Elizabeth Lim’s Mulan-inspired young adult fantasy novel, Spin the Dawn, explores themes of gender inequality and the devastation of war, all while creating an unforgettable romance and an electrifying adventure. Lim’s character, Maia, is an exceptionally talented tailor who wants more than anything to become the best tailor in all of A’landi. But as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. That all changes when a royal messenger summons her sickly father to the royal palace and Maia is forced to take his place. The only catch is that she has to hide her true identity and pretend to be a boy, on pain of death. Once at the palace, she is tasked with an impossible quest:  to sew three magic gowns made from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. 

I absolutely loved this novel and definitely recommend it to people who love adventure and fantasy with a side of romance. Lim’s writing was so simplistic yet so beautiful. Her descriptions of Maia’s art left me gaping and awe-struck. I loved her main characters to no end. They were funny, cute, smart, kind, and talented. Even the characters I wasn’t too fond of, I was incredibly intrigued by. And even though I can usually tell where a novel is heading, I was pleasantly surprised and caught off-guard by where the story was going. I simply can’t wait for Lim's next book!

Similar books include Throne of Glass, The Wrath and the Dawn, Nameless Queen, The Tiger at Midnight, and Descendant of Crane.