This was just alright for me. I was drawn in initially because there was something about it that was deeply nostalgic, reminiscent of all the YA classics; think the dark academia of Harry Potter, the dystopian class system of The Hunger Games, and the WWII-esque setting of Narnia.

But with dragons.

I also love the inclusion of linguistics, a topic that has always been fascinating to me, but the sections focusing on it did get a little tedious at times, bogging down the overall pace of the story.

The biggest hang up for me was that there was a lot of potential, but a rushed execution. I could tell the author wanted nuanced politics and a deep character study with the diverse cast, which I appreciated, but instead of waiting for all the subtleties to be revealed naturally and in time, a lot of it was exposited all at once through forced, clunky dialogue.

There will be many who enjoy this, especially fans of middle grade and younger YA, but it was just ok for me.

I was pleasantly surprised by A Language of Dragons!
I LOVED the historical aspect of this novel. The way they tied in real world aspects, while also weaving a beautiful thread of fantasy into it.

I thought the plot was brilliant. I loved how much the dragons were incorporated into the story line.

The ending felt like a rush of activity! I almost wish so much hadn’t happened because I felt some things got lost in the chaos. I also didn’t love how our two main characters were instantly in love, while hardly getting to know each other through most the book. The ending though made me hopeful for the second book!

An INCREDIBLE read, dragon academia meets meets Divine Rivals meets Hunger Games in this suspenful and heart breaking dystopian. The writing is top notch and I was enthralled by the first line and couldn’t put the book down.
Vivian is caught between climbing the social ladder and reaching her big dreams of being a dragon translator and the dangerous world of the growing rebel forces.

You get a school/training atmosphere in war times
focusing on the academic side of war instead of physical training. Swoony Secret letter writing in a “clandestine passing of notes”.
The FMC is a tortured soul living with guilt, but finds hope and healing through friendship, love, and dragons.
You do get a slowburn side plot romance with a moment that feels earned and then, in true dystopian fashion, rips your heart out.

🐉 Dragon Academia
🐉 Dystopian
🐉 Found Family
🐉 Tragedy
🐉 War and Battles
🐉 Danger and Suspense

5⭐️ 🫑 (no spice with a couple swoony steamy moments)

A Language of Dragons takes a super interesting take on linguistics and translation and incorporates all the best parts of political intrigue, corrupt governments, and rebellions and combines them in such a unique way. I also enjoyed the historical London setting, but wish it were incorporated a little more into the story.

What I really enjoyed was how flawed our main character is. Viv will do anything to protect her family, even at the cost of others. While some saw this as insufferable, I would imagine a lot of us would act the same if put in the same position. I also really enjoyed the corrupt government and political intrigue. Williamson also does a great job with the world-building. I was fully immersed in the world and was expected with each new piece that was introduced.

The reason this wasn't a 5 star read for me was there was a bit of a lull in the middle of the book when there was a heavy focus on linguistics. I think that's fine, it is important to the story, but it did take me a longer to get through that section. I also wish we could have seen more from the different side characters and the work they were assigned. I realize it was supposed to be secret, but I think it would have added to the story. I also wish we could have seen more interactions between the FMC and the love interest but their notes back and forth were really cute.

I really enjoyed this book was surprised to see it was a debut! I think it was a wonderful start to the series and can't wait for the next installment. S.F. Williamson is going to to be The author S.F. one to watch!

Despite this being marketed as YA, I definitely think adult audiences will enjoy this novel.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

“In an alternate London in 1923, one girl accidentally breaks the tenuous truce between dragons and humans in this sweeping debut and epic retelling of Bletchley Park steeped in language, class, and forbidden romance. Perfect for teen fans of Fourth Wing and Babel.”

I was so intrigued by this description, and it did not disappoint! It, of course, did remind me of Fourth Wing, but I would also throw in Divergent and Hunger Games to reflect dystopian and class themes.
The focus on language is actually very beautiful and extremely intelligent. You can tell it is written by someone who has analyzed the intricacies of another language.
I was not particularly sold on the entire romance plot—I think it needed a little more build before it became what it was. I can see the purpose for it, and I loved Atlas as a character, but I just needed a little more.
I also feel like the main character, Viv, could have figured out what side she was on a little faster, but it did keep me wanting to read more just to find out what would happen.
Overall, I think weaving language into an adventurous story where young adults find their voice created a very solid debut novel. I’d be happy to read a sequel!
Thank you Harper Kids for the advanced opportunity to review this!

I absolutely adored A Language of Dragons. The writing style fully immersed me in the world and I loved how fast paced it was. This book is perfect for readers who love the complexities of The Cruel Prince's political structure and the enemies to lovers romance of Fourth Wing. Who doesn't love talking dragons and heaping spoonful of government conflict? I'm so excited to find out this isn't just a stand alone, there will be a book two! The characters are fleshed out but also imperfect allowing the space for them to change and grow. The ending was the perfect swooping cliffhanger leaving me breathless as to what will happen next. What a beautiful achievement overall for a debut author.

Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing this arc for review in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to S.F. Williamson, Harper Collins Children's Books, and NetGalley for an eARC of A Language of Dragons in exchange for an honest review!

"I shake my head. 'I have no interest in political debates -' 'Only because you are privileged enough not to be concerned by them.'"

This was such an interesting read and almost like a twist on what the time period between WW1 and WW2 would have looked like if dragons existed. I had a hard time getting into the book at first - world building can always be a bit tedious - but once more characters were introduced I thought everything got much more interesting.

There were so many parallels to what we see in society today. People who take advantage of their money and rank in life. People do the wrong thing that will benefit themselves even though they know what is right for the greater good. People blindly following the rules because "that's how it's always been!" I could definitely compare the events in this book to current events and I am excited to read the sequel to see what happens next.

This book has a little bit of something for every reader. There's romance, action, and a bit of mystery too. Readers who enjoy novels like Hunger Games, Divergent, or would like something similar to Fourth Wing for YA readers will appreciate this book!

3.5/5 stars rounded up.

4.5 Stars
*
Set in an alternate 1923 London, one girl accidentally breaks the tenuous truce between dragons and humans and must use her knowledge of dragon languages to help save her family. A Language of Dragons starts off with a bang and rarely lets up. You feel for the main character, Viven, as she tries to save her family while struggling with hard truths about her government and the active rebellion that is taking place in its midst. Some pieces of the story were easy to guess but there were some twists and turns I didn't see coming and I loved the idea of dragons having their own languages in which they use to communicate with each other. I wish there had been more dragons and dragon interactions and loved the main dragon of the story. I am not sure if this is a series or a standalone since the ending was left open to more.

I have a feeling that this is going to be one of the biggest dragon books to release this year. Truly YA fantasy, so no worries there if you’re concerned of it dipping into the romantasy category. There is a romance but it is not the main point of the book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

This was an absolute delight! A historical fantasy involving dragons, linguistics, friendship and romance, with commentary on corrupt governments and class politics? Incredible, I"ll take 10 of them.

Truthfully, this book was so well done, masterfully combining fantastical elements (dragons as part of civil society) with the mundane (a focus on linguistics and academic) to create something I've never seen done before.

The FMC, Vivien, is morally gray, flawed, and believably human. Despite her flaws, the reader feels her desperation to save her family and prove herself, and wants nothing more than for her to succeed. The plot took turns that I did not predict, yet the motives and actions of the characters were believable.

I strongly recommend this to all fans of fantasy, historical fantasy, lovers of linguistics, and lovers of dragons. This debut novel is the first in what I hope will be MANY more books to come, from a talented new author.

4.5 Stars
🤍 Thank you Netgalley for the earc of A Language of Dragons by @sfwilliamsonauthor 🤍

If you love the war-time vibes of Divine Rivals and the academy setting of Fourth Wing, then this book is for you!

Seeped in politics with code breaking, romance, and a hidden dragon language, this book had a bit of everything.

I would forget that I was reading a fantasy book (until the dragons showed up again), it had such a historical feel that worked great with the story.

For the reader who loves:
• historical fantasy
• civil wars
• dark academia
• London in the 1920’s

Ever wondered what would happen if you took Babel, Fourth Wing, the historical code-cracking that took place at Bletchley Park, threw them in a blender and poured whatever came out into a book-shaped mold?

Yeah, me neither.

But S.F. Williamson did. And, while I at first was concerned this was an amalgamation that was no more than the the sum of its parts, I am VERY glad to inform you that the author absolutely faked me out with a world that was built to force you look closer. This book has LAYERS upon LAYERS, and as you sink further into the world (at first very unwittingly) with an ACTUALLY flawed main character, you come to realize you only thought you knew what you were reading at first.

This book about language doesn't want to repeat what Babel had to say, although it does amuse itself by playing it straight before going tongue-in-cheek and letting you know that it's not just adding dragons-- it's adding heart.

This book about codes and Bletchley Park isn't just about WWII and intelligence-- it's about what you do with that intelligence. (But points for nods to historically accurate details like the use of a crazy contraption to work through the code like the actual codebreakers did.)

This book about a dangerous competitive world in which children are pitted against one another to strive for academic perfection and survival is a little less about the constant fighting and a little more about the repercussions for their families and class disparity.

And this book about working for a government is...okay, no, infiltrating government hierarchy really is about dealing with the suppression and separation of people into classes and a means of finding a scapegoat and using time-old arguments (the women! the children! aren't they self-selecting to separate anyway, really?) to stir up anger and fuel the desires of a corrupt ruling class.

The one qualm I had, ironically, was with the actual writing. While I appreciated that keeping it YA allowed for accessibility to a story that I think is incredibly relevant, the book is about language, and I think the writing needed to be slightly more elevated. Some characters spoke with beautiful and eloquent simplicity, but others, like the Prime Minister in an alternate version of England in the 1920's, lacked the lofty voice I needed from her character. Even Viv, with her ability to speak 9 dragon languages and multiple human languages should have had a more scholarly internal monologue and, quite frankly, I can only imagine she would be tossing around every SAT word she's got. In a world where education is crucial and class is everything, it stands to reason that when we saw characters of three classes coming together they would not only speak with very different levels of vocabulary, but with possibly with different dialects (and this would have enhanced the underlying theme regarding language so beautifully). It was such a missed opportunity that it became a glaring plot hole for me, pulling me from the book more than once. I wanted more dark academia vibes with my codebreaking, and got writing that felt closer to Fourth Wing than it did to Babel. That being said, I am notoriously nit-picky about language and writing and am partial to purple prose when it comes to fantasy, so I would take my whining about a desire for big words and 1920's British slang with a very large pinch of salt. (Or the entire salt shaker if you want. Your call.)

Where the book did impress me was our main character’s depth, growth, and development. For once we got a young lead that was truly flawed— not for fifteen pages before some selfless act, but no, Viv is SUCH a refreshing lead to follow. Her actions are selfish and believable, and she (gasp) even repeats past mistakes without the excuse of entire loss of agency. She can be impulsive to the point of recklessness, and her guilt spiral makes her potentially easy prey. If you're already bad, what's the point? But...what makes a person bad? Do truly bad people feel guilt? The questions of morality and survival are always brought to the forefront during times of hardship and especially when war is breaking out; what do you ultimately choose to protect: self, family, country, the greater good? These are heavy questions for a YA novel, but are dripped in slowly through continual self-reflection, and while I found the repetition overdone at times (and done a bit more through telling than showing via internal monologues), this resulted in something more powerful and much more believable than we are usually granted.

Overall, this was smart, clever, heartfelt and poignant. So settle in and grab your comfort object of choice and a box of tissues, because this YA book doesn't end up playing like YA. Sure, it's accessible and appropriate, but this is not one that lacks the depth to, ahem, translate into something enjoyable for older readers; just remember, like with all acts of translation, you may wind up with a slightly different message at the end.

Except for the cliffhanger. We're all stuck with that one.

Many thanks to Harper Collin’s and NetGalley for this EARC.

What a way to round out my year of reading! An unreserved five star read. Multiple things attracted me to this book:

-a speculative history that asked what if dragons were part of the fabric of everyday life
-a 1920s UK setting
-an academic focus on focus on linguistics and translation
-how all of this would converge to create a unique political situation

I was not disappointed by any of what was delivered, even if I was at times angry and or devastated. I was not expecting the emotional punch of the last 20 pages, and am of two minds on how I want a specific plot point to conclude if it isn’t already resolved (the book would suggest it is, but I wonder if it might not come back in a later volume).

This book reads like an amalgamation of Babel, Fourth Wing, and The Atlas Six, and I think it might be my favorite of all of them.

The main character is honestly not super likable, even if she is relatable. As such, her actions really made me question how I might act in the same circumstances. I know how I would want to act, but could absolutely understand why she couldn’t see past a certain point for the majority of the novel.

There isn’t always a “right” decision, and it isn’t possible for a hero to be completely good. But we can always decide to be better.

5/5 ⭐️
0/5 🌶️
US Release date 01/07/2025
EVERYONE: a new YA Historical Fantasy Dystopia book about dragons has entered the chat! And OMG IT’S INCREDIBLE! Take some elements of Divine Rivals, Fourth Wing, and Shatter Me, mix them together with a unique voice and fresh perspective on dragons, and that is this book!! There’s found family, class system, broken society, messy characters, discovering who you are, a rebellion, love, and of course DRAGONS! I was completely captivated and was reminded why I love YA books so much! I cannot wait for the next book!!!
Thank you @netgalley and @harperfirebooks for the ARC

This was the perfect combination of action, love, friendship and of course dragons! The way the book ends leaves you wanting more! I can’t wait for the sequel.

This is a love letter to linguistics, translation, and dragons. The start pulled me in, and my interests was held with all the dragon languages and plot unfolding, despite the female protagonists being hard to route for. It is certainly a great book for this moment with its themes and message. I love our love interest who is a priest in training. There are some cool things happening between the dragons that I haven’t seen before (and I read ALOT of dragon books). The last part hints enough at what is to come, without causing distress from a huge cliffhanger.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form honest opinions off from.

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book. It was a unique take on dragons blended with dark academia that I absolutely flew through. I will definitely be reading the second book, however (and this was my one complaint with the book) I will likely have to reread this before the next book because it was not quite memorable enough to still be in my brain by the time the next book releases.

3.5 stars

A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson is a historical fantasy with dark academia vibes, talking dragons, and a morally gray protagonist that will do whatever it takes to save her family.

I absolutely love the concept of this book. Bletchley Park code breaking + talking dragons? Sign me up! I haven’t read many dark academia books, but I know this one leans much more heavily on the dark academia vibes than on the fantasy/dragons vibes. But the language code breaking aspects were fascinating, and I was impressed by the echolocation studies.

That being said, I wish the dragons played a bigger part in the story. Oh, they exist. They are important, but I felt like there wasn’t enough information about them to help grasp the worldbuilding. I couldn’t quite picture what they were supposed to look like--large like Smaug or Saphira or more anthropomorphic like dragonborn from D&D?--or how they fit into the human society. I’m hoping book two will delve into that a little more.

In addition, the ending had a bit too much back and forth. One moment, the characters were caught, then they were free, then they were caught, then they were free. The main character was all about saving her own skin and her family, then she was willing to help her friends and the rebellion, then she was all about saving herself again, then she was willing to help her friends. I couldn’t tell if it was all a ploy to trick the people who had them under their control or if it was just too much packed into the pacing and plot of the story.

Overall, the concept is fascinating and I enjoyed the story and characters. I was eager to find out what decisions Viv would make and what she would discover about the dragons’ language. I look forward to reading the sequel.

I did enjoy this book. I think you would really like this book if you love academic reads. It is very clear that the author has a vast knowledge in language acquisition which I really appreciated. I love when books stick to the facts, and its clear they have background knowledge, or did their homework! It was interesting to have the language of dragons be the center of this book. I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up. I wasn't sure if the language component would be as prevalent, or if it would be a lose storyline in the background. It is definitely the focus, and what they learn about the languages of dragons and how it can effect them in the war against them.

I am use to a little more action in fantasy books, and more romance, which is I guess is what was kind of lacking for me in this book. I do recognize that this is a personal preference. But the book was interesting for sure!

Thank you to Net Galley and HarperCollins for the ARC. This was an incredible read. I love how well written this book is, from the characters, to the setting, to the themes, and the politics, and the linguistics aspects. I really liked Vivien's character, she's not perfect, and quite selfish, but is very determined to do what she sets out to do. I enjoyed following along as she explored linguistics and tries to break the code. I also enjoyed learning about the world and politics as I followed her character journey. The politics and the intrigue were really well written. I loved following along in figuring out what is truth and what is lie. I also enjoyed watching the different groups in code breaking, aviation, and zoology try to figure out the stuff they had to figure. The scenes at Bletchley Park were intense and the stakes were so high. I was constantly worried and eager to see what the characters would decide to do. This book is fast paced and full of mysteries to be unraveled, making this a page turner. I can't wait for the next book.