Guardians of Dawn: Zhara

Guardians of Dawn: Zhara

2022 • 384 pages

Ratings7

Average rating4

15

This book definitely has its flaws but it's was so silly and fun overall. I think my love for magical girl genre is what made me ignore the silly parts of the book and just somewhat enjoy the ride. It's definitely nothing special but if you want a magical girl anime in the form of a book, I think it definitely does its' job. Its a fun book to pass the time, but it's not without flaws.

As mentioned, it's pretty silly. It reads very young, and the humor is also on the juvenile side. I think it reads younger than YA personally, and I am definitely waaaay past the age range to laugh at the jokes. It was my biggest complaint in the book, and it took me out of the story. Also keep in mind the humor is very present throughout the book.

The characters also feel very young and I don't think any of them really stand out much. I don't think I will think back fondly on them in the future, just kinda forget about them. Same goes for the romance — it was a cute puppy love kind of romance but it's not really my thing. At all.

The lore could've been so much more interesting, but it fell flat for me. It all felt very simplistic.

Also it's worth noting it's a Cinderella retelling of a sort. The comparison to both Sailor Moon and Cinder are definitely accurate. 

So yea, I can't really say I was disappointed cause I felt like this might not be that great but it was fun enough to go through and I might pick up the sequel when it comes out. Maybe. If not just for the magical girl vibes and animal familiars.

Also, for the love of all that is holy, stop repeating the term “good-looks giggles”. It's not cute, it's so cringe I can't believe it kept getting brought up so often 😭 the characters are supposed to be 17, not 7.

August 12, 2023