You will hold the seams of our family together
I was pulled into Spin the Dawn by the amazing synopsis. I think it is a pretty good representation of what the story is about and it was really fun.
Book Review: Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
Rating:
Title & Author: Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Release date: July 9 2019
Series: The Blood of Stars
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books
Synopsis
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.
I give Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim five out of five hearts because I thought the story was very original and I could recognise the elements of Project Runway and Mulan Elizabeth Lim wanted to let shine through.
Maia is raised in a world ruled by men and knows her options, but she doesn’t let it rule her. She hides behind her family to do the thing she loves and help her family out. She doesn’t take her situation and let it rule her, this is what I liked about her.
I liked Edan because for most of the book he seemed to be mysterious, but not in a bad way. He was honest and tried to help Maia where he could. For most of the time, I did not see the romance coming, but of course, my rational mind had already informed me it would be there. It didn’t bother me once I got over the fact that they fall a bit too fast for one another.
The story overall was a great mix between the Project Runway elements and the main storyline of Mulan. I loved Mulan, so I really liked to see a retelling of the story. The world felt fresh and I really want to see where Elizabeth brings the story in Unravel the Dusk.
Let me know what you thought of this book!
If you have any requests for which book I should talk about next, please let me know in the comments down below.
For now, let books enrich your life!