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A review by thereadingraccoon
Guardians of Dawn: Ami by S. Jae-Jones
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? No
3.5
Guardians of Dawn: Ami is the second book in the young adult fantasy series Guardians of Dawn.
The story picks up where Zhara left off, expanding on the character of Ami, a teenage scrivener who cares for her mentally ill father while hiding her affinity for magic. When she is recruited to transcribe texts by a mysterious masked figure known as “The Beast” at the local monastery, they discover that the blight and undead caused by demon energy are drawing ever closer.
Despite being Ami’s story, there is plenty of interaction with Zhara, Han, and the Bantang Brothers from the first book, who provide moments of levity. The book mostly follows a “quest” or journey-type plot, which, I admit, is not my favorite style of storytelling. There are moments of excitement and danger, but overall, the drawn-out travel and lack of romantic chemistry between the main couples made the book feel slower and longer than its 368 pages.
While there is plenty of world-building and political intrigue, I found myself losing interest in the details because the characters, tortured by their unique magical abilities, secrets, and pasts, weren’t always enjoyable to read about.
I recommend Guardians of Dawn: Ami to fans of the first book in the series and anyone who enjoys quests and plots with minimal romance. The ending sets the stage for the next installment in the series.
My copy of Guardians of Dawn: Ami was provided by NetGalley and Wednesday Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The story picks up where Zhara left off, expanding on the character of Ami, a teenage scrivener who cares for her mentally ill father while hiding her affinity for magic. When she is recruited to transcribe texts by a mysterious masked figure known as “The Beast” at the local monastery, they discover that the blight and undead caused by demon energy are drawing ever closer.
Despite being Ami’s story, there is plenty of interaction with Zhara, Han, and the Bantang Brothers from the first book, who provide moments of levity. The book mostly follows a “quest” or journey-type plot, which, I admit, is not my favorite style of storytelling. There are moments of excitement and danger, but overall, the drawn-out travel and lack of romantic chemistry between the main couples made the book feel slower and longer than its 368 pages.
While there is plenty of world-building and political intrigue, I found myself losing interest in the details because the characters, tortured by their unique magical abilities, secrets, and pasts, weren’t always enjoyable to read about.
I recommend Guardians of Dawn: Ami to fans of the first book in the series and anyone who enjoys quests and plots with minimal romance. The ending sets the stage for the next installment in the series.
My copy of Guardians of Dawn: Ami was provided by NetGalley and Wednesday Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.