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ufakbideneme's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC! Here comes my sincere thoughts on this book;
4,5/5
Strongly recommended if you like reading about;
Murder mysteries
Royal families
Tricky politics
Paranormal events
Language learning processes
True love
First of all, I love how our main character has difficulties with reading and learning. We need more representations of these kinds of characters who have different strengths.
Secondly, as a translator, I love reading about the language learning process, translators, lost in translation, the importance of a reliable translator, etc. So this book amazed me with how important language takes place in it.
Also, the murder mystery side of the plot was just *chef's kiss* it keeps me on the edge of my seat yet I have some issues about Scilla (aka the freaky ghost sister) but for just being in safe I'll write them under spoiler title I think if we could read Scilla's POV and see how she becomes more and more unreasonable from her mouth it would be so much more tense and captivating. And I was expecting her to kill her murderer because she was already killed her beloved sister already yet when they found out who was the murderer she just scratched him and 'found peace' frankly it didn't sit right with me
After all, I love it so much and I'm pretty angry at myself for waiting for that much to read it!
4,5/5
Strongly recommended if you like reading about;
Murder mysteries
Royal families
Tricky politics
Paranormal events
Language learning processes
True love
First of all, I love how our main character has difficulties with reading and learning. We need more representations of these kinds of characters who have different strengths.
Secondly, as a translator, I love reading about the language learning process, translators, lost in translation, the importance of a reliable translator, etc. So this book amazed me with how important language takes place in it.
Also, the murder mystery side of the plot was just *chef's kiss* it keeps me on the edge of my seat yet I have some issues about Scilla (aka the freaky ghost sister) but for just being in safe I'll write them under spoiler title
After all, I love it so much and I'm pretty angry at myself for waiting for that much to read it!
ahleeshaa's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
celine_lacosse's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
onebookmore's review
5.0
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!
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!
lin00's review
4.0
real rating 4.5
This book captured me from chapter one and I read it in one day. It was such a lovely book and a bit unexpected, to be honest.
I loved the plot, the characters, the world-building. Ah! I just wish there was more of it!
It was very well-written and it had such a good plot twist that I did not see coming! And I absolutely loved the characters especially Jiara and Raffar. At first, I was unsure about Jiara because I'm a bit tired of the "I'm not like the other girls" trope but I LOVED HER! She's so mature. Her way of thinking is so good and very human. I loved how the author portrayed her struggles with learning a new language and with dyslexia. And Raffar is the cutest ever!
I loved the romance too. Even though it wasn't romance-focused I'm very happy with how the romance unfolded. I'd have loved to see more of them though, especially in the end. And also a Raffar POV would have been amazing!
In summary, it was a great book! It helped to get out of a reading slump! so, thank you!
Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. This is my honest opinion.
This book captured me from chapter one and I read it in one day. It was such a lovely book and a bit unexpected, to be honest.
I loved the plot, the characters, the world-building. Ah! I just wish there was more of it!
It was very well-written and it had such a good plot twist that I did not see coming! And I absolutely loved the characters especially Jiara and Raffar. At first, I was unsure about Jiara because I'm a bit tired of the "I'm not like the other girls" trope but I LOVED HER! She's so mature. Her way of thinking is so good and very human. I loved how the author portrayed her struggles with learning a new language and with dyslexia. And Raffar is the cutest ever!
I loved the romance too. Even though it wasn't romance-focused I'm very happy with how the romance unfolded. I'd have loved to see more of them though, especially in the end. And also a Raffar POV would have been amazing!
In summary, it was a great book! It helped to get out of a reading slump! so, thank you!
Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. This is my honest opinion.
abbydraayer's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
kats_bookish_opinions's review
4.0
ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review
A dyslexic main character, an arranged marriage, a gorgeous cover, and a paranormal mystery? I saw this book, and I was like, "Yes, sign me the heck up!" So I was incredibly pleased when I received a ARC of this book. It absolutely delivers on all of those.
The part I think I enjoyed about this book the most was the mystery behind the murder of Jiara's sister and how that intertwined with the political narrative of Jiara's new home. The tension-building and how the stakes grow as Scila's ghost becomes angrier and Jiara besoms more desperate are so well-done, and Jiara's growing panic are shared by the reader, as it feels real .
I also cannot convey how much appreciation I had watching Jiara's struggle with a new language and how that inhibited on her relationship with her new home and her new husband. Having dyslexia, even though it's actually not explicitly named also does have an effect on her life and on the story.
I think that Jiara's arc throughout the story is honestly just okay, it's wrapped up nicely, and I liked the ending, but Jiara as a character honestly felt super simple? I love the representation and multitude of characters throughout the story, but a lot of them felt super shallow, which sucks because the world-building and plot are so rich. If you asked me to describe any of these characters, I feel like, aside from the villain, who for allegedly being smart, is incredibly bad at hiding their plans, can be described with nice, brave, and that's kind of it. I could not differentiate between any of the characters if asked, except maybe Jiara's guard, Freyad, who I thought had the potential to be really interesting, and I wished we had gotten some of her story, besides just being a support for Jiara.
The worst offender of being a pretty flat character was Raffar, he's there, he respects Jiara, and he's nice. But he's so boring, and the realtionship between him and Jiara felt pretty forced. However, I want to praise one scene of intimacy, as it's pretty tasteful, and I appreciated the emphasis on consent and waiting till it would be informed consent. The language barrier and how he and Jiara overcame it was probably the only interesting part about their relationship, and once she learns to speak it, it's pretty dry.
However, I still rate this book pretty highly because it contains an incredibly rich world and it is a super interesting mystery to follow. I couldn't put it down, it's pretty well written as well, and the pacing compliments the story really well. The inclusion of a dyslexic character and her actually struggling with a language and cultural barrier was super appreciated, as there are so many stories where a character has an arranged marriage and doesn't have to overcome any language or cultural barriers, which is... really unrealistic. I'd recommend this book for anyone looking for a standalone that's rich in world-building or a fantasy paranormal mystery.
A dyslexic main character, an arranged marriage, a gorgeous cover, and a paranormal mystery? I saw this book, and I was like, "Yes, sign me the heck up!" So I was incredibly pleased when I received a ARC of this book. It absolutely delivers on all of those.
The part I think I enjoyed about this book the most was the mystery behind the murder of Jiara's sister and how that intertwined with the political narrative of Jiara's new home. The tension-building and how the stakes grow as Scila's ghost becomes angrier and Jiara besoms more desperate are so well-done, and Jiara's growing panic are shared by the reader, as it feels real .
I also cannot convey how much appreciation I had watching Jiara's struggle with a new language and how that inhibited on her relationship with her new home and her new husband. Having dyslexia, even though it's actually not explicitly named also does have an effect on her life and on the story.
I think that Jiara's arc throughout the story is honestly just okay, it's wrapped up nicely, and I liked the ending, but Jiara as a character honestly felt super simple? I love the representation and multitude of characters throughout the story, but a lot of them felt super shallow, which sucks because the world-building and plot are so rich. If you asked me to describe any of these characters, I feel like, aside from the villain, who for allegedly being smart, is incredibly bad at hiding their plans, can be described with nice, brave, and that's kind of it. I could not differentiate between any of the characters if asked, except maybe Jiara's guard, Freyad, who I thought had the potential to be really interesting, and I wished we had gotten some of her story, besides just being a support for Jiara.
The worst offender of being a pretty flat character was Raffar, he's there, he respects Jiara, and he's nice. But he's so boring, and the realtionship between him and Jiara felt pretty forced. However, I want to praise one scene of intimacy, as it's pretty tasteful, and I appreciated the emphasis on consent and waiting till it would be informed consent. The language barrier and how he and Jiara overcame it was probably the only interesting part about their relationship, and once she learns to speak it, it's pretty dry.
However, I still rate this book pretty highly because it contains an incredibly rich world and it is a super interesting mystery to follow. I couldn't put it down, it's pretty well written as well, and the pacing compliments the story really well. The inclusion of a dyslexic character and her actually struggling with a language and cultural barrier was super appreciated, as there are so many stories where a character has an arranged marriage and doesn't have to overcome any language or cultural barriers, which is... really unrealistic. I'd recommend this book for anyone looking for a standalone that's rich in world-building or a fantasy paranormal mystery.