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.
Is this the year of magical writers or what? Almost every book I've been picking up has a lush, gorgeous writing style and Spin the Dawn is no exception. Elizabeth Lim weaves (
pun very much intended) words like silk and just adds all the necessary elements to make this a
fun, engaging read.
“Seize the wind," I whispered. "Don't become the kite that never flies.”
Maia Tamarin is an easy protagonist to root for. There is something about her that feels so real. There's a point at the start of the story where Maia admits she's doing this as much for herself as she is for her family and I somehow really liked that.
A main character who is not just about being selfless but also looking out for herself is something I don't see often. And Maia has so much at stake that it made me root for her right from the beginning.
Edan is a sweetheart. And the romance...well. Okay it's complicated. I generally don't like a romance that happens fast but
Maia and Edan are so cute that I just can't help but love them. But when I think about it, it only seems fast because of the story's pacing. Actually their "
travel together" time is over a long time but the author doesn't show every single day of those travels, making the duration seem much less than it really is, and now I shall stop rambling.
“I whirled around, but Edan was gone. I let out an exasperated sigh. Never had I met anyone so insufferably pleased with himself.”
BUT REALLY, the
cute bickering? domestic banter and just all the wholesome goodness of adorable romance in this book makes me melt.
The magic system is wonderful. It's not fully described but there's equal parts complex and whimsy which gives an overall aesthetic to the book that is simply
BEAUTIFUL. There's the
complex magic of enchanters, and the
simple and beautiful magic of Maia's special scissors that add to the world building so wonderfully! And there are
NO info dumps at all. We learn about magic along with Maia as the story progresses which makes it all the more interesting.
The plot kept me on my toes! There are these
quiet twists, tense action scenes and
surprising revelations every few pages that makes it
SO difficult to put the book down. The plot pretty much started at the very beginning and the end left me screaming into the void because
HOW can you expect me to be okay after THAT little thing at the end?
Also the copy I have had a sneak peak of book two? excuse me but that was cruel! How many souls do I sacrifice to get a copy of "Unravel the Dusk"?
(Actual Rating - 4.5)
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Have you read this book? Any favourite books set in Asia? Tell me in the comments below!
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