Zhara by S. Jae-Jones Narrator: Katharine Chin
Series: Guardians of Dawn #1
Published by Macmillan Audio on August 1, 2023
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
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I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Sailor Moon meets Cinder in Guardians of Dawn: Zhara, the start of a new, richly imagined fantasy series from S. Jae-Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of Wintersong.
Magic flickers.
Love flames.
Chaos reigns.Magic is forbidden throughout the Morning Realms. Magicians are called abomination, and blamed for the plague of monsters that razed the land twenty years before.
Jin Zhara already had enough to worry about—appease her stepmother’s cruel whims, looking after her blind younger sister, and keeping her own magical gifts under control—without having to deal with rumors of monsters re-emerging in the marsh. But when a chance encounter with an easily flustered young man named Han brings her into contact with a secret magical liberation organization called the Guardians of Dawn, Zhara realizes there may be more to these rumors than she thought. A mysterious plague is corrupting the magicians of Zanhei and transforming them into monsters, and the Guardians of Dawn believe a demon is responsible.
In order to restore harmony and bring peace to the world, Zhara must discover the elemental warrior within, lest the balance between order and chaos is lost forever.
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Zhara isn’t like your normal girl, she has magic. While looking for the next installment of a book series she adores, she bumps into a young man. They wind up getting their books swapped and this leads Zhara to learn about a secret organizations run by magicians! Magicians are being hunted down because magic is strictly forbidden, and some of them are turning into abominations. There is something causing this corruption and Zhara must find a way to save everyone.
Zhara was an lovely leading lady and I was intrigued by the world she lives in. While a bit slower paced than I’m used to, the story itself was engaging and kept me entertained. There’s a touch of romance and a whole bunch of magic and adventure. I’d recommend this book if you’re a fan of Young Adult Fantasy.
