Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim has the feel of Project Runways competition rooted in Asian culture. It reminded me of Mulan in the sense of a girl venturing out to take on the role that is only given to a male and excelling at it as a girl. I found this to be a wonderfully engaging read for the first half of this story and couldn't get enough of it. I loved the competition and danger of the secret life that Maia Tamarin is living to stay in the fight, so she can provide for her family but cannot be caught in the process. She is in danger in many different ways, but she is so talented and shows that even though she is a woman, she can do things better than men can. The entire first half of this story grabs you and doesn't let you go.
However, the second half feels a lot like a different story in some ways. Yes, it is the same character, and she is in some way continuing her task, but she is taken out of the palace and sent on a journey to acquire items to make three dresses from impossible things. It felt like this was added to give Maia a love interest and add to that. I don't know if this last half of the book was necessary. It wasn't bad; it just wasn't as exciting and fun as the first half of the book, and I found myself having a more challenging time getting through the last half of the book. I flew through the first half and couldn't put it down, and then it was like hitting a wall. Overall, the entire story is really good, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It just felt a little disconnected. Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim wove its way into my heart with every page I turned.
However, the second half feels a lot like a different story in some ways. Yes, it is the same character, and she is in some way continuing her task, but she is taken out of the palace and sent on a journey to acquire items to make three dresses from impossible things. It felt like this was added to give Maia a love interest and add to that. I don't know if this last half of the book was necessary. It wasn't bad; it just wasn't as exciting and fun as the first half of the book, and I found myself having a more challenging time getting through the last half of the book. I flew through the first half and couldn't put it down, and then it was like hitting a wall. Overall, the entire story is really good, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It just felt a little disconnected. Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim wove its way into my heart with every page I turned.
