This book was okay. Nothing too special. I loved the idea but some parts were executed poorly and I started to lose interest.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully romantic fantasy with an engaging protagonist and immersive world building. I adored the themes of sisterhood and strength, and it was a delight to follow Jiara's journey from scared ingenue to powerful queen. As someone with a family member who struggles with dyslexia, the representation in this book was really lovely to read and made me quite emotional. I think this will be a great read for fans of authors like Rebecca Ross or Adrienne Young.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

I would like to start this off by saying I do not have dyslexia so I personally cannot say how accurate the portrayal of it is in this book.

That being said we need more representation of neurodivergent and disabled people in ya books, especially fantasy. We need to acknowledge that they exist in any world, and adding magic doesn’t make them disappear. Do not take this as saying any other genres do not need them. Simply that there are very few fantasy books with disabled protagonists or even disabled side characters.

Alright so my opinion of the book - 4.5 stars
I rounded up and the only reason I didn’t think it was 5 was that Jiara’s grieving process over her sister seemed a bit overlooked and rushed considering her death was a major part of the story. I would’ve loved to see more details on how Scilla’s death affected her other than her now being betrothed.

The magic system was a bit confusing at first, but I figured it out and it works really well. I loved how the different views on religion coexisted. The romance, while the language barrier deterred me a bit at first, was honestly adorable once they could communicate. First fantasy book I’ve read with an established age of consent which was a pleasant surprise.

Jiara had a friend in this book, her names Freyad and she has a wife whom I loved but also their friendship was amazing. They had a language barrier too but they just had an easier relationship than her and her betrothed. I loved Feyad’s attitude towards life and royals in general. Honestly a mood.

The villain was written so well written even from the beginning and I didn’t have a clue until the author basically took a big red marker and wrote “SUSPICIOUS” over their name. Well played even if my ego took a hit. (I’m usually good at guessing who the villain is)

tl:dr - We need disabled rep, I loved it, go read it asap

This was such a fun read! I should mention before going into my review that there are a few content warnings, these warnings consist of violence and blood, grief, death of a family member (off the page), death of a character (on the page). With these warnings out of the way, let's get to the review!

I found this novel to be a splendid standalone with a character who is dyslexic, trying to avenge her sister's death. I love a strong heroine in novels. This novel was not an exception. I am in love with the world that laura has created and I cannot wait to read more of her novels.

I don’t even know where to begin with this review. This book is so special. If I could have given it more than five stars I honestly would. Between ghosts, murder plots, a main character with dyslexia, betrayal, ancient gods, and romance. This book has everything you could possibly want. This was such a fun read and was beautifully executed. I cannot wait for its release this fall so that I can add a copy to my shelves.

Fantasy is probably my absolutely favorite genre. I've read so much of it, that new (or new-to-me) books need something that sets them apart. I didn't really find that with A Dragonbird in the Fern. And that's okay because sometimes we need a similar or familiar story to read. Especially us mood readers. But, unfortunately, this book didn't hold my interest very much. I wish I had liked it more. The dyslexia plot was really interesting. I know others will inhale this story. And maybe I will give it another try sometime.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First of all, thank you again to the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book ahead of the release date. My favorite genre is YA fantasy, and when I read the description of the book, I couldn't wait to read it. A Dragonbird in the Fern by Laura Rueckert a YA fantasy novel with a protagonist who has dyslexia. Princess Jiara of Azzaria is newly betrothed to Raffar, the young King of Farnskag. Originally, her sister Scilla was supposed to marry him, but she is murdered by an assassin, and her vengeful ghost haunts the royal family of Azzaria.

Here is a quote from Chapter One when Jiara is trying to appease her murdered sister's spirit:

"I placed the objects at the base of the memorial stone, lined up in the order of power each god possessed: the pearl; the bundle of flowers; the feather, stabbed into the earth so it wouldn't blow away; the cup of dirt. I bowed my head. Please help Scilla. Please slow the darkness engulfing her heart. Give us time to find her murderer."

Later, it is decided that Jiara must take Scilla's place and marry Raffar. Raffar and his royal cohort from Farnskag come to Azzaria to confirm the marriage with Jiara. Here is a quote from their meeting:

"My pulse beat a little faster as he considered me. Then he stepped close enough to grasp my left shoulder, and I raised my hand to do the same. I bent too quickly, and his forehead touched mine, warm and dry. I jerked back the appropriate distance, but not before the tattooed lines, swirls, and curves burned against my skin."

If these quotes sound intriguing to you, then you should definitely check out A Dragonbird in the Fern. Based on the opening chapters, I was ready to be transported to a world of fantasy, action, and romance. What I found was that there was little to no action or romance until I hit 75-80% mark in the book. Instead, the main plot of the book focuses on Jiara's language lessons as she learns the language of Farnskag while struggling with dyslexia.

Have you thought it was too easy and fantastical that people of neighboring countries in fantasy books can understand each other? Look no further. In the book, Jiara uses hand motions to communicate with the King (when she gets frustrated speaking the 10 words of Farnskag that she knows), has one of only two paper dictionaries in the kingdom (one of which the king accidentally takes with him on a journey, leaving her helpless), and struggles to find an interpreter (including having to wait hours for official interpreters to come by horseback). If you've ever had to learn a language like I have, then you understand the struggle.

Even though the majority of this book was not what I expected, it still maintained my interest throughout. I am a linguistics nerd, and I found that aspect of 2020's Goddess in the Machine most interesting. If you're interested in the study of language or if you've ever had to learn a language yourself, you should check out this book. In addition, I applaud the author for introducing a dyslexic heroine into the YA fantasy genre. Representation is undoubtedly important, and I support that aspect of the book 100%.

The Quick Cut: A young princess finds herself suddenly taking her older sister's place in a marriage after she is murdered. The newly married girl discovers that the person who killed her sister may be where her new husband is from.

A Real Review:
Thank you to North Star Editions for providing the ARC for an honest review.

The fantasy genre can help us escape from the reality of life and go somewhere new, but what if that place isn't any more fantastical than reality? What if you still had all those same struggles and frustrations that bother you in the real world? In this story centered around a Princess named Jiara, she struggles with her new marriage along with her Dyslexia.

Jiara is struggling to deal with her older sister's death - especially since it wasn't due to illness of any sort. Her sister was murdered. As if that's not enough to send her life off its planned course, she also quickly finds herself now in place of her older sister's planned future: as newly engaged in order to build important alliances. Now she is leaving home with her new husband, in a place where she doesn't know the language. While learning all the language and cultural details needed to embrace her new situation, she discovers something unexpected: that the person who killed her sister may be exactly where she is with her husband now. Will she find that her husband has more to do with the death of her sister than appears? Or will she find that she's not willing to know the truth that can make her current situation more volatile?

I wanted to enjoy this story - especially since it seems to take the fantasy genre in a different direction. So often when authors write a fantasy book, they ditch or ignore so many details about things that we have to deal with in real life (such as disabilities). To see this one bring a part of that everyday struggle into this fictional place? It's nice to see something so simple change how a story is written or how the characters approach situations. That is the one thing that I think this book does well. It takes that struggle and turns it into a true plot point. However, it's not enough to save this one from being too flat.

Although the story is quite lengthy, never at any point does the worldbuilding get detailed enough to make me feel like I can really imagine this place. Lots of details about languages and countries are thrown in, but never at any point is there enough of it to really make you feel like you're there. It feels too much like just page material instead of creating a new place.

To add even more to the injury, I couldn't relate to Jiara as much as I should have. Her sister is dead, but I never really felt any deep sorrow or mourning from that painful experience from her. The closest she ever came to being relatable to me is when she was struggling to learn the language of her new environment. The way she's treated as she struggles to read and how her tutor doesn't approach learning in a way that works for her - it made me sympathize with her. She needed more of those relatable moments where she felt like more than just a character. She required more moments where I could see her as an actual person.

A story with a unique setup that fails to viably create a whole new world of mystery.

My rating: 2 out of 5

It was okay? The world building was fantastic, and I adored the main character Jiara. But the book was “very YA” which made it a light read after reading a much heavier story. I love a story that delivers the angst and feels, and that is where I think this story was lacking. For having just lost her sister, you’d think the reader would share Jiara’s pain. Well, you don’t...That made it hard for me to sympathize with her. Especially when her sister’s ghost lashed out at Jiara during her earthwalker “tantrums”. If anything I found her annoying and wanted to roll my eyes because she did it whenever Jiara seemed to have found a sense of happiness in her life after marrying someone from a foreign kingdom, where Jiara was forced to learn a complete foreign language. Not easy for a person with dyslexia.

The romance was kinda meh, but still kind of sweet. Her love interest just didn’t do anything for me. I think there should have been more chapters developing their relationship but....It is what it is.

The only thing that kept me fully engaged with this story was the mystery behind Jiara’s sister’s killer. The first handful of chapters drew me in. Until after 70-80% of the book, not much happens. Other than that I think this story has potential to be better.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

I didn't expect this book to compel me as quickly as it did. We are instantly entered into the struggle the main character is having with helping her sister move on to the afterlife, as disclosed in the blurb.

This book engrossed me in a wide variety of details about the fantasy lands it is set in, including Beautiful descriptions of birds, nature, people, and settlements.

I was captivated right from the start with the protagonist's journey and truly felt a connection with her. There was also the perfect amount of swoon for a fantasy novel so that it did not detract from the beauty of the narrative.

This fantasy novel also does one of my favourite things in literature: It includes a spectrum of gender pofiles and sexuality in character with no explanation or justification - exactly how the world should be.

A very pleasant surprise - this story completely captured my imagination.

ARC received from Netgalley. The review is 100% honest.

I finished this book moments ago and still in awe. I love everything in it, for Jiara is my type of heroine. She didn't dwell in her incapability. She did what she could, one day at a time. I love the background setting! The Watchers and the rituals are both familiar and original. Readers can easily dive into the story and fell in love with the characters. I adore Jiara! Raffar is total sweetheart! I want bestie like Freyad!

The plot is intriguing and refreshing! I have my suspicion about the murderer and was proven right, but the journey there is amazing! I love this book with all my heart!

And *spoiler alert!*
<spoiler> I even love Aldar's cunningness. He is a perfect snake lol </spoiler>

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC.

2.5 stars

Unfortunately this book took me forever to finish even thought it was only around 350 pages. I didn't really connect with the main character and I felt like the world building was kind of not all there. It also felt pretty rushed. I wish they author would of split it in two books because they could of had a lot more explained in some areas and it would of been more enjoyable.

Laura Rueckert's A Dragonbird in the Fern was a pretty enjoyable read - I’d give it about 3.75 stars. I loved the character of Jiara, who’s grounded, intelligent, and caring. The Watchers and Earthwalkers added an almost spiritual quality to this book that I liked. Also, the mystery element of “who killed Scilla?” really had me intrigued! I do wish the character of Raffar had been more developed. I thought the development of the relationship between Freyed and Jiara was much better. I also feel like while the story did wrap up well in the end, it was lacking something. Maybe it was too clean of an ending.

I really appreciated the portrayal of dyslexia (with Jiara) in this book. In an afterword, the author explains that Jiara has undiagnosed dyslexia, which became clear with her experiences with learning language, reading, and writing. Jiara struggled a lot with trying to understand a new language and communicate with the people in her new country, and it made her feel embarrassed, frustrated, and like she was a burden. I think it was great to see a discussion of dyslexia's effect on not only the ability to read, write, or communicate, but also on one's self-esteem.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley!

Ahh! This was so amazing! Fantastic world-building, intriguing plot, lovable and realistic characters! Overall, really enjoyed this one!

Full review will be posted on my blog, www.thebarnaclebookshelf.com, closer to release date in August.

I am a sucker for mystery entwined within fantasy. Especially when it involves a murderous plot.

This fantasy story is about avenging death, even if it means going against the country you were born in.

If you're looking for a book with plenty of twists and a plot that will have you guessing, pick this up. I really, really enjoyed the direction this narrative took.

Thank you for the e-galley in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this, the world is unique and interesting and the fact that this is a standalone is great. It seems that the majority of new fantasy books are part of a series so this stands out. It was nice to have a complete story in one book. There weren't any slow parts and everything that happened felt important to the plot.

Jiara is smart, kind, and will do anything for her family and people, including marrying her late sister's fiancé. Jiara knows this move is paramount to her country's safety so she leaves her home to go to a foreign place where she doesn't know the language or customs. Jiara takes things in stride and works hard to be a good queen, while still investigating her sister's murder.

The earthwalker spirits that roam the land were creepy and the fact that they hurt their own families while waiting for justice made me sad. Jiara was trying so hard to find the killer and her sister is trying to kill her because she's so angry. How awful that would be.

There were a couple twists in the plot and the mystery of Scilla's killer was entertaining and engaging. I liked Jiara's relationship with Raffar and that it was a slow burn. That was more realistic and the build up was fun. I appreciated their moments together, especially when they were learning to communicate with each other.

This is a great fantasy debut and I look forward to seeing what else the author comes out with!

I have voluntarily chosen to read and review an advanced copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and North Star Editions.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review

I grabbed this book on a whim really. The description sucked me in and I'm so glad I requested an ARC for this book because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Early on I was sucked in and the suspense did not let up. The story starts in the thick of things with Jiara trying to calm and save the spirit of her sister who was murdered a few months back. Then her sister's betrothed shows up and it's Jiara who will take her place instead and become Queen in a kingdom far away from home. But given she's had a super crush on her sister's betrothed and her killer may be from his kingdom she's not really upset by these circumstances. The journey to her new kingdom is fraught with danger and more than once Jiara's life is threatened. While she's wary of people she meets her number one goal as always is to help her sister and bring her killer to justice. I did enjoy the slow moving romance as it gave the characters time to get to know one another. It also made sense to be so slow moving as the two don't even speak the same language and as you'd imagine that makes communicating rather difficult and at times invasive as they need an interpreter to simply speak. There was so much going on and so many suspicious characters at times I even wondered if the King himself was not party to her sisters death. He was so smitten with Jiara and even makes the two wait to consummate their marriage as Jiara is only 17 and he wants to wait until she reaches 18. Not only that he wants them to get to know one another and for her to be sure she wants him. Considering they were already married before leaving her home I thought this was really sweet and let's be honest very uncharacteristic of the way most men would behave. I gotta say I think the author did a great job creating this unique world and brought forth a truly engaging story. For her first novel this book blew me away and I really enjoyed the entire process until the bitter end

I really enjoyed this! As soon as I started it, I was hooked, and I didn’t want to put the book down. I will admit to being a tiny bit worried about certain elements at the start, but they faded away soon enough!

The main thing that drove this for me was the romance. Was this a romance novel? Most definitely not. Was I shipping the romance the entire time? Yes. It was just so well written!! Every single time Raafar and Jiara exchanged a single sentence, I was so happy!! And, I loved how caring and understanding he was. I totally respected him for asking to wait until she was 18, it’s something you don’t see in books, but I was so happy he respected her enough for that.

This was the first book I’d read with a language barrier, but I actually really enjoyed it. The amount of satisfaction I got from simple communication was astounding. I loved the way that Jiara didn’t learn the language immediately, it was a process. It felt so much more realistic than other YA novels.

I also really loved the mythology and world this builds. The religion and beliefs were so unique, and they tied into the story in a great way. I wasn’t really a fan of the multiple resurrections, but I did like the way they tied in at the end.

When I picked this up, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I ended up loving it! I’d recommend to all fantasy fans

Thanks to Netgalley and Laura Rueckert for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

This book had such a strong and unique premise, but I felt that it fell a bit flat for me at times, unfortunately. While I did enjoy reading it, there are storylines that honestly feel a bit pointless other than to add drama. However, one thing I absolutely adored was the depiction of language barriers in relationships. I honestly think that this aspect is so often ignored, overlooked, or just pushed aside by some form of 'common tongue' in the majority of fantasy. While I am not sure if this is planned as a standalone or a series, the book did wrap up nicely while still leaving room open to further explore the stories in this world.

*If you like gifs, please consider checking out this review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3859390894*

If I'm being completely honest, this book falls in the 'ok' category. It didn't awaken any type of strong feelings, either good or bad.

I appreciated the inclusion of a dyslexic main character, especially in a setting where there's a language barrier between the two leads, and the heroine has to learn her love interest's native tongue. I don't personally have any experience dealing with dyslexia, but I felt like the struggles and frustrations that arise when having to deal with it came across very clearly. Also, I liked how fast paced the story was, and the straightforward writing style. And don't even get me started on that cover! Absolutely gorgeous and captivating. It was definitely what drew my eye in the first place.

However, I feel like there was something missing. Sadly, and even though a main part of the plot is the grief of dealing with a lost family member, this book lacked any sort of emotional punch in my opinion. Everything was such a whirlwind of jumping from one thing to the next, that there were no quiet moments to explore the emotional repercussions of losing a loved one.

Plus, even though we are told Jiara very much cared for her sister, we aren't shown many interactions between them. I wish their relationship would have been more deeply explored and we'd got to see more moments between them. It's hard to care about the death of a character you've never met. For that matter, her whole family was little more than a few names. And same with the bodyguard/friend. They all had little to no repercussion in the story, and only appeared briefly. They all could have died, and I wouldn't have cared very much because I didn't have any reason to be attached to them. I feel the whole story would have strongly benefitted of a bit of backstory. When all was said and done, even the romantic relationship between the two main characters felt lukewarm at best. I needed more interactions, more bonding experiences, more relationship development,. Just more overall, I guess.

Another think I would have liked is for there to have been a red herring villain. A few more twists and turns in who killed Scilla. A shocking plot twist. A stronger thriller element, if you will. I think the bones, the potential for something great, were there, but the fleshing out part was where the whole thing fell short, sadly. Still, it was a fantastic effort for a first time author. In this day and age coming up with original, exciting ideas can't be easy. And the world presented in this novel is for sure very interesting and full of possibilities. Kudos!

**I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to North Star Editions and the author for the opportunity**