This was a very exciting book about Yuli, who is navigating a complicated political situation and a falling out with her best friend. The political aspect is very intriguing and the characters are interesting. Some explanations or details were a little obvious, but that's likely aligned with a story for a YA audience. In some moments, the dialogue felt very written and a little unnatural.

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

Another excellent installment in the series! Unsurprisingly, this one was significantly darker than the previous books and the sense of loss and destruction is much closer (in my opinion) than in the others. However, the author did an excellent job of showing the hope that still exists despite the darkness hanging over them. There were a few more predictable moments and the ending was less satisfying than the other books, but it was still very enjoyable. I’m a little sad I’ll have to wait another year to read book 4, but I’m looking forward to what will certainly be an epic conclusion to the story!

I've been enjoying this series. While this is probably my least favorite of the current three, it was still a fun read. As others have stated, I wasn't a big fan of the frequency that the POV flipped around. It also didn't have the same level of excitement and adventure as the other two. However, I did like the continuation of the overarching story. I look forward to reading the next in the series!

I think the book was fun, at times it felt like it was maybe a touch scattered, but in general I think that it was a good time and a good addition to the series

Many thanks to SMP, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.

This continues to be a great enjoyable YA series. This installment focuses on Yuli, Guardian of the Wind, who we’ve met before, but mostly in spirit form. Zhara and Ami travel north to help her tackle the next demon and portal, while also having to part ways temporarily with Han and Gaden.

This is an incredibly tightly plotted book. It moves quickly from the initial journey, to the political battles, to a contest, to the threat of the waking sleepers, to the final journey and battle. The romance is more back-burner this time; Yuli and Kho had a falling out in the past, but must learn to trust each other again as they fight the demons and find their way back to each other.

This is a bit of a darker story too. The bigger final battle definitely looms, and the Guardians’ success this time was bittersweet. The lighter feel from book one has moved into something more leaden as the stakes increase. But it was still incredibly easy to read, and I’m definitely excited for the fourth book!

I loved this book! I really fell in love with this series all over again. What a great continuation to this beloved and rich story. I love all the characters, especially Ami. But I really was surprised at how much I loved Yuli! From the first book I wasn’t too invested in her, but her story, the way she’s written and her relationship with Kho really took this book to a new level! I loved Ami’s story as well, but felt it fell short a bit, but what was done with this book is something else. I had such a great time reading this book. The absolute amount of FEELS!!! My emotions were all over the place, heartwarming moments,heartache, laughs~giggles~and so much more! I’m so happy to have been able to read this 🦁🦄🦅💖

this was a strong third entry in the Guardians of Dawn series, it had that element that I was looking for and was invested in what was happening. S. Jae-Jones has a strong writing style and was glad I got to read this. It continued the story perfectly and the characters continued to feel like they belonged in this universe. I enjoyed the use of mythology of this world and am excited for more.

I was so excited for this book after loving the first two in the Guardians of Dawn series, and I couldn’t wait for Yuli’s turn, she was already one of my favorite characters. This story delivered everything I hoped for: magic, political drama, emotional tension, and Yuli stepping into her power as the Guardian of Wind. With civil war brewing, a strange sickness spreading, ghosts haunting the land, and her ex-best friend Kho now a rival, the stakes were high and personal. I loved seeing Yuli grow while facing so many challenges, and the Grand Game added even more tension. This was a gripping, satisfying read that reminded me why I love this series so much.

Princess Yulana faces various challenges including her late grandfather's death, civil war, waking dreamer sickness, and a plague of hungry ghosts. Kho, her former friend, is also causing tension. The Grand Game, a power struggle, will determine her people's future and the empire's course.

Absolutely stunning. I adore coming back to the world and the characters, especially since it’s yuli’s turn! the world building is impressive but so easy to understand and immersive. That’s one of the main reasons why i love this series. It’s the third book and we’re at a pivotal point in the story with some major changes happening and it’s a regal to see it through yuli and the other’s eyes. I highly recommend everyone to go grab their copy of zhara and if you’re following the series (like me) then go pre-order your copy!!

Guardians of Dawn is one of my favorite series, so I expected to enjoy Yuli's part in the ongoing saga. I've really loved her in the first two volumes of the series, so I was excited to see her get more of a spotlight in the novel that bears her name. I was not disappointed at all! S. Jea-Jones delivers another thrilling adventure, switching seamlessly between the various settings. While I could spend an entire novel with just the Bangtan Brothers, I really appreciated how their appearances tie in with the over-arcing story.

Yuli is the third book in this series and I like it bette then the last 2. This is a perfect yo get YA book. I also love that we see some queer moments. This book also has trials and really moves the plot forward. What I think does not work is that it feels like Ann and Shara are flatter,I think this book will work well for a lot of people especially a younger audience

Yuli is the third book in the Guardians of Dawn series and my favorite one (so far). We got trials, political maneuvering, adorable romance, and demon battles. We also got *that* ending. I won’t go into detail to avoid spoilers, but it had no right to hurt that much and then be a cliffhanger. I’m going to need the next book right now.
Like the previous installments, Yuli is multi-pov, so we still got to hear from the two previous Guardians, Zhara and Ami. While I thought the second book struggled to balance the pacing with the multi-povs, I am happy to say I think book 3 did it really well. We got just enough time with Zhara and Ami to ensure we didn’t forget about them and their cute romances, but not too much time that it took away from the focus on Yuli and her love interest, Kho.
Speaking of Yuli and Kho, I absolutely adored their romance arc. Rivals who were once childhood friends? Yes, please. I hope I get to see more of them in book 4.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing the ARC.

S. Jae-Jones has done it again what a beautifully written book. From the character development to the story line just gorgeous. Something I stayed up too many nights and lost too much sleep over but it was ALL worth it.

I love that each of the books in this series follows a different character, while still keeping the overarching plot. I loved Yuli as a supporting character in the previous book. I struggled at times with the multiple POVs but still enjoyed that they were included. Vibes were strong, and I will definitely be continuing on with the series.

"Guardians of Dawn: Yuli" was a really good book. As someone who did not read the prior books, I can definitively say that it did an incredible job of explaining the world enough to where I understood the situation and events of prior books. The worldbuilding almost reminded me of Throne of Glass due to some similar overarching plot details; this would work really well as a middle school alternative to middle-schoolers who want to read TOG. It would also be a huge recommendation for fans of the Winx Club; I primarily imagined them the whole book.

I feel as though the stakes are where this book fell short. I found it hard to connect with the characters whenever they were solely focused on the Mother rising (as foretold in previous books), rather than current issues that were in their face the whole book. I imagine this will be revisited in the next book.

The diversity was where this book shined. I liked the fact that multiple nonbinary characters existed (and that they weren't limited to young/underdog roles). It's important to show adult nonbinary characters for teens who may be questioning their identity and wondering if it's "just a phase."

Overall, I'm excited to see what comes next!

I really enjoyed learning more about Yuli's background and her culture in this book. I liked her as a supporting character in the other books, especially because she knew she was a mage from a much younger age than the other girls, but this book takes the opportunity to explore what it was like growing up as a princess on the northern steppes where being found out as a mage could be deadly. The book also dives into Yuli's relationship with her former best friend Kho, who Yuli resents for being responsible for the exile of her cousin. Kho appears to be the dutiful daughter of power-hungry clan leader, but she has more rebellion in her than Yuli knows.

The other guardians and their love interests don't have much to do in this book other than wait around for Yuli and decipher the Songs of Order and Chaos. Their partners are written out entirely and sent somewhere else, so we just see pining from Zhara and Ami for the most part. There was some obvious setup for the next book about the Guardian of Water in what looks like a Snow White retelling. I couldn't really tell what fairy tale this book was reenacting other than some similarities to the Pixar movie Brave. However, this didn't bother me since I think the original story should be more important than the fairy tale elements.

Third installment in this series! And seriously one must first ask or point out, are not the covers simply stunning.
I may be older than the target audience but I love to read and I do adore this fantasy series. It's easy to fall back into and get hooked into the pages. I've arc read this one and one previous. Yes I won copies of the first and second. So I feel like that should answer if this series is worth it.. YES

Id like to start off with stating I did like the book; However I am not the target audience. I did read the two previous books and again I enjoyed them but they aren't my favorite. This series is geared to a younger audience, and I do believe that it is good for the Middle grade and Highschool readers.

You do need to read the first two books before reading this one , these are very much a series and not intended to be a stand-alone

What I didn't enjoy in this book was it felt like it lost a tad bit of momentum that the first two books have started to build up.

I do like the blend of mythology and fantasy built up together in the world. I also do enjoy the continuation of the story that the first two books have started to build on.

I do enjoy books with multiple POVs, however this book felt like we were flipping a lot more frequently than I like. I think longer chapters in one POV would have been better.

The story gets a tad predictable, However for a younger reader this may no be the case.

Again I enjoyed the book, however I am 34 and probably not the target audience. This is a series id be happily gift a younger reader and be confident that they would enjoy it.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the Digital Arc.

When I was first tasked to read this book before release, I had no idea it was a part of a series and went back and read the first two before starting this one and I am glad I did. This series hooked me right at the beginning of the first book and has kept me intrigued throughout the entire series. Each book has been as good as the first and I think this one might actually be my favorite of the series so far. The author does such a great job of representation of the LGBTQ community and is great at normalizing the community. How she writes is how we want to feel, no one saying we're wrong when we tell them our names or pronouns, just acceptance and respect when finding out. Not only is the writer inclusive, but the story is wonderful and the magic she created is unique and enjoyable to get in to. I am in love with this series and can't wait for the final book!