Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars)
Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping fantasy about a teenage girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars. And don’t miss Elizabeth Lim’s new novel, the instant New York Times bestseller, Six Crimson Cranes!
“All the cutthroat competition of a runway fashion reality show and the thrilling exploits of an epic quest." —The Washington Post
Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia makes the ultimate sacrifice and poses as a boy to take his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors in a cutthroat competition for the job.
Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.
And nothing could have prepared her for the unthinkable final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the sun, the moon, and the stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.
Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this fantasy novel is not to be missed.
"This is a white-knuckle read." —Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Tempests and Slaughter
“All the cutthroat competition of a runway fashion reality show and the thrilling exploits of an epic quest." —The Washington Post
Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia makes the ultimate sacrifice and poses as a boy to take his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors in a cutthroat competition for the job.
Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.
And nothing could have prepared her for the unthinkable final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the sun, the moon, and the stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.
Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this fantasy novel is not to be missed.
"This is a white-knuckle read." —Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Tempests and Slaughter
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Community Reviews
After venturing into a fantasy series that never seems to come to an end, I've told myself to wait as long as I could before diving into a fantasy book. More often than not, they're part of a series. I've been waiting to read this book for a long, long time. And as the saying goes, all good things come to those who wait. I finished this, breathless from all the magic Elizabeth Lim brought into my life, and am now free to continue stirring that pot with the next book, Unravel the Dusk.
First of all, can I say how gorgeous the cover is? Tran Nguyen is one of my favourite artists!
The voice that this book has is one-of-a-kind. To read about the Chinese culture Lim has included in this is heartwarming, because so many of it is what I've grown up with, particularly the food. Her writing style is lyrical and poetic; her descriptions always paint vivid images in my mind so beautifully. World-building is fantastic too, complex yet so well-planned. Every bit of information was released to the reader at a good pace, so I wasn't dumped with it at all.
We begin with the introduction of Maia and her family. Her father is a renowned tailor, who started to fade away when his wife died. The relationship between Maia and her family was really beautiful. Fun, too, of course, before all the bad things happened. She's a strong one, being able to hold the family together despite all the hardship. So to see her get through the tasks required by the fierce Lady Sarnai, the daughter of the general who had been at war with the emperor, and become the imperial tailor is not surprising. Yes, even if she's a girl. Through it all, she has the support of the enchanter, Edan, who's constantly teasing her and getting on her nerves, but who learns to love her, and she him. The build-up for their romance is so sweet. That forbidden romance! I love it. Such is my taste.
But the most mindblowing of all was how Lim was able to think of all the challenges Maia had to go through to complete the three magic gowns for Lady Sarnai. Before getting into all of them, she has to collect the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of the stars. Just reading all that again brings good shivers and makes me sigh. And I found myself constantly rooting for her as she got through every difficult task. It's really no easy feat.
The book ended with a nice twist, so now I'm on to the next book, eagerly awaiting to see how it'll all end.
First of all, can I say how gorgeous the cover is? Tran Nguyen is one of my favourite artists!
The voice that this book has is one-of-a-kind. To read about the Chinese culture Lim has included in this is heartwarming, because so many of it is what I've grown up with, particularly the food. Her writing style is lyrical and poetic; her descriptions always paint vivid images in my mind so beautifully. World-building is fantastic too, complex yet so well-planned. Every bit of information was released to the reader at a good pace, so I wasn't dumped with it at all.
We begin with the introduction of Maia and her family. Her father is a renowned tailor, who started to fade away when his wife died. The relationship between Maia and her family was really beautiful. Fun, too, of course, before all the bad things happened. She's a strong one, being able to hold the family together despite all the hardship. So to see her get through the tasks required by the fierce Lady Sarnai, the daughter of the general who had been at war with the emperor, and become the imperial tailor is not surprising. Yes, even if she's a girl. Through it all, she has the support of the enchanter, Edan, who's constantly teasing her and getting on her nerves, but who learns to love her, and she him. The build-up for their romance is so sweet. That forbidden romance! I love it. Such is my taste.
But the most mindblowing of all was how Lim was able to think of all the challenges Maia had to go through to complete the three magic gowns for Lady Sarnai. Before getting into all of them, she has to collect the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of the stars. Just reading all that again brings good shivers and makes me sigh. And I found myself constantly rooting for her as she got through every difficult task. It's really no easy feat.
The book ended with a nice twist, so now I'm on to the next book, eagerly awaiting to see how it'll all end.
I absolutely adore old Japanese tales like this. The way Elizabeth Lim was able to create a world that revolves around a goddess, the journey, the myths the legends. And especially the built up relationship of Maia and Edan had me in a completely different head space! This book is absolutely incredible!
Full review found on my blog -
https://thecleverreader.wordpress.com/2019/07/09/spin-the-dawn-blog-tour-review-favourite-quotes-giveaway
https://thecleverreader.wordpress.com/2019/07/09/spin-the-dawn-blog-tour-review-favourite-quotes-giveaway
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