海角大神

鈥淪pin the Dawn,鈥� Elizabeth Lim鈥檚 debut original novel, marries fairy tales and fashion design, and I鈥檓 here for it. Set in the fantastical A鈥橪andi kingdom (based on ancient China), it feels like a vibrant blend of 鈥淢ulan鈥� and 鈥淧roject Runway鈥� and will instantly captivate young adult readers.聽

When the grueling Five Winters鈥� War ends, the Tamarin family sets about rebuilding from devastating loss. The two oldest sons died in the war; the youngest son, Keton, is disabled; and daughter Maia has been running their tailoring business. Their father never fully recovered from his wife鈥檚 pre-war death.

Maia is an extraordinary tailor with a whole lotta hustle. She dreams of running her own shop but realizes that, as a girl, the highest she can aspire is to marry well. But fortune smiles on her ambition when the emperor commands the 12 best tailors in A鈥檒andi to compete for the gig of imperial tailor. Frail Baba can鈥檛 make the trip and Keton is a wretched tailor, but this lifetime appointment would set the Tamarins up forever. So, in a delicious Mulan moment, Maia chops her hair off and goes in Keton鈥檚 place.

Like me, you might think Maia sneaks off, leaving Baba and Keton to discover her subterfuge later. But this is the first of many surprises: both of them approve the scheme before Maia leaves! Baba even gives her her grandmother鈥檚 scissors, which turn out to be enchanted.聽

Secrets come out earlier in 鈥淪pin the Dawn鈥� than I expected, leaving plenty of time for unanticipated twists. Readers may still get a kick out of solving puzzles before the characters do; Lim gives her cast enough sense that the missed breadcrumbs don鈥檛 come off like forehead-smacking bungles.

Lim, a film and video game composer, writes with the measured confidence of a lifelong storyteller. As a fellow enthusiast of fairy tales, folklore, and myths, I recognized the lilt and pacing of an orator鈥檚 cadence in Lim鈥檚 writing. Take us on your journey, Madame Bard!

At the palace, bride-to-be Lady Sarnai sets a series of miserable challenges to winnow the couturier crowd. This bad-tempered huntress doesn鈥檛 actually want to marry the emperor 鈥� their engagement is part of a shaky armistice. With a crowded field of men (and Maia-as-Keton) competing for the dream job, y鈥檃ll know what that means: mind games, sabotage, and drama-drama-drama! It鈥檚 glorious.聽

However, there鈥檚 a wrinkle. The emperor鈥檚 enchanter, handsome Edan, sees through Maia鈥檚 disguise and recognizes the scissors as magic. Bored by his job and intrigued by Maia鈥檚 moxie, Edan takes her under his courtly wing.

After bidding 鈥渁uf wiedersehen鈥� to all but Maia, Lady Sarnai declares one final test: Maia must make the three mythical dresses of the goddess Amana. Not replicas, not riffs on the legend: the actual, literal dresses. According to the tales, one is woven with the laughter of the sun, a second is embroidered with the tears of the moon, and the third is painted with the blood of the stars. To acquire the fabled materials, Maia and Edan go a-questing across A鈥檒andi. She鈥檒l have to face down demons, deserts, and her own soul. Make it work, Maia!聽

In many ways, 鈥淪pin the Dawn鈥� feels like a friendlier cousin to Julie C. Dao鈥檚 鈥淩ise of the Empress鈥�: a duology inspired by folklore, an empire in trouble, an epic quest for magical items, a young commoner vs. demons. Maia is exponentially more likable than Jade, though. She鈥檚 snippy, talented, tough, and independent where Jade was passive and prim.

However consciously 鈥� Lim did write a Mulan spin-off for Disney-Hyperion 鈥� the author evokes a patchwork quilt of Disney princesses in 鈥淪pin the Dawn.鈥� Mulan is a given, as a girl undercover because her dad is too infirm to answer the emperor鈥檚 call. Belle also fits (see: poor provincial town, another dad in need of support, a boorish would-be suitor), as does Moana (magical family artifact, battling the supernatural). Tiana鈥檚 dogged work ethic echoes in Maia鈥檚 scrappy resolve to provide for her family.

Lady Sarnai gets in the Disney picture as well. She and Merida could have a blast at the archery range. And at one point, she practically channels the spirit of Jasmine: 鈥淎 girl isn鈥檛 fit to be anything more than a prize,鈥� she rages.聽

With or without the Disney pedigree, 鈥淪pin the Dawn鈥� is utterly charming, a melange of romance and grit that often surprises. It鈥檚 a clever and worthy addition to the YA mythological canon, and a must for any YA fan鈥檚 TBR pile.