Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim

Hello friends and bookwyrms! I’m back again today with the blog tour for Unravel the Dusk after making some forgetful decisions that turned out to be bad decisions. Oop. 😫

(LMAO apparently for Spin the Dawn I did everything in the span of 24 hours; it’s come to haunt me again because I’ve done it again. I hope Grammarly has my back.)

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Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim
The Blood of Stars #2, Legends of Lor'yan
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on July 7, 2020
Age Group & Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Representation: Chinese
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Publisher

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.

A copy of the book was provided for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore does not affect the opinion or content of the review.

Trigger & Content Warnings: war, death of loved ones specifically parent and siblings (mention), hearing voices

Spin the Dawn was one of my top reads of 2019, taking me on a journey full of magic and romance set in a fantasy world.

I was super excited to dive into Unravel the Dusk, considering how Elizabeth Lim ended the story with Maia being cursed by the demon Bandur after going on a journey with Edan to sew the dresses of the sun, moon and stars. Now she’s returned to the palace where a war is brewing, and she’s racing against time before she completes her transformation.

(Let’s just say it took me a while to get caught up on what happened in the first book because I’m a forgetful potato, but I got there eventually after wandering like a lost soul.)

After the mass cliffhanger in Spin the Dawn, I especially wanted to see what would happen to Maia. The majority of Unravel the Dusk is her battling two different types of power within her: the power within the dresses she sewed to become Imperial Tailor, and the demonic power growing. She’s in a constant battle to resist giving in and using more power and potentially tarnishing the power of the dresses with darkness. But what she also wants to do is find Edan, and protect her loved ones and country; she’s not afraid of doing what she needs to accomplish those goals, and we get to see this come to life as the story progresses.

Elizabeth Lim’s writing is just as beautiful as the first novel.

One of my favorite things from reading Lim’s past works is her writing style. The words flow so well together, and I’m just in love with how poetic and romantic they are; I can practically wrap myself in her writing and be comfortable in it. (The food mentioned in it made me hungry too.) I also liked how the sequel divides into three parts, each dedicated to the dresses as Maia learns how to utilize each power.

I am, however, a little disappointed with Unravel the Dusk.

I wanted to know more about Edan, considering how he was a mysterious character in Spin the Dawn. I loved his developing relationship with Maia and thoroughly enjoyed his appearance in the sequel, but unfortunately, he has very little screen time here. However, I still adore the two of them together! And I’m glad we get the chance to see Lady Sarnai once again; I love how she gets to shine a little here and takes no shit from anyone, much like when we first meet her back in Spin the Dawn.

I also think some parts in Unravel the Dusk were a little too easy for Maia; it just seemed convenient with her magic scissors and the powers she can access. While there are challenges for her near the end where there is more struggle, I did wish there were more of it earlier through the novel. Overall though, I enjoyed the sequel to Spin the Dawn, and I can’t wait to see what Elizabeth Lim comes up with next.

About Elizabeth Lim

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 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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