Thank you net gallery for an advanced copy of this book. This is the second story of the guardians of the dawn who have been reborn to save the world, this time from zombies. Some parts of the book are a little cringe but overall, the plot moves along till the next book.

The sequel shifts gears from the playful campiness of its predecessor, opting for a slightly darker and more serious tone—which, in my opinion, is a bit of a letdown? What I loved most about the first book was its slightly over-the-top and silly moments, and I found myself missing that sense of fun. That said, this installment does introduce some really intriguing elements, especially for fans of zombies and necromancy (big fan myself). I feel that necromancy magic is underutilized in fantasy, so I was thrilled by the body horror aspects and, well... the curry horror too, which was pretty quirky.

The diversity in this book is beautifully woven in. It’s refreshing to see such a broad range of identities and orientations, and it adds authenticity to the world and characters. The new characters, especially the "Beast" figure, are interesting. Their struggle with fear, and how it limits their interactions and changes their choices, is one of the most compelling parts of the story.

That said, I desperately needed a summary of the previous book. Without it, I felt lost at the start, and it negatively impacted my experience—seriously, ALL series should include a recap at the beginning! PLEASE, publishers and authors. It is so useful.

Though the book has its high points it also feels a bit too predictable at times. It leans heavily towards the younger adult side, but without the delightful campiness that made the first book so memorable. It’s enjoyable, but for me, it doesn’t quite live up to the fun of the original even if I liked the new characters more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity and complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

I read Zhara back a little over a year ago and remember my overall conclusions being kind of on the meh side. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first installment but found enough I liked to continue this series. In my opinion, Ami is a good deal better than Zhara. I really enjoyed Ami’s POV and Gaden’s inclusion into the story. We got so much more lore and world building in this story and so many gaps were finally filled and I started to connect with the characters. There was also a lot more horror elements that I anticipated and believe it served well for the plot and story development. The ending was decently timed, as I worried it might get a bit rushed. I think the author’s writing has definitely improved and I’m super curious to see where the next book takes us.

Thank you Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I really enjoyed this! I love Ami, and the found family trope.

I found the book atmospheric. I enjoy yhe worls building and magic systems. Just an all around enjoyable read.

I love, love, loved the character of Ami. She is autistic-coded in the way that she is always unsure of how she fits in among others, can be overly formal or not formal enough, and is reserved because she's afraid to get close to anyone. Her father has always told her to hide away her light, to mask, if you will. She felt super relatable as an autistic woman myself. This book is also a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, so she aligns with Belle as a scrivener, a scholar who can translate magic books.

The fairy tale retelling is a pattern for the series (i.e. Zhara as Cinderella) so it was expected, but it felt a little flimsy in this book. For instance, the love interest (who is nonbinary!) goes by "the Beast" as an alias. But this seems kind of mean since they are covered in burn scars...It's not framed that they are a beast due to their appearance; but it still felt a little awkward to me.

Zhara and Han continue to be adorable in this installment, and we get to see more of Yuli and the magic pets! Zhara and Ami keep exploring their powers and can do so many neat things; the magic is super creative. I'm looking forward to the next book!

A big thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

Guardians of Dawn: Ami by S Jae-Jones is the follow-up to Zhara, where we were introduced to the Guardian of Fire and a world where there are demons trying to bring back the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons. This story picks up after the events of the first book where Zhara is receiving lessons from the Bangtan Brothers on their way to find more resources to help in their fight to restoring the Morning realms.

We are also introduced to two new characters, Ami and Gaden/The Beast. They are the real focus of this story. This instalment introduces the Guardian of Wood, who has the power to restore life where there was none. Ami herself is a scrivener and has a vast amount of knowledge that was learned from her father who used to be the royal astrologer. They had to escape to a different part of the realm where magic is more accepted when her father's attempts to shield his daughter from the magic ban in the royal city led to his mind being fractured.

When her father escapes her supervision and steals a branch from a sacred tree, The Beast accepts Ami's help in the library searching for information about the blight that has been affecting the region. The blight has started to infect the population of the region and turned them into zombies. Zhara also discovers the undead in her search for more information that could help in her fight against the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons, and the search for other Guardians. Eventually Zhara and Ami find each other at a point where the temple they are at gets overrun by the undead, launching them on a pilgramage for answers with a very unlikely group of characters - all with their own secrets to hide.

I really enjoyed this book, even more than I did the original. It was only in the epilogue that I realized that both the first and second were loose adaptations of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. And since I've always loved the Beauty and the Beast trope, it would make sense that I enjoyed this one.

The one aspect that did bother me was a misunderstanding trope, where the reason for the big climactic fight at the end was due to a specific character withholding information. It made the last part a bit unnecessary, but it did end with the proper closure you would want from this arc.

I am really looking forward to the other books still awaiting us in this series! This is a really special series that does both the fairytale retellings but making them so unique, and keeping true to their Asian inspiration. Big fan!

Li Ami was always on the outside—outside of family, outside of friendships, outside of ordinary magic.

The second Guardians of Dawn book was an improvement on the first. I enjoyed Ami as a character and the world-building continues to flesh out in an interesting way.

This was an excellent follow-up to Guardians of Dawn: Zhara. The world in this book expands upon what was encountered in the first book in a very satisfying way, and I enjoyed seeing the twists and turns the characters' journey took. The additions to the cast fit perfectly, along with development of the originals, and I especially loved the representations of neurodivergence and queerness. As an autistic non-binary person, I could relate both to Ami's awkwardness and love for books and words, as well as Beast's frustrations with people trying to shove them into a certain mold of person. And Han is on the asexual spectrum! I feel like none of this is represented enough in books, so I very much appreciate its inclusion here.

I was also pleased to learn more about the magic system in this book, and have more of the secret text discovered and decoded. I can't wait for the next book to learn even more, and also to see exactly what else S. Jae-Jones will put the characters through. It's been fun so far, and I have no doubt that will continue to be true.

Just like Zhara, Ami has me in a chokehold! The Sailor Moon nostalgia is huuuuuge for me. I need more, S. Jae-Jones, moooore!!

Book 2: Guardians of Dawn Ami keeps up the momentum that started with book 1.. The battle against the mother of all demons continues.
I absolutely adored getting to know Ami, also known as the Guardian of Qood in this fast past addicting of a novel. S. Jae Jones knows how to create such captivating characters with a plot that keeps you flipping through pages at a break neck pace. I can’t tell you how many times I had my heart pounding with the events Ami and Zhara were facing on their journey to restore balance in a chaotic world.
I now know that I need a physical copy of this book. That’s how good it was.
If you like:
Realistic Characters
Battles of Good and Evil
Magic Abilities
Edge of your seat action

This series is for you! Now I wait impatiently for book 3 lol
Rating: 4 and half stars.
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for a copy of this book. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book..

I had a hard time enjoying the book because I wasn't a huge fan of our main character, but the writing was well done and the plot was a good one.

Guardians of Dawn: Ami is the second book in S. Jae-Jones’ spellbinding fantasy series, and you definitely need to read Zhara first for everything to make sense! In this sequel, the story deepens, with richer character development and relationships that really hooked me. 🌟 The world-building is even more immersive, and the pacing kept me flipping pages late into the night. 📖

The “Guardian of Wood” arc brought a new layer of magic and intrigue, and I’m excited to see how the series continues to evolve! Definitely a must-read for fantasy lovers. 💫

Huge thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and S. Jae-Jones for the ARC! 🙏 Can’t wait to revisit this world after I finish Zhara.

I loved the first book in the series. Zhara brought a new magic system and a wonderful cultural immersion. Those are both built upon and expanded in Guardians of Dawn: Ami, where the Guardian of Wood emerges to help Zhara fight off the undead and a blight that is spreading across the Eastern Plains. You get a deeper look at the power of the guardians, as well as learning more about what they must do to battle off The Mother of All Demons.

I was so excited to get this book, but had a hard time making it through the whole thing. I still loved the world building and the author got right back into moving the story forward. My big problem is that I feel that in Zhara the characters were so engaging. They grew over the course of the book and they teased each other and you were really gunning for their relationship as a side note to the main story line. In this book the relationship between Zhara and Han seems to have fizzled out, and the new pair, Ami and Beast, are just awkward. Ami is written as most likely ASD and Beast has an amazing number of hang-ups, and it leaves you wondering why the author felt the need to push a relationship in a book about saving the world from being overrun by demons.

The story line stayed interesting, but in more a 'lets power through this' than in a truly enjoyable way. I'm disillusioned enough that I'm not sure if I want to continue with the series, unfortunately.

Guardians of Dawn: Ami is the sequel to Guardians of Dawn: Zhara. In the first volume, the first two Guardians of Dawn are discover their true abilities and find each other; in this second volume, the third Guardian discovers her true abilities and finds first Zhara, and then Suli, the two Guardians from the first volume. As with the first volume, the primary antagonist of the Guardians is a demon - in this case, a demon who controls the dead, who is trying, as did his sibling in the first volume, to raise his mother, the queen of the demons, so she can begin her 1,000 year reign of darkness. This novel is influenced by Asian culture, which is most noticeable in the names and certain aspects of the culture.

Li Ami is a scrivener, with a magical talent for plants, a young woman trying to care for her father, who is suffering from severe confusion. In her journey to find help for her father, she finds the rise of the undead, which, in turn, leads her to Zhara and the knowledge of her true abilities. Along the way, she meets several additional characters from the previous volume. This is a coming-of-age novel, which includes multiple romantic relationships, all in the early stages of discovery. It also deals with the responsibility that comes with power. Recommended for readers middle school through adult.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Wednesday books and NetGalley for this eArc!

Unfortunately, I am not finding myself able to sink into this story the way I'd like to. I enjoyed book 1 on audio especially, but I am finding that book 2 being only accessible as an ebook at this time is drawing a lot of attention to how repetitive and slow the story itself is actually building. In addition to that, I am finding the main character to be uninteresting and one-sided. I don't think I will be continuing this series at this time, but I will maybe consider going back to it on audio in the future.

This is such an interesting world and cast of characters. I think I liked this one a little more than Zhara.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This is book two of Guardians of Dawn, it’s the story of Ami (and I won’t tell you what she is the guardian of you will have to read the book). I loved that this book picks up right where book one left off with Zhara on the hunt for a book that will help them overcome the Mother of all Demons. On the way she meets with Ami and Gaden, who both spark something familiar with Zhara but she can’t put it together right away. You will see characters that were in the first book, but you will also see a lot of new characters, and you will be taken away to a different place in the country and see different magic creatures, fight a new higher demon, find new allies, and of course finding inner strength in oneself.

This plot was kinda like the first book, but you will see more inner strength, learning to trust one’s inner self, found family and so much more. I loved that you will see the mythology story really coming together in this book and seeing where the story of this series might lead you. I loved that this author knows how to write a story that will grab your attention and keep it going throughout the book. The plot is fast-paced and easy to read. I found the fighting scenes to be fun to picture and the way that the author writes you will not find it hard to picture. I found that the author did a great job on LGBTQ rep. You will find mystery and twists and turns like the first book to keep you on your toes, there is action in this book and a little bit of romance. I found the characters to be engaging and well written.

Ami is an interesting character, and not in a bad way at all. I loved that she was like a little kid getting to learn and understand the world differently because she has been held back her whole life due to the powers that she has and her father wanting to keep her safe. You can see that she has the world’s biggest heart, and that she cares deeply for her father, even though at times he can hinder her and her understanding of the world. I loved that she was getting to see the world in a different light and be around people that understand her feelings and the friends that she develops. I liked that even though this book is told in multiple POV, you will not get confused about what character is talking now, and you will see a different light to everyone. With Gaden, I felt really bad for the situation that they were put in and you can see the hardships of having to keep all of their secrets. I am happy that they finally felt that they had people there that can understand the why’s of the lies and that they learned from it. I liked that Ami was never pushy with Gaden and their relationship and Ami allowed Gaden to open up to her at their own time.

I can’t wait to see where this story will go next.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this book.

This was really fun! I'm not sure I enjoyed this as much as I did the first one, but I am excited to see where this story/series goes! I loved how different Ami's powers were from Zhara's and the events in book one continued and grew in this one.

I struggled to get into this. I love the idea but I couldn't connect with the characters and the plot I felt was lackluster