Guardians of Dawn: Ami is the second book in S. Jae-Jones’ spellbinding fantasy series, and you definitely need to read Zhara first for everything to make sense! In this sequel, the story deepens, with richer character development and relationships that really hooked me. 🌟 The world-building is even more immersive, and the pacing kept me flipping pages late into the night. 📖

The “Guardian of Wood” arc brought a new layer of magic and intrigue, and I’m excited to see how the series continues to evolve! Definitely a must-read for fantasy lovers. 💫

Huge thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and S. Jae-Jones for the ARC! 🙏 Can’t wait to revisit this world after I finish Zhara.

I loved the first book in the series. Zhara brought a new magic system and a wonderful cultural immersion. Those are both built upon and expanded in Guardians of Dawn: Ami, where the Guardian of Wood emerges to help Zhara fight off the undead and a blight that is spreading across the Eastern Plains. You get a deeper look at the power of the guardians, as well as learning more about what they must do to battle off The Mother of All Demons.

I was so excited to get this book, but had a hard time making it through the whole thing. I still loved the world building and the author got right back into moving the story forward. My big problem is that I feel that in Zhara the characters were so engaging. They grew over the course of the book and they teased each other and you were really gunning for their relationship as a side note to the main story line. In this book the relationship between Zhara and Han seems to have fizzled out, and the new pair, Ami and Beast, are just awkward. Ami is written as most likely ASD and Beast has an amazing number of hang-ups, and it leaves you wondering why the author felt the need to push a relationship in a book about saving the world from being overrun by demons.

The story line stayed interesting, but in more a 'lets power through this' than in a truly enjoyable way. I'm disillusioned enough that I'm not sure if I want to continue with the series, unfortunately.

Guardians of Dawn: Ami is the sequel to Guardians of Dawn: Zhara. In the first volume, the first two Guardians of Dawn are discover their true abilities and find each other; in this second volume, the third Guardian discovers her true abilities and finds first Zhara, and then Suli, the two Guardians from the first volume. As with the first volume, the primary antagonist of the Guardians is a demon - in this case, a demon who controls the dead, who is trying, as did his sibling in the first volume, to raise his mother, the queen of the demons, so she can begin her 1,000 year reign of darkness. This novel is influenced by Asian culture, which is most noticeable in the names and certain aspects of the culture.

Li Ami is a scrivener, with a magical talent for plants, a young woman trying to care for her father, who is suffering from severe confusion. In her journey to find help for her father, she finds the rise of the undead, which, in turn, leads her to Zhara and the knowledge of her true abilities. Along the way, she meets several additional characters from the previous volume. This is a coming-of-age novel, which includes multiple romantic relationships, all in the early stages of discovery. It also deals with the responsibility that comes with power. Recommended for readers middle school through adult.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Wednesday books and NetGalley for this eArc!

Unfortunately, I am not finding myself able to sink into this story the way I'd like to. I enjoyed book 1 on audio especially, but I am finding that book 2 being only accessible as an ebook at this time is drawing a lot of attention to how repetitive and slow the story itself is actually building. In addition to that, I am finding the main character to be uninteresting and one-sided. I don't think I will be continuing this series at this time, but I will maybe consider going back to it on audio in the future.

This is such an interesting world and cast of characters. I think I liked this one a little more than Zhara.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This is book two of Guardians of Dawn, it’s the story of Ami (and I won’t tell you what she is the guardian of you will have to read the book). I loved that this book picks up right where book one left off with Zhara on the hunt for a book that will help them overcome the Mother of all Demons. On the way she meets with Ami and Gaden, who both spark something familiar with Zhara but she can’t put it together right away. You will see characters that were in the first book, but you will also see a lot of new characters, and you will be taken away to a different place in the country and see different magic creatures, fight a new higher demon, find new allies, and of course finding inner strength in oneself.

This plot was kinda like the first book, but you will see more inner strength, learning to trust one’s inner self, found family and so much more. I loved that you will see the mythology story really coming together in this book and seeing where the story of this series might lead you. I loved that this author knows how to write a story that will grab your attention and keep it going throughout the book. The plot is fast-paced and easy to read. I found the fighting scenes to be fun to picture and the way that the author writes you will not find it hard to picture. I found that the author did a great job on LGBTQ rep. You will find mystery and twists and turns like the first book to keep you on your toes, there is action in this book and a little bit of romance. I found the characters to be engaging and well written.

Ami is an interesting character, and not in a bad way at all. I loved that she was like a little kid getting to learn and understand the world differently because she has been held back her whole life due to the powers that she has and her father wanting to keep her safe. You can see that she has the world’s biggest heart, and that she cares deeply for her father, even though at times he can hinder her and her understanding of the world. I loved that she was getting to see the world in a different light and be around people that understand her feelings and the friends that she develops. I liked that even though this book is told in multiple POV, you will not get confused about what character is talking now, and you will see a different light to everyone. With Gaden, I felt really bad for the situation that they were put in and you can see the hardships of having to keep all of their secrets. I am happy that they finally felt that they had people there that can understand the why’s of the lies and that they learned from it. I liked that Ami was never pushy with Gaden and their relationship and Ami allowed Gaden to open up to her at their own time.

I can’t wait to see where this story will go next.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this book.

This was really fun! I'm not sure I enjoyed this as much as I did the first one, but I am excited to see where this story/series goes! I loved how different Ami's powers were from Zhara's and the events in book one continued and grew in this one.

I struggled to get into this. I love the idea but I couldn't connect with the characters and the plot I felt was lackluster

loved this mystery and keeping secrets and the different point of views. Also loved trying to figure out who did it . I enjoyed the mystery behind it.

I really loved this book! I liked this one more than Zhara though I can’t fully identify why part of it could just be that I’m liking where the story is heading. Ami and beast were both very endearing characters and I’m very excited to see where the next book takes us after this!

4/5

Note: This is the sequel in the Guardians of the Dawn series, so please read Zhara first! There may be minor spoilers in the description.

General Description: Ami has always been told to hide her light, However, once she finds herself in a situation where a plague is taking over her town and the undead are rising. Ami can't hide her light much longer. As Zhara searches for the other Guardians of the Dawn, she crosses paths with Ami and together they must discover the truth about Ami and see if they can right the wrongs of the plague starting to infecting everything they love.

The goods:
- The world encapsulates me everytime.
- Zhara and Ami are such different characters and i love seeing their interaction
- the cast of side characters keep you on your toes and engaged
- I love being able to see where a series is going and I can't wait to hop back into this one!

The loss of a star:
- This is just very heavy fantasy and the language can bog it down a bit, making it a bit slower to read, so it took a while to get back into after having read Zhara over a year ago.

overall: If you're looking for a unique fantasy series, you've find it in Guardians of the Dawn!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the ARC of Guardians of Dawn: Ami!

Ami picks up right where Zhara left off with Zhara and company heading off in search of answers. In a dual storyline we also see Ami struggling to keep her and her disabled father safe and fed while also keeping a tight hold on her own magic. As Zhara battles her way through the undead to find Ami's father and Ami is mystified by a plague affecting everything from the fields to the Pillar of Life, their paths converge and Ami discovers her true self as one of the fabled Guardians. Together they attempt to determine the cause of the plague and the undead. But will they find the answers in time?

I really enjoyed Guardians of the Dawn: Ami! The story twists and turns all while keeping its good humor. The characters are interesting and the friendships are beautiful. I got lost a little in the political intrigue. The book does jump right back into the story without much recap so it took me some time to remember what happened but once I did I was hooked again. You definitely want to read Zhara before reading Ami. The Beast's story is just as interesting, if not more so than Ami's story. I can't wait for the next installment in the Guardians of the Dawn story!

I must be honest, If I had ever realized S. Jae-Jones wrote Wintersong, I would never have picked up the first book of the Guardians of Dawn, Zhara. Luckily, I was blind to the fact she wrote a book I hated because I enjoyed Zhara so much! I was so ready for the sequel and now Ami is finally here!

Li Ami, the eccentric daughter of a former imperial magician, has devoted her life to books because she finds them easier to read than people. Exiled to the outermost west of the Morning Realms, Ami has become the sole caretaker of her mentally ill father, whose rantings and ravings may be more than mere ramblings. She begins working with the mysterious Beast who needs someone to translate a forbidden magical text and find a cure for the mysterious blight affecting the land's harvest.

Meanwhile, Jin Zhara realizes that she needs massive help in the coming elemental battle against the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons. She must find the other two Guardians of Dawn. Her magic is no match for the growing tide of undead, and she needs the Guardian of Wood with power over life and death to defeat the revenants razing the countryside. The threat of the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons looms larger by the day, and the tenuous peace holding the Morning Realms together is beginning to unravel.
Ami is the Guardian of Wood, and her powers are opposite but complementary to Zhara’s. The three Guardians (including Yulia) each have distinct powers that work together. And not to worry, though it is Ami’s story, it doesn’t take long for the two girls to meet. Ami is neurospicy and I love that for her. Seeing these characters in books makes me and others feel seen. And not just seen but told we can do whatever we need and want to do.
While Ami is a great character, I missed the character from the first book a lot. There was less humor as the new characters were grimmer. There is a joke or two. But I could have used more to break up the seriousness of the book. The first book balanced it nicely but the characters that performed this role weren’t in this one. This also may have been on purpose as their quest becomes more urgent.
Overall, Ami is a strong addition to the Guardians of Dawn series. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

This was an enjoyable YA fantasy but I think I made a mistake by not reading the first book in the series. I wasn't as connected to the world as I felt I should've been.

At some point I will go back and maybe reread it for the better impact. However my TBR is so massive this is gonna take some time.

This story is really cute, I am not a big fan of the multiple POVs. If you liked Zhara, you will enjoy this as it picks up right after that story.

I absolutely adored Guardians of Dawn: Zhara, and was beyond thrilled to receive an ARC of Guardians of Dawn: Ami. The first book was pitched as "Sailor Moon meets Cinderella," so this one, in turn, was "Sailor Moon meets Beauty and the Beast." What more could you possibly want?

The book picks up where the first one left off, with Zhara and her companions continuing their quest to find a way to stop the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons. The book alternates chapters between her and her crew, and Ami and Gaden, two new characters who are weaved seamlessly into the existing narrative. I enjoyed my time with both of these groups and never felt myself wanting to rush to get back to one over the other.

The book did a good job of continuing to build upon existing relationships while introducing and developing new ones. It continued its trend of "everyone is a little bit queer" with the main cast, completely normalizing the varying sexual and gender identities the young cast of characters have, which is refreshing and delightful in YA. My only criticism is that this one seemed to lack a bit of the whimsy that the first book had, though I attribute it to the stakes being higher, and the characters having less time to fool around. It was a solid second installment, and I'm looking forward to continuing the story with the next book!

"Han gripped his bo staff even tighter, slowly moving his feet into a defensive stance. “Something’s not right here,” he said in a low voice. “It all feels very . . . ghoulish.”
And that was when the undead attacked."

Oh yes, this book had zombies.

This was the fast-paced sequel to Zhara, book 1. We follow Zhara across the land on her journey to find the missing scrolls. That journey eventually leads to Ami, her father, and the Beast.

I still liked Zhara, she’s not the best character, but the best out of all the others. The new characters, Ami and Gaden (aka Beast) fell flat to me.

This series has good diversity, Ami is, what I assume, Autistic, Gaden is non-binary trans, Han is demisexual (which is nice, that’s not represented nearly enough), and people are assumed non-binary until confirmation (pronouns are they/them until it’s known, which is actually the way it should be irl). All these good representations don’t make up for the fact that Ami and Gaden were one-dimensional to me. I couldn’t picture them in my head. Ami was supposed to be the most beautiful person but there were not many descriptions that allowed me to picture anything, and Gatans nickname had me picturing them as this obscure literal beast instead of a person. I couldn't get a reading on their physical description at all, so they were mostly a blob in my mind. I also did not like Gaden as a character, they were awful but I won’t get into that because it'd spoil the reveal/ending, but no, there were decisions they made that I did not like.

Han was still an idiot. Pretty sure an attempt was made to blame his stupidity and naivety on being demi, which was the worst, and I didn’t like that.

The plot was resolved easily like in book one, too easily. It screamed YOUNGADULT, which I know it's young adult, but no need to be so obvious lmao

Book three will follow princess Yulana and from the epilogue, will be an FF pairing, which hasn’t been done in the book yet, so more nice representation. However, I’m liking this series less and less so I’m not sure if I’ll bother with the next.

I started this book and just didn't really feel invested in the story. This is definitely a me problem and not a book problem. I was actually enjoying Ami's POV and how much more mature it felt compared to Zhara. I might return to this book in the future.

*Guardians of Dawn: Ami* by S. Jae-Jones is a captivating start to an enchanting fantasy series. The story follows Ami, a courageous protagonist navigating a world filled with magic and intrigue. Jae-Jones crafts a richly detailed setting and weaves a compelling plot that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. While the pacing can be a bit uneven, the depth of the characters and the immersive world-building make this a standout read for fantasy enthusiasts. The book sets an exciting foundation for what promises to be a thrilling series.

The story centers around Ami, a young girl with a rare and dangerous kind of magic, in a world where the government hunts down magic users. As she fights to keep her powers hidden and survive, she gets pulled into a bigger conflict involving secret societies, ancient prophecies, and the classic battle between good and evil. Ami has to navigate this treacherous world, learning more about her abilities and her role in the upcoming war.

Ami is a pretty compelling main character. She’s determined, resourceful, and has a strong sense of right and wrong. Her journey from a girl trying to hide her powers to someone who starts embracing her place in the larger conflict is well done. Readers will likely find themselves rooting for her as she faces challenge after challenge.

That said, the pacing could use some work. The story kicks off strong, but there are parts where it slows down, especially in the middle. Some scenes feel a bit too drawn out, which can make it hard to stay fully engaged.

All in all, though, it’s an enjoyable read. Thanks for the ARC ☺️