A Dragonbird in the Fern

Winner of the Book of the Month title on Cyn’s Workshop, A Dragonbird in the Fern follows Jiara on a journey of finding her inner strength as she tries to solve her sister’s murder in a foreign kingdom.

Good Character Growth
Rueckert did an excellent job of bringing Jiara to life and making her relatable to the reader. She makes it clear that Jiara has dyslexia, and this makes her think poorly of herself. Anyone who struggles with academics or reading will be able to relate to her because of her insecurities.

However, the powerful thing about her is her strength. Jiara wants to give up, but with her marriage to King Raffar, she needs to learn a new language and learn to read a new language. So many times, she wants to give up, but Jiara pushes forward to learn as best as she can so that she can help her new kingdom and the people she has come to love.

Jiara’s resilience and perseverance make her this compelling character eager to serve and protect. Slowly, she overcomes most of her insecurities and does many amazing things like saving her new kingdom and solving her sister’s murder.

Good Storytelling
A Dragonbird in the Fern is also a good story. Admittedly, the opening chapter is a bit slow, the pacing feels off, but the mystery surrounding her sister’s murder and the tension of the King’s arrival gives the reader something to grip onto.

Before the story starts, Jiara’s sister has been murdered. In her land, when someone is murdered, their spirit because an Earthwalker, a vengeful ghost who will harm loved ones until their murder is solved. So Jiara is trying to perform a ritual to ease her sister’s suffering until her murder is solved when King Raffar, her sister’s betrothed, arrives.

Now Jiara marries him. It is not as off-putting as it sounds because these two characters were immediately attracted to one another, and Raffar is charming and respectful. He agrees to marry her, but doing anything more before she is eighteen would be blasphemous for him. Raffar is one-hundred perfect respectful of her, even asking her privately if her mother is forcing her to marry him, assuring him that there does not need to be a marriage to form a tie between their countries.

It lays down an excellent clean development to their dynamic as they grow as friends and even a couple. They listen to one another, and they come to respect one another before moving on to more intimate parts of their relationship.

While Jiara is overcoming her insecurities with learning a new language, she is unraveling her sister’s murder while connecting to the Watchers, gods from her husband’s land. It is a noteworthy bit of mythology that Rueckert inserts into her story to keep the fantasy alive throughout the plot.

Final Thoughts
A Dragonbird in the Fern is an appealing novel. It has strong characterization and good plot development to keep the reader engaged.

This is about a dyslexic heroine who seeks justice for her murdered older sister. The hero is the older sister’s fiancé who marries the heroine due to politics. The two fall in love amidst political upheaval, betrayal, language barriers, and other obstacles. What happens when the murderer of the older sibling turns his sight on the heroine? And will the ghost of the older sister ever get justice for her death?

I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the world-setting. Though the book is in the heroine’s viewpoint, it would have been nice to have at least small snippets of a couple of the other characters, like the hero. Overall this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more of the author’s works in the future.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.**

I really loved reading this book. It had everything I love reading in a book. Mystery, paranormal, a bit of political romance and of course lots of magic and fantasy.

This book’s plot hooked me from page one. I loved the writing and the way it just kept you wanting to read more. It literally kept me up late, because I need to know what was going to happen next. Plot development in this book was really well done. It was a bit slow in the middle, but only for two-three characters. Otherwise, this book was face-paced and full of action. Also, those plot twists were so good.

The characters were amazing. I loved how Rueckert made Jiara’s dyslexia seem real. It was great to see that the author made Jiara’s dyslexia not only her weakness, but in a way her strength. Character development was perfect. You could see the characters grow and become better with each chapter.

World-building was done beautifully. I loved how it was continuously being developed throughout the book. The story was also really good, one of my favorites.

Overall, this book was fast-paced and fun to read. I loved every minute of it. The mystery always kept you guessing, especially with all those plot twists. I would recommend this book to fans of Sarah J Maas and Holly Black.

*Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours, Laura Rueckert and North Star Editions for the gifted book. I am leaving this review voluntarily. *

When Princess Jiara’s sister is brutally murdered before she can marry the king of a neighboring land a solidify an alliance, Jiara agrees to marry in her sister’s place. Jiara’s sister Scilla, now an Earthwalker, won’t be at peace until her killer is found. As Jiara travels to an unknown land with her new husband and learns how to be a queen, Jiara is plagued by communication issues, brewing war, her sister’s impatient and violent spirit, and traitors in her midst.

This is such an immersive and intriguing story! The setting is unique and vivid, and I love how the author paints such a clear picture of each kingdom. Jiara’s home and her husband Raffa’s home are so well-depicted with different customs, faiths, and ways of living and governing, and both are beautiful in their own right. I love how the kingdoms are so different, yet they are similar in their principles and beliefs. The author did a fantastic job of bringing the setting alive and creating a rich and fascinating world.

I was particularly intrigued by the different beliefs and religious customs in each kingdom. In Jiara’s kingdom of Azzaria, a person cannot move on and be at peace if their murder is not solved. These Earthwalkers, like Scilla, are fated to roam the earth, becoming increasingly violent and out of control until their death is solved. Jiara’s people also pray to the gods, much like Raffa’s people do. Each kingdom has different yet similar beliefs, and both revere nature. Jiara shows a deep connection with nature and the gods, which becomes increasingly significant as the story progresses. I found it interesting that her faith, as well as her unique connection to nature, is one of the few things that brings balance and a sense of peace to this burdened protagonist.

I love Jiara! She is such a fantastic protagonist. Throughout the story, Jiara grows from a sheltered and naïve young woman to a strong and smart leader. Jiara struggles with reading and is so hard on herself for something that is out of her control. People in this world don’t know about dyslexia, and Jiara struggles with self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy and believes she isn’t as smart as others who can read easier because of it. The author does a great job of showing dyslexia in such a realistic and relatable way. (Also, if you check out the Author’s Note at the end of the story, Rueckert discusses dyslexia in more detail.)

Jiara goes through so much throughout the story – murder attempts, an arranged marriage, and a dead sister whose ghost becomes increasingly violent are just the beginning of her troubles. She also moves to a new kingdom where she knows no one, can’t speak the language, and doesn’t know the customs. There Jiara must figure out how to be a wife and queen, and she doesn’t know who she can trust. I like how willing Jiara is to adapt. She is so selfless and kind, and her inherent goodness stands in stark contrast to many of the nefarious dealings in her world.

I also love Jiara’s strong relationship with her family, especially with her sister. Even after death, Scilla and Jiara remain connected. Jiara’s relationship with her brothers and parents is also strong. Like Raffa, family is important to Jiara, and there is nothing she won’t do for the people she loves. With her sister’s murderer still unknown and her sister’s spirit becoming more and more violent, Jiara’s life is always at risk, and she puts her life at risk to protect others. This makes for an exciting and suspenseful read!

Some of the other characters are not as deeply developed and complex as Jaira, which feels purposeful. This is a story about Jiara – her quest to find her sister’s killer, her experiences as a new bride in a foreign land, her fears and faith, and her determination to do right by herself and those that are important to her. I love Jiara’s journey and how she becomes more confident, self-possessed, and independent. She and Raffa are so similar in their ideals, and they complement each other well.

The love story between Jiara and her new husband is lovely. He and Jiara struggle initially, as they speak different languages and can’t communicate as well as they’d like. However, their actions and tender moments together reveal the growing depth of their feelings. Raffa is an honorable leader who prefers unity to war. He is young, yet sure of himself and his ideals. He has such respect for Jiara, and it’s clear her truly cares for her (and she for him). Their story is sweet, slow-building, and slow-burning, and I enjoyed how they steadily grew closer and fell in love. They have such great chemistry!

In addition to the interesting characters and immersive world-building, there is quite a bit of intrigue. Jiara’s determination to find her sister’s killer leads her in directions she never expected, and loyalties, love, and kingdoms are tested. I enjoyed the suspense and political intrigue, as well as the constant threat of Scilla’s presence. The combination of so many different dangers made for an exciting read.

A Dragonbird in the Fern is a great book for readers who like standalone YA fantasy with vivid world-building and a well-developed and strong protagonist. Plus, there’s the romance!! Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and Laura Rueckert for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait to read more by this debut author!