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A review by jenpaul13
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
4.0
Dreaming for something beyond what society tells you you're able to do can only get you so far but having the gumption to pursue your dreams with courage and dedication might just help you to accomplish them. With the opportunity of a lifetime on her doorstep, Maia ventures toward achieving her dream in Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Maia has long dreamt of becoming a great tailor, but as a female she is expected to marry well in order to help her family instead of earning a living with her skill. When a royal messenger requests her father's presence at the palace Maia takes his place, posing as her only remaining brother to help save her father and brother from financial ruin. Upon arriving at the palace, Maia learns she's in a competition with eleven others vying to become the emperor's tailor. With odd tasks set out for the hopeful tailors by the emperor's reluctant betrothed, they demonstrate their artistry and skill to prove their worthiness. Despite appearing as her brother, Maia captures the unwanted attention of the Lord Enchanter Edan, who can see through her disguise and begins to tease her and goad her into using her grandmother's scissors, which appear to be magical. The final challenge proves to be incredibly difficult, requiring Maia to make the three dresses of the goddess Amana, leading her on a life-changing journey across the kingdom.
The narrative grows from simple to sweeping as it weaves together a blend of magical myths, political and courtly intrigue, and social commentary on women's status into an entertaining tale that is evocative of Mulan as promised in the blurb. Though there is a good portion of the story that is fairly predictable, the narrative is captivating and moves rather quickly despite its page length. The world feels well realized, the rules for magic are well established and presented, and the characters are crafted with realistic faults to make them more relatable; the dialogue and relationship growth between Maia and Edan, though overly familiar to near cliché, was quite amusing (and cute) as they verbally sparred and slowly built trust into a stronger, more developed relationship, which added to the emotional punch of the ending and anticipation for a next installment.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Maia has long dreamt of becoming a great tailor, but as a female she is expected to marry well in order to help her family instead of earning a living with her skill. When a royal messenger requests her father's presence at the palace Maia takes his place, posing as her only remaining brother to help save her father and brother from financial ruin. Upon arriving at the palace, Maia learns she's in a competition with eleven others vying to become the emperor's tailor. With odd tasks set out for the hopeful tailors by the emperor's reluctant betrothed, they demonstrate their artistry and skill to prove their worthiness. Despite appearing as her brother, Maia captures the unwanted attention of the Lord Enchanter Edan, who can see through her disguise and begins to tease her and goad her into using her grandmother's scissors, which appear to be magical. The final challenge proves to be incredibly difficult, requiring Maia to make the three dresses of the goddess Amana, leading her on a life-changing journey across the kingdom.
The narrative grows from simple to sweeping as it weaves together a blend of magical myths, political and courtly intrigue, and social commentary on women's status into an entertaining tale that is evocative of Mulan as promised in the blurb. Though there is a good portion of the story that is fairly predictable, the narrative is captivating and moves rather quickly despite its page length. The world feels well realized, the rules for magic are well established and presented, and the characters are crafted with realistic faults to make them more relatable; the dialogue and relationship growth between Maia and Edan, though overly familiar to near cliché, was quite amusing (and cute) as they verbally sparred and slowly built trust into a stronger, more developed relationship, which added to the emotional punch of the ending and anticipation for a next installment.