#BookReview: A Dragonbird in the Fern by Laura Rueckert

Synopsis: When an assassin kills Princess Jiara’s older sister Scilla, her vengeful ghost is doomed to walk their city of glittering canals, tormenting loved ones until the murderer is brought to justice. While the entire kingdom mourns, Scilla’s betrothed arrives and requests that seventeen-year-old Jiara take her sister’s place as his bride to confirm the alliance between their countries.

Marrying the young king intended for her sister and traveling to his distant home is distressing enough, but with dyslexia and years of scholarly struggles, Jiara abandoned any hope of learning other languages long ago. She’s terrified of life in a foreign land where she’ll be unable to communicate.

Then Jiara discovers evidence that her sister’s assassin comes from the king’s own country. If she marries the king, Jiara can hunt the murderer and release her family from Scilla’s ghost, whose thirst for blood mounts every day. To save her family, Jiara must find her sister’s killer . . . before he murders her too.



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Rating: 2 Stars
My Review: Another one I wanted to love but sadly the characters just fell flat for me. I didn't enjoy the story at all it was slow and just nothing to write home about. It was a simple young adult story with a light fantasy aspect. Its not really what I would call a bad book but it just wasn't spectacular either. I loved the ghost aspect but it wasn't enough to keep me reading.

About the Author

Laura Rueckert is a card-carrying bookworm who manages projects by day. At night, fueled by European chocolate, she transforms into a writer of young adult science fiction and fantasy novels. Laura grew up in Michigan, but a whirlwind romance after college brought her to Europe. Today, she lives in Germany with her husband, two kids, and one fluffy dog.  --This text refers to the paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Seventeen-year-old Jiara is struggling with the murder of her beloved older sister Scilla. She is also riddled with fear that Scilla's ghost will hurt her family because she's a spirit that won't rest until they exact vengeance on her murderer. Jiara learns that a witness saw the killer, someone from the foreign country of Farnskag and she jumps at the chance to travel there. Awkwardly, the opportunity arises because she is marrying the King of Farnskag, who is Scillia's former fiancé, creating a confusing mix of feelings as her attraction to him grows. While she slowly learns to acclimate to a foreign land, she gains allies, though she's never quite sure who to trust. This novel is full of detailed worldbuilding as Rueckert creates multiple cultures with their own belief systems and history. This debut fantasy in a unique imagining of a young girl grappling with the new burden placed upon her as queen of a country where she doesn't speak the language, while attempting to protect her family and put her sister to rest. Jiara has difficulty learning the new language partially because she appears to have a learning disability similar to dyslexia. Jiara may start off sheltered and afraid, but by facing her fears she shows her true bravery and earns respect. VERDICT A powerful story of love, vengeance, and learning to trust yourself, this is a must purchase for all libraries.- Rebecca Greer, Hillsborough County P.L. Coop., FLα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.  --This text refers to the paperback edition.

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Posted in: 2 Stars, Flux, Review, Young Adult