Member Review
Review by
Krystal F, Reviewer
I’m going to start this review off by stating that I listened to the audiobook, so forgive me for spelling names wrong. I honestly only know how to spell three or four names.😅
With that bit of business out the way, let’s review the book. The blurb for this book says that it’s a mix of Cinder and Sailor Moon. This is accurate, but I also feel like there’s a little bit of Captain Planet thrown in there. Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, nix the heart. I say this as a compliment as Usagi in Sailor Moon is dumb as rocks for no reason. Sorry, Usagi fans, but your girl is a dunce, and the main character of this book deserves better.
Jin Zhara is a girl who has grown up with nothing. She lost her mother before she was born, and her father was murdered when she was a small child leaving her in the care of her step-mother. In walks Cinder, or more appropriately Cinderella since that’s what Cinder is based on. We have an evil, if just manipulative and uncaring, step-mother who uses Zhara’s life and secret as bargaining chips to get ahead in life. You see, Zhara is a magician, and magicians are forbidden in The Morning Realms where this story takes place. In fact, that is how Zhara both lost her father and developed the ability to use magic. Her father was a magician. It’s genetic. She is a magician because her father was a magician. At least that is what we are led to believe. In true Cinderella fashion, Zhara has never really figured out her abilities nor has she had anyone to teach her. She learns about herself and her abilities throughout the book as we learn them along with her. She is young, she is sheltered, and she has no hope that her life would ever amount to more than the scraps she’s been given from her stepmother.
Then she meets Han, a prince in disguise. (That’s for my Beauty and the Beast stans). Han is also innocent and sheltered. He’s a seventeen-year-old that comes across more as a junior high school student than a person almost ready to graduate and move on to adulting. That’s not a negative criticism though. He’s adorable. He’s a person that wants to be himself instead of what others think he should be. He’s also basically the only guardian for his younger brother after the death of their mother and mental and emotional collapse of their father. He is someone torn between growing up and staying young. He is the perfect example of someone who has had to grow up before he was ready. He gets ragged on a lot in the book by some of the other characters. It isn’t uncalled for as he is not book-smart nor is he street-smart. But, what he lacks in intelligence, he more than makes up for in heart. Oh, maybe he’s the Heart in this Captain Planet analogy! Ah Ha!
The other supporting characters of this novel all have differing personalities that bring a lot of substance to the story. We have Xu/Shu (again, audiobook), JiYi (??), and Yuli (again ??). They all have unique stories and abilities that help round out the qualities that our two innocent main characters lack. They are also easily distinguishable from each other. None of them felt like copy-and-paste characters. That was very refreshing.
Even the romance was refreshing. Let me be the first to say that I absolutely abhor romance in books. If it has to be in there, I prefer the entirety of the romance to only fit into one chapter. That’s how much I tolerate romance. Or, should I say that’s how much of an intolerance for romance that I have. Whatever the case, the instant crush that turns into friendship and eventually into budding love is one of the few romances I could swallow. It was as cute and adorable as Zhara and Han are individually. There was just so much of it. I know that’s a me-thing has nothing to do with the book. But, romance does bring me out of the story if it goes on too long. Unfortunately, it did that here. But, I would rather that than an enemies-to-lovers storyline.
Now, let’s talk about the narrator. I believe her name is Katherine Chin. She was phenomenal! Five out of five stars for her narration alone. If this was live theater, I would throw three dozen roses up on stage for her. She easily displayed the innocence of both Zhara and Han while also invoking the deceptiveness of the villains. My hats off to her.
Overall, I would give this book a 4.25/5. I took away a small amount of points due to the pacing and how the story was laid out in the middle. It was a little hard to follow at some points, and at other points, it dragged a bit. But, it was a solid book, and I look forward to learning about the next guardian. I hope it’s Earth. Also, I feel like we’re going to a fantastical Africa. I can’t wait!
Also, I want Sajah. 🐈
With that bit of business out the way, let’s review the book. The blurb for this book says that it’s a mix of Cinder and Sailor Moon. This is accurate, but I also feel like there’s a little bit of Captain Planet thrown in there. Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, nix the heart. I say this as a compliment as Usagi in Sailor Moon is dumb as rocks for no reason. Sorry, Usagi fans, but your girl is a dunce, and the main character of this book deserves better.
Jin Zhara is a girl who has grown up with nothing. She lost her mother before she was born, and her father was murdered when she was a small child leaving her in the care of her step-mother. In walks Cinder, or more appropriately Cinderella since that’s what Cinder is based on. We have an evil, if just manipulative and uncaring, step-mother who uses Zhara’s life and secret as bargaining chips to get ahead in life. You see, Zhara is a magician, and magicians are forbidden in The Morning Realms where this story takes place. In fact, that is how Zhara both lost her father and developed the ability to use magic. Her father was a magician. It’s genetic. She is a magician because her father was a magician. At least that is what we are led to believe. In true Cinderella fashion, Zhara has never really figured out her abilities nor has she had anyone to teach her. She learns about herself and her abilities throughout the book as we learn them along with her. She is young, she is sheltered, and she has no hope that her life would ever amount to more than the scraps she’s been given from her stepmother.
Then she meets Han, a prince in disguise. (That’s for my Beauty and the Beast stans). Han is also innocent and sheltered. He’s a seventeen-year-old that comes across more as a junior high school student than a person almost ready to graduate and move on to adulting. That’s not a negative criticism though. He’s adorable. He’s a person that wants to be himself instead of what others think he should be. He’s also basically the only guardian for his younger brother after the death of their mother and mental and emotional collapse of their father. He is someone torn between growing up and staying young. He is the perfect example of someone who has had to grow up before he was ready. He gets ragged on a lot in the book by some of the other characters. It isn’t uncalled for as he is not book-smart nor is he street-smart. But, what he lacks in intelligence, he more than makes up for in heart. Oh, maybe he’s the Heart in this Captain Planet analogy! Ah Ha!
The other supporting characters of this novel all have differing personalities that bring a lot of substance to the story. We have Xu/Shu (again, audiobook), JiYi (??), and Yuli (again ??). They all have unique stories and abilities that help round out the qualities that our two innocent main characters lack. They are also easily distinguishable from each other. None of them felt like copy-and-paste characters. That was very refreshing.
Even the romance was refreshing. Let me be the first to say that I absolutely abhor romance in books. If it has to be in there, I prefer the entirety of the romance to only fit into one chapter. That’s how much I tolerate romance. Or, should I say that’s how much of an intolerance for romance that I have. Whatever the case, the instant crush that turns into friendship and eventually into budding love is one of the few romances I could swallow. It was as cute and adorable as Zhara and Han are individually. There was just so much of it. I know that’s a me-thing has nothing to do with the book. But, romance does bring me out of the story if it goes on too long. Unfortunately, it did that here. But, I would rather that than an enemies-to-lovers storyline.
Now, let’s talk about the narrator. I believe her name is Katherine Chin. She was phenomenal! Five out of five stars for her narration alone. If this was live theater, I would throw three dozen roses up on stage for her. She easily displayed the innocence of both Zhara and Han while also invoking the deceptiveness of the villains. My hats off to her.
Overall, I would give this book a 4.25/5. I took away a small amount of points due to the pacing and how the story was laid out in the middle. It was a little hard to follow at some points, and at other points, it dragged a bit. But, it was a solid book, and I look forward to learning about the next guardian. I hope it’s Earth. Also, I feel like we’re going to a fantastical Africa. I can’t wait!
Also, I want Sajah. 🐈
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