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lsquared's review
4.0
Thank you NetGalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Sadly, life got in the way for me to be able to finish this one. I got to read about half of this book before it was no longer available from NetGalley. I really enjoyed what I read, and I cannot wait to be able to buy a copy so I can finish it.
From what I read this was going to be a 5 star read. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy and a strong female protagonist.
Sadly, life got in the way for me to be able to finish this one. I got to read about half of this book before it was no longer available from NetGalley. I really enjoyed what I read, and I cannot wait to be able to buy a copy so I can finish it.
From what I read this was going to be a 5 star read. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy and a strong female protagonist.
ecothalis's review
3.0
I had high hopes for A Dragonbird in the Fern (culture clash! arranged marriage! ghosts!) but this feels like it was a teenager's first attempt at a novel. The characters don't have any defining personality traits, the plot is slow, and the book is so forgettable I'm struggling to remember enough to write this review, even though I just put the novel down this morning. The fact that the two leads don't speak the same language is an intriguing twist, but I'm not invested at all in the characters and the idea of continuing holds almost no appeal. DNF at 4 hours 10 minutes.
belmonte's review
4.0
Main girls who are DOWN BAD have special place in my heart.
This should probably be 3.5 star read but I really enjoyed it and im feeling generous. I would say minus the constant doubting coming from our heroine(EVEN AT THE END, which I found kinda annoying) and some plot choices that felt out of place, everything else was quite fun to read. It didn't hinder my enjoyment at all. The ending could have been a little more impactul and not so lukewarm as well.
What I liked was our main girl who was a fun MESS. Down horrendously bad, kind, driven, and tenacious. She didn't need to be some badass with a sword or destructive magic powers to be a compelling character. Main guy was... There? What I wanted was more scenes with them bonding, trying to communicate and not him being like aight see ya later boo..
This should probably be 3.5 star read but I really enjoyed it and im feeling generous. I would say minus the constant doubting coming from our heroine(EVEN AT THE END, which I found kinda annoying) and some plot choices that felt out of place, everything else was quite fun to read. It didn't hinder my enjoyment at all. The ending could have been a little more impactul and not so lukewarm as well.
What I liked was our main girl who was a fun MESS. Down horrendously bad, kind, driven, and tenacious. She didn't need to be some badass with a sword or destructive magic powers to be a compelling character. Main guy was... There? What I wanted was more scenes with them bonding, trying to communicate and not him being like aight see ya later boo..
jessicareadsit's review
4.0
A Dragonbird in the Fern was a fabulously epic tale of murder, love, and revenge.
The worldbuilding is phenomenal as readers are fully immersed within kingdoms brought to life by sharp writing and characters who were expertly penned to make you simultaneously love and strangle them all at the same time.
Princess Jiara's older sister Scilla has been murdered, and in the tradition of her kingdom, Scilla will roam the earth as an Earthwalker until her murder is solved and her death avenged. Scilla's betrothed, King Jaffar of Farnskager, comes to pay his respects and ensure that the agreement between kingdoms is maintained by requesting Jiara take her sister's place.
As if being thrust into the position of Queen to a foreign land wasn't taxing enough, Jiara is trying to appease a new husband while being plagued by communication issues because of her dyslexia, constantly attacked by her sister’s impatient and violent spirit, and trying to solve a murder while simultaneously preparing for the threat of war, with traitors in her midst.
Jiara is such a refreshing protagonist, she isn't the smartest or even the prettiest but she has bravado in spades. Jiara does not allow her grief to supersede her quest of finding her sister's killer, even if it means journeying to lands unknown, where her dyslexia makes learning the language, culture, and customs extremely struggling. To save her family from Scilla's vengeful spirit, Jiara would do anything.
King Raffar was such a novelty, I applaud the author for his iron-clad will and unwavering belief in his Kingdom's honor and customs. Rafar's customs dictate that marriage should only be allowed between persons 18 years and over and despite being married to Jiara who is 17, he does not allow any extra-marital affairs to take place
I enjoyed how the author celebrated family and its many iterations. Jiara, despite moving so far away from home, still holds strong to her beliefs and customs and her love for her family even her vengeful sister who is either trying to kill her or gentle caress her. Jiara and her husband Raffar have only been able to connect through a translator and yet, their bond increases in strength and love each day.
This truly exemplifies that love is a feeling than can transcend any barriers. Love can be felt through actions where words cannot.
As if I could not love this book anymore, there is an excellent representation for LGBTQIA, non-binary, trans community, those with learning disabilities and adoption as a healthy form of family.
The author has developed such an intriguing belief system, that despite having differences of customs between Kingdoms, there is unity in the overall belief of a higher power. The level of detail was just enough for readers to grasp the customs while not being overburdened.
I would recommend to those who enjoy Young Adult| Fantasy.
The worldbuilding is phenomenal as readers are fully immersed within kingdoms brought to life by sharp writing and characters who were expertly penned to make you simultaneously love and strangle them all at the same time.
Princess Jiara's older sister Scilla has been murdered, and in the tradition of her kingdom, Scilla will roam the earth as an Earthwalker until her murder is solved and her death avenged. Scilla's betrothed, King Jaffar of Farnskager, comes to pay his respects and ensure that the agreement between kingdoms is maintained by requesting Jiara take her sister's place.
As if being thrust into the position of Queen to a foreign land wasn't taxing enough, Jiara is trying to appease a new husband while being plagued by communication issues because of her dyslexia, constantly attacked by her sister’s impatient and violent spirit, and trying to solve a murder while simultaneously preparing for the threat of war, with traitors in her midst.
Jiara is such a refreshing protagonist, she isn't the smartest or even the prettiest but she has bravado in spades. Jiara does not allow her grief to supersede her quest of finding her sister's killer, even if it means journeying to lands unknown, where her dyslexia makes learning the language, culture, and customs extremely struggling. To save her family from Scilla's vengeful spirit, Jiara would do anything.
King Raffar was such a novelty, I applaud the author for his iron-clad will and unwavering belief in his Kingdom's honor and customs. Rafar's customs dictate that marriage should only be allowed between persons 18 years and over and despite being married to Jiara who is 17, he does not allow any extra-marital affairs to take place
I enjoyed how the author celebrated family and its many iterations. Jiara, despite moving so far away from home, still holds strong to her beliefs and customs and her love for her family even her vengeful sister who is either trying to kill her or gentle caress her. Jiara and her husband Raffar have only been able to connect through a translator and yet, their bond increases in strength and love each day.
This truly exemplifies that love is a feeling than can transcend any barriers. Love can be felt through actions where words cannot.
As if I could not love this book anymore, there is an excellent representation for LGBTQIA, non-binary, trans community, those with learning disabilities and adoption as a healthy form of family.
The author has developed such an intriguing belief system, that despite having differences of customs between Kingdoms, there is unity in the overall belief of a higher power. The level of detail was just enough for readers to grasp the customs while not being overburdened.
I would recommend to those who enjoy Young Adult| Fantasy.
anatl's review
5.0
A Dragonbird in the Fern was such a fun lovely and engaging read. Our heroine Jiara life changes dramatically when her older sister is murdered. She is thrust into a political contract marriage in her sister's stead, for which she is ill prepared. Unlike her sister who has spent years studying the language and the customs of the neighboring country, she has to learn as much as she can quickly while her dyslexia makes mustering her own written language hard. The representation of disability is well incorporated into the story and the growth of Jiara into her new role as queen.
All the while there is a growing threat from the unrested ghost of her sister who seems to target loved ones and family at least until her killer is apprehended and she can exact revenge. There is also a budding romance inhibited by the age of our heroine who is just shy of 18. The relationship evolves despite the language barrier in a delicious slow-burn while the king is always respectful of her and incredibly principled and patient.
Thanks to Netgalley and Laura Rueckert for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
I thoroughly enjoyed this debut and look forward to more stories by the author.
All the while there is a growing threat from the unrested ghost of her sister who seems to target loved ones and family at least until her killer is apprehended and she can exact revenge. There is also a budding romance inhibited by the age of our heroine who is just shy of 18. The relationship evolves despite the language barrier in a delicious slow-burn while the king is always respectful of her and incredibly principled and patient.
Thanks to Netgalley and Laura Rueckert for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
I thoroughly enjoyed this debut and look forward to more stories by the author.
thebluehaired_reader's review
5.0
Wow! I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did! If you love ya fantasy/ paranormal romance then you definitely will love this one!
Arranged marriage, foreign land and language, a ghost out for revenge, and a crazy adventure of figuring things all out!
Jiara has so much growth in this book! She has to do the unexpected and is so amazing! Her connection and chemistry with Raffar is intense and man is it slow! But there are sparks flying all over the place between them.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from this book, I absolutely devoured it!
Arranged marriage, foreign land and language, a ghost out for revenge, and a crazy adventure of figuring things all out!
Jiara has so much growth in this book! She has to do the unexpected and is so amazing! Her connection and chemistry with Raffar is intense and man is it slow! But there are sparks flying all over the place between them.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from this book, I absolutely devoured it!
yazthebookish's review
4.0
4 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Goodbye for now, Scilla. We’ll find your killer, and you’ll have eternal peace. I promise.
A Dragonbird in the Fern I found to be a delightful read. It had almost everything I enjoy in a fantasy book, lush world-building, court politics, mystery intrigue, and a sweet romance blooming between a couple brought together by an arranged marriage. Princess Jiara of Azzaria and King Raffar of Farnskager.
It's a YA fantasy set between fantastical kingdom called Azzaria and Farnskager. While the world-building is not complex but it is lush and it was unique in its own right. There was a stark difference between the setting from when the characters where in Azzaria to Farnskager. I felt wholly immersed into the world.
The story is narrated through Princess Jiara's POV. She is the younger sister of the murdered Princess Scilla whose killer roams freely while Scilla's soul is trapped on earth. The deceased souls who have not ascended are called Earthwalkers and the longer their soul remains on the earth they become more bitter and violent. They are the equivalent of ghosts haunting their families and even causing them harm until their killers are found and brought to justice so they can find peace and leave the earth.
Even with the death of Azzaria's oldest princess and King Raffar's former betrothed, royalty are expected to keep a tough front and do whatever they can for the sake of their Kingdom and thus Jiara finds herself to be betrothed to King Raffar. Jiara is conflicted between moving on to a new life and finding her sister's killer so she can find peace at last and no longer haunt her and their family.
What I really loved about Jiara and Raffar's relationship is that it was so sweet and wholesome. There is a language barrier between them and Jiara being a Dyslexic person even though it wasn't a familiar concept to her people, she struggled with learning and understanding his language and Raffar was kind and patient with her. I just adored how their interactions evolved and how they found their way around the language barrier to communicate.
The romance is so, so sweet and it has the delicious slow-burn that I enjoy when it comes to arranged marriage couples.
I must applause the author for the disability representation in the book. I appreciated the note at the end of the book about Dyslexia and how people with Dyslexia have different experiences with it.
In A Dragonbird in the Fern, Jiara is never diagnosed with dyslexia, and her society doesn’t understand it. She lives her entire life mistakenly believing she isn’t as smart as her siblings who can read faster and speak better.
While I do feel like I outgrew YA fantasy but this one was a light read and such an immersive read. My only complaint would be that the suspect was easy to predict and the story towards the end felt rushed.
I do think a 4-star rating is fair, I did enjoy it!
Goodbye for now, Scilla. We’ll find your killer, and you’ll have eternal peace. I promise.
A Dragonbird in the Fern I found to be a delightful read. It had almost everything I enjoy in a fantasy book, lush world-building, court politics, mystery intrigue, and a sweet romance blooming between a couple brought together by an arranged marriage. Princess Jiara of Azzaria and King Raffar of Farnskager.
It's a YA fantasy set between fantastical kingdom called Azzaria and Farnskager. While the world-building is not complex but it is lush and it was unique in its own right. There was a stark difference between the setting from when the characters where in Azzaria to Farnskager. I felt wholly immersed into the world.
The story is narrated through Princess Jiara's POV. She is the younger sister of the murdered Princess Scilla whose killer roams freely while Scilla's soul is trapped on earth. The deceased souls who have not ascended are called Earthwalkers and the longer their soul remains on the earth they become more bitter and violent. They are the equivalent of ghosts haunting their families and even causing them harm until their killers are found and brought to justice so they can find peace and leave the earth.
Even with the death of Azzaria's oldest princess and King Raffar's former betrothed, royalty are expected to keep a tough front and do whatever they can for the sake of their Kingdom and thus Jiara finds herself to be betrothed to King Raffar. Jiara is conflicted between moving on to a new life and finding her sister's killer so she can find peace at last and no longer haunt her and their family.
What I really loved about Jiara and Raffar's relationship is that it was so sweet and wholesome. There is a language barrier between them and Jiara being a Dyslexic person even though it wasn't a familiar concept to her people, she struggled with learning and understanding his language and Raffar was kind and patient with her. I just adored how their interactions evolved and how they found their way around the language barrier to communicate.
The romance is so, so sweet and it has the delicious slow-burn that I enjoy when it comes to arranged marriage couples.
I must applause the author for the disability representation in the book. I appreciated the note at the end of the book about Dyslexia and how people with Dyslexia have different experiences with it.
In A Dragonbird in the Fern, Jiara is never diagnosed with dyslexia, and her society doesn’t understand it. She lives her entire life mistakenly believing she isn’t as smart as her siblings who can read faster and speak better.
While I do feel like I outgrew YA fantasy but this one was a light read and such an immersive read. My only complaint would be that the suspect was easy to predict and the story towards the end felt rushed.
I do think a 4-star rating is fair, I did enjoy it!
jordansreadingnook's review
3.0
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!
"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!