ARC Review: Spin the Dawn ~ Elizabeth Lim

Format: E-book 

Pages: 400

My Rating: 5 Stars

Expected publication: July 9th 2019

Summary 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:

First off, the cover of this book is absolutely, positively stunning. One of the most beautiful covers I've seen so far this year.

This was such a fun and enchanting book, and I can't wait for everyone to be able to read this book when it comes out.  It's definitely made the list of 2019 favorites.

It is touted as being a cross between Mulan (which is one of my favorite Disney movies) and Project Runway, which, I've never seen and episode of in my entire life *GASPS* shocking, I know. but I would definitely agree with the Mulan aspect, to an extent. It also had themes from Aladdin, too. Plus there were Zombies and Demons, and twists and turns.

It's also recommended for fans of Renee Ahdieh, and Sarah J. Maas. I would agree 100% on Renee Ahdieh, but only partially on Sarah J. Maas. It shared some themes, but Sarah's writing has a lot more action happening. This book is a little slower paced, which isn't a bad thing. But just don't go into it, expecting lots of action to be happening all at once.

I'm not particularly familiar with Chinese Mythology as I am with others so I don't know if any of it was based on real myths or if it was all made up, but  I was fascinated by it, nonetheless

I was excited to hear that this book was going to have a Gender Bending theme Mulan, Ouran High school Host Club, Hana-Kimi are all some of my favorite books/movies. I don't know why I like the Gender Bending theme, but I do.

I love how determined Maia was, even though she was scared out of her wits at times. She knew she wanted to protect her remaining family, and she'd do whatever it took to make sure that they were taken care of, no matter what it cost her.

I do think that the rivalry between *spoiler redacted* and Maia ended up being kind of...anticlimactic. It was built up throughout the first section of the book, only for it to fizzle out. I was thinking there would be more of a confrontation, but maybe that's something that's going to happen in book 2?

Edan. Oh Edan. He's my Smol Little Bean (I use that word a lot) He is so amazing and beautiful, and absolutely insufferable at times... And I loved him SO much for it. I would compare him to Rhysand (my other favorite Smol Bean) except it's easier to make Edan blush. (which made him even more charming, in my opinion) I loved getting to hear more about his history and what made him tick. I like how enamored he was with Maia from the start, and how hard he had to work to earn her affection.

The end of the book had me all sorts of worked up. The plot twist at the end that I did NOT see coming. I cannot wait to see what's going to happen next.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read an ARC of this title.