Spin The Dawn by Elizabeth Lim – Thoughts

Have you ever been in a situation where you’re reading a book and the surroundings or the situation you’re in, just intensifies the effect the story has on you? I was recently in that bubble when I devoured the first book of the ‘Blood of the stars duology’, last weekend.

I had pre-ordered this book on the recommendation of a fellow blogger. Thanks Lily @ sprinkles of dreams for introducing me to this book on your blog!

So, in a nutshell, I thought this was a fairy tale love story. Oh, but what a story! A young girl gets a chance to be the royal tailor. A chance that apparently only men get. So she disguises herself as a man. (I think this is where the comparison with Mulan starts and ends for me). She arrives at the palace only to be vetted against twelve other highly renowned tailors. And then she has to make three dresses, that have been told to be impossible to make. They could just be a myth or a story. Or can they be made? The first book is the story of this girl and the three impossible dresses.

The story is just brilliant! So simply written and yet beautifully written. All the details of the places, the map at the beginning of the book, the little stories or lores interwoven in the bigger story, the magic, the flowers and the description of the dresses! My gosh, I’m not a dress person but I so wanted to see those dresses on screen! Once I started reading the book, I couldn’t put it down. I read though the night, on the bus, at my work, literally everywhere, until I finished it. Now I will be waiting patiently for the finale next year. Next year seems so far away though!

The protagonists stole my heart too. I really started to care for Edan and Maia. I was rooting for them, still am. We come to know about their love right at the beginning of the book, so I hope there are no spoilers here, but I really liked the clean romance and the fact that they took time to become friends and then fall in love. It seemed well planned. But most of all, I was impressed by Maia. When she starts out, she is portrayed to be no one special. Just a girl with good needle skills. But she starts to become special through her ordeal and her journey. We see her showing her strength and becoming confident towards the end of the first book. I loved the fact that she isn’t pining for the guy she loves all the time and is practical and has a love other than that for the guy – her love for her family and her craft.

So remember what I was saying about reading a book at a particular place? I had carried this book with me to our weekend getaway where we stayed overnight at a heritage hotel, which was once a fort. And oh my gosh, my head was already full of palaces and royalty from the book, and then living in that hotel, with its rooms and views and reading this book there just took me away to another fantasy land. I think I was in a dreamworld all the time! And that made reading this book and even more special experience for me💕

So, all in all, one of the best fantasy books I’ve read this year. And I’ll recommend it to everyone who loves their fantasy 😊 👍📚

Questions to you guys

📚Have you read this book? Do leave a link of your review in the comments so I can read and relive it again😊

📚Which dress would you like to wear if you had a chance? The sun, the moon or the stars? – I really wanted to try on the dress she made with the tears of the moon😊