The Blood of Stars duology
Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk follow Maia Tamarin, an incredible tailor who dreams of one day becoming the imperial tailor. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise. Nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of 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.
Elizabeth Lim’s duology is an Asian-inspired fantasy. I haven’t read many books with this setting, but of the ones I have read, these are my favourite. Lim’s most recent book, Six Crimson Cranes, is set in the same world as this duology. She does an amazing job weaving these different stories together, and I’m excited to see what the next book in the Cranes series is like!
I loved reading Maia’s journey, especially in the first book. Her travels with Edan opened her eyes to how much she had missed living in her small corner of the world. Even if she had lost the competition to become the imperial tailor, I don’t think she could have gone back home and been satisfied living such a small existence. Her talents were too great to simply be ignored any longer.
I especially liked Maia and Edan’s relationship. Although it was more romantic in Spin the Dawn, I loved seeing Edan support Maia as she faced such hardship in Unravel the Dusk. She lost so much of herself in the second book, but to her it was worth it because it meant Edan wouldn’t have to suffer. These two were so selfless when it came to the other; they would do anything for each other. I was so worried they wouldn’t get their happily-ever-after, but I should have known Lim wouldn’t leave her readers hanging! That ending was too sweet, and exactly what the romantic in me hoped for.
Lim did a great job weaving magic into her duology. Maia didn’t really believe in it before she came to the palace, but by the end of the first book, she had harnessed it to create three mythical dresses. Magic almost turned on her in the second book, yet even then she still found a way to use the dresses to save her kingdom.
The Blood of Stars series is full of forbidden romance, Chinese culture, and magic that readers won’t soon forget.
The Blood of Stars duology rating: ★★★★
Elizabeth Lim’s duology is an Asian-inspired fantasy. I haven’t read many books with this setting, but of the ones I have read, these are my favourite. Lim’s most recent book, Six Crimson Cranes, is set in the same world as this duology. She does an amazing job weaving these different stories together, and I’m excited to see what the next book in the Cranes series is like!
I loved reading Maia’s journey, especially in the first book. Her travels with Edan opened her eyes to how much she had missed living in her small corner of the world. Even if she had lost the competition to become the imperial tailor, I don’t think she could have gone back home and been satisfied living such a small existence. Her talents were too great to simply be ignored any longer.
I especially liked Maia and Edan’s relationship. Although it was more romantic in Spin the Dawn, I loved seeing Edan support Maia as she faced such hardship in Unravel the Dusk. She lost so much of herself in the second book, but to her it was worth it because it meant Edan wouldn’t have to suffer. These two were so selfless when it came to the other; they would do anything for each other. I was so worried they wouldn’t get their happily-ever-after, but I should have known Lim wouldn’t leave her readers hanging! That ending was too sweet, and exactly what the romantic in me hoped for.
Lim did a great job weaving magic into her duology. Maia didn’t really believe in it before she came to the palace, but by the end of the first book, she had harnessed it to create three mythical dresses. Magic almost turned on her in the second book, yet even then she still found a way to use the dresses to save her kingdom.
The Blood of Stars series is full of forbidden romance, Chinese culture, and magic that readers won’t soon forget.
The Blood of Stars duology rating: ★★★★