Ami

Gr 8 Up--Fresh from defeating the Frog Demon, Guardian of Fire Zhara is headed west with Han and the Bangtan brothers, looking for a way to save the Morning Realms. However, when the dead start rising, everyone looks to Zhara for the answers. But how is she supposed to fight the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons alone? Meanwhile, Li Ami, coded autistic, is in hiding and struggling to care for her father, whose mind was broken when she was young. Could kind and mysterious Gaden, who uses they/them pronouns, help her, or could they possibly have something to do with the blight over the land? The Guardians continue to grow in this follow-up, expanding the world and deep diving into the mythologies and cultures. Readers will tear through the fast-paced story as the stakes become higher than ever. However, there is little fleshing out of the new characters' relationship, and Zhara and Han's romance, a highlight of the previous installment, takes a backseat, which may leave fans wanting. VERDICT A new guardian rises and tensions build in this action-packed second installment.--Elisha Sheffer

In her newfound identity as the Guardian of Fire, Jin Zhara continues her journey to find the other Guardians of Dawn and defeat the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons. Following the defeat of the Frog Demon of Poison and Pestilence in Zhara (2023), Zhara and Han continue their search for the scholar Li Er-Shuan and the Songs of Order and Chaos, the book that holds the key to defeating the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons. But they quickly find that they don't just face demons--the undead are attacking, and the same magic is bleeding the land of ki. The solution, they hope, lies in Kalantze with the Qirin Tulku. There they meet Li Ami, the daughter of Li Er-Shuan, and Gaden, the Left Hand of the Qirin Tulku. Together, they set out to figure out what force is behind the hordes of undead--and how to stop it. This sequel is fast-paced and exciting, immediately jumping back into the magical world of the Morning Realms. With their consistently satisfying character arcs, the intriguing cast members continue to be among the most delightful aspects of the series. Jae-Jones infuses this world with East Asian elements, and she weaves strong queer representation naturally into the story. Though the intense worldbuilding is initially overwhelming, this worthwhile sequel is easy to dive into and lives up to its predecessor. An action-packed and inherently magical sequel. (Fantasy. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.