Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping fantasy about a teenage girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.And don’t miss Elizabeth Lim’s new novel, the instant New York Times bestseller, Six Crimson Cranes!
“All the cutthroat competition of a runway fashion reality show and the thrilling exploits of an epic quest." —The Washington Post
Maia Tamarin 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, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia makes the ultimate sacrifice and poses as a boy to take his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors in a cutthroat competition for the job.
Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.
And nothing could have prepared her for the unthinkable final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the sun, the moon, and the stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.
Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this fantasy novel is not to be missed.
"This is a white-knuckle read." —Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Tempests and Slaughter
First half - 5 stars Second half - more like 2 stars
I'm pretty disappointed about the second half because the first half was AMAZING. The first half fit Project Runway + Mulan perfectly; it was everything I hoped it would be. There was a super cool tailoring competition with seemingly impossible requirements (very Project Runway-esque), and I really enjoyed the palace intrigue.
The second half took a completely different direction. It was more like a magical quest, which would have been okay, except suddenly a romance took over the entire book. Everything I loved about the first half was just gone. The romance became the center of the main character's world and fuelled every decision she made. Then at the end she made a decision I pretty strongly disagreed with. I thought it was really inappropriate of her to "free" Edan from his oath as an enchanter. She basically took his magic away. That was HIS decision to make -- not hers. Although he mused about no longer being an enchanter, it still wasn't totally clear that he'd 100% make that choice. I mean, in the beginning he did choose to be an enchanter. So for her to just decide for him that he was going to stop being one was pretty shitty.
I probably will give the second book a shot, but I fear it will just be a continuation of the second half of the book and we may not see the style/vibe of the first half again. But I loved the first half so much that I still do have some hope.
