After finishing <i>Spin the Dawn</i> by Elizabeth Lim, I can tell you absolutely one thing for certain: I am a mess of back and forth after reading this book. In fact, this has been the hardest book for me to rate this year. On the one hand, it was <i>so</i> brilliant. And on the other...well, I'll get to that in a moment. So, four stars? Five stars? It's a tough decision. Now, I've never seen Project Runway so I cannot account for any similarities this book may have to that show but <i>Spin the Dawn</i> has been marketed as <i>Mulan</i> meets Project Runway though that is not why I requested the book from NetGalley. Truth be told, I just <i>really</i> liked the cover (shout out to Tran Nguyen for some of the most amazing cover art I've ever seen in my life!). And the cover does a pretty fantastic job of portraying what you come to read in the novel. While the strings, the scissors, the hawk, the sun fabric, the swath of blue cloth behind main character Maia Tamarin might not really make a whole lot of sense in the beginning, they are utterly central to the story in ways I never would have fathomed to begin with.

The novel follows the tale of a young woman whose dream is to become the imperial tailor for the kingdom's Emperor. Immersed in the middle of a war, Maia and her family are impacted in a great many unfortunate ways. When one day, shortly after the war has ended and peace is just within reach, Maia's famed father is requested to arrive at the palace to compete for the title of the imperial tailor though he has become old and sickly over the years. So, knowing that women are not permitted to be tailors let alone the imperial tailor, Maia disguises herself as her brother and sets out in her father's place. And what ensues is a long fight for peace, justice, the well-being and safety of her family, and adventure beyond anything Maia had ever dreamed of.

And that just barely scratches the surface.

I'll say this much, <i>Spin the Dawn</i> was in every single way but one an amazing novel. It had a feminist touch, a brilliantly strong and compassionate lead character, excellent world-building, and a phenomenal plot. The one single thing that nearly ruined it for me was, unfortunately, the romance. Not only did I just not find it all that believable--the male love interest was incredibly child-like and naive, far too much so for my taste and ability to buy in--but I just did not feel like there was enough of a spark between them to justify the love. And perhaps I am missing something. In fact, I'm fairly certain I missed the part where interest and like between the two characters actually turned into the substantial feelings of love. Something important got left out.

The dialogue, also, surrounding the romance was fairly cheesy. And while I can accept and even love cheesy romantic dialogue sometimes, <i>Spin the Dawn</i> simply was not able to sell it to me. I'm not even sure what it was, precisely, about the characters that left me feeling as though there was no real spark. And it's a real shame in the end because I <i>loved</i> every single other aspect of this book. In so many ways it was a magical and entrancing novel that I never wanted to put down. And my skies, that <i>ending. </i>I don't even know where to begin with how much that ending <i>blew me away</i>.

So, take it for what you will. <i>Spin the Dawn </i>was <i>very</i> good. But that romance pulled quite a few exasperated sighs and eye-rolls from me.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

What a delightful, enchanting fantasy debut! (Lim has published Disney tie-ins before, so like not exactly her first book, but also her first book that's wholly her own without Disney's mandates. ANYWAY digression!!)

I was hooked from the very beginning and completely devoured this. It's the end of February and I finally finished my first YA of 2019! That must tell you how gripped I was by this. Definitely keep an out for this when it publishes this summer. It has a great romance, a really interesting plot, and a lush new world. I'm so happy to report the inside of this baby is as gorgeous as that cover.

Welcome to a fabulous Buddy Read Review! We’ve been trying to read books together over the last few months to try and motivate one another to get things off of our extensive TBR shelves, but this was a different situation! We both got approved for eARCs of Spin the Dawn, so we decided to read it together. The sign of a good buddy read is when you both throw the schedule to the wind and read it in a couple of sittings, and that is exactly what happened here!

Worldbuilding

Paige

One of my favorite things about this book was how steeped in magic and mythology we were, and how absolutely convinced I am that the author has planted countless seeds for future books. Sometimes I have issues with the trope of the main character not getting all of the information they need Because Reasons, but I feel like we were given information in a steady enough way that it balanced between being infodump-y and being too vague and confusing.

I also adored the descriptions. I am notoriously terrible at visualizing things, but I could see Maia’s creations coming to life in front of me. I truly can’t believe this is one of the author’s first novels - it read so beautifully. I read this book in basically three main chunks because the world was so compelling.

Kate

I loved the meandering way we were introduced to the world in this book. You found out what you needed to know when you needed to know it, and not a moment before. At the same time, somehow, there are enough bread crumbs dropped along the way that the reader is able to piece things together in a fun, but not “yeah, this is clearly what’s going to happen”, way.

Beyond that, the world was lush. The objects and colors and people and buildings and journeys were all so vibrant, both in their existence and their description. I felt like I was sewing garments, riding trails, and facing monsters alongside Maia, and I absolutely live for that immersive experience.

Paige
Yes! Some of my favorite books are ones that take their time with cultivating the world while also making sure enough information is present so, when you look back after a big reveal, you say “Oh, that makes sense” and not “*blink blink* ...wait wut?” This sometimes is a hard balance to strike, and I think Lim really hit it out of the park throughout the book. I was also truly immersed while reading - I got legitimately grumpy every time I had to disentangle myself from what was going on and do something else.

Characters

Paige

Since Mulan is a comp title to this book, I’ll admit that I was waiting and watching a little bit through the beginning of the story to see who would be the Li Shang analog - and I was so not disappointed. Obviously I won’t tell you who they are, but it was excellent.

I adored Maia. She is a cinnamon roll Slytherin and you can’t tell me otherwise. Yes, she wants to save her family as you do. But she knows she is talented. She knows that sexism can be damned and that she has worked hard to become as skilled as she is. She truly believes she can become the tailor to the Emperor.

Kate

I LOVED Maia as a character. Just like Mulan, she is strong of mind and body, determined, talented, and still manages to remain human. I loved watching her grow and evolve, but more than that, I love that she starts the book with a backbone. This is not the story of a damsel in distress finding her way but of a talented young woman who wants to make something of herself in a man’s world.

Paige

Did someone say ancient magical being wrapped up in an attractive, presenting-as-slightly-older-than-the-main-character package? They did? Sign me up! I absolutely adored Edan, the enchanter to the emperor.

Kate

You took the words DIRECTLY out of my mouth about Edan. Perfection.

I honestly don’t know how to talk about the rest of this without ruining absolutely everything, so I’ll just keep it simple.

I loved that every character was treated with care. Sure, there was a hierarchy. You have to have a main character, but the baker’s son in Maia’s village was as well-crafted as the Lord Enchanter, the Emperor, and Maia herself.

Plot

Paige

We were promised Mulan meets Project Runway, but I feel like we got so much more! These comparisons set me up, in my mind, for something light and dramatic and honestly, kind of fluffy. Mostly incorrect! I got a small part of the way through the book and realized that things were moving too quickly and wrapping up a little too nicely, and I was waiting for things to hit the fan, so to speak. They did, and I was absolutely hooked.

Kate

I agree! Plus, I think the fact that it was an eARC exacerbated that feeling. It felt like it was moving fast, and it was, but it was impossible to be sure when you couldn’t see the ratio of read to unread pages. Once you got into it and realized what was happening, the pacing was clearly well thought out, but it definitely threw me for a loop starting out.

The best way to describe the plot advancement I can think of is by comparing it to rolling snowballs for a snowman. It just gets bigger and bigger, building a stronger and stronger base for the books to come in this series. Every bit of info we get builds on itself and truly propels the story forward, instead of just giving the reader a bunch of seemingly unrelated information to be tied up neatly at the end.

Paige

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the romance. Because guys. G U Y S.
*insert gif of Sorcha from Emperor’s New Groove making the hand gesture from the beginning when he is talking about his village*
Forbidden love. The sweet sweet angst. The slowest of burns. A character who falls hard while the other character takes their time. SO ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. This romance was crafted for me.

Kate

OH GOD THE ROMANCE. I was not going to touch the fishy, but you did, so here I am. I was worried when it started that would end up reading as little on the insta-lovey side, and I have never been more happy to be wrong. It was so angsty and delicious and I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.

Paige
Same, brah. Same.

Spin the Dawn is a precious pearl of a book. The only reason it doesn’t have 5 stars from me is because the pace wasn’t quite what I prefer. The gorgeous cover and Mulan description made me want to read it ASAP and I was so excited when I was approved for this arc. The book itself was just as awesome as the cover! Lim takes us into an East-Asian inspired fantasy world with a setting very similar to China, and mythology that seems lightly based in Shintoism (the sun goddess Amana/Amaterasu is upset by a and the sun goes away, creating the cycle of night and say. There are even mythical decedents of Amana, though they are not royalty like in Japan.

The novel is about a girl named Maia, who is “enlisted” like Mulan to replace a male figure. In this case, she is taken to compete to be the new Imperial Tailor, as the Emperor’s old tailor just died. The book Is broken into three parts, all with their own intrigues. In the beginning you’re learning about how the Summer Palace works, how the social hierarchy is laid out, and how the book understands and defines magic. Later on, Maia has to prove herself by going on a thrilling and dangerous adventure to make mythical dresses out of the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of the stars. Are these ingredients even real, and does Maia have what it takes to collect them???

The book didn’t ‘twist’ persay, as I feel twists include a bit of a jolt in the narrative, but the ending was certainly unexpected. There were many parts of it I didn’t see coming, but it all flowed together perfectly- the ideal balance! If you’re looking for fantasy, magic, and/or #ownvoices rep- Lim spins the perfect tale with Spin the Dawn!

Beautiful cover art! The story took me a little bit to get into, but then it was wonderful and different. It really was an amazing story with so many twists and turns. A nice read, not a favorite, yet looking for the sequel! Good book with good characters! A nice read!

I really really loved the premise of this. The first part of the book focuses on a Mulan/Project Runaway-eque storyline in which Maia must participate in a competition to become the Emperor's tailor, wherein she disguises herself as a man. I really enjoyed this part of the story and thought it would end here, but was pleasantly surprised when the second half of the novel focused on her journey with the Lord Enchantor, Edan to retrieve magical materials to make dresses for the Emperor's betrothed.

While I was apprehensive about Edan at first, I slowly got the feeling that this was intended and built up his character for readers to trust and like him more and more as the story progressed. Of course, I do feel that Maia could have done everything on her own, without his aid, but I actually liked the romantic aspect.

There were a couple of spots in the story that could have gone into a little more detail (such as Lady Sarnai and her position in the court and as the Emperor's bride-to-be) but I feel like in subsequent novels after this that they will hopefully be explored more.

This ended on a cliffhanger, and I can't wait to see how the sequel will be! A great first start to a series!

This is a decent book with bad disabled rep, a bad crossdressing storyline, and a romance i couldn’t care a lick about. i really wasn’t a fan much at all. I didn’t like Maia. I didn’t like Edan. The most interesting character was Lady Sarnai and she didn’t get any development like i wish she had. A real disappointment

4.5

Maia Tamarin loves being a tailor more than her brothers do, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well—tailors cannot be female.

But Maia’s brothers are not there to take over when Maia’s father, who is very ill, is summoned to court. Maia’s father was once famed for his work. Now he’s too ill to go, except that imperial invitations do not have a “I can’t” option.

So Maia poses as a boy and takes his place, knowing that she can be executed if she’s found out. She gets to the imperial capital to discover that she is one of twelve tailors competing for the job of making the soon-to-be imperial princess’s wedding gown.

Some of these tailors will do anything to win. Anything. Talent is not enough, Maia soon finds—she has to be watchful, clever, and suspicious of everything. Meanwhile, she catches glimpses of the woman who will be princess, a rather dangerous undertaking, further complicated by the fact that Maia has drawn the observant gaze of the court magician, Edan.

The tension mounts when Maia is issued a challenge that seems impossible—or die trying.

This was a real page-turner, with lots of popular fantasy tropes with an overlay of Chinese mythology. It’s not nearly as steeped in Chinese culture, complexity, and art as the work of Cindy Pon and Jeannie Lin, for example—it reads more like contemporary fantasy. This is not a complaint, just an observation. Lim has created an interesting fantasy world, painted with vivid imagery.

The characters of Edan, the princess, and emperor, and above all Maia drew me right in with their complexity. I inhaled the novel in two sittings, to discover that it’s part of a larger arc. I want to read the rest!

2/5 stars

This is one of those instances where I just couldn't get into the writing style. It's extremely fluid, which is usually amazing; but the scenes went by so quickly that they felt rushed. There wasn't that grounding element to the prose which is necessary in fantasy fiction.

Also, the character and plot didn't feel unique. I understand this is a retelling, I was hoping for the "Mulan" trope to be done in an interesting, special way,,,,,,,,and it wasn't.

Overall, this just wasn't for me; and this was one of my most anticipated reads! My heart is a sad pile on the floor.

Full review to come on my blog closer to publication date :)

I really enjoyed my time reading Spin the Dawn. It's such a beautifully written story enhanced by the rich mythological details and the magic system. I loved the writing style; it was beautiful and detailed without complicating the already complicated mythology surrounding the central story. I also loved the quest aspect of the novel, which doesn't start until the second half of the book. The first half, on the other hand, contains a competition element that I also really liked reading. As a character, Maia was strong and confident despite her low position in society. She is fiercely protective of her family, and she becomes just as protective of Edan, who was my favorite character. I highly recommend this book to any lover of fantasy.

“Seize the wind,” I whispered. “Don’t become the kite that never flies.”
IF you’re going to judge any book by its cover I’d recommend this one since the inside is just as amazing and gorgeous as the outside.
before we talk about the actual content of this book....please gift yourselves at least 30 seconds to stare at the beauty that is the cover.
I mean....
OKAY! sorry can you tell I really love the cover??.... anyways.....

This magical ( ;) ) story is about a girl named Maia who poses as her brother to become the Imperial tailor. If that doesn’t immediately hook you in then don’t worry because there’s also adventure, magic, and a romance that’ll have you screaming out loud .... or was that just me....?

I almost felt like I was reading two books because when I got to Part Two I saw I was only 40% done and I got really excited because : more book to read

I will say this.... this entire book is so unexpected. It took a completely different turn than I originally expected it to. I will say I enjoyed the first half a bit more than the second but they were both amazing in very different ways and THAT ENDING....I'm a mess. I'm even more of a mess knowing that this isn't even released yet which means more waiting for a second book. :(

The writing was so beautiful and ugh It was great. I haven't read many books where I'm immediately worrying about the characters--It usually takes me a bit to actually....care about them, but NOT THIS TIME GIRLIES. I was ready to cry a few pages in....maybe that's just me right now.

The characters were so amazing. Maia is my strong queen and I love her and her fierceness.
What's my thing you ask? complex female characters. If you understood that reference, add me immediately.
I could go on and on about this book but I don't wanna spoil anything (there is A LOT to spoil folks just you wait and see). Soooo read this book! So excited for it's release :')
“One woven with the laughter of the sun,” I whispered. “Another embroidered with the tears of the moon, and lastly, one painted with the blood of the stars."

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley. Thank you <3

DNF 20%

I've decided to start DNFing more books, especially if I feel like I would not give them above a 3 star. There is nothing inherently wrong with this book, I just prefer my characters to have a bit more agency/personality. I'm 50 pages in and have been given no information about the MC other than she likes her family and to sew. Nothing else (the plot, setting, prose, etc) are really shining, so I'm just going to move on to something else I think I would enjoy more.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I absolutely loved this book. Amazing!! Top 2019 new releases!!

The first thing I want to say is how I adored the beginning. It really worked for me and gave me the vibe of a Robin McKinley or Diana Wynne Jones sort of opening. It felt magical and alive and it was brilliant.

Also HOLY CRAP TAMORA PIERCE BLURBED IT. This book felt truly magical to me. It reminded me of everything I loved about fantasy while growing up and then when I saw Tammy Pierce herself say good things about it I knew the vibes were right.

One of the things I loved most about the story was the hero's journey aspect. Maia travels to the court, stuff goes down at the court, Maia travels through the land, and in each section of trip she learns something new about the characters around her, the world she lives in and ultimately about herself. That's the true beauty of it all..

Maia is truly challenged in the story and she rises to those challenges. Seeing her go through the ups and downs is exactly what I look for in quest like fantasy's like this.

The Chinese culture spread through it all was perfect for me. I grew up loving stories set in those worlds and seeing the real things on paper, written by Chinese voices just makes me so happy. I know in my heart this is a book I would have wanted to read as a teen.

The imagery is beautiful. Gowns made of the stars pull the sort of description exactly as you would think. The beautiful cover really supports the language found underneath. The last act of the novel takes an epic turn, setting up for the continuation of the story in a way I am so excited to join the ride for, I cannot wait to see the resolution of this trilogy and see what else Liz has in store for us!

“Project Runway meets Milan” is too trite to describe this book. It’s gorgeously written, the descriptions are more than just beautiful. The story is compelling and the main character is easy to love and root for.

This was a pleasure to read, I believe I’ll be reading this one again, as well as looking for more titles from this author. Amazing book. Captivating.

2.5 stars.

Spin the Dawn had such a promising premise (and cover), and at first I thought I might rate it higher, but the second half definitely underwhelmed me.

For a book pitched as being like Project Runway, there was a lack of competition; this aspect was only present for the first third or so, then it became a journey story that had too much romantic drama. I did think the world, though narrow in scope, was interesting, and the mythology surrounding Amana and the three dresses also made for a great task the main character had to embark on. I had fun reading most of the book—despite my issues with the writing and protagonist, which I'll get into later—and could overlook how there wasn't very much depth, but then the romance flared full force, and it kind of killed the book for me. I absolutely loved Maia and Edan's banter during the first half: it was fresh and witty, and they built a relationship that wasn't spoiled by an instantaneous romantic attraction. They could have been such an epic slow burn couple, so I didn't particularly like their declarations of love and the angst that followed. Edan was a pretty solid character, though I wish the side characters had been fleshed out to give them more agency. I mainly just didn't like Maia, which is one reason I disliked the romance: she was too passive, too petty for me to connect to and root for. The writing was decent and flowed well, but it did have a tendency to be overly dramatic, and exclamation points were used way too much outside of dialogue, which hardly ever works for me because of how immature it sounds.

The ending picked up enough to recapture my interest, but I don't think it's enough for me to read the second book when it releases.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Spin the Dawn is an excellent story - very much Mulan meets East of the Sun, West of the Moon (which, let's be very real, is one of my most favorite stories). The writing is gorgeous and the characters are well-fleshed out. I'm already looking forward to the next one (and I hope I get to review that one as well). Thank you so much.

There was so much to love in this book. The only thing I didn't love is that it's only book 1, and as such, there's no true resolution to the ending.

This book is being described as Mulan meets Project Runway, and for the first third of the story, that's a pretty acurate description. Maia's father has been summoned by the emperor to try his hand at being the official imperial tailor. Since her father cannot answer the summons, and since girls cannot be tailors, Maia dresses as her brother and takes his place. When she arrives at the palace, she finds that she will be competing with several other tailors for the honor of being the official imperial tailor.

I'm a sucker for fairy tale re-tellings, and there are also strong fairy tale vibes in this book. I recognized elements of Donkeyskin, and according to Lim, she was also inspired by other fairy tales and legends.

All the pieces are woven into an exciting, romantic adventure. I can't wait to read book 2!

I loved this so much, it went to my favorites list and I have the hardback pre-ordered!

Let me tell you people! Do not always go by what a summary says! When I read this was a cross between Project Runway and Mulan, I immediately put hitting that pre-order button aside. I'm not into those two descriptions. BUT, I saw it on Netgalley and thought I should take a chance. I'm so glad I did! SPIN THE DAWN is nothing like what I was thinking in that part of the description!

This book was everything for me. Let me try to keep this simple without any spoilers. Hmmm....okay, Maia is a tailor in her own right, but girls are not allowed to become tailors. <-- What?! I was like, are you for real?! Anyhoo, her dad was a famous tailor but since Maia's mom died he's not the same and he has become sickly. (I mean we all get old right?) So Maia is the one running the shop and doing all of the mending. Maia has three brothers but things happen to them so they are not doing any kind of tailoring.

THEN, one day some dude shows up saying Maia's father has to come to try out to become a Royal Tailor to the Imperial Majesty. We all know that's not happening...soooooo.. Maia pretends she is one of her brothers and goes up against some other men (some whom are real jerks) to try to win the spot of Royal Tailor. Maia is not just doing this for herself, she wants to get money to her family.

All kinds of shenanigans ensue and even some people trying to kill people! Geez!

Maia befriends Edan who is the Lord Enchanter and he's a bit of something else too. I wish I could tell you. I might come back with a spoiler section =) Edan takes a liking to Maia because he knows her secret and she's a good person; she has some magic too!

They end up on a quest to seek these amazing things to make dresses out of for the Imperial Majesty's soon to be wife. She doesn't want to be his wife but that's how it goes in these arranged things. Anyhoo, this that and the other happens. I was so happy and then I was sad because I'm not sure what the future is going to hold AND I don't have the next book yet!? Do I want to read the next book? I'm afraid! If I'm still alive, I will be reading it!

I love Maia and Edan so much and that's all that matters!

Happy Reading!

Mel ♥

*Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me a digital copy of this book to read.*

I was initially drawn to this book because it's marketed as "Project Runway meets Mulan." I'm a huge fan of both so I was already sold but this book is so much more than a Mulan retelling! It's a total reimagining of Mulan.

The first half of the book focuses on Maia and the competition to become the Emperor's next tailor. There's challenges, back stabbing, interesting characters, and magic! I love the addition of magic into this tale and Maia's reluctance to take advantage. We're also introduced to the Lord Enchanter who is easy to become enamored with.

The second half of the book is more about a journey that Maia has to go on to finalize her position as the tailor to the Emperor. She needs to find and create three looks from otherworldly materials. The Lord Enchanter, Edan, goes on this journey with her. This is where I started to get a little loss of interest in the story. It's clear that Maia is a strong and determined woman, she loves her craft and wants nothing more than to provide for her family. Once she begins to realize that she has feelings for Edan, which don't get me started on the age difference, it seems like she changes a bit. It felt like it was more about their connection and romance than most anything else. The ending didn't feel like an ending at all, I hit the next page expecting a new chapter and NOTHING! I'm hoping there's a sequel because I need to know what happens.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review