Laura Rueckert's A Dragonbird in the Fern was a pretty enjoyable read - I’d give it about 3.75 stars. I loved the character of Jiara, who’s grounded, intelligent, and caring. The Watchers and Earthwalkers added an almost spiritual quality to this book that I liked. Also, the mystery element of “who killed Scilla?” really had me intrigued! I do wish the character of Raffar had been more developed. I thought the development of the relationship between Freyed and Jiara was much better. I also feel like while the story did wrap up well in the end, it was lacking something. Maybe it was too clean of an ending.

I really appreciated the portrayal of dyslexia (with Jiara) in this book. In an afterword, the author explains that Jiara has undiagnosed dyslexia, which became clear with her experiences with learning language, reading, and writing. Jiara struggled a lot with trying to understand a new language and communicate with the people in her new country, and it made her feel embarrassed, frustrated, and like she was a burden. I think it was great to see a discussion of dyslexia's effect on not only the ability to read, write, or communicate, but also on one's self-esteem.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley!

Ahh! This was so amazing! Fantastic world-building, intriguing plot, lovable and realistic characters! Overall, really enjoyed this one!

Full review will be posted on my blog, www.thebarnaclebookshelf.com, closer to release date in August.

I am a sucker for mystery entwined within fantasy. Especially when it involves a murderous plot.

This fantasy story is about avenging death, even if it means going against the country you were born in.

If you're looking for a book with plenty of twists and a plot that will have you guessing, pick this up. I really, really enjoyed the direction this narrative took.

Thank you for the e-galley in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the world-building in this fantasy debut! Rueckert created two different religious systems and blended them expertly into the cultures of the different countries newly queened Jiara must understand if she's to lead in peace, AND find out who murdered her sister Scilla, who is quickly becoming a pretty scary earthwalker, a ghost consumed by revenge to find her killer. There's a lot going on with high stakes but the pacing flows well so it never reads overwhelming.

Jiara is an awesome protagonist you want to follow to the ends of worlds. She's brave and kind and is constantly on herself for not living up to her older sister's legacy due to her undiagnosed dyslexia. But she always looks for the Next Best Thing and by opening her heart to her new people, their Watcher religion (while still embracing her own) she learns so much about her own capabilities. Her relationship with King Raffar is awesome and sweet and so refreshing.

Thank you to the author and Flux/North Star Editions via Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this, the world is unique and interesting and the fact that this is a standalone is great. It seems that the majority of new fantasy books are part of a series so this stands out. It was nice to have a complete story in one book. There weren't any slow parts and everything that happened felt important to the plot.

Jiara is smart, kind, and will do anything for her family and people, including marrying her late sister's fiancé. Jiara knows this move is paramount to her country's safety so she leaves her home to go to a foreign place where she doesn't know the language or customs. Jiara takes things in stride and works hard to be a good queen, while still investigating her sister's murder.

The earthwalker spirits that roam the land were creepy and the fact that they hurt their own families while waiting for justice made me sad. Jiara was trying so hard to find the killer and her sister is trying to kill her because she's so angry. How awful that would be.

There were a couple twists in the plot and the mystery of Scilla's killer was entertaining and engaging. I liked Jiara's relationship with Raffar and that it was a slow burn. That was more realistic and the build up was fun. I appreciated their moments together, especially when they were learning to communicate with each other.

This is a great fantasy debut and I look forward to seeing what else the author comes out with!

I have voluntarily chosen to read and review an advanced copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and North Star Editions.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review

I grabbed this book on a whim really. The description sucked me in and I'm so glad I requested an ARC for this book because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Early on I was sucked in and the suspense did not let up. The story starts in the thick of things with Jiara trying to calm and save the spirit of her sister who was murdered a few months back. Then her sister's betrothed shows up and it's Jiara who will take her place instead and become Queen in a kingdom far away from home. But given she's had a super crush on her sister's betrothed and her killer may be from his kingdom she's not really upset by these circumstances. The journey to her new kingdom is fraught with danger and more than once Jiara's life is threatened. While she's wary of people she meets her number one goal as always is to help her sister and bring her killer to justice. I did enjoy the slow moving romance as it gave the characters time to get to know one another. It also made sense to be so slow moving as the two don't even speak the same language and as you'd imagine that makes communicating rather difficult and at times invasive as they need an interpreter to simply speak. There was so much going on and so many suspicious characters at times I even wondered if the King himself was not party to her sisters death. He was so smitten with Jiara and even makes the two wait to consummate their marriage as Jiara is only 17 and he wants to wait until she reaches 18. Not only that he wants them to get to know one another and for her to be sure she wants him. Considering they were already married before leaving her home I thought this was really sweet and let's be honest very uncharacteristic of the way most men would behave. I gotta say I think the author did a great job creating this unique world and brought forth a truly engaging story. For her first novel this book blew me away and I really enjoyed the entire process until the bitter end

I really enjoyed this! As soon as I started it, I was hooked, and I didn’t want to put the book down. I will admit to being a tiny bit worried about certain elements at the start, but they faded away soon enough!

The main thing that drove this for me was the romance. Was this a romance novel? Most definitely not. Was I shipping the romance the entire time? Yes. It was just so well written!! Every single time Raafar and Jiara exchanged a single sentence, I was so happy!! And, I loved how caring and understanding he was. I totally respected him for asking to wait until she was 18, it’s something you don’t see in books, but I was so happy he respected her enough for that.

This was the first book I’d read with a language barrier, but I actually really enjoyed it. The amount of satisfaction I got from simple communication was astounding. I loved the way that Jiara didn’t learn the language immediately, it was a process. It felt so much more realistic than other YA novels.

I also really loved the mythology and world this builds. The religion and beliefs were so unique, and they tied into the story in a great way. I wasn’t really a fan of the multiple resurrections, but I did like the way they tied in at the end.

When I picked this up, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I ended up loving it! I’d recommend to all fantasy fans

Thanks to Netgalley and Laura Rueckert for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

This book had such a strong and unique premise, but I felt that it fell a bit flat for me at times, unfortunately. While I did enjoy reading it, there are storylines that honestly feel a bit pointless other than to add drama. However, one thing I absolutely adored was the depiction of language barriers in relationships. I honestly think that this aspect is so often ignored, overlooked, or just pushed aside by some form of 'common tongue' in the majority of fantasy. While I am not sure if this is planned as a standalone or a series, the book did wrap up nicely while still leaving room open to further explore the stories in this world.

*If you like gifs, please consider checking out this review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3859390894*

If I'm being completely honest, this book falls in the 'ok' category. It didn't awaken any type of strong feelings, either good or bad.

I appreciated the inclusion of a dyslexic main character, especially in a setting where there's a language barrier between the two leads, and the heroine has to learn her love interest's native tongue. I don't personally have any experience dealing with dyslexia, but I felt like the struggles and frustrations that arise when having to deal with it came across very clearly. Also, I liked how fast paced the story was, and the straightforward writing style. And don't even get me started on that cover! Absolutely gorgeous and captivating. It was definitely what drew my eye in the first place.

However, I feel like there was something missing. Sadly, and even though a main part of the plot is the grief of dealing with a lost family member, this book lacked any sort of emotional punch in my opinion. Everything was such a whirlwind of jumping from one thing to the next, that there were no quiet moments to explore the emotional repercussions of losing a loved one.

Plus, even though we are told Jiara very much cared for her sister, we aren't shown many interactions between them. I wish their relationship would have been more deeply explored and we'd got to see more moments between them. It's hard to care about the death of a character you've never met. For that matter, her whole family was little more than a few names. And same with the bodyguard/friend. They all had little to no repercussion in the story, and only appeared briefly. They all could have died, and I wouldn't have cared very much because I didn't have any reason to be attached to them. I feel the whole story would have strongly benefitted of a bit of backstory. When all was said and done, even the romantic relationship between the two main characters felt lukewarm at best. I needed more interactions, more bonding experiences, more relationship development,. Just more overall, I guess.

Another think I would have liked is for there to have been a red herring villain. A few more twists and turns in who killed Scilla. A shocking plot twist. A stronger thriller element, if you will. I think the bones, the potential for something great, were there, but the fleshing out part was where the whole thing fell short, sadly. Still, it was a fantastic effort for a first time author. In this day and age coming up with original, exciting ideas can't be easy. And the world presented in this novel is for sure very interesting and full of possibilities. Kudos!

**I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to North Star Editions and the author for the opportunity**

A fun and easy reading story. It was a nice and refreshing story. It had a nice plot and lovely characters. It had a wonderful ending and wrapped everyting up.

A lovely and unique take on the Stranger in a Strange Land story. While Rueckert employs a number of familiar fantasy tropes--an arranged marriage, a chosen one story, a key political betrayal, a vengeful spirit--the novel has a distinct focus on the nuances of language. As a young princess weds the king of another land, she must rely on translators to help her navigate her new home. But how does she know if a translation is accurate until she learns the language, herself? And what if her dyslexia makes learning that language an especially arduous challenge? Not only does language play into her personal journey to adapt to her new culture, it affects the political alliances and antagonisms of several bordering lands. It's through a clever use of language that war can be incited or dispelled, and the key players here aren't the wielders of swords but the wielders of words. Fantasy lovers will also find lush imagery, a determined heroine, a murder mystery, and a hint of romance. It's a lot to pack in the pages, but Rueckert wraps everything up nicely, making this an ideal read for those looking to dive into a single-title fantasy without the commitment to an epic multi-book series. And while no beautiful blue dragons make an appearance, the title has meaningful resonance and the cover is gorgeous.

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

This is.... a thing that exists,

It's not a bad book, per se. I would more say that it's a very mediocre book with the bones of what could have been an interesting story buried in there. Many of the concepts sound - and could have been - very interesting, given the right execution.

The political tension? A ghost waiting to be avenged and all the while slowly losing their grip on humanity? Being forced into a marriage with the King from a foreign country, knowing that it was one of his countrymen that murdered your sister? Being thrust into said foreign country with no preparation and suddenly needing to learn their culture/language all whilst struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia?

Had these things had the proper execution, this could have been *such* a unique story.

Unfortunately, it just fell flat. For example: the ghost plot-line seemed to be an afterthought that was only utilized to ruin random moments of happiness for the character. Jiara would be taking a lovely stroll through an apple field and then, oh crap, lo and behold the ghost has sliced her arm and now we're stressed out about finding the murderer. Until! The very next page once she's (Jiara) completely moved on to being upset that her sister's ex-betrothed and her now-husband is refusing to have sex with her until she's no longer a minor.
Because, y'know, when three countries are on the brink of war and your sister's ghost almost killed both your mother and your brother, that's definitely the most important thing we should be thinking about.

The most interesting and well executed part of this book was, in fact, the language barrier. This is the first time I've ever seen it brought up in a YA book, which is kinda crazy since everyone's always traveling to new countries/kingdoms. I really liked getting to see Jiara and Raffar's communication grow from nearly non-existent, to stilted, and then eventually blossoming into something more. (I do want to say that I feel like it was hard to connect to Raffar's character due to the language barrier. That might also be because he had no personality aside from tattoos and dead parents but I digress.😌)

However, even this grew tiring since it was heavily relied on in lieu of focusing on an actual plot. Nothing really happened up until 75-80% of the way through. And when things were finally allowed to happen, they were so predictable and rushed that it too almost felt like an afterthought. The pacing went from, "learning the customs, gawking over Raffar, learning the language, feeling like a failure, wanting to have sex with Raffar, learning the language some more, OH RIGHT I FORGOT I HAVE A GHOST SISTER, dang Raffar's looking pretty damn fine today👀, did you say we have a prisoner here that could be useful, that elephant bird has it out for me I just know it, time to learn some more about the culture" to "DECEIT AND BETRAYAL AND GUESS WHAT THIS PERSON'S LIFE IS IN DANGER AND also you still kinda have to learn our language? sorry?" and it was just so hard to connect with the story.

That being said, if you enjoyed "Sky in the Deep" by Adrienne Young, you might really enjoy this? I kind of feel like they had some (minor) plot similarities as far as themes and character growth went, so if it sounds interesting to you, definitely give it a try! Even though this story and I didn't mesh well, I can definitely see it having its own readers that fall in love with the story and I hope it finds them.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE ARC!

I feel like in some ways this book has a little something for everyone. Ghosts, fantasy, travel, politics, a little romance. Plus a dyslexic main character and LGBTQ representation in siblings/side characters!

I really enjoyed this book. It has such an interesting premise - someone who is murdered turns into a vengeful ghost if the murderer is uncaught. I do still have some questions about how the earthwalkers work. However, I think that people in the book don't understand it entirely themselves so I can mostly accept it.

I love that there's a mystery aspect, and also political scheming and yet it doesn't feel like a "mystery" book and doesn't get too bogged down with the politics. Basically it has a little bit of everything to appeal to a lot of different people and I'm excited to share it.

Also LOVE Jiara's struggle to read and learn a new language when taught in the "traditional" manner. She's very smart, but can't recognize it because of her struggles with dyslexia. And I love how the author includes LGBTQ+ characters and adoption as normal and accepted parts of the world as well.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an eARC for an honest review.

"A queen who rides a dolphin has no excuse to be afraid of elephant birds."

Wow! Where do I start? I couldn't put A Dragonbird in the Fern down. I had to know what came next at all costs, even if it meant staying up late when I was supposed to be in bed.

It's a fascinating story about a princess named Jiara who has dyslexia, though she doesn't know it; she tries to find the murderer of her sister, Scilla, that becomes an angry ghost, or as they call them, earthwalkers, by marrying her sister's attended husband who is a king from a foreign country.

If this description doesn't get you to read the book when it's released, then I don't know what will.

There was so much I loved about this story, but there were also things that didn't quite hit the mark for me.

It's in first person which I don't mind but I wish it at least switched around with other character's point of views. It was only with Jiara the entire time and we only saw what she did and her own thoughts. It would have been more interesting with other people put into play. The story progressively gets better. There is one chunk of area that is a little slow but the rest is full of action. There are language barriers between Jiara and her new husband, Rafaar. Fortunately, Jiara does what she can to learn the language even if her dyslexia makes it a lot harder for her.

All of the characters in this story are pretty likable. I love how Jiara and Rafaar's relationship gets better. I love the fact that the main character isn't perfect but has flaws. She's felt all her life like she isn't good enough because she doesn't learn like others do. I love the fact that she had a good relationship with her family and she married a kind person, which is a breath of fresh air considering a lot of young adult books that come out these days. I also like how Jiara learns how to become a queen and though she makes mistakes, she quickly learns from them. She's a very strong character.

The story ends cleanly without anything else to know or any cliff hangars, so I believe it's a stand-a-lone but I'm not sure. I can see there being a second book in this universe though because the world was really well built and engaging.

All in all, I had a really fun time reading this novel and Laura did a great job on her debut book!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the characters as well as the story. The identity of the assassin shocked me in the best way possible and the relationship between Jiara and Raffar was surprisingly wholesome. I also really enjoyed the character development of our main character, becoming more confident in her abilities and trusting herself.
The only bad thing I have to say is that whole part with the watchers honestly just confused me. It seemed more like a plot device rather then a real part of the story. Giving the entire Epilogue to this topic made the end of the book a bit disappointing. For me personally, it wouldn’t have needed the extra explanation.

I loved this book! I think it is a perfect YA fantasy book. If I were to pick up a book this is what I would be hoping for. I really love the cover too; it is so pretty. I love that Queen Jiara has a reading impediment that is not named but frequently referred to. It comes across as dyslexia. I think that this is a great representation of how to work toward something you want even if it is difficult

Big thanks to FluxBooks/Netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book ❤️

As soon as I saw the cover and read the synopsis of this book I new I had to give it a go. And it definitely did not disappoint. I really really enjoyed reading this!

Firstly wanted to mention, holy damn this book has amazing world building, the detailing in the writing was spot on. You could really imagine how beautiful the world was, especially at certain times.

I always found myself super intrigued as to what was going to happen next.
I really felt like this was such a unique murder mystery story, so so different from your typical murder mystery.
I loved the tensions that were brought on from the murder of Jiara’s sister Scila, this is a major part that keeps you really wanting to keep going and see what happens with Scila’s Ghost and what she will do.

The characters I did feel like could have had more to them, they felt a bit plain and simple. However I still adored the relationship between Jiara and Raffar, at some points I was really out here smiling and thinking awww. Their whole relationship was just so so sweet.
I did like the idea of the language barrier and watching Jiara struggle to learn a new language to she couldn’t communicate with her new husband, but I feel like this also may have contributed to having both characters a bit plain, especially Raffar. Nonetheless I still loved both characters and both have a special place in my heart.

Throughout the whole book I was pretty invested but it was about the last quarter or so I was like omg.must.keep.reading. Forget eating, forget doing literally anything else other than reading. All the plot twists were awesome

Another thing I wanted to mention, I love how instead of common horses, it was elephant birds 😂 like I thought that was really cool. I even looked up a bit about elephant birds on google 😂

Overall I ordered this book and definitely recommend ❤️ looking forward to see what Rueckert will write in the future!

Princes Jiara is a family-oriented 17 year-old looking to find her sister’s murderer. After figuring out the killer’s tattoo, she agrees to marry King Raffar, to find the Farnskag killer. However, as she is falling in love with her Raffar, who was her late sister’s fiancé, she realIzes how hard this transition into new territory will be for herself and her learning disability.

This is not my typical genre of choice. I gravitate towards romance, but fantasy and science fiction have never grabbed my attention. This debut novel had me captivated. I loved the imagery and the beautiful world the author created for the main characters. The plot is intriguing and has twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing. I hope you like it too!

Thank you Netgalley and Flux for the ARC!

thank you to flux and netgallery for the arc!

this book felt like a breath of fresh air in the YA genre, it was so unique. definitely not what i expected, but it was fantastic nonetheless. maybe it was a little long and dragged on in the middle, but the pacing was better in the beginning and end. this book tackled a lot, but i didn’t feel overwhelmed at all. i definitely recommend this if you love super immersive high fantasy.