Spin the Dawn

I had three brothers once.
 
Finlei was the oldest--the brave one. Nothing frightened him, not spiders or needles or a flogging from Baba s cane. He was the quickest of us four children, fast enough to catch a fly with only his thumb and a thimble. But along with his dauntlessness came a craving for adventure. He despised having to work in our shop, having to spend the sun s precious light sewing dresses and mending shirts. And he was careless with the needle, his fingers constantly bandaged from pricks and his work marred with uneven stitches. Stitches I would unpick and redo to save him from Baba s lectures.
 
Finlei didn t have the patience to become a tailor like Baba.
 
Sendo had patience, but not for sewing. My second brother was the poet in the family, and the only weaving he loved was of words, especially about the sea. He would tell stories about the beautiful garments Baba could sew, with such exquisite detail all the ladies in town clamored to buy them--only to find they didn t exist.
 
As punishment, Baba made him sit on the pier behind our shop, unraveling thread from silkworm cocoons. Often I stole out to sit with him, to listen to his tales of what lay beyond that never-ending horizon of water.
 
What color is the ocean? Sendo would ask me.
 
Blue, silly. What else?
 
How will you be the best tailor in A landi if you don t know your colors? Sendo shook his head and pointed at the water. Look again. Look into the depths of it.
 
Sapphire, I said, studying the ocean s gentle crests and troughs. The water sparkled. Sapphire, like the stones Lady Tainak wears around her neck. But there s a hint of green . . . jade green. And the foam curls up like pearls.
 
Sendo smiled. That s better. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and hugged me close. One day, we ll sail the seas, you and I. And you ll see the blue in all the world.
 
Because of Sendo, blue was my

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SIX CRIMSON CRANES!

ELIZABETH LIM grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she was raised on a hearty diet of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Before becoming an author, Elizabeth was a professional film and video game composer, and she still tends to come up with her best book ideas when writing near a piano. An alumna of Harvard College and the Juilliard School, she now lives in New York with her husband and her daughters.

Elizabeth is the New York Times bestselling author of Spin the Dawn, Unravel the Dusk, Six Crimson Cranes, The Dragon's Promise, and Her Radiant Curse. She is also a contributor to Disney's A Twisted Tale series.


Visit her at elizabethlim.com
Follow her on Twitter at @LizLim
Follow her on Instagram at @elimpix

"Maia's perspective as a working tailor makes her world vibrant and full of sensory details that are sure to delight even the most jaded of fantasy readers."  NPR

"Part Project Runway set during the Silk Road era, part epic adventure. . . . This will have broad appeal."  Kirkus Reviews

"Beautifully written with a can t-wait-for-the-sequel ending, this breathtaking and fast-paced Silk-road inspired fantasy from the author of Mulan-retelling Reflection (2018) is sure to enchant readers beginning to end."  Booklist

"An addictive magical adventure."  SLJ

"Spin the Dawn is pure magic. Romance, artistry, and deep enchantment." --Gregory Maguire, bestselling author of Wicked

"A thrilling tale as rich as velvet and as exquisite as fine embroidery." Heidi Heilig, author of The Girl from Everywhere