This book is absolutely Cinder meets Sailor Moon (which is kind of hilarious, since Cinder was originally Sailor Moon fanfiction, but I digress.) It also gave me major W.I.T.C.H. vibes!

I was captivated by the lore and worldbuilding and laughing to myself at the good-looking giggles. This definitely leans hard into YA, but does start to get a bit darker by the book's end. I really enjoyed the queer representation too! I'm not sure if this will be a trilogy or even more books, but I can't wait for Yuli's book. It sets up the rest of the series so nicely.

*Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I really just did not enjoy this and I only finished because it was an ARC. The moment I started this I knew it was going to be a struggle to finish and I was right. The book had three different ways for the cat to meow within the first couple pages, I already knew it would be a bit rough. This just did not feel YA and was written very middle grade to me along with the characters. They all had these “quirks” but they all just felt very juvenile along with the overall writing. I also know this was supposed to have a cinderella inspired theme, but it just felt too directly cinderella instead of a loose retelling. I really wanted to love this book, the whole premise sounded great and the cover is gorgeous, but I just feel it is being wrongly advertised. I also feel like this could’ve used a couple sensitivity readers because the disability rep just did not sit right with me. I know this book will be loved by many because it has so much potential, but for me I think it just was not what I was expecting and just felt very young to me.

For once, I agree with the marketing. Guardians of Dawn: Zhara very much feels like a mash up between Sailor Moon and Cinder with heavy influence from Chinese culture/lore. There's also some subtle and not so subtle pop culture references woven throughout the story that is done in an amusing way. Overall this was a light, enjoyable, and easy read, but did not quite live up to my expectations. A lot of the dialogue felt cringy or generic. The characters themselves all felt like walking stereotypes and it comes off very awkward in some scenes. I didn't really hate/like any, but this made it hard to really connect with any of them. The characters just felt too young for the age they were supposed to be representing. The world building and lore is well done, however, and that is what kept my interest most. I will more than likely pick up the sequel since I did have enough fun while reading to ignore all of the flaws.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Sucks teeth*

Not sure how I ultimately felt about this one. The first few pages made me so glad to have been able to get this ARC, but as the story went, I felt less and less sure.

**MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD**

-To start, I LOVE the premise.
-I definitely noticed the cinderella inspired bits, but the way in which they were used in the story felt too on the nose-especially her leaving her shoe at the ball.
-Zhara's character confused me. She went from super confident and flirty at the start to then thinking she was worthless by the end.
-Zhara was the GUARDIAN OF FIRE and yet she pretty much never uses fire. The moments when she was able to use/not use magic were WAY too convenient.
-Things happened a little too easily, like the first attack by the abomination...which lowers the stakes of finding out the truth behind what was happening
-There were too many "Han is a dolt" moments, especially surrounding lines of poetry with heavy euphemisms or dialogue with Xu. It was also hard to believe because come on, he's a 17 year old boy, and poetry was supposed to be his thing...?!
-Another caveat to the above, who is this book for? At times, it felt MG and others YA and still others Adult.
-The "big reveals" didn't feel big at all. The moment the northern princess was described as having red hair, I knew she was the magician Zhara had seen in the pits. And I knew she would ultimately be another guardian.
-I sort of wish the plot had just been the romance between Zhara and Han because that's where the story shined best while the whole abomination/rising of the demons plot was thin at best
-I wish the "I don't just want to live, but thrive" phrase wasn't inserted in at random moments. Maybe I was annoyed by this phrase because it didn't jibe with the Zhara in the beginning? She just suddenly says this phrase midway through the book and then repeats it every other chapter
-My biggest critique is the twist at the end with Zhara's sister locking her up in the kitchen....like WHAT?! There was no hint of any of the hatred she expressed in that moment laced throughout the book. It always seemed they loved each other and I just couldn't believe that the sister would betray Zhara like that because she was a magician
-This is one of those books that you also can sense halfway through that nothing is going to happen because there's going to be a sequel, which is annoying. The most exciting part of the story comes at the last 50 or 75 pages and it didn't hit me in the way it ought to have. WHAT happened at the ball? WHAT happened to the Chancellor? We don't get any of this but for a few lines in the epilogue
- I wish it had been a standalone, just beefed up a bit.

Yeah. One of the best aspects of this book was the writing--it was very easy to read in that sense, but as for the plot and characters...**shrugs**

This book was a kinda fun ride and full of magic, fun, twists and turns. I did enjoy parts of it. I felt there were too many characters and the theme was often dropped.

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have mixed feelings about this one. While the world building and plot were interesting and rich, the pacing was quite problematic. As I got closer and closer to the end, I became worried and then almost certain that I was headed for an epic cliffhanger. When suddenly everything was resolved, too neatly in the last chapter.

Also, while I enjoyed many of the characters (especially the cat!), the romance was quite instalove (which I enjoy if done well), and the male lead didn't particularly make me swoon.

The epilogue segues into a sequel that I am interested enough to continue on with.

Time was spent crafting this book and it can be seen within the simplest interactions. The main character, Zhara, is a magician traversing life in a world where magicians are burned alive for existing. Unfortunately she has seen first hand the loss of such a magician- her father. Zhara is afraid of her magic, living as a servant for her step mother and step sister, but soon starts making connections. One of the connections she meets is Han. He is a sweet, innocent, tall, strong boy who blushes and after a few encounters becomes a close ally of Zhara. Zhara and Han meet many other fully fleshed out characters and end up getting mixed up in serious magical business

Through these friends and adventures Zhara grows into her magic and learns about her culture and destiny. This book reminded me of Graceling and Cinderella- it's fantasy with incredible characters, a dash of romance, and magic.

<b>“It is not magic but the magician that is a weapon to be wielded.”</b>

Guardians of Dawn: Zhara is a magical adventure set in a unique world with ancient spirits and demons.

In this first book in what will be a series, we follow the story of Zhara, an orphan who struggles to support her step mother and sister after the death of her father. Her parents were killed during the war because they possessed magical abilities, and since then, all magic is forbidden upon penalty of death. Zhara must hide her magic, lest she befall the same fate. After a run in with Han, a Prince and Heir of Zanhei disguised as a scholar who is seeking help for his magical brother, she discovers the hidden world of the Guardians of Dawn. The Guardians help Zhara and Han, and Zhara begins to understand the reaches of her own abilities and how far she is willing to go to save those who betrayed her.

This was a truly fun and enchanted story. I loved the characters and the budding relationship between Zhara and Han. The supporting characters create a lovely found family as they work to uncover secrets, battle demons, and save the ones they love. One element I really liked was the diverse approach to gender in this story. Characters are not gendered until they introduce themselves, and we have a very well-represented binary character who appears throughout the story. We also have a wide range of relationship types represented in this story as well. The magic system in this book is well-envisioned, and follows the traditional elemental magic systems of fire, wood, wind, and water.

I especially loved Zhara’s growth throughout the book. She starts off as a meek and subservient character, working to support her step family and hide her magic. She definitely grows into her abilities over the course of the story, and I hope to see more of her arc in future installments. I look forward to reading more in this unique world!

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing/Wednesday Books for providing me with an electronic advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First of all I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher St. Martin’s for granting me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is one of the books I’ll be categorizing as ‘’I loved the premise but i’m not entirely sure about the execution. I mean ‘’sailor moon meets cinder’’ ???? my interest was piqued from the very beginning. But while I ended up really loving the characters and connecting with several of them aswell, I found myself unable to understand some of their actions. Without heading into spoilery territory, I was baffled by a certain character’s betrayal and how the main character reacted to this. Zhara’s definitely a better person than me cause I wouldn’t have been able to forgive them but ok.

To get back to the ‘’not sure about the execution’’ part I mentioned earlier, I really missed some kind of depth I guess? Some parts of the story felt like an info dump and the magical system definitely could’ve used more explanation, especially since it’s a very unique concept of magic, one I hadn’t really seen before.

I did really enjoy the way gender identity was handled in this novel though! Very refreshing to see gender neutral pronouns being used when a character was introduced for the first time, despite them being described with a certain trait that could be linked to a specific gender. Loved how they/them pronouns wede the norm until stated otherwise.

Finally I was a bit shocked to see this wasn’t a standalone tbh! In my opinion this would’ve worked fine as one. Felt like the last part after the epilogue was added to make it work as a series and sadly that’s the exact part that felt kinda unnecessary and confusing to me. I’m curious as to how the series will further advance and if we’ll get a more in depth explanation of this unique and wonderful magic system :)

There are lots of adventures and dark secrets in this book! The author does a wonderful job creating a beautiful world and magic system. Zhara is a girl who processes magic but it is outlawed. We watch the FMC struggle with her past and current events that are happening in the story. She is definitely a character people love to root for. Han is the perfect cinnamon roll character! Him and Zhara are the perfect pair in the book, really bringing out the best in each other. You do get small hints of Sailor Moon but the story for the most part is entirely its own. This book for me was setting the foundation for what’s to come in the series.

Overall I really liked this book. I'm excited for the next one. I feel like the characters will keep developing and will come into their own as the series progresses. It was a fun read and people who like to watch shoujo anime would like this book.

I loved the author’s previous series, but unfortunately this novel just got lost in immaturity for me.

The characters were difficult to connect to and so much of the dialogue felt forced. I was hoping to be able to recommend to my students who enjoyed the Lunar Chronicles, but I’ll have to keep looking.

Zhara is a fantasy book that is marketed as Cinder meets Sailor Moon. Jin Zhara has to hide her identity as a magician in their world where magic is forbidden and all who are found to be magicians are executed. Without anyone to guide her, Zhara is left to only hide her glowing hands with no idea what powers she possesses nor how to control them. With an encounter with a mysterious but handsome boy, Han, Zhara finds herself whisked away into the secret society or magicians and daring to dream for the very first time. However, when magicians start turning into monsters, Zhara and Han, along with the others, are forced to face this plague before it takes everyone they love away from them.

Firstly, I loved the worldbuilding of this book. I think it's incredible that the author is able to take inspiration from real places and historical events and turn them into a detailed fictional realm. There are also some really wonderful and beautiful quotes in there as well. The characters were also really fun, but they lacked a cohesion that made it harder for me to follow along. I felt like I could not understand them on a deeper level, but perhaps the character building will come along just fine in the rest of the series. I also found a lot of the description very repetitive, so I just could not immerse myself in the story because of that. I can see why this book is labelled as Cinder meets Sailor Moon, but it just does not feel like the Sailor Moon that I know.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for sending me an e-copy of this book for an honest review!

🦇 Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❝ She had always imagined her magic as a steady flame within her, and the world around her as her kitchen. Elements were ingredients to be played with, like dough beneath her fingers. Zhara held her breath and concentrated, applying her magic to the mixture in her hands like heat to a pot of water. ❞

❓ #QOTD What was your favorite cartoon growing up? ❓

🦇 Magic is forbidden by punishment of death throughout the Morning Realms, after corrupted magicians turned into abominations and razed the earth 20 years ago. Jin Zhara must hide her magic—that is, until a strange run-in with a blushing boy named Han leads her to the magical liberation organization the Guardians of Dawn. As new members of the Guardians, Zhara and Han work together to restore harmony to the world, even as chaos begins to reign.

💜 S. Jae-Jones is proof that books are their own sort of magic. She's spun together the familiar threads of Sailor Moon, Cinder of The Lunar Chronicles, Avatar the Last Airbender, and cultural mythology to produce Guardians of the Dawn. The story's mythology takes little time to grasp before you're thrown into the adventure alongside Zhara and Han, who (for lack of a better word) are adorable together. The book touches lightly on more intense themes: familial obligation, grief, identity, to name a few. The secondary characters (namely, Xu, Han's genderfluid best friend, Yulana, and Jiyi) offer far more than support; they're an absolute delight.

🦇 Unfortunately, the writing comes off as a little juvenile at times (namely with 'The Good-Looking Giggles' and Han's himbo-esque nature), so I would place this at the younger end of YA. Perhaps more frustrating was the naiveté and ignorance of both Zhara and Han. My brain was piecing together clues not revealed until 10 chapters ahead, and not because of the dual POV or omniscient narration (the reveals for Yulana, Sajah, and even the Chancellor were set up a little too well). The worldbuilding, while gorgeous, is a little basic (which is why it's so easy to dive into, making that a double-edged sword). While a cute, mythology-based tale, I really think this story (and possible series), has a lot more potential.

🦇 Recommended to anyone looking for a bit of nostalgia through a magical retelling. The entire time I was reading it, I got HARD Cinder and Sailor Moon vibes. It wasn't until after I started writing my review that I noticed both were mentioned in the story synopsis. There's a hint of Avatar the Last Airbender in there, too!

✨ The Vibes ✨
👠 Cinderella Retelling
🐱 Animal Sidekicks
💫 YA Fantasy Fiction
🔥 Elemental Magic
📚 Book Loving MC
🏮 Culture-Infused Mythology
🌈 Queer and Disability Rep

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. @stmartinspress @wednesdaybooks @sjaejones #GuardiansofDawnZhara

This book was a nightmare from start to finish, and if it wasn’t an ARC, I probably would have DNFed after the first chapter.

The writing voice was too juvenile for YA—and it would have been better suited for a MG or a chapter book. No teenager calls something the “good-looking giggles,” nor do most teenage girls giggle every. single. time. they see an attractive man. Also, at one point the love interests says, “Yah, I worked hard these thighs,” and I don’t know what that means but I do know that it made me set the book down and wonder what my life had come to that I was reading this book.

I know that the author herself has bipolar disorder and has spoken about that previously—so I am very hesitant to critique her. But the disability represented was written outside her lived experience, and I think a sensitivity reader or two could have been beneficial to the story. I am not blind, so I cannot speak to the specific rep. But I will give the facts as unbiased as I can so that other disabled readers can decide whether this book is right for them. In Zhara: Guardians of the Dawn, the main character’s sister is blind and the book upholds the moral model of disability—with the main character’s sister’s blindness being “punishment” for the MC using her magic. Here are a few quotes from the book:

“Why aren’t you answering, my darling? Or are you dumb as well as blind?” (13%)

“Don’t you ever get tired of it all?”
“Of what?” Zhara was almost afraid to ask.
“Of being a good girl.” Her sister’s lip curled. “Of taking care of an invalid.”
“Mimi—”
“No.” Suzhan’s tone was forceful. “That’s my truth. I’m an invalid. And unlike you, I’ve made peace with it.” (61%)

“I’m blind, not stupid.” (77%)

Overall, this book was not for me.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All views reflected are my own.

Zhara: Guardians of Dawn is the story of Jin Zhara, a girl with magical gifts that she is desperately trying to conceal. Magicians are blamed for the existence of monsters that previously destroyed the land. Zhara must also look out for her sister, who is blind, and cater to the whims of her stepmother that Zhara credits with her survival. When rumors of monsters in the marsh arrive, Zhara meets a mysterious young man named Han. Through him, Zhara learns about the existence of a secret magical group called the Guardians of Dawn. Zhara will have to choose whether to reveal her magical gifts and what she will fight for.

Zhara is a character that is so easy to connect with and feel invested in. I loved how she acknowledged her flaws and took responsibility for things that her magic caused even when she never intended harm. At times some of the dialogue was a little over the top. The world-building/magic system was initially a lot to process. It is very detailed and thoughtful, but also quite complicated. Now that world-building has been established in this book, I’m looking forward to seeing how it is further explored in the sequel.

Han is quite the character, he feels bold and dramatic in the best sense. He definitely eschews the strong and silent type, instead wearing his heart openly on his sleeve. Zhara and Han find themselves in many romantic situations, some of my favorite scenes were the classic forced proximity. I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ rep in a hilarious side character who uses they/them pronouns, which I read as non-binary rep. I loved the inclusion of the Bangtan Boys to the rescue! Readers who enjoyed Sailor Moon, Cinder, and seek books with intense and magical world-building should check this book out!

Thank you so much to S. Jae-Jones, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

The premise sounded very interesting, however, I was unable to get into it. i don't think it's for me, but thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Zhara (Guardians of Dawn, #1) reminded me so much of Cinder, which was one of my favorite books in middle school!

Although I could tell the story was Cinderella-inspired, there were lots of innovative details that prevented it from feeling formulaic. I loved the relationship between Zhara and her younger sister Suzhan; I think it reflected the realities of growing up in an abusive environment that are often glossed over. Instead of being perfect allies or complete opponents, they are forced to betray each other in minor ways while still caring for each other deeply.

Han’s sweetness was also refreshing. Even though he’s conventionally attractive and physically fit like many other male fantasy leads, he’s sheltered and naive, which emphasized the struggles Zhara has endured.

The worldbuilding was also fascinating, though I’ll definitely need the next book to understand it fully. The pacing/plot was less compelling. The exposition dampened the sense of urgency that makes revolutionary stories believable. The climax also didn’t feel super believable; it was over far too fast, and Zhara’s role in it also seemed improbable.

This was so terribly disappointing. Everything about it caught my attention and made me want to read it - from the description, to its reference to Sailor Moon (a connection I felt was sorely misrepresented), to its stunning cover. It didn’t deliver on anything. The writing is clunky - so much telling that is bland and emotionless. The pacing is so tragically slow - I was bored. The characters are the most immature older teens I’ve ever encountered. I mean, “Good-Looking Giggles” … are we serious right now? Like really!? Maybe if they were 8 it might make sense. Nothing hooked me or made me want to keep reading. Idk I hate being so negative but this just isn’t what I felt like was promised. The concepts are so freaking cool and the execution of them is severely lacking in follow through. It definitely needed to go through several more drafts before accomplishing its spectacular potential. I wanted so much to enjoy this and, sadly, I did not. By no means is it my intention to bash the author or their writing (I would still try something new from this author in the future). Don’t let me dissuade you from giving this a chance if you were really looking forward to it. Reading is such a personal experience and I am simply expressing mine.

Wow, this was so goddamn awful.

The writing is so juvenile and immature; this especially contrasts whenever a scene is supposed to be really serious, like when little boys are turning into monsters or someone is being tortured. But then the characters go back to acting like they're eleven-year-olds flirting for the first time acting like they didn't just bare witness to something traumatizing; it is so goddamn painful.

Additionally, the pace is so fucking slow. I skipped through sections so I could see if I would be confused, but I wasn't! I instantly understood what was going on because of the painfully constant and repetitive introspection building walls on the page. It's like the writing is a dog chasing its own tail, because the plot goes round and round until the third act and ending.

I cringe when I go back to look at my old writing, but reading this gave me hope (And dread).

The characters also suck. The main cast are given these quirks (i.e. Zhara's "Good-Looking Giggles" whenever she dare glances at an attractive person and Han's inability to recognize porn as a 17-year-old teen (I wish I was joking, but I'm not)) in terrible attempt to make them stand out, but it just makes me hate them all the more.

All in all, I had a really bad time reading this. Just a miserable experience, all around.

I will update the review with the link to on our blog closer to publication date.

I'd like to thank the publisher St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.