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A review by ladybug_books8
A Dragonbird in the Fern by Laura Rueckert
4.0
I started this at like 8 pm planning on getting a few chapters in… suddenly it’s 3 am and I finished the book. More thoughts to come when it’s not 3 am
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ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This book was an extremely pleasant surprise! A Dragonbird in the Fern is perfect for readers new to fantasy or those who struggle with long, complex fantasy. The worldbuilding was simple and easy to follow yet still interesting. Knowing it was a standalone was one of the reasons I finished this book so quickly. I knew that the mystery would be resolved by the end of the book.
I loved the two main characters in this story. They were brave, likable, and easy to root for. I was immediately sold on the relationship as I found the love interest so genuine and endearing. A Dragonbird in the Fern also features a dyslexic main character! I believe this is the first fantasy I have read with dyslexia representation and I thought it was really well incorporated into the story.
My favorite part of this book was the depiction of being a stranger in a strange land and adapting to the customs and habits of the land. I loved following Jiara as she learned the language of her new home. I feel like the difficulty of learning a language is often glossed over in fantasy books or avoided through the inclusion of multilingual characters. It was particularly engaging to watch Jiara and Raffar find different ways to communicate.
The plot with the vengeful ghost kept the tension high throughout the entire story. This suspense was another reason that I felt compelled to finish the book in one sitting. While I think the concept of the earthwalker could’ve been expanded on for clarity, I enjoyed the sense of anticipation that it added to the story.
My only real critique for A Dragonbird in the Fern is that at times it felt a bit too simple and predictable for me. I enjoy complex fantasy with a lot of twists and turns so I called the plot twist in this story almost immediately. I was hoping that the twist would have more reveals towards the end to add more complexity. However, this only minimally impacted my enjoyment of the story and it is a very personal critique. The fact remains that this book kept me engaged the entire time. I read it in one sitting, staying up until 3 am to finish it.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a light fantasy and I cannot wait to add a physical copy of A Dragonbird in the Fern to my bookshelf.
--------------------
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This book was an extremely pleasant surprise! A Dragonbird in the Fern is perfect for readers new to fantasy or those who struggle with long, complex fantasy. The worldbuilding was simple and easy to follow yet still interesting. Knowing it was a standalone was one of the reasons I finished this book so quickly. I knew that the mystery would be resolved by the end of the book.
I loved the two main characters in this story. They were brave, likable, and easy to root for. I was immediately sold on the relationship as I found the love interest so genuine and endearing. A Dragonbird in the Fern also features a dyslexic main character! I believe this is the first fantasy I have read with dyslexia representation and I thought it was really well incorporated into the story.
My favorite part of this book was the depiction of being a stranger in a strange land and adapting to the customs and habits of the land. I loved following Jiara as she learned the language of her new home. I feel like the difficulty of learning a language is often glossed over in fantasy books or avoided through the inclusion of multilingual characters. It was particularly engaging to watch Jiara and Raffar find different ways to communicate.
The plot with the vengeful ghost kept the tension high throughout the entire story. This suspense was another reason that I felt compelled to finish the book in one sitting. While I think the concept of the earthwalker could’ve been expanded on for clarity, I enjoyed the sense of anticipation that it added to the story.
My only real critique for A Dragonbird in the Fern is that at times it felt a bit too simple and predictable for me. I enjoy complex fantasy with a lot of twists and turns so I called the plot twist in this story almost immediately. I was hoping that the twist would have more reveals towards the end to add more complexity. However, this only minimally impacted my enjoyment of the story and it is a very personal critique. The fact remains that this book kept me engaged the entire time. I read it in one sitting, staying up until 3 am to finish it.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a light fantasy and I cannot wait to add a physical copy of A Dragonbird in the Fern to my bookshelf.