Fantastic! A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson is a debut historical fantasy about a world with dragons, rebellions, and heartbreaking love. It’s 1923 in the streets of London and dragons fly overhead as protesters line the streets demanding an end to the class system. Vivian Featherswallow is living in her second class bubble. She follows the rules, keeps her head down, and works hard. When her idol comes to dinner at her family home, Viv hopes to secure an internship studying dragon languages (she can already speak nine), but her life comes crashing down as her family is arrested for colluding with the rebels. Desperate to save her family, Viv makes a choice to release a dragon. By midnight, her actions have started a civil war.

To say I enjoyed this book is an understatement. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. There wasn’t a single thing in this book that I didn’t enjoy. Viv is a complex, morally grey character that has you questioning from the start what you’d do if in her shoes. Viv isn’t the clear cut protagonist, and she carries guilt for the choices she’s made both in her past and present. She doubts that she is a good person. She feels selfish, concerned only with keeping her second class status, preventing her sister from dropping to third class, and doing whatever it takes to attain her goals. Now that her family is arrested, she is even more desperate, desperate enough to break into the university library and release a dragon who has been there since the start of the class system. The consequences of her actions haunt her and follow her throughout the book.

I like Viv. While she feels selfish, her choices are the choices most would make when placed into seemingly impossible situations. The fact that she struggles with the consequences and guilt haunts her proves that at her core she is a good person. Though, admittedly, while reading, I have no doubt you will question that.

The consequence for releasing a dragon is that Viv is required to work for the prime minister. If she succeeds, she’s promised that her family can go free. Viv, along with a handful of other teens, are thrust into a secret base, researching dragons. Viv’s knowledge of dragon tongues is put to breaking a secret code among the dragons and becomes the main focus of the book. I loved this. It reminds me of the codebreakers during WWI and WWII. Viv’s job and everyone there is to find a weakness to stop the rebels which includes dragons and humans. The tensions are high, but the stakes are higher.

Overall, I loved A Language of Dragons. It’s exciting, thrilling, and even has a dash of romance. I loved the dragons (I could write multiple reviews of this book focusing on the different things I loved). The relationship Viv builds with the dragon she releases was unexpected, but fantastic. I also really enjoyed the other characters present at the base Viv is at which includes her cousin Marquis, her former best friend Sophie, and so many others. I highly recommend this one to fans of YA fantasy or historical fantasy.

Side Note: This book ends on a small cliffhanger. There is no mention that this will be a duology. I believe it is a standalone. Though I hope more will come from this world.

A different story about dragon sand how now communicate with each other ,
the academic and government wants to understand the language to use .to fight the war.
some drama action ,angst and possible romance.
a little slow at times.
voluntarily reviewed.

This began as a fast-paced read with high stakes and intrigue, but it slowed as Vivian started working on the code-breaking mystery. I wanted more interactions with dragons and clearer world-building. There wasn’t enough discussion on how dragons lived in this society, and it was hard for me to envision while the MCs were cooped up in the mansion working in secret for the government.

I struggled to root for Vivian. She regretted her past betrayal but didn’t tell Sophie the truth, apologize or try to make amends for way too long. She was willing to do the wrong thing to save her family but was repeatedly given evidence that indicated her leaders couldn’t be trusted. Too much of the tale was her agonizing over what to do.

The romance between Vivian and Atlas felt awkward and uncomfortable, as he was in training to become a celibate priest.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. Thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC.

From the first pages of S.F. Williamson's A LANGUAGE OF DRAGONS, I was deeply immersed in an alternative London where the fragile truce between humans and dragons has been broken. Adept with dragon languages, Vivien Featherswallow is caught up in the politics, high-stakes decisions, and fundamental rights for all living creatures, be they dragon or human, including the best friend she betrayed to advance in a classist, elitist, exacting society. The action is swift and fantastically well-done so I never knew what was coming next, only that I would read with pell mell delight whatever Williamson chose to share in elegant prose with fully dimensional characters of every kind, and all-encompassing questions of identity, loyalty, and love. Will recommend far and wide. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the e-arc of this amazing debut!

This book is being compared to Babel, Divine Rivals, and Fourth Wing, and while I can agree with them all I think it is such a unique tale of its own.

The dedication to the linguistics is so well done, and the commitment to the actual science of code breaking and translation demonstrates just how much Williamson put into this book.

The characters are real, and flawed. The stakes are high. The accuracy and weight of corrupted regimes is painfully reminiscent of what we're experiencing today.

Vivien's arc throughout this book as she balances saving her family with the greater good is so fascinating to me. She is not /meant/ to be liked at certain points of this -- she's an immature kid who is being faced with real world problems after being relatively sheltered. What's impressive about it is that I was still dedicated to her story, and cheered her on by the end.

The side characters were everything to me (I've never been more invested in a background story than that of Dr. Seymour).

And Atlas. Ugh. My golden boy. I knew it was coming, and still...

The last line? Utterly gut wrenching.

I don't know if I'd call this book enemies to lovers, at least not in Book 1. Book 2 could be set up for it, but for now it feels just like... lovers. It felt like a mutually reciprocated romance from the start and honestly I was fine with what. I think some of the tension could be stronger, and the depth of the relationship between Atlas and Viv could have been better fleshed out, but this is a debut, and a bloody strong one at that.

4/5 ⭐s for Williamson to start the New Year!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a pretty solid debut novel and what I hope is the first in a series with that cliffhanger.

In this historical fantasy, we follow Viv, who lives a pretty comfortable life despite there being a class system for the citizens in this society. Her life is turned upside down though when her parents are arrested for assisting a rebellion, which Viv did not know they were apart of. Now orphaned with her little sister, Viv decides to seek help from a dragon held captive for treason. They strike a deal for Viv to release her, and in return, she would burn the evidence of Viv’s parents’ wrongdoings. As expected, this plan backfires, and Viv is caught. She is now left to decide if she will be executed or use her knowledge of dragon languages to assist the government in deciphering a valuable dragon language that has yet to be cracked.

Overall, I thought the pacing and plot were pretty steady for this one. We also get a wide cast of characters that each bring something unique to the story. Viv is also an interesting character to follow since she’s not what we would normally expect out of a book like this. She lives a life of privilege and has a pretty hard time grasping other people’s struggles outside of her own. She is selfish and self serving when certain opportunities present themselves, but this honestly didn’t make me hate her. In fact, it made her character development so much better. Especially since we know she genuinely has to have her eyes opened multiple times to make the right decision, because she has a history of not doing so. It was very realistic and authentic, and she did win me over at the end.

Which brings me to the ending. This leaves off on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I’m hoping we get a second book to get some questions answered that were left open ended, especially with a certain character.

4/5 stars

This is very much Babel meets Fourth Wing, but YA and a heavier lean on the Babel side of things. There is a good bit of academia surrounding language, translation, especially with regard to the language of dragons. However, if you were intimidated by Babel, you do not have to worry about that here. As it is YA, it does not get to that same technicality level.

We do get the same concept of those who have been forced into the lower class of society wanting a revolution and to change society and characters that have been higher up in a society being confronted by the facts of life for these people who are now their friends. I love this as a commentary on modern society also.

Viv is not a super likeable character and very stubborn and a bit selfish. She wants things to go back to how they were without thinking about what they could be. It takes a lot for her to actually change, which is frustrating at times, but is consistent storytelling for the character.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for my copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Devoured this one like a hungry dragon. Great plot. Great world building. Wish it had MORE with the dragons, but it's definitely a great start to a new series.

If a teenage Katniss Everdeen lived in a speculative 1920s London with dragons and her weapon wasn't the bow but at least nine different languages (at least 6 being languages spoken exclusively by dragons), it would be this book. Okay, no, I'm being too simplistic, but I hope you can see my point.

But this book was actually really good? And I was so invested that I got angry over the injustices the characters faced throughout. I'm also not sure if this book was a standalone or a series when I dove into the story, but it left enough of an open ended resolution that could honestly give us more about the speculative world that the author gave us; that is, when an impending war is fought between humans and dragons, how does communication play a part?

Loved the idea of different dragon languages, loved the overall story being spun about recruits working overtime at Bletchley Park in order to win a war. Hell, I even loved the characters we met--save for a special few, may they rot in dragon HELL.

The only thing that I really took issue with was how long it took for Vivien to get her act together. I know the book is meant to emphasize the major growth in her character arc, but my gawd it felt dragged out at times. It didn't help that we were constantly in Vivien's head, and because the first person POV leaves us with an unreliable and flawed character, it got tiring. All the characters around Vivien were better characters (Atlas is an honest to goodness SAINT, yall), and hopefully in the sequels, we are not just privy to her perspective. (I would KILL for a Marquis or Sophie POV tbh).

That being said, it was an overall enjoyable book and honestly, I'm here for the draaaaagons and my dragon queen Chumana.

i sadly did not like this as i hoped i would.

thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

let’s start off on a good note and mention what i did like: the plot/story! it was quite unputdownable and intriguing in my opinion!

let’s look into how this book is advertised/what it promises and see if it delivers:

— an epic sweeping fantasy - yes!
— incredible dark academia setting - not really
— slow burn enemies to lovers romance - NO! not even close! more on that soon
— unputdownable story - yes!
— twists and turns - eh
— betrayals and secret identities - not really

my main problem with this book was the insufferable fmc! she was so ignorant, selfish and blinded by privilege. her actions were horrible and made me so mad that it simply did not make this a good reading experience at all. the fact it took the ENTIRE book and i’m talking about 90% of it for her to realize her wrongs is insane to me; if there’s a sequel to this, it has the potential for the best character development! i know the author intentionally made her insufferable so props to her for bringing this anger out of me

the other thing i did not enjoy at all was the romance. the book promises slow burn enemies to lovers, slow burn where? enemies where? lovers where? the fmc and mmc start off as strangers, take one look at each other and the next they are interested. can’t even call it insta love because there were barely any interactions at all! i felt no connection between them whatsoever.

i was hoping for a jaw dropping ending based on a few things i saw about it but frankly i didn’t care at all when it happened.

this book simply wasn’t for me and these are all just my opinions!!

A Language of Dragons
✨YA fantasy
✨academic setting
✨politics and war
✨morally grey FMC
✨dragons
.
I know dragons are all the hype at the moment and I thought the premise of this book sounded really interesting. The linguistic aspect and translating dragon language was a new concept.
I think many people will enjoy this book, I’m just finding that YA is a genre I’m moving past as a reader.
I found it a bit too long and the romance aspect was really lacking. I did love the dragons, hands down the best part of the book.
BUT, I do think the ending sets the next book in the series up nicely.
Thank you netgalley and Harpercollins for the opportunity to read and rate this book!

I really wanted to like this more than I did. There were moments I really loved it and moments I would get overly frustrated. My biggest reason to only give it 3 stars is that Vivian is constantly saying she is going to give the information about the dragon’s secret communication to the prime minister way and then going back on it way too many times. Once or twice would have been fine but it happens like 3 or 4 times and it gets tiring. Just the number of times she goes back and forth between helping the rebels and doing what she has been taught since she was born is also very tiresome. The dragons were fantastic though and the communication part of the story was very interesting.

YA Romantasy
-Dark Academia
-Morally grey FMC
-Historical fantasy: war and politics, relations between human and dragons


The title and the book cover is what drew me into this book. I’m new to fantasy and so far dragons and world building are my favorite aspects.

The story follows Vivien Featherswallow, a 17-year-old girl who grew up in a wealthy social class and dreams of being the best draconian language expert in the UK. When her family is arrested for wanting a society where humans and dragons could peacefully co-exist, a desperate Viv does a move that lands her as a recruit for the government's war effort. But being a recruit tests her existing values as she becomes gradually torn between saving her family and saving her entire country from ruin.

This is an excellent book for fans of fantasy with a dark academia vibe. The author does an impressive job of putting readers inside Vivian's head, allowing us to fully understand her motivations and decisions. The world-building is immersive and vividly detailed, making it easy to picture yourself alongside the recruits.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced book filled with dragon battles, this might not be the story for you. Instead, it’s a slower-paced tale focused on linguistics and unraveling the secrets of language

“we live in a world that permits everything and forgives nothing.” 4.25!

thank you harper collins, netgalley, & s. f. williamson for this arc! this book was a YA babel in a world where dragons are either feared or enslaved. i enjoyed every second of this book! i highly recommend and am excited for when the next book comes out!

while there is a heavy reliance on religious epithets, i didn’t think that it disrupted the flow of the story. rather, give it was 1923 london, it felt almost fitting for the heavy religious undertones. i may not be one as committed as atlas, but it was still a story that made you believe in the art and hope of second chances!

3.5 stars, rounded up
——————

A Language of Dragons was a thrilling read for sure, but it lacked something for me.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was engaging, though slightly slow. I loved the idea of regional dragon languages and the idea of dragons as contributing members of society, although it was in a negative way per the needs of the story. You get nationalism and rebellion, this ragtag group of young adults thrown together to solve issues that professionals can’t seem to do. The academic side of things was well portrayed and interesting. The authors ability to create this world without info dumping it was incredibly refreshing. Never did I feel overwhelmed by the info I was getting, but never did I feel confused by the world I was in. Amazing setup to the book. Amazing world building to start off a series.

What really let me down was Vivien. She was so insufferable. No matter what evidence was given to her, her inability to think critically (as a whole adult) was incredibly awful to read. Her ignorance felt like a device to carry the plot along by drawing out events, but it could have easily relied on actual content to do the same. I could not get past her. She had good chemistry with Atlas at least, and their verbal sparing was interesting, but it just lost its spark because of her as a person. The side characters are so interesting, I wish we could have gotten more of them and their stories. I remain hopeful that it will happen in the next book.

Solid start to a series. I will probably keep reading.

I loved this one! Everything about the world building, from the political upheaval to the dragon anatomy, was fascinating. Viv was a protagonist who was at times difficult to root for because she was making choices I'd hope I wouldn't in her situation, but her motivations were always easy to understand in a way that kind of makes you question how "good" you would be if facing the same obstacles. There were multiple twists and turns that had me literally gasping out loud. I can't wait for book 2!

Williamson’s A Language in Dragons is a refreshing take on dragon fantasy, blending linguistics, politics, and privilege in an alternate WWII setting. The premise is fascinating, but the academic focus might feel a bit dense for some.

The protagonist, Viv, is deeply flawed and often unlikable, but her struggle with privilege and moral conflict adds an interesting depth to the story. Her relationships, particularly with Atlas, touch upon themes of sacrifice and solidarity under systemic oppression. While the pacing is a bit weak at the start and the ending feels kind of rushed, the story is definitely engaging overall.

My thought is that this is a strong debut that dives into class, colonialism, and the layers of language.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Actual rating: 3.75 ⭐

I'm still trying to figure out how to put my words into this review. here's the things i did like. i like the aspect of languages and dragons and how they intermingle with one another. it's fascinating to see how the language plays a huge role into this book. i found the characters complex and a little frustrating at times, but i think it worked very well for this book. i also really like how the history intertwined with a fantastical element with dragons and how they mingle with humans, hence the language usage.

however, i did think the story did drag a little. i thought vivien's thoughts were too repetitive we get the dangers of what will happen to your family and sister. we get it. please stop mentioning very three pages. i think it would be much stronger if it was mentioned maybe a few times throughout the book. i also thought the ending was a little flat to me. it felt too rushed and too all over the place. i'm going to assume the there will be a sequel with the books, since it did leave us on a cliffhanger at the end cause why else would that line be there.

all in all, i thought it was an interesting story. could use a bit of work, but i enjoyed it nonetheless.

3.5⭐️
The premise of this with the dragon language studies was what initially drew me to the story. I loved that the dragons were able to communicate in their own way and had their own autonomy. The wold building was well placed and didn’t feel info dumpy at all which I appreciated. The plot was very fast-paced which did keep me engaged. Despite this, I struggled to connect with the FMC. Vivian came off as a very judgmental selfish person in this. She was often in a state of denial and was constantly trying to excuse her reckless behavior. Her choices made it very hard to connect and like her in the book and by the end when she began to change, it almost didn’t matter. Overall it was still an enjoyable read but I wish the pacing was a bit better and the character made better choices so I could really fall in love with them.

A Language of Dragons

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

-YA Romantasy
-Dark Academia
-Morally grey FMC
-Historical fantasy: war and politics, relations between human and dragons

Omg ok, I started this book a few days ago and at first I hated the fmc sooooooo much that I was about to rate this gem of a book 3 stars. 😱

When did it become a 5? When I realized the author wrote a very annoying fmc on purpose and how she made her grow very slowly from a girl completely brainwashed by the government to a girl who want to do things right, to protect not only her family and comfortable life but also the dragons and the freedom to study a befriend them.

So I’m going to tell you this: if you feel like dnf’ing because of her, please continue to read because the more you read the better the story and character development get 🥰

I am so happy I started 2025 with a great dragon filled book 🥹💞