Thank you NetGalley for providing an e-ARC for an honest review.

I tried, I really did, but if a book has not captured your attention at the 60% mark, it is time to cut ties. It was a valiant effort, but I simply could not connect with the storyline of the final book of this duology. The first book, Spin the Dawn, was a delight and I was excited to conclude the journey, but sadly this book did not capture the magic of the first. At the 60% mark, Unravel the Dusk is still dominated by the refrain “still Maia, for now” and I could not muster any interest in her plight. The dilemma of succumbing to her burgeoning demon side was not compelling. Sprinkle that in with overly ornate language and a turgid plot, and you have yourself a literary disappointment. It is a shame really, because Elizabeth Lim’s writing is beautiful, replete with metaphors and similes that effectively deliver the reader to her sumptuous world. Despite her best efforts, however, she is unable to overcome her woefully deficient plotline. It is simply too insubstantial to stretch over 300 pages and should have been incorporated into the first book.

3.5 stars

As with the first book, Lim's writing is lyrical and lushly detailed; there's lots of East Asian mythology, expanding the worldbuilding I loved so much in Spin the Dawn with even more familiar stories. (No spoilers, but Unravel the Dusk prominently features another of my personal favorite Chinese folktales!) 

But to be entirely honest, I may have hyped this sequel up too much in my head, particularly because I was essentially expecting it to be much the same, maybe a bit darker. It picks up after Spin the Dawn, though the conflicts and stakes are quite different, which makes the plot structure quite different: rather than another quest with milestones, this was more of a will she/won't she gradual build. 

The narrative focus also shifts, with Maia and Edan separated — we see more of Maia's love for her family and her kingdom, which shows other sides to her character and leads to an interesting journey. (Not to say there's no romance in Unravel the Dusk, because there absolutely is!)

None of the above is inherently bad, of course, but it does mean that your feelings about Spin the Dawn may not be a great predictor for your feelings about Unravel the Dusk. So I guess you'll just have to read it yourself to find out. 😜

another magical adventure
This is the thrilling sequel to Spin the Dawn which was one of my favorite novels of 2019 and I was more than ready to dive back into Elizabeth Lim's beautifully descriptive writing as well as reunite with characters that I adore. Unravel the Dusk has the same high-stakes adventure that its predecessor has which kept me addicted and breathless the entire time through. There were moments where I had to stop because I was just worried about the characters - it truly made me realize how much I adored everyone.
As with the first novel, Unravel the Dusk is also broken into three parts and it's one of my personal favorite touches. Each part feels like a complete mini-story arc that blend seamlessly together for the larger novel. The development of the plot and characters was a gradual process but with each climactic moment, all the pieces fell into place.


for family and honor
One of my favorite aspects of this novel is the portrayal of friend and familial relationships. Like I mentioned before, I adore these characters and even the ones I didn't love hold a special place in my heart. Maia and Edan have made it onto my top fictional couples - despite their occasional disagreements, they're so supportive of each other and I was honestly so happy every time we got a scene with the two of them. Of course, I also adore Maia's relationship with her Baba and Keaton. Despite his age, her Baba still has a bit of sass that is honestly the best. There is also a particular scene with her family that just caused all the internal waterworks - I just love them all.
I also loved the friendship that developed between Maia and Ammi - we definitely need more amazing female friendships in YA and this is a great example! Another relationship that I was surprised by how much I loved was between Maia and Lady Sarai. Both are incredibly strong in their own way and while I wouldn't say they're friends, they have such a strong sense of duty and honor that their respect for each other was such a wonderful addition to the story. Lady Sarai definitely comes through and the exploration and development of her character are simply 👌👌.

the difficult sacrifices
I don't want to spend too much time on this because of spoilers, but this is another theme from the first book that carries over into the sequel. Maia's love for her family and country fuel her actions throughout the novel. Her character grows so much as she makes incredibly difficult decisions and struggles with losing herself in the process - she's a wonderful example where strength isn't limited to physical prowess but the dedication and fervor of one's heart.

Essentially, I adored this sequel and it definitely lived up to my expectations. 💕 💕

Unravel The Dusk is a beautiful finale to the Blood Of Stars duology. Our main character, Maia, showed a lot of integrity and courage throughout this book. Her character development, along with Sarnai's, was definitely the best journey that I as a reader have ever experienced. The writing style in this is beautiful, and the author brings this world alive in a way that kept me on my toes the entire time. I couldn't have wanted a better ending to these fantastic books. I highly recommend picking up the first book, Spin The Dawn, because you don't want to miss out on a series like this.

of the sun, moon and stars. Now she’s returned to the palace where a war is brewing, and she’s racing against time before she completes her transformation.

(Let’s just say it took me a while to get caught up on what happened in the first book because I’m a forgetful potato, but I got there eventually after wandering like a lost soul.)

After the mass cliffhanger in Spin the Dawn, I especially wanted to see what would happen to Maia. The majority of Unravel the Dusk is her battling two different types of power within her: the power within the dresses she sewed to become Imperial Tailor, and the demonic power growing. She’s in a constant battle to resist giving in and using more power and potentially tarnishing the power of the dresses with darkness. But what she also wants to do is find Edan, and protect her loved ones and country; she’s not afraid of doing what she needs to accomplish those goals, and we get to see this come to life as the story progresses.

Elizabeth Lim’s writing is just as beautiful as the first novel.
One of my favorite things from reading Lim’s past works is her writing style. The words flow so well together, and I’m just in love with how poetic and romantic they are; I can practically wrap myself in her writing and be comfortable in it. (The food mentioned in it made me hungry too.) I also liked how the sequel divides into three parts, each dedicated to the dresses as Maia learns how to utilize each power.

I am, however, a little disappointed with Unravel the Dusk.
I wanted to know more about Edan, considering how he was a mysterious character in Spin the Dawn. I loved his developing relationship with Maia and thoroughly enjoyed his appearance in the sequel, but unfortunately, he has very little screen time here. However, I still adore the two of them together! And I’m glad we get the chance to see Lady Sarnai once again; I love how she gets to shine a little here and takes no shit from anyone, much like when we first meet her back in Spin the Dawn.

I also think some parts in Unravel the Dusk were a little too easy for Maia; it just seemed convenient with her magic scissors and the powers she can access. While there are challenges for her near the end where there is more struggle, I did wish there were more of it earlier through the novel. Overall though, I enjoyed the sequel to Spin the Dawn, and I can’t wait to see what Elizabeth Lim comes up with next.

From start to finish, Unravel the Dusk is action-packed and fast-paced. Elizabeth Lim doesn't give you a second to catch your breath, and at no point did I even have the chance to stop and think, wow, I'm kind of bored. There was no room for that thanks to the sheer ANGST. Whereas Spin the Dawn is more of what I consider a coming-of-age, fantastical adventure, Unravel the Dusk manages to retain the magic while still focusing on Maia's descent into darkness as she gets closer and closer to becoming a demon.

While Spin the Dawn is obviously a love story, whether you consider it Maia and Edan's or Maia learning to love herself, so is Unravel the Dusk. Despite the fact that Maia's relationship with Edan is not the focal point of the sequel, it is still very much a love story, but this time, it is Maia's love for her country and her family that takes center stage. There are still extremely sweet and tender moments between Maia and Edan that made me fall in love with them all over again, but at its core, Unravel the Dusk is about Maia's quest to save her country and not lose herself in the process. Maia is quite literally dealing with her own demons, and that proves to be just as much of a struggle as defeating the shansen and saving A'landi. She has to rely on her internal strength, but she can't fight all of her battles alone. One of the things I truly loved about Unravel the Dusk is that Maia finally learns how to ask for help, and sometimes, she finds it in the most unexpected of places.

Read my full review here: https://loveyoshelf.com/2020/07/01/blog-tour-and-review-unravel-the-dusk-by-elizabeth-lim/

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

UNRAVEL THE DUSK

Magic was the blood of stars falling from the sky, the song of my enchanted scissors—eager to make a miracle out of thread and hope.

"A long time ago, a foolish girl was asked to weave the sun, embroider the moon, and paint the stars, three impossible tasks she did not believe she could accomplish."

UNRAVEL THE DUSK is a gorgeously composed sequel to a lush and enthralling YA fantasy. Readers will appreciate the world-building, beautiful characters, and nail-biting action.

Unravel the Dusk is a the gorgeously composed final installment in author Elizabeth Lim's The Blood of Stars duology.

Maia is a tailor who takes her brother’s position to disguise herself and competes in competition for a place as the imperial tailor. The demon Bandur touched her while gathering the necessary supplies to craft the goddess's three fabled dresses made of sunlight, moonlight and stars blood. She has freed the boy she loves, Edan from an oath, by becoming the guardian of Lapzur. The curse by demon Bandur is starting to effect her, and is slowly losing herself to darker forces as the transformation is taking hold of her.

“Seize the wind. Don’t become the kite that never flies”

An exceptional written Ya Fantasy, full of adventure and incredible character development. A book that drew me in and I was completely immersed within its pages. High stakes adventure will keep you on the edge of your seat. Vivid lush world building along, along with mythological legends makes this a stunning book

Two years ago, I pronounced Spin the Dawn as one of my favorite fantasy novels of 2019. I wish I could say the same of Unravel the Dusk. That’s not to say it’s not good or that I didn’t enjoy it. It just didn’t have the same spark for me as its predecessor.

I think what I’m missing, is exactly what Maia herself finds missing throughout her journey — creating something out of nothing. Her masterpieces practically jumped off the page. The whole creation process was fascinating.

This time around, instead of sitting next to Maia as she creates her masterpieces, you are next to her on the battlefield. Once again you follow her through stark landscapes. The world Lim has created is just as tangible. You feel the cold, you see the battles play out before you. Lim’s world-building is excellent.

As a pair, Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk balance each other. The light and dark and everything in between settle into the words Lim has weaved throughout. They belong together.

Tell me, Elizabeth Lim, is this truly the end? I want more, damn it all!

I just finished reading an ARC for Unravel the Dusk, and I can’t confidently say that this is truly one of my favorite series to ever bless my eyeballs.

I’m really honored to have been apart of Maia’s journey. Her growth from an introverted seamstress to the Imperial Tailor has been full of so much triumph and struggle. I’m just sorrowful that it’s over… (unless it isn’t?! Please Lim, say there’s more to come??)

Honestly, there aren’t enough words in any language for me to properly profess my happiness and love for this book.

Also, I would like high definition prints of both of the book covers to plaster on my walls. My husband can deal. I would also love to see what the dresses of Amana look like. I just..

Can we get some film rights going??? Disney?? Please???

Book Reviews
Unravel the Dusk

I received a free eARC from NetGalley of Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim in exchange for an honest review.

6/19/20
Starting the book off, I liked how Lim very briefly went over what happened in Spin the Dawn and then continuing on seamlessly with the story. She didn't re-explain every character like some authors do, if anything she alluded to each character's role & current situation without going "this is her brother, this is her mother".
The army breaching the palace was my type of battle scene: short and to the point. I really hate when battles & wars drag on, so being able to read a sparknotes-type battle that says "this is what happened in general" is my type of battle!
I like how Lim shows the internal battle in Maia with the demon part of her brain trying to influence her. You get to see the "what I'd like to do" vs. "what I should do". I'm ¼ of the way in currently & I really want her to give in once to see what happens.

6/29
Excuse me while I mop up my tears over the last few chapters of this book! So beautiful! The ending of the book was enchanting and beautiful, so full of love! Makes me want to go hug my boyfriend, who reminds me of Edan by the way, and cry for hours.

I loved the first book in this duology, but I might love this sequel even more. This story follows our characters through the fall out of the trials and quests they completed in the first series. It is definitely darker but also has a lot more magic and suspense. The first book had a problem with feeling like two stories in one, but this one felt like a fully detailed and plotted follow up so we find out what happened after the cliff hanger ending before. I love the magic system and vivid settings. The magic dresses made in the first book are back and more powerful than ever. The villains are more cunning and the story has more twists. Overall, the stakes are raised and I was instantly transported back to this world to root for these characters. The journey of this story played on the magic and mythology while also showing new sides to the characters. I really really liked the ending which had me on the edge of my seat and then smiling when it was all over. I loved the Chinese culture and mythology which made this world so rich and vivid while reading. I wish more people would read these books. I highly recommend this duology, and it is "clean" enough for younger YA readers, while also being packed with suspense

Unravel the Dusk picks up where we left Maia: readying for the marriage of the Emperor and Lady Sarnai and Maia dealing with turning into a demon. Nonstop action and adventure follows clear to end of this sequel, leaving readers turning the page to find out what could possibly happen next.

I loved Spin the Dawn and was so excited to get my hands on an e-ARC of its sequel (which comes out on my birthday, July 7th!). I liked the slow build of the first novel and really digging into the characters throughout the book. The second books leaves that behind in favor of quick action right from the beginning. (Which is the only reason I'm giving it 4/5 stars.)

I really enjoyed reading the change in Maia as she fought for her humanity against the demon inside her. It was quite different from who we got to know in the first book.

Not to mention--Edan's back and fighting for their love.

Overall, I really enjoyed Unravel the Dusk and loved being back in the world that Lim created. I can't wait for her future books!

3.5/5 stars

SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE FIRST BOOK :))


I think I liked Spin the Dawn better 🙊 but I’ll elaborate I promise. I definitely recommend you finish this series haha, it’s still amazing… I just didn’t think it held up to the bar the first one set.

Recap: At the end of Spin the Dawn, Maia was able to survive and sew Amana’s three dresses, gaining a wish and the power of the dresses… but at a price. The demon Bandur touched Maia, cursing her to transform into a demon and guard the Isles of Lapzur. Edan, the emperor’s enchanter and the love of Maia’s life, took the curse from her to save her, but she used her wish to save him from that curse and from his oath to the emperor. She lied and told him she was ok so he would leave the palace and live his own life as she changed into a demon. She returned to visit her family and was able to heal her brother’s legs.

Now, Maia has to navigate and survive inside the palace, even as the threat of war looms over the land and on her shoulders, even as she feels the tug of the Isles grow stronger and her eyes glow redder, even as she misses Edan and the life they could’ve had together. Just as peace begins to appear on the horizon, agreements fall apart and secrets are revealed, leaving the land in shambles and Maia on the run. As she loses herself, her path becomes blurred, and her decisions will change the course of history - for better or for worse.

I’m going to be completely honest, I was the tiniest bit let down by this book. I feel horrible saying that because I did enjoy it and I know it’s good - maybe it’s just me?? I just feel like Spin the Dawn set the bar sooooo incredibly high - the pacing, the romantic development, the characters, the plot, everything is so well-executed that this one doesn’t quite measure up. But I’ll explain…

First of all, the pacing feels a little wonky in this one. When the book starts, it’s like zero to sixty in two seconds, but as it progresses to the middle half it slows down tremendously. And in the last fourth, it speeds up so fast it gets confusing and doesn’t spend enough time with important, climactic moments.

That combines with the fact that Maia is indecisive as crap - and then when she makes a decision, she doesn’t ever really tell us what the decision is?? It just felt to me like from the options given to her, the decision was pretty obvious, but she never really made a decision, so that piece of the story ended up way too drawn out. I’m not sure if that made any sense out of context, but for a good chunk of the book this frustrated me so much.

I still love Edan though!!! 😄 He is the sweetest little cinnamon roll I’ve ever seeeeen. His wholehearted devotion to Maia, omg she kinda doesn’t deserve him but it’s ok. And I still love the mythology, the culture, the romance - the plot aspects that carried over from the first one!

So ultimately, if it wasn’t obvious, this book made me super conflicted. I probably contradicted myself in this review, haha. I just don’t know if the things that irked me were just me and how much I loved Spin the Dawn, or if they’re actually problems the book has - or both?? Maybe y’all should figure it out for yourselves, who knows if I’m reliable 😂 I do recommend reading this if you read the first one; how could you not with that cliffhanger? But if you’re hesitating, I recommend you finish the series and get the loose ends tied up for yourselves :)

This was a thrill ride sequel to Spin the Dawn. Both the books in this series really set the tone for amazing young adult fantasy. The first one was a drink of water with Mai fighting to win a dazzling competition . This one was a raging inferno as she is forced to hold on to her humanity but also to embrace the demon inside. Each chapter was breath taking and in some ways heart breaking. I was swept away by it and was very very satisfied with the ending.

Wow this is a perfect sequel the Spin the Dawn.

Ever since she was touched by Bandur, she could feel the evil rising in her and she manages herself to not loose control of the magic. When she re-enters Autumn Palace on the brink of war, she wants to help protect the Kingdom. She now has two goals, to protect everyone she calls home, and to not turn herself into a demon. Maia deems to do the impossible with the 3 magical dresses she spun and her new powers that will help save the kingdom. But only so much can keep the evil contained!!

Much like book 1, this is also fast paced, character driven and made me love Maia even more. Her grievances and lessons from book 1, has made her more competent and bold. The ending surprised me and it will surprise you.

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Knopf and Elizabeth Lim for the ARC. This review is my own and not influenced in any way!

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

Lim set an incredibly high standard with the first book of her young adult duology. <i>Spin the Dawn</i> was an incredibly fun, innovative take on familiar tales, wrapped up in a gorgeous Chinese-inspired setting. While <i>Unravel the Dusk</i> is not as strong a a book, it is still an enjoyable, fast read better than many out there.

The premise of the first book is that Maia is a gifted tailor, something women should not be. In a Mulan-like move, when her war-injured brother is ordered to court to sew for the crown, Maia disguises herself as a man and takes his place. Court intrigues ensue, resulting in Maia being sent on a quest to obtain impossible dress materials, all in the company of a very unpleasant enchanter. Of course, the enchanter becomes less unpleasant as the quest continues, and her blossoming romance with Edan is one of the delights of the book. That, and reading about sewing from such a magical angle.

And the absence of those two things is a reason why <i>Unravel the Dusk</i> suffers, especially through the Edan-less first half. Without going into spoiler territory, I will say that Maia bears a nasty curse and is in danger of losing herself. The book has lots of action and adventure and reads at a fast clip, but with little sewing, and no Edan around til nearer the end. Things get really good at the climax, though, as the awesome elements come together again. The end delivers some genuine feels.

Again, it's hard to judge a second book in a series when the first is SO GOOD. This one is still a full four-stars-out-of-five read and well worth reading. Everything does come together in the end.

"A long time ago, a foolish girl was asked to weave the sun, embroider the moon, and paint the stars, three impossible tasks she did not believe she could accomplish."

Unravel the Dusk is the second and final installment in author Elizabeth Lim's The Blood of Stars duology. Unravel picks up where Spin the Dawn left off. The book is broken into three parts each relating to the dresses that Maia created and now must use to defeat a dangerous enemy. One of the biggest storylines of Spin the Dawn was the competition to become the imperial tailor and the epic journey by protagonist Maia Tamarin to craft the three fabled dresses made of sunlight, moonlight and stars blood while also freeing her love Edan from his oath.

But the task resulted in Maia being cursed by a demon named Bandur who guards Lapzur, thus becoming a demon herself. The transformation is underway, but it is not yet complete. The story isn't just about finding a way to stop Maia’s transformation, but also saving her home, A'landi from being overrun by the shansen who has made a blood pact with a demon. When an attempt to unite two kingdoms with the marriage between Emperor Khanujin & Lady Sarnai backfires, war is inevitable. Without Edan’s powerful magic bound to the emperor, the shansen sees his chance to finally get what he wants with devastating consequences.

Maia finds herself trapped in both her secret vow to a demon and yet another war that could kill thousands if not stopped. It’s only a matter of time before Maia loses everything dear to her. Her memories, her freedom, her humanity all tied to the 3 dresses which she created. Three dresses that only seem to respond to her when she puts them on. Maia knows that her new powers are what A’landi needs. Despite all she has to lose, Maia’s greatest concern is the future of the Kingdom, the Enchanter she loves, and her only remaining brother and father. The stakes were much higher in this story, and Maia is trying her best to cling to her humanity.

Maia and Ammi’s friendship was a welcomed addition even though Ammi tried hard to not accept Maia’s apologies into hiding her real identity from her best friend in the Castle. Maia’s relationship with Lady Sarnai is one of conflict and finally, I think, mutual respect and admiration. Sarnai is truly a badass and the kingdom of A’landi needs her to take control before everything is lost. Sarnai is also one of the few to know that Maia was female not her brother Keton. Because of Maia’s curse and the state of the nation, we didn’t get as much Edan-Maia time until the second part of this story. But what we do get, is satisfying. Especially the ending.

"A needle is to a tailor as a sword is to a warrior. It is not that different. But, the needle is not the only tool a tailor wields, and a sword does not make the warrior."

What can I say? I expected to love the sequel since I loved Spin the Dawn but I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. The emotions throughout the entire book had me on edge. I really loved seeing the side characters from book 1 have more appearances and helped Maia grow as a person. The devotion of her friends as well as Edan, them loving her no matter what. They all stood by her side to the very end. I also loved the constant battle of Maia's heart and her demon self. That felt very real and personal.

I can't recommend these books enough and Liam has become one of my favorite authors and will be an autobuy!

Maia has achieved the impossible. She was able to create dresses out of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, bringing their light into actual cloth and turning them into clothing. But this didn’t come without a great cost. With her country still on the brink of war, Maia must find a way to protect the people she loves, all while battling the demon that now lives inside her, the demon that came as a result of a deal she made. Can she overcome the darkness inside, and save her country from another devastating war?

I received an advanced reading copy of Unravel the Dusk in exchange for an honest review.

Unravel the Dusk is a fantasy young adult novel by Elizabeth Lim. It also happens to be the sequel to Spin the Dawn, which I read and reviewed last year. I actually also got an advanced reading copy of Spin the Dawn last year, so to get Unravel the Dusk this year made me feel like the luckiest girl alive!

So, I have something to admit to you guys. I only read Spin the Dawn once, and besides having vague recollections on the plot, almost everything else from the first book was a blank. It was hard diving back into this world, actually, since I’d forgotten so much about it. But after a few chapters, I was back in the groove, and could keep people and plots straight again. It was actually quite helpful that both books have pretty self-containing plots, even as some bigger plots do stretch to connect both books in the duology.

Oh yeah. I did say in my past review for Spin the Dawn that The Blood of Stars was a trilogy, but it’s actually a duology. That was my mistake, and I apologize for any confusion. But I was really pleased to realize that this was actually a duology rather than a trilogy, since lately I’ve been sort of craving shorter series rather than reading about 20 books just to finish a single storyline.

But anyway, I’ve talked about basically everything but Unravel the Dusk so far, and I really need to go back to the book!

I did mention that Unravel the Dusk, much like Spin the Dawn, has a plot that can stand apart from the first book. But that doesn’t make it any less compelling! Lim here is presenting us with two big struggles: one between nations and one taking place inside Maia. She’s in danger both inside and out, and having her constantly battling on two fronts made for a story that moved very quickly and left me wondering more than once whether it was possible for there to be a happy ending. And, of course, I’m not going to tell you whether there’s a happy ending here or not. That’s for me to know and you guys to find out when you read the book! I’ll just let you know that the ending really surprised me, and it was definitely unexpected.

The part I enjoyed the most about Spin the Dawn was how Lim was able to combine the stories from the world she’d created with Maia’s ultimate goal: that of creating the three dresses. The weaving of legend and magic into the plot made for an absolutely magical read, and I was hoping I’d see at least some of it in Unravel the Dusk. And, while the characters are pretty overwhelmed trying to contain other big evils, there are a few moments when Lim brings back the mythology and magic of the first novel, reminding the readers of them.

But there’s hardly any time to spend on them, as the plot moves pretty briskly forward. I was actually impressed by how much Lim managed to fit in a single book, weaving together the threads left over from the previous book into a satisfying conclusion (see what I did there?).

As for characters, again, we’re in Maia’s head, so we’re experiencing the whole thing from her POV. In this case, however, we’re also consistently torn, just as she is, between her true self and her demon self. It’s difficult for her to connect with the other characters, and I struggled to form connections with them as well. Of course, we do eventually get Edan back (he reappears halfway through the book, so don’t lose hope!), and we get a revival of the romance that really blew me away in the first novel. But it didn’t feel as strong in this one.

The focus was on Maia, and, I have to admit, I did end up admiring her more than ever. She was so strong and determined. She was willing to do so much to protect the people she loved. And she was loyal to a fault to the country that betrayed her and had basically killed two of her brothers in its tragic wars. She was flawed, of course, but a wonderful character to spend 300+ pages in, and one I think any reader could admire.

Unravel the Dusk was a satisfying conclusion to this magic and myth-filled adventure, filled with beauty and wonderful wonderful clothes. I’ve also heard that Lim is planning on writing other books based in this world, and I’ll definitely have to check them out once they are released.

Unravel the Dusk will be released July 7. You can preorder your copy from Penguin Random House today at this link.

“Seize the wind. Don’t become the kite that never flies”

Maia thought that her life would be easier after she managed to create the three magical dresses of Amma, but her life only seems to be getting harder. Torn between her humanity and the demon inside her battling to get out. She will need to rely on not just her own strength, but the strength of those around her if she is to survive, not just her inner battle, but the war raging around her. But to win, she may have to give herself over and become the thing she most fears.

Unravel the Dusk picks up almost directly after the ending of Spin the Dawn. Maia has managed to create the dresses, thus cementing the marriage between The Emperor and Lady Sarnai the Shansens Daughter, Edan has disappeared after his bond with the Emperor was severed, and Maia herself is struggling with what she had to do to ensure peace for her country.

This book was a lot darker than the first. We see a whole different side to Maia, she fights so hard to keep her demon side at bay, knowing that once it wins there will be no going back. Her humanity and kindness is strong enough to make her last longer than most, but she can see and feel the changes happening. Because we have the internal insight I found it easier to bond with Maia as a character and desperately hoped that her humanity would win out. She really grows in this book, much more than the first. Though she still has an overly positive outlook on life, we see her discovering the realities of war, and that even her with her magical dresses and demonic powers may not be enough to save the Kingdom.

As well as Maia we get many more strong female characters. Lady Sarnai is not afraid to fight for what she believes in, even if that means going up against her father and potentially starting a war. Her and Maia dont have the best of relationships, but we see a grudging respect forming between the two. Ammi, Maia's servent in Spin the Dawn is annoyed that Maia didn't trust her enough to tell her the truth, that doesn't mean shes going to let her go traipsing around the country alone though. For someone with no battle experience, Ammi does a fantastic job at raising Maia's spirits and her friendship and actions were invaluable. I loved the strength of the female characters in this book, even when they were not overly likeable you couldn't help but respect them.

Edan and Maia's relationship gets explored more in this book, but he only really makes an appearance around half way through. Their swoon worthy interactions were one of the main reasons I enjoyed the first book so much and not to worry, there are definitely more of them in Unravel the Dusk. Though we get sweet and sarcastic Edan, we also see the strength he gives Maia to keep fighting, he will do anything to ensure she doesn't become a demon. Even if that means fighting Bandur side by side. I enjoyed seeing his vulnerability in this book, after losing most of his magic he realises that he can't always protect Maia from everything and that she has a power of her own.

We get treated to some epic battle scenes in this book, both magical and just run of the mill sword fights. Filled with twists and turns and some truly emotional parts at the end, I went through a rigmarole of emotions. Never sure if the happy ending I so desired was going to come to fruition. We also get the inclusion of some Asian Folklore, and with this book relying heavily on myths and magic, they added a whole new depth to the story. Making it almost seem like this could be a folklore in and of itself.

I did feel at times that Maia was a little indecisive, and I found myself struggling to keep up with her decision making in parts. I also felt that the magic system could have been explained better. I can also see some people might complain about the ending being a little too neatly tied up, but I enjoyed that. It was a nice change to get a somewhat happy ending, and the author deals with loss and grief in other ways throughout the book.