Spin the Dawn was an unexpected delight for me. I got it in a subscription box, read the back, thought "Project Runway meets Mulan... hmmm... not my thing" and condemned it to a life of collecting dust and cobwebs at the back of the bookshelf.

Six months later ... < cue global pandemic - enter from stage right > I came across it and thought "why not". And I loved it! A memorable cast, interesting and original story, and a lovely mix of Asian mythology. It was a reading highlight for 2020.

You kind of wonder how something can go from so good to so bad. I thought it would at least plateau out, not drastically plummet. Several times I turned to the cover to make sure I was reading the right book by the same author and not fanfiction or something by a ghostwriter.

You'll get whiplash from trying to keep up with everything happening at breakneck speed. Plot points that were integral in Spin the Dawn are glossed over. Battles start and are over in 2-3 paragraphs. Minor Spin the Dawn characters are upgrade from background to main characters but with no character development so you really don't care if they live or die in battle (don't fret, at least they'll have a quick death. It'll be over before the end of the page). And the attempt at weaving the plot threads into the mythology in the climax was a bit of a "huh? wtf!" moment. It really didn't have the same magic as the first book.

Recommended for fans of: Girl, Serpent, Thorn, Forest of Souls, Descendant of the Crane

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the reading copy

I enjoyed the darker aspect to this sequel, but I did feel as though the consequences did not have quite as much impact as they should have, although I did like that they were felt beyond the main characters. However, I had similar issues to the first book, in that I did not particularly connect with the characters, and in this one I just felt as though things were a little too telegraphed, at least in the first two thirds or so, although it did pick up towards the end. The ending worked well. Again this is one that I can see other people enjoying a lot, and it was just a case of me being the wrong reader.

I read the first book and instantly started this. I needed to know what happened. Would Maia succumb and have to give up everything including herself or would she succeed but still end up paying the ultimate price.? A worthy book on its own, but a fabulous sequel. The drama is there until the end and the plot twists as the reader bows down to the inevitability of Maria’s fate. A stunning read..

I was expecting much of this book, maybe a bit too much because I liked it a bit less than Spin the Dawn. However, don’t get me wrong, it is still very good. It was just a bit less intense. Moreover, the fact that I took a long break in the middle of the book did not help.
I loved following Maia on her journey against her inner demon. However, it was most of the book, and maybe it was a bit too much as it sometimes felt a bit repeating. Moreover, I wished I had seen more of our Edan/Maia relationship because it was so good and cute in the first book. At least, we got to see Maia at her strongest. She rescued people, as well as herself. It was as poetic as the first book and I am very happy with the ending.
4/5

Thanks to Netgalley for a digital sample in exchange for an honest review :) This sounds very interesting and I am excited for this 2nd vol book. The writing is beautiful and it made me very curious for continuing the reading experience. I also have to say that the cover is incredibly beautiful :) Loving it!

Unravel the Dusk is the sequel to Spin the Dawn in which Maia moves from trying to save her family to trying to save the rest of the Kingdom.

Some of the plot elements were on the edge of comfortable for me (not a spoiler if you've read the first book) as Maia is turning into a demon. However, I liked that she retained her humanity and in the end it was her humanity that saved her. This book is a little more violent than the previous one, but it has matured in line with its characters. The story flowed beautifully and made sense and by the end, the whole story of the two books felt complete. I particularly liked the development of Lady Sarnai. The stakes were high and the final battle and climax of the book really tugs on the heartstrings.

Overall, it was a really tense but satisfying conclusion to Maia's story and I thought the author did a great job bringing all the threads (no pun intended) together in the end. If you liked Spin the Dawn, you'll enjoy Unravel the Dusk too, and you should keep an eye out for the author's newest release, Six Crimson Cranes. I can't wait to read more from Elizabeth Lim! I also hope they make a movie or tv series from these books, they'd take to the screen really well.

If you're not comfortable with magic and violence, this book is not for you. It's not gratuitous, but it's set in a country at war, so there is fighting. The concept of Maia becoming a demon is rooted more in mythology than in the occult, so although there were moments when I wasn't sure about it, it was fine in the end. But go with your conscience on that one.

3.5 out of 5 spools of golden thread for this one (half star because of the demon plotline.

(I was given a free ARC by Net Galley in exchange for this review. No questionable emperors have pressured me into saying good things about it, views are all my own)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

What a great conclusion to the duology. Maia's story is firmly wrapped up by Lim in a way that provides closure and satisfaction to the reader. Her battle with becoming a demon also seems analogous to battling with mental illness. I particularly loved the references to Shiori's tale which Lim is now picking up in Six Crimson Cranes. Lim's prose just draws you in and she knows how to draw character with just the right sense of lightness to not overpower the story.

This is the sequel to Spin the Dawn, and I can’t really tell you much what the book is about without spoiling the first book in the series, so I’ll just dig into my thoughts here.

In Spin the Dawn, I had some issues with the fact that the love interest was +500 years old and how it all was a bit too generic and overall pretty boring. It was a solid read with pretty decent worldbuilding and an okay plot. But, to be honest, I was pretty unenthusiastic going in to it.

But I was so wrong. This sequel was really good. And I flew through it, not wanting to stop reading until the end.

Unlike the previous book, this had a clear plot with high stakes and there was a lot more focus on the main character and her journey. This time she had to fight not only the demons threatening to ruin the country, but also the demon within herself.

I loved how the women of this book stood out and showed not only the reader, but the people in their world what equality is, that they fought for themselves, for their country and what they believed in.

I don’t know how much I can say about the book without spoiling too much here, but the writing was great, the plot was great and this time I really enjoyed reading about the main character and I was invested in her journey.

I could say that I have a few issues with the way it ended, but all in all, it wrapped up the story in a nice way and I think this was a really good duology as a whole.

Read it.

Unravel the Dusk is a strong follow up to Spin the Dawn, with Maia clearly struggling to cope following the events of the first book. Yes, she’s now the Imperial Tailor, and she did succeed at making the dress of the sun, moon and stars (a task which, by all accounts, was near impossible), but she has the little problem of slowly turning into a demon… whilst the dresses are also wanting her and her alone to wear them and use their power.

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

A lot of this story is about the emotion turmoil Maia is going through, she wants to help save her home while simultaneously avoiding people as much as she can so she doesn’t cause them any harm. Very early on she encounters Lady Sarnai’s father (whilst having to pretend to be her… for reasons) and from that encounter alone it’s easy to see that Maia feels backed into a corner.

Her love for Edan is another prevailing factor in Unravel the Dusk (and he’s as swoon-worthy as ever), he’s had to leave and start magic training again in a far away location, and the pain it causes Maia is so plain to see. As soon as he can be there for her though, he is. Risking life and limb for Maia. Their relationship in the first book was my favourite thing about Spin the Dawn, so when they’re finally together again it’s just perfect.

“I am meant for her now. Her above all else.”

Although we don’t get as much of Edan, we do get more of several other characters in this one that really shine. Amma is one of them, who ends up being an amazing friend to Maia as she learns to forgive her. She even covers for some things and it’s clear she wants to help Maia as much as she possibly can, it’s super endearing to see. We also get more of Maia’s brother, Finlei, and her father in this one, albeit closer to the end, but it was great to see the family dynamics unfold.

“Always seize the wind, sister.”

And then there is Lady Sarnai… let’s face it she was horrid in the first book. The trials she put Maia through, expecting her to fail, were unkind and unjust. But we learn far more about her in Unravel the Dusk and towards the end she became another character I couldn’t help but love. She’s tormented, but she loves someone with all of her heart and it’s easy to see she just wants to be with him instead.

In terms of world-building, I will forever adore the world Lim has created. It’s the magic system more than anything, in this beautiful world where magic can either be beautiful starlight or dangerous demon fire, where a pair of scissors can create the most beautiful items. And I adored the tales that got told by Edan of Shiori and her brothers who were turned into cranes… and the mention of dragons. I loved how this story got me excited for Six Crimson Cranes whilst keeping me enthralled in the events.

The ending of Unravel the Dusk is perfect, everything is tied up and I can’t lie, many happy tears were shed. I actually read over the last line again writing this review and teared up. Super eagerly awaiting my signed FairyLoot set for this duology now!

Unravel the Dusk is the outstanding sequel to Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim. This is a satisfying conclusion to the thrilling duology. The world-building is incredible and even expands in this sequel. The characters are engaging and well-developed. Lim's writing is very solid. Highly recommended to those who enjoyed Spin the Dawn.

Unravel the Dusk was the spell-bounding exhilarating sequel in The Blood Of the Stars duology!

It was just as good as the first one and had me very engaged throughout! The world building was phenomenal and I really enjoyed it! The characters felt dynamic and Maia was a great well rounded protagonist. The writing complemented the plot beautifully!

Overall this was a brilliant read that I would recommend! I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the E-arc. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton & Elizabeth Lim for allowing me to read e-ARC of Unravel The Dusk for an exchange of honest review.

More actions incoming in this final duology book! I really really really love how the hardship of defeating the demon was so hard that I felt like this is the real war. No war can easily won a battle just like that.

I have a love-hate relationship with Lady Sarnai. She's so arrogant but at the same time she's good in fighting. She's the real concept of strong woman. I'll go for Lady Sarnai more instead of Maia.

In this 2nd book as well, I can taste the grief of losing people that we loved in war. It's just devastating that they had to die of fighting. Even thought Maia repeatedly remembering her brothers died in war but we get it, losing someone is not an easy thing to handle in life. Plus, losing them physically is just so hard.

Overall, Unravel The Dusk is ended pretty well.

*****reviewing in Goodreads separately due technical error*****

This book was an enjoyable YA with interesting fable-inspired fantasy elements. It was fun to see new parts of this world and to see a battle take place.
I really enjoyed the first section of this book which was set in the palace. It was suspenseful and interesting but went downhill from there for me.
My main criticism is that it was all a bit easy, we didn't see many growth moments for the characters because most things went their way. And the main character seemed to be repeating the same mistakes/having the same thought-processes repeatedly which was frustrating.

"Unravel the Dusk" offered a decent conclusion to "The Blood of Stars" duology, but it failed to really impress me.

There was a lot of tell instead of show in terms of character development. The idea of this series was great and I liked the world-building, but the plot itself had some wholes and remained rather superficial throughout.

The climax of the story also felt rather meh and I would have liked to see some real consequences instead of what we got here.

Unravel the Dusk is capital-D dark. Much darker than the final chapters of Spin the Dawn. I can’t discuss much of the plot while avoiding spoilers for those who haven’t started the series, but I’ll say that while the first book is seeded with hope, triumph and romance, Unravel the Dusk is a tale of desperation and loss.

The changes within Maia set in motion at the end of book one prove to be her key struggle, and perhaps downfall, in this instalment. Her simple dream to become a Master Tailor seems far away as she is pulled into the machinations of others, the threat of war still looming.

Many of the characters from Spin the Dawn make a return, some more surprising than others. Edan plays a slightly smaller role than I expected, though this wasn’t an issue for me. I really liked Lady Sarnai as a character, and trying to decide where she sits on the spectrum of villain and hero. Her relationship with Maia is really interesting.

Throughout the book, Maia faces bleak choices. While Lim rightly hones in on her inner turmoil because of this, I did feel that the tone of the story became a little one-note and heavily focused on foreshadowing. There were also some tenuous plot points towards the beginning of the book that I didn’t quite believe, but this seemed to resolve later in the story.

I loved the story’s conclusion, which was like observing some new celestial legend unfold. Lim really hits her stride when going to town with her spiritually-focused fantasy, and she’s written a satisfying ending to this duology.

I also loved that Unravel the Dusk frequently references the legend of a cursed Kiatan princess, which is the basis of Lim’s next duology. Six Crimson Cranes has already been described as Lim’s best work yet, and I’ll happily be revisiting her world.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

Trigger warnings: Death of family, ableism, bodily harm, emotional trauma, torture

Unravel the Dusk continues where Spin the Dawn ended, but with less enchantment than the first book.

The story continues immediately where the first book ended, but also starts off a lot darker than the first. Everything I liked about Maia as a character was gone in the second book. Story-wise, it made sense. But it was difficult to read, boring at times.

One of the things I loved of the first book was the creative process being described as Maia was creating clothes. However, there was barely any sewing, or use of the scissors (aside from using it as an actual weapon), in this book.

The only clothes that get described are Amana’s dresses, over and over again. And the contant focus on demons and how terrible they are and how Maia is turning into one just ended up being tedious. There was less romance in it as well - which usually isn’t too much of a bother to me, but I feel Unravel the Dusk could’ve really used it against the constant dark tones.

The story didn’t really pick up for me until at around 60%. After that the book was hard to put down, and I think that’s what saved it for me. The battle for A’landi and all the characters we met in the first book returning. The war actually started to mean something from that point on.

I really wanted to love Unravel the Dusk as much as I enjoyed Spin the Dawn, but it just fell short. I did in the end very much enjoy the story of the entire duology, and that’s what saved it for me.

What I was looking for: The second part in The Blood of Stars duology.

What I liked: I liked the what Elizabeth Lim made of the story, and I was really happy that it continues to be a completely independent story (and not only “Mulan meets Project Runway”). And knowing the next book by Elizabeth Lim is about to be published, the “easter eggs” in this one were fun.

What I did not like: Edan being refered to as a boy when he so clearly is not. The ending could have played out a little different to make the whole series even better. Some of the sentences are a bit too over the top dramatic for me (most pronounced in the prologue of both books).

Conclusion: In this second instalment of the duology, we are really free of the first book’s catchphrase and it is a completely independent story which I enjoyed very much. Overall, a solid fantasy read and the new covers are breathtaking.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for this free eARC.

I got a copy of this book through Netgalley, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is a 3,5 stars from me.

My review of Spin the Dawn https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4001612676pin

Most of the things I said in my review to Spin the Dawn, are also the thoughts I have with Unravel the Dusk.

I liked it, and I don't really have any "bad" things to say about this book. I almost read this all in one sitting.  And I often have many things to say about books when I'm reading them or when I finish them, but with Unravel the Dusk, I didn't particularly have any thoughts, other than liking the book. That is at least the thoughts I have immediately after finishing this book.

I like Lims writing, and I liked how the story unfolded. But it followed the YA formula too much, which made the book very predictable, and the book pretty much followed the same sequence as Spin the Dawn, not that I minded it.


The ending was pretty cliché, and I usually do enjoy happy endings, but I kind of wished that it had ended another way. 

I wouldn't mind re-reading this duology again.

SPOILER
I think it would have been better if Maia died and didn't come back to life. And then it would have ended that same way with people moving on and being HAPPY.

My Rating:⭐⭐.5


After book 1, I was so excited to start this book. But my excitement was short lived. Everything felt so different in this one than book1. The pacing, characters, development, etc., felt too slow than Spin the Dawn.
This book was about Maia fighting her curse and stopping herself from getting possessed by the demon. She makes some questionable choices to prevent herself from getting dragged to the Thief's Tower. She should have left to join Edan when she had the chance, but no, she just stayed in the palace and fought the shansen's army, to save A'landi. It took almost 50% of the book for things to pick up and made the story slow and dragged.
The only thing I liked the most in this book was how those three dresses of Amana were used here and the new myths added to the story. Other than that, this one was a let down for me, because I thoroughly enjoyed Spin the Dawn and expected the same here.

Overall, I'd recommend this book if you've read book 1 and need closure for this duology, because it ties up everything in the end.

Interesting conclusion to the first book but loosing some of the charm of the relationship between Maia and Edan. For most of this book, Maia faces up to the consequences of setting Edan free of his enchantor vow, by slowly turning into a demon. Most of it is her fighting her demon side and using the dresses to help in the war against the Shansen.

On the flip side, she's no longer the one that needs rescuing so much and is the one that fights to save Alaandi and help people. However she loses more of her self each time, either her humanity as her body changes, her mind as she starts to forget people (even Edan), and her heart as she fights evil demonic Maia. I also dont understand why she's so subservient particularly to Sarnai who she saves on many on an occassion. Edan serves as more of a prop here to remind Maia of who she is and doesn't do much as he's lost most of his powers.

Overall it was a little lack lustre for me but was a good conclusion to the story overall.