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ifsh's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
coolhandluke140's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
quackthump's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
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? No
4.25
asbooktrovert's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
It is simply 3 lower rated because it took a while (more than 50% through) to really get into the story. I can say that I DO look forward to the next book in the series and more of Han and Zhara.
soccer8s's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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? No
4.0
This was a good book. Long, but it kept my interest all the way to the end. I loved the twists.
ddnreads's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
2,5 ⭐
My 14yo self might love this book, but the first two chapters (teens reading smut, etc) might contradict the idea.
First, I think the market was overclaim. I was sold by the mention of sailor moon and turned out the story is below my expectations.
The premise is pretty simple. Zhara is a young woman with magical ability in a land where magic was unacknowledged. Her magic turned out to be crucial and greater than what she can imagine. Suprise, turned out there are magicians everywhere. And where there are magicians, there are demons too. Zhara and her friend tried to fight the abomination. She found love and family and group where she belonged to. A light whismical romanfantasy for teens.
It doesn't really suit me.
I found the characters cringey and lack of depth. Xu was the most interesting one. Everyone else's felt one dimensional and typical. Don't get me started with good looking giggles or whatever that is.
The story telling isn't gripping enough to invest with the characters and the plot.
It has such a great potential with the setting and magical ability and the beasts and the abomination. Sadly, for me, it wasn't well executed. The world building is the most exciting idea of this book.
What really turned me off is at the end of this book, the author chose to portray, I believe, one of the KPop idol group. The author didn't even change the group name. I don't know if that's wise to include real life idols in a commercial book. And... I'm not a fan. The exaggerating description of how handsome and awesome was not selling. And Im confuse how in the end they suddenly have a big role toward the plot and follow Zhara's next journey like what's for. It's understandable if u want to put them in a plot as performers, but to include them all the way to the next adventure sounds very childish imo. Nope nope
Im giving this book a second chance bcs I'm still going to read Ami. But if I see those 7 boys out of nowhere I might dnf early.
My 14yo self might love this book, but the first two chapters (teens reading smut, etc) might contradict the idea.
First, I think the market was overclaim. I was sold by the mention of sailor moon and turned out the story is below my expectations.
The premise is pretty simple. Zhara is a young woman with magical ability in a land where magic was unacknowledged. Her magic turned out to be crucial and greater than what she can imagine. Suprise, turned out there are magicians everywhere. And where there are magicians, there are demons too. Zhara and her friend tried to fight the abomination. She found love and family and group where she belonged to. A light whismical romanfantasy for teens.
It doesn't really suit me.
I found the characters cringey and lack of depth. Xu was the most interesting one. Everyone else's felt one dimensional and typical. Don't get me started with good looking giggles or whatever that is.
The story telling isn't gripping enough to invest with the characters and the plot.
It has such a great potential with the setting and magical ability and the beasts and the abomination. Sadly, for me, it wasn't well executed. The world building is the most exciting idea of this book.
What really turned me off is at the end of this book, the author chose to portray, I believe, one of the KPop idol group. The author didn't even change the group name. I don't know if that's wise to include real life idols in a commercial book. And... I'm not a fan. The exaggerating description of how handsome and awesome was not selling. And Im confuse how in the end they suddenly have a big role toward the plot and follow Zhara's next journey like what's for. It's understandable if u want to put them in a plot as performers, but to include them all the way to the next adventure sounds very childish imo. Nope nope
Im giving this book a second chance bcs I'm still going to read Ami. But if I see those 7 boys out of nowhere I might dnf early.
theamyleblanc's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I skimmed most of this book.
It was hard to get into. It's repetitive. The magic system had potential but never lived up to it. The history of this world lurks in the shadows because so much of it has been erased. That could've been so cool and instead it just functions as a convenient plot device.
The characters are flat and immature. They monologued a fair amount in order to move the story along. I couldn't connect with any of them and I didn't have to care because the plot was completely predictable. None of the "twists" were unexpected. The narrative is repetitive.
I wanted to like this book. I've liked previous works by Jae-Jones so I had hopes for this one. You can see the inspiration being drawn from a number of other stories but they never mesh into something unique and new. It's disjointed and lacks a spark.
I can't see myself recommending this one.
I skimmed most of this book.
It was hard to get into. It's repetitive. The magic system had potential but never lived up to it. The history of this world lurks in the shadows because so much of it has been erased. That could've been so cool and instead it just functions as a convenient plot device.
The characters are flat and immature. They monologued a fair amount in order to move the story along. I couldn't connect with any of them and I didn't have to care because the plot was completely predictable. None of the "twists" were unexpected. The narrative is repetitive.
I wanted to like this book. I've liked previous works by Jae-Jones so I had hopes for this one. You can see the inspiration being drawn from a number of other stories but they never mesh into something unique and new. It's disjointed and lacks a spark.
I can't see myself recommending this one.
cynsworkshop's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Zhara is everything it promises, capturing those magical girl vibes and making this a perfect read for Sailor Moon fans.
Zhara is the first novel in the Guardians of Dawn series that is sweet and wholesome while offering readers some beautiful characters and thrilling action.
Characterization
The characters are the driving force behind the novel. Zhara is a shining star here, in keeping with the Cinderella theme; she has a wicked stepmother but loves her step-sister, always trying to find a way to help her. Her sister is blind, or rather nearly blind, and Zhara feels indebted to her, offering her kindness where her mother is scornful.
Zhara is such a charming character; her giggles are infectious, and her love for cheap romance novels makes her lovable. She is very much reminiscent of Usagi, without being a “crybaby” and also wholly unique.
That was what I loved about this book. Not only the non-binary and LGBTQ representation but how the characters shined. They made me laugh. The prince continuously referring to his muscles for aesthetic purposes was just perfection. Even his own love for the cheap romance serials shined.
These characters had light, breath, and life, making reading the story engaging. I absolutely loved them.
And the animal companions? They may not have had voices, but Jae-Jones’s description made them matter to the story. They weren’t just there to fit a trope; they were important. And her cat is Luna; you can’t tell me otherwise.
Storytelling
The story gives off “magical girl” and Sailor Moon vibes, so if you love either of those, you’ll love this story.
It moves effortlessly, flushing out the character development and dynamics alongside the plot. The magic system and the mythos behind it capture many of those tropes in anime and manga, but it doesn’t feel like a copy-paste. The story feels unique, true to the author’s heritage and culture, and wholesome and sweet, which I loved so much.
Final Thoughts
Zhara is such a brilliant start to a new series. It is wonderfully developed, full of fun characters that all shine and make reading the adventure enjoyable. Absolutely loved this novel.
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