Hey Bookworms!

Are you ready for another fairy tale fantasy retelling? I hope so, because today I’m reviewing Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim. 

A lot of other fairytale retellings were checked out at my local library, but when I saw this one I knew I just had to give it a try. Let’s see how it went!

Blurb

A gifted tailor in disguise.
Three legendary dresses.
The competition of a lifetime.

On the fringes of the Great Spice Road, Maia Tamarin works as a seamstress in the shop of her father, once a tailor of renown. She 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 to court, Maia poses as his son and travels to the Summer Palace in his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to save her family from ruin and achieve her dream of becoming the imperial tailor. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

The competition is cutthroat, and Maia’s job is further complicated by the unwelcome attention of the court enchanter, Edan, who seems to see straight through her disguise. But nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three gowns so dangerously beautiful, it will take a quest to the ends of the earth to complete them . . .

GoodReads

Amazon

***Brief disclosure***

I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the Amazon links in this post at no cost to you. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review

I had a lot of fun with this YA fantasy tale.

In this novel, we follow young Maia. Her family once had a prospering business, but with the death of her mother and two brothers, her family has had to relocate and are in dire straits financially. However, an opportunity presents itself when the emperor calls upon her father to compete for the role of imperial tailor. Maia takes her father’s place, unknowingly embarking on a fateful magical journey that will test her ambition and limits.

Who knew sewing could be so much fun? I’m not particularly gifted in that hobby, but I have a newfound appreciation for it now. I loved all the rich descriptions of the process and garments that were created by skillful Maia, and the high stakes behind the competition kept me glued to my seat. There are three parts to this novel, each with a distinct feel to it that expanded the world it’s set in. Amid Maia’s tasks there are fantastical adventures that helped change the scenery when it was needed, and I loved the intriguing magic that was around every corner.

Maia was an interesting main character. Though she knows her craft well, she’s still young and naive, so she had a lot of character development along the way. I also really enjoyed the romance that develops along her journey, and the love interest had some great growth as well.

The writing was great and flowed smoothly, although it could drag in small spots.

Overall, this is a solid fantasy read. If you have a hankering for magic and adventure, I highly recommend this one!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

Join My ARC & Street Review Team | Subscribe

 Facebook | GoodReads | Bookbub | Instagram| YouTube