Week 18 Review: Spin the Dawn

From Goodreads:
Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young 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.

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 poses as a boy and takes 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 vying 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 final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of 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 young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh. 

My Review:
I had such a great time reading this book! Getting in this world, with the kingdom and the history and the magic, it was all so interesting, and I couldn't get enough of it! I'm so glad that this is a duology, and I think I read that the Six Crimson Cranes duology is set in the same world, which, if it's correct, has me so excited! 

The first portion of this book was the competition for the royal tailor, with the different tasks given to them, to narrow down the competitors. It gave us a chance to get to know these characters and this world, and the magic. 

With the second portion of this book being the quest to create the 3 gowns of the Goddess. I loved watching her and Edan traverse the country to collect the supernatural ingredients, as they fell in love. It was so entertaining to read! 

That ending was just utterly evil! I don't know how things are going to resolve after this, I know they are, but they have a long road ahead of them, between the demons and the politics! I can't wait to see how it's going to work out! 

This was a fantastic read, and I can't wait to continue on! 

Author: Elizabeth Lim
Series: The Blood of Stars #1
Read: April 29th, 2023
Source: Library
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a 2023 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, DAC Book, LLFL Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book and a WTC Book!
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
Published: July 9th 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars