Throughout her life, Jin Zhara has had to hide her magic. Magic is forbidden where she lives in the Morning Realms, but as the remaining magicians come under attack and dark forces seem to be at work, Zhara’s magic may be what is needed to save the land.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Cinderella retelling. We get the little cinder girl who sleeps by the hearth, the evil stepmother, and the prince, but there is much more at stake than falling in love with him (although that happens, too). I liked the girl power—how the females in the book are repeatedly shown to be the strong, clever, intelligent ones. I relished in Han’s endearing bumbling and his cluelessness. I loved watching Zhara’s confidence grow. I appreciated the queer representation. And Zhara’s giggles that she can’t control around those she finds good-looking are just adorable.

I look forward to the next installment in the series. (Is book 2 a Beauty and the Beast retelling? I hope it is.)

I listened to this one on audio, and Katharine Chin captures the emotion and vulnerability of the characters with her narration. I enjoyed sitting back and listening to her narrate Zhara and Han’s tale.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

I really wanted to love this story, and overall it wasn't too bad! But if a story is marketed to me as a combination of Sailor Moon and Cinder, it has high expectations for me. And this sadly just didn't meet the mark.

Zhara herself was a wonderful character! I absolutely adored her and think she was the perfect representation of a teenage girl who has magical powers in a world where magicians are outlawed. She's funny, kind, compassionate, and loyal to a fault. She is everything!!

Where the story starts to fall flat for me is the prince's character. This book has a very juvenile sense of humor because of him; even though this is a YA novel, I don't think it should read like a middle school book. The prince is 17 years old and yet every time he sees or reads something suggestive he doesn't get it at first? Not plausible. I also said that I loved Zhara, and I did, but I absolutely HATED "the good-looking giggles" she got. It was so cringey to me.

I've seen some complaints of ableism as well for Zhara's sister, who is blind and sort of treated as a character who can't take care of herself. I definitely understand where those reviews are coming from, so I say look to them if you want proper blind character recs. I can only give my own two cents as someone who is legally blind without corrective lenses in that I didn't really find issue with her, because I know part of it is because of her character backstory of being so reliant on her mother and sister. But it is definitely something to know before getting into this story.

Overall, not terrible, but I don't think I will continue this series.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc of Zhara in exchange of my honest opinion.

Our FMC, Zhara, is an orphan that is left with her very obviously evil stepmother and her blind step-sister. She possesses magic in a world that hunts magicians like her. Things change when she meets Han, the prince of the realm that is “disguised” as a common boy. He introduces her to this group that wants to normalize and bring magic to the light again. Meanwhile, he is also in search of a solution for his brother’s problem. The second prince is afflicted with terrible nightmares that Han sort of concluded that there is a possibility of him becoming possessed by magic and end up becoming a monster.

First of all, I would like to say that this book is label as a YA, but it reads really young. Zhara behaves like a 12 year old that literally giggles anytime she is in the presence of the pretty prince Han, and honestly at first it sound cute.. by the 100th time it just gets boring. In addition, I thought all characters lack depth and even the dramatic parts missed some yearning, guilt, and other deep emotions that a more adult book would have explored more deeply.
Moreover, Zhara is marketed as a sailor moon meets Cinder and honestly I think it’s a good comparison. There were points in the book that I could perfectly see as a scene in an 90s anime (which I used to love when I was 12-14 years old as well).
On the other hand, this book has a good mix of action, investigation, plot twists, interesting LGBTQ characters and romance. I would totally recommend it for a younger audience.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Jin Zhara should not be alive. In a kingdom where even knowing the language of Magic is forbidden and grounds for death, as a magician she should have suffered the same fate as her parents long ago. However, thanks to the quick thinking of her step-mother, Jin Zhara has been able to carve out a small existence for herself and her small family. But what is the point of living if your day-to-day does nothing to bring you joy? What is the point of moving forward if there is nothing to strive towards?

So, when a chance encounter at the bookseller brings Han (supposedly a local student) into her life, Jin Zhara's eyes are opened to what life could be and the world that awaits her if she's just brave enough to embrace her magic.

Marketed as a mix between Sailor Moon and Cinder, GUARDIANS OF THE DAWN: ZHARA is probably better left to stand on its own two feet. While it is very loose Cinderella retelling, ZHARA is a great choice for any young adult reader interested in stories with magical, mythological, or fantasy elements. The humor is juvenile, but the world building is extensive and the large cast opens the series up for lots of twists and turns.

The audiobook narrator did a great job of capturing a lot of the quirky humor and making each character feel differentiated and unique.

Overall, ZHARA was a fun read and a great first book for (what I'm guessing will be) the four book series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

I was unsure for a while how I've felt about this book. On the one hand, the worldbuilding was amazing and so fresh. I loved learning about the magic system and understanding the history to the world. I loved the humor and the way that the characters were so relatable despite their magic. I really adored Zhara and watching her grow and understand the world along with me.

On the other hand, I felt like the impact was a little soft. It hasn't stayed with me the way I thought it would. It felt a bit too young at times, but also felt very slow at times, and I ended up feeling like it was far longer than it needed to be.

I did love the different kinds of representation, though! I loved the disability representation and the way it really works through feelings of being useless or a burden due to disability as well as the guilt that can come with injuries and accidents. I loved the nonbinary representation and the way it was so seamlessly integrated.

I definitely want to see where this series goes, and I hope other fantasy lovers will pick it up too!

I loved this book. The world building was great and the magic system felt unique. It really did feel very Sailor Moon-esq! I have the audio book and loved the narration, without it I'm not sure I would pronounce anything correctly.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for providing an e-arc, and to Macmillan Audio for an alc in exchange for an honest review.
Guardians of Dawn: Zhara releases August 1, 2023

cw: physical abuse, ableism, starvation, body horror, underage drinking

- first in a series
- dual pov
- disabled character (blindness)
- magicians
- possession + monsters
- a persistent stray cat
- awkward yet endearing adolescent yearning

Zhara is an apothecary’s assistant, and has the ability to wield magic. She lives with her younger sister and stepmother after the death of her father.
On the day of the release of an anticipated romance book, Zhara stumbles across Han, the royal heir.
Amidst seeking out answers of his own at this bookshop, Han has the forethought to gift Zhara this new release, but instead, accidentally slips her his copy of a book about magic.
Through a series of events, we find out that Han’s younger brother also a magician, and that their late mother was part of a group called the guardians of the dawn, which is a secret society dedicated to magician liberation.

This was an interesting introduction to a new series, but I found it so painfully slow-paced, and it had a lot of repetition throughout.
It felt a little juvenile at times with things like the “good looking giggles.”
I’m hoping the next installments each focus on one of the remaining elemental guardians.

Just a little side note: I tandem read the e-arc and audio arc, which both varied slightly, so I’m unsure which version most accurately reflects the final copy.
Examples:
[e-arc] — “Beside him, Xu made a face, which was beautifully painted with makeup. “Don’t encourage him, please,” they begged.”
[audio arc] — “Beside him, Xu made a face. “Don’t encourage him, please,” they begged.” (which omits the part about makeup)

*Not commenting on the non-binary rep or any possibilities of misgendering, because again, between the two arcs I had, there were a lot of variations on where a given name or pronoun was placed.

It was a slow start - so first half of the book I was not sure. I enjoyed forbitten love story as well as teen girl saving the world. Monsters vs humans story was good too. Second half of the book was going much faster with action and I liked it more. I qish she started a bookwith that intensity. Overall I loved reading it and qould recomand it to anyone who like Selection or Red Queen

The narrator was amazing. I enjoyed the story as well. It was a new take on an old tale and I really liked it. The characters were written well and naturally my favorite character was one of the animals.

Guardians of Dawn: Zhara follows a young, subservient, girl named Zhara and her journey to find self love and freedom from her oppressive stepmother. Zhara is a magic wielder in a world where magic is not only for bidden, but also very dangerous to possess as magic welders are in danger of demonic possession.

This book includes:
- LGBT characters
- disability representation
- monsters
- a prince pretending not to be a prince
- secret magic
- betrayal
- secret societies
- evil stepmother
- arranged marriage

I enjoy the dynamic between Zhara and her friends however, sometimes the “inside jokes“ became tiresome and the story was predictable. However, the intended YA audience would probably enjoy the “banter.”
I recommend this book to fans of Percy Jackson.

I received this audiobook as an arc. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

3.5 ⭐️

🪷 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐰𝐧: 𝐙𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚
𝐁𝐲 𝐒. 𝐉𝐚𝐞-𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟖.𝟏.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑


Filled with magic and monsters, 𝐙𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚 lives in a realm where magic has been forbidden and magicians are considered evil. Zhara has magic, she just doesn’t understand it and she must hide it. That is until she joins forces with the Guardians of Dawn - those who will use magic to protect the realm against the true monsters. I hope the characters and the storyline develop as the series continues, but it has many exciting facets to expand upon.

🎧Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the complimentary audiobook.

I love S. Jae-Jones. Wintersong was a book that spoke to my heart.

But I couldn't help feeling this book was slow and hard to stay interested in. It had an interesting premise, it had really interesting inspirations, and it was clear the author put care into its creation.

I just wish I wanted to devour the book - I took small bites and kept having to reheat it.

I had a hard time with the timeline of this book. Sone things went on and on and then miraculously only a couple hours passed. Other things sped by and I had no clue how characters had gotten to where they were.
That being said, i still felt drawn into the story and will definitely read more by the author.

This was perfectly fine. The description calls it a mix of Sailor Moon and Cinder but I'm not familiar with either of them. However, I did get a slight Cinderella retelling, which I'm guessing is where the Cinder read-alike is coming from. Jones isn't breaking any molds with this story but I always enjoy Asian-inspired fantasies. The characters were enjoyable, yet predictable, but narrator Katharine Chin did an excellent job making them believable.

3.75 stars

First off, you tell me Sailor Moon meets Cinder and I’m first in line to read this! Definitely Cinderella tones. Much more so than Sailor Moon. I think we’ll begin to see more of a Sailor Moon influence by book 2? *crosses fingers*
Zhara lives under her step mother who hides her magic in exchange of her being subservient. As step mothers go, she’s pretty crummy but she’s even worse to her own blind daughter.
While trying to keep her powers at bay, Zhara comes in contact with a group of misfits who she joins while trying to continue her duties to her step mother.

I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to the second book. I think there is a lot of promise going forward into the series.

The narrator Katharine Chin did an amazing job bringing this story to life.

I was instantly drawn to this book because of its beautiful cover and synopsis!

This book has fantastic world building! The magic is very interesting. And the characters have great depth and development by the end.

I enjoyed the different representation from all sides. It really made it feel relatable.

The lore and the history are intriguing and sucked me in right away wanting to know more.

I reccomened this book to any fantasy readers!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for allowing me to read an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Zhara, named after the main character, is so cute! I loved the way the author intertwined comedy into the story and had a main character that also serves as comedic relief. After reading several darker/serious fantasy books, this was a very nice respite.
It has been compared to Sailor Moon and I could totally see that!
In this universe, magicians are burned alive, and we follow the story of Zhara, a magician, and His Grace Han. They are introduced very early in the story by a book swapping meet-cute. Han switching his book of magic with Zharas romance novel. The magicked people of the world are slowly turning into demons and they believe they figured out why.
The story did lose me for a smidge in the middle but it picks back up quickly. Especially when the love interest garners ground and you learn about several manipulative characters. Really good read and a palette cleanser.
I ESPECIALLY loved the cat, Sajah!! My favorite fictional cat so far actually!!
I love the magic system, the story line and I honestly can't wait for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 4.5 ⭐️

I absolutely adored this book. I uses to love Sailor Moon as a kid, and the whole magical girl vibes and pet cat that follows her sound and helps her out brought a bit of that nostalgia while also remaining unique to this work.

Zhara herself was silly and badass which you wouldn't think would work but it does? I do have to say, her and Han give off that Cinder X Kai feel, which at first felt a lot like Cinderella energy, but nope. It felt specifically like them. Again. Not a bad thing.

What I loved about this was definitely the lore behind everything. The demons, the magicians, the very magic system itself... I loved the idea that to read spells you need to understand the language of flowers.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading the second book. Can't wait to get my hands on the rest of this series!!

3.75 Star round up to 4

It has it flaws but was over all an enjoyable read especially since I was in reading slump when I started it and got me out of it. I'll probably pick up the next book.

This book was described as Cinder meets Sailor Moon, which is a pretty accurate description! This is a Easy Asian inspired Cinderella retelling, but with so much magic and mythology added to it, that I mostly forgot that it was supposed to be like Cinderella except for a few specific times in the book. I'd call it 'lightly' inspired, which makes for a refreshing new telling of the story that allows it to really stand on it's own! It is VERY YA though, and on the younger YA side, so if you are not a YA fan, this won't be for you. I'd put it between Junior and YA, probably suitable most for early to mid teens.

The magic of the story was my favorite part. I loved learning about the Guardians of Dawn and how the whole magic system worked. It was unique without being overwhelming, which makes sense as this is a YA book. I know this is meant to be a series about all four guardians, so it would be interesting to see how much more is learned about the world/history and magic systems.

I really liked how visually descriptive this was. It reminded me a bit of Six Crimson Cranes in that element, so I truly enjoyed that aspect. The writing style and plot development was easy to follow, but was a bit slow at times, which made me sometimes lose track on the audio and have to back up. This is also very much a YA book. I normally like YA books, but this one did seem to be on the little bit younger end, which had some things come across as cheesy to me (but I'm not the target demographic, so this makes sense).

With that, I didn't really love the love story in this, mostly because I think I'm older than the target audience. There was definitely some cute aspects to it, but the "good looking giggles" and how much "dirty" things went past the MMC did get to be slightly repetitive. I honestly enjoyed the characters interactions in the group and all as friends, so probably would have actually preferred the story more had there not been the love story element to it. Again, I am older than the target demographic though, so I could see younger readers really loving that part.

The characters in general were all great and pretty well rounded. I loved the FMC Zhara, and while she could be naive at times, I still enjoyed her character a lot and appreciated her relationship with her sister and the friendships she made. Han was such a dimwitted jock at times, but had a good heart and provided some comedic relief. My favorite character by far was Xu (Might be spelled differently. I had it on audio so am not sure of spelling!). They were FANTASTIC and I loved the constant flirting with everyone and everything. They really deserved their own book!

I love how gender was dealt with in this book. First off, there is a non-binary character (Xu) who is one of the central side characters. We also aren't given many other characters' gender until they state or acknowledge it. I really appreciated this take on it and found it an interesting way to present gender (it also is a great example of how easily you can use third person singular with no issue.) There is a forward to the story from the author that talks more about this that I highly suggest reading as I think it was helpful to understand beforehand and then see how it is used in the novel! Bravo on this aspect of the story!

I had this one on audio and thought the narrator did a great job! I appreciate having a narrator who can really get the accents and words pronounced correctly, especially as a reader who is not of this background to help me learn how all the names should be said. I thought they were a great fit for the book!

And for any BTS fans - you might have some find some characters you know in the story!

Overall I found the book to be well done, if a bit slow with the pacing at times. While I wasn't the target demographic, so had parts I didn't enjoy as much, I do think this would be a really enjoyable read for the younger YA crowd!