“I know that for every dawn, dusk must unravel its darkness.”
Elizabeth Lim, Unravel the Dawn
Title: Unravel the Dusk
Series: The Blood of Stars, #2
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Published: July 7, 2020
Publisher: Knopf
Genre: YA fantasy romance
Pages: 355
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Goodreads page
“It is an illusion to assume we choose whom we love. I cannot change how I feel about you. I would move the sun and the moon if it meant being with you.”
Elizabeth Lim, Spin the Dawn
Title: Spin the Dawn
Series: The Blood of Stars, #1
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Published: July 9, 2019
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA fantasy, retelling, romance
Pages: 392
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Goodreads page
This review is spoiler-free!
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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.
[ This synopsis was taken directly from Goodreads. ]
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