Full review can be found on Goodreads, where I go into more depth in my descriptions of each of the characters.

🐉🐦 The story 🐦🐉
The book is about princess Jiara, who has just lost her sister Scrilla. After her death, Scrilla became an earthwalker; slowly turning into a vengeful creature, until her murderer has been found. Jiara has to deal with the consequenses of her sister's death, while searching for her killer.

Damn, I enjoyed this story even more than I expected! There was so much world building, but since the different countries were just so interesting to read about, I didn't mind it at all. I loved reading about the differences between Jiara and Raffar's countries, and the different gods/customs they have. When I think about it, the pacing was quite slow. It took quite a long time for Jiara to make any progress in finding her sister's killer, but I somehow didn't mind that at all. In my opinion, the pacing was just right for the story. The way we discovered more about Raffar's country in the progress probably helped to keep it very interesting. I was a bit scared that the amount of information would be confusing, but it really wasn't. There also were all kinds of representation in this book - meaning LGBTQ+ - and I loved that.

In my opinion, this story was really original. You could say that there were some aspects of magic in it, like the different Watchers and the earthwalkers - and I still really wanted to know more about both. Sure, the basics of the Watchers were explained, but I still don't really understand what exactly they are - are they gods or something else? Really intriguing, and I would've loved to learn more about why the earthwalkers got so agressive - was it really the sense of justice in Azzaria or was it something else?


🐉🐦 The characters 🐦🐉
I personally loved the characters, although I feel like I would've liked to see more depth to Raffar. More details can be found in my Goodreads review.


🐉🐦 The writing 🐦🐉
I personally loved the writing, because it kept me hooked on the story. The sentences alternated between long and short in a perfect balance. Although there was a lot of world building, there weren't too much descriptions of places and all that - it was just a perfect amount, if that makes sense. There were only a few mistakes in writing, which I bookmarked, so let me know if you want to know which ones there were Rueckert.


🐉🐦 Overall conclusion 🐦🐉
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book; although I can't exactly pinpoint why. I normally don't really enjoy a lot of worldbuilding, but I really did in this book - and I couldn't put it down! I also want to mention Freyad, because she was damn cool and I love seeing women in power positions (especially in the army) like she is. I also want to say that I kept reading Stärkland as 'smaland', the name of the Ikea children corner. Lol, I giggled every damn time XD

The world was really interesting to me, and I would definitely love to read more books in this universe, to learn even more about the different countries and their customs! Oh, and I loooooved the cover.

I thought this book was so well crafted. I loved both the political intrigue in this read and also the hints of supernatural elements. I also really loved that this book as of right now is a complete story (standalone) It was a fun read. I also really loved how this book tackled not common representation like learning challenges like dyslexia. I struggled with learning challenges my whole life. I also this this one of the best political romances I have read in recent years. The villain was a bit predictable but It was a super fast pace read and one that I enjoyed. I really enjoyed this read and think you should check it out if you liked the political focus worlds like ash princess!!! Such a great read!

I really enjoyed this one. It did take me a few chapters to really get into it, but A Dragonbird in the Fern is a fun, encouraging fantasy learning to believe in yourself and your own power. Jiara is a princess who has dyslexia, and unfortunately for her it's never formally named or understood by her people. But she does not allow the things that she believes makes her weak to hold her back, and her difficulties with reading never stop her, not even when she ends up queen of a foreign country where she doesn't even speak the language. In addition to the challenge of having to adjust to living in a new place, Jiara also has to build a relationship with her new husband, find her sister's killer, and figure out some key secrets that are being hidden. The plot is exciting and kept me on my toes, and the magic was really unique and interesting. I'd definitely recommend this book for lovers of YA fantasy, 4.5/5 stars!

4.5/5

When I learned that this book had a dyslexic main character I was immediately drawn in. As a dyslexic reader I was thriller to see a fantasy book (my favorite genre) that might accurately represent my own disability.

In terms of the dyslexia representation, this book did not disappoint. I felt like the book did a fantastic job of showing how Jiara’s struggles— both internally and externally— with her learning disability, while also still showing that she is intelligent and how she is able to still achieve what she needs to. This might be the best dyslexia representation I have ever seen in a book.

The plot itself was okay, but didn’t really draw me in. The book was a fast and easy read though. I did end up enjoying it quite a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flux for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

*3.5 stars

This was one of the more fast-paced books I discovered this year. Easy to read and with loveable characters, "A Dragonbird in the Fern" follows Jiara, a princess haunted by her older sister Scilla's angry ghost and determined to find said sister's murderer so that Scilla can finally rest in peace. The task isn't easy: for starters, she doesn't even know where to begin looking, because nobody was around when Scilla died. Then comes the arranged marriage with King Raffar – who was until just recently betrothed to Scilla – and the subsequent move to a completely different country, rife with its own customs and a language Jiara can't speak.

When she finds out that her sister's killer may be from Raffar's country, though, she decides that all the discomforts may well be worth it if she can catch the criminal.

The story is set up with a vast world, numerous important characters, different languages and cultures just waiting to be explored. Rueckert does just that, letting the reader learn alongside Jiara as she slowly but surely becomes accustomed to her new life. The portrayal of the princess's undiagnosed dyslexia was really well done: the author remained consistent, making sure it wasn't too easy for Jiara to just suddenly learn a language and be able to actually converse with her new husband, who didn't speak a word of her country's tongue. (Why couldn't he learn, by the way? I understand Jiara becoming the queen of a new country and therefore having to learn the language, but Raffar could have made a little more effort for the sake of his wife, you know.)

What disappointed me was how well set up the first half of the novel was for an extensive plotline, only for the plot to end up being straightforward and a little predictable. I'm not saying this from the standpoint of someone who wished this had a sequel, to more thoroughly delve into the world the author had created (although I do wish that, because there was plenty of potential for more content); even as a standalone, I wished while reading the last third of the book especially that there had been a subplot, something more that would have given the story more depth. By the time I finished, I was left feeling satisfied over a fun read but thinking still that it had the makings of being even better.

okay okay this was SO COOL

this is what happens to me when I am at home the whole day.

just reading and youtube. probably more yt than reading BUTT
yeahhhh I loved this so so so much and like this is so underrated nobody is talking about it!!
this was such a good highish romantic fantasy. seriously. GET IT ON NETGALLEY or wait till august.
okay, but seriously, I am going to watch out for Laura Rueckert now :)

baiii

Thank you so much to North Star Editions via NetGalley for the digital early copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own!

A Dragonbird in the Fern is a debut YA fantasy, fast paced and full of magic. I think we can all agree that the cover is absolutely stunning as well. Check out the book and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did!

***** omit synopsis here *****

The Plot&Story: the book blurb a great job of summarizing the book. Jiara is betrothed in her older sister’s place, and must overcome her dyslexia in a strange land while learning the language, winning over the people as a good queen, and solving a murder mystery. I loved the who-dunnit aspect and it was a true race against the clock as Scilla’s ghost got more and more violent, going as far as killing someone. The book is very fast paced as well, not repetitive, and there is blessedly little inner monologue so I was able to read it quickly and rate it 5 stars with no issues.

Themes: The book was a little heavier than some YA plots, as Jiara is married at the start of the book and juggling issues that many older characters generally face. She is overcoming a disability while investigating and avenging her sister’s death. There is betrayal on a massive level, lots of plotting, and she must adjust to married life as a 17 turning 18 year old. I liked the themes of family ties, found family, double dealing, international relations, and learning about new cultures and religions while still hanging on to what made Jiara who she is.

Bravo too for Rueckert showing the male in the marriage being the one hanging onto honor and personal beliefs in the marital relations department. In King Raffar’s country, adults are considered age 18 and he was absolutely not going to touch Jiara before then, and I just loved that. There was also a lovely found family aspect but let’s do that when we talk about the …

Characters: Jiara is a strong young lady, absolutely determined to succeed in establishing international relations, peace, as well as finding her sister’s murderer. On top of that heavy load she is severely dyslexic, so learning a new language is nearly impossible but she perseveres. I feel like she should have just explained to people that she had a real issue, instead of letting them all assume that she just didn’t like to read, but it was Rueckert’s way of showing how people treat those with learning disabilities I guess

King Raffar didn’t have a huge role but I loved his boyish charm and awe for magic despite his originally gruff appearance. He is a truly kind and honorable person, and I liked that he was there to support Jiara. He seemed to be the only one NOT getting in her way. The guards seemed to adopt Jiara after a while too, like Freyad and the other soldiers, and it was really nice to watch them come around to her. Most of the side characters did something or another that was special and they are a great lot

The Magic and Worldbuilding: For a standalone novel there was an immensely satisfying amount of world building and magic. The magic was in the form of vengeful ghosts, as well as Watchers and deities that had a small but critical role in the book. The giant ferns, playful mounts, and magically lit up lake were small touches in a well described world including scenery descriptions, wildlife, food, weather, architecture to some degree, and cultural things. I loved that everyone had tattoos too.

Overall: I can definitely recommend this one for young adults, and it easily crosses over into that new adult phase too I think since she is out on her own and missing home, and adjusting to married life. My favorite parts were the magical touches, Raffar’s personality, the fact that Jiara just NEVER gave up, and trying to figure out who committed the murder. This is an extremely fast-paced standalone and I loved it enough to preorder a signed copy!

Links:

Blog: https://onereadingnurse.com/2021/07/08/a-dragonbird-in-the-fern-arc-review-by-laura-rueckert/

Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRFSmEWryxk/

Such a great read! It made me almost wish it wasn't a stand-alone..

Princess Jiara's sister has been recently murdered before an important marriage alliance. Jiara is now the next in line to secure this alliance, while her sister Scilla is now an Earthwalker, a spirit who will not move on until her killer is found. This is a story not only of loss, but of hope and remembrance.

An amazing read, I was captivated by the world presented in this novel, so simple, yet so easily explained for each of the neighboring kingdoms without being confusing, the magic each holds, as well as the plot just flowed without any trouble. I give it a whole 5 stars on the setting and world creation.

As we know in the real world, customs vary in each country, and here, where there are kingdoms, its plain to see how everyone keeps their own customs as well as respect those of the neighboring kingdoms. A sense of respect is what keeps everyone in line without breaking into a civil war, except for the mystery surrounding Scilla's murder.

Jiara is an amazing character, she starts as this young and serious girl who is completely devoted to her family, and turns out to be an amazing leader and queen. We do see she has her weaknesses, such as her problems with reading (similar to dyslexia without it ever been stated), yet she tries and does her best to learn the language of this new world she finds herself in, married to a king. This doesn't stop her from doubting herself, but as the story progresses, we see how she becomes a woman sure of herself, a queen in her own right.

Though we do not see this much character development on the rest of the characters, Jiara shines and makes each character she interacts feel important, whether it is her husband, a translator, her mother or a guard. I honestly felt close to each character and I wasn't sure what was going to be the endgame relating to Scilla's killer and the tension surrounding the other kingdoms. It came as a surprise when we find out who did it and their reasons. I do not justify them nor their actions, yet they felt real and tangible given the whole sense of importance that family and ruling is given in this story.

This is a great book for a small breather for readers of longer YA fantasy series as it stands by its own (but I wouldn't mind another one set in this world!) and with all the plots, the ambiance, the romance and everything in between, makes it an enjoyable ride.

Jiara's sister is murdered, they have to find out who did it before her "ghost" becomes too violent. Her future is turned entirely upside-down as she agrees to marry a foreign king to seal an alliance with her country and is sent off to a land where she doesn't know the people or the language in hopes of finding her sister's killer.

This was really good! I didn't find much connection to the title of the book or the cover image other than a few pages at the beginning so that threw me a little. I've not read a book where the main character is struggling with dyslexia, but it fits in the story quite well and added to Jiara's struggles. She does a pretty great job at pushing through and overcoming the problems that come her way. I loved watching her grow in her new role. Romance is subtle, but satisfying as the language barrier really limited that whole deal. Her sister's ghost was annoying, but aren't all violent ghosts. With fantastic world-building, a little bit of murder, some romance, and a girl who would do anything to avenge her sister, we've got an enjoyable stand-alone fantasy. I see plenty of room for spin-offs too!

Jiara's sister, Scilla, is murdered and her ghost is haunting and hurting her remaining family. The only way to bring Scilla's ghost peace is to find her murderer and bring them to justice. Scilla's former fiancé still wants a marriage within the family, so the responsibility falls to Jiara. Jiara now has to travel to a new country where she doesn't speak the language or culture, and try to solve her sister's murder and save her family from future harm. I liked the synopsis of this, I thought it sounded like a fast, easy, and interesting read. After reading, I think this ended up just being okay. I liked the first half more than the second. One thing I really liked was Jiara's journey learning the new language of her new country. I think It was pretty accurate and it was interesting seeing her struggles, especially with being dyslexic, and how she coped and dealt with everything, as well as the pressure of trying to find her sister's murderer. The "big twist" wasn't surprising at all, but what really annoyed me was that Jiara died 3 times and came back to life. It became so old so fast and it was just boring and repetitive. I didn't expect this to be an amazing read, but it was very okay.

A Dragonbird in the Fern is a YA fantasy meets murder-mystery filled with court intrigue, journeys to far off lands, an intriguing religious system, and a lovable cast of characters.

Jiara is a 17-year-old princess of Azzaria that ends up having to marry her older sister's betrothed, who is the young king of Farnskag, after she gets murdered by an unknown assailant. Scilla, Jiara's sister, becomes an Earthwalker, which is a ghost that get more aggressive and deadly as time goes on and her killer is not found. This puts the pressure on Jiara as she tries to learn a completely new language, get to know her new husband, prove herself to the people of Farnskag, and solve a murder before her whole family gets killed.

The world-building was done very well in this book, especially with the 5 different countries and cultures that are represented. I also found Jiara very relatable, if a tad childish, and I truly did connect to her and her story.

I also really loved how Rueckert made Jiara dyslexic because I have never seen that before in the books I've read, and the representation was done very well. Two of my close family members have dyslexia, and they both describe learning a new language and reading in a similar way as Jiara experiences it.

I found the story a little mundane at times, so I didn't really have the urge to continue reading like I do with my favourite books. I also wasn't fond of the mystery element being removed around halfway through the story. It became more of a hunt for the villain than a murder-mystery, and I think I would have liked it better if the reader was unaware of the culprit until the very end.

Overall, I really liked this story, and it had a very satisfying ending!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to review!

I wanted to like this book, but everything fell flat for me. I didn't really care about any of the characters. The plot would have been more interesting if things hadn't been spoon-fed to me. The same details were often repeated on the same page, even in the same paragraph. There was a lot of telling instead of showing when it came to things. The worldbuilding, there was an attempt, but parts fell a little short for me.

A lovely enchanting and gripping book! I loved the characters and the plot so much. Everything is written convincingly and strongly on the point and I think it talks so many important topics.

'The Dragonbird in the Fern': 4 ⭐

(Unpaid Review: thank you to @netgalley, @laurarueckert and @flux for letting me read this eArc in exchange of a review)

Everyone knows fantasy is my thing. There's no other genre that speaks to me as good as fantasy does. This book spoke to me wonderfully. Jiara is one of the most spectacular characters I've read about, moreover to the fact that she has dyslexia. Not many authors talk about language-barrier and the fact that Laura did was a huge bonus!
I'm so glad I read this book and got myself immersed to this world. It was stunning and romantic and so beautifully written! Highly recommend!

A Dragonbird in the Fern was such a good read. The disabled rep in this book is great and Jiara's dyslexia was an interesting and compelling part of the story. Throughout, she continues to challenge and work hard to overcome difficulties and obstacles that stem from her dyslexia, which I can really appreciate. Not to mention her growth as a protagonist was great, with the progression from being a naive girl to strong and confident.

The world itself is intriguing and dragged me in from the first page of the book. The different cultures and religions from different regions are clearly developed and well thought out.

One of my only criticisms would be that some characters fell flat for me, which often happens with standalones. I would have loved to see these characters be a little more three-dimensional, but for a debut novel, it wasn't bad.

This book has a little bit of everything woven into it, like great worldbuilding, romance, politics, mystery, disabled representation and some great tropes in there as well. It was an easy read and I hope to read more from Rueckert in the future and watch as her writing develops further!

A Dragonbird In The Fern
By Laura Rueckert

Thanks to NetGalley i was given the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.
i plan on getting the paper back for my book shelf i loved it that much.

the story takes you on an journey through the wonderful world that Laura Rueckert has skillfully and curatively designed, with a royal murderer and an arranged marriage to a faraway kingdom that has rumor's of being wild, and not to mention the earth walker aka her sister who is looking for her killer and revenge, oh and the man she's marrying was meant for her sister, but after she was killed the king agreed to marry her.

if your looking for your next top read garb this one.

A lush and exotic fantasy world that had me entirely immersed.

Jiara’s sister Scilla was murdered and her spirit is angry that they haven’t found the killer. Jiara marries her sister’s betrothed to fulfill an alliance between their countries. The only problem is she doesn’t speak King Raffar’s language and she’s always had difficulty reading. She must find her sister’s killer before she becomes an earthwalker, learn how to be queen, and save her people from war.

It was refreshing to see a character with dyslexia in a fantasy novel. Jiara’s grit and determination to learn and improve made her a character to cheer for. I loved the unique world which was part horror and part fantasy. The spirits turned violent and could harm their families. The different element Watchers who protected people with good hearts. The romance was sweet and slow burn.

Another one I wanted to love but sadly the characters just fell flat for me. I didn't enjoy the story at all it was slow and just nothing to write home about. It was a simple young adult story with a light fantasy aspect. Its not really what I would call a bad book but it just wasn't spectacular either. I loved the ghost aspect but it wasn't enough to keep me reading.

Very thankful for my ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review!
I went in with neutral expectations and found myself quite enjoying the book! My overall rating sits around a 3.5 and I do round up for ratings.
This is a fun YA fantasy that follows Jiara as she navigates a political marriage to a foreign country, language barriers, dyslexia, and new religious customs. The author adds an intriguing supernatural element in the form of the vengeful spirit of Jiara's murdered sister. I found the writing and world-building very easy to follow and really felt Jiara's frustrations and emotions come through the book. While the book follows standard troupes and storylines, I don't feel there was an overall predictability to it which kept me engaged with the characters. The love story was very wholesome and contributed well to the overall development of the characters too.

I really loved this book. Seeing Jiara develop and grow into a confident young woman, despite dyslexia, was fascinating. I loved how the author developed her relationship with others, especially her husband.

The twists near the end were well done and not completely anticipated.

I would highly recommend this book for any YA who likes fantasy but struggles with reading.

Thanks Netgalley and publishers for the EArc