I really struggled with writing this review, because there were so many things that could’ve worked so well but just fell short. This book had such an interesting premise, but it fell short a little bit of my expectations. This is by no means a bad book, with this looking like a debut novel I think it shows a lot of promise for this author’s future works!

The entire reason for Jiara going to a foreign country to marry their king is to find her sister’s killer, but that plotline kept kind of getting lost and after the beginning felt like it fell to the wayside until the end. In fact, all the plotlines kind of felt like they were unfinished, and it was a bit choppy and felt like it focused on one thing then jumped to something else, then jumped back.

A lot of things seemed to be a little too convenient and predictable, for example in moments where the main character is content suddenly the ghost of her sister will lash out and attack her, making the main character worry about finding her sister’s killer. The inclusion of the Watchers – sort of like gods in the foreign country – felt a little bit like a cop-out because these Watchers keep people from dying if they approve of them which definitely lowers the stakes a lot and didn’t make me feel like any of the characters were actually in any danger.

The other downside to this is that things didn’t feel fleshed out enough and given enough attention. There was just enough to make me interested, but not enough for me to truly understand the characters or the world. This happened not only with the romance, but all the other relationships between not only the characters, but the different countries as well.

I also didn’t really feel connected to any of the characters, and I had an especially hard time when it came to Raffar who we were told was this great guy who wanted to make some advances in his country, but really all we got was he’s really good looking with tattoos and that really felt like the entirety of his personality. Jiara also was lacking in personality. It felt like everything that she was revolved around the fact that she’s dyslexic, because that’s really the only thing we were given about her other than her love for her family. I also kind of don’t understand the inclusion of her friend Pia since she only showed up for a handful of scenes and then was pretty much never mentioned again.

Right now I know it’s sounding like I didn’t like this book, but there were some aspects that I did really like! I loved the inclusion of dyslexia and the struggles that the main character faced, especially since that’s not something that you see often in fantasy novels. I also really loved the inclusion of a language barrier between the two love interests seeing as they’re from different countries. Often fantasy books take place across multiple kingdoms and it always seems like everyone speaks the same language, so it was nice for this to finally come up in a book!

It’s definitely a quick read and was fun, but didn’t wow me. I think this could be a nice book for an introduction to fantasy for someone new to the YA fantasy genre, but if you’re an avid fantasy reader you may find some things missing with this one.

This was a really fun standalone novel! I really enjoyed our main character and the mystery element of the plot. The fact that the MC was dyslexic was also a BIG plus for me as a mom to a dyslexic daughter!

I think this story had an interesting premise but was too busy with all kinds of ideas and plot lines that it didn't feel super connected, like the sister's spirit randomly showing up to throw a wrench in a happy moment- it felt like an abrupt reminder that the story also had a mystery to solve, not just a romance. The book also started very slowly, not getting legitimately interesting until the half-way point and by then I am not really sure I could get invested. The book did do a great job with the slow burning relationship, no instalove here but instead a romantic relationship built over time with people who could barely communicate. Another positive is that this is a complete standalone so no other books are needed to wrap up the plot (which though made me confused as to the tons and tons of world and culture building details that made up the first half of the story that were not needed since this is a standalone that required far less building for me to be engaged from the start.) Overall this was just an ok read that had potential but maybe some execution issues but I am sure others will really enjoy the story full of court intrigue and deception with a touch of magic and romance.

A dragonbird in the fern is a ya novel about murder, deception, and finding yourself in a new land.

You start the story after the death of princess Scilla. She has become a earthwalker, a spirit set on vengeance until her murderer is found. Now Jiara, her younger sister, has taken on the task of finding the murderer. This becomes more difficult when she is married off to the man Scilla was trained to marry with no knowledge of the language and customs in order to make the alliance that was planned. Once thrown into this strange new land and role of queen Jiara must now hunt down the killer before her sister becomes stronger and kills their family.

I love this story and the fantasy land that was created in it. The story follows a strong heroine as she tries to navigate her new world and bring peace to her sister. Jiara was a well thought out character and definitely one to root for. I think this is one for most young adult fantasy lovers. It’s not just a focus on the romance in the novel, which there is just enough of, but a strong young woman who really stands up for herself and is witty.

The story has a fast strong flow and a lot of action. I found it hard to put down and wanted more after I finished it. It’s been awhile since a young adult Fantasy novel  has excited me this much and it’s one I recommend 100%.

I received a copy through netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

An amazing debut fantasy novel

Ever since she's been murdered, Jiara is haunted by her sister, Scilla, who's demanding her to find her assassin. Jiara is determined to help her sister, but when King Raffar, Scilla's former betrothed, asks for her hand instead, she has to leave with him to his land. Struggling to learn the new language, Jiara still plans on finding her sister's murderer to set her free. But now, she has other things on her hands...

This book is an absolute jewel! I loved every second of it and it's even more impressive since it's a debut novel. Jiara is amazing. She's unique, realistic and incredibly relatable. I loved how her dyslexia was a part of the story in a casual way and I found it quite fascinating. The story in itself is really interesting. We altern between trying to find Scilla's killer, the romance between her and the king, and the political intrigue behind it all, which keeps us on our toes. As for the world in itself, I loved it. I really liked the fact that the author raised the issue that Jiara struggles to be understood and to understand the new language. It was really realistic, but not boring at all, which I really liked. The mythology with the Watchers, earthwalkers, Gods... was also quite interesting and original. I was really entertained throughout the book and couldn't put it down. I was enthralled in trying to find Scilla's killer but all that was going on besides that made my heart race faster and I was here for it! I also loved how the author turned the arranged marriage trope around because most of the time, it's enemies to lovers, but in this book, Jiara and Raffar created their own story, which I found beautiful. Honestly one of the best fantasy standalones I've read so far and I cannot wait to read more books by this author.

Just go for it! It has everything a good fantasy book needs, plus a bit of murder mystery!

"But everything wasn't fine, not at all."

DNFed at 30%

The storyline didn't work for me. It is fast-paced and well-written, but I didn't find it interesting enough to continue reading.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book just wasn’t for me. I had a very hard time reading it, it took me months of stopping and starting which is not usual for me , as I can finish off a hefty fantasy in a day normally.

I really had trouble connecting to the characters. I just had no sense of who they were as people beyond their bullet point surface characteristics. The plot didn’t grab me either.

I thought the cover was gorgeous and the synopsis sounded intriguing but it just wasn’t the right book for me unfortunately.

This books was an emotional roller coaster. There were many themes such as multi cultural matrimony, forgiveness, vengeance, and mystery. This book is a great mystery book and I love it. The characters where developed very well and the world that the author create was amazing. There was a language barrier and you see how people will want to take advantage of you when you do not know the language. This book also describes the protagonist having dyslexia and we see her struggles. We also read how she overcame it and moved forward. She is one of the stubborn characters you will have because she wanted to find justice for her sister. It was a beautiful story. It contains romance, action and mystery. It was written very easy so the readers can understand and follow it. The romance between the characters was well written and the development of their relationship was great. We see them grow closer together and learn to trust one another. She learns more about his culture and traditions, while he learns more about her.

2.5 stars

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

This novel was a mixed bag for me, however, let me speak of the good parts that impressed me about this author.
First, we are used to seeing warring countries using marriages for political power, this is just a historical fact, however, you don't really see it much in YA novels and I do appreciate that aspect of this novel.
Second, the fact that these different countries have different languages!!! That is something that is not normally seen in YA novels and I really loved the language barriers and slow-burn romance between our two main characters. This aspect of the novel just seemed a great deal more real and I enjoyed that.
Third, I really, really appreciate the main character having dyslexia and how this made things challenging for her, not only with her own language, but now she has to learn another countries language and customs?!?! I appreciated the struggle AND the facts that pointed out she is not "dumb" she just has to learn a little differently.

Now, the downsides of the novel. There were huge chunks of this novel that droned on with nothing very useful. Traveling between countries took soooooo many chapters and not a lot of it was useful for the story. Also, why are so we okay with the shenanigans of the best friend and betrothed?!?! I don't want to give spoilers, so I will just leave it at that. The concept of the sister being a ghost haunting everyone in the family seems cool, albeit scary...except she randomly disappears from most of the novel and reappears at the most inopportune moments and wrecks unnecessary havoc and....does nothing to help until sort of the end. But then she doesn't really help!!! The ending seemed very rushed and a happily ever after kind of moment. I do appreciate the cool religious/cultural beliefs and that was certainly an interesting part of this novel. The novel was just so utterly predictable and did not seem very imaginative. It was entertaining enough to finish, however, not as good as I had hoped and/or expected.

3.5 stars

Honestly a much more enjoyable book that I had expected going in. This was helped by prose that flowed quickly from one sentence to next without overly ambitious embellishments, creating a smooth reading experience.

The best parts of the book were:

- The main character's struggled to integrate herself into her new lifestyle by encountering a lot more realistic difficulties in regards to new languages, writing systems, customs, and beliefs. She isn't instantly adept and has to work throughout the course of the book to master it. From over reliance on a translator, simple words and phrases she retains and strings a long, to longer sentences with slight mishaps in structure and grammar, and finally, longer conversationally fluent moments.

It's compounded by the fact that she struggles heavily with dyslexia and I thought this was really enlightening in showing the areas where learning to read and decipher new letters and words are a struggle. Also how she manages to overcome these setbacks with her own ways to cope and handle it.

- Raffar is sweet, patient, and gentle. Despite being an arranged marriage he is portrayed as a brute, or ignorant in regards to their clash of culture differences. Some might think he's boring but I found he's character very welcome.

- The mystery plot is the best part I think. Sibyl's pressing transformation into something like a wraith and the need to find her killer. I was so intrigued. I wanted justice for her and a happy ending. I like how it slowly unravels.

- World building was pretty cool. The idea of Watchers was neat.

Downsides:

- Mystery plot was pretty easy to figure out who the culprit was.

- The Watchers while cool seemed to err... be deployed in what could be called "too convenient" times. Making our character seem a bit too special, if you know what I mean. But since this is a standalone novel I didn't mind it so much.

Not bad. Pretty good if you want a quick read. Also, there are elephant birds, which are actually giant, pretty birds people ride on. Yes, please!

eArc provided by NetGalley.

A Dragonbird in the Fern is a great debut novel, with an interesting premise.

In A Dragonbird in the Fern we meet Jiara, who is married off to the king of a foreign country after her sister, who should’ve been married to him instead, is murdered. With her sisters spirit becoming more vengeful the longer her murder isn’t solved, and with war brewing between nations, Jiara has to navigate living in a country where she doesn’t even speak the language.

I very much enjoyed A Dragonbird in the Fern. It ís very obvious a debut novel - the author still has a bit to learn. The writing style itself felt a bit wobbly, sometimes things were described beautifully, other times it was a bit difficult to read. Some side characters were véry one dimensional and a bit boring, and the pacing was a bit off at times - some things that felt like ‘big events’ would happen and be solved within a page.

I did like Jiara a lot, and the villain of the story was an interesting one as well. I also very much enjoyed reading about Jiara’s struggles with both a foreign language, and her writing and reading. Being dyslexic makes her new life quite a bit harder, and I think it was described very well.

I really enjoyed A Dragonbird in the Fern, and would definitely recommend the book despite it flaws. I also think the author still has a lot to learn, and I very much look forward to their next book.

A Dragonbird in the Fern is a story about a girl who has to find her sister's killer before the sister (who has turned into an "Earthwalker", a sort of spirit that hasn't moved on) becomes more violent (as Earthwalkers become the longer they stay on the side of the living and not move on) as well as marry the king her sister was supposed to (before she was killed) and figure out a whole new language along with all the new customs and traditions. Something I really enjoyed about this book was Jiara's dyslexia. She has always been made to feel stupid because she couldn't read as fast as her siblings but she never lets that discourage her. In fact, she figures out an important piece of information about her sister's killer despite her dyslexia.
Another thing that I really liked was that the reader comes to the same suspicions as Jiara as to who the killer is even though a lot of evidence, especially people defending the person/not entirely understanding Jiara because of the language barrier. It does end up the person Jiara thinks it is which was a good sort of conclusion to that question.
Lastly, I really loved the subtle, lovely relationship between Jiara and Raffar. Yes, Raffar was meant to marry Jiara's sister but honestly, I was rooting for both of them throughout the whole book!
Overall a really wonderful novel.
**ARC provided by publisher through NetGalley**

A Dragonbird in the Fern starts off with the unsolved murder of Princess Scilla and her family’s mourning. Our main character, Princess Jiara is bent on finding Scilla’s murderer in order to let Scilla rest peacefully, otherwise Scilla will be doomed to walk the earth as a malevolent shadow of herself, harming her earthly family, and demanding justice. We have a ghost story on our hands! But wait! There’s more! Scilla was betrothed to King Raffar who now wants Jiara to take her sister’s place as his bride. Jiara does it and must now learn a new language (she’s so worried because she has dyslexia) and culture (Raffar is practically Viking). As Jiara acclimates to her new country, she falls in love with her people, their traditions, and their connection to the earth through the Watchers. What follows is a magical story of ghosts and gods, assassins and heroes.

“My hand rose to my chest because it went against everything I’d ever believed about myself. I was the girl given up on by one tutor after the next. I was the girl who’d rather have gone swimming than study politics and history and languages, who’d been whispered about in the palace halls as the one who wouldn’t amount to anything. I was the princess who would have been jilted by lesser nobility if fate hadn’t intervened. But at the same time, something bright and new, deep in my heart, told me it must be true[…]I’d saved myself.” (Rueckert, 2021)

Rueckert’s book was hard to put down and completely engrossing. Her writing was fluid and easy to follow, and although the story was a bit predictable, it was so much fun. What made this book were the characters. Freyad, Jiara’s guard, was amazing! I loved her! All the characters were wonderful. Rueckert had a lot of representation in this book, she had women in powerful positions (Jiara’s mother runs the country while her father looks after the children and the household—yes!), and she makes a strong statement about the age of consent.

For fantasy enthusiasts, I would highly recommend this book. Mind you, it is not heavy like Game of Thrones, nor is it youthful like Chronicles of Narnia. Perhaps it is most like Stardust in the feel of the story. Rueckert stated that this is a standalone book; however, I hope she continues with this world she has created because it is truly lovely. The only part I would have liked more information on were the Watchers at the end (I’m not going to give anything away), but that felt a little nebulous.

Thank you to NetGalley and North Star publishers for providing me with an ARC.

- Fantasy world with some political intrigue mixture with mysteries. Ah, don't forget it also features a ghost! Sounds interesting right?
- Arrange Marriage + Slow Burn romance! This book will be a pleasure for a fan of those tropes!
- This book has a dyslexia rep and I personally really appreciate it. I haven't seen many books with this rep aside from Percy Jackson.
- The world is so intricate with all of the different gods and beliefs but still easy to grasp.
- Being standalone, this book already gets an extra point because finding a standalone fantasy is kinda challenging.

A great example of a "quiet" YA fantasy, featuring a resilient clever heroine who finds her strengths as both a woman and a queen.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This young adult fantasy has a little bit of everything and is perfect for younger teens.

We follow a 17 year old princess living in a queer normative world whose sister was recently murdered, months before her marriage to ally their kingdom to a northern kingdom, and who's now come back as a vengeful spirit so our main character decides to marry the man intended for her sister to try and find out who amongst her future husband's people killed her sister.

I finished this story in a day, while it was enjoyable enough to read it also brings nothing new to young adult fantasy and is pretty forgettable. There are 4 different territories that live in peace with a little hit of tension due to their bloody history, there are different religions and each territory is different enough to not mix them up but the author does not really go beyond the basics in establishing this world.

The writing style is not complex or descriptive. It's pretty easy to get into and understand but nothing that will make you want to read another book by this author.

The characters themselves were interchangeable and weren't developed past their names and a relationship. Therefore, the connections between the main character and them weren't all that meaningful. The romance was a given with no actual build up or meaningful interactions between them that made you believe in their love for each other. They barely even seemed like friends, it's pretty understandable but still.

The plot was pretty simple with almost no tension or sense of urgency. This book can only be described as average and the only outstanding thing about it is having a dyslexic main character which I appreciated.

Steady 3.5 stars! This is one of those stories where my thoughts on it are all scrambled so I'm just going to make a pros and cons list.

Things I liked:

- The worldbuilding was fantastic. The descriptions of places, religions/beliefs, and lifeways fully engulfed me. I genuinely felt like I was surrounded by the colder air of Farnskag, even though I'm in 100-degree weather in the midst of a drought and global warming lol.

- Super fast-paced story. Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style, the story did keep my attention the whole time and was action packed from start to finish. Once I got past the 50% mark, I read it all in one sitting. I just couldn't help it. I needed to know what was going to happen!

- I really liked the ghost aspect of this! Granted, you throw a little paranormal action into any book and I normally jump on board with it, but I did especially enjoy the way it was executed in this with the whole earthwalkers thing. Super cool. I've seen some reviews around that think it was unnecessary, but I personally felt like it was our MC's whole motive and reasoning behind almost all of her actions. Without that, the story wouldn't have made much sense.


Things I disliked:

- There's an age gap between our MC, Giara, and her new husband, Rafar, that I felt was entirely unnecessary??? They get married when she's 17 and he wants to wait until she's 18 to ~solidify the marriage~ if you know what I mean. She pretty much throws a fit at that and then eventually, when she does turn 18, they get down and dirty but it's a FTB!?? Like what was the point of all of that? The story would have been exactly the same had she just been 18 already. Maybe to prove that Rafar is a good guy by not taking advantage of his child bride? But there are other ways to go about that. It just felt unnecessary to me.

- The writing style was not my favorite at all. Granted, I was reading an eARC so maybe some edits have been made to the final copy! There were just moments that didn't make sense and some sentence phrasing that made me more confused than ever. It just needed a good solid edit and I'm hoping it got it!

- This book HEAVILY focused on the political turmoils of these fantastical countries and it was not for me. I can see the appeal, but it made me realize I'm not a huge fan when politics are the main focus in a fantasy. Not as much a critique of the book itself, but just something I personally didn't enjoy and something to look out for if you feel similarly.

Thank you to NetGalley and North Stars Editions/Flux for an advanced reader edition. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Flux for a digital ARC of A Dragonbird in the Fern.

What I enjoyed about this book: the dyslexia representation and showcasing the impact of language on our understanding of the world

What I didn’t like: the age gap relationship

I wanted to like this book. It was a fast-paced (albeit predictable) magical murder mystery. However, the mystery aspect often felt like it took a back seat to Jiara and Raffar’s relationship and their inappropriate age gap. Why explain that something is wrong and then include it anyway? For the majority of the book I was just annoyed with Jiara pining after Raffar and complaining about being underage. The story would have worked the same if she was 18.

This is a very readable YA fantasy about a young woman who must navigate her own (undiagnosed, misunderstood) dyslexia and the villain who would use it against her in a strange land where she she is on an urgent quest to solve the murder of her sister. There's also an arranged marriage to a noble hottie, the threat of war and political shenanigans, a magic system that slowly unravels to her and therefore to us, and a female lead who needs to overcome her own feelings of inadequacy to save it all.

These are all things we've read before but when the familiar is done well, it always feels like a warm hug and that's what this book is - the perfect summer read.

Really enjoyed this action packed YA fantasy!

As someone who moved a lot while growing up, I really resonated with Jiara, who travels to a new country to keep an alliance through an arranged marriage (one of my fave book tropes!). The mystery of her sister's death added a level of suspense, and the twist was worth the journey, though the pacing in the middle seemed slow at times.

I really liked the chemistry between Jiara and Raffar, and how their relationship slowly grew.

Overall, a fun, enticing YA fantasy!