Interesting

I don’t have much more to say…it was…just ok for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My thanks to the publisher for offering Ami: Guardians of the Dawn on Netgalley for review and more specifically Rivka Holler, who went out of their way May of last year to send me a Guardians of the Dawn special surprise for having pre-ordered Zhara.

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As Zhara was to Sailor Moon and Cinderella, Ami is to Beauty and the Beast.

Finding herself lonely most of her life, Ami is burdened by her father Li Er-Shuan's broken mind and his obsession with the 'Songs of Order and Chaos' and keeping her light hidden. On the run with him from Zanhei and finding herself in Kalanze on the Zanqi Plateau of the outermost west of the Mornings Realms, with it's Castle Dzong and the Pillar who's blooming tells that the end of the world is near.

Forced to beg alms and offer her services as a scrivener, Ami's life feels dim the only bright spot is the the Qirin Tulku's Left Hand "the Beast" Gaden who, when her father trespass to pluck a branch of the Pillar to prove the two thousand old tree is blooming, allows her to ask for a job as their scrivener to better care for her father -as the punishment of exile would kill him.

Ami finds that Gaden's secrets tantalize her more than the Pillar's blooming, the strange deadening curse effecting plants and people, or the library.

(I loved Gaden's trans representation, well done JJ!)

As Zhara makes her way to Kalanze with Han, Ami's cousin, and the seven Bangtan Brothers (Junseo, Bohun, Mihoon, Sungho, Alyosha, Taeri, Yoochun) circumstances bring them all together and fleeing from the undead.

Gaden's past with the Heralds of Glorious Justice and Ami's own identify revealed as the Guardian of Wood bring them closer, but Gaden's mysterious power and attempts to hide how the curse is effecting their scars may end more than their budding relationship.

This is such a great series. The Writing is beautifully done and at times has a bit of a lyrical cadence to it. I adore the world building and how easy it is to see yourself in the pages along for the adventure. The real show stopper for me is the complex and well written characters. I love that they all are written in a way that they are relatable but also fantastical enough to not forget that you are reading a fantasy. I really liked Ami and thought that she was really sweet, I love her powers and how much she wan't to help in every way that she could. It was great to have Zhara be such a big part of this one. I loved Gaden, they were such a lovely and deep character and I felt like they really brought something special to the story. I can't wait to see how their story unfolds. I can't wait to start book 3!

Loved book 1 and I really enjoyed Ami, so much that I had to purchase the illumicrate special edition of it (its stunning as well). Love this world and how strong the female characters are. Will definitely be continuing the series.

Guardians of Dawn: Ami by S. Jae-Jones is a great follow-up to the first book. It’s darker and more complex, with a story that really pulled me in.

The book follows Ami, a neurodivergent outcast trying to save her land by working with a mysterious Beast. Meanwhile, Zhara faces magical threats and needs Ami’s help. I loved how the book explores themes like identity and belonging, and Ami’s character felt really real and relatable.

The worldbuilding is rich, and the mix of action, politics, and humor worked well. The writing is engaging, and the story moves fast. If you liked the first book or enjoy fantasy with diverse characters and meaningful themes, this one’s worth checking out.

This was a lovely continuation of the series. It not only added content/information truly building on the story in Zhara, but it felt as though you were learning as the characters were learning instead of through external exposition. Ami’s journey, and subsequent teaming with our friends Zhara and Han, was layered and nuanced. A surprisingly gentle presentation of the struggle over whether to be your true self or hide your light, and whether anyone in the world is better off when that light is hidden.

There’s also a captivating beast, some concerning curry, and we still have our good looking giggle representation.

Overall I could not ask for more in a sequel and am grateful for the ARC.

"'When the Pillar blooms', Li Er-Shuan called, 'the end of the world is not far behind."

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for an ARC of Guardians of Dawn: Ami in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions that follow are my own.

Guardians of Dawn: Ami continues the story of the reborn Guardians of Dawn fighting to seal the portals to the demon realm and locking the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons back in her own realm. Zhara is continuing her expedition to the outermost west in the hopes of finding the other parts of Songs of Order and Chaos as well as an audience with the Qirin Tulku to assist in her quest to find the book. Meanwhile, in the outermost west, a young girl named Li Ami is living in a small village at the base of the palace of the Qirin Tulku, taking care of her ailing father and peddling her services as a scrivener. When her father is arrested for stealing from the grounds of the palace, Ami must partner with the Beast, the Right Hand of the Qirin Tulku to find a cure to the blight sickening the land.

I thought that this novel was a good continuation of the story that began in Zhara's book. While I wasn't totally invested in the storyline going into this book, I absolutely loved Ami's point of view as well as the different aspects of the story that gave it Beauty and the Beast vibes, which is my favorite fairy tale. I enjoyed Zhara much more in this book because she was more confident in herself and her own power but also wasn't afraid to lean on Han when she needed to. I was glad that Zhara and Han finally addressed their relationship and sorted through the miscommunication they had been dealing with for much of the book. I also loved the friendship between Yuli, Zhara, and Ami as well as the growth of each of their powers. It made the end of the book super dynamic.

Overall, I would give this book 4/5 stars and cannot wait to read the next book as the main character is Yuli!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This is, unfortunately, a DNF for me. I think my reading tastes have just changed enough over the years that this type of YA that is targeted more at the younger side of the demographic doesn't do it for me anymore.

Still a very solid YA series, just not for me.

I requested this before knowing that it was part of a series. I went and tried reading the first book and then went to read this. The writing style just wasn't for me and I found myself bored through both. This just couldn't hold my interest and I wasn't a fan of how the character was written. Thank you for the chance to read this and give it a shot. I didn't know it was originally part of a series.

Unfortunately, wasn't for me. I appreciate the chance to try it though. didn't realize it was part of a series when requested and tried to read the first book and figured out not for me. Writing is good, just not the storyline for me.

Moonies, drop everything now and read this book! If you love Sailor Moon, you’ll enjoy this fantasy rich with unique magic, unforgettable adventure, and lots of heart. Like the gorgeous cover, it has a beautiful story. I’m looking forward to exploring more of this series and more works from the author.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press , Wednesday Books,Netgalley and the author for a complimentary copy of this ebook. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

This was an decent follow up to the first Guardians of Dawn book. I appreciated the different perspective and yet similar structure in a world that is already familiar. I also really appreciate the subtle references to Sailor Moon.

AMI is book two in the Gardians of Dawn series.
This book follows book one ZAHARA.

Book Two continues to build on the solid foundation from book one. The book overall was good but not my favorite, I feel as if this book had the same problem most sequels have and its overshadowed by book one. My hopes are that this is a bridge or a gateway in to the rest of the series, where the book may not be my favorite it has foundations and information needed for the next books. If this is true my thoughts on this book may sway a tad more positive.

Where book one and book two differ in the largest ways is the main character. Ami is very meek and timid through the book and she feels harder to connect to and the book itself felt it lost a little of its quirky humor.

Han being Asexual seemed like it was pushed vs something more natural, I wish Hans moment was more special.

The new characters are lovely as well and I cant wait to see more of them and the next guardian.

Giving a Three start review for now , Im hoping i can increase this with the next book and find that bond between the books that makes me recall and enjoy this more.


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the Digital ARC.

Unfortunately I couldn't finish this book. I don't think it was the book's fault though. I struggle with fantasy at times and this suffered from that. I think if you enjoy fantasy, you would probably enjoy this.

'Ami' is a fun addition to the Guardians of Dawn series. It cut down on some of the quirkyness that 'Zhara' had with its slightly more serious tone and I appreciated it for that. I personally did suffer from not remembering details from the previous book so it was alot of vibes; going along for the ride. A lot of things may have gone over my head. Maybe consider a reread of 'Zhara' for a refresher.

I did read this book over the course of many months, on and off. There were other things I wanted to read more and unfortunately this book ended up getting shelved often.

But overall I had a good time. I may come back to this review upon a reread.
I will continue the series because its a jolly good time. And the covers! They are so pretty.

Thanks to netgalley and st. martin's press for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me access this book!

As soon as I finished book 1, I ran to the internet to find out when the sequel would release. I often have a hard time with book series because I hate waiting for the story to continue and I don’t have the time to reread all the previous books, so I frequently wait until all the books are released before starting. However, this series has not only managed the delicate balance of resolving enough to have a mostly self-contained story in each book but also still having an overarching storyline that is not conveniently forgotten while the current problems are addressed. The additions to the cast are well-characterized and very different from those we met in book one, but in the best way possible and make for fun personality clashes at times and offering different but useful perspectives.

While elements of the book are very predictable, it didn’t detract from the story and the book was enjoyable and attention-grabbing from the beginning. I’m very excited for the next books and think I might know where we’re headed next!

**Review of *Guardians of Dawn: Ami* by S. Jae-Jones**

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)

*Guardians of Dawn: Ami* by S. Jae-Jones is an intriguing start to a fantasy series, blending magic, adventure, and a unique mythology. The world-building is vivid, with an interesting setting that draws the reader in, and the premise of powerful guardians protecting a magical world holds a lot of potential. The protagonist, Ami, is a strong character, and her journey of self-discovery and bravery adds a compelling layer to the story.

However, while the story is promising, the pacing felt a bit uneven at times, with moments of dragging that interrupted the flow. The romance and character dynamics, while present, didn’t feel as developed as they could have been, leaving me wanting more depth and emotional connection. Some aspects of the plot were predictable, and it took a while for the action to truly pick up.

Overall, *Guardians of Dawn: Ami* has a solid foundation for a fantasy series, but it doesn’t quite live up to its full potential. It’s an enjoyable read for fans of fantasy and magic, but the pacing and character development could use a bit more polish to elevate the story further.

I'm very excited for the conclusion to this series! I think this is a perfect book for fans of Judy I. Lin's "A Magic Steeped In Poison" and for those trying to diversify the books they read. The cover is outstanding and I can't wait for the reveal of the last book.

While I am sure the story is lovely, I just couldn't get into it.

I really dislike it when books shift from one MC to another. Whether it's mid-book or from one book to another I'm not a fan of it. I wanted more of the original MC and her funny prince, but this...nah I'm okay. I tried. I really did. I was given this book by Netgalley way before it hit shelves and I kept trying to go back and read more, but I just didn't have it in me. I don't like forcing myself to read a story I'm not into. So it got DNF'd.

If I am being honest I just could not get into this. I tried multiple times since being accepted for this ARC and we just didn't vibe. I will have to try again in the future.