First off the cover is gorgeous!!! The story inside is just as beautiful. I loved the play/retelling of Cinderella but that not being the main plot points. There is so much more to this story than just another retelling. The magic system is beautifully done. I enjoyed the different cultural aspects of the book. I’m not well versed in Korean folklore to know how much came from it, but I didn’t need to be because the story flowed so well that you never felt lost in a new world.

Zhara is such an amazing character and I love when you get to watch them grow throughout the story. The cast around her is just as deep and colorful. I absolutely love the War Lords granddaughter. I hope she gets her own story line as this series progresses!

This one was just not for me.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Jin Zhara. She has a stepmother who isn’t a great person. It obviously resembles a Cinderella Retelling, but with it’s own twists on it. She was an alright character and had some good qualities about her. I liked reading about the relationship between her and her younger sister.

My problem with this book lies in it just not being for me. It is one of those that is written with humor in mind but it is not my type of humor and that takes away from enjoying the book. The humor aspect involves a lot of the story, including the characters, and it just had me wanting the book to be over more than anything.

There are good things about this book like the magic and some of the plot twists. It is at least what kept me going.

Overall, it was okay. I really don’t have much to say about it since I couldn’t get into it. I do think that it will work for a lot of people, especially if they connect with the humor.

I alternated between the audio and digital versions of this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The unique magic system captivated me and I really liked the growth of Zhara's character. The romance was incredibly cute, and Han's character was particularly appealing. Overall, it was a good book, although it did feel a bit slow-paced for my taste. I would rate it 3.5 out of 5.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this advance eARC.

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. I dropped the book at 20% of the way through.

The writing was absolutely atrocious and the book riddled with cliche anime tropes. Not to mention how immature the characters AND the writing was. Zhara was an awful protagonist--she gets the "Good Looking Giggles" anytime she sees a cute guy. Ugh.

Shame too, since the cover is so nice.

What a fantastic young adult book! The imagery was so vivid that I was 100% moving along with the characters. I love when a book feels like a movie and this one did. I also love when a character develops by learning about themselves and their own power. The stream of consciousness was super helpful and added a realness to Zhara. Definitely enjoyed this book!

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday books and Macmillan audio for both the e-arc and alc.

I had slightly high expectations for this book due to it being compared to lunar chronicles which is one of my favorite series of all time. I would say it was a pretty solid book but not perfect. I felt like it did drag in some parts and was overall not fast paced which I do prefer for my books.

Zhara is a magician in a world where having magic is illegal and punished by death. Jin Zhara is stuck serving her stepmother's every whim no matter how cruel to help protect her blind stepsister all while keeping her magic under control. When magical monsters start to reappear she has to team up with the Guardians of Dawn to save her land.

I liked most of the characters in the book, especially Yuli who I hope to see more in another book in the series. I liked the magic system but I did wish for a little more into that. Overall it was decent. I just still have questions on how it all works.

For my audiobook arc I did really like the narrator and it kept me engaged the whole time.

I do recommend this book. It does read a bit younger for YA than I personally prefer but that’s not a bad thing just not for me.

I quite liked this book. It has the feel of Marissa Meyer’s Cinder, and a bit of a feel of a Rick Riordan mythology book. Readers will be swept away by Zhara and her quest to figure out how her magic fits in a world where magic is banned and looked down upon. There are so many different twist and turns, and this book perfectly sets up readers to want to come back again and find out what happens next. I quite enjoy books that utilize mythology in a way that allows readers of all backgrounds to enjoy and want to learn more. S. Jae-Jones does a fantastic job of this. I can’t wait to see what happens to Zhara next.
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I put this book at 16%. I was really anticipating this after keeping up with the author's journey with this one, but I am not in the mood for yet another disappointing read. I really didn't like the writing or cared about what was happening with the characters. The writing felt very modern yet the vibe is a historical Asian drama, which could work but didn't really feel like it was here. This book was just not for me honestly.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with this e-arc. This is my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! This had major sailor moon vibes to it and I ate it UP.
This had drama but also felt low stakes at the same time, and the characters were all very unique. I absolutely loved the main male character Han - so different from the typical brooding guys you see in books now. He was cute and funny, so provided some great comedic relief.

What I loved most about this book is that it was very culturally diverse but it was explained in such a way that I understood it very easily. If not for that I’d have likely been a bit lost since I’m not very educated about other cultures.

This book was also just FUN! A super fun read that kept me interested the whole way through. I’ll definitely be putting a review up on my Instagram when it’s closer to the publish date!

I picked this book up as a palate cleanser after a series of really good but really dark books, and I am glad not only that I read this book but that I read it when I did. I came into this book looking for something with high stakes and which took those stakes seriously, but would first and foremost be something fun, something delightful. Considering the main thing I knew of this book was Sailor Moon vibes, I suspected it would be exactly what I wanted, and I was right.

The characters in this book were a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed their interactions. The main romance was particularly wholesome, but the friendships were no less delightful. Every one of the main characters was such a dork in their own way, and I loved them for it. (I also loved how casually queer it was--much more than I expected, which is always a pleasure to see!) Much like Zhara herself, I giggled a lot while reading this book.

My one criticism is I felt like this book spent a lot of time on the secrets between Han and Zhara, but there was another very important secret that I actually didn't realize was a secret at all until it blew up, as secrets do. That may be my own fault, but either way it felt disproportionate to me, especially when the consequences of that one were arguably more severe.

Despite that, I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't terribly surprising or groundbreaking, but I got exactly what I needed from it, and I think that's more important anyway. If you're looking for a book that feels like watching Sailor Moon with your friends, I fully recommend this, and I look forward to reading the next one when it comes out.

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This review is my opinion**

I am a sucker for anything similar to "Sailor Moon". This book definitely has an awesome magic system, and a great mythology, but something was...missing. The main character, Zhara, is interesting, but she didn't jump off the page like I thought she was. I started to lose interest by the end, but I pushed on because this author created the mystical "Wintersong". I wasn't a fan of "Shadowsong", so I wanted to give the author another chance with this book.

I hate being on the fence!

This book definitely has an interesting premise, and it mostly delivered on it. I can see the similarities between this Sailor Moon and Cinder, so there's a point in its favor. The world itself is interesting and well fleshed out, and the magic system is unique, if a bit underdeveloped. The pacing is a little slow, and the climax was underwhelming and not really explained all that satisfactorily. Some of the dialogue is well-written, and some is juvenile and out-of-place given the context and tone of the surrounding conversation. The writing is good, but nothing spectacular, and often felt very fanfic-y in a bad way. The characters are interesting in some respects but flat and shallow in most cases, and inconsistent in their maturity - sometimes they're believable and sometimes I felt like I was watching cheesy anime characters in action. There's a lot of heavy-handed exposition, and there was a villain monologue towards the end, which I never enjoy. Yay for the queer rep, though! Overall, an enjoyable enough read, but not worth buying a physical copy to re-read.

I was instantly drawn to this book because of its beautiful cover and synopsis!

This book has fantastic world building! The magic is very interesting. And the characters have great depth and development by the end.

I enjoyed the different representation from all sides. It really made it feel relatable.

The lore and the history are intriguing and sucked me in right away wanting to know more.

I reccomened this book to any fantasy readers!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for allowing me to read an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I made it halfway through Zhara, and while I didn't dislike it, it wasn't the right read for me. However, I can definitely see this appealing to teens, with its Sailor Moon (and Cinderella) inspired story. The author's stylistic choice to mimic certain aspects of East Asian languages in English didn't work for me (eschewing the use of second person pronouns, and gendered third person pronouns), but that's a personal preference (and I say this as someone who speaks Korean and Japanese, so it's not anything to do with unfamiliarity with those languages). I'd recommend this for the younger reader of fantasy, especially one who wants read something in a non-Western setting, but don't see it holding much appeal for adult readers.

I was provided by the ARC by Netgalley, unfortunally I couldn't get into it. This was a DNF for me. The characters are not interesting, they are boring, the story is also not interesting at all, and it is the same old story where magic is forbidden and of course the FMC has magic and has to hide it, nothing new. I could not force myself finish it.
I would also like to say that I am getting tired of YA books where the main characters act like adults, that is where I lose interest in a story, I do not like to read adult books but when I get to read YA genre they face the same problems as adults, I like fantasy supernatural books with characters that make me laugh. make me smile, no YA acting like boring adults.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This could be fun for the right audience. The book reads more middle grade than YA, and I’m surprised it’s being marketed to an audience 14+. If I could bottle what it felt like to read Sailor Moon and Shugo Chara as a tween, this would be close.

⇢➤ Plot: Zhara is a magician in a world that has exiled them. Magicians were once known to transform into monsters, leading to mass outcry and violence. They are now considered dangerous and hunted down by the crown.

The story overall is a Cinderella retelling. Zhara, an outcast even in her family, shares a home with her blind stepsister and cruel stepmother. While in town, she accidentally crosses paths with Han, the Royal Heir in disguise. They continue to run into each other as Zhara’s magic grows. They both wind up as part of the Guardians of the Dawn whose mission is to protect magicians and act as a counterweight to the current government. They have to work together to try to stop the growing threat of monsters and demons.

⇢➤ Pros: I would encourage readers to read the author’s notes in the beginning for Jae-Jones' explanation on language, translation, and pronouns. The author’s experience with the Korean diaspora seemed to echo the magicians’ journey.

The world-building is well done. I enjoyed the descriptions of magic and the juxtaposition of the natural world vs. chaos. Jiyi is my favorite character and reminds me of Zoya from the Grisha series— beautiful, no-nonsense, and biting while wildly brilliant.

There is a non-binary character, Xu, who is well-written for most of the book. They are introduced as “the fairest sex of them all” and alternate between gendered clothing/makeup. Han describes how they walk the line between masculine and feminine “defiantly both and neither at once.” I thought they were a great addition to the cast. However, there are a couple instances toward the end of the book (Chapter 40) where they are suddenly referred to as “he.” This misgendering felt like an editorial mistake and I hope it is corrected in the final version.

The Guardian of the Wind is also queer, reminding me of Sailor Uranus in attitude and appearance. Her character was enjoyable. I’m curious where the other Guardians will factor into future books. The book ends on a strong high-note.

⇢➤ Cons: The romance. Oh, the romance. Frequent giggling, blushing, winking, and jokes about porn make up most of the MMC/FMC interactions.

While the world-building was solid, the dialogue and interactions read juvenile. The “Good-Looking Giggles” is mentioned over a dozen times. There are frequent face-palms and exaggerated reactions that took me out of the story. As a result, it took me almost a month to finish a book I would normally fly through.

As mentioned above, the non-binary representation is appreciated, but the wrong pronoun is used at least once. Another character, Yuji’s relative Mongke, is at one point described as “duel-gender” and “Auncle” but introduced originally as “Uncle.” I’m not sure if this is also an editorial error.

There is disability representation, specifically around blindness. I am not part of this community and cannot judge the quality of rep. However, little is done with Suzhan’s character or journey until the last 10% of the book, and I wish she was more than a pawn/hostage. The one line I liked from Suzhan doesn’t come until the epilogue, which I’m afraid some readers will miss: “There is no fixing me. I don’t want to be fixed. I am Suzhan. And I am blind.”

⇢➤ Recommended for fans of: “Cinder” by Marissa Meyer and “A Magic Steeped in Posion” by Judy Lin.

If the fictional romance serial mentioned in the book (“A Maiden Who Was Loved by Death”) sounded interesting, I would recommend “Belladonna” by Adayln Grace.

Unfortunately, I really did not enjoy this book. The characters felt very stupid in a way that I found really frustrating and made me not enjoy reading them. I don't mind a character not being smart but this took it so far that it was just not fun for me. The Sailor Moon comp is what drew me to this book and it definitely very much draws similarities but that didn't make me enjoy this book. The plot felt very obvious in the sense that the author shows the reader things that are very clearly coming and then makes the characters surprised to learn them much later so it ends up feeling like the characters are getting things revealed that we, the readers, have known for awhile. Very disappointing because this cover is beautiful and this book sounded like something I should love and I just didn't.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the approval of this E ARC!

Going into reading Zhara I had high hopes and expectations with the Sailor Moon and Cinder tags attached to the summary.

For the most part, my expectations were met. Guardians Of Dawn: Zhara was a sweeping wonderful fantasy read and by the end I became quite attached to the many colourful and diverse characters.

The lore and history was handled pretty well, I did get lost in a few places but just needed to re read some parts or look back at previous chapters to better understand what was and had happened.
Sometimes things got a bit confusing though. But my main complaint was some plot points and reveals fell kind of flat on landing or forgotten entirely towards the end. There was some pacing and blanks towards the end I would have liked to have been fleshed out a bit better.

I really appreciated and support the authors choice for characters referred as ungendered they/them until such character gender themselves, it’s quite wonderful to see in a book. And the support to queer and diverse characters was such *chefs kiss*.

I loved loved loved the Ever After vibes I got towards the end (when you read it you’ll notice if you are a fan!) It made me smile and hopefully I’m not the only one who noticed it!

Overall I loved my time with Zhara, Han and co. In Zanhei and I eagerly await the sequel.

Overall, I feel like the comparison of this book to Sailor Moon is pretty accurate. As a huge fan, I was definitely feeling the love. I really appreciate Jae-Jones's note at the beginning about how they tried to incorporate elements of culture in a way that felt true to them. As someone who really enjoys asian-inspired fantasy, I was not let down by this book. The world that Jae-Jones created was very entertaining and probably the most compelling part of the novel.. The characters were easy to connect to but came off as a little expected. I am excited to see what this author does next!

S. Jae-Jones is an incredible fantasy author. Guardians of Dawn: Zhara was just as satisfying to read as Wintersong. It will absolutely sweep you up and transport you away. The cover is also absolutely beautiful, definitely one of my favorite covers of the year.