It’s been a little while since I posted one of these and I’ll be honest and say I completely forgot about this series. I haven’t been having a great time reading lately (quality-wise) so I think having such low-rated books recently has pushed this to the back of my mind. I do, however, have more of these planned over the coming months!
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
In hindsight, this may be a slightly hyperbolic rating. However, at the time, I was completely enraptured by this story. I love books with trials and competitions and the fact that this one is to make dresses was so cool. It also includes a quest, so extra points from me.
The second book in this duology wasn’t a hit for me, but you could absolutely read this as a standalone if you really wanted to.
Synopsis: A gifted tailor in disguise.
Three legendary dresses.
The competition of a lifetime.
On the fringes of the Great Spice Road, Maia Tamarin works as a seamstress in the shop of her father, once a tailor of renown. She dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well.
When a royal messenger summons her ailing father to court, Maia poses as his son and travels to the Summer Palace in his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to save her family from ruin and achieve her dream of becoming the imperial tailor. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.
The competition is cutthroat, and Maia’s job is further complicated by the unwelcome attention of the court enchanter, Edan, who seems to see straight through her disguise. But nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three gowns so dangerously beautiful, it will take a quest to the ends of the earth to complete them . . .
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
*I still don’t have a photo of just the first book as I keep forgetting I need one*
I remember reading this book in one sitting while my boyfriend was playing his guitar in the same room. The fact that I actually remember what was going on around me while I read this really says a lot.
This book is so magical and it really had an effect on me. The world of Caraval stayed with me for quite some time after reading and I still think about this book every now and again. Unfortunately, I didn’t love the rest of the series as much as the first book, but I was an idiot and left literal years between each book.
If you are yet to check out the Caraval series, you absolutely must. It’s so wonderful and magical.
Synopsis: A legendary competition.
A mesmerizing romance.
An unbreakable bond
between two sisters.
Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. Nevertheless she becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic. And whether Caraval is real or not, Scarlett must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over or a dangerous domino effect of consequences will be set off, and her beloved sister will disappear forever.
Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . beware of getting swept too far away.
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