Spin the Dawn
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4.5 • 13 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping fantasy about a teenage 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. And don’t miss Elizabeth Lim’s new novel, the instant New York Times bestseller, Six Crimson Cranes!
“All the cutthroat competition of a runway fashion reality show and the thrilling exploits of an epic quest." —The Washington Post
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 makes the ultimate sacrifice and poses as a boy to take 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 in a cutthroat competition 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 unthinkable final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the sun, the moon, and the 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 fantasy novel is not to be missed.
"This is a white-knuckle read." —Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Tempests and Slaughter
Customer Reviews
One Word: Incredible
The description for the book does NOT do it justice. It’s more than just “Mulan meets Project Runway”. If I had read this description before buying I would’ve been skeptical about the story. I’m so glad I didn’t and I just randomly picked it out at my local book
store for my birthday because this story is so much more than what it’s described to be and it’s so very incredible.
The world within this book is so lovely and enticing that I finished it within two days even with my busy summer school schedule.
Maia, the main character, starts out as an obedient girl who only knew how to do one thing: to sew.
Her dreams to become an imperial tailor for the emperor are pushed away because a woman couldn’t hold that position at the time. As she goes through many life struggles, one day the emperor decides to look for a new imperial tailor as the previous one passes away and a new era of peace was in the works. Maia’s father was once known as a great tailor across the lands and is invited to participate in the competition to become the imperial tailor. However he is old and Maia’s remaining brother is not in good condition. So Maia pretends to be her brother, a boy, and goes in place of her father.
The obstacles Maia faces throughout the story are hard and stressful but she’s a very strong girl. I enjoyed the journey part of the story the most. The time she spent with Edan were probably the most precious moments in the story for me (I don’t want to spoil anything by saying why). The suspense in the ending has left an aching feeling in my heart and I hope I can read the second book to this duology soon.
Needless to say, I think this is a fabulous fantasy novel, one that will paint the most beautiful of fairytales within your mind. The magic that we all dreamed of as children lies within this book and it most definitely deserves to be read by all the fantasy loving readers out there!