The Little Book Spy: Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

How’s it going everyone. Today, I’m going to be reviewing Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim. Back in mid to late October, I was finally able to pick this book up. I'd seen so many good things about the story, I knew that I needed to read it as soon as possible. Also, look at this cover! It's absolutely gorgeous!

About the Book:
Title: Spin the Dawn
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Release Date: July 9, 2019
Series: The Blood of Stars #1
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 397

My Rating: 5/5 ⭐️

Summary:
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.

My Thoughts:
Spin the Dawn was definitely added to one of my top favorite reads of 2019! I was immediately hooked from the very first page, I could not put it down! I loved how immersive the story is! What initially sparked my interest in this duology was how it was a Mulan retelling. I loved the direction the story went and how easily and seamlessly it all flowed together. In the first part of the story, we mainly focused on the the competition that Maia enters, in place of her father, where she competes against twelve other very well known tailors in order to become Emperor Khanujin's imperial tailor. The second part of the story shift focus towards Maia's final, life altering challenge, creating the three mythical/magical dresses for the reluctant and disgruntled bride-to-be, Lady Sarnai. Not only are these dresses based on a legend, supposedly they're impossible to make unless you can track down all of the materials needed to create these magical dresses. I really like how the story was able to transition from the main competition to the final challenge and journey that Maia went on in order to make these dresses. I feel like each material for all three dresses pushed Maia to new limits that was able to show her strength, courage, and determination. The entire time, I was cheering for her because I wanted her to succeed and achieve her dreams of being the best tailor in the land. The world building in this story was phenomenal! I loved the amount of detail there was in the story, it was just enough to give you an idea of what the world looked like, which allowed my imagination to build the whole picture of what the world in the story was like down to the tiniest of details.

In the story, we read from the perspective of Maia. I loved her perspective! Maia is a strong-willed girl who won't let anyone get in her way of being the best tailor in the land. I feel like you really get to know who Maia is in the story, which was one of my favorite things when it comes to reading main characters. I love stories that allow readers a connection with their characters who allow us understand who they are based on their morals and who they are as a person. I love the Emperor's Enchanter, Edan! He's mysterious, charming, and a very big tease when it came Maia. I loved how Maia and him would banter with each other throughout the story, not in a mean way but as in very good friends way. I enjoyed seeing the transition they had between friends to lovers. I really liked how their relationship grew and changed overtime, which allowed them grow a very special bond, which they would do anything and everything to protect. Now, Lady Sarnai was a very interesting and complex minor character, since she is being forced to marry Emperor Khanujin to end the war between their people. I’m curious to see how her and Emperor Khanujin’s roles effect the second book.

This story does leave off on a cliff-hanger, but I honestly thought it was perfect. The story ended in a way that makes me want to know what happens next! I'm counting down the days until July 7, 2020 when I can see how it all ends in Unravel the Dusk. If you haven't read this book yet, what are you waiting for? Get your hands on this book as soon as you can, you won't regret it!

If you’re interested in checking out Elizabeth's pages, the links are below along with places you can get the book.