Goodreads Synopsis
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.
Review
Spin the Dawn was selected as Bookstaholics Anonymous's April read-along of the month and I knew I had to join in! This book has been sitting on my shelves for so long and was happy to be finally reading it!
Oh my god, this book! This world that Elizabeth Lim has created is beautiful and I felt myself completely captivated. When I was reading it I never wanted to put it down and when I did have to put it down (mainly because my body needed sleep) I was thinking about it constantly. The descriptions and detail used in this book makes it so much more vivid and beautiful!
I loved Maia so much and she was such a realistic and relatable character. She wanted to do what was best for her family, risking her own life in a very Mulan inspired way so that her families business and reputation remained intact. Maia is such a strong and independent character that I really enjoyed how much her character developed throughout the book and I also loved watching her interactions with Edan.
Edan really grew on me! At first I really wasn't sure how I felt about him and thought for sure that he would ruin Maia's chances or reveal her secret. However this feeling did not last long and I ended up enjoying his part in the whole story.
After Part One the story dramatically changed and I was so intrigued in how the story was going to progress. It had me on the edge of my seat and now that I've finished it I am desperate for the next book.
I recommend this book to any YA fantasy lovers! This was spectacular and incredibly well written. Go pick it up, you won't regret it!
Rating: 5/5 stars
*I get to talk to the author in a group chat soon and I'm honestly so excited! Please go check out Bookstaholics Anonymous! They work so hard and go out of their way to get in touch with authors to have a chat with us!
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