Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.

Well, Let's start with the thing I love about this book : THE COVER... It was beautiful. Perfect.

Then, Let's talk about what I didn't like about this book :
1. The Pacing was so slow and didn't give any deep information about the worldbuilding and the magic system.
2. Shallow Magic System. Wow, she had magic but didn't even get information of how, and why.
3. Awkward & childish Dialogue.
4. Too many unimportant characters.
5. The Bangtan Brothers. I thought it would be perfect if the author just made original name.
6. No Pronouns, just referring the characters with their (full) names.

Overall, This book wasn't for me.

Each character pops off the page in this complex tale of magic, power, and hope.

Zhara does her best to keep her magic hidden. Not only is any sign of magic an instant death sentence, but the hunt for magicians is underway thanks to the increasing appearance of abominations (magicians turned into monsters). When she accidentally bumps into a strange man while trying to procure her favorite book, she winds up with a forbidden tome in her hands concerning magic. Soon, it becomes clear that the mythical Guardians, who are to protect magicians and the world from demons, might be real, and Zhara must find them.

First off, what a cover! That alone had me wanting to pick this one up and dive in. Then, there's the Sailor Moon and Cinder comparison, which peeks interest. So, I went into this one with high expectations, and already having read works from this author, was ready not to be disappointed. While this read wasn't what I expected, it was a fun ride.

Each character packs personality. Tons of it. In some ways...and maybe this comes from the Sailor Moon angle...they almost feel cartoonish and over-the-top but not quite. This makes each one quirky and very individualistic in their own ways. It was a treat to meet each one and gave each scene an extra zest of life.

The plot is complex and weaving, which considering this is the first in a series, great. There are many layers to the magical world and secrets abound. The history was laid out enough to build up a beginning base and get the world set-up. There are still holes at the end, but that's not a problem since there is plenty more to come. This can go so many directions, and I'm looking forward to see which ones it will take.

Comparing this one to Sailor Moon and Cinder was, in my opinion, not the best direction to take...outside of the fact that it does catch readers' attentions and markets nicely. But the tale doesn't really follow either of these. There's a tiny bit of a Cinder atmosphere in the beginning, but this disappears rapidly. As to Sailor Moon...well, I don't see it. Then, there's a BTS insert, which raises eyebrows. So, not what I expected.

The writing style is easy-to-read and draws in. The lower end of the YA audience will feel at home in this one, not only thanks to the writing but also due to the characters, since their concerns hit this age level nicely. There's a somewhat superficial atmosphere to the read, and that with the thickly woven plot, ends up creating an original and interesting mix. The only thing about the writing which bothered was the pronoun usage. The author explains that these are to follow the more Asian language direction with familiarity, but the problem is that this is written in English for English speakers. So, the sudden 'they' instead of he/she, due to familiarity usage in the Asian languages, not only confuses but plucks out of the story and world flow. The reader has to pause to realize what's going on.

All in all, this is a very enjoyable read and world with characters to really enjoy. I found the style light and refreshing with tons of potential on what is still to come. And I am looking forward to seeing what will happen next.

So I have a lot of thoughts on this one, but before I get into them, the gist is that while I can understand why someone can/would enjoy this book, I found it extremely boring. I'm going to give it a soft no, but can maybe be convinced to change that to a soft yes, but definitely not a nomination. My main qualms are mostly language-based and about the world building. Firstly, there is a lot of telling for just a little showing -- I feel like I was constantly pausing and trying to picture what was going on, but was getting an incomplete picture. The magic, which is a major focus of the book, was either lackluster or confusing -- how it works and how it looks isn't explained until over 100 pages in, and still there were things sprinkled throughout the rest of the book that were assumed knowledge that either I missed or they didn't mention at all earlier. The major conflicts seemed very low stakes and non-descriptive -- there was mild mention of something then talking about leading up to it for like 50 pages, then all the action happens in less than 5 pages. And finally, a linguistic note -- there was a big overuse of nicknames and long noun phrases to refer to people when they could have just used a pronoun. Like referring to someone as "my best friend" said this then "Xu" did that -- it was overused and clunky and confusing because several character markers for the same person would be used interchangeably with little notice of who they were talking about. Again, this book wasn't necessarily bad, and I can picture someone really liking it, but I don't think it was good -- it was boring, low-stakes, and confusing at points.

[eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review]

2.5/5, rounded up to 3 stars.

This isn't the first time I've been let down by a book that comps Sailor Moon. A core element of the magical girl genre is the existence of alternate identities; for example, Usagi vs Sailor Moon. Madoka the school girl vs Madoka the Magical Girl. Normal girl by day, hero by night and all that.

Zhara does none of that. The comparison to SM is flimsy at best; the reincarnation in SM isn't cyclical. Their magic isn't inherently elemental. Venus is a great example--her power is love.

Twice now I have read books with girls who are reincarnations of elemental figures, and twice I have been disappointed.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a much more appropriate comparison. Historical-fantasy Asia, elemental magic, mythological figure reincarnating... Checks all those boxes.

Now, enough complaining about my lack of a YA Sailor Moon book.

The first 40% was very slowgoing. There was virtually no plot during this portion. It starts off with a meet cute, and then spends several chapters of the two leads going about their lives while occasionally thinking about each other. Eventually they reconvene and the story takes off, but I was struggling to push forward through these early chapters.

I have to say I wish that everyone in this story wasn't incredibly attractive. Zhara is a normal girl, but she's the most beautiful person Han has ever seen. All of the side characters are stated to be attractive. All of the primary cast members are thin, ablebodied, and attractive. There's one disabled character in Zhara's sister, and I'm glad that she isn't magically cured. There are queer characters (both in terms of gender and sexuality) which was great, though it was confusing at times due to the author's constant use of neutral pronouns. This was at times confusing to read, and based on a typo that misgenders the NB character, difficult to write as well.

My biggest issue with this book (the SM thing isn't a fault of the book but rather its marketing) is the fact BTS is in it. It completely drew me out of the story, and I just find it very uncomfortable that real people were used in this book, even if the names were changed. I'm not going to get into fan culture or parasocial relationships here, but I really, really did not like the fact they're included. It's one thing to have a throwaway line that's an easter egg; it's another to make them central to the plot.

Overall the book is fine. It reads like younger YA, which is great to see. I'm a sucker for East Asian settings, and I loved the worldbuilding. The cast of characters was fun, and I'll certainly read future installments.

Not a comment on the book itself, but on the cover: it's a beautiful illustration, but Zhara is whitewashed (this might not be the exact term). Despite the cast being exclusively East Asian, there's diversity in skin and hair color. Zhara herself has dark hair and brown skin according to the text. I realize that artists do not read the manuscript they're illustrating for---I just want it noted because publishers should do better. It's not that hard to prevent colorism.

Not gonna lie I waited for this book to come out ever since S. Jae-Jones announced it a couple of years ago. I have loved magical girl anime since I was a child so of course I was very excited for this book. But sadly it did not live up to my expectations. I didn't seem to care for any of the characters nor the plot.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this e-ARC. Guardians of Dawn: Zhara was a great, easy read. It did feel on the younger side of the YA spectrum, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it one bit! Formal review will be available on GoodReads, socials & Amazon.

The books concept was an interesting take on magic and I like the purpose of the Guardians of Dawn. The writting was perfect but the story was boring and I had a hard time keeping an interest.
I was hoping this book had more magical aspects and more action but it did not. It dragged on for so many chapters. I believe this will be the star of a series so maybe the next books will have more magic and action.

This book absolutely warmed my cold dead heart just like the spring that happens to be emerging.

I was really pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable this was!
Anyone who happens to love: Sailor Moon, Cinder or even Avatar the last airbender should get a kick out of this.

I was super slow when reading this which isn't my usual course of reading but I would be lying if I said I didn't keep putting this down to digest and think about it more and then immediately pick it back up, curious about what in the world was going to happen next.

S Jae-Jones told this story in a really nice linear pathway, allowing it to fall smoothly into place if you're keeping an eye on the foreshadowing that's being dropped throughout. (Which I was soooooo happy about!) This may literally be some of the best written YA I have ever consumed.

The story focuses on a young girl named Zhara who happens to be a magician in a world where magicians are put to death for existing. We learn of her past, we watch her struggle in the present and we watch her fight for her future.

The story also falls into perspective around out MMC Han who has a good heart, he's a bit thick-headed but he truly wants the best for those he cares about.. He is a strong MMC without overshadowing our FMC which is always a bonus.

The romance between the two of them is built on longing which leads it to be slowburn. It was an absolute treat to read about! While romance is featured in the book, the story isn't heavily centred around it at all; there's still plenty of magical action within the pages.

I was also extremely thrilled with the positive representation of those with disabilities, LGBT folk and Two-Spirited/Dual gendered people

My only main gripes about the story is that:
A) I felt as though it was a little rushed towards the ending of the story
B) The wasn't more of the book for me to read?!? I need book 2 ASAP

This magical fantasy adventure will keep you wanting more! Following her step mother whims, Jin Zhara has a lot to keep a secret including her power that are growing stronger. A plague starts to invade those with magic, and the world needs a warrior.

This is so much fun, utilizing familiar tropes in excellent ways. It's clearly setting up for a whole series and in that sense a lot feels like it's either left as a hook for other books, or in that the ending clearly won't remain the way everyone's left, but everything that has been set up is thoroughly enjoyable.

Normally I hate "x meets y" comparisons, but this really does bring together all the best parts of the sailor moon-esque elemental warriors and the character setup of cinderella in a way that is entirely its own. Zhara is a delight, and everyone she encounters is equally vivacious and endearing (the good characters, anyway). Han is such a perfect himbo; at times it's a little forced, but he's so cute and sweet about it that you don't mind. The queer rep in the cast of characters is handled so smoothly as well, from Zhara being susceptible to the Good-Looking-Giggles from all genders, to Xu's switching their performance as they need, to Yulana and her flirting.

The plot itself is fairly straightforward, but it's more about the journey, of unraveling the magic behind the worldbuilding and why the demons are breaking loose now, and it's worth it to hear all of the legends unfurl. I'm so curious about the rest of the Guardians and what other western fairytales will get this mashup treatment.

Also I can't believe BTS is here.

This book was alright. It wasn’t my favorite, it was an enjoyable easy read and felt a little too on the younger side of young adult for me. I did enjoy the characters.
Three Stars thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was beautiful, magical , and perfect for any hopeless romantic.

Our story follows a girl named Jin Zhara ,who is a magician in a world where magicians are put to death as traitors.

The story does move slowly and we get a lot of the daily life of our lead characters and the stresses and joys they deal with. Most of the action happens in the last quarter of the book, which is pretty standard for most fantasy books.
This book is a Cinderella retelling with an elemental magical twist. While it says sailor moon I will say it gives more avatar ( not the blue people) vibes. Which as a sailor moon and avatar enthusiast , I was very happy to enter back into that kind of world.

Jin Zhara is smart and a very big romance book worm. She is hard working and loyal. However she lets people take advantage of her without acknowledging it.

Han is our MMC and while he likes to workout he is not our typical strong prince. However he has a good heart and is willing to do what he has to do to protect his family. While he helps and supports our lead female character , he does not overshadow her.

The romance is slow burn but very sweet and heart warming between our two lead characters and has LGBTQ representation and themes as well .

If you want a magical retelling of Cinderella with magicians, demons, handsome princes , and finding your happiness, this is the book for you!

Guardians of Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones is a lovely piece of Young adult fantasy that grabbed me from page one and would not release me until I saw the story completed.
What Worked for me
1. High stakes
2.strong family bonds
3.well crafted dialogue
What Didn't work as well for me
1. Awkward pacing during the first fourth of the story
2.tension building and pay off was a bit wonky
Who I would recommend this book for
This story will be a wonderful reading experience for fans of coming of age fantasy seeking strong Cinderella meets magical girl vibes.

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. Probably would have made 5 stars but I did find parts really predictable.

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

I can’t describe how much I love this book. I fell in love with Zhara (my new version of Cinderella) within a few magical moments of reading chapter one. And magical she IS! Zhara, the courageous young woman, who loves her sister, and is abused by her Step Mother, has a relationship with an awkward friend named Han (can we all swoon for this cutie-pie prince?), is worthy of a whole series, and adoring fans everywhere! I know other readers will do the same thing I did - breeze through this book in one night.

Can Zhara become the warrior that’s needed, and defeat the blight that will sentence all magicians to lifetime despair? Can she save her sister’s soul? And if she does, can Zhara still write her own happy ending? Mother of Demons, if this book didn’t own me from the beginning…! I look forward to seeing young adults everywhere line up to get this book out of the library as soon as it hits the shelves.

Five of five magical stars. And a bonus point to Zhara (spoiler alert - she loves books as much as we do!)

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sharing this arc with me!! I am SO invested in recommending this book to anyone I reach. For fans of “Cinder” and “Sailor Moon”, get ready to fall in love with your new heroine - Jin Zhara! I voluntarily read this and all opinions are my own.

I cannot wait to have a physical copy of this in my hands- August just isn’t soon enough!

This is exactly what I want in a ya fantasy: Fantastic magic system & world, Cinderella vibes & a romance subplot that had me smiling constantly. It also was one of those rare reading experiences where it felt like a movie happening in my head.

This is a syfy/magical Cinderella retelling and I am here for it! This was a perfect retelling mix. I loved this so much.
I just reviewed Guardians of Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: fantasy, multiple POVs, secret groups, humor

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 2/22, my book blog as of 3/1, and to Instagram as of 3/7.

While there are two POVs in this book, it's really Zhara's story. She undergoes a lot of development throughout this book and comes out stronger, and more herself, on the other side. At the same time, Han does play a major role in the story and has some of his own growth, it's just at a milder scale than Zhara.

It's clear from the beginning that Zhara loves her sister and would do pretty much anything for her, even if it means dealing with her stepmother. That loyalty and sense of protection also carries through to some of the other people, particularly the kids, that Zhara comes across that are in need of help. She's also smart and fairly resourceful, despite her not thinking much of herself at times.

Han is definitely a himbo. He works out a lot and prizes being in physical shape but is often one of, if not the last, person to put things together. Like Zhara, Han is also desperate to try and save his younger brother, though from a very different threat. He is fairly innocent (and as the synopsis says, easily flustered), which the other characters tease him mercilessly about, and makes him a fun character to read.

Xu is Han's best friend and might be one of my favorite characters. I love how upbeat they are and yet at the same time they have their moments when they can be more serious. I also feel like Xu has a very strong sense of identity. They don't get a POV, but they have a lot of character to them that I enjoyed and I think it would be fun if we do get their POV at some point. I also really treasure their friendships with Han, Zhara, and Jiyi.

Jiyi comes into the story a bit later and is endearing for different reasons. She's fairly straightforward about things, to the point of coming across as gruff, but it's clear that she's very knowledgeable about her field of study (and very accomplished) and that she cares about what happens if the worst were to come to pass.

Yulana is also a late-comer in the story, but I absolutely love her. She's got somewhat of a mysterious vibe when she's first introduced, and things stay like that for a bit, but she's actually a pretty open person once we get past that. Like with Xu, I hope we get her POV at some point, and I suspect she's a more likely candidate for that than Xu is, lol.

This book does a good job of including some lighter and more humorous moments amid the more high drama/stakes scenes. At times it did feel a but juvenile, but overall I think the effect worked. The funny moments allowed for relationships to develop between the characters and so we as readers cared when those relationships were put to the test or were in jeopardy.

On the surface, magic is banned because magicians turn into abominations, but of course things are never so simple. Learning about the magic system and how things had gotten bad was interesting. The linguistic element of magic was definitely something that I enjoyed. There's a whole history and culture that's been driven underground or erased because of the abominations, but so few people know the truth of what happened, and what happened is very different from what people think it is. Of course there are allegories a plenty here, and a lot of aspects of the magical purge can be related to history or current events in our world in a way that's written very neatly without being overbearing.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and that the high stakes were interspersed with lighter moments. I look forward to seeing the characters in the future books and am definitely hoping for more page time from Xu and Yulana in particular.

What a fun book! I had added this book to my Goodreads to-read shelf way back when it was first announced based solely on the 'Sailor Moon' description, but I had basically given up on it after a few years with no release and no updates. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised to see if available on NetGalley and very excited to get an ARC!

So was Zhara worth the wait? Yes, very much so! The book definitely gives off Sailor Moon vibes and also incorporates interesting mythology, painful but realistic family relationships, and a very sweet romance. The characters are also all wonderful. Zhara herself is certainly Cinderella-esque in that she's abused by her stepmother and missing her parents, but she has magic! Following Zhara as she learns about her powers and begins to use them to help others is a great journey, and Zhara's shyness, big heart, and sweet sense of humor make it easy to root for her. She's also easy to root for because she's so determined to take care of her sister no matter what the personal cost, and I love that type of sisterly bond.

The other characters are fun, too. Han (AKA Prince Charming) is funny and a bit of a dolt, but he's also sweet and big hearted, especially when it comes to protecting his younger brother. Xu is clever and humorous, Jiyi is wise but sassy, and Yulana makes a big splash and has a lot of secrets that she likes to reveal whenever it can create the most drama. The "bad guys" are also well-written, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the mythology and the magic system that develops as we learn more about the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons.

As I said, I really got Sailor Moon vibes from this book in the best sort of way. Zhara and Han are both sort of the Usagi character--Zhara because she doesn't know how to use her magic and Han because he's clueless a lot of the time--and Yulana pops in with a seasoned warrior/Sailor Venus vibe. Jiyi is the non-magical one with all the info (AKA Luna), and Xu makes me think of Sailor Uranus. And of course, you have the search for all the elemental warriors to defeat the Big Bad and save the world. Even if I hadn't loved everything else so much, I would keep reading this series just for all these connections.

All in all, Zhara is a series opener that is definitely worth the long wait, and I can't wait to see what happens next!