I enjoyed this book. I thought the characters were charming and I enjoyed the world building, however I felt the plot was a bit weak and I was never truly invested. Overall, I would recommend to anyone wanting Chinese inspired fantasy. ( )

 Recommended: yep!
For a fascinating world of magic, for lovably dense characters, for an intro to a larger story that I'm really excited to learn more about

Thoughts:
I'm really excited for the rest of this series, and to see where the rest of the Guardians end up. I think this was a strong start, and that the following books will only get better now that the sort of "exposition" is out of the way from book one.

The strangest thing in this book was that both main characters are kind of dense. There were some very obvious clues that took them a VERY long time to figure out. And worse, when one of them figured something out, they never shared that information with the rest of the group! This led to a weird effect where I would figure the thing out myself, then one of them would figure it out three chapters later, then five more chapters later the other would figure it out again. I started getting confused and thinking "Didn't we already know this??? Why are they going through it again??"

Overall that was a minor issue, but it did make me feel a bit bewildered at times. I can't think of another book where BOTH main characters are just kinda dumb. They aren't dumb in that they make poor decisions or can't think logically, they just don't really pick up on hints and cues. I was able to work with it and found them both somewhat innocent and lovable for it.

Example I can think off randomly is that her cat is somehow with them in a dark secret tunnel on a mountain that they had to take an hours-long boat ride to? And no one says or thinks "how the fuck is the cat here with us?" 🤦‍♀️

Wow, also I can tell there was a lot of work going into the lore in this book! While I enjoyed learning about the system of magic, demons, and the history of the world, I am also excited that it's established now and there will be more room for movement and exploration in following books.

Zhara's relationships with her mother and sister were pretty thorny and complicated. Witnessing her subservience hurt so much sometimes. :/ This wasn't easy to read with how poorly Zhara thinks of herself.

Also: Read the author's note about language and how they interact with the culture they draw from!! It's interesting, but it's also helpful in explaining choices in the book, like not gendering characters until they identify in some way (ie using "they/them" until they say "I'm just a boy with no idea" or something similar).

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review.  ( )

In a fantastical world where magic is forbidden and monsters are real, the heroine hides her magical gifts so that she can live comfortably with her stepmother and stepsister. But then the heroine meets the hero, who introduced her to a mystical organization called the Guardians of Dawn. Thus begins the journey to bring equanimity to the world as monsters re-emerged ushering chaos.

This is the first book in the GUARDIANS OF DAWN series. This book has dual perspectives and a good set of LBGTQ+/disability representation, which enhances the story a lot. This book felt like how a light novel set in a magical world with teenagers as the main characters and a light-hearted vibe to it, though there are also some trigger warnings in the book. With that in mind, the story has a good setting to it, with animal companions and memorable characters. I would have liked some more details in some sections of the book, but they weren't detrimental to my reading experience. Overall, a great start to this latest series by S. Jae-Jones and I look forward to reading more in the future.

** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. ** ( )

Each character pops off the page in this complex tale of magic, power, and hope.

Zhara does her best to keep her magic hidden. Not only is any sign of magic an instant death sentence, but the hunt for magicians is underway thanks to the increasing appearance of abominations (magicians turned into monsters). When she accidentally bumps into a strange man while trying to procure her favorite book, she winds up with a forbidden tome in her hands concerning magic. Soon, it becomes clear that the mythical Guardians, who are to protect magicians and the world from demons, might be real, and Zhara must find them.

First off, what a cover! That alone had me wanting to pick this one up and dive in. Then, there's the Sailor Moon and Cinder comparison, which peeks interest. So, I went into this one with high expectations, and already having read works from this author, was ready not to be disappointed. While this read wasn't what I expected, it was a fun ride.

Each character packs personality. Tons of it. In some ways...and maybe this comes from the Sailor Moon angle...they almost feel cartoonish and over-the-top but not quite. This makes each one quirky and very individualistic in their own ways. It was a treat to meet each one and gave each scene an extra zest of life.

The plot is complex and weaving, which considering this is the first in a series, great. There are many layers to the magical world and secrets abound. The history was laid out enough to build up a beginning base and get the world set-up. There are still holes at the end, but that's not a problem since there is plenty more to come. This can go so many directions, and I'm looking forward to see which ones it will take.

Comparing this one to Sailor Moon and Cinder was, in my opinion, not the best direction to take...outside of the fact that it does catch readers' attentions and markets nicely. But the tale doesn't really follow either of these. There's a tiny bit of a Cinder atmosphere in the beginning, but this disappears rapidly. As to Sailor Moon...well, I don't see it. Then, there's a BTS insert, which raises eyebrows. So, not what I expected.

The writing style is easy-to-read and draws in. The lower end of the YA audience will feel at home in this one, not only thanks to the writing but also due to the characters, since their concerns hit this age level nicely. There's a somewhat superficial atmosphere to the read, and that with the thickly woven plot, ends up creating an original and interesting mix. The only thing about the writing which bothered was the pronoun usage. The author explains that these are to follow the more Asian language direction with familiarity, but the problem is that this is written in English for English speakers. So, the sudden 'they' instead of he/she, due to familiarity usage in the Asian languages, not only confuses but plucks out of the story and world flow. The reader has to pause to realize what's going on.

All in all, this is a very enjoyable read and world with characters to really enjoy. I found the style light and refreshing with tons of potential on what is still to come. And I am looking forward to seeing what will happen next. I received a DRC and found it to be a fun read ( )