"Spin the Dawn" is a beautiful start in this new series. The world-building is excellent and the characters are well-written and complex. If it were possible, extra stars would be given for the female strength portrayed in such a powerful way. I can't recommend this enough!

Wow. Holy crud. Wow. I am absolutely blown away by this amazing, beautiful, magical, and enchanting tale. The blurb does not do this novel justice at all. This book is so much more. SO. MUCH. MORE.

I could not put this book down at all. I read it in one sitting. The characters, the plot, the world building... all magnificently done and beautifully crafted! I really needed this breath of fresh air in my reading life. Maia is an inspirational, determined, exceptional, and stubborn character and I love her to pieces as a narrator.

I absolutely cannot wait for more from this author and this series. This has become one of my favorite reads of this year by far.

wow wow wow. i am truly blown away by how amazing this story is. the book blurb does this a slight disservice by pitching it as a cross between mulan and project runway. not because it doesnt have those elements, but because this is SO much more than that.

the story is captivating with enthralling writing and charming characters. oh my gosh. edan is one of the wittiest characters i have read in a while. his banter with maia is such a delight to read. from start to finish, i was entertained with every page.

but what really impressed me is the blend of cultures. the world is an array of different people and traditions and i love how this captures that so well. this story richly mixes the folklore of both east asian and middle eastern cultures and creates a vibrant setting, perfect for maia and her adventure. i love how this didnt just stick to one, like most stories do, but expanded beyond that. it made for quite an enchanting world to read.

i am so desperate to get my hands on the next book - if only i could find my own enchanter to make it happen!

I would first like to thank Penguinteen and Netgalley for sending me an e-copy for review.

I could not put this book down. It became one of my favorite books of the year. I love the way it did the Mulan retelling. I felt like it was perfect. I love the aspect of the competition and how it was done. I love the slow burn romance. It killed me and I loved it. Elizabeth Lim’s writing is so beautiful and unique. I would pick up any of her future books instantly. Pick it up if you loved Mulan as much as I did. This will fill your soul up.

Awesome book. It really had the mulan retelling feel. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to more from this author and this world.

First of all, let’s take a moment to admire this gorgeous book cover, because (in my humble opinion) it is one of the most (if not the most) beautiful covers of 2019.
And the best part: it pictures perfect the story that’s in the pages.

Spin the Dawn was one of the best fantasy books I read in general (but keep in mind, I haven’t read many of them).
I love how it was pitched as Mulan meets Project Runaway, because that is a perfect description, and overall I think a lot of effort was put into this book as a product, and I feel like it deserves even more recognition then it got.

I love how the world building was presented to us readers very slowly, step by step, and I can say I understand most of if, which is not often the case when it comes to fantasy.
This world was inspired by Chinese mythology and folklore. I am not familiar with it to be perfectly honest (but I would like to learn about it) and I can’t say how accurate it actually was or was it authentic, but from the standpoint of view of a reader who read this book as an entertainment tool, I can say that I really enjoyed every aspect of Chinese mythology and folklore, and I even learned something I didn’t know before (even though I think that wasn’t the goal of the novel).

I liked Maia as a narrator. She was not only likeable but also really easy to connect with.
The story is written in first person.

In this book women have almost no rights and are treated as property (like it was the case in the past), and I feel like Maia represents one of first females who opposed that.
I hope in next books more women will follow her steps.
Even though this is a fantasy, and we live in time when women have so much more rights then those in this story, it was still easy to understand and even identify with these women to some point.

We can say that the book has two main parts: an introduction to the world and characters, and the second, the journey.

I liked the second part so much more then the first one, because I already was so invested into the story, but also because we get to see some love development in it.

My favorite part of this whole master piece was love connection between Maia and her love interest. I understand why it could be controversial to some because he is much older then her (even though he doesn’t look that way) but I ship them together to the moon and back.

The last thing I’ll mention will be action scenes that were pretty intense, but as it usually happens to me when it comes to fast paced action and fight scenes, my brain turned off at some parts and left me confused.
I don’t know why is that, but it feels like my brain can’t process it when so many things happen all at once.
Thank God there are always slow parts after them where you can see the aftermath once again.

Overall, I really enjoyed Spin the Dawn. The more I think about it, the more I appreciate it.

I would highly recommend this one to ya fantasy lovers.

I hosted a blog tour for this 2019 debut (#SpinTheDawnTour), and I was so hyped because Spin the Dawn has one of my most favorite book covers in the history of book covers. Although my expectations were not met, I was swept away by this Chinese-inspired fantasy! I do have a few questions about its magic system, but I don’t care — I loved all the fairytale references that were lovingly sprinkled throughout the book, I loved the slow-burn romance, and I loved the story’s uniqueness.

Full review to follow (and will be posted on my blog!).

Spin the Dawn was a good start to what promises to be an enchanting series. Lim's debut novel is unique, with a wonderful mythology and intriguing characters. I loved seeing how Maia grew into her own over the course of the book. Plus I adored the competition between the tailors and how it all played out. The first half of the book was incredibly strong. The relationships between characters were well developed, there was political intrigue galore, and just enough magic to make me really curious about what would happen next.

However, I thought the second half of the book was a bit rocky. The reasons why are a bit spoiler-y though.
For example, Maia is faced with all of these impossible challenges that nobody has ever successfully attempted before. And she completes them all successfully in a few pages each. There wasn't any tension for me during this part of the book because it felt like there wasn't any chance she'd fail. It did pick up again toward the end and I actually loved the direction it ended up taking. There was just that bit in the middle that really didn't work for me.

I'll definitely be continuing this series! I loved the romance, the mythology, and the world-building. The characters felt so realistic and I'm excited to see how some of the choices they made in this book play out. If you're looking for a unique YA fantasy, I'd definitely consider picking this one up.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3.75/5 stars

My favorite thing about Spin the Dawn was that it has brought something new and fresh to the YA Fantasy genre. I had no clue that I needed a book about a tailoring contest and a quest to appease a future empress. But now that I have it, I think it something very new and fresh and very enjoyable.

Overall, the characters were very personable, and the writing was easy to read and enjoyable. Thread was not the only thing spun in this novel, and elaborate and engaging tale was spun as well. The book didn’t focus as much on the competition as I thought it would, but that ended up being a pleasant surprise. There was more to the story than I realized, and it seemed to be that way for the main character as well. I really enjoyed watching her brave character unfold, and reading her narrative. Often in YA lit, a “strong female character” is strong because she knows how to fight and does it well. Maia didn’t ever really fight, and she didn’t even really know how. She had a very different kind of skill, and her bravery and strength shone in unique ways. She was determined, brave, and caring.

The build up of the romance was enjoyable though short, and I like how the two characters interacted. A few moments felt a bit cliche towards the end, but the two characters devotion to one another was very realistically portrayed through the writing and overall pretty well done.

This book was an enjoyable tale that combined passion and adventure in a unique way. If you’re looking for a Fantasy read that is well written, brings something new to the table, and allows you to be swept away into a new world, this is a title o would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy to review.

My Thoughts:

I am going to make fun of myself for the next five minutes. To explain my first thought, first I would like to say that I don't usually read synopsizes (which I also just found out was a word). I do this because I don't see a reason in spending the time to read it when I could just read the book and it truly keeps me in the dark as to what the book is about and I can go in with only my expectations. I generally find out about the books that I am interested in by word of mouth, scrolling through book websites (like BN or NetGalley), or randomly picking up books at the library or bookstore. I heard about Spin the Dawn on Twitter and it sounded like a fabulous book! Then again I will read anything that is based in mythology. So when I read the book and I got to the "final challenge", I was surprised because a) I thought that this book was a standalone and that the second half was just going to be her in her new life and b) what was the point of the beginning of the book if there are going to be more trials. If she wasn't supposed to win in the first place then why not just make the first trials harder or skip them and go straight to the part where she is making the gowns.

If I am being totally honest, I didn't care for the first half of the book. It felt simple; I saw the plot twists coming a mile away. And there's the punch line, I saw the actual plot twists of the book but the part of the book that if I just read the synopsis I would have found out about was the plot twist for me. I still haven't learned my lesson about reading the synopsizes.

Back to the book, the writing was not that exciting to me. It felt like I was reading a book written by someone who wasn't yet comfortable with the craft. I gave the book 4 stars still because I had a fun time reading it. I didn't have any major issues with the plot. Maia is a character that I could easily cheer for. She was defying her culture and being fabulous about it. This book was more about the emotional journey that Maia went on than the physical aspect that is depicted in most books that deal with a trial. I didn't exactly care for the romance of the book. It was the we-have-to-pretend-to-be-together-to-not-die-but-it-turns-out-that-I-actually-love-you trope. Edan wasn't a character that I could initially get behind. He was a bit stuck up. I did warm up to him by the end. Though, in Lim's defense, I have been very hard to please in the romance department lately.

One note, like other Mulan retellings, this isn't exactly 100% her story. It takes place in a fantasy land similar to China and the main character who is female, dresses up like a guy to take her father's place after he is called on by the emperor. Though, to be honest, she was the best tailor of the family. It sometimes annoys me when people say that X is a retelling of Y when they only share a few common themes with one another that can be found in other stories. Don't get me wrong I will still read it but it can seem like the comparison was only made to get people interested not because it is actually there (like another Mulan retelling). Either way, Spin the Dawn takes from more than just Mulan's story which I can appreciate because I was experiencing a new take on other myths.

A few weeks ago, I had read A Dress for the Wicked and was greatly disappointed. In that review, I had mentioned that Spin the Dawn had a similar premise, and that I had heard amazing things about it. I figured that I needed to pick up this book and see if all the commotion was valid. I am happy to say that it was! Spin the Dawn was an incredible read.
The writing and characters are charming, with vibrant dialogue and backstory expertly weaved into the character’s conversations without seeming overbearing. The premise is Mulan-esque, with Maia, who is the daughter of a famous tailor, disguising herself as a man in order to take his place in a competition to become the imperial tailor for the Emperor. The competition; however, isn’t the main plot of the story, which I appreciated. Maia has to create three divine dresses that forces her to embark on a journey in order to obtain the rare materials needed in order to be successful. I loved Maia and the Lord Enchanter’s relationship. I was reminded of Daine and Numair’s relationship from Tamora Pierces’ Immortal series. I went into this book not realizing that it was going to be a series, and I need the next book ASAP!! Definitely check this one out.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The most striking thing about Spin the Dawn is how absolutely gorgeous its writing is. Even just “the laughter of the sun, tears of the moon, and blood of the stars” is so beautiful and metaphorical, and the rest of the book is just as stunning. This is definitely one of those cases where the writing is just as pretty as the cover!!

What if you were a girl in a vast dangerous empire and had to save your family? What if your family’s survival depended on taking on an impossible task?

Make me the dresses of Amana. One woven with the laughter of the sun, another embroidered with the tears of the moon and lastly, one painted with the blood of stars.

Maia Tamarin is a seamstress and she has to put her life in danger for the future empress of A’landi. Masquerading as a boy, she pretends to be the greatest tailor of the land…when in fact she is the best seamstress of her region. But can a girl serve as the royal tailor? She is about to find out.
In a palace where enchantment and magic is both condemned and celebrated, Maia will risk her future and her heart. Facing the future wife of the Emperor, the Emperor himself and the Emperor’s Enchanter, she will go on an impossible quest!
This was such an empowering read. I absolutely fell in love with the writing and the heroine. Female characters in YA are always a hit or miss for me but in this case, I adored our heroine. A powerful debut that comes to challenge every single theme and trope in YA fantasy. This is the kind of book that clicks all the boxes for me. Magic, strong characters, deep emotion, love and solid writing!
I devoured the book. I was never bored. The characters spoke to me and I felt deeply connected to Maia.
I also loved Edan. He was so unique and not your usual macho, brooding male we see in most fantasies nowadays. He was charming, funny and incredibly swoony.

I would give up the moon and stars if it meant saving him.
Him-the boy with no name and yet a thousand names. The boy whose hands are stained with the blood of stars.

The book is full of beautiful descriptions!!! One of the best reads of 2019 for me!!! I recommend it!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!

The only similarity I could find between Mulan and Spin The Dawn is that the main character disguised as a guy to help her family out in the quest of becoming the imperial tailor. Other than that, there’s no similarities or whatsoever, this story is good on its own. Elizabeth Lim has done such a great job at spinning a truly original and authentic tale with her words and tale telling skills.

This book has so many great plot points and it is very eventful. From the contest of becoming the imperial tailor to the quest of finding the impossible items to create magnificent dresses for Lady Sarnai. This book is so strong and you’ll never find it dull even for one second. The plot was very well written and developed. The writing style is just superb. I honestly couldn’t find any flaw.

The only two things that I have issue with maybe is the name of the characters and the romance part. Don’t get me wrong, even these two aspects have the good side and bad side. The names, I think, the author has sort of modernized them, which again, is very original yet for me, I would prefer if the names stick more on the Chinese side. Then the romance, is so well written. Maia and Edan are both very passionate. I love the conflicts going on in the relationship and why they keep pulling and pushing each other. It could be cringey at times, yet it’s good. So, basically, I still enjoyed these two aspects in the end of the day. yea, boo me.

This book also addresses on the status of men and women very thoroughly. I think this issue is discussed very well in this book, especially about the role of women. We could see it through Maia, Lady Sarnai, and also few other minor characters, on how they depend on the male’s statuses to get a good life instead of depending on themselves.

The ending though, I need the sequel NOW. That’s all I have to say.

Spin the Dawn blew me away! I'm recommending this book to anyone who asks for a recommendation.

I am looking forward to re-reading this on audiobook soon.

I'm so sorry, but this one just ultimately was not for me. I loved the ownvoices rep, and i loved the mythos behind it all, but it just wasn't for me. I think that this could have been such a powerful read, but it just ended up falling very short. But I can't wait to see what the author does next.

Spin the Dawn is a book full of magic and wonder, and Elizabeth Lim has the kind of beautiful prose that makes reading it easy, but also sad for the moment the book will end. I loved the story Spin the Dawn told, the world filled with colours and scents, all anchored in Chinese culture. I liked Maia, the protagonist, who is brave and determined and hard-working-- she kind of reminded me of Agnieszka, the protagonist from Naomi Novik's Uprooted; this is a huge compliment, because I love that book! The magic and the atmosphere were perfect, too--all the magical objects: the flying carpet, the magical scissors, the laughter of the sun / tears of the moon / blood of the stars--I loved them all so much!

There are only two issues I'd like to address in this review, because I think they're important to know before reading Spin the Dawn:
1) Harmful disability representation: Maia impersonates her brother who was wounded in the war and can’t walk anymore. She fakes a disability of her own, walking with a cane and limping. Due to that, there’s a lot of negative language surrounding the topic of disability and limping in particular; in general, disability is depicted as something that is solely negative and needs to be cured.
2) Age difference between the protagonist and the love interest: Maia is 18 and the love interest is… 500 years old. Truth be told, I didn’t find it that bothersome here, mostly because the love interest really didn’t read like a 500-year-old; it rather felt like he and Maia were pretty equal in age. That‘s why I think you should be aware of this when starting the book, but personally I still enjoyed the romance a lot; the almost hate to love, the banter and bickering--it was simply a lot of fun!

Overall, Spin the Dawn is a brilliantly written book, with the kind of world-building you could spend years and years reading about. I loved the protagonist, Maia, I enjoyed the love story (but, as stated above, you should be aware of the age difference), and I just think that this book is so much fun! I don't think I've read another book that had me so completely captivated, from beginning to end, in a long time.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Penguin Random House International and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.



Cheers to another Asian Fantasy novel filled with culture, myth, and romance! Spin The Dawn by Elizabeth Lim is an enchanting tale you shouldn’t miss!

The story is about Maia Tamarin, a girl who wishes to become a tailor like her father. However, only men are allowed to become one. When her father is summoned to participate in the Royal Competition for the title of Imperial Tailor, Maia disguises herself as a boy and enters the competition herself.

I can clearly see why this book is pitched as Project Runaway meets Mulan. The aftermath of the war left Maia and her family a great loss both financially and emotionally. She didn’t hesitate to carry the burden and hold her family barely by a thread. That’s why when an opportunity came, she knew that she could help her family to stand once again if she ever won the competition. With only the fierce determination and skills on her hands, Maia faced the challenges inside and outside the competition. I admire Maia’s character because she shows readers a different kind of strength that doesn’t involve some action-packed fighting. She showed that a woman doesn’t need to kick someone’s ass to be considered strong. Her only weapons are needles and scissors, and she wields them well. She earned her place because of her skills and hard work.

One more thing that I like about this book is how visually stunning it is. The dresses and places are vividly described. The overall atmosphere and mood is so whimsical as if you are in a fairytale. Although I enjoyed all the parts of the book, the first part is definitely a favorite of mine. I truly enjoyed the trials, and I love the tension and excitement it created. On the other hand, the second and third part focused on Maia’s journey for creating the otherworldly dresses that have been part of a popular myth. She had to obtain three magical materials, or else she and her family would face graved danger.

I’m lying if I say I did not enjoy the romance in this novel. I’m very pleased that the author chose a somehow slow burn romance, and trust and consent is the foundation of the relationship. The two main characters got to know each other while they were on their journey, and there their feelings for each other deepened.

I just wish this book has explained more about the magic and how and to what extent it can be used. It felt like the magic is just there for the sake of the plot. The ending is really surprising and I think it opens a door to a better world-building background. I really hope to see more of ‘the shimmering magic’ this series has to offer.

Overall, Spin the Dawn weaves a magical tale of romance and political intrigues!

4/5 stars!

Spin the Dawn has some gorgeous, atmospheric, fairytale-esque writing. The book is split into two major components—the first, a fashion design competition, and the second, what is essentially a road trip quest to gather items from a prophecy. I would have preferred the book to focus on one or the other, especially given how the relationship between Maia and Edan so drastically shifts between these two sections. That said, I definitely enjoyed each of these story components—I just wanted more of one or the other.

There is a plot element with harmful implications about disability (Maia's comments about her brother's leg injury and subsequent use of his limp as part of her disguise).

I loved the first part of the book. It started dragging around the second part where it turned into a classic quest. This was where it lost my interest, maybe because I'm over quest tales at this time (totally my fault, not any of hers!). Still, it was well written and Ms. Lim has a great way with spinning tales. I have to give her that! She writes so delightfully. I loved the world building, and the overall good-feel of the book. Excited to see more of her books in the future.