Ami Lives in a mystical fantasy world where magic runs rampant and the guardians are starting to rise. Ami herself is a dynamic lovely character whose development from finding out that she is more than just a scribe that she thought herself to be is just lovely. This is a book that fantasy lovers of all ages will enjoy reading and find themselves lost in a world where trusting in oneself really can allow you to rise above what you believe you can do. I love the ties from the first book and the characters who have carried over from the first novel. Readers of the first novel will not be upset with the second one I cannot wait to see where the third both brings us.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Even without the tagline, I could tell early in that this one was Sailor Moon x Beauty and the Beast!

The writing in Ami surpasses that of Zhara. I loved the first book, but this second one offers so much more. There's a lot of grotesque detail that made me scrunch my nose, and battles that had me cheering them on. Which is saying something, as I don't normally get so immersed in the story or connected with the characters.

The book is written from three different viewpoints: Ami, Gaden, and Zhara- mostly Ami and Zhara. In the beginning, you get to learn Ami's backstory from her point of view while Zhara's POV picks up book one's narrative. You don't know exactly when they're going to cross paths, which really adds to the moment. I honestly had the Sailor Moon theme song playing in my head during the scene!

While the fight scenes give me Sailor Moon vibes, the focal romantic pairing gives me proper Beauty and the Beast vibes. Hints of the tale exist in the beginning, regarding Ami's father, and then at key moments during the Beast's character development. Come the end (cue the romance), you're left imagining the Beast transforming into Adam. (Only, definitely not Adam.)

In fact, the Beast character is more than just "ugly beast" becoming "handsome prince," as the Beast is NB, with use of they/them pronouns used throughout. There is more to this than I won't share, as I don't want to spoil anything! Even Han is more than what he appears, and offers further representation under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella.

Speaking of various representation, Ami shows signs of being on the spectrum. It isn't clearly stated, so I apologize if this is incorrect. How she interacts, perceives interactions, and even describes herself suggest that she might be on the spectrum. Please do correct me if I am incorrect!

So that we don't leave Zhara out of the conversation, it is important to note that she matures greatly during this book. She really stands out as their leader, and makes it rather clear that she must accept and fulfill the position given to her. I really loved every moment of opportunity for Zhara to grow, as she took the moment by the horns and stepped up.

It is worth noting that the demon in this book wasn't at all how I expected it to be, and didn't act at all how I would have thought. This is a good thing! The demon's actions/decisions made sense. It just makes me wonder who the other Lords will be.

I genuinely cannot wait for the next book to come out! I love S Jae-Jones's writing, and the cross references really do match the books!

So I absolutely LOVED Zhara! Like was hooked. Ami was not as great a book for me. I loved the multiple POV but the story itself just wasn't as captivating for me.

I enjoyed the second entry into the Guardians of Dawn series much more than I did the first. In this book, we meet many new characters, including our main couple Ami and Gaden, and we also pick up where we left off with Zhara and Han.

Much of the book was spent travelling around and fighting zombies. As a zombie book fan, I didn’t mind this. However, after these long stretches of travel, the ending/ final battle felt very short in comparison.

I really liked our new Guardian, Ami and wish the book had focused more on her rather than splitting time with Zhara’s POV. I didn’t feel like Zhara’s POV added much or that she grew much as a character. It didn’t help that my least favorite part of the first book (the Bangtan Brothers) were featured in her early chapters.

Overall, I’m enjoying this world and plan to continue reading the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I liked this sequel more than I liked the first one. I think maybe because I really related to Ami as a character. She was soft spoken, a reader, didn't really have a good social life/wasn't good at talking to people. I also really liked her love interest Gaden. They were such a good addition to the novel and their backstory was impeccable. Learning that Han is demisexual (I'm judging this based off the way he described his feelings for Zhara) was great too! The subtle LGBTQIA+ representation in both fo the novels have been really great and I appreciate it. I was a little annoyed that the portal they were looking for was in a different spot (meaning they basically had to backtrack) but I guess it was necessary so that Ami could find her Guardian companion. I thought the next book might be about the Guardian of Water but I think we're going to follow Yuli!! I've loved Yuli since the first book. All of Yuli's interactions with Han and Zhara are always so funny and I appreciated how she liked to tease them about their romance (because same). The Bangtan Brothers (as always) were great additions to the story. I hope they appear in the next one too but I'm not sure they will.

Ami is the second book in the Guardian of the Dawns series picking up after the events of Zhara. In this book, we’re introduced to Ami and the Beast who end up being very important characters to the mission of stopping the Mother of Ten Thousand demons. While new characters are added, there are still POVs following Zhara and her companions. While the plot fell to the second book syndrome in my opinion, I feel that the character development, world building, and expanding magic systems more than made up with any plot challenges. Both Ami and the Beast had very rich, well thought out, and well developed characters that were interesting to learn about. Not only that, they also had to face struggles tied to their identities that were well handled. I also really enjoyed getting to experience more of the land as the group continues their travels. I found the difference in powers between the various Guardians fascinating in terms of how they can each manipulate ki and how that plays into their different struggles agains the demons. One area I wanted more from was the battle to close the portal. There were so many things happening leading up to that final battle that it ended up falling flat for me. Overall, though, I enjoyed reading this and will be continuing the series with the next book.

Sailor Moon meets Beauty and the Beast.

Ughh I cannot put into words how much I love this series. This book adds more characters with the addition of Ami the Guardian of Wood and Beast, it opens up with more areas as Zhara and Han travel to get answers and beautiful descriptions of the lands, the difference in dialect and honorifics depending on where the characters were/speaking to was a nice addition to see. The undead aspect added a whole new danger along with the demons (actually gave me the creeps with how well the undead were described) and more information on the past and magic as well as uncovering secrets. I love that we got to see Zhara and Han's relationship evolve and the communication between them, it was so relatable and also Han expressing his feelings about love made me feel seen. As with the other book the representation in this one was amazing and well written. I love that both Ami and Zhara aren't typical heroines, they are young women who didn't even know how strong they were and spent most of their lives taking care of others and then were thrust into more than they could imagine, they both adapted to their new lives but also are gonna make mistakes and doubt themselves but still they pushed forward and were determined. The found family aspect in this grew as well, and I felt all the emotions as we gained and lost a few through the book. I can't wait for the next one and to see what comes next and how the story will continue to unfold.

Ami is book 2 in the Guardians of Dawn series. I really enjoyed book 1 of this series and knew I had to give this a try when I saw it coming out. It is such a unique series and one you will not want to put down.

We start off with Ami, a leading lady that is doing whatever it takes to care of her father, trying to work and begging for anything to help them survive. When she is asked to translate some things for the Beast, how could she say no? This winds up leading Ami on a magical journey she never expected, and she finds herself along the way.

This installment flips back and forth between Ami's POV and Zhara's POV (the main character in book 1). You have plenty of action and fight scenes to keep your interest and it progresses the story arc from book 1. I am intrigued about what the next book will bring and excited to see where that story takes us. I recommend this if you are a fan of young adult fantasy with a dash of Sailor Moon.

Guardians of Dawn: Ami by S. Jae-Jones is the second book of the series. The first one was Zhara. I definitely would say that it's better to read this book after reading Zhara.

This book picks up from the end of Zhara. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so my review will be limited to my opinions. I liked Ami better than Zhara. It could be maybe because I was already aware of the world building in this series. The world building, the representation, and the realistic characters were my favorite parts. I wish we had a map of this world for better visualization. I really enjoyed reading Ami and their arc. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Ami is a young girl that finds herself at odds with others, never really fitting in- always seen as a bit eccentric or strange. This has led to severe isolation which is further compounded by caring for her mentally ill father. Ami finds herself in a precarious situation when her father is caught stealing sacred items from the palace. She makes a deal that in exchange for her father's safety, she will help translate texts containing the Language of Flowers. A blight has taken over the land causing a devastating illness, and the lost language may hold the only answers.

I don't want to say more than that if you haven't read Zhara. Beyond what I have summarized is really the meat of the story which ties heavily to the first book in the series.

I enjoyed this book! It's a great YA novel that has magic, found family, character growth, and light romance. Once again, Jae-Jones is able to describe horrific things in detail- think Demon Slayer terror! The details put into this book are vivid and beautifully written. I will say at times it seems repetitive. I believe the word "uncanny" was used no less than 50 times. I did not count, but it happened a lot. The characters are young (16-17) and sweet. Trying to navigate being awkward teenagers and simultaneously save the world. Although the characters are slightly immature, it's great to see them grow and gain confidence.

Thank you so much S. Jae-Jones and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book to enjoy!

The boycott of St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and other related imprints is a direct response to the publisher’s lack of accountability regarding statements made by an employee in their marketing department and their failure to respond to concerns about possible systemic issues within the department.
We are asking the company to address and denounce the Islamophobic and racist statements and behavior, as well as take active steps to protect employees, influencers, readers, and authors from racist and discriminatory behavior. Terminating the employee is not, and has never been, a demand of the boycott.

Guardians of Dawn: Ami is an exciting and engaging sequel with lots of action, unexpected reveals, and wonderful new characters.

Zhara and Han are traveling to Kalantze seeking to complete the Songs of Order and Chaos, hoping the book will give them the answers they need to defeat the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons. Meanwhile in Kalantze, a young scrivener, Ami, and her ill father are seeking refuge when a demonic blight occurs in the region. When Zhara arrives amist an outbreak of undead demonic possession, she and Ami must flee with their friends. Ami is only beginning to understand her magic, but she’s not the only one keeping secrets. The Beast Gaden has a secret as well, one that could affect aok of the Morning Realm.

This was an exciting and engaging sequel in the Guardians of Dawn series. I was glad to see that Zhara still played a significant role in the book, but I also came to love Ami as well. Middle books can be challenging, as the plot needs to move forward while also preparing the reader for the next book. But this was done well in Guardians of Dawn: Ami, with plenty of action and adventure. We meet some exciting new characters such as Ami and Gaden, and get lots of interactions with favorites from the first book as well, like Han and Yuli. The book was exciting, with lots of reveals, twists, and action to move the plot forward. This book also portrays different sexual and gender identities in beautifully accepting ways. As a YA title, I found this to be an important element and added some richness to the story.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in this series. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books, St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Zhara’s quest to reunite the reborn Guardians of Dawn to close the Mother of Demons out of the world hits a snag when the dead start to rise.

The first book in this series was a delight. I loved the twist on Cinderella, and incorporating magical girls to save the world gave it a fresh spin.

This was a fun follow up to Zhara’s book! You will need to read the first one to understand what’s going on, and this one lived up to all my expectations from the first. We get a fascinating twist of Beauty & the Beast, magical girls coming together as friends and developing their powers to save the world. There is even more awesome world building, expanding on the demons and the roles of the Guardians in providing a balance for the world.

Even better, we get great development on characters from book one! Zhara has really settled into her role as leader, even as she questions herself. The romance from one gets more depth, while Ami’s relationship starts to blossom.

And the ending! A solid resolution to the conflict of this second book, but open enough that I am chomping at the bit for the next book in the series!

There is a lot of POV hopping, & it’s got a bit of slow start. And I am definitely going to need more to Ami and Gaden’s relationship in book 3.

Thank you to both NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this arc.

As someone who reads a lot of fantasy novels, I find that unique world building is one of those fair few things that can automatically elevate a book for me. It is because of this that I have been somewhat favouring stories that move away from the traditional, Anglo-centric folklore, and instead embrace a wider cultural lens, complete with myths and monsters from all over the world. However, as fun as diving into all of these new facets is, there is something to be said about the comfort of automatically knowing and being able to identify context and inspiration. Keeping that balance is something I believe Ami does very well. It is a wonderfully imaginative fantasy hybrid, seamlessly blending Eastern mythology with European legends and superstition—ultimately creating something wholly its own.
Ami is book two in the Guardians of Dawn series, and while I do plan to go back and read book one, I haven’t yet. So, my observations and opinions regarding this story are purely based on it as a standalone. That being said, the first thing that struck me about Ami was how pretty the imagery was, even when describing mundane or unattractive things. Normally I am not one for authors being overly verbose or expository, but the way it is done in this book (and I assume the first) makes that intense description feel like it isn’t a waste of time, but rather a meditation to further emphasize the mood of the setting or characters, or even to just give pause for the reader to feel emotional ties to the world building itself.
Overall, I did really like this, and I will probably reread it after I read Zhara, which is the first book in the series. As for my recommendation, Ami certainly has it—and I look forward to seeing where this series goes in the future.

Great literary masterwork it is not, but boy howdy am I having a good time. We get to see more of the magical world that Jae-Jones has created and even more of the characters that we loved from the first novel, I can safely say I am fully invested in this series.

I really enjoyed this next installment of the Guardians of Dawn. I think it started a little slow, mostly because of the anticipation of what was to come once the characters met up. Once that happened, I devoured the story like Mother of Demons wants to devour the world. Really enjoyed Ami’s growth throughout, as well as Gaden’s growth, and Zhara/Han’s growing relationship. Suggested for those who enjoy Beauty and the Beast retelling. Rep for demisexual, non-binary, autism

I enjoyed Zhara’s book, but I couldn’t get into and invested in Ami’s book, no matter how hard I tried. I’m not sure why, and can’t offer any constructive feedback. I’m hopeful that I’ll end up reading this down the line, but for now, it’s a DNF

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Guardians of Dawn: Ami by S. Jae-Jones is a third person multi-POV YA romantic fantasy continuation of Zhara. When Ami’s father is almost exiled, she becomes a scrivener for the royal family and spends more time with Beast, a guard who never removes their mask. Zhara, Han, and the Bangtan Brothers are on their way to Ami to continue their search for the other Guardians of Dawn.

Zhara mashed up Sailor Moon and Cinderella and Ami continues the Sailor Moon train but uses Beauty and the Beast for its fairy tale element. Beast, also called Gaden, is not under a curse, but has a lot of scars from a tragic accident and hides themselves away due to their fear of how people would respond to the fact that they are transgender and their previous identity. There’s a lot of layers as to why Gaden is not interested in letting people in and we slowly get those layers and sympathize with them more and more because of it.

Along with the transgender representation, there is Demi and Autistic representation that was handled quite well. Zhara and Han are still together from the previous book but have hit a bit of a rough patch that Zhara doesn’t know how to fix. Han reveals that he has never been physically attracted to someone before meeting Zhara and while he is aware of the direction romantic relationships usually go, he wants to take things slowly and Zhara agrees to stop if he’s ever uncomfortable. It’s very nice to see young men depicted as wanting to go slower or expressing that they are not ready for a more physical relationship as there is still so much societal pressure for them to want those things and to want them all the time.

Ami herself is very much Autistic-coded, including her stare, her lack of understanding of other people, her hatred of lying, and her mentioning that she has special interests. Not only is Ami one of the romantic leads in this book, but she is clearly stated on multiple occasions to be beautiful. She wears glasses to hide her stare and for her near-sightedness that she most likely developed after spending years buried in her books. On top of that, Ami has spent her life taking care of her ill father, showcasing her compassion and understanding that things need to be done that we might not want to do sometimes.

Content warning for mentions of transphobia

I would recommend this to fans of the previous book, readers of YA fantasy who want more Autistic, Demi, and Trans representation, and those drawn in by the magical girl meets fairy tale concept.

3.5
Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing the earc in exchange for an honest review.

I have so far enjoyed the Guardians of Dawn series. Ami picked up right where Zhara left off and introduced us to some of the new main characters Ami and Gaden. I actually really enjoyed this duo. I felt like they were both shy and more reserved and I felt like they balanced out with Zhara and Han well. I really liked Ami. I found her personality to be soothing and built around her life caring for her father. Some of the scenes with her father made me really emotional and I was moved by them. As for Gaden, I thought their journey was so interesting. They had so much trauma built up over the years, not really fully trusting or relying on the people around them. It was sweet to see them finally begin to let people in and I really enjoyed reading their development.

Overall I think I enjoyed the plot of the first book more, this one didn’t grip me as much. The undead are not necessarily my favorite thing to read about, but I did again enjoy reading about the balance of the ki and how the undead fall into that realm. I sometimes felt like the plot dragged it made it made the journey feel so slow at times. I started to feel more into the plot towards the later half of the book. I think the story started to come together more and the characters started to feel more like a team.

I enjoyed the representation more, I overall felt like this story matured dialogue wise which I personally really enjoyed, it still felt like a YA fantasy adventure without as much of the cringy middle school-esque dialogue which helped me enjoy this more. I think the plot was the main part that fell flat to me, but I am super excited to continue this series with the other guardians of dawn.

Monsters hide. Love divides. The dead will rise.

They say that when the world is out of balance, the Guardians of Dawn are reborn.

Ami is the second instalment in the Gaurdians of Dawn, Sailor Moon meets fantasy romance starring our new lead Ami. Zhara, makes an appearance and a sisterhood is formed!

Fantasy, romance and geared to a young adult audience, Ami has a unique story and wonderful in depth characters.

I loved this second book in the series, it is such a fun, and exciting adventure that fills me with nostalgia. Reading it reminds me of sitting in front of the tv and watching Sailor Moon. Wanting to be the characters and have the cool powers and talking animal companions.

Pub date is August 6th!

Really enjoyed it and cannot wait for more.