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The Blood of Stars #2
Unravel the Dusk
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.
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.
355 pages, Hardcover
First published July 7, 2020
About the author
Elizabeth Lim
30 books9,891 followersElizabeth 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 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 lives in New York City with her husband.
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 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 lives in New York City with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,874 reviews
June 11, 2023
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 she’s slowly conquered by dark elements and she needs to fight back with those demons and their voices in her head!
What are the differences of the first book from the first one:
Our gold-hearted, talented, brave, smart girl Maia grew up, instead of using her magic to create amazing dresses, she’s using her skills to fight at the war zone or against the empowering demon voices which are about to conquer her mind completely. She is tougher, more powerful, more exhausted, sad, depressed.
Unfortunately we don’t see much Edan till the second half of the book. We caught glimpses him which makes us sing “man in the mirror”. He lost most of his magic and he is a little passive and overshadowed by bravery and strength of Maia but when I read the ending I got the reason because this book is a quite feminism manifesto with its determined, powerful, smart, focused on mission, leader heroines.
I wasn’t a big fan of Lady Sarnai and I wanted to punch her face so many times at the first book but the author thankfully found another way to punish her at the beginning of this one. And slowly I started to empathize and surprisingly like her a little bit.
Epic war scenes were exciting, heart throbbing, nail biter, seat jumper kind of full with so many powerful action scenes so this book’s pace is faster. We already know all the characters. We know there is a big war not only between the emperors but also between the demons.
Big question is will Maia sacrifice herself for the good of her country and her loved ones? Because when she is full possessed by the demon, there is no returning back, she is going to lose all her memories and her humanity by turning into a monster!
I prayed so many times that she could find her way to get rid of the curse. I cried, jumped, spilled my drink, poured more, drank more, read more and…. Nope, mouth is zipped again!
I can only say thank you should get ready for one of the best written, emotional, riveting, heart wrenching, magical fantasy books of 2020. This is fantastic combination of Eastern folklore and traditional tales and of course fairy tale elements.
I’m giving all my five moony tears, sun kissed, epic journey stars! Another powerful ending and I cannot wait to read more of this gifted author may use the words as her palette and create vivid, colorful, remarkable portraits! And let’s give a long applause for this remarkable, fantastic cover! The design is magnificent!
So much thanks to NetGalley and Random House’s Children to share this fantastic sequel with me in exchange my honest review. And of course Elizabeth Lim, thank you so much to present us this memorable, exciting, surprising, magical journey!
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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 she’s slowly conquered by dark elements and she needs to fight back with those demons and their voices in her head!
What are the differences of the first book from the first one:
Our gold-hearted, talented, brave, smart girl Maia grew up, instead of using her magic to create amazing dresses, she’s using her skills to fight at the war zone or against the empowering demon voices which are about to conquer her mind completely. She is tougher, more powerful, more exhausted, sad, depressed.
Unfortunately we don’t see much Edan till the second half of the book. We caught glimpses him which makes us sing “man in the mirror”. He lost most of his magic and he is a little passive and overshadowed by bravery and strength of Maia but when I read the ending I got the reason because this book is a quite feminism manifesto with its determined, powerful, smart, focused on mission, leader heroines.
I wasn’t a big fan of Lady Sarnai and I wanted to punch her face so many times at the first book but the author thankfully found another way to punish her at the beginning of this one. And slowly I started to empathize and surprisingly like her a little bit.
Epic war scenes were exciting, heart throbbing, nail biter, seat jumper kind of full with so many powerful action scenes so this book’s pace is faster. We already know all the characters. We know there is a big war not only between the emperors but also between the demons.
Big question is will Maia sacrifice herself for the good of her country and her loved ones? Because when she is full possessed by the demon, there is no returning back, she is going to lose all her memories and her humanity by turning into a monster!
I prayed so many times that she could find her way to get rid of the curse. I cried, jumped, spilled my drink, poured more, drank more, read more and…. Nope, mouth is zipped again!
I can only say thank you should get ready for one of the best written, emotional, riveting, heart wrenching, magical fantasy books of 2020. This is fantastic combination of Eastern folklore and traditional tales and of course fairy tale elements.
I’m giving all my five moony tears, sun kissed, epic journey stars! Another powerful ending and I cannot wait to read more of this gifted author may use the words as her palette and create vivid, colorful, remarkable portraits! And let’s give a long applause for this remarkable, fantastic cover! The design is magnificent!
So much thanks to NetGalley and Random House’s Children to share this fantastic sequel with me in exchange my honest review. And of course Elizabeth Lim, thank you so much to present us this memorable, exciting, surprising, magical journey!
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September 29, 2021
“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 everything and I think this series would make a brilliant film adaptation. I sincerely hope the film rights for these books gets picked up. Nudge nudge. I'm looking at you Netflix! 👀
In terms of pacing, this book is different to Spin the Dawn. The stakes were higher, and Maia is trying her best to cling to her humanity. I was terrified for her and just wanted my girl to be okay!
Maia and Ammi's friendship was a welcomed addition. I love Ammi and I love how she stood by Maia side through everything.
Another person I came to really like was Lady Sarnai. I had almost lost hope that we wouldn't learn more about Lady Sarnai, a character I've always been really curious about, but we did! Not as much as I'd like but at least we got more page time with her.
Because of Maia's curse and the state of the nation, we didn't get as much Edan-Maia time. Makes me sad but I still love these two dearly. There were still some cute moments that made me smile but mostly I was just concerned for how these two would make it out to the end unscathed.
I enjoyed learning more about the history of this fantasy world, every legend and story, every bit of Chinese culture that was stitched into this world — I loved it! This is what YA fantasy needs.
The ending was a little predictable, which isn't a bad thing, it was a perfect conclusion to this duology.
‹ Thank you to Knopf Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review ›
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 everything and I think this series would make a brilliant film adaptation. I sincerely hope the film rights for these books gets picked up. Nudge nudge. I'm looking at you Netflix! 👀
In terms of pacing, this book is different to Spin the Dawn. The stakes were higher, and Maia is trying her best to cling to her humanity. I was terrified for her and just wanted my girl to be okay!
Maia and Ammi's friendship was a welcomed addition. I love Ammi and I love how she stood by Maia side through everything.
Another person I came to really like was Lady Sarnai. I had almost lost hope that we wouldn't learn more about Lady Sarnai, a character I've always been really curious about, but we did! Not as much as I'd like but at least we got more page time with her.
Because of Maia's curse and the state of the nation, we didn't get as much Edan-Maia time. Makes me sad but I still love these two dearly. There were still some cute moments that made me smile but mostly I was just concerned for how these two would make it out to the end unscathed.
I enjoyed learning more about the history of this fantasy world, every legend and story, every bit of Chinese culture that was stitched into this world — I loved it! This is what YA fantasy needs.
The ending was a little predictable, which isn't a bad thing, it was a perfect conclusion to this duology.
‹ Thank you to Knopf Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review ›
August 8, 2020
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, good pacing, good room for development, etc), which this does.
that being said, if i were to take these things away, would i have loved this as much as ‘spin the dawn?’ no, probably not. it would definitely be closer to a 3.5-4 star rating. the things i loved about the first book are missing from this as the focus of the story has changed - there is no competition, there is no adventure, there is no edan and maia. this sequel focuses on war and magic. which is fine. it makes sense that the story goes in this direction. i just prefer the content of the first book more.
overall, this conclusion is satisfying enough for me that i dont have any real complaints. would i reread this? not the entire book, no. but there are so many sentences and paragraphs i marked that i will forever go back to.
↠ 4.5 stars
i also love that this is a duology - i will praise any story that takes advantage of strengths of a duology (good length, good pacing, good room for development, etc), which this does.
that being said, if i were to take these things away, would i have loved this as much as ‘spin the dawn?’ no, probably not. it would definitely be closer to a 3.5-4 star rating. the things i loved about the first book are missing from this as the focus of the story has changed - there is no competition, there is no adventure, there is no edan and maia. this sequel focuses on war and magic. which is fine. it makes sense that the story goes in this direction. i just prefer the content of the first book more.
overall, this conclusion is satisfying enough for me that i dont have any real complaints. would i reread this? not the entire book, no. but there are so many sentences and paragraphs i marked that i will forever go back to.
↠ 4.5 stars
December 30, 2020
— 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 that I, simply, did not care. About anything. Perhaps if I had read this at another time, I might have loved it, but I didn’t connect to Maia at all and wasn’t too invested to see how her story would end. I also typically enjoy the “descent into darkness” type of character arcs—though I’m biased because I’ll always want the character to actually crave the darkness and not try to fight it—but for some reason, this time it didn’t work for me.
Maia’s internal conflict felt so repetitive to me; there was no growth over the course of the book and it was essentially the same thought process over and over. This was made especially worse with her “narration” of what she thought or knew was going to happen—it was like foreshadowing, except you were told it instead of it being subtly hinted, and it made the plot lose all its suspense.
Magic was the blood of stars falling from the sky, the song of my enchanted scissors—eager to make a miracle out of thread and hope.
If you loved Spin the Dawn for its romance, you might be in for a disappointment with this sequel. Edan doesn’t show up until halfway through the book, and even then his connection with Maia didn’t feel as deep as it was in the first book. This might not have been an issue, since I do think the main focus of this book was meant to be Maia rather than her relationships with any of the other characters, but unfortunately it made the ending feel shallow to me.
Aside from Maia, it didn’t feel like any of the characters went through much development. Edan essentially was there to be a love interest to Maia (and he actually had a setback that would have been so interesting to explore!), so that made both him and the romance feel very stagnant. The other side characters also fell flat. I recognize that this book was meant to mainly focus on Maia, but I still wished that the other characters got some love too. Because if you were like me and didn’t care about Maia, the lack of side character development meant you also didn’t care about any of the other characters.
Finally, my last complaint with this book was its ending. I don’t really know where I stand on it, in terms of what I actually wanted to happen between the two options presented, but I didn’t like either of them. So I’m conflicted! But I know for sure that I wasn’t happy with the conclusion.
Whatever history remembered of us, whether it likened us to the sun and the moon—only permitted to meet once a year—or simply to a boy and a girl touched by the stars, fate had danced to bring us together.
So far, it looks like Unravel the Dusk is receiving mostly positive feedback, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, if you will! There’s a chance that my indifference towards this book might be on the book itself, but it’s more likely that this was a personal issue. Elizabeth Lim’s writing is still gorgeous as ever, and of course the Asian-inspired worldbuilding and mythology was beautiful. I also appreciated the themes of female strength and power that shone through with Maia and another character.
But unfortunately, Unravel the Dusk just really did not work for me. Perhaps the worst thing was that I didn’t even feel a particular sadness about it disappointing me—because that was how little I cared. I’ll still be looking forward to Elizabeth Lim’s future books, though, and I’m excited to see what she can cook up next.
:: representation :: all-Asian cast (Chinese-coded)
:: content warnings :: violence, death/murder, imprisonment, torture, depictions of blood
Thank you to Knopf for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a spot on this blog tour! This did not affect my opinions in any way.
All quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in final publication.
February 23, 2021
#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 emotional connection to any of the characters. The characterisation was seriously lacking. We didn’t get to see much of the other characters apart from the surface level interactions. Even Edan didn’t appear until almost halfway through the book, and when he did, he was practically useless. I would’ve loved if we had other POVs (Edan’s and Lady Sarnai’s) to contend with.
The plot itself, I did not care, for I was sure we didn’t have any until the last 25%. Even then it was contrived and lacked tension. Also, there’s the matter of the magic itself, which we never really gotten to know of, its power and limitations. Overall, the nature of this book was heavier and darker than Spin the Dawn. It wasn’t exactly a fault, but it was certainly a problem when it failed to hold my attention. I probably sound harsh and mean, but whatever.
(Read as an Audiobook)
#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 emotional connection to any of the characters. The characterisation was seriously lacking. We didn’t get to see much of the other characters apart from the surface level interactions. Even Edan didn’t appear until almost halfway through the book, and when he did, he was practically useless. I would’ve loved if we had other POVs (Edan’s and Lady Sarnai’s) to contend with.
The plot itself, I did not care, for I was sure we didn’t have any until the last 25%. Even then it was contrived and lacked tension. Also, there’s the matter of the magic itself, which we never really gotten to know of, its power and limitations. Overall, the nature of this book was heavier and darker than Spin the Dawn. It wasn’t exactly a fault, but it was certainly a problem when it failed to hold my attention. I probably sound harsh and mean, but whatever.
(Read as an Audiobook)
March 10, 2024
3/10/2024: edanmaia invented love (confirmed)
rtc ☆
pre-review: ꒰🍡 ᝰ.ᐟ ꒱ IT'S FINALLY TIME! <3
rtc ☆
pre-review: ꒰🍡 ᝰ.ᐟ ꒱ IT'S FINALLY TIME! <3
December 2, 2020
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
i'm so disappointed ugh
October 3, 2021
„Na razie wystarczy mi gwiazd. Zabierz mnie do morza.” 🤍
July 13, 2020
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 was a little less formulaic than its predecessor - even though it did still rely on fairly easy solutions. However, my main disappointments were the overwhelmed plot, the lack of character and relationship developments, and the minimal explanation regarding the magic that became such a major component here.
Before getting into my criticisms, I want to first address the positive qualities:
• I still enjoyed the writing style and could easily read several chapters in one sitting.
• Some of the secondary characters from the first book were brought back and it was great getting to see them again.
• The Asian-inspired elements and mythology were always well-done and one of my favorite aspects of these books.
• There was also a recurring theme of women taking charge, making their own decisions, and choosing to follow their dreams which I highly appreciated.
• While the first 75% was rather rocky, I really liked the last few chapters as they were the most reminiscent of the first book.
• I also enjoyed the final battle (deus ex machina and all) along with how everything was wrapped up at the end.
Now for what I didn't like…
Throughout much of this book, Maia put a lot of unnecessary pressure on herself as she seemed convinced that she was the only one capable of doing anything that might resolve the various conflicts. Because of this belief, she kept isolating herself, lied to everyone, and tried to solve all of the problems on her own. I wish there had been a more positive message featured about seeking out help from others and not feeling like you have to take on the world all by yourself.
Since Maia decided that it's up to her to do everything, there ended up being multiple storylines happening all at once. Unlike Spin the Dawn, which had three pretty distinct sections within the same story, Unravel the Dusk felt like one continuous slog as Maia dealt with one problem after another. The frequent action scenes often felt chaotic and I struggled to absorb everything that was occurring in them. Not only that, but the whole mood of the story was tense and even hostile at times. I could have handled the heavier tone and numerous plotlines better with more light-hearted moments to break up the monotony and alleviate some of the tension.
I had really enjoyed Maia and Edan in the first book and was looking forward to seeing them continue to develop as both individuals and as a couple. Sadly, the state that the characters were left in at the end of the last book was pretty much where they started and stayed during this one. Edan, who had been one of my favorite characters from book one, was absent for the first half and then did next to nothing the rest of the time. He was so crippled by blind devotion to Maia that it completely ruined his character for me. On the other hand, Maia went back and forth over whether she even wanted to involve him in her various battles. I just don't understand her claim to love him while repeatedly keeping him at arm's length when he was so desperate to help her. On the few occasions when their relationship was brought to the forefront, the countless declarations of love never felt earned. There was never any real conflict between them which might result in growth. Instead their relationship remained stagnant.
Considering that the first book had been relatively light when it came to the world building, I expected further exploration of the world and explanation of its magic system to occur here. Unfortunately, that never happened. This book mainly focused on the demons and ghosts that played a more crucial role than previously. However, by the end I was still left feeling uncertain about their abilities and the limitations regarding their magic. I never understood why certain things happened (or didn't), the differences between the "good" magic of the gods and the "evil" magic of the demons, or the whole amulet aspect. As with many of the disappointing elements, there was definitely potential here, but I just wasn't satisfied with the minimal explanations provided.
This duology should have been a trilogy with more time available to devote to the additional development of characters, their relationships, and the world. If you found Spin the Dawn too predictable or boring, you might like this change of pace. However, if you're like me, this may not satisfy your desire for a continuation of what made the first book so enjoyable. Final rating: 2.5
*e-ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
------------------------------------
Just when I had thought I'd been overlooked when they were handing out ARCs...
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 was a little less formulaic than its predecessor - even though it did still rely on fairly easy solutions. However, my main disappointments were the overwhelmed plot, the lack of character and relationship developments, and the minimal explanation regarding the magic that became such a major component here.
Before getting into my criticisms, I want to first address the positive qualities:
• I still enjoyed the writing style and could easily read several chapters in one sitting.
• Some of the secondary characters from the first book were brought back and it was great getting to see them again.
• The Asian-inspired elements and mythology were always well-done and one of my favorite aspects of these books.
• There was also a recurring theme of women taking charge, making their own decisions, and choosing to follow their dreams which I highly appreciated.
• While the first 75% was rather rocky, I really liked the last few chapters as they were the most reminiscent of the first book.
• I also enjoyed the final battle (deus ex machina and all) along with how everything was wrapped up at the end.
Now for what I didn't like…
Throughout much of this book, Maia put a lot of unnecessary pressure on herself as she seemed convinced that she was the only one capable of doing anything that might resolve the various conflicts. Because of this belief, she kept isolating herself, lied to everyone, and tried to solve all of the problems on her own. I wish there had been a more positive message featured about seeking out help from others and not feeling like you have to take on the world all by yourself.
Since Maia decided that it's up to her to do everything, there ended up being multiple storylines happening all at once. Unlike Spin the Dawn, which had three pretty distinct sections within the same story, Unravel the Dusk felt like one continuous slog as Maia dealt with one problem after another. The frequent action scenes often felt chaotic and I struggled to absorb everything that was occurring in them. Not only that, but the whole mood of the story was tense and even hostile at times. I could have handled the heavier tone and numerous plotlines better with more light-hearted moments to break up the monotony and alleviate some of the tension.
I had really enjoyed Maia and Edan in the first book and was looking forward to seeing them continue to develop as both individuals and as a couple. Sadly, the state that the characters were left in at the end of the last book was pretty much where they started and stayed during this one. Edan, who had been one of my favorite characters from book one, was absent for the first half and then did next to nothing the rest of the time. He was so crippled by blind devotion to Maia that it completely ruined his character for me. On the other hand, Maia went back and forth over whether she even wanted to involve him in her various battles. I just don't understand her claim to love him while repeatedly keeping him at arm's length when he was so desperate to help her. On the few occasions when their relationship was brought to the forefront, the countless declarations of love never felt earned. There was never any real conflict between them which might result in growth. Instead their relationship remained stagnant.
Considering that the first book had been relatively light when it came to the world building, I expected further exploration of the world and explanation of its magic system to occur here. Unfortunately, that never happened. This book mainly focused on the demons and ghosts that played a more crucial role than previously. However, by the end I was still left feeling uncertain about their abilities and the limitations regarding their magic. I never understood why certain things happened (or didn't), the differences between the "good" magic of the gods and the "evil" magic of the demons, or the whole amulet aspect. As with many of the disappointing elements, there was definitely potential here, but I just wasn't satisfied with the minimal explanations provided.
This duology should have been a trilogy with more time available to devote to the additional development of characters, their relationships, and the world. If you found Spin the Dawn too predictable or boring, you might like this change of pace. However, if you're like me, this may not satisfy your desire for a continuation of what made the first book so enjoyable. Final rating: 2.5
*e-ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
------------------------------------
Just when I had thought I'd been overlooked when they were handing out ARCs...
June 11, 2021
I thought this was a great sequel, and I especially liked the last scene! This book felt very fast paced (almost too fast?) but I’d prefer that over something so slow it’s dragging lol. I remember in book one I wasn’t super crazy about the romance, but I think I forgot enough of what happened in Spin the Dawn for it not to bother me in this one haha. Either way, I’m happy I finished this duology!
May 12, 2022
FIVE STARS
m-i-n-o-r s-p-o-i-l-e-r-s
y'all, Elizabeth Lim never fucking disappoints I swear to fucking god. This book broke me, in more ways than one. First off, Edan still has my entire fucking heart. even without magic, he is willing to go through hundreds and thousands of hells for Maia.
this book was so much darker than the first, and I mean that fucking truly. There was blood, there was betrayal, darkness, annoying kings that suck, annoying emperors that suck, badass women who don't agree to marry annoying men.
I was so not prepared, and honestly, how is this book even considered YA, it's like ATLA being considered a kids show. Lim took it to another level, the intesity, the heat, the blood. Everything was so fucking powerful and raw.
not to mention is was so hard WITHOUT MY PRECIOUS EDAN!!!! I missed him twnety four seven. When he did show up, I squealed with jooooooyyyyyy!!!! But I still loved Maia, the character development was there and it wasn't obvious. But you could still see how she was growing and learning. And honestly, demon maia is hot, I'm just going to say it.
Y'all happy now.
The only reason I haven't given this book BEYOND FIVE STARS is because of the ending
iykyk😒
But still, the worldbuilding was so amazing. We learnt more about the magical culture and how magic began, and not to mention the emotional intimacy between Maia and Ammi. They're friendship was so pure, it made me fucking sob.
Anyway, I'll never forgive Lim for crushing me!!
see y'all bitches later
_________________________
I'm crying, shaking, throwing up
review to come
______________________________
currently reading.
Lim, pls let them have a happy ending. these poor dumplings have already suffered enough
m-i-n-o-r s-p-o-i-l-e-r-s
y'all, Elizabeth Lim never fucking disappoints I swear to fucking god. This book broke me, in more ways than one. First off, Edan still has my entire fucking heart. even without magic, he is willing to go through hundreds and thousands of hells for Maia.
this book was so much darker than the first, and I mean that fucking truly. There was blood, there was betrayal, darkness, annoying kings that suck, annoying emperors that suck, badass women who don't agree to marry annoying men.
I was so not prepared, and honestly, how is this book even considered YA, it's like ATLA being considered a kids show. Lim took it to another level, the intesity, the heat, the blood. Everything was so fucking powerful and raw.
not to mention is was so hard WITHOUT MY PRECIOUS EDAN!!!! I missed him twnety four seven. When he did show up, I squealed with jooooooyyyyyy!!!! But I still loved Maia, the character development was there and it wasn't obvious. But you could still see how she was growing and learning. And honestly, demon maia is hot, I'm just going to say it.
Y'all happy now.
The only reason I haven't given this book BEYOND FIVE STARS is because of the ending
iykyk😒
But still, the worldbuilding was so amazing. We learnt more about the magical culture and how magic began, and not to mention the emotional intimacy between Maia and Ammi. They're friendship was so pure, it made me fucking sob.
Anyway, I'll never forgive Lim for crushing me!!
see y'all bitches later
_________________________
I'm crying, shaking, throwing up
review to come
______________________________
currently reading.
Lim, pls let them have a happy ending. these poor dumplings have already suffered enough
September 1, 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 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.**
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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.**
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April 17, 2021
I loved the end and Edam, but I just don’t much care for the book. I’ll trade in the first one as well since I have it on kindle. Getting tired of a lot of ya and books in general 😳
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
March 14, 2024
˚₊‧ 3.25 ☆ ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚
❝ 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. ❞
fantasy. adventure. coming-of-age. perseverance. war. magic. loss. hope. light.
above all, this is a story of love. of maia's love for her family, and the love she shares with edan, and the depths and heights she is willing to go for them. was this the best book I ever read? no. was it a little bland at times? yes. there were times when I didn't really want to read it, but I did anyway— and I'm glad I did. because in the end, this was a lovely conclusion.
₊⊹⁀➴ maia: I've never really adored maia as a protagonist. I just couldn't connect with her a whole lot. but she had some wonderful character development, and I liked seeing her struggle against the demon trying to devour her; it rounded out her character quite a bit. she's still a little bland, but in the end, I did like her!
₊⊹⁀➴ edan: EDAN!!! my favorite bean 🥺 he wasn't in this one a ton, but he was cute! I would have eaten up more angsty scenes with him being heartbroken over maia's transformation, but I guess he's too much of a cinnamon roll for that hehehe
₊⊹⁀➴ edanmaia: my cowherd and tailor's daughter, my enchanter and royal tailor, my cuties. their love is easily the best part of the book. they're what made this book what it is. I love them <33
the whimsical vibes in the first book are replaced by heavier themes of dark magic and demons, which honestly got a little heavy and boring at times, but amana's dresses were still my favorite plot point. I loved the elements they brought to the story. excuse me, I want dresses made from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars!!? 🙏
I finished this book with a melancholy note in my heart, as I always do with fantasy series, even ones that are just mediocre. happy to see the happily-ever-after, but sad to see them go. I'll always love edan and maia, even if the book itself wasn't the best. 🤍
❝ Whatever history remembered of us, whether it likened us to the sun and the moon— only permitted to meet once a year— or simply to a boy and a girl touched by the stars, fate had danced to bring us together. ❞
❝ 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. ❞
fantasy. adventure. coming-of-age. perseverance. war. magic. loss. hope. light.
above all, this is a story of love. of maia's love for her family, and the love she shares with edan, and the depths and heights she is willing to go for them. was this the best book I ever read? no. was it a little bland at times? yes. there were times when I didn't really want to read it, but I did anyway— and I'm glad I did. because in the end, this was a lovely conclusion.
₊⊹⁀➴ maia: I've never really adored maia as a protagonist. I just couldn't connect with her a whole lot. but she had some wonderful character development, and I liked seeing her struggle against the demon trying to devour her; it rounded out her character quite a bit. she's still a little bland, but in the end, I did like her!
₊⊹⁀➴ edan: EDAN!!! my favorite bean 🥺 he wasn't in this one a ton, but he was cute! I would have eaten up more angsty scenes with him being heartbroken over maia's transformation, but I guess he's too much of a cinnamon roll for that hehehe
₊⊹⁀➴ edanmaia: my cowherd and tailor's daughter, my enchanter and royal tailor, my cuties. their love is easily the best part of the book. they're what made this book what it is. I love them <33
the whimsical vibes in the first book are replaced by heavier themes of dark magic and demons, which honestly got a little heavy and boring at times, but amana's dresses were still my favorite plot point. I loved the elements they brought to the story. excuse me, I want dresses made from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars!!? 🙏
I finished this book with a melancholy note in my heart, as I always do with fantasy series, even ones that are just mediocre. happy to see the happily-ever-after, but sad to see them go. I'll always love edan and maia, even if the book itself wasn't the best. 🤍
❝ Whatever history remembered of us, whether it likened us to the sun and the moon— only permitted to meet once a year— or simply to a boy and a girl touched by the stars, fate had danced to bring us together. ❞
January 27, 2023
✅ Darker vibe
✅🆗 Pace
✅🆗 World-building
🆗 Plot
🆗 Romance
🆗 Characters
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mentions of imprisonment, torture, and death
I don't remember the last time I struggled so much to finish a book. It took me 2 weeks to read it and it's not even 400 pages!
Sadly, I just couldn’t get into this book. It took me FOREVER to finish it, and I had to force myself to continue it. I just didn’t care about what happened to Maia and Edan. The plot is not bad, but overall it was not that compelling or interesting.
I just didn’t care about it.
At all.
This book picks up right where Spin the Dawn ended. After being marked by a demon, Maia’s days as a human are counted. Unless she finds a way to free herself, soon, she will have to take her place as guardian and become a demon. Maia now needs to find a way to protect her country from another war with their neighbors (because slowly turning into a demon is not enough pressure for Maia), and to save herself before it’s too late.
It’s hard to feel the despair of a character or to hope for a happy ending when you can’t connect with the characters and you don’t care if they live or die. It’s sad, but it’s what happened for me in that duology. We follow Maia on her journey to get free of the demon, but we are also told about the war that rages again, killing people and bringing despair again. The thing is, I don’t really see the connection between the war and Maia’s quest. Sure, it added more complications and a political aspect to the plot, and both plotlines were loosely intertwined, but honestly, I felt that the whole war plotline was just a way to add more fighting in the first half of the book, and more pressure on Maia in the second half.
Maia changed in this book because of the “curse” that’s placed on her at the end of the first book. She had no choice but to change because a happily ever after just didn’t seem to be in the cards anymore for her. Still, I didn’t find her character growth that compelling, honestly, I am not even sure how much growth she really did, her internal conflicts were really repetitive all throughout the book. The whole “descent into darkness” part was interesting and definitely gave a more serious and darker vibe to the book, but I feel that the way Maia’s journey was described was a whole lot of telling, with little showing. The whole “Maia instinctively knows how to use and master her magic” vibe was also not something that I liked that much. I understand that it’s different because she’s turning into a demon, but the enchanters have to study for years to learn to master their powers, and she just does it so easily in comparison…
Edan is just the same plain, boring, and overall okay character. He didn’t change, and again, I didn’t care about him. At all. He was absent for half of the story, and when he showed up, he was pretty much useless… It’s not that I dislike him, I just don’t really care about him. He honestly was there as a romantic interest for Maia, and nothing more, and it’s sad because with his new situation there was potential for interesting character development with him, but the author completely skipped it.
The rest of the secondary characters are not layered, and honestly, they are only there when it’s convenient for Maia. Ammi is there to help her in the first half, but we know nothing about her and she has no storyline or purpose at all besides helping Maia until Maia doesn’t need her anymore. Then we have a surprise reappearance of Lady Sarnai in the last part, but again, she is only involved because it’s convenient for Maia’s quest, and we don,t really get to see more of Lady Sarnai outside what she does that is directly linked to Maia. I would have loved more backstory and depth for the secondary characters, instead of just feeling like they were tools for Maia to use (especially since Maia spent half of her time arguing with everyone that wanted to help her that she didn’t need any help).
Then there is the ending… Honestly, while I did not enjoy this book that much, I loved the way the author chose to end Maia’s journey. I loved the stand she took, especially since it’s not something that happens often in YA books (I don't want to say too much to avoid spoilers), but then at the very end, the author just undid the great choice she made, and I was just SO disappointed.
Spin the Dawn ⭐⭐⭐
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✅🆗 Pace
✅🆗 World-building
🆗 Plot
🆗 Romance
🆗 Characters
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mentions of imprisonment, torture, and death
I don't remember the last time I struggled so much to finish a book. It took me 2 weeks to read it and it's not even 400 pages!
Sadly, I just couldn’t get into this book. It took me FOREVER to finish it, and I had to force myself to continue it. I just didn’t care about what happened to Maia and Edan. The plot is not bad, but overall it was not that compelling or interesting.
I just didn’t care about it.
At all.
This book picks up right where Spin the Dawn ended. After being marked by a demon, Maia’s days as a human are counted. Unless she finds a way to free herself, soon, she will have to take her place as guardian and become a demon. Maia now needs to find a way to protect her country from another war with their neighbors (because slowly turning into a demon is not enough pressure for Maia), and to save herself before it’s too late.
It’s hard to feel the despair of a character or to hope for a happy ending when you can’t connect with the characters and you don’t care if they live or die. It’s sad, but it’s what happened for me in that duology. We follow Maia on her journey to get free of the demon, but we are also told about the war that rages again, killing people and bringing despair again. The thing is, I don’t really see the connection between the war and Maia’s quest. Sure, it added more complications and a political aspect to the plot, and both plotlines were loosely intertwined, but honestly, I felt that the whole war plotline was just a way to add more fighting in the first half of the book, and more pressure on Maia in the second half.
Maia changed in this book because of the “curse” that’s placed on her at the end of the first book. She had no choice but to change because a happily ever after just didn’t seem to be in the cards anymore for her. Still, I didn’t find her character growth that compelling, honestly, I am not even sure how much growth she really did, her internal conflicts were really repetitive all throughout the book. The whole “descent into darkness” part was interesting and definitely gave a more serious and darker vibe to the book, but I feel that the way Maia’s journey was described was a whole lot of telling, with little showing. The whole “Maia instinctively knows how to use and master her magic” vibe was also not something that I liked that much. I understand that it’s different because she’s turning into a demon, but the enchanters have to study for years to learn to master their powers, and she just does it so easily in comparison…
Edan is just the same plain, boring, and overall okay character. He didn’t change, and again, I didn’t care about him. At all. He was absent for half of the story, and when he showed up, he was pretty much useless… It’s not that I dislike him, I just don’t really care about him. He honestly was there as a romantic interest for Maia, and nothing more, and it’s sad because with his new situation there was potential for interesting character development with him, but the author completely skipped it.
The rest of the secondary characters are not layered, and honestly, they are only there when it’s convenient for Maia. Ammi is there to help her in the first half, but we know nothing about her and she has no storyline or purpose at all besides helping Maia until Maia doesn’t need her anymore. Then we have a surprise reappearance of Lady Sarnai in the last part, but again, she is only involved because it’s convenient for Maia’s quest, and we don,t really get to see more of Lady Sarnai outside what she does that is directly linked to Maia. I would have loved more backstory and depth for the secondary characters, instead of just feeling like they were tools for Maia to use (especially since Maia spent half of her time arguing with everyone that wanted to help her that she didn’t need any help).
Then there is the ending… Honestly, while I did not enjoy this book that much, I loved the way the author chose to end Maia’s journey. I loved the stand she took, especially since it’s not something that happens often in YA books (I don't want to say too much to avoid spoilers), but then at the very end, the author just undid the great choice she made, and I was just SO disappointed.
Spin the Dawn ⭐⭐⭐
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April 17, 2021
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....
^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. 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.👿
And I loved the mention of the title in the book:
One thing for sure, I definitely loved Spin the Dawn more. This sequel was great and all, even making me cry towards the end , but I didn't like the lack of Edan and that there wasn’t much focus on the other side characters--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. Then there were some parts that just felt underwhelming in general...I still enjoyed this book but I was expecting more??? Especially after loving the first book so much. Kinda disappointing ngl.
Ahh still, the Weaver and the Cowherd....what a beautiful tale woven from the two.⭐🌙🔆
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 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. 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.👿
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.👌One thing for sure, I definitely loved Spin the Dawn more. This sequel was great and all, even making me cry towards the end , but I didn't like the lack of Edan and that there wasn’t much focus on the other side characters--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. Then there were some parts that just felt underwhelming in general...I still enjoyed this book but I was expecting more??? Especially after loving the first book so much. Kinda disappointing ngl.
Ahh still, 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.
December 13, 2021
Actual rating: 3,5
This was enjoyable conclusion to a series.
Full review to come.
It is my fault I waited too long to read this.
This was enjoyable conclusion to a series.
Full review to come.
It is my fault I waited too long to read this.
August 24, 2022
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 her, Maia and Princess Sarnai led the battle against a formidable foe and lived to tell the tale.
It was quite an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars!
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 her, Maia and Princess Sarnai led the battle against a formidable foe and lived to tell the tale.
It was quite an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars!
Want to read
October 30, 2019dangggg this cover came out ready to slap everyone with beauty
August 24, 2020
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
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.
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
July 19, 2020
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 romance between her and Edan from book 1 and i got so little here.. Edan still sweet and adorable as always but he got very small portion through the story, i just want more of him. One of my petpeeve in Fantasy book is i dislike unlimited magic system, it happened here... all the magical things happened so easily here and there and without really have much struggle or strong foundation
It was an okay conclusion but not blown my mind
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 romance between her and Edan from book 1 and i got so little here.. Edan still sweet and adorable as always but he got very small portion through the story, i just want more of him. One of my petpeeve in Fantasy book is i dislike unlimited magic system, it happened here... all the magical things happened so easily here and there and without really have much struggle or strong foundation
It was an okay conclusion but not blown my mind
July 30, 2021
Tolles Finale der Dilogie. Super super spannend😍
(Mir wurde dieses Buch freundlicherweise vom Verlag zum lesen zur Verfügung gestellt: Rezensionsexemplar)
(Mir wurde dieses Buch freundlicherweise vom Verlag zum lesen zur Verfügung gestellt: Rezensionsexemplar)
February 15, 2021
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//
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. 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. ↢
First half rating: 3.5
Second half rating: 2.0
— overall thoughts: 2.5 —
⇢ content warnings//
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. 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. ↢
June 7, 2023
An easy and engaging read.
March 27, 2023
guess who started and finished this in less than two hours
that’s right
really forgot abt this one review soon ig
that’s right
really forgot abt this one review soon ig
May 21, 2020
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 was even better than I was expecting it to be. How is that possible? I'm not really sure. But oh my gosh, this book blew me away. I felt nearly every single freaking emotion it's possible to feel while I read this. How did she do that?? How did she make me care so much for these characters and for this world?
As this is a sequel, there isn't much I can say without going into spoilers but I can say this much: this book is more than beautiful descriptions, lush landscapes, and one of my favorite book romances (it definitely has all of that though). At its heart, it's a story of what it means to be human. It is a story of growth and loss and pain and change. When I finished 'Spin the Dawn' last year, I didn't know how to feel about the ending. I could see the potential, but I was worried the author wasn't intending to take the story in the direction I hoped she would. I had nothing to worry about. She exceeded my expectations and handled this book beautifully.
I am still freaking out that I was blessed enough to receive an ARC of this book. I can already say with 100% certainty that this is one of my favorite books of the year and that I will read anything this woman writes. I'm serious.
I can't wait for everyone to read this. You guys aren't ready.
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 was even better than I was expecting it to be. How is that possible? I'm not really sure. But oh my gosh, this book blew me away. I felt nearly every single freaking emotion it's possible to feel while I read this. How did she do that?? How did she make me care so much for these characters and for this world?
As this is a sequel, there isn't much I can say without going into spoilers but I can say this much: this book is more than beautiful descriptions, lush landscapes, and one of my favorite book romances (it definitely has all of that though). At its heart, it's a story of what it means to be human. It is a story of growth and loss and pain and change. When I finished 'Spin the Dawn' last year, I didn't know how to feel about the ending. I could see the potential, but I was worried the author wasn't intending to take the story in the direction I hoped she would. I had nothing to worry about. She exceeded my expectations and handled this book beautifully.
I am still freaking out that I was blessed enough to receive an ARC of this book. I can already say with 100% certainty that this is one of my favorite books of the year and that I will read anything this woman writes. I'm serious.
I can't wait for everyone to read this. You guys aren't ready.
September 27, 2021
3.5
Ho sperato tanto di poter dare a questo secondo e ultimo capitolo della duologia un bel 5/5 eppure così non è stato.
Unravel the Dusk rappresenta un finale ordinario a una storia straordinaria (certo, non una novità assoluta, ma comunque molto bella).
Sicuramente il punto forte di questo libro è la dolcezza della storia e dei personaggi. È un bel ritorno a un'ambientazione disneyana che, per un po', ci fa ritornare bambini spingendoci a credere nuovamente nella magia e nella bontà delle persone.
Forse la mia parziale delusione è dovuta al fatto che ho trovato il finale poco epico e un po' sottotono, è anche vero però che l'autrice rende chiaro fin da subito che non ci potrà essere un grande scontro tra le due forze opposte.
Nel complesso ho trovato il libro un po' lento e per buona parte della lettura non ho capito dove volesse andare a parare. Consiglio comunque la lettura di questa duologia, che, si, non sarà il capolavoro dell'anno (ma chi l'ha mai presentato come tale, voglio dire?!) ma è un balsamo per il cuore e un bel viaggio in un'ambientazione suggestiva.
PS. si, qualsiasi scena in cui si parla della famiglia di Maia mi ha devastata.
Ho sperato tanto di poter dare a questo secondo e ultimo capitolo della duologia un bel 5/5 eppure così non è stato.
Unravel the Dusk rappresenta un finale ordinario a una storia straordinaria (certo, non una novità assoluta, ma comunque molto bella).
Sicuramente il punto forte di questo libro è la dolcezza della storia e dei personaggi. È un bel ritorno a un'ambientazione disneyana che, per un po', ci fa ritornare bambini spingendoci a credere nuovamente nella magia e nella bontà delle persone.
Forse la mia parziale delusione è dovuta al fatto che ho trovato il finale poco epico e un po' sottotono, è anche vero però che l'autrice rende chiaro fin da subito che non ci potrà essere un grande scontro tra le due forze opposte.
Nel complesso ho trovato il libro un po' lento e per buona parte della lettura non ho capito dove volesse andare a parare. Consiglio comunque la lettura di questa duologia, che, si, non sarà il capolavoro dell'anno (ma chi l'ha mai presentato come tale, voglio dire?!) ma è un balsamo per il cuore e un bel viaggio in un'ambientazione suggestiva.
PS. si, qualsiasi scena in cui si parla della famiglia di Maia mi ha devastata.
February 25, 2024
⊹ 𓏲࣪ 3.5 stars ★ 𓄹 ࣪ .
⤿ no spoilers in this review
⤷ “ 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. a smile touched my lips, and as edan raised an eyebrow, wondering what i was thinking about, i kissed him, then opened my arms to the glittering waters. i’ve had enough of the stars for now. take me to the sea. ”
screaming, crying, running up and down the stairs, ripping my hair out, banging my head on the wall, jumping off a cliff 😭
their love was so great, that the poets wrote about them 😭
edanmaia i will miss you and love u forevermore <3
⤿ no spoilers in this review
⤷ “ 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. a smile touched my lips, and as edan raised an eyebrow, wondering what i was thinking about, i kissed him, then opened my arms to the glittering waters. i’ve had enough of the stars for now. take me to the sea. ”
screaming, crying, running up and down the stairs, ripping my hair out, banging my head on the wall, jumping off a cliff 😭
their love was so great, that the poets wrote about them 😭
edanmaia i will miss you and love u forevermore <3
March 29, 2022
Wundervoller zweiter und letzter Band!
Maia ist gebrandmarkt durch ihren verhängnisvollen Schwur...die Mächte des Bösen greifen immer fester nach ihr.....dennoch kann sich Maia vorerst ihrem Einfluss entziehen....
Als sie in Begleitung ihrer Freund Ammi zur Flucht aus dem Palast gezwungen wird, steht ihr die größte Prüfung noch bevor.....
Mich fasziniert der filigrane Schreibstil, die Tiefe der Beziehungen und die unerschöpfliche Liebe zwischen Edan und Maia....einfach ein toller Fantasy Zweiteiler!
Unbedingt lesenswert!
Maia ist gebrandmarkt durch ihren verhängnisvollen Schwur...die Mächte des Bösen greifen immer fester nach ihr.....dennoch kann sich Maia vorerst ihrem Einfluss entziehen....
Als sie in Begleitung ihrer Freund Ammi zur Flucht aus dem Palast gezwungen wird, steht ihr die größte Prüfung noch bevor.....
Mich fasziniert der filigrane Schreibstil, die Tiefe der Beziehungen und die unerschöpfliche Liebe zwischen Edan und Maia....einfach ein toller Fantasy Zweiteiler!
Unbedingt lesenswert!
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