MINI REVIEW: Spin the Dawn - Elizabeth Lim

Date read: May 8, 2021

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings

Audience: Young Adult

Trigger/Content Warnings: Grief, sexism, parent death (view more here).

Synopsis: Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the best tailor in the land, but her being a girl poses a problem to that dream. When her father is called to court, though, Maia seizes the opportunity and poses as a boy so she can take his place. Maia must then compete against eleven other tailors to earn the role of imperial tailor, and save both her life and her family.

Review: I absolutely love retellings and Mulan is one of my favorite stories, so this was a treat! The prose was lovely but not too flowery, and the fast pace made it a quick read. I can’t wait to get to the second book!

Read this... if you’re looking for a beautiful Mulan retelling.

ARC Review: The Keeper of Night - Kylie Lee Baker

Date read: October 5, 2021

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical

Audience: Young/New Adult

Trigger/Content Warnings: Death, gore, racism

Synopsis: Being half English Reaper and half Japanese Shinigami, Ren has never felt like she truly belonged. That feeling is further cemented when she’s unable to control her Shinigami powers and is driven out of London. Now, she’s in Japan, on a quest to prove herself worthy to serve the Goddess of Death so that she can gain the acceptance she never received in London.

Review: I think I found my new favorite fantasy to obsess over…seriously, this was AMAZING. The worldbuilding was incredible, the relationships were incredible, the complexity of the characters was incredible, I think you get what I’m saying.

Read this... if you like: morally grey/villain badass female leads, fantasy that has themes relevant to the real world, and complex characters and relationships!