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I ended up DNF’ing.

This is YA but feels even more juvenile, feels very middle grade. But there are multiple p*rn jokes. So idk what’s going on.
I feel this should have been manga. It’s written with the feel of manga, but doesn’t work as a novel. Lots of fluff and GIGGLING. And if y’all know me “giggling” is my nemesis. So much giggling.. *shudders*
I’m listening to the audiobook as well, and the narrator is meowing (there is a cat in here) in my ear every time there’s a “meow” written on the page. I don’t like that.
Also very repetitive.

The magic seems cool though. I feel like this needs the right reader to enjoy. I am not the right reader for this.

3.5 stars

Zhara is such a fun time. I think it's perfect for the YA category and the age range. It's also got more of a lighter tone, not so dark, gloomy, and gritty, which is a nice refreshing change.

The star of this book is the characters and their relationships. Especially the main leads, Zhara and Han. The way they initially bonded over their love of romance books is so funny! Prince Han is such a sweetheart. He's a bit vain but he's absolutely a softie. I like that he admits he's scared of situations instead of trying to be all gung ho, macho, and stoic. Zhara will do anything for her sister to make sure she's happy, even if that means sacrificing her own. Sure, she might be too quiet or passive for people in that she's not really an in your face confront danger or injustice but I think the way she's portrayed matches her personality and the background we're given of her.

Also, I enjoy the way the side characters get to know each other and treat each other respectfully or even become friends. Even when there's future potential suitors, it doesn't turn into an antagonistic relationship that vilifies them. Which I think is great. They even work together to all focus and solve one goal.

The world that the author created is so fascinating, full of different Asian influences. The magic is slowly learned throughout the story and I'm happy that the characters don't become all powerful right away. There's even a talking cat! (sort of)

I wish there had been more scenes with Zhara and her sister, Suzhan. I think that's what really brought the dramatic tension to the plot and really stood out to me. They're spaced out and I think there could totally have been more scenes with each other so we could really feel worried about how these two are going to get through their obstacles.

Also, that cover? Stunning!

Really struggled with the writing and the plot. I can't pinpoint the issue but the MC was not my favorite. I couldn't focus and ended up DNFing at 45%.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of “Zhara” by S Jae-Jones. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Previously, I really enjoyed Wintersong by S Jae-Jones. So when I started hearing about Zhara it was absolutely a book I was going to pick up. After reading, I have to say I really don’t understand the comp choices of Cinder x Sailor Moon. Maybe Cinder was picked because Zhara has Cinderella elements? This is definitely not a Sci-fi book. But that’s my bad for being confused! I’m not a big Sci-fi reader so I was glad this was a Fantasy book.

What I really liked about this book was the characters and the humor. I enjoyed how the characters interacted with one another and how friendships and relationships developed. Also there was a cat that was a delight whenever he appeared.

There were at times I felt like the scenes were in a strange order. Like they were originally somewhere else and got moved or scenes were taken out that still needed to be there? It kind of resulted in jarring tone shifts where something terrible would happen and there wouldn’t be any sort of reaction once the characters were out of danger. Or towards the end when there’s this sense of terrible urgency to get out the city but first we have to break for a shopping montage? I don’t know, it just kind of read like the order of scenes got shuffled around or scenes were missing.

I will probably pick up the next book as it sounds interesting.

3.5/5 stars

I enjoyed the fantasy aspects of this novel and Zhara's struggle with her power. However, Zhara (the character) read very young at times and didn't act her age. Same goes for Han. The romance fell flat and I never rooted for Zhara and Han to end up together.
There was good set-up for the magic system and fantasy aspects of the book. The scenes with the abominations were my favorite. In addition, the non-binary representation was great.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what this author releases in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. While I did enjoy this book I didn’t like it as much as I had hoped too. The magic system was really interesting and the romance was cute but nothing really blew me away. Zhara was a great main character and she has flaws which made her relatable. There were a few moments where I was very surprised but some of the plot was predicable for me. I did like the diverse cast of characters. I may continue the series but I won’t be jumping to read the next installment.

I thought that this first in a fantasy series was slow at first, but then it picked up, and I'm excited to read sequels. I enjoyed how developed the more minor characters were. They bring a lot to the story.

This was overall very sweet! It has a cinderella-type story, with secret magic and societies. The two main characters Zhara and Han are initially drawn together by accident but they later realize they have some secrets in common. I initially was reading an ebook copy but was struggling to get drawn in so I switched to the audiobook. I personally found this experience better (I probably would have dnf’d it if not for this).

I enjoyed the world building and the magic system (and the history behind it). Ultimately I felt the book fell a little short. Zhara and Han both felt a little one-note and jokes about their personalities were used over and over again and each of them came off as younger than their stated ages to me. I think my favorite character ended up being the cat (in all fairness—the cat is definitely more than “just there”; it plays a role). I think this had a great set-up, but just wasn’t there in the execution. Unsure of whether or not I will continue the series.

What took me by surprise was that this is a Cinderella retelling, loosely. Were it not for the fairytale elements/incorporations, I don't think I would be continuing the series. (Next is Beauty and The Beast!)

Some things worked for me; the overall plot being the main one. "Magic" is forbidden, demons are entering the world possessing people, magicians turning into abominations, elemental magic users, and a sister storyline woven throughout.

Other things dragged it down. The romance was not very interesting and scattered throughout with Zhara's attacks of the "Good Looking Giggles", which made me want to roll my eyes everytime it happened. What is she, 12??? What is this, bad middle grade fiction??? The running "joke" mentioning pornographic smut, and how Han is usually oblivious. And last but not least, the pacing. Good grief, it took me like two weeks to finish this. It definitely had its moments that flew by at a good clip, but as a whole, it was probably 50-100 pages too long.

There was a theme of sisterhood that ran through, and while it took some turns that tugged at the heartstrings, it was a very welcome addition to the story.

Cinderella mixed with Asian inspired fantasy. Zhara is used to hiding her magic. In the Morning Realms, magic is now forbidden, and most of the magicians were killed several years prior, including Zhara's father. As rumors of abominations (magicians turned to monsters) spread, Zhara will have to come to terms with her own gift. Luckily she will have the help of some new friends, including a magical resistance group and the handsome heir to the throne, Han.

This was a fantastic start to a YA fantasy series. I'm a sucker for retellings, so I loved all the Cinderella bits in this one. The romance between Zhara and Han was extremely cute. Sweet young love... So many giggles. The worldbuilding is also amazing. I'm so excited to see where the story goes next, as the characters leave their home and explore more of the world. I was easily immersed in the world while reading, and will definitely be looking for future installments in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"The rent was due, rodents had gotten into the rice, and Zhara had just dumped a bag of salt instead of sugar into the custard filling."

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In a land where magic is expressly forbidden and magicians are considered an abomination and are arrested simply for existing, Jin Zhara thought that all she would ever have to worry about was pleasing her wicked stepmother, taking care of her blind younger sister, and wondering if she would ever be able to afford the next installment in her favorite romance book series. However, after a chance meeting with a teenage boy named Han in the marketplace, she is drawn into the world of magicians and the mysterious society of the Guardians of Dawn. Zhara will have to come to terms with the great power within her to save the world before it is too late.

I really enjoyed this book with its many different characters and the clear influence from both the real world and the fantasy world. Han was absolutely hilarious, especially his banter with his best friend, Xu. They had a such a special bond, perfectly mirrored by the relationship between Zhara and Suzhan. However, I feel like the princess from the North, Yulana, was an extremely well-written character that I hope receives some more page time as this series continues. She is an amazing warrior princess that a lot of people look for in books.

Overall, I would give this book a 4/5 stars and would recommend it to readers who enjoy retellings of classic fairytales and who enjoy interesting magic systems.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an eARC copy of this book!

3/5 Stars

This book first caught my eye from the cover design, and then the description grabbed my attention. While I really wanted to love this book, I found myself losing interest in wanting to pick this back up, since the book is set at a slower pace. However, I think I will continue on with the series as the story is really promising.

Guardians of dawn: Zhara follows young magician Zhara as she navigates a world where magic has been made illegal due to magicians becoming demons randomly and attacking people. Zhara who’s father was killed on her youth lives with her step mother and step sister and reads romance novels, when she meets a young man asking about the Guardians of Dawn in hopes of helping his magician brother she finds herself drawn into an adventure of myth and legend.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did, it’s not bad but it suffers from being a tad to long, and for my personal tastes very much on the younger side of YA closer to middle grade than I normally prefer. I liked Non-binary rep, but I think the blind rep wasn’t particularly good. I plan on reading the rest of the series and I hope that the series improves from here on out.

There were multiple storylines that kept flowing in and out of each other. As things moved forward, it also dragged a bit. I just wanted to get to the good parts or at least for the main conflict to arise. When the book focused on this, I couldn't stop turning the pages.

While there were some funny moments, these were not enough to overcome the cringier parts of the book. The idea of “good-looking giggles” is one I’m used to in dramas and even mangas, but it was somehow cringier here. Then there was also the adolescent boy humor that alluded to certain types of reading material that may have been funny the first time but then made me want to shrink into myself when it kept showing up again.

Overall, I liked the main plot and also found Zhara to be a compelling character. The humor was sometimes a hit or miss. Fans of manga and anime may enjoy this one.

This book was just okay. Very mid. There were a lot of things I did like about it was pretty mediocre otherwise. The world-building was interesting, and the plot could have been great, but it was overshadowed by some juvenile running gags that weren't funny and took me out of the book. One of those things was a group of entertainers in their world called Bangtan Boys, I mean Bangtan Brothers (AKA just straight up BTS) that every time was mentioned made me roll my eyes. Another gag was the "Good Looking Giggles," which the main character Zhara got even when facing an evil demon. These repetitive tropes, jokes, and a pretty flat cast of characters made the whole book feel juvenile and not how YA can and should be. The plot was very predictable, and I guessed what would happen way before it did. It was an easy, fast read and I was able to read it in a weekend which was a plus. Overall very meh.

3.75 stars

This one felt a slight bit unpolished, and the anachronistic addition of BTS references was kind of cringey. Zhara didn'tfeel like a fully fleshed out character to me. She didn't quite know who she was or how old she was, and it made it impossible for me to connect with her.

That said, I do think this is an interesting world and an good story, and despite its flaws, I'd be interested in reading the next one.

DNF. I know it’s YA, but it still felt a little too juvenile. Wasn’t a terrible read, but wasn’t memorable either.

Was not a huge fan of this one. While I enjoyed the overall plot and some of the characters in particular, overall I felt the story and writing was a bit of a let down. I would be willing to give this author another try in the future on another book or series.