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A review by goblin_reaper
A Dragonbird in the Fern by Laura Rueckert
4.0
Those no longer here left so much behind. Expectations, reputations.
I was provided the opportunity to read and review this great book, thanks to NetGalley.
Princess Jiara Ginevoradaag of Azzaria is seventeen years old, with five months to go until she becomes eighteen. She is a bright and smart character, but she has doubts about her reading and writing skills. She feels she isn't good enough and that she isn't as clever as those around her since she is dyslexic without realizing it. Scilla, her three-year-older sister, was engaged to King Raffar Perssuun Daggsuun of Farnskag, while Jiara, on her 18th birthday, would become engaged to Duke Marro Berdonando Riccardi of Flissina, northern territory in Azzaria near Loftaria. (OMG I had a hard time typing out those names.)Jiara's world is flipped upside down when Scilla is murdered. Scilla becomes an earth walker, a type of murder victim consumed by anger and capable of harming the living. (And I love, love, love ferocious ghosts.)
During the three months of mourning known as the Time of Tears, the Farnskagers arrive early for a prearranged meeting to pay their respects to Scilla. Raffar, who became the ruling king three years ago when he was sixteen after losing his parents, leads the party with his translator, Aldar Anzgarsuun. Queen Ginevora of Azzaria, Jiara's mother, devises a fresh scheme to betroth Raffar and Jiara to preserve the alliance between their nations, as Farnskag requires Azzaria's ports and Azzaria requires them should Loftaria invade. Jiara travels to Farnskag when the two of them marry, which is where the main story begins. Not only is there a lot of political intrigue going on, but Jiara also has to live with her new husband in a foreign country where she doesn't speak the language or understand the culture. On top of that, she is adamant about finding Scilla's killer. There are a couple of times in the story where we see her being vulnerable. Despite her inability to speak, Jiara put herself out there, and it was amazing to watch her form bonds with her guards and her people. We were also able to witness her tenacity. She was dead set on learning Farnskag traditions and language to track out her sister's killer. She took chances, was hurt, and went to great lengths to discover the murderer. She is a great heroine who will always hold a special place in my heart.
Raffar. Oh, Raffar. They may not have known one other well and may have struggled to communicate, but no one can dispute that they were special. It was wonderful to watch their connection blossom over the course of the book. My heartstrings were tugged by Raffar's modest attempts to put her at ease.
In this novel, all of the characters are likable. I like how Jiara and Rafaar's relationship was developing. I appreciate that the protagonist isn't flawless and has weaknesses. I also like Jiara's ability to learn how to be a queen and, despite making errors, swiftly learn from them. She's a formidable character.
While the main characters were not LGBTQ+, there were queer and trans characters, and because this was a supernatural realm, there was no prejudice or discrimination, which was great.
The story begins in the kingdom of Azzaria, which is located near the ocean on the southern edge of the continent, with Glizerra as its capital. Its relationship with Loftaria, their northern neighbor, is tense. Farnskag, with its capital city of Baaldarstad, is on the other side of Loftaria. Svertya is to the east of these countries, while StÓ“rkland is to the west. Although the narrative takes place mostly in Azzaria and Farnskag, all of the nations are represented in some way across the pages.
The 2 main countries in the narrative, as well as their peoples, were lively and clearly characterized. And there was no information dump; whatever we learned came to us naturally, piece by little.
It began out exciting, but once Jiara arrived at her new home, there was a long period when nothing much happened. She was only trying to fit in, learning a new language and looking for any clues to her sister's death. It wasn't boring, but it moved slowly. There were also no surprises or plot twists.
It's written in the first person, which I don't mind, but I wish it alternated with other characters' perspectives. The entire time was spent with Jiara, and we only saw what she did and her own ideas. It would have been more fascinating if more people had been involved.
Overall, this was a pretty well-written and well-thought-out story. There's a lot of suspense at the start, especially when it comes to the murder. The author did a fantastic job of keeping the story intriguing as it became increasingly predictable about how it would end. Jiara's experience, ideas, and feelings were at the core of the tale. In most cases, this would irritate me as a reader, but the author handled it so effectively and with such purpose that I like the way it was written. Even though this is a stand-alone novel, I would like to read more stories set in this universe since it was so beautifully detailed and intriguing. Without a doubt, I would read any and all of this author's books!
My only criticism of A Dragonbird in the Fern is that it was a little too straightforward and predictable for me at points. Because I like complicated fiction with plenty of twists and turns, I guessed the narrative twist in this novel nearly right away. I was expecting additional disclosures near the conclusion of the twist to add to the intricacy. However, this had only a little influence on my pleasure of the narrative, and it is highly personal criticism.
A Dragonbird in the Fern was an incredible debut novel that I couldn't put down. I was worried that as a standalone fantasy novel, there wouldn't be enough world-building or character development; nevertheless, this novel exceeded my expectations, and I can't wait to read more from this author.
I would highly suggest this book to anybody seeking a light fantasy.
I was provided the opportunity to read and review this great book, thanks to NetGalley.
Princess Jiara Ginevoradaag of Azzaria is seventeen years old, with five months to go until she becomes eighteen. She is a bright and smart character, but she has doubts about her reading and writing skills. She feels she isn't good enough and that she isn't as clever as those around her since she is dyslexic without realizing it. Scilla, her three-year-older sister, was engaged to King Raffar Perssuun Daggsuun of Farnskag, while Jiara, on her 18th birthday, would become engaged to Duke Marro Berdonando Riccardi of Flissina, northern territory in Azzaria near Loftaria. (OMG I had a hard time typing out those names.)Jiara's world is flipped upside down when Scilla is murdered. Scilla becomes an earth walker, a type of murder victim consumed by anger and capable of harming the living. (And I love, love, love ferocious ghosts.)
During the three months of mourning known as the Time of Tears, the Farnskagers arrive early for a prearranged meeting to pay their respects to Scilla. Raffar, who became the ruling king three years ago when he was sixteen after losing his parents, leads the party with his translator, Aldar Anzgarsuun. Queen Ginevora of Azzaria, Jiara's mother, devises a fresh scheme to betroth Raffar and Jiara to preserve the alliance between their nations, as Farnskag requires Azzaria's ports and Azzaria requires them should Loftaria invade. Jiara travels to Farnskag when the two of them marry, which is where the main story begins. Not only is there a lot of political intrigue going on, but Jiara also has to live with her new husband in a foreign country where she doesn't speak the language or understand the culture. On top of that, she is adamant about finding Scilla's killer. There are a couple of times in the story where we see her being vulnerable. Despite her inability to speak, Jiara put herself out there, and it was amazing to watch her form bonds with her guards and her people. We were also able to witness her tenacity. She was dead set on learning Farnskag traditions and language to track out her sister's killer. She took chances, was hurt, and went to great lengths to discover the murderer. She is a great heroine who will always hold a special place in my heart.
Raffar. Oh, Raffar. They may not have known one other well and may have struggled to communicate, but no one can dispute that they were special. It was wonderful to watch their connection blossom over the course of the book. My heartstrings were tugged by Raffar's modest attempts to put her at ease.
In this novel, all of the characters are likable. I like how Jiara and Rafaar's relationship was developing. I appreciate that the protagonist isn't flawless and has weaknesses. I also like Jiara's ability to learn how to be a queen and, despite making errors, swiftly learn from them. She's a formidable character.
While the main characters were not LGBTQ+, there were queer and trans characters, and because this was a supernatural realm, there was no prejudice or discrimination, which was great.
The story begins in the kingdom of Azzaria, which is located near the ocean on the southern edge of the continent, with Glizerra as its capital. Its relationship with Loftaria, their northern neighbor, is tense. Farnskag, with its capital city of Baaldarstad, is on the other side of Loftaria. Svertya is to the east of these countries, while StÓ“rkland is to the west. Although the narrative takes place mostly in Azzaria and Farnskag, all of the nations are represented in some way across the pages.
The 2 main countries in the narrative, as well as their peoples, were lively and clearly characterized. And there was no information dump; whatever we learned came to us naturally, piece by little.
It began out exciting, but once Jiara arrived at her new home, there was a long period when nothing much happened. She was only trying to fit in, learning a new language and looking for any clues to her sister's death. It wasn't boring, but it moved slowly. There were also no surprises or plot twists.
It's written in the first person, which I don't mind, but I wish it alternated with other characters' perspectives. The entire time was spent with Jiara, and we only saw what she did and her own ideas. It would have been more fascinating if more people had been involved.
Overall, this was a pretty well-written and well-thought-out story. There's a lot of suspense at the start, especially when it comes to the murder. The author did a fantastic job of keeping the story intriguing as it became increasingly predictable about how it would end. Jiara's experience, ideas, and feelings were at the core of the tale. In most cases, this would irritate me as a reader, but the author handled it so effectively and with such purpose that I like the way it was written. Even though this is a stand-alone novel, I would like to read more stories set in this universe since it was so beautifully detailed and intriguing. Without a doubt, I would read any and all of this author's books!
My only criticism of A Dragonbird in the Fern is that it was a little too straightforward and predictable for me at points. Because I like complicated fiction with plenty of twists and turns, I guessed the narrative twist in this novel nearly right away. I was expecting additional disclosures near the conclusion of the twist to add to the intricacy. However, this had only a little influence on my pleasure of the narrative, and it is highly personal criticism.
A Dragonbird in the Fern was an incredible debut novel that I couldn't put down. I was worried that as a standalone fantasy novel, there wouldn't be enough world-building or character development; nevertheless, this novel exceeded my expectations, and I can't wait to read more from this author.
I would highly suggest this book to anybody seeking a light fantasy.