as the first, it just had a different tone and journey for Maia than the first.

This book was more about the internal struggle for Maia, how to survive her choices in book one. But also about how to protect her family, Edan, and her country from the horrors that are coming. I found this to be a very interesting thing and enjoyed being in her head and listening in on her struggles. I also liked the friendship that developed between Maia and Ammi. I had liked Ammi in the first book so was glad to see more of her in this one.

I really liked how the author wove the dresses into the story and how their powers both helped and didn’t help Maia and her quest to save everyone. The descriptions of the dresses was also amazing and they are something that I would love to see.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story, but there were a couple of things I didn’t like that much. The first one being that Edan is pretty much absent from most of it. I know he was off doing what he needed to do, but it was one of the things I loved about the first book, and it just seemed like he should have been there supporting Maia a bit more. The second thing that bugged me was the end. Not how the whole demon thing was resolved, that was pretty epic and I loved that, but the epilogue was just too cheesy and Disneyish. It kind of turned me off of Edan and Maia’s relationship.

For the most part I thoroughly enjoyed this second book as much as the first. I really like the world and the magical system that the author has created here and would love to see more books written set in this world. They don’t even have to be about Edan and Maia, but that would be awesome too.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 4 Stars

Wow, this duology consumed my life for 24 straight hours! I read both of these gorgeous books back to back and was so relieved to have an ARC of Unravel the Dusk after the way Spin the Dawn ended. I’ll be honest, I can’t imagine waiting a year between books, it might have killed me. *Much like the wait for Empire of Gold is slowly killing me*

First of all, EDAN! Sigh, what a dreamboat cinnamon roll! He was definitely my favorite character in Spin the Dawn and I was so bummed when I discovered that he didn’t turn up in the sequel until 50% of the way through the book. I definitely understood that Maia had a journey that she needed to endeavor upon on her own, but damn, I missed him.

One of the things that I loved the most about Spin the Dawn was the Project Runway feel that it had at the beginning, and the overall focus on Maia’s love of tailoring. While there were parts of Unravel the Dusk that highlighted her incredible ability to craft, it was something that I missed overall as it was not nearly as prevalent in this book.

That being said, there was near constant action, heartache and stress in Unravel the Dusk. I genuinely could not see a positive ending in sight for the main characters and my stomach was in knots throughout most of the book. From the beginning, Maia threw herself into one dangerous situation after another and I enjoyed the overall character development that she showed over the course of her story’s arc.

It’s pretty hard to write a spoiler free review of a sequel, so I will leave you with this: overall, these books were incredible. The pacing was quick, the writing was beautiful, and the books were filled with main characters I easily related to, as well as villains both complex and endlessly deplorable. If you’re looking for a book full of gorgeous Chinese culture, a simultaneously heartwarming and heart wrenching love story, and a completely badass heroine, I definitely recommend picking these up.

As I was reading Spin the Dawn, I knew I couldn't wait for a sequel. Too many things were happening that I couldn't wait for. And now, here we are with an epic sequel. It is absolutely beautiful to me to see different cultures dominating the YA shelves at the bookstores.
Unravel the Dusk has memorable war scenes that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat. If you think Spin the Dawn was great, then get ready, because Unravel the Dusk will leave you NEEDING more of these characters. I truly can't wait for other readers to get their hands on this sequel so I can dive into their feelings about it. UTD is a breathtaking YA novel that is exactly what young readers need on their shelves and filling their creative minds.

I loved the first book in this duology, "Spin the Dawn", and Lim has managed to create a dark and tarnished mirror image in "Unravel the Dusk."

Where the beginning of this story was light and full of love and adventure, the conclusion carried a tortured darkness, a struggle that I couldn't have foreseen upon the onset of this journey. It was a bit more difficult to push through this novel, feeling the loss of hope and sense of despair present in Maia's journey. However, it was worth it to reach the conclusion, as the journey through darkness is often more interesting and fulfilling to witness.

"Not long ago, I'd thought my story was like a fairy tale. After all, there were demons and ghosts, an emperor ensorcelled, and a princess who'd become the greatest warrior of her generation."

Wow, wow, wow!

I thoroughly enjoyed Lim's first novel, Spin the Dawn. That book was a fun adventure story and I enjoyed the characters. I was not blown away by the story, but I did have fun reading it. So when I picked up this book, I was expecting the same caliber as the first, meaning I would enjoy it, but the story would not wow me.

Boy, I was wrong!

I cannot even believe this is the same author or the same story. Lim stepped it up in her second novel in relation to her imagery, topics, and character development. I found myself cringing (in a good way) throughout the book when she described some of the more brutal/bloody scenes of the novel.

Maia is one of my favorite characters in any book I have ever read. Her story, her growth, and her struggles were amazing to watch. I felt so connected to her in so many ways. She wants to protect the people she loves, she wants to save her country, but she also doesn't want to lose herself in the process. She was strong without being fiercely independent. She knew when she needed to rely on people and when she needed to keep others at arm's length.

I'm usually not completely satisfied with an ending, but I just loved his this duology ended. It was beautiful and hopeful. I love Maia and Eden so much and I hope others do too.

From the first few lines I was drawn into Lim's first book in this series "Spin the the Dawn". I think this book was even better. I loved this heroine. I loved how she defies gender roles and how she finds her strength. I also love the use of mythology and fantasy elements and their blending into something as seemingly mundane as needlework and sewing.

Book two had a satifying conclusion and plenty of drama and action from beginning to end. I will be reccomending this series to my friends and customers and eagerly await any new books that she releases. This series has definitely made me a fan of Elizabeth Lim.

Unravel the Dusk's predecessor Spin The Dawn was A LYRICAL TALE REMINISCENT OF FAIRYTALES LONG GONE AND PERFECTLY BLENDS THE CREATIVE PROCESS IN A MAGICAL APPROACH THAT COMPELS YOU TO READ MORE AND MORE.

and well... this sequel sure lives up to the feels AGAIN.

Elizabeth Lim creates a mellifluous melody in her prose with a nice touch of multilayered weaving in her metaphors. She literally incorporates literary devices relating to the art of weaving which reinforces the importance of this theme. This makes the book a compelling neat package with how she writes it constructively and objectively. There’s also a sense of continuous rhythm in her words that makes it hard to put the book down and, which is probably the reason why I’ve read this faster than I initially thought I would!

With this in mind, it is also quite a wonder how we get to see the creative process of weaving/ tailoring be incorporated in the magic system (albeit it wasn’t a super detailed one reminiscent of Brandon Sandersons’ works). I am a sucker for this kind of element in a book and I assure you that it is so much better than how meager I describe it! The sense of vagueness it has does not dispel its charm but instead elevates the fantasy vibe here.

Not only that but this kind of story is one that ironically blends an odd feeling of nostalgia and a sense of a new beginning. It reminded me so much of the fairytales I grew up reading with, like the tale of Amaterasu (a Japanese folk tale I’ve read in high school), the tale of Eros and Psyche and, it sets up a new take on the well-trodden path of YA Fantasy. This is a unique retelling but is also an elevated form of its roots. It simply uses the familiar archetypes we love in stories like Mulan and spins a whole different picture that makes an indelible mark on us readers.

IT HAS MOST OF THE ARCHETYPES A HEROINE’S TALE HAS FROM THE CHARACTERS DOWN TO THE IMMEDIATE SET UP WE USUALLY SEE YET, IT ALSO GIVES A UNIQUE FLAVOR WITH ITS EXECUTION THAT WILL LINGER IN YOUR HEART.

In all honesty, Unravel the Dusk for me was quite a little cliche because of the archetypes used in its storytelling that predominated YA Fantasy.
But what sets this sequel apart from all the other heroine tales is how organically it blooms in just the right time. I haven’t been reading much of YA Fantasy lately because I was quite tired of the usual roster I read. I was hoping to read more high fantasy this year but I never thought I needed to feel the familiar flutters of YA Fantasy again until I finished reading this!

Overall this was an entertaining and beautiful continuation of a tale that I will gladly reread again just to experience the fairy tale nostalgia it elicits!

I really enjoyed this duology, I thought it had a fresh take on the magic system and likable characters. The second book definitely has a different feel to it and but combined they made for a thrilling ride. I am living for all the Asian fantasy/mythology coming out, it is a wonderful addition to that genre.

I liked this one a lot less than the first one. Everything felt rushed and as if there were too many plot points/obstacles to overcome by the end of the book. We see very little of Maia's sewing skill or her connection with the goddess.

This book was the sequel to Spin the Dawn, and although I wasn't a big fan of the first book, it was still a good enough read to tackle the second book. This book may not be a favorite for me, but it was definitely a stronger book and the world-building and characters grew so much it's a great read. There were things that maybe weren't my favorite throughout, but overall a solid read with a good story and action packed for sure. A good ending to a nice series, will read more by this author!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!!

This duology has some of the most fun and unique magic I’ve come across in a while. It’s basically the story of a girl who impersonates her brother in order to enter a dress making competition but with magic involved. Spin the Dawn, the first in the series, was so fun and enjoyable. I was really excited to see where the story went in this sequel. I have to say, I was not disappointed. Unravel the Dusk was just as magical and action packed as the first. It did get a bit darker at times but that just helped add to the plot. I was very happy with the way everything wrapped up and concluded.