Thank you so much to netgalley for sending me a copy of this book. I absolutely feel in love with spin the dawn and I was so excited to continue on with this series and I was not disappointed. I fell even more in love with this series and characters. I can’t wait to read more by her!

"Maia Tamarin proved her skill as a tailor when she wove the dresses of the sun, the moon, and the stars, but it will take more than a beautiful gown to hide the darkness rising up within her. . . . The stakes are higher than ever in this breathtaking sequel to Spin the Dawn, perfect for fans of Six of Crows.

Maia Tamarin's journey to sew the dresses of the sun, the moon, and the stars has taken a grievous toll. She returns to a kingdom on the brink of war. Edan, the boy she loves, is gone - perhaps forever - and no sooner does she set foot in the Autumn Palace than she is forced to don the dress of the sun and assume the place of the emperor's bride-to-be to keep the peace. When the emperor's rivals learn of her deception, there is hell to pay, but the war raging around Maia is nothing compared to the battle within. Ever since she was touched by the demon Bandur, she has been changing...glancing in the mirror to see her own eyes glowing red; losing control of her magic, her body, her mind. It's only a matter of time before Maia loses herself completely, and in the meantime she will stop at nothing to find Edan, protect her family, and bring lasting peace to her country."

I love the epic fableness of this series.

(5/5⭐️) “Everyone has a thread tied to someone—a person who’s meant to be by your side and make you happy.”

The stakes are raised in the stunning finale to the Blood of Stars dualogy. Maia is losing herself to the demon within. Every day is a fight against its evil. Some days she wakes up not knowing who she is, not knowing those around her. Even Edan’s face becomes a struggle to recognize. With each passing day that she stays away from Lapzur, she poses a greater threat to the people around her. Meanwhile, A’landi is on the brink of war. The emperor’s marriage to Lady Sanrai falls apart before it can be completed, and Sanrai’s father is out for blood. Maia is the only one who can hold everything together. Not only must she defeat Bandur to free herself from the tethers of the Island, but she must find a way to unite the people of A’landi. In so doing, she must make the ultimate sacrifice: herself.

Oh. My. Lantah. Unravel the Dusk broke my heart and stitched it back together. The cliffhanger at the end of Spin the Dawn was well worth it! UtD was a definite step above its predecessor, which was already great! While Spin the Dawn was very much a comfort read for me, this one kept me at the edge of my seat for its entirety. And the ending was so satisfying. With each word, Maia’s struggle to fight the growing darkness within her became more frantic. All I could do was turn the pages faster and faster to keep up with what was happening to her.

In Spin the Dawn, A’landi’s peace is at stake. In Unravel the Dusk, Maia’s entire being is at stake. It isn’t simply death she faces, but something far worse: transformation into a demon doomed to haunt the land. What could be worse than that? How about the lives of those she loves? Her father and brother. And Edan. Everything is at risk here. The game has changed.

“It hadn’t occurred to me until now that maybe the scissors had been sent to prepare me for this very moment. To show me how to trust the magic singing inside me, to turn my burgeoning darkness into light.” <<<THIS MADE ME WANT TO CRY>>>

Maia does everything she can to fight what is happening to her. Her struggles are admirable. There are several times where her hope is renewed, only to be shattered. Unravel the Dusk is an emotional rollercoaster. I cried a total of four times during the reading of this book. It was just so damn beautiful. The imagery, the metaphors, the unraveling of the threads of Maia’s humanity. There were some truly beautiful moments.

“What little I had left of my tailoring gift wasn’t for sewing with needle and thread, it was for crafting a future, stitch by stitch, for the people I loved. That future would hold tight, even as I unraveled. It had to, or else the choice I had made—the choice that Master Tsring had told me was inevitable—would be for naught.” <<<THIS ALSO MADE ME WANT TO CRY>>>

In terms of character arc, we see the completion of Maia’s journey, from where she started in the first book, to the strong woman she becomes in the second. We see the transformation in the decisions she makes at the end, especially in her ultimate sacrifice. She sacrifices to protect not simply the ones she loves, but the entire country. Her sense of duty is strong and ever-present in the choices she makes.

Edan is still Edan. Charming. I enjoy his character. We don’t see nearly as much of him in this story, but his love for Maia is constant.

“He pressed my hand against his heart. “You are not alone, Maia. Not now, not ever.””

Beneath his facade, you do see him struggle a few times, which makes him feel real. Edan is ultimately the one who keeps Maia’s sanity intact, especially as she begins losing herself. He’s always there by her side, fighting for her. I like that his love is reliable, constant. I think Maia needs that if she’s going to confront what ultimately faces her in the end.

I also appreciated Lady Sanari’s character arc. It ‘s a definite change. She goes from abandoning A’landi, to saving it. She confronts her father, a person she has hated and feared for many years. She even shows true signs of her humility when she doesn’t immediately kill him when she has the chance to. In the first book, it felt as if she had no redeeming qualities, and the reader was left disliking her, but that changes drastically in this book. I came to appreciate her...in time.

What a beautiful finale to a richly woven tapestry. The world Elizabeth Lim creates is stunning. It’s as unique as the gowns Maia creates. I applaud her for taking the fantasy genre and putting such a refreshing spin on it. I can’t wait for her next dualogy!

A huge thank you to @netgalley and @Randomhouse for a copy of the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Other places I have reviewed this title:
My blog: https://www.authormelissamitchell.com/post/unravel-the-dusk-blood-of-stars-2
My instagram: @melissa.nicole.mitchell
My goodreads account: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3401923014
I will also be reviewing on Amazon when the book releases.

Frist of all, thank you to Knopf for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I read an eARc of Spin the Dawn last June, and while I liked the book, I felt like there were two different books in Spin the Dawn: the trial to becoming the imperial tailor, and the trial for making Amana's dresses. The pacing was really off for me in that book, and it was really weird to have a sudden shift in the entirety of the book. So, I came into reading Unravel the Dusk with kind of low expectations. I wasn't really sure what to think going into it, but here's a bit of a surprise:

I enjoyed it more.

What held Unravel the Dusk together better in comparison to Spin the Dawk was CONSISTENCY. There wa a serious lack of flow in Spin the Dawn for me, so the flow of Unravel the Dusk really eased reading it for me. It was a fast read, and while I wish we could see more into Maia's mind, I think it was cool to see her evolution and transformation in this book.

What I lacked in book one, I think book 2 made up for. There was more character development, for Maia, Edan, and even Lady Sarnai. We also don't have to deal much with palace life, which is kind of a breath of fresh air. This book felt more like a marathon, a fight to the death, and part of me enjoyed that more than the mis-matched adventure in book one. So, overall, I definitely preferred Unravel the Dusk!

Yes, I liked it! And I can't wait for the third book.
The plot was great, but no spectacular, but the characters were amazing.

Super solid YA fantasy series, and a great sequel! The descriptions of the world and the landscapes is literal magic, and I am so in love with all of these characters! I can't get into many details because this is a sequel and I don't want to provide spoilers, but the second book did not disappoint and this is absolutely a series to keep on your radar!

Bullet point review
- I love that Maia fights for her family - she remembers them even when they are apart - and for her people and country. While there are times she acts on her emotions for an individual, there are times when she makes the hard choice, the choice to make a sacrifice, for the greater good. That said, I can't recall an instance where the sacrifice results in a the loss of the intended sacrifice.
- I love that Maia is a tailor and that her magic draws from her skills as a tailor.
- I like how Maia's fight leads her to fight on the side of people she doesn't like and how she can acknowledge the good along with the faults of a person.
- The magic is mystical. People know things that they shouldn't have known, and things happen that aren't explained. It's not clear how the magic works. In particular, one use of magic results in Maia's mind being lost. She makes this sacrifice knowing the price she's paying, but somehow she's able to still remember people and names she should have forgotten? The result: It doesn't feel like she paid a real price for the power.
- The enchanter has lived a long life (at least five hundred years), but he acts like a teenage boy.
- As with book one, this is an optimistic fantasy. Even when bad things happen, even when nobody knew how to cure Maia and she was sure that she would die (rather than become a demon), I was left feeling like things would get better, and Maia would have her happy ending. I never felt like the dangers she faced were terrible.

UNRAVEL THE DUSK is an enchanting sequel and finale to a unique YA fantasy. Maia is a tailor who dreamed of being the imperial tailor. In the first book, she disguises herself as her brother to compete in a Project Runway-style competition. In this world with magic, Maia finds her path much more complicated when she is asked to create the mythical dresses of a goddess, Amana.

In this second book, Maia has completed the impossible task of creating the three dresses, but her kingdom is still in danger. The shansen and his demon are held at bay by the wedding about to take place between his daughter, Sarnai, for whom Maia had been tasked the dresses, and the ruler of A'landi.

Now, Maia is at war with herself and who she has been cursed to become. She must fight her anger and desire for vengeance to keep her heart and mind her own. At the same time, she seeks to protect her family, the man she loves, and the kingdom that is her home.

What I loved: This book is every bit as enchanting and lush as the first. We see even more history, mythology, and legends here plus high-stakes adventures that leave readers on the edge of their seats. It is a time of war, and there are battles but with supernatural tides that leave many in danger. The writing really transports the reader into this world, and the plot and characters are as beautifully woven as the dresses we can only imagine.

This book is also interesting for its comments on human nature and the battles we must fight within. Although in Maia's case this is a bit more pronounced due to her curse of becoming a demon, it raises some interesting themes about anger, thirst for vengeance, and the ways that these can change a person. This book is more introspective than the first, although there is still plenty of action/adventure, and it is every bit as much a page-turner. It's really beautifully well done throughout.

Final verdict: 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.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Maia has completed her impossible task and created 3 fantastical dresses. It is now time for the royal wedding. The only catch is the bride-to-be is incapacitated and Maia must take her place to keep the peace between the two rival countries. Can she do the impossible once more and save her country, her family, and her true love from the magical evils that ravage her land?

A great conclusion to the duology. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy and retellings. Maia is a wonderful lead character who is forced to make choices no one should ever face, and it is told in a fantastic way.

While Unravel the Dusk was full of action, this sequel actually felt more introspective than Spin the Dawn. It's a sequel about survival. Not only of our country, our family, but of the essence of ourselves. In war, there is so much to lose. Our history, our identity, our future. But often we end up fighting wars in our heart as well - as pieces of ourselves fight against our dreams, ambitions, and hope. Unravel the Dusk asks us how we survive and also not lose ourselves.

Maia is stuck in the middle of this war with her people and their hopes. How can she fight against not only the forces of greed and ambition, but also the darkness within herself? The demon, like most demons, forces us to hurt the ones we love, to persuade us to give in, and to isolate ourselves. The urge to let people fall to their own whims, mistakes, and selfishness is strong. Unravel the Dusk shows us how Maia seeks the courage to fight. To try to bring peace when the forces around her descend into chaos.

There is a lot going for this book since the first one gained so much praise from me. Sequels always turn out to be kind of treacherous territory for me. Very few books on my list either surpassed the first book in the series. I hoped this one would be one of those.

I will say this book should not have been a two-part story It should have been a trilogy, and nothing more. Why? Because this book is rushed to the point where the character development and the predicament that befell the heroine by the end of book one was shot to hell by the first couple chapters in this.

Gone is the paced, plot and character driven writing that was in the first book. It was as if the author said, 'well, that takes care of all of that! action - action - action!' ... No, I mean, you gave us a demon that came out in the third act and now we hardly know or have spent time with this demon and it's whole backstory/demonology that we now just kind of accept that it is a part of her that we shouldn't care any more than that? Oh, now we're also going into war? Oh! Maia has some magical scissors? Oh, Maia has the power of three dresses.

I was honestly shocked on how quick this book navigated through when it came to the plot and how annoying the main character became. I liked her in book one, but without the character development and or the pacing being slower, I honestly found her annoying.

I really wish I could give this book a glowing review alongside book one but I'll settle for three stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

So I absolutely adored the first book in this duology! Spin the Dawn was such a fun, magical adventure! I'm so bummed to say that Unravel the Dusk was a let down.

The story picks up right after the events of Spin the Dawn . In this story, Maia must face becoming a demon after striking a bargain to create the dresses of Amana. I did not connect to this story at all. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters or the plot. I just wasn't invested in Maia's journey. And honestly, I was pretty bored. The plot just seemed to drag. This was one of those books where I kept checking how long I had left because I just wanted to be done.

I would never guess that this was the sequel to a Mulan inspired tale of a girl competing to be the imperial tailor and then going on an adventure to make three fantastical dresses. This book honestly felt like a whole different world. There was also just too much going on. Maia's battle against her literal inner demon should have been the focus. The addition of the emperor, the Shansen, and the impending war were just distracting. I felt like Lady Sarnai and the Shansen should have been a totally separate book. It just didn't fit with Maia's journey.
And the ending was . . . interesting. I definitely didn't expect it.

I am so disappointed that I didn't love Unravel the Dusk . I wish that Spin the Dawn was a standalone. I will say that the cover of Unravel the Dusk is STUNNING. The imagery throughout the story was also gorgeous.

Unravel the Dusk will be released on July 7th, 2020.

I really enjoyed Spin the Dawn and ths was no different! This picks up immediately after teh events of the first book (so…. there’s a big chance you’ll be spoiler for the first book if you keep reading! Beware! If you want to check out my review for the first one, click THIS LINK).

Honestly I don’t even know where to begin because as soon as you start this book you’re immediately thrown back into the world and it picks up RIGHT AWAY. I was immediately hooked and even though I had to go back and recap quickly what happened in the last book, I was able to enjoy this sequel even though I forgot a few details… like how Maia is literally struggling to become a demon and that Edan LITERALLY DISAPPEARED.

Anyway, once I was able to remember that, I just couldn’t stop reading. I really missed this world and I missed Maia so it was just so nice to be back with them. It was really interesting to see that darker side of magic. I can’t help it! I’m a fan of darkness and chaos!

I remember really enjoyed seeing Lady Sarnai and Maia’s relatonship and getting to see a bit more of that was also great! Honestly what really makes this book so interesting is seeing each character’s interactions and getting that depth. I’m very much a character person so that made this book much more interesting.

The inner struggle Maia had in this one was AMAZING. Some scenes that I can’t spoil just gave me CHILLS. AND THAT ENDING. IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL.

Can you tell I’m having trouble putting my thoughts together? I really enjoyed this but without spoiling anything that happens, it’s SO HARD TO TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK.

If you love inner turmoil, demons and darkness, WAR AND CHAOS, having to pretend you’re the bride to keep the peace in the country and then promptly getting into an even bigger mess, and more magical dresses you will definitely love this thrilling sequel! You’re definitely in for an emotional ride!

Elizabeth Lim does not disappoint with this action-packed sequel, and she definitely gave the readers an epic book that certainly, will stay in the minds of those who decide to read it for a long time.

The worldbuilding once again blew me away. Lim makes a wonderful job at bringing this story to life, and it’s a very movie-esque experience to dive into this world, especially with the epic descriptions of the palaces. The mythology is amazing and I loved to get to know more about Amana’s tale and many others that were mentioned in the story, like the so-famous legend of the red string of destiny.

The characters improved a lot in this sequel and we can get to see them as more complex and determined to get what they want. Maia is, of course, my total favorite. We get to see those things that made us care for her in Spin the Dawn, she’s still a strong and determined girl that would sacrifice herself without a doubt for those she loves. It was interesting to see her inner battle in her way to become a demon and trying to hold on to her sanity.
I also loved Edan and his strong bond with Maia, though I’d like to see him in more scenes throughout the book. Ammi, Maia’s best friend, has a great role in this book by making Maia stay sane despite everything that’s happening inside her. And again I loved to see Maia’s family make an appearance and get to know more about the Tamarin family as a whole, because that family stole my heart entirely.

I want to make a special mention to the villains of this story. Though we get to see Lady Sarnai as some kind of villain in Spin the Dawn, I’d say she’s a morally gray character that doesn’t fit the mold of being good nor bad. Her character development in this book was just perfect and my expectations on her were met. Emperor Khanujin and the shansen also showed great development and proved to be very realistic and interesting villains.

The war element was perfectly executed. I loved how the author put everything together, the battle strategies, how the armies are made, and just everything related to the war felt so realistic to me. You can see the amount of effort that went into this particular element and I loved to feel like I was watching a fantasy movie of a war set in ancient China while reading this. That said, Unravel the Dusk is as immersive as it can possibly be. Totally recommended.

With immense changes taking place within herself and to the world around her as the role of magic begins to assert itself to a greater degree, Maia's adventure continues to unfold in Elizabeth Lim's Unravel the Dusk.

Burdened by the heavy cost of completing the three dresses of Amana crafted from the sun, the moon, and the stars, Maia returns from her journey across the kingdom to the emperor's palace, which is on the precipice of war. In an effort to keep the peace, Maia adorns herself with the dress of the sun as part of a disguise to stand in for the bride to the emperor, who was gravely injured while wearing the dress. Finding herself changing in increments after the demon Bandur touched her while gathering the necessary supplies to craft the goddess's dresses, Maia's control over her magic and mind seems to be slipping, but her desire to find Edan, protect her brother and father, and ensure her country's peace remains the same, though her methods of assisting in making these desires a reality now has a different source of magic.

The story launches headfirst into the space where Spin the Dawn left off, immersing readers back into the well-realized world without pause, presenting them with an abundance of battle-fueled action that concludes the duology rather tidily. With her previous secret revealed and replaced by a new secret of the demon within her slowly taking over, Maia's confidence has developed immensely but her life remains complicated, leaving her with difficult decisions to make and though the decisions have a magical component to them, the reading experience feels a little less magical than the first book as so much is packed into the page. There is less focus on the interpersonal relationships than there were in the first, which were entertaining, particularly as Edan is not present for a good portion of the narrative; instead focus is on the internal, ongoing dialogue that Maia has with the demon, which highlights the darker side to humanity that may be all too easy to give in to but, in resisting, true strength of character is displayed.

Overall, I'd give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Elizabeth Lim's beautiful writing shines in the sequel to Spin the Dawn! I loved the more character-driven nature of Unravel the Dusk, as Maia faces an internal struggle with the demon she is slowly becoming. After the events of Spin the Dawn, Maia is more confident and brave than ever and the stakes are high. The story is so action-packed that I couldn't stop turning the pages. I was glad to see that the romance was not the center of the story, and loved the way it was inspired by the legend of the cowherd and the weaver. Lady Sarnai is once again a scene-stealer in Unravel the Dusk. The revelation of what her childhood had been like and her fierce bravery made her my favorite character. The only reason I'm not giving this book five-stars is because the ending tied things up so neatly and felt anticlimactic. Overall, a stunning conclusion to the duology!

I’m not kidding when I say this book was on my Top 10 most anticipated books of this year, because after finishing and absolutely loving Spin the Dawn last year I wanted to know how it ended, so I immediately added it to my TBR, and I absolutely adored this sequel as well, though I’m not sure if there is going to be a third book in the series.

I’m so glad I decided to re-read the first installment before diving into this one, because I noticed I remembered much less that I thought I would., so that made me go fresh into Unravel the Dusk and understand everything that was going on.

Something that I realized as I kept reading Unravel the Dusk was that even though the first one had a very clear plot, this sequel was more character driven. There wasn’t really a plot until we passed the half mark of the story, and the first half was more about Maia dealing with the consequences of what happened to her in the end of the first book, but I honestly absolutely adored that.

I know I always say I love me a good complex plot, but I feel in this particular case that couldn’t have worked because of everything that was going on with her. But instead, we got to know about her physical and mental changes, as well as her slowly reaching that point of insanity and then rising up from those ashes, which was such a great arc in my opinion.

We got to see a lot about Maia thoughts, as well as how much she cared and loved her family and Edan. Even though we knew exactly how much she cared about her family and how much she loved Edan in the first installment, I think this sequel we got to see a rawer side of her, where she knew exactly what was happening to her but couldn’t do anything, and how that internal fight affected her in her journey and her relationship with the rest of the characters.

And I have to say, if I loved Maia in Spin the Dawn, I was absolutely blown away by her in Unravel the Dusk. There was something about her actions and her inner monologue that made me empathize and connect with her so much throughout the book, and rooting for her and wanting her to be happy and safe.

I also really enjoyed seeing some characters again and watching them interact with each other. Though I wasn’t the biggest fan of Lady Sarnai at the beginning, I ended up really enjoying her evolution and the little friendship/partnership she formed with Maia, because that was one of the things I really wanted to happen in book one.

I was pretty surprised by how little romance was in this book. Though we got to see them interact and be together at some point of the story, and it was one of the main focuses of the entire series, since at the beginning they were apart, we didn’t see them together until the last 40% of the book, but I think with everything that was going on it would have been to much, so I can’t really complain.

One of my favorite parts about Unravel the Dusk was the ending. I adored how the plot was building up to have this amazing climax, full of action packed scenes that were keeping me at the edge of my seat to know how everything was going to end, and I cried and balled my eyes out during those last few chapters, but really enjoyed that ending.

Overall, I think Unravel the Dusk was such an amazing sequel, and even though I’m not certain if this is going to be a duology or a trilogy, I really enjoyed this cast of characters and the romance. Elizabeth Lim is such an amazing storyteller, and you could clearly see it in the way she crafted not only the first installment, but this one as well. This has become one of my favorite series, and I cannot wait to have Unravel the Dusk in my hands and re-read it and annotate it as I did with the first book.

A beautiful conclusion to the duology. Full of action, character development and magic. I can't recommend it enough.

I have no words. This was one of the top books I wanted to read this year and it did not disappoint. I missed Elizabeth's writing style.

What a beautiful way to end the duology. I absolutely loved the journey of Maia and Edan. I loved the adventure, the magic, the romance, I just had such a fun time reading this book! The journey that Maia goes through is amazing and seeing her grow from a simple tailor to a demon while battling to maintain her humanity was brilliant. I loved the way the story wrapped up. This was definitely a fairytale worth reading.