Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim (ARC Review)

Title: Unravel the Dusk
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Knopf (Penguin Random House)
Date published: July 7, 2020

A physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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.

⤖ My Review ⬻

The sequel in Elizabeth Lim’s The Blood of Stars series, Unravel the Dusk, was different than what I expected based on how Spin the Dawn ended. But it was still enjoyable! I could never predict what was going to happen next. I didn’t know where the story was going at all, and I didn’t know who was going to live and who was going to die. It was a bit stressful, but those of you who have been following me for a while will know…I really love when a book keeps me guessing!

I don’t read duologies very often so can’t say that I have a pattern of enjoying the first book or the second book more (like I do with trilogies…i.e. I usually enjoy the middle book less). But I can say that in the case of The Blood of Stars series, I did enjoy the first book more. That being said, I loved exploring more of the world that Lim created for the series. I also found that Unravel the Dusk had a bit of a different tone from Spin the Dawn but I can’t quite put my finger on how (just something I noticed). But I can’t say more without accidentally spoiling things though, so I’ll just finish by saying that I recommend Unravel the Dusk as well as the series as a whole!

⤖ About the Author ⬻

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… 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.