Blurbed as Mulan meets Project Runway, Spin the Dawn was a delightfully enchanting tale that weaves magic through the words on the page to bring the story to life. It was fun and fast paced, with a whirlwind of romance and a young woman who is determined to prove herself in the face of a male dominated world. The story is so unexpected, has a light-hearted feel despite the serious nature of some of the events happening. It’s a unique story that will be a perfect summer read.
This story follows Maia Tamarin, a girl with aspirations to be a tailor, but because she was born female all she can hope for is to make a good match in marriage. However, when her father, a renowned tailor in his own right is summoned by the royal court, Maia decides to pose as a boy to save her father from becoming even more ill on the journey. Aware that the penalty of death is imposed for her actions, she’s determined to overcome the hardships to become the best tailor. Except she’s one of twelve tailors eyeing the coveted position. Despite her skills, she becomes caught up in the schemes of saboteur tailors and is saved by the royal court magician Edan, who has seen through her disguise; his motives unclear. Her final challenge is the most difficult: crafting three dresses for the king’s bride-to-be using the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of the stars. Her journey will set her on a path that she never imagined, to achieve the title of her dreams.
With that summary out of the way, there’s not much of the story that I can give without spoiling parts of it…and that simply wouldn’t do. What I can definitely tell you is that this story starts off with Mulan and Project Runway elements, and changes into something else entirely. It is a story that re-imagines the world and creates a new one. Elizabeth Lim is much like Maia herself, painting a world in words and cementing the characters in the story close to my heart. The world is lush and full of descriptive imagery that brings the opulence of this world to life and the magic an even larger flare.
Maia is a brilliant character, she’s vibrant and I love that she shines in the most unexpected of situations. One of my favourite aspects of her personality are that she’s so bullishly determined both to become a tailor and do it her own way that it makes her more human. She stumbles, but it doesn’t bring her down. And then there’s Edan. He was funny and charming, and most readers will like him. He’s sassy and he’s also got this extra mysterious vibe that will make him even more attractive. I couldn’t get enough of him. Both Maia and Edan grow quite a bit throughout the book, in a good and positive way.
Overall, I loved the vibes that I got from the story. There was a hint of whimsy on every page and Lim has such a wonderful way with her words. I finished it over the course of a few hours, it was a story that I couldn’t put down. Since it’s part of a series, I am excited to see what comes next for Maia because although there wasn’t a cliffhanger to tease readers, there are a few things that were left unresolved and I’m dying to know what will happen in the next book.
Although it is not a fairytale in the traditional sense, there are several fairytale-like qualities that I adored. Talking about them too much would be spoilery, but readers are in for a treat if you pick up this book. There wasn’t much I didn’t love. Though the magic system wasn’t explained in detail, I didn’t feel that it detracted from the overall feel of the story. In fact, it adds to the mystery elements of the story.
I’d rate Spin the Dawn a 10/10. I loved it from beginning to end, it was whimsical and I found myself in love with many of Lim’s characters. They came to life off of the page, and I can’t wait to read book 2. I have to find out what happens next!
Spin The Dawn will be available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of July 30th 2019.
Will you be reading Spin The Dawn? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.
Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in 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.
And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to 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.
Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh
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