This is a great book for a young adults with scene limited to a kiss. I received this book from NetGalley with limited idea of what it would be. I loved that the main character was a strong female that did not need a male "hero" to help her. I appreciated her struggles on determining what is right - even though in some aspects it frustrated me. I loved the action and suspense that was written into the book; and obviously I loved the dragons. I plan on reading Williamson's next book and would recommend it to parents with teens.

Dazzling, magical, a wonderful historical read with dragons! This is for anyone who is a fan of wartime history who also loves all things magic. I found the plot incredibly compelling and a nice change from other historical fantasy novels. I highly recommend it.

I love a book with dragons! And I’m also a nerd who loves language, so this book was speaking to me!

It had political intrigue, a dash of romance, and lots of tension. It moved a little slowly and I found Viv annoying at times, but it all worked out! This is a good YA fantasy.

Dragons are definitely having a moment, and A Language of Dragons provides a fun new entry into dragon fantasy. Drawing on elements of historical fantasy and dark academia, the story follows Vivien Featherswallow—an ambitious young woman on the verge of becoming an expert on dragon languages. A Second Class citizen, Viv is willing to do whatever it takes to keep herself and her family out of the guaranteed poverty of the Third Class. But when her parents are arrested as suspected rebels, Viv turns to an imprisoned dragon for help and, by setting her free, sparks a civil war in Britain. Viv is given a choice—go to Bletchley Park and work as a codebreaker to help the government defeat the rebels or condemn her family to death. As she dives into her work at Bletchley, Viv uncovers the terrible truth behind the human-dragon peace treaty. Will she stand by and help the government to protect her family—or will she risk everything she cares about to save the world?

❤️ What I loved: There was a lot to love about this story—it’s a great blend of political fantasy, dark academia, historical fiction, and romance. Viv is a complex and not-entirely likable main character, making her own struggle to come to terms with the injustice around her even more captivating. A strong cast of supporting characters helps to give the story more texture and interest as it progresses. In the narrative itself, there were a great number of twists and turns that kept the story unexpected and engaging.

💔 What I didn’t love: There were some moments in this story where the pacing felt a bit off. However, this was overall a solid read for me.

I highly recommend this story for young adult fans of political fantasy who like high stakes and enjoy romantic subplots. I hope to see this book continue as a series and to dive more into this exciting world!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4-4.5)

Acknowledgments & Disclaimers ✨ Thank you to NetGalley, S.F. Williamson, and HarperCollins Children’s Books for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book. ✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. ✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

A Language of Dragons is pitched as Fourth Wing meets Babel which was very intriguing to me. This book brings both dragons and fantasy elements to a historical world with a lot of politics. I enjoyed how the author brought both of these together to build a unique world with a lot of intricate dynamics. For a YA book, I think the world was done well. Overall I really enjoyed this book and how it was fast-paced from the beginning. I loved the pink dragon and the main character Viv. I do wish there was more of a focus on the romance.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a review!

I was so pleased to have gotten this as an ARC to read, however I only got around to cracking it open on released week, and let me tell you I thought that I was going to be able to get you out a review on release week. I didn’t, but that isn’t the fault of the story. In fact I read nearly 80% of it on my flight back from our family vacation over new years and I was invested.

This is a story that has hope somehow creeping into a dark, and devastating story. This will scratch your dark academia itch with a secret-wartime government gang-pressed groups of young adults all blackmailed into helping their government. A main character that you know from the outset is an unreliable narrator and who’s character flaws make you just want to shake her, but she’s doing it all for the right reasons if in the absolutely worst way possible. I was so incredibly proud of the growth that you see in all of the characters. Folks who grew up in either in the worst conditions imaginable, or were made ignorant due to their placement in the post-dragon civil war caste system.

Is this about dragons? Yes. Is it set surrounding war time activities? Yes. Is it anything like Fourth Wing? No, this is infinitely darker and more political. It is gripping and has you rooting for characters. It has you yelling at others. It has you keeping mental calculus. The tension and backstabbing is rife, yet somehow the love for humanity and the desire to see a better life is there. The emotions and subtext will leave you continually feeling like you were sucker punched(and still wanting more). I think some of the dragons were my favorite characters, they were so incredibly real.

Also the entire goal of learning a secret dragon language? It scratched a wonderful itch in my brain. I majored in a second language in college, but it never came easy to me. I have always longed to understand languages like Viv does, so I loved getting to be in her head while she worked. It gave me such an appreciate for translators and the politics and minutia in learning about the different languages of dragons. Overall that slotted into the rest of the world building: detailed, but not overpowering. It felt familiar, the best blend of fantasy overset onto an alternate world.

Also, that last 20% of the book? It’s the reason when I was done traveling I hadn’t picked it up again until I knew I was ready. I knew it would be messy, and heartbreaking, and unputdownable. I wasn’t wrong. The highs and lows as we came to the end, they hit hard and then kept hitting. The lessons learned were hard ones for our characters, I think for our messy world today, this messy world that was just different enough was such a satisfying escape.

1.5

With comps to Babel and Fourth Wing, I should have known that maybe this book wouldn't be for me, but I still wanted to try because on paper all three of these books are perfect for me. Unfortunately, I didn't like any of them, though I'm beginning to think it's a me problem.

Set in an alternate history London 1923, this story follows Vivian Featherswallow, a teenager who has been studying dragon languages. At the start of the story, her parents are arrested for treason and she makes a decision that supposedly starts a civil war, except really this war was coming regardless of her actions. Anyway, she ends up at Bletchley Park working on a top secret spy project that will help the government win the war, but the more she learns the more she's questioning everything she's ever known.

I absolutely love the ideas here. The creation of dragon languages and society was fascinating and I generally love books that explore themes like class and privilege, which this does. Where I struggled I think was in the execution here. I struggled to fit all the random lore drops together to create a fully realized world, so the world never felt fully real to me. This is also marketed as a "slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance" which is categorically false. Yes there is an element of rivals to more but it is not slow and I struggle to even call it a romance.

I wanted to love this, but I think I would have been better off reading a nonfiction about Bletchley Park. Also, this is currently listed as a standalone, but I would be very surprised if there's not a continuation to this story.

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

Dragons and rebels! Love the world building dragons and humans live together with various languages and dialects amongst the dragons. Vivian is a second class girl who believes in her country and the peace agreement between Brittania and the dragons. However when her parents turn out to be rebels she must make decisions she never thought should. Vivian's growth throughout the book is amazing, her whole world is changed, and she chooses how she will change with it.

Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am giving this book a 3 stars! This book was described with a lot of buzzwords, such as "dark academia" and "enemies to lovers," but neither of the terms felt applicable. The romance did not fit the category of enemies to begin with. It also does not fit the romantasy category, and it was more fantasy with a romantic subplot if anything. I do enjoy fantasy with romantic subplots, but since I am a mood reader and had other expectations for this book, I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I believe I could have enjoyed this book with proper marketing and if I had read it at another time, but at last, that did not happen. It pains me to give this book a low(-ish) rating, but moreover, some of the plot was also very predictable and Viv's inner conflict drove me crazy.

This book was good. I liked the focus on language and how it connects. The political aspect is one seen in other books. Vivian was a tough character to like.

Typically I read pretty fast. While the story was interesting the fmc made it hard to get through the story. I didn’t really get much od the academia vibes ie slowburn. The premise and story were great I just didn’t click with the fmc tbh.

This? Absolutely my cup of tea. The Hunger Games meets Babel with some dragons thrown in--a truly great political fantasy.

“People shouldn’t fear their prime ministers. Prime ministers should fear their people.” -S.F. Williamson

What if The Imitation Game had dragons and a more authoritarian government and you have A Language of Dragons. I ended up really enjoying this book and I thought it was a unique entry into a bit of a crowded YA fantasy/dark academia field.

Something about me is that I love when Dragons talk in books. Throw in an alternate universe England AND dragon espionage and rebellious teens at Bletchley Park and I am very much the target audience.

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC.

If you’re always on the hunt for a book with dragons (who isn't?!), and you’d like something that’s less “dragon riding” and more “political strife with dragons”, might I suggest picking up A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson? I absolutely devoured this book, and if you loved Babel by R.F. Kuang, you’ll probably love this story too. Think linguistics, translations, and dark academia vibes. While this story takes place in an alternate history of Post WWI Great Britain where dragons and humans have a peace treaty, it’s tackles many real world issues like classism, prejudice, lack of free speech, travel bans, and segregation. There’s also a romantic subplot for those that need a little romance in their reads, but it’s definitely not the main focus, although it does propel the story forward at times. I’m a sucker for historical fiction fantasy, and it's set in 1923, so the lack of modern conveniences lend itself well to a world with dragons. I found the main character to be absolutely insufferable (the author did this on purpose), but I felt the ensemble cast made it a super engaging read. At times, the plot does seem predictable and simple, but keep in mind, it is YA. There’s also some villains that will absolutely enrage you, and a resistance you’ll want to be part of. And the dragons? Obsessed. More dragons please. I also have to recommend the audiobook, which was fantastic. Let’s get into it, shall we?

Things to Know:
Debut YA novel
Alternate British History
Historical Fiction Fantasy
Classism, Prejudice, Racism
TW: death on page, gore, torture, SA
Found family
Great banter
Political intrigue
MORE Dragons (even a pink one)!


***MINOR SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT—YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!***

Vivien Featherswallow is a hard FMC to root for. In this case, her ruthless ambition, and questionable beliefs were very much on purpose, but made it hard to fully enjoy the story because I wanted to shake her constantly. How can you be so dense and selfish, and indoctrinated, girl?! We first meet Vivian while she’s getting ready to go out with her cousin, Marquis. We learn very quickly there’s a class system in place, and her family is part of the Second Class with some privileges, and the first chapter hits this home hard with them witnessing a protest that results in spilled blood of the Third Class.

Vivian’s the quintessential teacher’s pet, and it’s hinted at constantly throughout the novel that she did something pretty unforgivable to her best friend, Sophie, during their exam the previous term, which resulted in Sophie being demoted to Third Class. At first it drove me nuts that we had no idea what she did to Sophie because it’s referenced so much, but it truly is a journey, and I can tell you, you do find out in the end. She’s a very real character who’s extremely flawed, but would also do anything to rescue her family who are all arrested for aiding a Rebellion.

I absolutely loved the linguistic aspect of this novel, and while some may find it boring, I ate up all the explanations and descriptions of the different dragon languages and theories on how they’re communicating. The writing style is still super accessible though, and when Vivian finds herself with her cousin as a secret government location as a code breaker in the war effort she accidentally started, there’s nonstop action and political intrigue. We meet a diverse cast of characters, and a potential love interest.

I personally didn’t like that her love interest was a Priest-in-training. It felt like Viv was trying to corrupt him in a way, and I didn’t love the way faith was addressed, but I will acknowledge that it also made Atlas a great flawed character. He was the foil to Viv, trying to show her the right path. But oh, is that path difficult. Sophie conveniently also happens to be at this site. And when Viv is pitted against her, and everyone she arrived with to break the code first, you’re left wondering if she’ll continue being a coward and make the ultimate selfish decision that could save her sister and parents, or the potential to save thousands of others.

What would you do if you had the chance to make an impact for the greater good, but you might have to sacrifice everyone you love? It’s honestly a super hard question, and forces you to question how can you choose a good life for yourself at the detriment of everyone else.

Lastly, I must give praise to the dragons! I loved them. As with most dragons, they are snarky and proud, and I have a special place in my heart for Chumana, the pink dragon, who absolutely stole the show.

It’s still unclear to me if this book is a standalone or not. I did feel the ending left it very much open to a sequel, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for any news. I’d also note that although this is technically a YA novel, the story is super relevant for older audiences. Many thanks to Harper Collins for an eArc to review. All opinions are my own.

Fave Quotes:

“Atlas, languages are like that. You can say the same thing a hundred different ways, and occasionally one of those ways is so unique to the translator that it is impossible to reproduce. No other translator will use the same words, the same rhythm, the same turn of phrase ever again. Translating is creating, too.”

—

“To control languages, to control words, is to control what people know.”

—

“Riding is for horses. I am permitting you to take refuge on my back. Now hurry up before I change my mind.”

—

“Peace isn’t peace if it’s only given to some.”

—

“We live in a world that permits everything but forgives nothing.”

—

“Every act of translation requires sacrifice.”

—

“Your whole life has been built on what you can do. So much so that you have no idea who you are.”

I went into this book excited because dragons. I think the story was good. It had an interesting plot, and characters. I thought the idea of dragons speaking multiple languages including English was interesting. I really enjoyed to overall storyline . The one thing that took away from the story for me was the main female character . She was so spoiled, self-involved, and clueless about anything that doesn't involve her. Even when evidence of the corruption ,she is continually shocked over and over. It doesn't feel like she doesn't learn even though the book keeps describing her as practically a genus. That made me take stars off.

I really tried to give this one a shot, especially since so many are loving it, but it was sort of a disappointment for me. I wanted Fourth Wing, I think, and this is surely not it. The story was taking so long to develop, and the FMC's whining and decisions were insufferable - so you might die, but you release a dragon? like wtf? I DNFd there - it needs more romance, more dragons, and LESS of the FMC. Sorry, it was not for me.

I loved the premise of this book. Dragons? Languages? I'm in! I will say that the pacing was a little bit off for me at some points that I had to skip a few parts.

If we’ve learned anything from the astonishing success of Rebecca Yarros and her multi-part FOURTH WING series, it’s that readers today don’t just want dragons — they crave them. And boy, does S.F. Williamson deliver on that demand. While A LANGUAGE OF DRAGONS does not quite ascend to the ranks of the FOURTH WING/Yarros fandom, I can see Williamson easily inspiring her own cult following with the release of this book. A LANGUAGE OF DRAGONS is fast-paced and packed to the brim with deadly stakes and the blurry lines between love and hate. It’s part historical fiction, part romantasy, and full fun. You won’t want to miss this one!

A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson is the start of a new historical fantasy series with dragons.
 
The story is set in Victorian England in the 1920s in an alternate London and that was so cool to see. In this world humans and dragons have reached a peace agreement but that is on the brink of failing and the world is faced with a civil war. and I really liked how there were so many parallels to our world like corrupt leaders and governments, society in different classes and so much more. It totally included female rage and a revolution is necessary and it made me root for the characters even more.
 
Our protagonist is Vivien Featherswallow, and she is obsessed with learning all about the dragon languages and I loved this linguistic and academia focus of the story and it totally gave Babel vibes. Vivien is such a driven and strong character but that the same time she has done a lot of wrong things and I liked how she started to reflect herself and to see the world with different eyes. Her family is an immigrant family from Bulgaria and her parents also work with the dragons and they are made an example out of and prosecuted for being rebels. And when Vivien wants to help them, she gets into trouble and is faced with prison time or working for a special program for the government.
 
I honestly don’t want to tell a lot more but let me tell you the plot was so gripping, and I couldn’t put this book down. The plot twists and reveals kept me on the edge of my seat and at the end my mind was blown with how thought out this book was. I also loved a lot of the other characters like the dragon Chumana and Vivien‘s cousin Marquis. And one of my favorites was Atlas who is a priest-in-training, but he has feelings for Vivien. The romance was just a spark in this book, but I loved seeing where it was going, and it was another amazing aspect of this story.
 
Overall, I’m obsessed with this book, and it shows dragons in such a cool and unique way with amazing characters and a gripping plot. 5 stars and I already can’t wait for the next book.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)