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My Review:Title: Spin the Dawn
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Series: The Blood of Stars #1
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: July 9, 2019
Format: Audiobook, Kindle Book
Narrator: Kim Mai Guest
Pages: 397
Length: 13 hours and 54 minutes
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairy Tale Retelling, Fantasy Romance, Mythic Fiction
Source: Libby
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2020 Diversity Reading Challenge, Lenoreo's 2020 Retellings Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:
Blurb: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.
3.5 stars — I both listened and read this book. This was another one of those books that while I couldn’t find fault with the narrator (and in fact I’ve enjoyed Ms. Guest in other audiobooks), I just had a harder time getting sucked in when listening. But when I would switch to reading, it just captured me more easily. Apparently there’s just certain types of stories that don’t work as well for me in audiobook format.
I still listened to about a third of this one, on and off depending on what I was doing. And as I said, Ms. Guest’s narration was solid, if a bit slow (though I suppose I could have sped it up). I think her depiction of Maia might have made her even harder to like — the…whininess? came across strongly.
As for the story? Some parts captured me IMMENSELY, while others left me wanting more. I think I appreciated the world that Ms. Lim built, and the magical concepts in the story. I was expecting something much more Mulan-esque given the blurb, but the only similarities were really in part one. After that I saw quite a few other fairy tale tropes come into play (3 impossible tasks, as well as others I won’t mention b/c spoilers). The story of Amana and the 3 dresses, and Maia’s quest for them (basically part two) was my favourite part of the story. I really felt how much Maia suffered for those 3 things, and it made my imagination come alive thinking about it.
As for the characters? Ehhhh…again, there were parts I loved, but also parts that left me wanting more. Maia felt a bit one dimensional to me. I don’t know why, but I didn’t really connect with her — she felt kind of flat. I didn’t feel a lot of emotion, and what I did felt very petulant and self-centered…so okay, realistically YA. I just didn’t really root for her. And Edan was the typical YA love interest — a bit of a jerk, but secretly in love. I actually appreciated his story and his struggle more than Maia’s in the end. I also loved how he showed his affection and caring for her eventually, while Maia still felt like she kept her cards closer to her vest.
All in all, I enjoyed myself. But AGAIN, I find myself uncertain whether I’m invested enough to read the next book. *shrugs*
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