I can't believe we're three books into the Guardians of Dawn series! I've thoroughly enjoyed the friendships between the main girls and the nostalgic Sailor Moon vibes - we're only missing a magical girl transformation (kidding but not). I didn't expect Yuli to end with a cliffhanger, but I'm definitely invested in this series so I'll absolutely read the next book. I think S. Jae-Jones's writing has improved with each book she's released, so I want to commend her for continuing to advance her craft. I really liked that this book was more action heavy than the previous ones, but the romance just never hit for me. I would argue that there really isn't a romance at all for Yuli and the romantic interests of the other guardians were gone most of the book. Another thing I want to point out is the overwhelming number of POVs. The book is written in third person, but the POV bounces between four characters and since it's third person, the narrating voice between the characters doesn't differ, so it was too much for me. I still had a fun time learning more about Yuli and the developing story, so I can't wait to see who the next guardian is!

Thank you to Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

Absolute top-tier writing and narration as always, this book was sooo good, ahhh

I love how the author balances the new povs with the old in every succeeding book! We still see Zhara and Ami and their character developments in this book, in addition to two new povs, Yuli and Kho (one of them a character we've never seen before), and the balance and pacing of all their povs is perfect.

Also also, the second chance ish romance between Yuli/Kho? Absolute perfection 😭

I soo need the fourth book right now! I miss the characters already and I so need to know how the story is gonna end!

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

The third book in the Guardians of Dawn series brings us to a darker turn as we get closer to the release of the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons. This time we're following Yuli, who has been a presence from the start, and having her both be familiar to the reader and familiar with her powers for the most part mean that it's easier to focus on the shifting politics and rising stakes in the world. As the Guardian of Wind, her power deals with the soul, something that she hasn't found particularly useful, only using her spirit-walking ability. But with the rise of a waking dreamer sickness, where people's bodies seem detached from their souls, leaving them open to demonic possession, she finds herself extremely important in reversing that. Too bad it's also in the middle of a huge political upheaval, with the death of her grandfather and no clear successor and their political rivals chomping at the bit to claim power. Which might have some demonic push behind it, but that's for the Guardians to figure out.

As the third book in the series, the world and the cast has been growing exponentially, and it was one thing that got a little unwieldly for me in Ami's book. Here, the solution to that is having half of Zhara and Ami's group split off to return with Han when he has to go home and claim his throne. This has the benefit of cutting down on the various PoVs, and even when we are switching around, they're at least all on one storyline.

Jae-Jones' writing is still light and fun - it's so clear that this is what she wants to be writing, this mix of East Asian and Western folklore with Sailor Moon vibes, and it still just works /so/ well. Yuli's fairytale is probably the weakest (I think it's Little Red Riding Hood?), but I'm perfectly happy letting the story as JJ has crafted it so far taking the lead. Though it looks like the Guardian of Water will be following Snow White, so I'm very curious to see where that takes everyone.

I didn’t realize this was the third in a series when I applied, I apologize. I’m somewhat new to NetGalley and finally getting the hang of things. If I can come back and edit this review I will!

First off, thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the chance to read this book early! I loved this book! This series just gets better and better with each book. All the characters are fantastic, and it would be so hard to pick a favorite. We've known Yuli since the first book, but this book really makes her character shine. We see her growth and acceptance of what she must do and what she must give up. This is the first series in a while where I can honestly say that the third book is better than the first. I usually struggle to read middle books. It's either the second book slumps or the third. This series, in my opinion, has never had a slump. I can't wait for the next book and see what the future holds for these characters and what will occur in this wonderful world.

"The third book in the sweeping, richly imagined Guardians of Dawn fantasy series from S. Jae-Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of Wintersong.

Princess Yulana has a few problems. Her late grandfather has died without naming an heir, civil war threatens to tear the Morning Realms apart, a strange waking dreamer sickness is sweeping through the land, and a plague of hungry ghosts roam the steppes. On top of all of that, Kho, her former best friend turned rival, is getting under her skin. A struggle for power divides the north, and the outcome rests on the winner of the Grand Game - a competition that will determine not just the future of her people, but the course of the entire empire.

When the world is out of balance, the Guardians of Dawn are reborn.

As the Guardian of Wind, it is Yuli's responsibility to bring order to chaos, along with the Guardian of Fire and the Guardian of Wood. But can she restore balance to the Morning Realms when she can't even win the political games being played at home? The fate of the Morning Realms depends on the Guardians of Dawn, and whether Yuli can manage both the demonic and political chaos at once.

Guardian of Wind, there you are."

Hungry ghosts are the scariest thing to me.

YULI (Guardians of Dawn #3) by S.A. Chakraborty

⭐⭐⭐✨ | When duty feels heavier than destiny

This book honestly frustrated me. I went in expecting to fall head-over-heels for Yuli—elemental magic, political drama, a girl trying to save her world—but instead I felt like I was reading a textbook half the time.

There's just so much explaining. Court politics, family histories, empire structures—it never stops. I kept waiting for those breathless moments where I'd forget I was reading, but they rarely came. Yuli's relationship with Kho should have been electric, but their scenes felt rushed between all the political lectures.

Don't get me wrong, the writing is gorgeous and the world feels real. But I wanted to feel something, not just learn about fictional governments. Maybe if you're already deep in this series it hits different, but as someone jumping in, I felt more exhausted than enchanted.

Vibes We Are Tracking:
⚔️ Enemies-to-lovers tension
👑 Political marriage plots
🌪️ Elemental magic systems
📚 Dense world-building
💔 Duty vs. desire

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

Princess Yulana has some problems. Her grandfather died without naming an heir, civil war threatens the Morning realms, a sleeping sickness is spreading in the city, hungry ghosts are in the steppes and her ex friend, now rival, Kho is one of the competitor for the throne. So, not only Yulana has to deal with magical problems, but also political intrigues and feelings. Now involved in the Grand game, the competition to choose the heir, Yulana has to battle against political and demonic forces, with the help of the Guardians of Fire and the Guardians of Wood, Zhara and Ami. Will they succeed in protecting their world?

Finally, finally, we get a book about Yuli, one of my favourite character ever! She's funny, brilliant and so smart and I love her relationship with Zhara and Ami, her power and how complicated her life gets when her grandfather dies. In this third book, a fantasy series inspired by Sailor Moon, so it's perfect for me, Yuli is the main character of the story and with the help of Zhara and Ami she will have to deal with demonic forces, portals, loss and love.
I adored her relationship with Kho and the way, in this book, the reader has to learn a bit more about Yulana and her duties, powers and friendships. I loved everything about this book. I laughed, I cried and now I need more!

Yuli is one of my favorite Guardians of Dawn characters. Each girl Jae-Jones writes is so unique, and the Sailor Moon vibes pull through all the way on each girl. (Not a complaint, I LOVE this series so much!) I'd been wanting a book centering around Yuli and knowing we'd have to see some upcoming conflict with her people.

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.