I lowkey forgot this was on my TBR until I saw my friend Erika bought a copy, and I was like ”Oh, that’s a pretty book.” Then I checked Libby and put it on hold, made it fit into one of my readathon TBRs for the month, and here I am.

I absolutely loved this book. It’s pitched as Project Runway meets Mulan, which a) is so unique and b) fits the story perfectly. But the story is also so much more than either of those comparisons, full of intricate world-building, richly-imagined mythology, some freshly-spun fantasy tropes, and phenomenal, complex characters.

Prior to this, I’d read only one book from Lim—Reflection, a Twisted Tales book. That was amazing, but honestly? It was nothing compared to this. Lim writes a great retelling, but when left to her own devices, she comes up with brilliant things, like this book. It was a perfect blend of action and whimsy, with romance and banter on the side.

As for Maia and Edan? I love them SO MUCH, I can’t handle it. They meet in Part One, when Maia is still disguised as a boy, and helps her before and after the mess of her identity coming to light. Come Part Two, they’re companions off on a journey to gather the supplies for Maia’s impossible task—create three dresses: one sewn from the laughter of the sun, one embroidered from the tears of the moon, and one painted from the blood of the stars. (I might have slightly messed up the wording, but anyway.) First, I want to say that the entire book is as magical as that one line, and I love every bit of it. Second, I won’t spoil anything, but while they’re alone, Edan teases Maia and she gets fed up and then there’s kissing and so help me, I’m in love with another fictional couple. Their dynamic is brilliant.

If I’m being honest, I was intrigued from the very beginning. Just a couple of chapters in, I was hooked. The more I read, the more I loved every bit of it. Even when nothing was happening, I was eager to keep reading. I flew through this in seven hours and I regret nothing.

Well, I regret one thing, and that’s that I don’t have the sequel on hand. So many events in Part Three had me worried for one reason or another, and the last few chapters? AWFUL. I mean, they were just as brilliant as the rest of the book, but they took the story in a completely unexpected direction. They hurt my heart. The sequel is likely going to go in an entirely different direction than this one, and I look forward to it, but it’s almost definitely going to hurt just as much. Maybe more. I NEED IT IN MY LIFE ANYWAY.

So, yeah. Don’t be ridiculous like I was and ignore this book. I loved Spin the Dawn more than I expected to, and I recommend it to everyone.

Representation:
• Entirely Asian/POC cast

CW: blood, violence, discussion of war, death of family members, grief