Scan barcode
mattiedancer's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Writing: 4⭐️/5
The writing is very well done. I found it fascinating, captivating, and well-thought-out, especially the first half of the novel. Several moments of truly stunning prose stuck with me, and where it lacked, it didn’t lack for too much. Occasionally, a few scenes relied heavily on exposition or felt a bit repetitive, but it didn’t interfere greatly with my enjoyment of the novel.
It’s worth noting that S. Jae-Jones includes a note on the language used in the novel. While there were a few moments where perhaps the writing wasn’t perfectly smooth, I understand that it was likely a bit of a translation issue.
Characters: 4⭐️/5
**Contains Spoilers**
I really did love the characters. I liked Han’s himbo character. I loved reading about Zhara’s abilities. I liked the side characters and the attention given to them. That being said, one of the only things that struck me as odd was Zhara’s stepsister, Suzhan. We get so little consistent characterization of her. She acts young, and then mature, soft and innocent and then ruthless. And, while her betrayal is justified, her actions beforehand just don’t seem to coincide with how she’s explained.
Plot: 3.75⭐️/5
Alright, so the plot starts off marvellously! I love Zhara and Han’s meeting outside the bookstore, how quickly they ignite interest in each other, and how swiftly we see each character’s background and backstories: I loved all of that. And then, about halfway through the novel, the plot starts to fall off. Progressively, the story felt more and more untied, as though it lost its way. Or never had a strong sense of where it wanted to go. I also really didn’t love getting so much exposition in the epilogue explaining to us what happened to our beloved characters.
World 4.5⭐️/5
The world is really cool. I love how magic is described in the novel, I love the emphasis on books, and I adored how vibrant each moment in the world felt.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Fans of young adult fantasy novels
- Fans of YA looking for a cute romance
Content Warnings?
Death, sexual harassment, kidnapping, death of parent, emotional abuse, physical abuse, child abuse, gaslighting, confinement, body horror, grief, gore, toxic relationship, violence, war
Post-Reading Rating: 3.25⭐️/5
A lot of potential but it kind of fell apart around the middle of the book. It was still good, but not nearly as good as the beginning.
Final Rating: 3.75⭐️/5
Final Rating: 3.75⭐️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Body horror, Classism, Murder, Physical abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief
onegalonelife27's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Zhara is a good fantasy story. It has the classic-magic is forbidden due to previous disasters and thus persecuted and put to death by lawy-trope in play so thus the main heroine must hide her magic while trying to support her family. However, when magicians start to become abominations, Zhara finds herself embracing her magic to save those afflicted and find out the source. There's a strong cast of characters, some good world building, solid magic combat scenes. I'd say Guardians of Dawn is off to a good start!
And onto one of my favorite aspects-the male lead in this book! Han is the BEST! He's awkward, he's tries so hard to impress and help the heroine in combat-he often fails, but tries with all he's got. He's also there for the heroine when she needs emotional support. I'd certainly put him on the himbo scale, because man all the history and innuendos that fly over this guy's head. I've forgotten what a joy it is to have such a dork of hero! We need more dorky, sweet men in fiction and this world!
I do feel like some scenes were rushed, like I knew a scene should happen but I didn't expect it to happen when it did, without much foreshadowing to it was happening now.
Either way, I think this is a strong start to a new fantasy series and I look forward to seeing what happens next in this world!
And onto one of my favorite aspects-the male lead in this book! Han is the BEST! He's awkward, he's tries so hard to impress and help the heroine in combat-he often fails, but tries with all he's got. He's also there for the heroine when she needs emotional support. I'd certainly put him on the himbo scale, because man all the history and innuendos that fly over this guy's head. I've forgotten what a joy it is to have such a dork of hero! We need more dorky, sweet men in fiction and this world!
I do feel like some scenes were rushed, like I knew a scene should happen but I didn't expect it to happen when it did, without much foreshadowing to it was happening now.
Either way, I think this is a strong start to a new fantasy series and I look forward to seeing what happens next in this world!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Child abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, and War
guessgreenleaf's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Alcoholism
More...