You know I’m a bit of a language nerd, right? I’m trilingual, live in Paris, raise my kid in German, and write in English (all the while learning Italian and listening to podcasts in Plattdüütsch, my granny’s mother tongue.) So show me a book where languages are involved, and I’ll make a grab for it without bothering to find out more.

Laura Rueckert’s YA fantasy novel A DRAGONBIRD IN THE FERN is one of those books, even though her protagonist Jiara is my opposite – where I would have thrown myself into learning a new language in full immersion mode, Jiara has given up on learning languages due to dyslexia and years of scholarly struggles. Still, her motivation is the life-and-death kind, not only for herself but for her loved ones as well. For if she doesn’t find her sister’s murderer in that foreign country where she doesn’t understand anyone, her sister’s ghost may well kill all of her family, starting with Jiara herself. If the killer doesn’t get Jiara first, that is.
As if that weren’t enough, Jiara doesn’t just have to travel to the faraway land where she doesn’t understand anyone to look for her sister’s murderer, she has to marry the king of that country. Can you imagine being married to someone you can’t communicate with on top of hunting down a murderer?
Add to that awesome world building, and you have A DRAGONBIRD IN THE FERN.

Curious? Here’s all the info you need to get your hands on the book which released on August 3, 2021.

To buy A Dragonbird in the Fern:
Schuler Books
Bookshop.org
Barnes & Noble
Indiebound
Amazon
Books-A-Million
Flux
Target
Blackwell’s
Book Depository
Genialokal
Bücher, Medien und Mehr

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, USA, but a whirlwind romance after college brought her to Europe. Today, she lives in Germany with her husband, two kids, and one fluffy dog.