Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an e-ARC to review. All opinions are honest and my own.

The cover of this book and the comparison to Sailor Moon instantly hooked me. I think this book started off strong, with a unique premise and a looming conflict, swarming with hidden powers and secret identities. However, I found that the pacing quickly devolved into a slog. Which was curious, because this story had all the makings for a compelling and adventurous story, however the execution was lacking. It's like the ideas were too grandiose for the author and she could not balance the multitude of elements she was working to incorporate within. This was disappointing, as I have read previous works from this author which showed her writing prowess, but this one did not hold up to the mantle. The redeeming element for me was the relationship between the Crown Prince and his younger brother. I typically gravitate towards a caring, and genuine sibling relationship and their love for each other was a great light in the story.

I do intend to pick up the sequel, because I am curious about what happens next and want to see if the writing tightens up in later installments.

I absolutely loved this. I will read anything by this author. Her books are always amazing! I eagerly await part 2

**Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC. This in no way affected my review**

I loved Zhara and can't wait for book two in the series. I think the comparison between Cinder and Sailor Moon was spot on, so if you like one or both of those franchises, you'll probably like this. The characters are rich and the world building was so interesting to me. I listened to the audio from Libro.FM, as well, and that was also well done and interesting to listen to. I cannot wait to see Ami's book as it's hinted that it will be Beauty & the Beast inspired and that is a departure from the options in Cinder's series. I also like that the guardians are elemental based, which gives me hope the water guardian might be Little Mermaid! The only thing that was a throw-off for me was that the author is a HUGE army and wrote in a Fantasy version of BTS into the story. They became progressively a larger part of the story and that didn't feel needed to me. I think they could've just been a fun easter egg.

Overall, recommend and will definitely be reading book 2!

Due to St. Martins Press refusal to address the remarks made by their employee regarding Palestine, I will not be reviewing this book.

This in no way has anything to do with the author. But I refuse to support anything from SMP because of their refusal to address a major issue at hand.

I receives a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I found the story of Zhara and her doing her best to keep her element abilities under control because they are seen as wrong and to draw creatures out of the dark. There are think like hidden identity, a secret group and something come for the world from the darkness. What drew me to this book was the cover, magic, and that is was compared to Sailor Moon. I enjoyed it it okay. I did have to go back and re-read parts at time to keep some of the characters right in my mind. The step-mother came off a little flat for me. I am not sure why the sister has to be blind. Some elements did not really add anything to the story. Maybe things will be come clear when Book 2: Ami comes out.

I still gave this four stars, but I hyped this book up a lot in my head and it wasn't as good as I was expecting. Sailor Moon and Cinder are a reach for comp titles. Overall I really enjoyed the magic in the book, and I will be reading book two, but I was confused by the pacing a lot.

Zhara is my favourite fantasy read of 2023! Look at that cover and the character art, its beautiful and interesting just like this forbidden magic story. I can see why this first book in the series did not work for many readers, but the manga loving adventurer in me enjoyed reading this one. I love the easiness of reading this high fantasy with mythology notes and retellings! If you see my review, this is your queue to give Zhara a chance.

Thank you Wednesday books for the book!

Such a refreshing read! I loved the setting; the world was so unique and vibrant. However the plot itself wasn’t very unique and some parts of the book were just cringe, but I could see how a different audience would enjoy it. The characters fell a little flat but not to the point i couldn’t enjoy the story. The writing was great, excellently done—not cliche.

I really enjoyed the ideas in this book. It is just so unique and interesting. And that cover is perfection!

It was okay as YA fantasy goes, but we will see how the patrons react to it. Good world building, but characters were super immature (even though they are teens) and it was cringy to read at points.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book early!

Expansive world-building and lush storytelling, this book drew me in from the beginning. Each of the characters were three-dimensional in their complexity and I enjoyed reading about their trials and challenges.

For fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Cinderella retellings, this one is not to be missed.

I have been provided with a review copy of Guardians of Dawn: Zhara from NetGalley for an impartial review. Oh my gosh this story was just epic. I just couldn’t put this story down and I was just captivated by everything that was taking place. The author truly outdid herself with this story. This story just had my emotions all over the place and I am so sad to see this book end. I just can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

This was an awesome fantasy about a world where magic is considered barbaric and is outlawed but has not been completely eradicated. Zhara has to hide her magic to survive while trying to discover the truth about magic. She struggles with her magic while helping care for her blind sister and dealing with her evil stepmother. Zhara uncovers that the Guardians of Dawn do exist and travels to join them so she can learn to control her magic. Without knowing, she has embarked on a journey to save the world. It's an intriguing and eventful young adult fantasy.

Wintersong is one of my favorite books and I remember when this book was first announced how excited I was. Well, the anticipation was worth it, because I loved Zhara and this world so much!!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

This felt so nostalgic for me, making my Sailor Moon loving heart incredibly happy. With an intriguing magic system, a cute romance, and some really great dark imagery, this is a fun beginning to a new fantasy series.

A new take on the tale of Cinderella is always welcome on my bookshelves, especially when they have cover art as stunning as this. Initially, I was interested in the book because of the cover then fell head over heels in love with the magical world created by S. Jae-Jones. Anyone looking for a retelling of a Disney classic, this is the book to read.

Guardians of Dawn: Zhara is a great first installment in an epic YA Fantasy series. The writing in the book makes this world seem as beautiful and magical as the cover of the book. I definitely get the comparison to Sailor Moon and Cinder.

The book follows the titular character, Zhara, who in this story is similar to Cinderella. She has to appease her cruel stepmother, while also doing everything she can to help her younger stepsister and at the same time keep her growing magic a secret. Magicians are forbidden in the Morning Realms, and the punishment is death.

Zhara loves to read romances when she can, and on her trip to get the newest release she bumps into a handsome young student. This chance meeting kicks off a series of events that lead Zhara to joining the Guardians of Dawn. It also leads her to finding out more about herself and her destiny.

I loved the magic system in this book. The guardian powers are so cool and I can’t wait to meet the rest of them. The characters are great and I loved the slow burn romance in this one. Great world building too. The sequel cannot come soon enough.

While this isn’t an edge-of-your-seat read, it’s still a pretty solid first book in a series. I think she has a lot she can build off of for the second one. The plot was unique and I’m excited to see where it goes.

I loved the cinderella aspects and honestly, I think some reviewers forgot that this was ya because it definitely reads as YA, but that's not bad. The world building is strong, the characters you want to cheer for and while there could be more, this was still a very enjoyable read.