Synopsis:
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.
My Review:
This is the second book I’ve read by Elizabeth Lim. I really like her writing growth between this one and Six Crimson Cranes. I also grabbed the Unravel the Dusk to start reading.
Spin the Dawn is a beautiful story about love and family. I knew straight from the opening that this would have an epic romance. I was not disappointed. Maia would give up the sun and moon for Edan, and he would do the same for her.
I can’t wait to see where the next book takes me.
Content alert: There is a scene with off-the-page/fade to black sex. And another scene with heavy kissing and necking.
Roxbury Books 