The war is finally over. Maia has extraordinary tailoring skills. One day, her father receives a summons to become the royal tailor. However, he is sick and frail, so Maia disguises herself as her brother in order to take his place. (Only men can be the royal tailors.) When Maia arrives, she discovers it’s actually a competition with conniving tailors and difficult challenges. Before she goes, her father gives her a pair of scissors that are anything by ordinary. Her final challenge sends her all over the land: make three gowns using the sun’s laughter, the moon’s tears, and the blood of the stars.
plot
Spin the Dawn is a fast-paced book that combines two seemingly unrelated things: Mulan and Project Runway. It feels like reading reality TV, complete with all of the backstabbing and drama. The plot itself is fairly straightforward. The tailors receive a challenge, Maia frets over it, completes the challenge, repeat. Because of this, it might sound like the book gets, well, repetitive. However, there’s enough variation and increases in difficulty that it only makes you want to read more.
By the time Maia must set off to procure the three impossible materials for the dresses, the book has switched from “reality TV” drama to life-and-death drama. She must make increasingly hard decisions that affect the lives of those around her. The slight shift in tone is done very well.
characters
I would call this a plot-focused book, but nearly everything about the characters is brilliant. The book does a wonderful job of making everyone feel like a real person. Maia and Edan, the MCs, are of course great. They develop a relationship throughout the book, and it’s amazing. For me, though, I want to give a shout-out to the Emperor. We don’t see much of him, but he still feels incredibly alive. He also helps tie in the theme of secrets and disguises. Maia isn’t the only one disguising her appearance or even putting on a fake personality.
misc.
The mythology and world-building present throughout the novel are beautifully done. I found myself captivated by it all, especially story of the three dresses. I really appreciate how the motif of clothing and creation grew and became increasingly important to the world. Alongside that, the actual descriptions of the clothes were astounding. They leave just enough to the imagination while still be incredibly descriptive. You almost feel compelled to design the clothes yourself! These things are all encapsulated in the prose – simple, yet poetic and effective.
overall
Mulan meets Project Runway? Yes, please. Elizabeth Lim crafts a rich, beautifully written tale in Spin the Dawn. This is one to put on your radar.
