This was a great YA read. It reminded me of a Hunger Games and Fourth Wing mash up. It was quick paced in the beginning, hit a lull for a few chapters in the middle and then had a great paced ending. Thank you for the ARC, it was greatly enjoyed!

This reminds me of Babel by RF Kuang, but in a fresh, clever way that had me intrigued right from the first page. I originally picked it up becauase of the current craze for dragons, expecting something easy to read and something that wouldn't need me to think terribly much, but oh my god I'm so happy I was wrong. Books like these should be mandatory learning just because of how thought provoking they are, especially in our current political climate where people are hunted for being different. I am definitely going to be on the lookout for more of the authors books!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Rating: 3.5 stars of out 5 stars

Summary of the plot:
Vivien Featherswallow is a Second Class citizen and is training to become a dragon translator. Everything is all good for her until one night, her parents and uncle are arrested for being rebels with the dragons. In order to free her family, she releases a captured dragon to destroy the evidence incriminating them of treason. As a result, a peace treaty between humans and dragons are broken, so Viv is recruited, with a bunch of other misfits, to resolve the issue. If she can crack the dragons' code, her family gets freed.

Thoughts on the book:

1. Overall, I thought this was a decent read. It was interesting to see how linguistics played a huge role in this story and I loved seeing how the author explained the nuances of language. For example, even when you translate one word to another, there is some meaning still lost, some emotion that isn't translated. I wouldn't say this is as well written as Babel by K. F. Huang, but it's a toned down version of it.
2. Not going to lie, I thought all the characters were pretty boring and all sounded the same to me. In my opinion, none of them had personalities that separated them from another.
3. Some plot points felt really convenient, unnecessary, or cheesy. (For example: pitting everyone against each other by only allowing one person from each team to go home if they crack the code/are most helpful. Everyone else goes back to living as a Third-Class citizens. Which... if you're in a war, I would like to think teamwork is the best way?)
4. Not a huge fan of the romance. It felt a little forced to me. And enemies-to-lovers where? They weren't even enemies.
5. I do like how Viv learns that the world isn't as black and white as it seems. She is very ignorant about how the world works in the beginning, but then slowly (too slowly?) learns that everything has gray zones.

There are probably other things that I missed, but those are my high level points.

This is one of my most anticipated books of the year and I am so pleasantly surprised. It was a great time! I think it would make a fun lesson and unit with students as well! I have a good time!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC! All opinions in this review are my own.

RATING AND OVERALL THOUGHTS:

2.25 stars. Sadly this one was a complete miss for me in almost all aspects. The idea was there but the execution was not. There were massive plot holes, the writing was extremely stilted and more middle school than YA, and overall it felt like the author was going through a checklist of tropes or barebones concepts without making it coherent and cohesive. I will not be continuing this series.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD

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“Fear breeds hatred, the kind that oppresses dragons and humans alike.”

WHAT I ENJOYED:

- I had very little I liked about this novel let alone loved, but the one thing I can say is that I can see the passion and love for languages this author put into this novel.
- Being in the US and being 1. a women and 2. queer (although I have the fortune of being in a straight passing marriage and therefore not immediately clocked as a target for that), the political oppression and messaging was relevant and relatable.
- It was fast paced and despite its many faults, was easy to read so I was kept engaged enough to not DNF but just barely if I am honest.

WHAT I DISLIKED:

- The plot holes. They were numerous and massive. My problem with books that feature dragons is that you have to have a reason that the dragons rely on or at the very least treat humans as more than a snack in order for it to work. In Fourth Wing, the country is at war with a common enemy and humans help dragons channel magic to do so. In A Fire in the Sky, dragons and humans both have some degree of magic and until the humans get greedy, know that magic can’t be stifled and trying to has consequences. Obviously I’ve simplified both of those books significantly but there is at least a plausible and workable reason for dragons and humans to coexist in those worlds. A Language of Dragons does not have that AT ALL. The Peace Agreement for AU Britannia and making dragons subservient to humans makes no sense when other countries all over the world coexist without it (as explained in the book itself) and the AU version of Bulgaria have dragons that rule. Like we are talking about *dragons* here. Massive intelligent, talking creatures that can breathe fire and heal each other through Koinamens (echolocation). It makes no sense even in its simplest form, for dragons to be subservient or to even work with the humans at all. There were plenty more plot holes but they are too numerous to expand upon and I already know this is going to be a long enough review as is.
- The characters all felt like one note archetypes (with the exception of Marquis, who I felt like was the best written character, and Vivian, who even though was purposely annoying, still had personality) and the Bad Guys:tm: were just cartoonishly evil. I literally couldn’t tell you much about any of the characters introduced except that Atlas, the love interest for Vivian, was a priest in training which was so fucking bizarre and made no sense. It felt like a kink with how much that was mentioned and the reason why their love was “forbidden”. Personality wise it made not a lick of sense.
- The dialogue was extremely cringy and people just spilled out secrets like they were injected with truth serum. So many monologues that made no sense for any character to make especially for both the spies and the clear cut enemies.
- Vivian’s character arc felt very White Savioury:tm: at the end and it felt like it was for show and not true desire to actually make changes happen and fight oppression. I get her character arc and why she was written the way she was but by the end she was STILL flip flopping between doing what was right and what was wrong nearly every character. She would make a choice and then walk back on it the next over and over again.
- The romance should’ve been eliminated entirely. There was no chemistry, none. The “found family” also felt similarly forced.
- Every single plot point was predictable and left no surprise which was disappointing. Even if I can guess what is going to happen, *how* it happens is still usually a thrill but I didn’t feel that was with this novel.
- Sophie forgiving Vivian so easily for what Vivian did to her was just mind boggling. She told her in the last 20% of the novel, Sophie swears revenge, but then just brushes it off at the end and saves Vivian seemingly forgives her.
- The incompetence of every character (except for the dragon Chumana who again, got barely any page time) was just outstandingly bad.

WHAT I AM NOT SURE ABOUT/WANTED MORE OF:

- There was an extreme lack of dragons in this entire novel. We get the one scene in the beginning and then she basically didn’t exist again until the 60% mark only to disappear till about the 80% mark when the whiplash of the plot started happening. There are sprinkles of other dragons throughout but not meaningfully.
- The synopsis and marketing of this book is not doing it any favors. There is no enemies to lovers (literally they were NEVER enemies at all and barely lovers by the end) and it hardly shares anything with Babel or Fourth Wing to justifying comparing to either. It is honestly shooting itself in the foot with those comps and sets the wrong ideas of what to expect.
- This needs content warnings for the abuse these children go through. That last mention of what Gideon went through in his childhood was out of left field on the VERY LAST CHAPTER of all things. It felt like it was there for shock value and I was indeed shocked but also kind of infuriated with how it brought up painful memories for myself unexpectedly.
- I honestly didn’t understand why some of the guards were called “Guardian Number Whatever” but then they would get called by their actual names by other guards or the Prime Minister or someone else with power over the students. Like other than Ralph being a complete one dimensional asshole to all the characters, I don’t understand why Owen was even given a name. He did nothing of note that I remember other than get killed at the end.
- Marquis’s secret of being gay wasn’t a secret at all. That was obvious from literally the first page of the novel when he was introduced and throughout he made no show of hiding it. Like I thought it was pretty clear to literally everyone in the mansion that Marquis and whatever his name was, were an item.

I feel like I have so much more I could say about this novel (unfortunately not positive) but I am tired and this review is already long enough.

An interesting premise although ultimately not for me. I felt like the world was a little too unrecognizable from our own world and the class system too obviously rendered.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think fans of fourth wing will enjoy this book, but I wouldn’t compare this to Babel. The writing is very basic and treats the reader like they aren’t able to pick things up on their own and they need their hand held through reading. I only kept reading this book because I really liked the story but oh my this main character is so annoying. She’s so naive and believes that they can do no wrong and it just comes off as annoying. The love interest is nothing special either. This was marketed as a slow burn enemies to lovers but where was that? They were -retry much into each other as soon as they met and I don’t get how they can be considered enemies at the start of the story. I will continue this series just for the story but I hope the writing and characters improve.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Toss together the rebellion of books like the Hunger Games with the dragons of Fourth Wing and you begin to get an idea of what A Language of Dragons is. Taking place in an alternative 1923 London, Vivian Featherswallow (that name...) finds herself in the position of having to work for the prime minister deciphering the language of dragons after her parents are arrested for being part of a rebellion opposing the current class system driven government.

Overall the story was entertaining and the pages flipped quickly. I agree with other reviewers that the middle was a little bogged down with the more academic plot having to happen to drive towards the big climax. While Vivian is trying as a MC, the story itself a good combination of realism and dragony things. I appreciated the focus on language as well as code breaking. It's clearly part of a series of some sort considering the cliffhanger ending. While I'm not incredibly motivated to want to read the next installment, it was entertaining enough that I'd pick it up if I stumbled across it.

4.5 stars!!
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I enjoyed this book so much! This was the first romantasy I've read in a while that felt refreshing and original. I feel like too many fantasy books I read tend to try and replicate or gather inspiration from The Hunger Games series, but this book and its storyline felt completely new. It was also pretty easy to follow along with the story- the world building wasn't intense or confusing.

It was fascinating following the characters as they navigated learning about dragons and the languages that they speak. I thought it was interesting to read about the class system in their society as we also follow a morally gray fmc. It reminded me a tiny bit of the Hunger Games districts in which lower class families starve while the upper classes (districts) thrive, also making me think about parallels to wealth and power in our own world. I did think that the romance was a bit lacking to me. I didn't quite buy in to the whole romance, although I liked the mmc.

Also, I am begging for a spin-off of Canna. That would be SO interesting and I think that would make such a compelling storyline.
Overall, so good!!! Read this when it comes out in January!

A Language of Dragons by S. F. Williamson is a mix of alternate fiction and fantasy. The story grabs your attention immediately with it's alternate London dystopian setting. The world building is wonderful, with it's class system, it's political system, and of course it's dragons. The characters were a little underwhelming though. Vivian was insufferable. She was selfish and naive, yet supposedly brilliant which did not combine efficiently into a solid character. The other minor characters were only partially fleshed out so you never really get a feel for who they are. The romance was minor but was a cute addition to the story. I just had hoped for Vivian to become a stronger character who stopped wavering in her beliefs.
Overall I liked the idea of the story, talking dragons and secret languages to discover. I would read the second book in the series and I hope that Vivian will be a stronger, more decisive character in that one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

This was well written and interesting.

I loved the alternate London with Dragons and how they fit into society. The whole race to be the first to break the code and the interaction between the characters was interesting.

Well ok! This has ended my reading slump. After a few lack luster entries, comes this gem. Vivian is one of those characters that you want to smack - she is so single minded in her thinking that she fails to see the forest for the trees. Her ambition is one thing and her love of her family is another; but I did enjoy seeing her grow over the course of the book and learning more about the world she's been so comfortable in and thinks is groovy to get back to.

I'm very much looking forward to more in this series.

Thai book had me from the first page. While not my usual genre, I couldn’t read fast enough. It’s set in the 1920s where class and social status rules and dictates who you are!
I loved Viv and understood her!
This book was so good!!!
No spoilers here, but you won’t want to miss this one!

This is an incredible start to a series. The world building is extremely immersive and well done and I love the concept of a world where dragons and humans co-exist and are trying to figure out how that works in regards to laws and politics. The stakes feel very high the entire book, which makes it hard to put down. I found the code breaking and linguistic elements very interesting to read. It has strong classism and government corruption themes and a lot of political intrigue.

There is a sprinkling of romance, but I definitely wouldn't call it an "enemies to lovers" romance and I do not recommend reading this book for the romance.

The reason I gave this book four stars instead of a five stars is because I feel like the side characters and the villain are underdeveloped and I found the main character to be frustratingly selfish.

I am very excited for the next book in this series and I really think it will be even better, but be warned, this book ends on a cliff hanger and leaves you feeling like "where's the rest."

Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins for the early review copy of this book.

I cannot wait for this book to hit the shelves! This had the most unique premise that includes dragons that I’ve ever read! This also was super cool because it helped me to dip my toes into historical fiction, which is a genre I’ve never gravitated towards, but this was phenomenal!! I work at B&N and this is one I will be highly recommending.

The Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson is a fantasy novel set in a world where humans and dragons coexist in a strict class hierarchy. Vivien Featherswallow, a Second Class citizen, deliberately frees a dragon named Chumana, sparking a civil war. As punishment, Viv is sent to Bletchley Park, where she works as a codebreaker tasked with deciphering the secret language of dragons. There, she reunites with her estranged best friend Sophie and a team of others fighting to turn the tide of the war.

The book has a promising premise, blending a fascinating world of dragons with wartime intrigue, but the execution falls short in several areas. The world-building, while detailed, drags in the opening chapters, making it difficult to become fully immersed. The characters also lack depth, leaving them feeling flat and unrelatable. For instance, For instance, Viv's break in her relationship with Sophie—a key plot point seemed poorly justified and lacked the emotional weight needed to make it believable. Similarly, Atlas, another central character, lacked the development needed to make him compelling as the lead male character and love interest for Vivien.

The dragons, often the highlight of fantasy novels, were surprisingly underwhelming here. Chumana, though pivotal to the story, didn’t inspire the awe or connection I hoped for in a talking dragon character. Additionally, the descriptions throughout the book were inconsistent. Critical details, such as Chumana’s size and Atlas’s appearance, were introduced late or in offhand comments, making it hard to visualize the story's events and characters until the climactic moments.

While The Language of Dragons wasn’t one of my favorite dragon novels, it has intriguing ideas and may appeal to readers who enjoy complex fantasy worlds and wartime plots. The story leaves several questions unanswered, hinting at a sequel, and I hope Williamson further develops her characters and world in future installments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing this book for review.

I loved the focus on the dragon languages. It gave this book a very unique space in the fantasy world compared to a lot of other dragon-based books. I was surprised to have an author’s note but it did help me not be annoyed with the main character the majority of the book since her motivations were clear. The ending wasn’t quite what I expected but was fine. It’s a solid conclusion to the story but leaves a few loose ends if this is a series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collin’s for the ARC!

The good:
Linguistics nerddom and codebreaking, world war 2 intrigue/fun alternate history, and compelling high stakes (a world war! a family torn apart!).

The bad:
Nothing to say here - I enjoyed every minute of this book. It was well written, well paced, and I will be looking forward to a sequel.

The ugly (silly complaints):
- Why is the love interest into Viv? They flirt, but Viv has nearly no redeeming qualities that he ever sees. She's brilliant and her internal struggle is great from the inside, but he's not around her when she's being brilliant and she's not a good person at the beginning especially. I wasn't a believer in the romance, but it didn't get in the way of my enjoyment.
- Man, our villain/prime minister is really, really dumb. Also a little unbelievably evil- like, pointlessly so.

Wow, this is a very strong debut. Very creative, based on phenomenal linguistic research, and simply a great idea for a fantasy novel.
First and foremost, the worldbuilding in this book is fantastic. It's strongly based on post-First World War Britain, but with dragons. Add to this a Hunger Games-like class system that divides society into categories. I truly appreciate how the author introduces us to this world; she avoids clumsy exposition and unnatural dialogue. What we know about the world, we learn step by step as the plot progresses.
Speaking of the plot, it's extremely engaging and well-crafted. I was invested from the very beginning. The stakes are high, and the tension is palpable. I couldn't put it down—I was eager to know what would happen next! I also really appreciate the deeper layer to the story - structural oppression and society's reaction to it.
I don't want to spoil anything, but if you liked Babel for its anti-colonial and anti-racist themes, you'll surely love this one too.
I also liked the characters. All of them, not just the FMC Vivian are multidimensional and, quite honestly, morally grey. It works great in a plot like this, where characters are dealing with a war situation and all have so much to lose. Some people complain about how the romance is developed-or rather, underdeveloped-in this book, but for me, it was not a problem at all. I was convinced by it as just a subplot. This isn't a romantasy novel. The romantic arc definitely adds stakes to the story but is not supposed to be the main focus. Overall, a great read.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read this book!

I am in my dragon era. I was drawn to this book because of the title and the cover. Dragons and Dark Academia! Yes please! That ending though!

I’m happy to have read this book! I even read it’s a debut? I can wait to see what more the author has in store!