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Unravel the Dusk

(The Blood of Stars #2)

Elizabeth Lim (Goodreads Author)

3.80 · Rating details · 5,439 ratings · 1,200 reviews

Maia Tamarin’s journey to sew the dresses of the sun, the moon and the stars has taken a grievous toll. She returns to a kingdom on the brink of war. The boy she loves is gone, and she is forced to don the dress of the sun and assume the place of the emperor’s bride-to-be to keep the peace.

But the war raging around Maia is nothing compared to the battle within. Ever since ...more

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Hardcover, 355 pages

Published July 7th 2020 by Knopf

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Nov 28, 2019 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it it was amazing

This is good! This is better! This is soooo sooo much better than the first book! My favorite tailor after Coco Chanel is back! And she is struggling not to turn into a completely demon to run for any political carriers and keep her gold heart to protect her family and her love of her life, Edan.
So yes, at the end of the first book, Maia’s identity has been revealed, her mask already fell down. Everybody knows she is not his brother. She is she and she is talented. But what they don’t know that ...more

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Jul 15, 2019 ✨ A ✨ rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, cross-post, fantasy, 2020-release, arcs-e-arcs-alcs, four-stars, read-in-2020

“I will stay by your side until the fire in the sun grows cold and the light of the moon is no more. Until time blots out the stars.”

So I started reading this at the wrong time. I was busy and didn't have the time to give this book the attention it deserved, so I put it on hold. When I eventually could pick it up again I found it easier to be absorbed into the writing like I did with Spin the Dawn.

I love Elizabeth Lim's descriptions and easy flow. While reading, I could clearly picture ever ...more

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Aug 05, 2020 jessica rated it it was amazing

rounding up because ELs writing weaves some of the most elegant and colourful tapestries of story i have ever read. its really the saving grace of this book - i actually got a little emotional reading some of the passages towards the end. there is just something so effortless and beautiful about ELs writing, even when the story/content is actually quite dark and depressing.

i also love that this is a duology - i will praise any story that takes advantage of strengths of a duology (good length, g ...more

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May 29, 2020 may ➹ rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-2020, rep-bipoc-author, 2-star, disappointing, diverse, fantasy, rep-bipoc-asian-author, pov-female, rep-bipoc, rep-bipoc-asian

— see my review of book 1, Spin the Dawn

Unravel the Dusk follows Maia Tamarin after the events of Spin the Dawn. I can’t describe much of the plot lest I spoil what happens, but Maia is forced to grapple with darkness and cling to her humanity before she becomes something worse. The demons and enemies she faced in the previous book are ever-present in this book, and with epic battles and heartfelt reunions, I should have loved this book. Sadly, that was not the case.

My issue with this sequel was ...more

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Jul 21, 2020 Arini rated it it was ok · review of another edition

#1 Spin the Dawn — 3.75 Stars
#2 Unravel the Dusk — 2 Stars

I’m all for independence and women empowerment, but much of this book was Maia going rogue, and it was FAR from fun. She was battling with herself from becoming a demon, and we just followed her around (isolated and alone) solving one problem to the next, refusing any help lest she’d hurt the people she cared about (which would be fine if she hadn’t clearly needed one), while ocassionally telling her inner demon to f*ck off.

I didn’t feel ...more

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Dec 02, 2020 Joel Rochester rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2020, two-stars

i just didn't care about anyone, or anything. Lady Sarnai was perhaps the most interesting character of this duology but I felt her role was just... nothing. they could've done so much more with her character arc and the wider commentary about women in society but... nope.

i'm so disappointed ugh ...more

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Apr 21, 2020 Angelica rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-2020, fantasy, arc, release-2020

I liked this better than book one. And I still didn't love it.

In this book, the stakes are raised, the characters (mostly Maia because Edan doesn't grow and no other character actually matters) have to find a way to keep the peace and save the land from the greed of both men and demons.

Unfortunately, I just didn't care all that much. About anything that happened.

For me to enjoy a book, I have to care about the things happening in it. In order to care about the events, I have to care about the c I liked this better than book one. And I still didn't love it.

In this book, the stakes are raised, the characters (mostly Maia because Edan doesn't grow and no other character actually matters) have to find a way to keep the peace and save the land from the greed of both men and demons.

Unfortunately, I just didn't care all that much. About anything that happened.

For me to enjoy a book, I have to care about the things happening in it. In order to care about the events, I have to care about the characters its all happening to. And I didn't. I didn't care for Maia or Edan (although I do still like him), and I didn't care for what they did or how they did it. Maybe it was because I didn't get the sense that there was too much development with them. Even Maia, pretty much remains the same, despite her impending transformation. I would have wanted her to give in to the darkness a little more, but then again, I do love a good descent into darkness story. Edan was absent half the time, and when he did show up he didn't really do much.

I didn't care much about the plot either and that in part had to do with the writing. The writing isn't necessarily bad. It's just very plain. It doesn't let you assume things. It doesn't let you figure things out about the plot or the characters. It simply tells you. And then it tells you again in case you missed it. The book lacked suspense, it lacked tension because of it.

Lastly, I didn't love the ending. I think this should have been a trilogy instead of just the two books. The characters would have had more time to develop. The story and the world would have had more time to be fleshed out and explored. The ending wouldn't have felt so unsatisfying, perhaps.

In the end, this just wasn't for me. If you loved Spin the Dawn, you might also love this one. If you didn't love book one or felt ambivalent towards the whole thing, then maybe don't bother reading this book. Then again, this book has gotten mostly positive reviews so far so you might actually like it.

**I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

Follow Me Here Too: My Blog || Twitter || Bloglovin' || Instagram || Tumblr || Pinterest ...more

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Jul 08, 2020 C.G. Drews added it

Shelves: read-2020, epic-fantasy, young-adult

You probably remember me being completely starry-eyed over Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim last year I've been thoroughly counting down the day still this gorgeous sequel was in my hands. It's full of high stakes, demons, starcrossed lovers, and Maia discovering who she really is: tailor or monster or girl.

This is a tale of magic, bloodshed, and destiny.
What I really loved about book one was the magic, and I'm so glad this sequel deeply explored the magical powers of the dresses Maia completed in You probably remember me being completely starry-eyed over Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim last year I've been thoroughly counting down the day still this gorgeous sequel was in my hands. It's full of high stakes, demons, starcrossed lovers, and Maia discovering who she really is: tailor or monster or girl.

This is a tale of magic, bloodshed, and destiny.
What I really loved about book one was the magic, and I'm so glad this sequel deeply explored the magical powers of the dresses Maia completed in book one. She made three dresses from: (1) the laughter of the sun (2) the tears of the moon, and (3) the blood of the stars. Now we get to see what these dresses DO. And their power is dark and fathomless. But there's a catch Maia didn't anticipate -- she poured herself into the dresses as she tailored them, so they're not just garments. They are part of her. Their power is hers.And what is she going to do with it?

Demons. Enchanters. Emperors.
So the story takes off basically where the last one left off: Edan is gone and Maia is finally imperial tailor (they know she's a woman) and the emperor is set to marry Lady Sarnai (who hates him). War is imminent if this marriage is not successful. Maia just wants everyone to DO THEIR JOB. She is so tired and stressed and sick of losing people. Her family. Her love. Her dreams. And she sacrificed a lot in book 1, so we're seeing the repercussions there. I really love books about monstrous curses, demons, and fighting your inner darkness, so this was excellent. Maia's dark side is now seeping into her life and she has no idea if she'll lose who she is entirely.

I did miss Edan a lot -- the humour and wit of Maia/Edan's relationship isn't in this one -- but we have such high stakes and moments of heartbreak and valiance, I think the more serious tone sat well with the story. And Edan is still such a soft dork someone called him a cowherd's son and he's like: "Rude???? I mean it's true but also rude." I love him so much.

A powerful finale.
We have wars, battles, and impossible stakes all through this book. It's here to keep your heart in your mouth as you have no idea what the fate of the universe will be. Can monstrous people do good? How do you hold onto yourself when you've sacrificed your soul to save those you love?

There's war, destruction, gorgeous displays of magic, and aching hearts. This is a powerful, blood-soaked finale of magic dresses and demon girls. ...more

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May 20, 2020 nuin giliath rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc, fantasy, young-adult, magic

Spin the Dawn - ★★★★★
Unravel the Dusk - ★★✬☆☆

This was not what I anticipated at all and I was left with very mixed feelings. Despite its flaws, I loved the first installment of this series and was hoping for more of the same here. Instead, Unravel the Dusk put aside many of the fun and entertaining aspects from that book in favor of slightly darker and more serious plotlines. It felt like the author wanted to tell a more mature story with higher stakes and greater tension. To her credit, this wa ...more

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Oct 28, 2019 Lia Carstairs rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, demons, young-adult, asian-mythology, retelling, buddy-reads, diverse, romance

Buddy Read with Maya, Laura, and Mina.

This book broke me in so many ways🥺😭🥰

Maia and Edan. I love those two so much, though Edan didn’t appear as much as I wanted him to, I still loved seeing the independence and strength in Maia when he wasn’t around.

And when Edan was there………

  “I’d find you anywhere, xitara”.
Xitara.
In Old A’landan, it meant little lamb. But also something else—in a language I’d never learned.
“Brightest one,” I whispered. Brightest one, in Nelrat, the language Edan had grown u

Buddy Read with Maya, Laura, and Mina.

This book broke me in so many ways🥺😭🥰

  “I’d find you anywhere, xitara”.
Xitara.
In Old A’landan, it meant little lamb. But also something else—in a language I’d never learned.
“Brightest one,” I whispered. Brightest one, in Nelrat, the language Edan had grown up speaking.

^That’s my heart melting seeing their reunion.🥺

Lady Sarnai is also someone I deeply respect. After all she’s been through, I really do admire her strength and like her a lot. Honestly, this story could’ve also been told through her POV since she was around a lot of the main action and very crucial to their victory. (view spoiler) I take back anything I thought before about her. She’s a true leader.

And Ammi!!! I actually kind of forgot who Ammi was, but then the first few chapters reminded me of her being the maid that helped Maia during the tailor’s competition. I didn’t think she was that important, dismissing her as ‘just another maid’, but Ammi actually is awesome.💕 She’s such a loyal friend to Maia even after finding out that she was fooled into thinking Maia was a boy. The brief adventure between them was really sweet.🥰

I held so much hatred towards Emperor Khanujin. I wanted him to die so badly.👿 (view spoiler)

And I loved the mention of the title in the book:

I am lucky, Edan. I know that for every dawn, dusk must unravel its darkness.

Woah. Now I get why the title is called Unravel the Dusk. Big Brain Moment.🤯🤣

If I had to choose though, I’d say I loved Spin the Dawn more. This sequel was amazing and even made me cry towards the end (view spoiler), but the one small thing was that I didn’t like was probably the lack of Edan (tho that's probably just me😅) and that there wasn’t much focus on the other side characters and it was only on Maia. Though I do understand Maia is the MC, so of course she’d be the main focus, but I was hoping for more development with Edan and maybe Lady Sarnai. I still loved this book ~~that made me cry~~!!!😍

The Weaver and the Cowherd……..what a beautiful tale woven from the two.⭐🌙🔆

  
    Then the sea engulfed me, and I burst to flames.
And I suddenly realized what form I’d taken: a phoenix, meant to rise again.

...more

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May 08, 2019 ♠ TABI⁷ ♠ marked it as to-read

dangggg this cover came out ready to slap everyone with beauty

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Aug 28, 2020 Grace rated it liked it

This was a very fast-paced, action-packed, exciting read.
In the first book, Maia, the main character, was timid, shy, and leaned heavily on Edan, the enchanter for her success.
In this second book, she had to learn to be strong, brave, and fight all on her own. Her battles were many, fighting the demons taking over her insides, while fleeing from the emperor and his soldiers.
The odds of mortals fighting demons and ghosts and winning was close to none, but with the little good and love left in h ...more

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Jul 28, 2020 Ellie (faerieontheshelf) rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, recieved-for-review, ya-lit, bipoc-ownvoices-fantasy, asian-fantasy, own-voices

SPIN THE DAWN was one of my favourite novels from 2019, so I was really excited to get to the sequel! However, it should be noted that I did think that the first book could've been a standalone, so I wasn't wholly sure how I'd like the story going forward.

For the most part, I did really enjoy it. But I do think it lacked that certain aspect across the board which SPIN THE DAWN such a wonderful read. Looking at the reviews of my mutuals, it seems I'm not alone here.

From the get-go, I wasn't too b SPIN THE DAWN was one of my favourite novels from 2019, so I was really excited to get to the sequel! However, it should be noted that I did think that the first book could've been a standalone, so I wasn't wholly sure how I'd like the story going forward.

For the most part, I did really enjoy it. But I do think it lacked that certain aspect across the board which SPIN THE DAWN such a wonderful read. Looking at the reviews of my mutuals, it seems I'm not alone here.

From the get-go, I wasn't too big on the demon aspect introduced at the end of SPIN THE DAWN, which is almost the core of the narrative in this sequel. It just . . . felt slightly off-kilter to me. It's been a long time since I read the first book, but I'm wondering whether foreshadowing/narrative threads were woven in early enough, because it felt sudden and it still feels sudden, in this second book. Or maybe there's just a slight dissonance of the ideas to me, from a tailoring competition to suddenly the heroine slowly becoming a demon. Maia's entire character arc in book two was all about her resisting the change and staying human, but at points it felt very repetitive. Be a demon and save people? Be a demon and hurt people? Repress demon and stay human? Circles, I'm saying.

Also, I did feel like this sequel wasn't as fleshed out in some places as it could've been - for instance, Edan's role becomes . . . sidelined, perhaps? He's still important but he seems to become very much just the love interest here, whereas in book one he had much more presence. Nevertheless! It's remarkable how much elizabeth lim actually fits into 350 pages whilst ensuring the book doesn't feel too fast-paced or markedly under-developed. The sequel has mostly an overarching war narrative, but it was also impressive how it all wrapped up in 50 or so pages at the end. In fact . . . I completely missed the moment that Maia 'triumphs' over the antagonist because it happened so quickly that I wasn't completely cognisant of what was happening, and there wasn't a clear dramatic build-up happening; it was like a snap of the fingers. Frankly, this probably could've been a trilogy, as this book contained narrative points that are common within the second and third books of a series, but also side-steps second-book syndrome by not drawing out the narrative (that's the wonderful thing about duologies, I suppose).

The things I liked about UNRAVEL THE DUSK remain similar to the reasons why I liked book one: a) a gorgeous world; b) lovely writing; c) an excellent cast. It's because of all these aspects continuing over from book one that I liked this sequel steadily.

And yet. I really thought this second book could've been an excellent companion novel centred on Lady Sarnai. Once again, I am here to say Lady Sarnai is a really fascinating character whose potential is not fully explored. Also, from a narrative standpoint, Sarnai's story in this book is interesting - she flees her arranged marriage, and then has to face her father, who is the narrative antagonist. It almost writes itself. In another world, SPIN THE DAWN would've been about Maia, and UNRAVEL THE DUSK would've been about Lady Sarnai, and maybe there would've been no demon narrative to draw the series out to two books.

~~sorry this really makes it seem like I hate the demon narrative ... I don't, but I'm just not fully convinced on it.~~

I feel like this review errs more on the critical side, but it shouldn't be overlooked that I read this book in just over 24 hours because I found it very well-paced and readable. The ending was cute - if a little quick, I thought - and definitely on the sweeter side than the more realistic and practical side, but I don't think that will bother anyone.

this duology really is a very worthwhile read - SPIN THE DAWN remains superior in my opinion, but many people will be satisfied by this conclusion. I do urge people to read this series, and Elizabeth Lim's future releases are on my radar.

> 4 stars

thank you to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review! <3 ...more

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Jul 18, 2020 Brenda Waworga rated it liked it

Spin The Dawn was one of my favorite YA Fantasy book on 2019, been pretty much excited with the sequel.. it was a good conclusion but it felt pale compares to the previous book

Unravel The Dusk is so much darker and got so much action and battles, it follows Maia and her struggle to fight the demon inside herself, she grew stronger and braver.. no more a naive girl

While it went into a more fast pace direction i lost the emotional connection i used to feel with her in Spin The Dawn, i adore the ro ...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Althea | themoonwholistens ☾ rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2020-releases, rep-bipoc, read-audiobook, rep-asian, rep-multicultural

I think a reason a lot of people (including myself) didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one is that it didn't really feel like it brought anything new for the majority of the book, the first half felt like we were getting a darker version of Spin the Dawn. With the court and the secrecy, it just left like she had another secret to keep when I thought it would turn into an adventure of some sort. Just like book one, I would have given the first half and the second half of this book differ I think a reason a lot of people (including myself) didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one is that it didn't really feel like it brought anything new for the majority of the book, the first half felt like we were getting a darker version of Spin the Dawn. With the court and the secrecy, it just left like she had another secret to keep when I thought it would turn into an adventure of some sort. Just like book one, I would have given the first half and the second half of this book different ratings —

First half rating: 3.5
Second half rating: 2.0

— overall thoughts: 2.5 —
⇢ content warnings// (view spoiler)

I still think that the elegant and rich descriptions is the strong suit but other than that, I wasn't that interested in much of anything. Furthermore, the tone actually turned darker than Spin the Dawn which I don’t think matched the beginning of the first book and was what I was initially reading the story for. Both books in this series started off strong and intriguing but it fails to build up from there in my opinion.

This series does still have good themes about family, destiny, with a rich culture in it's background but I don't think it was executed to make the most interesting story. It doesn't help that I wasn't as invested in the romance as much as other people were. I wasn't sold on how the main couple got together in the first book, so given that Edan wasn't really present for a huge part of this one, nothing really helped mend that for me. (view spoiler) I found a lot of inconsistencies in the plot and the build up, which I think were missed opportunities.

I expected that we were going to get more of the world building but it wasn't as in depth as I would have thought it could have gone. The plot went down a road that made me feel very underwhelmed given else could have been possible. The writing was still rich and descriptive, which might have been my favorite part. There were parts when the narrative/dialogue felt more modern than the traditional setting.

Maia wasn't my favorite person to follow though in this story for the same reason that it didn't feel like we were getting to know her more. You do get to see her internal struggles which was a nice touch but there was just something about the setting that didn't sell it for me. I don’t think I can say the pacing was slow, but it took so long for the narrative to get to the point. If I was invested enough in the character relationships, I normally would not have cared.

I did like the ending (yes, it's a happily ever after) for how it was written with the touching family moments. All that said, I still really loved Elizabeth Lim’s writing for what it is, I just was not a fan of a lot of choices in the plot and flow.

↣ This was an underwhelming sequel for me and I had high hopes. If you liked the writing in the first book, it's still prevalent here and I think people could still love this if you're sold on the romantic chemistry. ↢ ...more

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Jul 15, 2019 Destroyer Of Ships marked it as to-read

Shelves: most-anticipated-reads

WHAT A CLEVER NAMEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! unravel the dusk. I have hopes for the cover being fiery and gorgeous. Ofcourse, expectations are skyhigh after reading book 1 because holy fuck.

UPDATE 1\11\19

WE HAVE A COVER OR AT LEAST I SAW IT NOW.

MY guess was righhttttttt, it is redddd! cannot wait for this. an arc would be deadly amazingggg.

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May 21, 2020 Maddie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-releases, arcs, reviewed-2020, ya-retellings, favorites, ya-fantasy, ravenclaw

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's official: Elizabeth Lim is one of my favorite authors. This book killed me. I'm not kidding. I actually cried. ACTUAL T E A R S. For those of you who don't know me, that's an extremely rare occurrence, especially at something in a book. And yet, here I am, still sniffling as I try to gather my jumble of emotions into a coherent review that tells you how much I loved this.

This wa ...more

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Nov 04, 2019 Erika ♥OwlwaysReading♥ marked it as to-read

Shelves: 1-brain-candy, top-top-top-tbr, 3-coverly-love

Asked for this one on Netgalley, December 13, 2019.
Still not approved, BUT STILL NOT DECLINED 😅!!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
MINE!!!

This book is MINE!

... starting July 7th 2020 😩 ...more

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Oct 29, 2019 Mary S. R. rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, romance

Someone please kindly send me the address and info of this series' bleeding cover artist...

~~I have a kidnapping to plan, and a precious and delicate art (also known as torture) to learn—I will make her design my entire life, you just mark my words~~ 🙂

Companions

Book playlist: Spotify URL

Books in series:
• Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars, #1) ★★★½☆
• Unravel the Dusk (The Blood of Stars, #2) ★★★☆☆ ...more

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Nov 05, 2019 Kathryn Speckels (Metaphors and Miscellanea) rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs

3.5/5, rounded down because the VAST majority of the book I was convinced it would be lower; only the last 1/3 or so really gripped me.

Spin the Dawn was one of my favorite books of last year, so I was beyond ecstatic when I was approved for the sequel on NetGalley. Unfortunately, while this was not necessarily a bad read, it pales in comparison to its predecessor, which made me a very disappointed K-Specks. Although still beautiful, Unravel the Dusk lacked the same magic and emotional pull that ...more

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Aug 10, 2020 Sentranced Jem rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-5-stars, arc-2020

I really enjoyed reading Spin The Dawn but unfortunately I didn’t care for Unravel the Dusk all that much to be honest.
It’s really disappointing because just like I said in Spin the Dawn, I like the way Elizabeth Lim writes. So much so that I read Spin the Dawn more than once and recommended the book to so many of my friends, who LOVED it too but with Unravel the Dusk? I’m feeling rather indifferent.

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Jul 08, 2020 Keertana rated it it was ok

I really enjoyed the first book in this duology, despite a few tried and true fantasy tropes making an appearance. But this sequel was slow, plotless, and lacked the emotion of its predecessor. Alas.

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Sep 21, 2020 delaney rated it it was amazing

4.5

THAT ENDING WAS ALL I COULD ASK FOR.

ELIZABETH LIM - Thank you for this duology. It was stunning. I loved it all. Original. On point. THANK YOU.

This was me:
Spin the Dawn: Edan is a hottie😍
Unravel the Dusk: DEMON MAIA CAN SPLIT ME APART

It picks up right from book one: Maia has been revealed to be a woman, she is the Imperial Tailor, and she is slowly becoming a demon. Adding into all of that, Emperor Khanujin is to wed Lady Sarnai and bring peace to A’landi. However, things go terribly wrong, ...more

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Apr 14, 2020 Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight marked it as to-read

Shelves: i-need-more-than-air

4/14/20:

Ohh, I loved Spin the Dawn so I so pumped for this one!!! The ending really sold me on the sequel. Come faster July!

Also, that cover is otherwordly.

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Sep 27, 2020 Grace rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I could cry about these characters because I love them :,)

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Dec 25, 2020 izzy rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-ya, owned-wishlist-longlist, on-blog

I liked this, though not quite as much as the first. Most of my thoughts on the writing, plot, characters, etc, are the same. But the device where Maia was (view spoiler) was inconsistently done (sometimes worked, sometimes didn't).

I guess my bigger issue with this book, and the latter 2/3 of its predecessor, is that there isn't much sewing and fashion going on. When a book is pitched ...more

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May 19, 2020 Leslie Baker rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. “I'd battled ghosts and touched the stars. I'd climbed a mountain to the moon and conquered the fury of the sun.” -
Spin the Dawn , Elizabeth Lim
_________________________________
Rating: 5/5 🌟
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Publisher: Knopf
Release Date: 7/7/20
_________________________________
I want to start by saying thank you to NetGalley , Knopf , and Penguin Books for the advanced copy of Unravel the Dusk.
__________________________________
Unravel the Dusk deserves ALL the stars! It has been a long time “I'd battled ghosts and touched the stars. I'd climbed a mountain to the moon and conquered the fury of the sun.” -
Spin the Dawn , Elizabeth Lim
_________________________________
Rating: 5/5 🌟
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Publisher: Knopf
Release Date: 7/7/20
_________________________________
I want to start by saying thank you to NetGalley , Knopf , and Penguin Books for the advanced copy of Unravel the Dusk.
__________________________________
Unravel the Dusk deserves ALL the stars! It has been a long time since a book as moved me so much. By the end I was in tears, I had to set the book down because I couldn’t see. Elizabeth is so talented and she weaves such an amazing story. I loved Spin the Dawn, I was hooked from the first page. However Unravel the Dusk is my favorite of the two. Maia has grown so much since we first met her in Spin the Dawn.
⚠️ Minor SPOILERS for Spin the Dawn & Unravel the Dusk ahead ⚠️
She has grown from a “mousy” tailor to , a phenomenal powerhouse. She fought hard for her title , Imperial Tailor. She has sewn the dress of legendary dress Amma, but has risked her heart in the process. Seeing Maia struggle with her inner demon (literally) was so hard. I love and respect her so much. Seeing Maia struggle throughout the book, and then come to terms with everything, was so well done. I am struggling putting into words how much I love this book. We learn more about how demons function in Elizabeth’s world. We also learn more about the Shashen and the source of his terrifying powers. Bandur (the demon Maia made a pact with) returns. He is probably one of my favorite demons , and it has nothing to do with the fact his animal form is a wolf. It has everything to do with how well written he is , and how sassy he can be. I loved trying to figure out what form Maia would take. I totally thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong! What she actually turned into was was much better than I anticipated! The only thing I didn’t really like was there was not much Edan till part two, but it was worth the wait! I seriously love this book so much! It is rich in Chinese culture, and features forbidden romance. I cannot recommend this series enough! ...more

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Jul 05, 2020 Bethany rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020-interested

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

Unravel the Dusk is a solid and action-packed ending to this magical duology with a setting inspired by ancient China. Maia may have returned from her quest victorious, but with a high cost that is slowly turning her into a demon. Her country is on the brink of war, the boy she loves is gone, and things get very complicated and very dangerous.

I think if you enjoy action-driven books and liked the first one, you will probably enjoy this. It does a good job of completing c ...more

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May 26, 2020 skye rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 01-fantasy, favorites, b1-advanced-copies, a1-asian-authored, a4-holy-covers

my heart. it aches.

there are absolutely no fucking words in the english vocabulary to describe the absolute gamut of emotions i was wrung through while reading this book. i finished it two hours ago and i'm still reeling. this is a much, much darker entry in the duology, as it rightfully should be—the primary tension in the book comes from all the consequences of maia's bargain in the first book, after all. and boy howdy, did this book have some TENSION.

"If you forget me, I'll find a way to

"If you forget me, I'll find a way to make you remember again. And if you attack me"—he flattened my hand against his chest—"I'll hold you until you stop."

i could not rest, y'all. this book takes hold of the plot from the first sentence and it DOES NOT let go. spin the dawn was already a doozy of a book because it was both competition and quest book in one, and this continuation sees maia & the crew preparing for an all-out war while maia struggles to not give in to her darkening soul and somehow break the curse she's now beholden to. it's a lot. and things only ever get worse for our beloved characters before they get better.

but still, but still, even as maia is tormented by the demons lurking in the darkness, even as we peel back the layers behind the kingdom's pitiful, crumbling façade, here are the things i can promise you are still in this book—the steady river's undercurrent, faithful and true:

• beautiful, lyrical prose that soars off the page: heart-clenching scenes that put you on the edge of your seat, lavish descriptions of food that make you SO hungry, quiet character moments that make something deep and feral inside you ache
• an unwavering belief in the magical power of stories, of folklore and fairytales that are passed down from generation to generation, that hold strong even as fields turn to grass and back into gold again. we get to see a few new asian folktales in this book, and i really liked how they were woven into the story!
• absolutely authentic + hilarious chinese family dynamics (see also: when ur younger brother and stoic asian father meet ur enchanter boyfriend but you're also turning into a demon, #justgirlythings)
• just some good fucking romance, man. i think elizabeth's character writing has gotten somehow??? better since the first book??? which i thought was impossible and yet here we are. it's been a long time since i read a cishet romance that i actually felt truly invested in, and there is some. good yearning here. very good yearning indeed.

i just. i just cannot believe i have to wait until JULY for this book to come out and for everyone to suffer along with me. and so my rambling puddle of a review will end here, because i fear i cannot go on much longer before i devolve into a mess of keyboard smashes and [internal screaming] memes. but yeah. if you liked spin the dawn? this is good. this is better. buckle up.

ARC received via my sweet friend lauren! thank you for my suffering. ...more

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About Elizabeth Lim

Elizabeth Lim

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Elizabeth Lim grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, "Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that's kinda cool!" But after one of her teachers told her she had "too much voice" in her essays, Elizabeth took a bre ...more