Wow so Unravel the Dusk is quite the sequel to Spin the Dawn. It was crazy every step of the way. I really didn’t know what Maia’s fate was going to be until we went there. This the second book so beware there might be unavoidable spoilers for the first book in this review.Unravel the Dusk (The Blood of Stars #2)
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Publisher: Knopf
Release Date: July 7th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
The thrilling sequel to SPIN THE DAWN, a magical series steeped in Chinese culture.
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 she was touched by the demon Bandur, she has been changing . . . glancing in the mirror to see her own eyes glowing red, losing control of her magic, her body, her mind. It’s only a matter of time before Maia loses herself completely, but she will stop at nothing to find Edan, protect her family, and bring lasting peace to her country.
YA fantasy readers will love the sizzling forbidden romance, mystery, and intrigue of UNRAVEL THE DUSK.
So I feel like the synopsis doesn’t do justice to the intensity of this plot. Maia did indeed sew the dresses of Amana but she paid a grave price. She paid it out of love though for her family, her country and Edan. I love Maia because she has changed so much from when we met her in the first book. She’s not perfect by any means. She makes mistakes but she also has found a new confidence and a new purpose.I think it’s really interesting how she is able to see beyond the surface of people. Including maybe some of the ones that come across as the worst like Khanujin, Sarnai and Xina. She doesn’t excuse their misdeeds but she is also able to find their value. I also love how she loves A’landi and the people in it.
Like I said the plot is intense and fast paced. I kept wondering what Maia would do next. I did get frustrated with her sometimes and her actions. In the grand scheme of things it all led to where she needed to be. She just kept managing to get herself stuck in situations. I felt the ending was really heartfelt as well. The conversations that occur and how things wrap up.
I really loved Unravel the Dusk. I don’t want to give anything away because it is such a great sequel to Spin the Dawn. I wish there could be more but again the ending was perfectly executed.
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 break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English.
Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and she turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel -- for kicks, at first, then things became serious -- and she hasn't looked back since.
Elizabeth loves classic film scores, books with a good romance, food (she currently has a soft spot for arepas and Ethiopian food), the color turquoise, overcast skies, English muffins, cycling, and baking. She grew up in Northern California, with a brief stint in Tokyo, Japan, but now lives in New York City with her husband and their daughter.
Elizabeth graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in music and a secondary in East Asian Studies. She completed her graduate degrees (MM, DMA) at The Juilliard School.
She is represented by Gina Maccoby of the Gina Maccoby Literary Agency.
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