An superb sophomore companion in this series. Much like it's predecessor, UNRAVEL the DUSK does not disappoint. Elizabeth Lim weaves such a lush wondrous tale of Maia's adventure. There's war, court intrigue, breathtaking descriptions of fashion, magic, and love. Lim is a master of glorious silky prose. She's an automatic buy for me now.

For the most part I enjoyed this conclusion the the story but I struggle to give it an overall rating. It was a good story and a lot happened, but I feel like something was missing. I'm stuck between a 3 1/2 and 4 star rating. I did really like how dark it got though.

The beginning of the book started off a bit of a bore to me but when it picked up, it picked up. I loved watchig the struggle going on with Maia. Though there were times that she said or did things that were not quite her, the will to save her country and people always won out.

We got to see a bit of Edan but it wasn't like the first book. Edan was barely there this time and wasn't quite himself. Of course Maia, going through what she was, didn't leave a lot of room for romance. At leaset in the end, it did show that they still cared deeply for one antother.

The dresses still played a part in this story, which was fun to watch. I'm not entirely sure how the magic worked but it was interesting to see how they interacted with Maia and other characters.

I do think that there really could have been another book to this series. There was a lot that could have been expanded on and explaned better that would have let the story play out a bit more, without all of the hustle in the second part of the book, but I'm ok with how it ended.

So, I started reading this and got 117 pages in but put it down for now. I did like what I read in the beginning but due to what's going on in the world, I'm simply not in the mood to finish this book right now. I'm still going to complete it one day since I loved the first book. But that will be another day through my library but thank you for the review copy from the publisher to read!

I liked this better than book one. And I still didn't love it.

In this book, the stakes are raised, the characters (mostly Maia because Edan doesn't grow and no other character actually matters) have to find a way to keep the peace and save the land from the greed of both men and demons. 

Unfortunately, I just didn't care all that much. About anything that happened.

For me to enjoy a book, I have to care about the things happening in it. In order to care about the events, I have to care about the characters its all happening to. And I didn't. I didn't care for Maia or Edan (although I do still like him), and I didn't care for what they did or how they did it. Maybe it was because I didn't get the sense that there was too much development with them. Even Maia, pretty much remains the same, despite her impending transformation. I would have wanted her to give in to the darkness a little more, but then again, I do love a good descent into darkness story.  Edan was absent half the time, and when he did show up he didn't really do much.

I didn't care much about the plot either and that in part had to do with the writing. The writing isn't necessarily bad. It's just very plain. It doesn't let you assume things. It doesn't let you figure things out about the plot or the characters. It simply tells you. And then it tells you again in case you missed it. The book lacked suspense, it lacked tension because of it.

Lastly, I didn't love the ending. I think this should have been a trilogy instead of just the two books. The characters would have had more time to develop. The story and the world would have had more time to be fleshed out and explored. The ending wouldn't have felt so unsatisfying, perhaps.

In the end, this just wasn't for me. If you loved Spin the Dawn, you might also love this one. If you didn't love book one or felt ambivalent towards the whole thing, then maybe don't bother reading this book. Then again, this book has gotten mostly positive reviews so far so you might actually like it.

I read Spin the Dawn, a creative tale of Mulan meets Project Runway, last year and I loved every moment of it. Obviously, I was very keen on reading the sequel to get back with Maia, Edan, and Maia's magical scissors. While for me Unravel the Dusk faltered compared to the first book, this is still a series that I will solidly include in my all-time favorites list.

I mentioned in my review of Spin the Dawn that the protagonist Maia is one of my favorite characters. That continued to be true in Unravel the Dusk. After what happened to her at the end of the first book, she is battling inner demons and a curse while trying to save her beloved kingdom. Maia basically carried the weight of the world on her shoulders and she continued to fight for her country. It's admirable but at the same time, I was frightened for her safety. She had so much to deal with but she handled everything without a word of complaint. I loved that despite everything going on around her, she remained true to herself. I found the scenes of her having to deal with the curse to be particularly compelling. They shed light on what a mentally and emotionally strong character she was. Maia was a character who was easy to root for and you'll find yourself just crossing all your fingers that she will make it out alive.

I was slightly disappointed at how long it took, Edan, her love interest, to show up. I loved Edan so much in Spin the Dawn so I was looking forward to his relationship with Maia developing. Unfortunately for me, the romance took a backseat in this sequel. From a plot perspective, I understood why he wasn't as involved as in the previous book, but I am a romance reader, so I was hoping for more. When the two finally do reunite though, the relationship was very sweet. They were loyal to each other and they respected each other. I was glad that the author didn't resort to any separation or other person drama.

One aspect of this sequel that I really enjoyed was the characterization of Lady Sarnai, someone I saw as a villain in the first book. While she continued to have atrocious manners and personality traits, we also got to see a different side of her. Her journey was a brutal one in Unravel the Dusk and by the end, I was also rooting for her success as she grew into a strong leader. The villain in this book was also brilliant. I love a well-written evil villain who doesn't go away without a fight and I got that from the villain in this book.

As with Spin the Dawn, I was fascinated by the creativity and vibrance in Elizabeth Lim's world-building. Her writing is very vivid and I couldn't help but consume all the beautiful descriptions. Plot-wise, this book was much more action-packed than the first. There were times it felt like a lot was going on which made it hard to put the book down even for a short break. I did miss the more character-driven pace of the first book, but it wouldn't have made sense for the series finale.

Ultimately, Unravel the Dusk was an undeniably satisfying conclusion to a series that I adore. With Maia and Edan's journey over, I'm looking forward to reading whatever Elizabeth Lim writes next.

I loved Spin the Dawn last year, so Unravel the Dusk was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. It did not disappoint! I love Lim's writing style, and this sequel wrapped up the duology in the best way. Romantic, enchanting, and dark... everything I loved about Spin the Dawn was amplified in Unravel the Dusk. I'm so glad I was able to continue with Maia on her journey, and I can't wait to see what Lim writes in the future!

At long last the follow-up for Spin the Dawn has arrived! I inhaled the first book when I previewed it over a year ago and have been waiting (not-so) patiently for Unravel the Dusk ever since!

Was the wait worth it? Yes...and no. Yes, because once again the author has woven another magical tale incorporating a strong female lead with the beauty of Chinese mythology and folklore, which is what I loved so much about the first book. However, I was a little disappointed that the male lead was kept away for almost the first half of the book. He was another reason I loved the first book so much, so it was a bit of a let down to see him enter so late into the story. Other than that, I am still recommending this book!

I received a free e-ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Initial Thoughts

This is a book that I was dying to read since the second I finished the first book, Spin the Dawn. I loved that book. It had everything I wanted in a retelling and it somehow worked one of my favorite competition shows into the plot. I had really high expectations for Unravel the Dusk.

Some Things I Liked

Mythology and world building. I loved the world Elizabeth Lim created for Spin the Dawn and I couldn’t wait to dive back in. She only enriched the world more with additional myths and stories as well as giving more backstory to the magical scissors in the first book.
The romance. It was present, but it wasn’t overbearing. Furthermore, I liked that there was no ridiculous introduction of a love triangle and Maia never questioned her connection to Edan.
Moral greyness. I loved that Maia struggled with her inner demon, literally and figuratively. She constantly questioned her motivations and her decisions and I enjoyed seeing her character growth during this story. I also enjoyed this from a role reversal perspective. In Spin the Dawn, Maia was the rock and Edan was the morally grey character. Here, without his magic, Edan had to be stable and help guide Maia back to the good person he knew she was.

Series Value

I would love to read more about Maia and Edan’s adventures. Since it seems like we won’t get more of these characters specifically, I’d love to read more about the myths and side characters we met in this series. And, as luck would have it, Elizabeth Lim is currently working on a spin-off series set in this world!

Final Thoughts

I loved this book. Did I love it as much as I loved Spin the Dawn? No. Did I still love the characters, world building, and language? Yes. I am always going to be a fan of Elizabeth Lim’s writing style and I really enjoyed this series. The competition element and the descriptions of the dresses in Spin the Dawn set it slightly ahead of Unravel the Dusk for me, but both are excellent reads.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Reflection by Elizabeth Lim – if you liked the Mulan retelling aspect as well as the writing style, check out this Mulan story that Elizabeth Lim wrote for the Twisted Tales series.
The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas – again, if you liked the idea of a Mulan retelling, try this lesser known version by Sherry Thomas from 2019.
Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh – again, if you enjoyed the Mulan aspects of the story and the lush language, try this duology by Renée Ahdieh.

Unravel the Dusk which is the sequel to Spin the Dawn of the series , The Blood of Stars #2 has been on my list of most anticipated books ever since I finished reading the first part. I had great expectations from it. And I am so so happy that this sequel didn't just meet my expectations, it really went beyond my expectations and beliefs! In this book, we see the continuation of  Maia's journey to prove herself and save the people she loves. Her fight with the monster within herself and the voices that keep haunting her is what this book explores.

The plot as expected was exceptional. I love how unique the plot setting is. Honestly, the plot of this series is my favorite plot of all time. I love the well-balance pace and the development throughout.

I really felt attached to all the characters once again! I have always adored Maia and  Edan's character to bits but this book added Ammi and Lady Sarnai to my list! I kept looking forward to see more of them throughout the book! O will not reveal the details but I assure you that the characters in this book are so so well introduced and portrayed that you will definitely end up longing for them.

Elizabeth Lim's writing! I don't even have words to express how impacting her writing style is. Her words and writing style transports you into the world of the book. It's TRULY MAGICAL!!

As an ardent reader of fantasy 'coming-of-age' books, I sometimes find that new authors follow the tried and tested routes that best sellers before them have followed. I was glad when Elizabeth Lim did not fall into this trap with The Blood of Stars series in the first book. I was even more glad that she carved a niche for herself with the sequel.
The book begins where the first book ended. Maia and Edan have made the three dresses of Amana and Maia is still discovering all of the dresses' magic. She is now bound by a vow to Bandur and will soon forget all of her human memories and become the Guardian of the Isle. But given that her heart is good and full of love, Edan is convinced that they can stop the process. If this was not nearly impossible to accomplish, they must also stop the war that's been plaguing their country for 5 years and save all of its people while remaining one step ahead of the demons at all times.
One of my biggest pet peeves for a lot of young adult fantasy novels is how awful the characters are at communication. Something that could have been prevented had they just spoken to each other is now a major source of contention for everyone. To me, it seemed to potentially propagate unhealthy relationships in young readers who wouldn't know any better. However, to my pleasant surprise, Unravel the Dusk was the definition of good communication triumphing over everything. While Maia and Edan are both tormented by their own worries, they talk to each other about them and formulate a plan together. What is even better is that they actually stick to the plan. We don't have a character thinking they know what's best for the other and taking matters into their own hands. While Maia is slowly turning into a Demon and is haunted by violence, she makes a conscious effort to hold on to her humanity and come back to Edan to try and work things out.
Another thing that I loved about the book was how realistically the author portrayed Princess Sarnai and Lord Xina. They are traumatised and act like it. They are not miraculously cured by a single act of kindness. They take time to process what they have gone through and make decisions based on that. There was no part of the book that I did not like and can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

Not only is Unravel the Dusk an incredible sequel, but it is also a fantastic conclusion to an already fantastic series.

Spin the Dawn was a fantastic opening novel to the Blood of Stars duology and Unravel the Dusk was able to keep up the incredible momentum.

Great Development of Maia

One of the best things about this novel was the character development. Maia was a good character in the first novel, but Lim builds off that, allowing her to grow exponentially. Maia is facing her darkness now whereas, in the previous novel, she was facing her mortality and discovering her inner strength.

However, after the events of Spin the Dawn, Maia is slowly turning into a demon. This now means she has to contend with this darker side of her, her anger and desire for revenge.

It is interesting to see the evolution of Maia as she tries not to succumb to being a demon. Her evolution of being a demon makes the story more engaging because she fights it every step of the way.

Nevertheless, the temptation is too hard for her, and she rationalizes, tapping into the power to save people. It says much about her character because she is willing to put her well-being to save those who do not deserve it.

However, it also says much about the complexities of other characters. Look at the Emperor. He is cruel and vindictive, but he genuinely cares about his kingdom. And Lady Sarnai as well, a resentful cruel princess who has more honor than anyone. Alongside Maia, they are multifaceted characters who are complex and so very human. They are all so relatable and engage the reader because they give tension to the plot and enhance the character dynamics.

More Involved Plot

As for the story itself, it is both tension-driven and character-driven. Lim continues Maia’s journey, but it takes another look at the power of the dresses. The utilization of the dresses reflect so much, the mind, body, and soul, and they bring more magic to the story.

By taking this focus on the dresses, Lim expands the magic of the novel and the tension. However, the energy the dresses and character dynamics insert into the novel makes the novel compelling. Nothing goes according to plan for Maia, and the new relationships she builds with other characters is enriching. The evolution of Maia’s relationship with Lady Sarnai was a pleasant surprise. Once again, by developing Lady Sarnai from more than a resentful princess, it opened the door to so many opportunities. It created so much tension between the characters and reflected the growth of the story as well.

Final Thoughts

All in all, this is such an engaging story. The journey that Maia embarks on is incredibly powerful. There is slightly less adventure in this story as it focuses more on the impending war, but the inner turmoil Maia faces engages the reader. It is a story about the battle between one’s inner darkness, relating it to the reader on an emotional and enlightening level.

Unravel the Dusk was such a brilliant conclusion to the series. It has such fresh folklore to it, and it just engages the reader on every level.

“If dying is this beautiful, then I wish I were a tree too. I’d be happy to die and be reborn in the spring.”



Maia…I loved her in the first book and I was so happy to see her continue on her journey in the sequel. She has completed the impossible task of becoming the Emporer’s tailer…the first female one at that. This does feel like rather than being one seamless story with a smooth plot, it is broken in two halves. The first part of the book seemed a little rushed. Many important events happened so fast that I barely took a second glance at them. I feel they could have been slowed a little, pulling the reader just that much deeper into the story. There was so much happening so quickly that I almost felt out of breath by the halfway point, which is when things slowed down.



One issue I did find with the plot was my failure to fully connect with Maia and her struggle in this novel. Some felt superficial, almost as if it was unnecessary pressure.

I do have to say that Lady Sarnai truly had her time to shine in this book. She shows readers that unlike in the first novel, she is much more than a bride-to-be. She is a warrior, one not concerned with being liked by others. When she began to play a larger role in the plot, I truly fell into the story. The same goes for Edan. He was almost completely absent from the first half of the book. The romance between him and Maia was a HUGE part of why I enjoyed the first book so much. He appears later in the story but his presence was missed in the first half. He also felt like he wasn’t the same as what he was in the first…a fraction of that actually. I missed those romantic moments that pulled me in and made me swoon before.



I think my favorite part concerning the characters though was seeing Maia struggle with her demon side. She slowly loses her humanity and the author does a phenomenal job portraying her struggle with losing her humanity…the confusion and anger she begins to feel makes her seem so much more real. The POV writing really gets the reader in her head and helps them understand how raw that struggle is.

Magic, demons, and royalty oh my! I love that a system of magic was woven into this beautiful world. (See what I did there? I was able to thread a joke in there…haha ok I’m done now). This world is so well thought out, just like the first one. I do wish there was a little more background about the magick system. Some things that happen just because they do and there was no explanation of why or how it worked.

Unravel the Dusk is a wonderful conclusion to this duology. There were some pacing issues. The battles, romance, and character development are what really keep your attention while reading and at times it was difficult. It was overall a good read but It doesn’t live up the to Sping the Dawn. The fate of the Kingdom is at risk so grab your copy and follow Maia on her journey to save it.

I enjoyed Spin the Dawn a lot, and the sequel, Unravel the Dusk, was even better. (There will be some unavoidable spoilers for the first book in my review, so if you haven't read Spin the Dawn, look away.) This duology is a very loose retelling of the Chinese legend of Mulan. In this version, the Mulan character isn't a soldier, but a girl who disguises herself as a man so she can take her father's place as a tailor (a profession only men are allowed to do at the imperial court).

Unravel the Dusk picks up shortly after the end of Spin the Dawn. Maia Tamarin is now the official court tailor and her true identity is known. Her lover Edan is gone, and the country is on the brink of war because the emperor's intended bride, Lady Sarnai, has run off. And because of the bargain Maia made to complete the dresses of the sun, moon, and stars, she fears that she's turning into a demon.

The stakes are even higher in the sequel. Maia is desperate to save her country from a devastating war, even as she struggles with her ambivalence toward the emperor, who's not exactly a model ruler (although the alternative, the shansen, is far worse, as he will take the throne without any regard for life). Without Edan, she's struggling to make sense of her magic and what's happening to her. Maia shows a lot of growth in this book. She doesn't always make the best choices, but they come from desperation and so they make sense. I was always rooting for her.

I found the ending of this duology really satisfying, and I definitely recommend this series, particularly to anyone who's looking for some non-western fantasy.

Since we are familiar with the land, the characters and the looming conflict, it was easy to fall back into this magical tale. I was so happy to be reunited with Maia. She has grown so much as a character since the first book and it’s wonderful to see her come into her strength and fight her way through. She no longer needs to rely on Edan’s strength and magic to help her succeed.

Although Maia is stronger and a more capable fighter, the stakes are much higher in this book. Peace is no more and the demon inside her is desperately trying to overpower our beloved tailor. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book!

I loved seeing more of characters such as Lady Sarnai and Ammi. They were mostly lingering in the background in the first novel but got a bit more page time in this book which I appreciated. I do wish that we’d seen more of Edan in the beginning. He’s my absolute favourite (former) magic wielding book boyfriend and his romance with Maia is something I loved but I felt like I needed something more.

As with the previous book, the writing is just so beautiful. Lim manages to craft such an amazing world with apparent ease. Her descriptions weave this unbelievably magical tapestry in front of my eyes. The plot does moved quite quickly but does not lose any of its depth and I could easily navigate the world that Lim has created. The map definitely made things a lot easier. I always appreciate a book with a beautiful map.

Once again, I am in awe of the spectacular cover and how well it represents the story. There are so many hidden details on the cover that allude to things in the book and it’s small details such as this that make me over the moon happy.

In conclusion, I loved the end to this fabulous duology but if I could choose, I think book one holds a special place in my heart. These books have become a firm favourite of mine and I will be rereading them many times over in future!

Unravel the Dusk is the sequel to Spin the Dawn and the conclusion to the duology. I have to say that I am quite pleased this was a duology as it otherwise would have been quite dragged out and as it was the plot was just barely enough for this book.

The book starts us off very quickly after the ending of Spin the Dawn where Maia is still stuck at the palace, having to do the emperor's bid. One of those things is to pretend to be the emperor's bride-to-be which goes about as well as one could expect. From there on we move away we dive into the world and Maia's mind.

I enjoyed this book as its conclusion to the duology but that doesn't mean the book is without fault. One of the plot points surrounding Maia is that she is turning into a demon. We spend a lot of time in her mind repeating the same thoughts over and over again. It got a bit tiresome at some point.

What I did love was seeing more of her family present and getting to see more of a side character in the first book. It felt fitting for that person to go with them and learning a bit more about them.

All in all a good duology that I would suggest binge reading for the best satisfaction.

I enjoyed this but not quite as much as the first one - probably due to pacing - all the action seemed to be crammed into the last few chapters. But a suitably epic conclusion to an imaginative, romantic fantasy duology.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. You can see my full thoughts in this video review: https://youtu.be/zn5Oxa7QWhA

I'm going to give this 2.5* if i'm being generous. tbph this felt like the rough draft you write before adding in all of the actual character depth and growth and development. I really loved the first half of Spin the Dawn but I felt the third act completely derailed the promised story and veered off to left field. unfortunately this novel followed the same 180 degree track started in that third act.

Spin the Dawn sold us that it was going to be Mulan meets Project Runway and the first half delivers on that expectation really well. the plot is compelling the characters are interesting, we're rooting for Maia. But then for whatever reason the narrative drops that entire plot element and never finds it again. You can tell that the author put a lot of work into developing the first half of the first book, but I cant say the same for the rest of it. this sequel felt incredibly underdeveloped. plot elements are repetitive, often resulting in the protagonist taking actions that effect no change (external or internal) and winding up repeatedly back in the same place. there is negligible real interactions between the principle characters, resulting in to interesting or compelling character development. suffice to say, this sequel felt rushed and underdeveloped.

i'm sad. i wanted to like this duology but unfortunately, it just didnt work for me. i think this second book in particular needed a couple more rewrites (and probably another 6-12 months for the author to work on it) to flesh out the relationships between Maia and Sarnai, Maia and the maid (i've forgotten her name) and frankly, between Maia and Edan (their relationship is criminally underdeveloped in this sequel considering the emotional weight it's supposed to bear on the ending.)

5/5 stars

The finale to this story was everything I needed it to be! I just love Elizabeth Lim's way with words. The way she is able to weave the atmosphere, magic, adventure and romance within this series is amazing! It's easily one of my favorite YA fantasy series now.

FEEDBACK
I’ve been in a reading slump all month. And if it wasn’t for these blog tours I don’t know if I would have finished any books this month. I’m so glad this book was one of those. I really enjoyed the first book and this was a fantastic follow up. The beginning had me a little worried, and took me some time to get through but it picked up really fast. A darker tone definitely overtook this book, but it worked. I couldn’t imagine this being a lighter novel considering everything that happened. Even through the dark moments, there were still some that shined through. The development of the plot was fantastic and I found myself wanting more. There was so much more to this story than what appeared in the surface. A lot of feelings went into this story, and it shows.

While this had a great story, it was really the characters that made it. Maia was so different than the first book, but still the same. There was the obvious difference with her bargain with Bandur but it was so interesting seeing her inner struggle. What I liked about it, is this was done from the beginning. Maia was the same in the fact of what drove her – family, friends, and Edan. It was cleverly done and it made me really enjoy her character. I’m so glad we got more Ammi in this book. The development of all the relationships were executed perfectly and really enhanced this book.

“You feel it leaving you now. It’s becoming hard to breathe, little by little it suffocates you; you feel the fire within you dying.” His voice was matter of fact. “Stoke the flames, Maia. Let it burn”

FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim was a fantastic sequel. The story definitely took a turn that I wasn’t expecting and it was very well done. I’m so glad I continued with this book and it only improved upon the first. Maia was fantastically developed and her inner struggles made it so easy to root for her succession. Each additional relationship had such a good progression and I’m glad there was more story with Edan and Ammi. I highly recommend this book, especially if you liked the first one.

Maia is back from her journey. The kingdom is close to war. Edan is gone. Maia can feel the changes in her mind and body. She knows that she will eventually become a demon.

I really enjoyed this duology. This ones starts off action packed and stays that way throughout the book. I loved the characters. I also loved the way this one wrapped up.