A review by anatl
A Dragonbird in the Fern by Laura Rueckert

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.