Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim Review

 Title: Unravel the Dusk

Author: Elizabeth Lim

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Blood of Stars, book two

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

TW: violence, gore, death on-page, war. If any of these topics trigger you, I would suggest not reading this book; your mental health always matters!

I recently reread Spin the Dawn, and as soon as I was finished with it, I ordered this sequel. It goes back to the library next week, so, as soon as I was finished with The Last Laugh, I dove in. Unravel the Dusk picks up right where Spin the Dawn left off, with Maia dealing with the consequences of the choices she made in the first book in order to free Edan, her friend, lover, and enchanter. Forced to confront the darkness inside of her in order to stop a bloody, dangerous war, Maia must decide if the land of A’landi is worth saving, and the price of it all may be too high for her to pay…

I really loved this book! I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it, because I absolutely adored Spin the Dawn; it might be one of my favorite books of recent years. The pacing was breakneck, and though it had been a few weeks since my reread, I was able to recall what was happening without any trouble. Normally sequels give me major anxiety; a lot of the time they don’t live up to the hype. But that wasn’t the case with Unravel the Dusk; there was more action than in the first book. Watching Maia fight her darkest instincts that came from the end of the last book was practically nail-biting; I finished this book in three days, it was so good! I loved watching Maia come into her own was so thrilling! I also adored the other characters, particularly Edan, Sarnai, the shansen, the Emporer, Maia’s family, and the demons that try to tempt Maia’s soul into the darkness. And that ending! I couldn’t have asked for a better one. Absolute perfection! The bottom line: Dark, rich with detail, and full of action, I loved Unravel the Dusk! Next on deck: A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin!