Unravel the Dusk

Unravel the Dusk follows Maia, the newly-appointed Imperial Tailor, as she struggles to cope with the raging war, her recent sacrifices and all of the traumatic events that she suffered in Spin the Dawn. She finds herself on a new mission, this time without the help of her Enchanter, to help end the war before she loses herself to the magic that is overtaking her.

Spin the Dawn is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year, and I’m so glad that I found myself as completely blown away by its sequel. Unravel the Dusk is much less of an adventure-based story than its predecessor, but the action is infinitely more dramatic. Maia’s inner turmoil and physical struggle with herself make up a large part of the book, but these slightly more reflective scenes were balanced really well by the intense battles, the scenes of war and some incredibly dramatic sacrifices towards the end.

My favourite thing about this book was definitely the character growth. Maia’s strength by the end of the story is incredible and it was so fascinating to see her develop from the brave-but-wary tailor at the beginning of Spin the Dawn to the powerful and motivational leader that she finally becomes. In much of book one, Maia is completely reliant on Edan and his magic, so seeing her grow on her own is both fascinating and empowering.

Lady Sarnai’s growth was equally incredible and she went from a character that I liked but didn’t love to one of my favourite characters in the entire duology. It was wonderful to see her also develop her own identity and fight for what she believed in, rather than following the people she had always been forced to listen to.

Reading Spin the Dawn is an absolute must before reading this book, but I cannot recommend the duology as a whole highly enough. It’s magical, beautifully written and completely gripping, and I will absolutely be buying everything I can get my hands on by Elizabeth Lim going forwards.

This book was just great!
Strong female leads check
Swoon worthy male lead check
And awesome ending to a duology check.
One my favorite. It kept me on the edge of my seat!

A brilliant, whimsical follow-up to Spin the Dawn. I'm still not 100% sure what happened and what I read at every point, some of it did seem a little random, but I must admit, I loved the journey I went on with Unravel the Dusk.

And also, side note, I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but this one you totally should! The cover is beautiful and so is the story. Would wholeheartedly recommend it.

Once again, Elizabeth Lim's writing has me in awe. This book, rather than focusing on the romance, focuses on Maia's struggle with demons and the upcoming war in the kingdom. Maia has to go through a lot in this, but she comes out of it stronger. Her character development in this book was amazing.
Another great thing about this book was the climax; the battle scene is probably one of the best that I've ever seen in fantasy. I found myself completely drawn in and I could imagine some of the scenes playing out in front of me.
And the ending of this was lovely. I'm so glad Maia and Edan got their happy ending along with Maia's family.

Overall, I'm glad Spin The Dawn and Unravel The Dusk are a duology, instead of being a trilogy. All plot points are wrapped up neatly, instead of being too scattered and spread out and that elevates these two books for me.

Wow, there are not many books that I LITERALLY can’t put down but this is one of them. Had I started it earlier in the day I would have devoured it in one sitting. As it was I stayed up until 2am reading and immediately picked it up on waking and finished it in less than a day!

Following on from Spin the Dawn we follow Maia’s struggle with the consequences of her actions and decisions. Whilst the first half of the book is slower the second half is action packed and makes it difficult to want to stop reading.

Again the character development of Maia was strong throughout and despite her constantly doing what she is being advised not to she discovers her own self worth.

Despite the strong romance storyline in the first book the sequel does not have much more than a trickle, focusing instead on Maia’s struggle within herself, which honestly I enjoyed.

Now I have to deal with the envitable book hangover knowing that this series is finished but satisfied with a fitting ending.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced readers copy.

I read Unravel the Dusk straight after Spin the Dawn. I loved the first book and I couldn’t wait to see how the story of Maia ends. The main character is so likeable that you cannot help but feel for her, with her. I loved through the duology how Maia tries to keep true to herself and her own values and eventually this is what keeps her going through war and hardships. That and her feelings for her loved ones that didn’t falter once in the story. This is what I valued most in the second book. Additionally, in the second book, we see how relationships between the characters grow. Some severed, some flourished. The unmistakable thing in all of them is Lim’s remarkable writing with the easy flow, the detailed descriptions, the way she weave the emotions in her books that come so naturally making the story vivid in front of your eyes. I urge you to the series! You don’t want to miss out!

Beautifully enrapturing! If I had to sum this book up in two words, those woulf truely describe every aspect of the book in its total. Lim's writing creates and connects the readser to every detail in the world whether it be at the character's fingertips or in the landscape itself, as if you are there expereincing them yourself. A world like the last book, but somehow more, where you are connected emotionally to the character at each turn, twist and fantasical challenge.

From the very beginning every page captured my heart, imagination and mind, until the very end where after the last syallable on the very last word, my heart was made and broken in the same moment. A perfect ending to a story I wish had never come to an end.

If you feel in love or simply liked the first book, that this sequel will capture you heart and soul, taking into the world and were you alongside Maia will struggle and fight not only for a country of peace without war, but also for her very self. This sequel is one you will love even more than the original.

Thank you to Netgallery and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me this beautiful arc and the first aswell.

(Warning! This is the second installment in The Blood of Stars duology so be aware that the following review may contain spoilers regarding the first book, Spin the Dawn!)

Book review: Everything comes with a prize, a fact that Maia is well aware of after the events in Spin the Dawn. In Unravel the Dusk, the story of Maia continues, picking up right where the first book ended. One enemy may have been defeated at a great cost but another dark power soon takes its place, threatening to turn the entire kingdom into ruins.

How much will Maia need to sacrifice to save her beloved country and protect the ones she love? How much can she give without loosing herself completely? Without turning into a monster?

The stakes are higher than ever and the odds have never been more uneven. Here, there is no knight in shining armor who rides in on his white steed to save the day. No, in this heart-wrenching tale, the fate of the entire kingdom is forced on the shoulders of a young woman who wanted nothing more than to live out her life as a tailor with her own little shop next to the ocean.

Once again, Maia shows that she will stop at nothing to save the ones she love. But how do you win war when the deadliest enemy may very well be yourself? In Spin the Dawn, Edan called her the hope of A’landi and maybe she is. But what if Maya's part in this fairy tale isn’t to save the kingdom but instead causes its doom?

Enemies come together, devastating sacrifices are made and just when you thought you were safe, everything changes. This is the thrilling conclusion to the fast-paced, action-packed and emotional roller coaster of a story which began in Spin the Dawn. It’s the end we’ve all been waiting for and trust me when I say that you don’t want to miss this!

Unravel the Dusk was more than I could’ve ever wished for and once again I’m in awe of how beautifully and masterly Elizabeth Lim composes her vibrant and fantastic stories. Elizabeth Lim is just as much of an artist as any painter or master tailor.

***I received an ARC of Unravel the Dusk through NetGalley (thank you Hodder & Stoughton) in exchange for a honest review.***

This book was sensational! I am utterly heart broken that Maia's journey is over so soon. The novel was insanely difficult to put down and so easy to read, I ended up reading the majority of it in one sitting. After finishing the first book Spin the Dawn I doubted that the sequel could live up to its predecessor however I was wrong, this book was amazing!

There is so much in Lim's novels that bring them to life, her ability to create scenes and bring characters to life is beyond words. I loved the characters in this novel and both the emotional and literal journeys that Maia undergoes through the narrative.

I appreciate how this novel focuses on not only female bonds and friendship but female empowerment, the respect between Sarani and Maia is well developed and shows how women do not have to be friends in order to be successful when working together. Sarani's role in the latter parts of the novel is significant as she stands as a strong female leader and warrior and it is during these scenes that her character truly comes alive.

I loved this book so much and cannot wait to read whatever else Elizabeth Lim writes. Not only a new favourite duology but a new favourite authors as well