I really enjoyed this book! It felt so fresh yet included some of my favorite elements of fantasy books. The split perspective of the story made everything that much more interesting and I loved all the characters and what they brought to the story.

I did find that at times the way the worldbuilding was set up, the story was hard to follow. I also wish it went into more detail on a few things but overall this is a strong start to what is sure to be a fun new fantasy series.

Guardians of Dawn: Zhara is the start of a new YA Fantasy series from S. Jae-Jones, author of the Wintersong duology. I have been awaiting this release for a while and the wait was worth it. I really enjoyed this and read it so quickly.

In this story, we meet Jin Zhara, an apothecary's apprentice, who spends her days trying to control and hide her magic, caring for her visually impaired younger sister and appeasing her cruel stepmother's every whim.

Magic is forbidden in her society and magicians have been blamed for certain tragic events over the years, rightly or not. When a new plague hits the streets, transforming magicians into monsters, abominations, Zhara's world becomes more tumultuous than ever.

A chance encounter with an attractive young man, Han, also shakes up Zhara's life. It exposes her to a whole new hidden world, including a secret magical liberation society called the Guardians of Dawn. What Zhara has no way of knowing though, is how big a role she will come to play within this group.

It's believed a demon is responsible for the new round of abominations and Zhara, along with her recently-met friends, must come up with a plan to weed out the demon and destroy it. Only then can balance be restored. If they fail, their society may be left in ruin.

I read this via audiobook and really, really enjoyed it. The narration brought these characters to life. I thought it was so well performed. I was sucked in from the start.

I thought the world-creation was very well done. I enjoyed how it felt historical, yet modern at the same time. Additionally, the story had the perfect balance between light and dark elements.

I enjoyed both Zhara and Han, as well as their blossoming relationship and rapid-fire banter. I liked getting both of their perspectives and watching how they each contributed to the over-arching plot. From the moment of their meet cute, I wanted them to grow closer. They were both so endearing, yet also a bit clumsy.

I loved that. I thought it worked well as they progressively grew closer and the secrets they had been hiding from one another were revealed. Their personalities balanced each other out.

One thing I always enjoy about S. Jae-Jones writing is the dark imagery she brings to the page. Even though quite a bit of this story is fun and light, cute and bright, there are darker elements running throughout and when the monsters come, look out! They're not so cute.

I also really enjoyed and appreciated the cultural richness that can be felt throughout this story. And as mentioned before, I felt those influences were both historical and modern, as I was feeling a touch of BTS in this.

Watching Zhara mature over the course of this story, as well as learning to harness her powers more, was so satisfying. I also liked learning about this secret society and think there is a lot of room for that element to continue to be built out.

I am absolutely continuing on with this series as it goes and am really looking forward to it. I would recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed stories like The Keeper of Night, Stars and Smoke and even Cinder.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was definitely worth the wait.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for the eARC. This is an honest review.

This book was a fun time! Perfect? No. Fun? Yes! Enjoyable and super fast with diverse lore? Absolutely. It was young and silly and funny. I feel like ALL of the characters were the comedic relief.

The portrayal of the blind character felt like a plot device, lacking a fully fleshed-out representation. Additionally, most (if not all) characters came across as relatively flat, lacking the depth and complexity that could have added more dimension to the story.

However, despite these shortcomings, the novel excelled in delivering an enchanting blend of Sailor Moon-esque vibes and a smidge of Cinderella. The romance between the characters was adorable and endearing. There are cool demon-monster abominations and body horror elements that were excellent.

Although the book included some common YA tropes, such as secrets kept from allies and youthful behavior, it managed to entertain. The balance between order and chaos was a great inclusion.

This is a book worth exploring for those seeking a magical escape with romance and a bit of mystery. While the character development and representation of certain aspects could have been further refined, the novel's overall charm and unique twists make it a worthwhile read.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the free eARC and opportunity to read this early. This is my honest opinion.

First off, this was pitched as a blending of Sailor Moon and Cinder...which was a siren's call to me since I adore Sailor Moon, and Marissa Meyer's Cinder was one of my first retellings that I fell in love with. I can see lots of different references that blended into this story, which was actually a fun little side quest while reading.

I loved Zahra, she is a completely flawed character that is still a good person despite everything that could have turned another person. All the characters were interesting but Han takes the cake. Han is the definition of himbo (handsome, idiot, cinnamon roll), but his concern for his little brother drives him into a world and situations that he is very out of his depth in, and it is often left up to Xu (his best friend) to save him from himself.

Sometimes it feels like the book is trying to do too much, but that may be because of it being the first in a series (it looks like it's going to be a quartet), but the pacing of the book drives the reader forward at a insane speed, sorta like you are hurtling out of control downhill and you can see the obstacles coming, but nothing should be taken at face value.

Highly recommend, I want the second book now.

3.5 stars

This story was enjoyable and light. Which is odd considering that it was dark at times but it didn't make you think all that much. It was on the young end of YA which was actually really disappointing considering the MCs ages. Han read especially young and naive, which got real annoying real fast. Zhara was better, she seemed to act more her age. Xu was super whiny and felt like a 1 dimensional character. Honestly, aside from how "big and brainless" Han was, and how "dark-skinned" Zhara was, I've no idea what any of them look like.

I wasn't a fan of the constant reference to Han's muscles but lack of intelligence, it felt degrading and rude. Zhara's shame over her skin colour was also bothersome, but I could just be reading into it.

I did order a physical copy to go along with my ARC, since I am interested enough to read the next book, I just hope it is more fleshed out and the characters mature from middle grade-sounding to their 17-18 years of age.

The world building/mythology was fun but again, not as fleshed out as I would have liked. The ending resolved "perfectly," you know? Fast, nothing wrong, everything was what it was supposed to be (or we assume). The plot twists/reveals were unfortunately predictable and before I turned the last page into the epilogue, I had a feeling of what would happen in that last part.

Overall, I didn't love or hate it, I was just a little disappointed.

If the "Good-Looking Giggles" can just not appear in book 2, that'd be great. They were seriously annoying.

Guardians of the Dawn: Zhara

ARC provided by NetGalley

This book was fine. I wish that it had been more than that because I was so excited to read it, but it is just fine. This book pitches itself as Sailor Moon meets Cinder and that is a pretty good description. I could never quite pin down what about it was sailor moon but it is definitely there in the bones and blood of the story if you get my metaphor. The cinder thing is also there but I feel like we could just say the story takes inspiration from/ is a retelling of Cinderella because it is. While I get why Cinder was picked because if you liked that story this one would also be right up your alley in terms of vibes it just feels weird to not call out the base inspiration and story beats that are here.

That being said I don’t have all that much to say about the story which in and of itself is part of the problem. It was just fine. It was nothing revolutionary or drastically different from anything else I have ever read. It was in fact a lot like so many other stories I have read before* but just not as something as those stories.

I will also say that this is definitely a more younger YA which is a good thing, there is a definite lull in that half of YA in recent years with the rise of “TikTok” book trends. And I don’t want to hear any complaints that younger YA isn’t a thing, the YA books written for 13 and 14-year-olds are different than those written for 18 and 19-year-olds. A lot of life experiences happen during those years and the interests of those readers are varied to reflect those changing experiences and interests. However, I have definitely grown out of most of the aspects of younger YA such as the humor and characters' behaviors so much of this story did not connect for me.

I just did not get super invested in this book. I wasn't that engaged for much of the story. The characters didn’t grow on me that much. The only thing really pushing me to get this one done and read was the publishing date which I needed to get out the review for, without that I’m just not sure I would have finished this one.


* The similar books in question:
Cinder
Sailor Moon
Descendant of the Crane
The Book of Tea Duology

First off, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book! I was first excited to pick this book up after reading about its interesting premise, and how it incorporates notions of Sailor Moon within it. I also loved the mysterious, and supposedly powerful plot line that was described in the premise (and OMG can we talk about the gorgeous cover?! Definitely one of the prettiest covers I’ve ever seen). However, I truthfully have some mixed feelings about the book. I though that the world-building was really interesting and detailed, and I felt as if I was actually absorbed to this unique fantastical world. The story itself was still an enjoyable read, albeit I do feel that some segments of it were too slow-paced. Admittedly, it took me a few pushes to keep myself reading the book, but I continued to lose interest; and after pausing reading, it takes a while for me to want to pick it back up and continue reading it. Moreover, I found it a bit difficult to connect with the characters, and it also took me a while to be familiar with the abundance of characters and names that flood the chapters. I do think, however, that the characters were built really well, and they are fleshed out quite thoroughly.

Story-wise however, I was still really intrigued by the story and world, so will definitely be interested in picking up the book’s sequel when it is released!

Thank you St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for allowing me this arc copy.

This book is the first in the series and was a fun read. It’s a set in a world similar to Ancient China where magic is forbidden and magicians are put to death.

Zhara is living quietly and invisibly as possible. She takes care of her sister and the house as well as making money for survival. She meets a young man and her whole world turns complicated.

Now she has to deal with people hunting her, monsters, and a secret organization. There’s also a chance that something even more sinister awaits,

I really liked this book. There was a nice build up with the world and the characters. It starts out small with only Zhara’s world before expanding to other places and people. I liked Zhara, Han, Xu, and the the other characters. They were flawed and feisty in their own way. The world is rich in intrigue and subterfuge.

For me the climatic ending was a bit rushed. I wanted a bit more to the ending. It was only a small blip in my opinion.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for this opportunity to read this book..

Content Warnings: body horror, gore, death, child abuse, ableism, confinement, homophobia, transphobia, animal cruelty, death of parents, and genocide.

This is my first read by S. Jae-Jones and WOW it was great! Such beautiful and intricate world building, characters that are easy to relate to and love. We get to meet a cast of, mostly under 18 year old's, who are finding out they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Being a teen is hard enough but imagine trying to save the people you love from possession and destruction?

Fantastic read and I can't wait to see what will happen in the continuing books!

I loved the world building and the setting, but the characters seemed so much younger than their ages, so it was a bit difficult at times to focus on the story. I did appreciate the focus on sibling relationships and friendships too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an e-galley of Guardians of Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I think that something must be said about the cover of this book. It is, without a doubt, one of my most gorgeous book covers to come out this year so far and while I don't usually pick a read based on its cover - it definitely helped with the initial appeal. The way in which the story was pitched - Sailor Moon meets Cinder - was also a huge draw for me as I love both references. And so expectations were high heading into Guardians of Dawn: Zhara.

In Guardians of Dawn: Zhara, we meet Zhara who has been hiding her magic powers for her entire life as the kingdom she lives in has banned magic. Her own father was killed years ago for possessing magic abilities as well and now Zhara lives with her stepmother and sister. In a chance encounter, Zhara meets a boy while she's defending herself against one of the abominations that magic creates and before she knows it, she finds a chance at a different kind of life in which her magic is revered and appreciated, not feared and illegal.

The world building in this story is intense and drew me in from the get-go. I liked the cast of characters - the secrets and depth to their stories. Guardians of Dawn is full of magic, humour, and memorable dialogue. This is definitely not your typical fantasy story and cast of characters.

On a note about a personal pet peeve of mine, I don't really enjoy books that reference to Kpop idols and groups. Don't get me wrong - I am a fan of Kpop since the early 2000s but I find that references to idols and names throw me out of the world that's in the book. Especially when it doesn't really add to the plot and seems to be deliberately put in - just because. So that is why I found myself distracted closer to the end of the book and unable to complete the story completely immersed and invested.

With that being said, I did enjoy Guardians of Dawn: Zhara and look forward to reading more in this series.

This pains me to write because I was so so so excited about the Guardians of the Dawn series. When I saw "Sailor Moon meets Cinder," I immediately added it to my TBR because those are two series that are extremely near and dear to my heart, and I was low-key screaming when I found an e-ARC in my inbox.

And then I actually picked it up and had such a hard time reading it. I wanted so badly to love this but ended up having to force myself to get through because it was just so painful. I don't even know where to begin. I feel like Guardians of Dawn: Zhara is such a hot mess. As clunky and awkward as the title is (why isn't the series name the subtitle?), the actual story is so much worse.

The world was built with as much finesse as a person dumping a ton of bricks on the ground, and S. Jae-Jones couldn't decide whether to write super flowery language or funny colloquialisms so she settled for both. (The number of times I had to read "Good Looking Giggles" 😩). The characters were so underdeveloped and flat, it was frustrating. I'm all for a himbo prince charming, but Jae-Jones laid it on wayyy too thick with Han. Isn't the whole point of a himbo that he's cute but kinda slow on the uptake? Because there was nothing attractive about how obtuse Han was. I didn't even care about Zhara, to be honest, who was sad, mopey, and 12 other melancholy dwarves. Reading Guardians of the Dawn just gave me a headache. The magical system and world building was a mess, and I do not understand S. Jae-Jones' penchant for refusing to reveal her characters' genders during the initial character introduction. At first I thought she was trying to make some kind of point about gender identity, but what's the point of trying to play coy if you're going to later exclusively use a gendered pronoun for the character?? It was honestly so confusing.

Guardian of Dawn: Zhara is one of those rare cases where the book actually lives up to its comp. The story is, quite literally, a mash-up of elements from Cinder(ella) and Sailor Moon but only in the most shallow and superficial ways. It's a great concept that, unfortunately, is really poorly executed. What hurts is that this could've been a really cool book. If the fantasy version of BTS is any indication, meant to be a fun Asian-inspired fantasy with fairy tale elements and nods to everyone's favorite pretty guardians. Instead, we got a really random hodgepodge of pieces that don't fit together.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored 'The Guardians of Dawn'! With its strong female protagonist, captivating mystery, and a touch of magic. The story had me hooked from start to finish. While the pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, the beautifully crafted world and realistic characters made it all worth it. I'm eagerly looking forward to the next installment and can't wait to explore more of the author's works. This was SO CUTE and I can't wait for the next one!

I'm incredibly grateful to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with the opportunity to read an advance copy of Guardians of Dawn: Zhara. The novel had the potential to be an incredible story filled with magic, love, betrayal, and adventure yet unfortunately fell a little flat.

During my reading, a few elements took me out of the storyline. Firstly, the concept of "good-looking giggles" that Zhara experiences whenever she sees someone she considers attractive felt quite ridiculous and diminished the strength and maturity of our female lead. Secondly, the representation of the main character's sister as blind due to Zhara's magic seemed like an afterthought, with her blindness not being consistently addressed throughout the book. It lacked impact on the story, making it feel underdeveloped.

Another issue I had was the author's frequent use of different nicknames and titles for the characters without proper explanation. This led to confusion, as names were interchangeably used in the same sentence or conversation. I would have appreciated clearer associations between the characters and their respective nicknames.

Despite these concerns, I enjoyed the romance book storyline between Han and Zhara and found it a fun way to bring them together. I also liked the idea of Zhara working at an apothecary, but I wished this aspect was explored more thoroughly throughout the entire book, rather than being left aside towards the end. The magic system and the inclusion of anti-magicians added depth and uniqueness to the story, which I appreciated.

In conclusion, I rate this book 2 1/2 stars. While I found some enjoyable moments, like the magic system and certain conversations, I wouldn't recommend it to a friend due to the issues with character development and clarity in storytelling.

Really enjoyable. I loved the world and the characters. The lore really sucked me in so much so that I didn't realize that there were some Cinderella retelling interwoven into the story until much later than I care to admit.

I adore the Sailor Moon mix and honestly Han is a giant himbo love interest which makes this ten times more lovely.

I really wanted to love this one - I mean, look at that cover!

Unfortunately, the maturity level of the FMC was way too low for me and I really struggled with her so I did end up DNFing this book.

That said, I do think there is an audience for this one so I do encourage you to pick it up.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Throughout her life, Jin Zhara has had to hide her magic. Magic is forbidden where she lives in the Morning Realms, but as the remaining magicians come under attack and dark forces seem to be at work, Zhara’s magic may be what is needed to save the land.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Cinderella retelling. We get the little cinder girl who sleeps by the hearth, the evil stepmother, and the prince, but there is much more at stake than falling in love with him (although that happens, too). I liked the girl power—how the females in the book are repeatedly shown to be the strong, clever, intelligent ones. I relished in Han’s endearing bumbling and his cluelessness. I loved watching Zhara’s confidence grow. I appreciated the queer representation. And Zhara’s giggles that she can’t control around those she finds good-looking are just adorable.

I look forward to the next installment in the series. (Is book 2 a Beauty and the Beast retelling? I hope it is.)

I received an advance copy of the book from St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

I think there are a LOT of high / specific expectations about this book, which I am guilty of myself. I'm a huge fan of Sailor Moon and other ones that are mentioned with this book. I think the voice/tone caught me off guard because it does skew younger and less mature than some other YA fantasies out there. This is not a bad thing, it's just an important note to make before starting the book. Overall, the world building is very interesting and well thought out. Some of the plot feels familiar and less fresh (of course the love interest is the prince!) But that might be what younger readers want with a new and exciting setting. While this book might not have been for me, I DO think it's an important book for younger teens looking for things to read that are less heavy and intense as a lot of the YA that's out there right now.

Zhara has been on my radar for years; this isn't a surprise given that Sailor Moon was one of the comp titles used. It's been pushed back a few years, but I finally had the opportunity to read it recently. My verdict? It's good, but not a YA book that I find particularly memorable. This is a young adult fantasy story that reads younger, which is a nice change from the way it's tended to trend to the opposite in my more recent YA reads. It has interesting elements - the magical lore (a mishmash of legends, magical girl vibes and elemental powers), Asian cultural nods, and a large cast of characters to follow (very reminiscent of anime in the collect them as you go kind of appearances). The plot and the relationships played out in largely predictable ways (to me, at least), but it didn't affect the overall solid likability of the tale. It's not a new favorite, but there's certainly potential for the next book to take things up another notch... which is enough to keep the series on my radar, despite the fact that I feel no urgency to prioritize reading the sequel right away.

I received an ARC of Zhara from Netgalley for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Unfortunately, Zhara has been added to the list of books I've been unable to finish. While the idea and synopsis are promising, the execution is lacking. Perhaps because I'm older than the usual YA demographic, it wasn't clicking, but I felt that the writing was more childish than I'm used to. YA fantasy is one of my favorite genres, always has been, but this felt too young, almost. The female main character, Zhara, had this constant habit of giggling and blushing around attractive boys, which is all fine and dandy, but it was mentioned so many times that it became less of a quirk and more of an annoyance. Hans, the male main character, I don't even want to get into. I did not enjoy him as a character.

What I find more odd, is that although the characters felt underdeveloped with a focus on one specific thing about themselves that ended up becoming their whole identity, they were still quite mature. For as young as the writing felt, the characters still felt mature enough. Does it make any sense? Not particularly. But here we are.

I really wanted to like Zhara. The idea behind it (and the Cinderella retelling, of course) are right up my alley of enjoyment. However, because of the writing, I couldn't continue. I'm sure there are people who will really like this story, but it wasn't for me.