Review: Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim (Book 1)
- Book Junk Hammy
- Aug 16, 2019
- 5 min read
"Seize the wind. Don't become the kite that never flies."
While I was scrolling for new YA (Young Adult) releases on Goodreads, the first thing that caught my eyes was the cover of this book. It’s gorgeous and I have a weakness for illustrated covers! The choice of colours and the illustration of our protagonist, Maia with a hawk is just brilliant! Courtesy to the illustrator and book designer :D While the cover is gorgeous, what caught my interest next was the blurb, “Project Runway meets Mulan”. Project Runway and Mulan? I’m in!!
I’m further drawn in when Maia is required to go on a quest to acquire “the laughter of the sun”, “the tears of the moon” and “blood of the stars” to make them into dresses. My curiosity was piqued at the mention of these metaphorical magical-like elements!
Spin the Dawn is a unique story of its own. Nowadays, it’s rare to find stories that are based on original ideas, and I would say this story is refreshing and it’s a whole-new-take on the YA genre (well, not entirely, but still! Haha) So, if you are looking for something new and fresh, Spin the Dawn needs to be in your TBR list! :D
Without further ado, here’s the synopsis of the story:
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.
The Plot:
The story follows our protagonist, Maia Tamarin, an aspiring tailor who dreams of becoming the Imperial Tailor, despite being born a female, and is expected to marry well. However, she wasn’t allowing the fact that she was a female to hold her back in achieving her dreams, but that dream was shattered when her family fell apart after the death of her mother and the war. One day, her father, a renowned tailor was summoned to the court, however, he is unable to go. In order to save her family, Maia disguised as a boy in her father’s place, despite being aware of the consequences of her actions. However, what awaited her was, she was surprised to discover that she’ll be competing with twelve other tailors who are vying for the Imperial tailor position as well.
The plot is segregated into four parts, with the first part focusing on the competition between the other tailors, the second focused on the journey to acquire the ingredients to make the three dresses, the third focused on the making of the dresses and the fourth focused on Edan’s oath. There is so much to the story, it wasn’t just focused on the Project Runaway and Mulan element, but there was so much more than just the surface!
The World-building:
Steeped in a lush quasi-Asian fantasy setting, the world-building in this book was splendid! I felt as if I was in a magical land, travelling alongside Maia and Edan, and encountering magical elements, though there were times where I wish there are magical creatures as well (maybe we’ll get more of it in book two). There are reminiscent of Chinese fairytales woven in the story as well, such as the popular Chinese myth of “The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl”. I enjoyed Elizabeth’s descriptive imagery of the world-building, from the clothes to the towns and mountains. It felt surreal. This book has one of the best world-buildings! The map that accompanied the book is beautifully illustrated as well. Seriously, you need this book in your TBR list, haha.
The Characters:
I absolutely love Maia’s character in this book! She’s not your typical YA heroine, and I admire her determination and courage throughout the story. She never gave up in pursuing her dreams, and even during the most difficult obstacles, she stayed strong. There were times where she stumbled, but she managed to pull herself up without anyone’s help (yeah, girl power!). Edan, on the other hand, our Lord Enchanter, hero and sweetheart, is the wittiest character I’ve came across thus far. He’s not only sassy in his own way, he is charming and funny! Gosh, my heart flutters whenever he winks (teehee). I especially love the interactions between Maia and Edan though Maia was more of a serious person in contrast to Edan, they compliment each other very well. It’s as if they were made for each other, and I hope there's more of their character development in the sequel :D
And, we have Emperor Khanujin and Lady Sarnai. What can I say about them…? (ponders). Their character development wasn’t explored much in the story, but Emperor Khanujin strikes me as a dependant man while Lady Sarnai is your typical angsty character who does things as she pleases. I understand why she did so after all the circumstances she had to go through. We’ll probably get more of their development in the second book 😊
Spin the Dawn, on the whole, is a fun magical-read. I thoroughly enjoyed travelling with Maia and Edan on their journey to acquire the three magical elements. I love reading their character development and how they grew to love each other, though there were times I didn’t quite understand the development of their romance…Nevertheless, their character development and interactions were great! Edan is such a sweetheart! Elizabeth’s writing style is beautiful and imagery. Her writing is the kind that makes you dream and flow along seamlessly. Before you realise it, you’re at the end, and wanting for more. The pacing of the story was great and there was never a dull moment. I look forward to the sequel, which will be released in 2020! I can’t wait to know what will happen to Maia, and how Edan will save her (cries).
Rating: 5/5
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Details of the book can be found on Goodreads:
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