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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
I like it! It’s an entertaining book. Nothing completely groundbreaking, but I will be reading the next one in the series. Glad that I picked it up ☺️
Old news now, I guess but I finally picked this book up and managed to read this YA fantasy in one sitting. Here are my thoughts:
.
What I Liked:
✨A well imagined and equally well-executed plot that brings in a lot of adventure and a whole bunch of stories (especially myths and lore, which is all very unique).
✨A handful of well-developed characters, each with their own political agenda (because part of this is palace court drama)
✨A past and a present you can keep track of. The rivalry between kingdoms etc. With a few major events that can be easily remembered and followed.
✨The protagonist-I loved how vulnerable and self-righteous she is. Her love for her family is immense and that helps her keep up her fighting spirit. She isn't scared to walk into dangerous territories, but she doesn't come back unharmed either (no super powers there)
✨The love interest and Lord Enchanter is actually quite charming. Don't expect mysterious and broody but a whole lot of sarcasm and friendly banter.
✨The cliffhanger in the end-I have no idea where the story is headed next and that is something I enjoyed. I loved how each chapter ended on a thrilling note and made me guess what happens next. It's fair to say, I was surprised by the plot twists that kept coming.
.
What I disliked-
✨The age difference between the two lead characters because there's a huge difference in maturity that is evident throughout the plot.
✨Certain scenes were really cringy and it just didn't work out for me.
.
What I Liked:
✨A well imagined and equally well-executed plot that brings in a lot of adventure and a whole bunch of stories (especially myths and lore, which is all very unique).
✨A handful of well-developed characters, each with their own political agenda (because part of this is palace court drama)
✨A past and a present you can keep track of. The rivalry between kingdoms etc. With a few major events that can be easily remembered and followed.
✨The protagonist-I loved how vulnerable and self-righteous she is. Her love for her family is immense and that helps her keep up her fighting spirit. She isn't scared to walk into dangerous territories, but she doesn't come back unharmed either (no super powers there)
✨The love interest and Lord Enchanter is actually quite charming. Don't expect mysterious and broody but a whole lot of sarcasm and friendly banter.
✨The cliffhanger in the end-I have no idea where the story is headed next and that is something I enjoyed. I loved how each chapter ended on a thrilling note and made me guess what happens next. It's fair to say, I was surprised by the plot twists that kept coming.
.
What I disliked-
✨The age difference between the two lead characters because there's a huge difference in maturity that is evident throughout the plot.
✨Certain scenes were really cringy and it just didn't work out for me.
Full review - https://literarey.wordpress.com/2020/09/11/spinthedawn/
WOW. Probably the best fantasy AND romance book I’ve ever read. Strong female lead who actually deserves being called strong? YES! Romance that doesn’t hinge on beauty alone? YES! Interesting plot? YES!!!!
I am so happy to have picked this back up. Read 60~ pages a year ago and finished the rest today because I could.not. Put. It. Down!
The story didn’t hinge on romance, the FMC didn’t NEED the man, but still they were able to save each other and work together in a way that allowed the cutesy “oh you saved me” scenes without making the female mc completely weak.
Beautifully written, and an amazing breather after endless numbers of romances with no real chemistry.
Besides the romance (because this book is SO much more than that) , the plot was beautiful. Maia grew so much and was so strong and smart throughout, but not in a prodigy way. She was able to overcome challenges with her mental strength and was very independent. The narration from her point of view was great.
Overall, an AMAZING read!!!
I am so happy to have picked this back up. Read 60~ pages a year ago and finished the rest today because I could.not. Put. It. Down!
The story didn’t hinge on romance, the FMC didn’t NEED the man, but still they were able to save each other and work together in a way that allowed the cutesy “oh you saved me” scenes without making the female mc completely weak.
Beautifully written, and an amazing breather after endless numbers of romances with no real chemistry.
Besides the romance (because this book is SO much more than that) , the plot was beautiful. Maia grew so much and was so strong and smart throughout, but not in a prodigy way. She was able to overcome challenges with her mental strength and was very independent. The narration from her point of view was great.
Overall, an AMAZING read!!!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
originally crossposted on GR in 2020
6 stars
I used to love Disney's Mulan as a kid. It was the only representation in mainstream media I had. As I grew more experienced, I realize that I was grasping for crumbs. In the original, Mulan is a weaver girl who goes to war to protect her father (who is too old) and brother (who is too young). Every choice she makes is to show how far she'd go to protect them and, when offered a reward for her services, she simply asks for a camel to take her home and be a weaver girl again. Disney makes a big deal about how she’s going to be killed because she's a woman in a war and what a Big Sexist the Country of China™ is, but like...we do have a history of female warriors. The issue was never that Mulan was a woman—it's that she lied to the emperor. She revealed herself of her own volition after the war was over, her comrades were like "cool", and everything was fine. Disney made a big show of the gender reveal and robbed Mulan of her autonomy to westernize the narrative. They twisted a legend about collectivism and Confucian filial piety into a basic American feminist story riddled with individualism. There were a lot more issues pointed out in this post here. With the 2020 movie, they're trying to peddle the same narrative without any Chinese people on the writing team. Publishing Elizabeth Lim's Spin The Dawn is a great start to making things right.
I went into this book knowing nothing but the basic premise and I have to say that describing Spin The Dawn as "Mulan meets Project Runway" feels like such a disservice. It is so much more than that. Everything from the prose to the world building is beautiful. There were a couple of YA tropes that I'm not fond of. Like I hate the “she's not like other girls” trope, but it was easier to forgive because it's brief and Maia really is special considering the legends she's based on. Her relationships are wholesome, beautiful, and respectful. It's easy for me to empathize with her. Elizabeth Lim said in an interview that she weaved Chinese legends into her story and, while the references are there, she made this tale all her own. Maia and her love interest are the best kind of star-crossed lovers and it hurt so good! Just when you think the obstacles keeping them from being happy together seem manageable, another impossible situation wedges itself between them. Lim also gave Maia the autonomy she deserved and it felt empowering for me to live vicariously through her. I could feel the magic come off the pages and how daunting yet fascinating every task was.
I'd stay up until 3AM reading because I wanted to feel the next moment of happiness and feel the next heartbreak. I let myself get swept away in Maia's journey. I sobbed, I laughed, and best of all—I related. I felt seen, I felt empowered, I felt everything. Every decision Maia made, she did for her loved ones despite the odds stacked against her. Elizabeth Lim really loves her characters and I cannot thank her enough for making this an ode to Mulan and other Chinese legends. The slow burn romance and the pining was unexpected and absolutely...*chef's kiss.* Bonus: the protagonist is a Chinese woman and her love interest is a brown man instead of the ghastly-pale love interest C-dramas/novels keep recasting—I pictured Claude from Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
It's an epic fantasy interracial relationship that's not a white person and a person of color, which is much needed. Spin The Dawn was cathartic for me from start to finish and I know this book will be one for me to reread. It's an absolute must if you enjoy fantasy, if you love Mulan, and especially if you want to give more power to #OwnVoices novels.
----
us cover: tran nguyen
uk cover: kelly chong
6 stars
I used to love Disney's Mulan as a kid. It was the only representation in mainstream media I had. As I grew more experienced, I realize that I was grasping for crumbs. In the original, Mulan is a weaver girl who goes to war to protect her father (who is too old) and brother (who is too young). Every choice she makes is to show how far she'd go to protect them and, when offered a reward for her services, she simply asks for a camel to take her home and be a weaver girl again. Disney makes a big deal about how she’s going to be killed because she's a woman in a war and what a Big Sexist the Country of China™ is, but like...we do have a history of female warriors. The issue was never that Mulan was a woman—it's that she lied to the emperor. She revealed herself of her own volition after the war was over, her comrades were like "cool", and everything was fine. Disney made a big show of the gender reveal and robbed Mulan of her autonomy to westernize the narrative. They twisted a legend about collectivism and Confucian filial piety into a basic American feminist story riddled with individualism. There were a lot more issues pointed out in this post here. With the 2020 movie, they're trying to peddle the same narrative without any Chinese people on the writing team. Publishing Elizabeth Lim's Spin The Dawn is a great start to making things right.
I went into this book knowing nothing but the basic premise and I have to say that describing Spin The Dawn as "Mulan meets Project Runway" feels like such a disservice. It is so much more than that. Everything from the prose to the world building is beautiful. There were a couple of YA tropes that I'm not fond of. Like I hate the “she's not like other girls” trope, but it was easier to forgive because it's brief and Maia really is special considering the legends she's based on. Her relationships are wholesome, beautiful, and respectful. It's easy for me to empathize with her. Elizabeth Lim said in an interview that she weaved Chinese legends into her story and, while the references are there, she made this tale all her own. Maia and her love interest are the best kind of star-crossed lovers and it hurt so good! Just when you think the obstacles keeping them from being happy together seem manageable, another impossible situation wedges itself between them. Lim also gave Maia the autonomy she deserved and it felt empowering for me to live vicariously through her. I could feel the magic come off the pages and how daunting yet fascinating every task was.
I'd stay up until 3AM reading because I wanted to feel the next moment of happiness and feel the next heartbreak. I let myself get swept away in Maia's journey. I sobbed, I laughed, and best of all—I related. I felt seen, I felt empowered, I felt everything. Every decision Maia made, she did for her loved ones despite the odds stacked against her. Elizabeth Lim really loves her characters and I cannot thank her enough for making this an ode to Mulan and other Chinese legends. The slow burn romance and the pining was unexpected and absolutely...*chef's kiss.* Bonus: the protagonist is a Chinese woman and her love interest is a brown man instead of the ghastly-pale love interest C-dramas/novels keep recasting—I pictured Claude from Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
It's an epic fantasy interracial relationship that's not a white person and a person of color, which is much needed. Spin The Dawn was cathartic for me from start to finish and I know this book will be one for me to reread. It's an absolute must if you enjoy fantasy, if you love Mulan, and especially if you want to give more power to #OwnVoices novels.
----
us cover: tran nguyen
uk cover: kelly chong
Este libro me gustó bastante. Es una Mulán, pero con una espada muy muy pequeña. La historia en sí está bien y lo que más me interesó fue la parte del concurso. Quizás, la aventura en la que se embarca no me emocionó demasiado, ni tampoco el romance, pero en líneas generales es un libro que me dejó buen buen sabor de boca y que recomendaría.
i love elizabeth lim and i love every single thing she writes. she is truly my favourite author and she has some sort of magic to be able to write these stories because she’s SO GOOD!! the world building, the characters, the plot, the romance, all of it was just brilliant. miss elizabeth really knows how to keep you hooked and eager to constantly read (i would have finished this in like 2 days had i not been studying
4.5 stars
This was a solid book.
I enjoyed every second I spent reading this book and I can't wait to start the next one.
I loved the characters, the world building and the story.
However, I wouldn't say this is my favourite book, maybe I've read too many fantasy YA books and should try something new. Lots of what happened in the book felt familiar to me. Don't get me wrong the story was very original, but I just feel like something is missing from it for me.
So, I'm giving it 4.5 stars because I did really enjoy reading this book, its just that something little didn't work for me (I'm just no sure what)
This was a solid book.
I enjoyed every second I spent reading this book and I can't wait to start the next one.
I loved the characters, the world building and the story.
However, I wouldn't say this is my favourite book, maybe I've read too many fantasy YA books and should try something new. Lots of what happened in the book felt familiar to me. Don't get me wrong the story was very original, but I just feel like something is missing from it for me.
So, I'm giving it 4.5 stars because I did really enjoy reading this book, its just that something little didn't work for me (I'm just no sure what)