I liked this one even more than the first! It has a beauty and the beast retelling, more lgbtq+ characters(character with they/them pronouns and a character on the asexual spectrum!) we get more of Zhara and new characters with different abilities. Cant wait for the last two books! One complaint is characters go yes. . . and then change their mind to no too many times

I'm coming to learn I'm not the biggest fan of "beauty and the beast" retelling or inspiration. I appreciate the story/world building and how in depth the characters are. I just don't think this was my cup of tea unfortunately.

DNF for me. I can see why people enjoyed it but I just didn't. I don't remember loving the first one and have similar mixed feelings about this one. I can see why other people love it even if it wasn't for me.

A couple notes:
*our library has book one, so we're likely to get this one too. I would probably recommend binging both books in a short span to make it easier to keep track of characters.
*Maybe people who liked the first lord of the Rings book would like this one?
*All plot twists were foreshadowed. It's not a bad thing to be predictable, but I would have added maybe an extra chapter or so between set-up and execution. Han kept suggesting sword lessons, and I would have added that, for more interaction between him and the other characters.

I love these type of fantasy stories, they really send me down a rabbit hole of wanting to do more research and find new rabbit holes. I love feeling like I'm expanding my horizon as and traveling/ disappearing into new worlds without leaving my couch

I loved WInstersong Duet, so I couldn't wait for Guardians of Dawn! I really enjoyed book one, Zhara.
This second story in "Guardians of the Dawn" follows both Zhara and a new guardian named Ami as their paths converge. Zhara and the Bangtan brothers are on their way to find the lost book that will help them learn more about the guardians and the demons when they come across a town of undead. Despite how it sounds this one didn't land for me, but it's still a beautiful and magical book!

This was a good read, i cam in new to the series, but felt that I understood the world and plot and it held my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to review this eARC.

I was excited to see that my request for this ARC was accepted because I received/read the first book (Zhara) last year in one of my illumicrate boxes and I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story. The plot is interesting and intriguing, I’ll be excited to continue reading the series as it releases because I especially enjoy the magic system. It’s been very sweet to watch the characters grow and learn to be vulnerable with others. There are aspects of these characters that I have not read about in other books which is refreshing. I love the acceptance between them. Definitely an enjoyable series so far!

This story has me ecstatic since the beginning. It’s so heartbreaking but beautifully written and somehow also hopeful. I can’t wait for the next book already.

tl:dr Better than book one, gimme another

The plot is tighter, the characterization is deeper, the action fiercer. This book is proper third person omniscient, so if you don’t like books with that perspective it’s not for you. We mostly stick with Ami and Zhara, although it can flit around even in one single chapter. I prefer this perspective, but I know some people can be finicky about this.

It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s memorable. It feels much more epic, on a grander scale, then book one centering Zhara. It’s also really funny, and I’m a sucker for humor thrown into dramatic or fantastical takes.

I’m honestly not sure if my getting to read it early and not having to pay for it tipped the scales a bit. It’s definitely an exciting read and was everything I was looking for. Especially while imagining it as an animated movie while I read it, it’s so cinematic. I am fully invested in this series now.

This is the second installment in the rich fantasy of the Guardians of Dawn series by S. Jae-Jones. This one is like Sailor Moon meets Beauty and the Beast, and I am really enjoying it. Though I think more of Avatar the last Airbender. Li Ami has always felt like an outsider and is now in charge of taking care of her mentally ill father. She offers her services up to the castle when her father is caught trespassing. Will she discover who she really is?

I mean first off, look at that beautiful cover!! The story is about finding yourself and finding friends along the way. I am loving all the queer diverse representation throughout these books and the Asian influences. The pacing is still super slow in the beginning, but definitely picks up by the end. I want to keep reading this series!!

Thank you so much, St Martin's Press, Wednesday books and NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Li Ami is forced to live in exile, away from her friendships, ordinary magic and her own family, taking care of her ill father in the outermost West. When her father is caught stealing from the sacred ground of a castle, Ami makes a deal with the presiding Beast by offering to help him find a cure against a mysterious blight. In the Morning Realms, in the meantime, signs of magical corruptions are everywhere and Zhara and Han are helped by the Guardian of Dawn, trying to find some answer in a mysterious and lost text about what to do against this growing madness. In order to defeat the new danger, the undead, Zhara needs the Guardian of Wood, able to heal them and with Han she's ready to journey to the Root of the World to save her country and seal the demon portal here. And, maybe, find new allies in the meantime.

Guardians of Dawn: Ami is the brilliant second book of the Guardian of Dawn saga and it's absolutely brilliant, filled with adventure, romance, laughter and finding oneself, in a race against demons, zombies, mysterious powers and friendships.
The story is told by multiple POVs and if in the first book we get to know Zhara with her giggles and her love with Han, now it's Ami's turn, a young, shy and intelligent young woman, who has to recognize her power and embrace her identity in a race against time. Forced to live her family, alone in a different part of the Realms, Ami is a brilliant MC, who is able to feel too much, thinking of herself as "uncanny", "weird" and I loved this characterization, how Ami feels different and alone and, at the same time, she starts a journey into accepting herself and all her parts, meeting people who love her as she is, like the Beast.

I loved how the universe introduced in the first book is expanded, including new allies and enemies, powers and prophecies, demons and so much more and how, while Zhara could make the reader thinks of a Cinderella retelling, here recalls more The Beauty and the Beast meets Sailor Moon, in this brilliant, funny and intriguing sequel.
I can't wait to read more books of this saga!

I am so happy that I was able to read this so soon after reading the first Guardians of Dawn book. I needed more of Zhara and the bangtan brother and Han. I got all of that and so much more. I got to fall in love with Ami and Gaden. I got to experience another new love of a whole different flavor as Gaden and Ami got to know each other. Zhara and Han learn that Han has his own way of wanting to be loved and they grow closer because of it. The emotional growth of everyone in this novel made me so happy.

My favorite of them all was Gaden. They are strong and they are complicated. They’ve been called beast because of their scaring and they’ve spent their life hiding who they really are. I can’t understand how complicated things get with Gaden and Ami and the others, but their whole story, growth, mistakes, and love story are so so good. I love them so much.

The action, tension, and stakes in this novel are even higher. It feels even scarier and there’s so much more mystery and so much more morally grey scenarios that had me so excited while I read them. I was always thinking to myself how they were all going to make it out of their situation alive. Their fight against demons gets incredibly intense. There are so many political and magical issues that arise and the team has to come together and fight to save the realms however they can.

I want to say more, but I can’t without spoiling and this book deserves to be discovered for yourself. All I can say is there is so much goodness in this book. Even in the way things get complicated the truth lies in the kindness and intention of each individual and it made my heart sore multiple times. As soon as you get the chance I recommend picking up this book!

I just couldn't get into this.

I wasn't a big fan of book one, but wanted to give book two a try. I am left feeling the same things I did during book one. The Writing is both immature and mature at the same time. I'm not sure who the audience is supposed to be. Younger teens or older teens?

I'm sure this is the book for someone, but not me.

**Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eArc of this title. This in no way changed my opinion of this book**

I read and loved book 1 of this series and honestly, book 2 is even better. I LOVE the new focus character, Ami, as well as many of the topics Jae-Jones tackles in this sequel.

In book 2, we meet Li Ami, who is Prince Han from book 1's cousin and the Guardian of Wood. To harken back to the Sailor Moon comparison, Ami reminds me a lot of Ami/Sailor Mercury (who is my favorite of the sailor scouts), and not just because they share a name. Ami is very smart, bookish and knowledgeable about many of the topics concerning astrology and the guardian mythology, making her invaluable to the team. She is also, however, HEAVILY coded as neurodivergent, making her shy and causing her to misunderstand many social cues (my best guess from the textual cues is she's autistic, but as this is a Fantasy series, she is just described as others frequently misunderstanding her and her them. They lift the "people think I'm odd" phrasing from Disney's Beauty & the Beast, which is the folklore tie-in for this title). I relate to her a lot and I liked her more matter-of-fact characterization over Zhara's over-the-top, somewhat goofy nature (the "good-looking giggles" make another appearance and I have less patience for them a second time).

Additionally, I really liked the "beast" character, who is named Gaden. They are hiding a significant power (that I won't spoil). Additionally, they are trans and nonbinary. The only thing I would express caution for the reader with Gaden is that a relative deadnames them (not maliciously, but out of an attempt to get them to realize their "destiny" [again, due to plot-related spoilers]). If you feel like this would be triggering, I would either skip it or go into it knowing that will happen. Gaden expresses their desire to be seen as themselves instead of what they can be for others or what their power allows them to do for others. Their character arc is largely one of individuality and acceptance. They and the others also have an overarching conversation about consent (what it is, what it isn't, that it can be revoked as easily as it is given, etc.) that I think Jae-Jones did a nice job with.

In relation to representation, it is made explicit that Han is asexual and he has a conversation about that with Zhara. I thought that was also well-handled. I like that Jae-Jones has created a very queer Fantasy series with most of the MCs being somewhere on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. I am pan and thought she did a nice job with her rep, but I understand others in the community disagree with my take. I think this book did a better job with it than book 1.

The only real issue I have is that BTS becomes a HUGE part of the narrative for the first 30% of the story and it's so unnecessary. The story is wonderful on it's own. It DID NOT need BTS and unfortunately, I'm concerned book 3 is going to heavily feature them, as well, since it's set where they have been sent to. If the author is given feedback between this book and book 3, I would *HIGHLY* suggest limiting their inclusion, as it makes it read like bad fanfic and the story is so well-written when they aren't there. For me, it detracts from the story.

That said, I love the story and the characters. I will absolutely be reading book 3 (although I'm less certain of what the folktale is supposed to be than I was with this one. The hints make me think Snow White or Jack & the Bean Stalk, but it may also just be one I'm unfamiliar with). I would recommend the book despite the BTS inclusion, especially because Ami and Gaden are great characters and I enjoyed their story arc.

4.5/5, rounded to a 5 for Goodreads.

A fantastic sequel that made my Sailor Moon-loving heart squeal with glee! Fantastic worldbuilding, great characters, and just a fun and fascinating story! Highly recommended! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun read. I think I wasn't exactly the target audience for it any more. But this is the sort of book I wish had been out when I was younger. I really enjoyed it and it felt like a good follow up to Zhara.

I have been provided with a review copy of this title from NetGalley for an impartial review. I just loved getting to enter this world. I just loved getting to meet these characters and see what they are currently getting themselves into. This book was just a really fun read. I just lost myself in this great story and I didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed the first installment of this series (GoD: Zahra) back when I was approved for the eARC last year, so I'm excited to dive into this next installment! I definitely am looking forward to more world-building, lore exploration, and of course some good-ol'-fashioned fantasy action. Always happy to see and read AAPI-helmed reads, so I'm certain this one will be a real treat!

This is such a great inclusive series. The characters are diverse and intriguing. The storyline flows and keeps you hooked. Plus there is a little bit of everything, zombies, unicorns, magic, you name it and this book probably has some small bit in it. The plot between book one and two is great and the interconnect seamlessly. I also love how Ami has a bit of a Beauty and the Beast theme.