Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars)

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.*Quick StatsOverall: 5/5 StarsCharacters: 5/5Setting: 5/5Writing: 5/5Plot and Themes: 5/5Awesomeness Factor: 5/5Review in a Nutshell: Spin The Dawn is a fun, fast paced fantasy. It was pitched to me as Mulan, Project Runway, and a hint of Aladdin, and honestly, that is the best way to describe it."Artisans such as you are soldiers in times of war."// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Assault, Alcoholism, Animal Death, War Themes, Murder //- Premise -Spin the Dawn follows Maia, the only daughter of a skilled tailor. When her father is summoned to compete in a competition to become to Imperial Tailor, she disguises herself as a boy and takes his place. However, winning the title of Imperial Tailor is harder than she could imagine, as she must balance her secret, sabotaging competitors, and the impossible task granted to her."'I, too, once journeyed beyond the stars''What did you find?'His voice turned lethally soft. 'That it's just the beginning.'"- Writing & Setting-I absolutely adore the writing in this book. Elizabeth Lim has a gorgeous writing style that adds to the fairytale feeling of this book. Her prose is beautiful, but not too flowery. She describes the setting well and builds the characters and their relationships beautifully. The world itself is well built with a fascinating mythology and plenty of history interwoven into the fantasy aspects. It's the perfect mix of grounded to reality yet completely magical and fascinating."Ask me to spin the finest yarn or thread, and I can do it faster than any man--even with my eyes closed. Yet ask me to tell a lie, and I will stumble and falter to think of one.I have never had a talent for spinning tales."- Plot -Spin the Dawn is a fast-paced book. There is constant action to the point where I literally could not put it down. I tried and failed (and lost a couple of hours of sleep because of it). It’s split into parts, focusing on the competition and an epic journey. Typically, traveling in novels bores me, but despite the journey taking up a large part of the book, there was always something interesting going on, or a trial to undergo, which made the pages fly by."'What keeps you up at night?' I asked. 'You're never in your tent.'A cloud passed over his face. 'Demons and ghosts.' With a faint smile, he added, 'And not having enough books to read.'"- Characters -The main character, Maia, is great. She loves her job, which isn't something often emphasized in YA, and her passion is something I really admired about her. She’s also a very strong character, who is determination, loyal, and kind. I just really liked her. There was also a great emphasis on her relationship with her family. After the war ended, her family was left in pieces and I love that Elizabeth Lim didn’t shy away from the tragedy and the pain it brings. The romance aspect was really well done, and absolutely adorable while still feeling realistic and earned (definitely not a case of insta-love here, thank god). Edan, the court magician, is fascinating. He’s mysterious, powerful, and always has the best banter with Maia. I can’t wait to learn more about him! I also found myself really interested in Lady Sarnai even though I probably shouldn’t. I’m really curious about her story, and that of the Emperor, and where it will lead in the sequel. Did I mention that I’m dying for this sequel?? Because I need it."I want you to know that some journeys have ends, but not this one. This one will change you. Irrevocably."- Conclusion -Pros- Fast paced, cute romance, fascinating worldCons- sequel please?? I really, really need itOverall- 5/5 stars.Spin the Dawn is an utterly addictive read that will captivate you and give you dreams of dresses painted with the blood of the stars.*All quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change*

Spin the Dawn is one of those wonderfully crafted tales that weaves self-discovery, love, and adventure into a beautifully written story. I won’t lie, I had high expectations going into this book and let me tell you, Spin the Dawn exceeded all those expectations. Elizabeth Lim has created a spectacular tale rich with culture and magic and strength, and Spin the Dawn has become one of my top reads of 2019.Spin the Dawn is not just a journey; it’s about falling in love, believing in yourself, and following your dreams. This book is filled with heart and courage and spirit; Elizabeth Lim poured her soul into this story and it’s a magnificent story. The characters are well-developed and the world-building is breathtaking and illustrious.Maia was born with courage in her blood and magic in her soul. Her spirit and her courageous heart spill out through the words in Spin the Dawn. She defies the impossibilities that deem to hold her back; she, ultimately, proves those who wish to see her fail wrong. She proves to herself that she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to.Maia easily became a protagonist I loved. She’s true to herself and true to her word: she wants to win this competition without the help of her magical scissors and win solely based on her extraordinary skills. This doesn’t mean she never uses the scissors; on the contrary, they become very prominent further into the book; magic becomes prominent. And even better, Maia’s strength really takes charge in this story, especially when she must do the impossible. Her love for her family and her craft is what sets her apart from everyone else; she wants to prove to the world that a woman can be a tailor and just as talented as a man in the craft. Her spirit is really what made this story what it is: her will to fight and her unwavering belief in herself is what made me love this story so much. And, of course, Edan.Edan is the emperor’s imperial enchanter, and quite a charmer, if I might add. His relationship with Maia is one of my favorites. Their feelings for each other don’t just grow overnight; it takes a whole journey but nonetheless, their beautiful love story blossoms into something magical. Edan is such a bashful love interest that I easily fell in love with his character. Elizabeth Lim brought us readers a beautiful relationship with chemistry and charm and because of how well-written this relationship is, I could not imagine Spin the Dawn being what it is without their love.Elizabeth Lim crafts a story with beautiful prose, unending heart, and spectacular magic. Her writing brings to a life a story that will captivate the hearts of all readers. The Chinese culture mixed with shimmering magic and a blossoming romance truly make this story charming. Spin the Dawn is definitely a book I highly recommend and a beautiful fantasy you will not want to miss.

Spin the Dawn is sold as Mulan crossed over with Project Runway. As a fan of both of those things, I was eager to give this one a shot. Maia's father is summoned to the Emperor's court to compete to become the royal tailor; two of Maia's brothers died in the war and the third was severely injured. A competent seamstress, Maia picks up her grandmother's shears and answers the call, dressed as a boy. At the palace, Maia competes with tailors with years of experience whilst struggling to hide her true identity. But one man in particular - the court sorcerer - seems to see right through her...I liked Maia. She was sympathetic and earnest. What I was surprised by, was how only the first third of the plot really resembled Project Runway, the actual contest aspect of the book. The rest of the novel focuses on Maia's epic quest to sew the three dresses of legend: one with the laughter of the sun, one with the tears of the moon, and the last with the blood of the stars.One thing I'm not a fan of was the Edward Cullen-esque romance. A man who is hundreds of years old who goes after a young girl, tells her it's better if they aren't together, and then she pines after him loads until he is gracious enough to kiss her. Ew. Also they've known each other about a month and they're fantasising about having several kids. YA style.I liked the Project Runway style competition, the focus on sewing, the borrowing and new adaptation of the Mulan story. I liked how easy this was to read, I just thought it needed a bit more work and a love interest that wasn't five hundred years old.

The cover of this book is stunning and the cover alone would get five stars from me, but the rest of the book? Not so much. I'm honestly struggling to know what to say in my review of this book because I honestly just don't have that much to say. I didn't feel connected with this book at any point and never really felt sucked into the story.I largely like Maia, I think she's an interesting and complex character but there was something missing for me about her. She is meant to be a strong independent woman but she spends so much of her time relying on Edan to get her out of trouble that it sort of contradicted itself. So much focus of this book is spent on their romance and I think this is largely where it lost it for me because I wasn't invested in them as a couple. Edan becomes intrigued with her because... she's a girl pretending to be a boy? or because he knows there's magic in her veins... honestly not sure which he knew first.I literally felt at points like I was watching Project Runway; yes I get it's meant to be like that but it felt like it was pulled from the script of the show and felt so off balance to the rest of the book. I think there is a good concept behind this book, but if we took away the Princesses stubbornness and attempts to delay her wedding there literally wouldn't be a book in the first place. There are no other conflicts that lead to the events so it just kind of leads them wanting....I didn't hate this book at all and definitely think it has potential but I was constantly waiting for that wow moment to hook me in and it just never came. I think the romance overtook the plot and ruined it for me.

With a beautiful start, this had my heart from the prologue. And I can’t help but want to completely and utterly root for Maia and contain so much faith for her! I enjoyed the story in its entirety but I really loved the scenes between Maia and Edan.The book is divided into parts and the first part deals with the ‘Project Runway meets Mulan’ vibe, and then it branches out after that and becomes a quest that is a perilous journey to try and deliver the ‘unobtainable’ to make the intended of the Emperor satisfied. [I have sympathy for her but I still dislike her lol][I really enjoyed this book, and I am aware of the conflict and issues that some have had with it, I was mindful of that while reading.]

I DEVOURED this in a single day. Honestly it was so beautiful and I knew right from the outset that I would love it. I have to thank Elizabeth Lim for writing such a beautiful YA novel - and even better for making it the first in a series!! I have found difficulty in finding YA books that I enjoy in recent times. But this hit all the right notes.Maia is such a likeable protagonist and I love the arc that she went through as a character. I love love LOVED Edan and the way his relationship with Maia developed from curiousity to protectiveness and beyond.I loved the whole world and how the author made each scene so vivid and real.Five stars. Can’t wait for the next one.

Elizabeth Lim has spun a wonderfully magical tale that slowly reeled me in and has left me wanting more.Inspired by Mulan, this is the story of Maia, who poses as her brother in order to become the Imperial Tailor at the Royal Court. There she must compete with other renowned tailors to secure her place. Competition is fierce, and Maia faces many challenges. She also becomes drawn to the Royal Enchanter Edan and must fight to hide her secret.The story really comes into its own when Maia and Edan must go on a journey across the land. I loved the myths and magics that Lim brought to life here and this journey really caught my imagination.There was so much depth and emotion put into the relationships in this story, especially between Maia and her family, which I loved. As for that ending....just wow! I cannot wait for the second part of this duology to release next year.