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.

"Monsters hide. Love divides. The dead will rise.

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

Li Ami is an exile. Exiled from friendships, from ordinary magic, and from her own family, Ami is sent to the outermost West to care for her mentally ill father, whose rantings and ravings might actually spell out a dire prophecy. When her father is arrested for stealing from the sacred grounds of the castle, Ami must make herself of use to the presiding Beast by finding a cure to the mysterious blight that is decimating their harvest.

Guardian of Wood...There you are...

Meanwhile, as signs of magical corruption arise throughout the Morning Realms and the threat of the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons looms ever larger, the tenuous peace holding the Realms together begins to unravel. Jin Zhara, the newly empowered Guardian of Fire, realizes that she might be out of her element. Her magic is no match for the growing tide of undead, and she needs the Guardian of Wood to defeat the revenants razing the countryside. The two must journey to the Root of the World in order to seal the demon portal there and restore balance to an increasingly chaotic world.

Filled with adventure, romance and a race against time, Guardians of Dawn: Ami is the next book in the richly imagined Guardians of Dawn series."

I'm loving the Beauty and the Beast vibes!

While I loved the world continuation of the world building and getting more of a look into Zhara's story, I've come to the conclusion that this series just isn't for me. I've read and enjoyed a lot of YA, and while there are some things that would be a bit inappropriate for middle grade readers, the characters within the books so far have felt very middle grade. Guardians of Dawn: Ami starts off with some action, beginning with Ami's father going missing, and initially that gripped me. Bu,t as the story went on, it didn't hold my interest. This part is probably on me as I'm guessing I didn't do enough research into the series before starting it. I went into this book thinking that it would be an interconnected standalone to the first. I very much thought this would be solely Ami's story. That wasn't the case, however, as it is very much a continuation of Zhara's, so if you're like me and wasn't aware, I think that's something to keep in mind.

I will say my favorite things were the world building as well as the writing. The writing style is incredibly beautiful.

My rating: 3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the chance to be an early reader. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for an eARC of this highly anticipated sequel! All opinions are my own.

I loved the first book in the Guardians of Dawn series, Zhara. So when I saw the second installment up for request, I LEAPED at the chance. Especially with that cover. Do you see that cover y'all! It's gorgeous!!!

Sadly, I was not as enthralled with this book as I was the first. For some reason, it took me a long time to get into it. Like I was halfway through, and wondering why am I still reading? Where are the characters I loved so much from before, why were they not as captivating as they once were? I wish I knew, but it wasn't until I was at about 70% before things started to perk up. From that point, the book was glued in my hands, I needed to know what was going to happen. So I will say that my rating is mainly based on the last quarter of the book, because things got INTERESTING. Yes, the all caps is necessary.

The story comes from multiple viewpoints. The two FMCs, Zhara (my girl!) and Ami, as well as one of the MMC, Gaden/Beast. I did like the Beauty and the Beast vibes in this story, much like the Cinderella vibes in the first book, but I was left wanting much more. There's a big moral dilemma that's developed and involves a few characters and instead of exploring these situations, it felt like we just glossed over some much-needed discussion and exploration. I did love the representation of different types of love and gender identity.

The writing is well-done, though I felt the pacing and reveals could use some work. It was very apparent to me who was who long before any big reveals happened. To be fair, the action in this book was on another level compared to the first, and the stakes were raised enough that I was worried if all my favorite characters would make it through or not!

And of course, the Sailor Moon/elemental magic vibes are strong in this installment as well! That's mainly what drew me to this series, I am and always will be a Sailor Moon girly, and I am enjoying reading this reincarnation of my favorite manga/anime series! Even though it took me awhile to get into this one, I will definitely be getting the 3rd book asap!

AMI returns us to the world that is full of rich descriptions, Asian influence, fantasy, battles, LGBTQIA+ characters, multiple POVs, action sequences, demonic possession, and even zombies. While all of that would seem exciting, I did not connect with this book for the same reason as its predecessor, Zhara. This is a perfect YA novel for those that are in that age group, but not to an adult. My rating is high only because I am rating it with this in mind, not my own enjoyment.

Part of what makes this series so great for a younger audience is the fact that it has so much going on from diverse and inclusive characters to zombies to world building. Each book is basically a Sailor Moon character plus a fairytale retelling. For that audience, it’s a great story and a unique way to incorporate already beloved stories in a new way.

But for older readers, my issues still stands with the tone of the book as being immature. Characters are non communicative, they are finding themselves for most of the book, and there’s a lot of plot holes that when you think about it too hard don’t make sense. But to me, that’s ok because I truly feel like I am not the target audience for this series!

Overall, this series is great for YA readers exclusively. I am giving it this high of a rating simply because of this and the fact that I firmly believe I am not the demographic of this series, not based on my own personal enjoyment, which would be more of a 2.5-3 star reads.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for the free E-copy for review.

As a devoted fan of the classic Beauty and the Beast tale, I was immediately captivated by this enthralling retelling. While I recognized some familiar elements, this story quickly transcended the original, unfolding into an epic, sweeping adventure. The quintessential quest trope is a personal favorite of mine, so I knew I was in for a truly wondrous journey.

This being the second book in the Guardians of Dawn series, readers will have the opportunity to delve deeper into the richly-crafted world and meet the captivating characters. The dual perspectives, from the introspective Ami as she grapples with her own identity, and the enigmatic "beast" Gaden, who harbors a closely guarded secret, lend a multilayered complexity to the narrative.

The stellar cast and fantastical world-building, brimming with history, mythology, and ongoing civil unrest, elevate this story to new heights, adding remarkable depth and texture. I was thoroughly immersed, captivated by the seamless blending of familiar tropes and entirely original elements.

This was an absolute delight to read, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking an epic, genre-bending adventure. I eagerly await the release of the next installment in this enthralling series.

The Guardian of Fire has awakened and destroyed a demon lord, but darkness has sunken its claws all throughout the Morning Realms. Kicking off from where Zhara ended, Ami follows Zhara on her quest to find the Guardian of Wood who will be instrumental if they are to stop the rising tides of the undead.

Just as Zhara was a loose retelling of Cinderella, Ami is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Our titular character, Li Ami, is a bookish outsider who doesn't fit in. Ami's father commits a terrible crime with a heavy sentence, and Ami offers up her own freedom in exchange. Ami's "captor" is a mysterious person named Beast, who lives in a beautiful castle with a very magical plant (a tree, not a rose) at its heart. There is a love story.

The zombies, though, are Jae-Jones's own touch. I don't love zombies in my media, to be honest, and while they are a fitting opponent for Ami's powers, I personally dislike most of the tropes associated with zombie media. I did enjoy the magic system, though, and how Ami takes place primarily in the west, where the Tibetan Buddhist influences are clear in Jae-Jones's worldbuilding. It is fitting, really, that the undead are rising in a part of the Morning Realms where life is supposed to reincarnate naturally, and yet it is distorted by demonic forces.

Zhara has matured as a character who has stepped into her role as the Guardian of Fire. We get to see her through the eyes of others, an imposing figure even as she is still adjusting to her newfound powers. Ami is very different, and I enjoyed being in her head. The romance was a little underwhelming, just as it had been with Zhara and Han, but Beast is a really interesting character with a lot to unpack.

With how this book ends, I'm all too eager to see where book 3 goes next.

I will share my review after St. Martin's Press does the following:
1. Address and denounce the Islamophobia/racism from their employee.
2. Offer tangible steps for how they’re going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
3. Address how, moving forward, they will support and protect their Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab readers, influencers, and authors in addition to their BIPOC readers, influencers, and authors.

Very rarely does an author leave me speechless and Jae-Jones continues to do such in the next installment of the Guardians series. I love that we see new characters and new sides to characters from book one. This story is so magical and brings me so much childhood nostalgia

I think I might like this one even more than Zhara and that's saying a lot because I adored Zhara. The Sailor Moon vibes are so strong. It's fantastic!

I loved the characters and their interactions so much. The battles sequences are amazing and there's even more body horror! Yay! (And also? Ew!)

I need book 3 yesterday.

I really loved Zhara by S Jae-Jones. Unfortunately, Ami did not live up to the expectations that were had for book 2 of the series. Ami, the main character of this book, seemed to be way too timid and very immature. Sure, this is a YA book, but it felt a bit much that this character was that closed minded and timid. The romantic relationship between Zhara and Han also seemed a bit forced. The possibility of Han being asexual seemed to come out left field and didn't feel like a natural progression for the storyline, or the characters.

I did enjoy the continuation of the Guardians of Dawn story. It built upon the foundation laid in book 1 with more lore and world building. Though Ami may not have been "it" for me, does not mean I will not continue the series. I look forward to see the reveal of the next Guardian, and where the journey leads all the characters.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

I will be posting to Instagram, Goodreads, and Storygraph.

Appreciate the inclusivity of characters, but for some reason this book wasn't as impactful as the first. I think Zhara was a stronger character, and almost overshadowed Ami even though it was her book. I would continue the series because the overall storyline (and other reincarnated guardians) have me intrigued!

Guardians of Dawn: Ami is the second book in the series. You definitely need to read the first book for some of the storyline to make sense. This book is full of a lot of characters and world building too for it to almost feel like it could be a standalone book. The storyline is interesting enough as well as the characters.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy
Representation: Non-binary (Some readers feel like Ami is neurodiverse—she didn't skew that way for me, but I can see how that works for others.)

GUARDIANS OF DAWN: AMI is book 2 in the series. You must read these in order for them to make sense.

In this book, it's a little more serious than the first, but the guardians are still gathering for a battle. There is still a large confrontation in this one, but I can feel that the ultimate war is still on the horizon.

There are no more "good-looking giggles" in this book, but Han also doesn't have a POV, and I missed him. I had a hard time getting into this book, and I think it's because I needed to review the highlights from the first novel when this one starts with Ami, whose view point is new. This left me feeling a little lost.

The undead (zombies) are a big part of this novel. So if that's your itch, you'll get to scratch it. I was very interested in the little mother plant and what would happen to it. (That's my love of a cozy coming out.)

I didn't love this one as much as the first—something of second-book-syndrome that I frequently experience. I also felt like the first was a retelling of Cinderella, while this one is rooted in "classic" Asian fantasy with Sailor Moon vibes—I just wanted to know more so I could read up on it to feel more connected to the story.

If you loved Zhara's book, you're going to want to pick up this one. I enjoyed this book and feel like most young readers will get absorbed in the world problems and romances. (I'm slightly rounding up.)

Happy reading!

This second in the series nearly reads well enough to be a stand-alone. The multiple points of view was intriguing for sure.

The second in the Guardians of Dawn series picks up right where the first left off once again following the intensely fun mashup of Sailor Moon, western fairy tales, and East Asian mythology. The Beauty and the Beast parallels really only come to play at the very beginning, quickly giving way to exploring the worldbuilding of the Guardians and their demonic counterparts as the rot we started to see in Zhara comes to the forefront. Now that both we as readers and Zhara and crew know more about the balance between magicians and demons, between ki and anti-ki, we get to dig further into the mythology of the world and get to the heart of just who the Sunburst Warrior is and what the Star of Radiance is. As mor of the prophecy gets revealed and we start to see how the different regions have interpreted the myths, just what we're building toward starts to take shape too.

This definitely feels like a second book in a series, but more than that, an immediate continuation. For all that Ami's name is in the title and we do get to learn quite a bit about her and the Guardian of Wood, it's almost as equally Zhara and Gaden's book. There are so many PoVs, and that some of them mainly dealt with threads from the first book made this feel less like Ami's book and more like just an expansion of Zhara's.

That said, my favorite thing from the first book is perfectly retained here - the sheer joy that radiates off the pages. Despite being an adventure story with demons and undead and the possible end of the world, there's just an unabashed joy that Jae-Jones gets to write this story and tell it, which I can't help but feel endeared to. The characters are at turns goofy and heart-felt, anxious and righteous. Sure at times they feel young, but they are also 16-year-olds thrust into literally legendary roles. There's also a great continuation of representation, which results in some of my favorite conversations in the book that really help make the growing group of Guardians and their allies feel like a family.

I'm super invested now, and I can't wait to see what happens when we turn towards the more political machinations now that the rebel group of the Heralds has been introduced and the assassination of the Warlord - given that epilogue, I'm curious to see if we'll deal with that and Yuli's story or the Guardian of Water next (and what some of those breadcrumbs of a false heir lead to!)