Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book.

First, I just have to say that I love this author, and I was especially touched by their author's note. I hope that S. Jae-Jones knows that they are such an inspiration and a strong person. Wintersong remains to be one of my favorite books.

I was so excited by Zhara's description, as a fan of Sailor Moon and Cinder. Zhara is a great character molded from these inspirations. She is strong and isn't too "airheaded." I personally felt that the prince was a weaker character (which I respected).

I think this was a good start to the series. I'm excited to see where it goes next!

*eARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Absolutely fantastic in every way! I loved the settings, plot, and characters.

Ending was resolved a bit too easily IMO

Scheduled to post 8/15/23.

After a rough patch with cookie-cutter European-based YA fantasies, Jae-Jones’s ZHARA is a breath of fantastical fresh air. It’s exactly the kind of book I needed to get me out of my YA fantasy funk. A great story, a fantastic world, and something that leaves me anxious for the next book.

ZHARA is Korean-influenced, with the author exploring her own culture through telling this story. She has a short preface in the book talking about this, and reaching back to WINTERSONG (which I loved) where she was asked why set it was in Europe. Basically, she wasn’t sure how to do a story such as ZHARA justice just then, but she’s here now and I love what she’s given us.

It’s such a fun, flashy story that, despite all the culture-specific references and proper nouns and situations, I wasn’t lost for a single whit of it. And I am clueless about Korean culture. Jae-Jones struck a delicate balance between not pandering to a white audience with constant explanatory commas while providing enough in-text context for a casual reader to understand what’s going on. And if you don’t know what something is, Google’s free, yo.

I don’t know who I loved more: Han, Xe, Jiyi, Zhara. Suzhan broke my damn heart. She was written so freakin’ well and I just couldn’t hold her decisions against her. And neither could Zhara, and that broke my heart even more. Han and Xe provided an excellent sprinkling of comedic relief that expertly lifted sullen moods and lightened tense moments just enough to reset and dive back in. My favorite part? Han with Yuli on the bird. IYKYK. Words on the page I can hear in my heat, that.

I loved watching the transformation Zhara went through over the course of the book as she SLOWLY broke out of her shell. That’s a lot of trauma and browbeating she had to work through and I give her so much credit for doing it. It took most of the book, and a lot of pushing from outside forces, but she finally snapped, and I' was here for it. Personally I would have stuffed a fistful of rice down the Second Wife’s throat much sooner, but that’s just me. And the Cinderella homage was on point. I don’t think this is actually supposed to be a Cinderella retelling, but it’s definitely there, intentional or not.

The end was a little sugary for me, but it was still pleasing and some much-needed calm after a serious storm. Besides, there’s another storm coming, so chaos will flip the table again soon enough. The kids can rest for now. They’re going to need it.

The world Jae-Jones created is stunning, and I want to immerse myself into it more. I’m looking forward to book two and where she takes these wonderful characters. There’s so much of this world I want to explore, and it looks like we’re going to get that in book two.

4.5

I enjoyed this book and glimpse into western culture. It had just the right amount of world building, character development, action and plot. There was mystery. A slow burn romance. Fantasy. All the components for a strong foundation to a series with great potential. My only criticism would be the little bits of naveitte. The overly obvious subtleties. It was a little immature given some of the mature situations. However, I could be jaded from reading more YA and adult content. This would probably be a good series for a young, middle school crowd. Still a great book that I happily give 4 stars and look forward to the next installment.

Really cool premise but perhaps not exactly what I was expecting.

I may need to come back to this one as perhaps I wasn't in the right mindset when I read this because all the elements in this book are exactly my vibe: Fairy Tales, Chosen One, Found Family/Group Dynamics.

Overall, I did enjoy this book but not the 5 stars amazing I was expecting. I'll read this again when I get a chance!

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. This was a fantasy story about magic and first love. If I had to describe it, I would say that it is how I imagine Clamp would write a KDrama.

I was initially drawn to this book by its promising premise, which held a lot of potential. However, my overall experience with it was mixed. While I found some aspects enjoyable, there were a few significant drawbacks that impacted my engagement with the story.

One of the main issues I encountered was the pacing, which was inconsistent throughout the book. At times, the narrative moved at a sluggish pace, making it challenging for me to maintain my focus and become fully immersed in the storyline. This uneven pacing disrupted the flow of the plot and hindered my ability to connect with the characters and events unfolding.

Speaking of characters, the book boasts a sizable cast, each contributing to the intricacies of the story. While this approach can add depth to the narrative, it also presented a challenge in terms of keeping track of everyone and their respective roles. Regrettably, this complexity occasionally left me feeling overwhelmed and struggling to remember the significance of certain characters.

Furthermore, the book introduces a complex magical system, which is meticulously explained throughout the story. While I appreciate the effort to create a detailed and intricate magical framework, it also added an additional layer of complexity that required careful attention. At times, the focus on explaining the magical system detracted from the progression of the plot and character development.

Although this book did not fully meet my expectations, I am grateful for the opportunity to have read it. Despite its shortcomings, it still offered moments of enjoyment and intrigue. While the slow pacing and abundance of characters and magical concepts impacted my overall experience, I acknowledge that others may find these elements more appealing. In the end, my journey through this book was a mixed one, leaving me with a sense of both disappointment and appreciation.

This gave my die hard sailor moon fan heart the serotonin it needed. It is a fun read that I'd recommend to all. It is a fast ya read. I will say readers will either love this book or hate it, I don't think there will be much of an in between but not all books are for everyone.

gonna be one hundred percent honest about this: i didn't read it. i ran out of time between the books i'm reading now and work. but it will be purchased for my library's collection because it looks interesting.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

(Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with an eGalley copy to review.)

I thought the premise and the world were interesting. The writing was simple and easy to follow along with for the most part; there were instances, such as mentioning locations in the world and not really having something like a map to indicate where they were in relation to one another, that made it confusing to keep up with when I was reading the story. Unfortunately, the writing style was written as telling everything as it is, which took out any tension the action scenes/battles would've had.

There's a diverse cast of characters, but I felt like none of them really stood out as characters except Xu. All of them also basically remained the same throughout the book. However, this is the first book in a series, so there's room for character growth and I'm curious to read more about the magical world and the adventures they'll go on.

Something that frustrated me while I was reading was when something major happened, but then none of the characters mention it until a few chapters later. And then when it gets outright explained several chapters later, Zhara is somehow still surprised even though it should've been really obvious.

The writing got really repetitive with all the instances of Han being like "but how?" and then immediately going "oh..." afterwards. And most of the time when the characters fell, they fell "head over heels."

I'm not a fan of instant romantic attraction between characters. Han is instantly drawn towards Zhara and there's also the instant attraction between the two side characters.

Despite the criticisms I've written, I'm curious to read of the story's world (more about the history, the magic, and the elemental Guardians' powers) and I plan to read the next book.

New Release!

I had a really great time reading this book! I really like the story and the characters; this was a pretty quick read for me. I liked the world-building, and found the elements of mythology and magic to be intriguing. It’s a really great fantasy read.

I really like Zhara as the main character. I loved how she is a “Cinderella” character, but with magic. It was great getting to see her magic grow throughout the story. I also really loved the relationship between Zhara and Han. So cute!

I really can’t wait to read more in the series, and I will be patiently waiting!

I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys magical fantasy novels, and also fans of Cinder.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for the ARC!

I really liked this story. It intrigued me right from he start. I immediately connected with both characters and couldn’t stop reading it once I started. I’m still reading it but so far I’m really into it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc.

Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I absolutely loved this! Once I picked it up it was a struggle to put it down again. There is so much to enjoy inside these pages including emotional sibling relationships, family drama, secrets, adventure, and tons of Magic.

I was originally interested in this book because it was described as Sailor Moon meets Cinder. The similarities between Guardians of Dawn: Zhara and Cinder are basically what you would expect with both of them being magical Cinderella retellings. I get where that comparison came from. The Sailor Moon similarities are there but much less in my opinion. The two seem to be only similar in the way of both of them having different guardians of different things.

This was such a great book. The characters were great, the story is so well written and reads so quickly. It was over before I knew it but still ended in the perfect place. I enjoyed it so much and am already excited for the sequel. This book is just a great time overall.

In a nutshell this was boring. I didn't care about any of the characters and the story was meh. I felt like this was more just going through the motions of being a book but really grabbing anything real.

Loved the concept (anything mentioning Sailor Moon will hook me), and I thought the cover was beautiful. Unfortunately, I really felt like I had to force myself to get through this one. I think I just had trouble connecting to the writing for this, so I couldn't get fully immersed.

When I first came across this book, marketed as “Sailor Moon meets Cinder” I was on NetGalley’s site so fast someones head definitely went spinning (not mine but someone somewhere in the world) And every day for three weeks I was on their website hoping I would win an arc. And I did. There’s magic. There are monsters. There’s romance. It’s an enjoyable, action-packed read. Zhara is a teenage girl. S. Jae-Jones did a fantastic job of capturing the core of Usagi (aka Sailor Moon’s) personality. She’s bubbly, and giggly and clumsy, and often naive and super dense. Like wise Han is so awkward and handsome useless (if you know you know lol) She lives in a world where magic is forbidden, on pain of death. Zhara, who is magical, has to survive in a world where she doesn’t really fit in. She lives with her step-mother and step-sister. Things change for Zhara when she meets a mysterious young man named Han. The two of them have to work together to restore harmony to the world. Overall, the story was fantastic. It might be my fav. read of the year, but with A Curse for True Loving coming out this fall, it might be a short-lived victory. Thank you @netgalley & @wednesdaybooks for the e-arc

Twenty years ago, a plague of monsters destroyed the Morning Realms, and magicians were to blame. Rumors now tell of monsters emerging, but Jin Zhara has other things to worry about. Her stepmother is cruel, she looks after her blind younger sister, and she has burgeoning magical gifts. Meeting Han brings her into contact with a secret magical liberation organization called the Guardians of Dawn. A mysterious plague is corrupting the magicians of Zanhei and transforming them into monsters, and the Guardians of Dawn believe a demon is responsible.

This is the start of a new series, primed for teens and older, inspired by Sailor Moon and the book Cinder. Magic is contained in the Language of Flowers, with the brush, inkstone and seal seen as tools of said magic. All books and those who could read the books were burned to keep Abominations at bay, with purges held every year. This gives very real stakes for Zhara to remain silent and do what her stepmother wants no matter what, and to work hard to pay the bills and care for her sister. She's a kind girl, so it's easy to root for her and hope for the best. Of course that doesn't happen, we wouldn't have a novel to read otherwise. Han isn't an ordinary boy, and he has a vested interest in keeping his younger brother safe with the Guardians of the Dawn.

The novel lays the foundations for magic, for the Just War twenty years ago, the Guardians and their role with those who develop magic. Character names come from different East Asian cultures, and elements of their mythologies are mixed together to become the mythology of the Realms. Zhara has worked and sacrificed out of guilt and piety, to hide her magic and hopefully be seen as worthy. Han doesn't want his heritage and would rather be a boy who likes working out, writing poetry and reading romance novels. Elements of the familiar Cinderella are also woven into the tale, as well as the fight between Order and Chaos. I loved reading it, and look forward to the rest of the series.

First off, it's a Cinderella retelling crossed with Sailor Moon. (It's not like Cinder, except for the retelling part.) At the way end, there's a hint at the second book - which seems like it'll be a Beauty and the Beast retelling. So yeah, let's just stop with the Cinder comparison. It's Cinderella.

Now - onto the main review!

I was absolutely taken away by all the references to the Four Guardians and the nods to Sailor Moon. I felt completely immersed in the world, especially with the way pronouns and honorifics were used. In fact, I love that that "they" is used until the person identifies themselves more clearly. I think it's better that way. Xu seems to be non-binary (don't know for certain), and I love how everybody just goes on about life. (There's no stink about it, no big to-do that Xu is feminine presenting sometimes and masculine other times.) I also love the nicknames that people came up with when they were referencing one another!

Honestly, this book is dear to me. It brought me back to my youth, watching Sailor Moon and Fushigi Yugi (which also had guardians and four celestial beasts). The storyline makes it clear who the main villain is and what the real end game will be. I love that fact! We know there's a clear ending in mind for this series, and yet I have no idea what specifics will come. The concept of each book being a retelling seems fascinating though. So I'm curious what each will be like.

If you ever loved Sailor Moon, Eastern Myth and culture, retellings, sassy cats and innocent love then go check this out! You won't regret it!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC! I need to go buy it now!

First, thank you to #netgalley and #wednesday books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Magic flickers.
Love flames.
Chaos reigns.

Magic is forbidden throughout the Morning Realms. Magicians are called abomination, and blamed for the plague of monsters that razed the land twenty years before.

Jin Zhara already had enough to worry about—appease her stepmother’s cruel whims, looking after her blind younger sister, and keeping her own magical gifts under control—without having to deal with rumors of monsters re-emerging in the marsh. But when a chance encounter with an easily flustered young man named Han brings her into contact with a secret magical liberation organization called the Guardians of Dawn, Zhara realizes there may be more to these rumors than she thought. A mysterious plague is corrupting the magicians of Zanhei and transforming them into monsters, and the Guardians of Dawn believe a demon is responsible.

In order to restore harmony and bring peace to the world, Zhara must discover the elemental warrior within, lest the balance between order and chaos is lost forever.

I'm giving this one a solid 3.5 stars.

I enjoyed the characters and story but I didn't love it the way that I was hoping to. That being said, I know that there are many readers who will love this book and these characters. The storyline was fun and the world felt fresh. What bumped it from a 4 star down to 3.5 was the fact that I wasn't entirely sure what the story was trying to be. It was described as Cinder meets Sailor Moon, but it felt more like a Korean rom-com type story, where sometimes it took itself seriously, and other times it was light-hearted and full of tongue and cheek. Once I embraced that, it was easier to settle into the story. I really enjoyed the main character, Zhara. The Prince was a little hard to like at times as he was often portrayed as stupid, or all brawn and no brains, which felt like a peculiar choice for a MC love interest. But overall, it was a fun and engaging read, well written, in a world that I felt fully immersed in.