3.75 stars

This was an easy book to slip into, a sort of alternate version of WWII but with dragons. I liked the various languages spoken, both human and dragon, and admired the way Viv can easily translate and engage through them.

The action starts pretty quickly and there's always danger lurking for Viv and her friends with the country entering into war. The side characters were a nice addition to the plot, I just wish some of them were developed more.

For me, the ending was the weakest part. It felt like a lot of back and forth for no reason, just to fill pages. There's a tragedy that I didn't think was needed and the ending didn't resolve much. Maybe leaving it open for a sequel, but I wanted a bit more wrap up either way. If there ends up being more, hopefully it will expand on the class system and dive more into the world itself.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the copy.

I didn’t know what to expect from A Language of Dragons upon picking it up - perhaps something akin to an alternate history WWII but with dragons? What I actually got was a world locked in a dystopian state thanks to the fear of dragons and awful politicians. This world is one where citizens tread carefully lest they get imprisoned by the prime minister, where children are physically punished if they don’t do well in school because failure means their social standing is downgraded, and where the knowledge of dragons is heavily restricted because if the citizenry speak to them too much they might start getting ideas.

A Language of Dragons follows Vivian Featherswallow, a young woman who seems to have made it in life - she passed her exams, was accepted early into the dragon linguistics program at the university along with her cousin, and she gets to work toward what she feels is good and right. Until one day her parents are hauled off to prison because they are supposed rebels and in a pique of fury and determination, she only worsens things when she frees a dragon and asks it to burn the evidence of her parents' crimes (which happens to be in the prime minister’s office). Rather than simply being imprisoned or killed, the Prime Minister makes a deal with Viv - work at Bletchley Park on a secret operation as a dragon linguistic expert and if her work is successful, Viv’s family will be freed. 

What Viv doesn’t realize is that their work is going to be used for war and destruction - translating a secret dragon language, building a more deadly airplane based on dragon physiology, and possibly learning how humans could hatch and raise dragons themselves. Even then, she continues to parrot the accepted rhetoric and tries to justify the work she’s participating in. It’s clear very early on in the book that Viv isn’t a ‘good’ person per se, and she is purely looking out for her own best interest at almost any cost. This is apparent throughout the story, though she does suffer some character growth that’s nearly as painful for the reader as I’m sure it was intended to be for her. 

This was an excellent story, with character depth, truly nasty villains of the political bent, a fascinating world, and a decent amount of dragon page time. I’ve been terribly disappointed by too many books lately promising dragons and not really delivering on them, but they are well and truly present here even with humans as the primary protagonists and antagonists. A Language of Dragons does have a romantic subplot, but it is most certainly not the main focus and when it does pop up throughout the book, it’s enjoyable and suitably slow burn for the setting. Don’t expect a thinly veiled WWI or WWII narrative here - S.F. Williamson has built something entirely brilliant and new with some familiar settings. I would definitely recommend this for fans of R.F. Kuang’s Babel and possibly for fans of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series.

** 4.5 Stars**

Vivian is 17 yrs old, a 2nd class citizen growing up in 1920's London. Viv works hard and studies harder to make sure the she and her little sister, Ursa, don't drop to third class. But when her parents are abruptly arrested for supposedly assisting the dragon rebellion, Viv has to resort to committing a major crime to try and get them out. Instead of jail, Viv is offered a "job" - codebreak the dragon language for her government. If she succeeds, she and her parents can go home and resume life as normal. If she fails, they all die. As Viv learns more about the dragons and their language, she comes to realize that the working relationship between dragons and humans isn't actually working, and she must choose who to side with in the war.

I really enjoyed this!! I think this is an amazing YA novel that touches upon the politics of a class system and morally corrupt government, and making it palatable (as someone who doesn't like history) with the fantastical elements of dragons. It is age appropriate while also written mature enough to keep older readers invested. Viv is a strong, relatable, morally gray FMC who is wiling to do just about anything to try and save her family. The side characters were well rounded (and also morally gray, which I loved) - they all had committed some type of crime and all had something on the line, forcing them to work for the government for their and their families' freedom. We also had a cute romance sub-plot between Viv and one of the other people indebted to this program, I enjoyed their build up a lot.

I also really enjoyed the world building - we got a good sense of the government and their incessant need to control the population and dragons, and the perpetual class system keeping them in control with the threat of poverty. The one thing that I think lacked in the world building was in the setting of the time period - we're told this takes place in the 1920's but we don't get a lot of visual storytelling that cements that fact. There's some tidbits here and there - the news stories that are dated and placed at the end of each chapter, and the device they use to codebreak is compared to a gramophone. But beyond that, we don't get a lot of descriptors that would put us in this epoch. For all intents and purposes, it could've taken place in present day minus the technology like tv's and cell phones. The way they spoke was modern, the way they dressed was modern, and the only thing putting them in that time period was the fact that we were told it took place in that time period.

Another minor complaint I have is the pacing - we start of strong with Viv getting caught in a public riot on her way home, then her parents getting caught, then her committing this crime in an attempt to free them. All within the first 3-4 chapters. Then once she's placed in the government program, we slow down for most of the middle part of the book as we focus on Vivian's attempts to codebreak, then we pick back up again for the final battle at the end. There were some intense moments in the middle that helped with pacing, but I think the initial jump from basically starting a war to what feels like Violet going back to school gave me a bit of whiplash. Don't get me wrong - I very much enjoyed following Viv and her linguistic and draconic explorations, but the start feels very intense for a story that doesn't keep up that pace.

I believe this is a series (the ending very much left the story in somewhat of a cliffhanger), and I would definitely like to continue once the next is released!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, & S. F. Williamson for the eARC! All opinions are my own.

This was one of the most unique ya fantasy stories I have read in so long. Anything with dragons will get me but throw in translation and I was sold!

This book has a mix of so many wonderful things that make it a bingeable, captivating and incredible story to read. We follow Vivian, who accidentally starts a civil war in her country with dragons. In order to “right her wrongs”, Vivian must work as a code breaker, spying on dragons to better understand their enemies, and maybe even their allies.

One of the things I loved most about this story was how complex the plot and characters were. There was no “obvious decision” for Vivian to make. We saw her and several other characters struggle with their own opinions, versus what was expected, versus what they thought. Combining that with an intriguing world, dragons, and rebellion and I was sold! This is a must read for any fantasy-lover!

If you enjoyed:

Babel
The Imitation Game
The Black With Chronicles
Fourth Wing (because DRAGONS, duh!)
dystopian aspect of The Hunger Games

then you will love this. A definite add to our collection!

A Language of Dragons is a story about war torn Europe in the 20s, with dragons. In a world where you are ruled by your class, rebels (dragons and humans) have engaged in war between the human and dragon governments. A young linguistics student is forced from her home and family to help the Prime Minister of Brittan.

If you have an interest in WW2 and Alan Turing, this is the book for you! S.F. Williamson blends her love of language and world building to create such a wonderful story. I know this is standalone, but this story deserves to be a duology!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for a review!

Interesting story about dragons. A different version of a 1920s London, dragons that can speak to humans and a rebellion stemming from inequality. The story is unique and inventive. The FMC flaws are the main focus of the story

The story centers around Viv, an ambitious polyglot who betrayed her best friend in order to secure a place at University. Viv’s parents are arrested as rebels and her little sister, Ursa aka Little Bear, is taken to a children’s home. Viv is conflicted, she desperately needs to free her family, yet she wants to help the beleagured 3rd class and the dragons.
I absolutely devoured this YA fantasy. It has really good character development including the dragons. Viv is a blinkered individual for someone who is so smart. She’s only looking out for her own interests and is completely naive about what’s been happening with the 3rd class and the dragons. Loved the other characters as well; Ralph is a nasty piece of work and Chumana, the criminal dragon, is so wise. The plot never bogs down in this thrilling tale. It’s one of those stories that you hate to see come to end. 4.5 stars

I loved this story, perhaps because it feels really allegorical to current times in terms of how we as a society treat those who are not in the mainstream population. I thought the characters were well developed and there was a realistic sense of adolescent angst v. existential fear in the MCs and their friends. The descriptions of the settings were great- I could see it in my mind. I would definitely recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and S.F. Williamson for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this title!

In a 1923 London where dragons share the skies and protests disrupts the otherwise orderly class system, Vivian Featherswallow, like most teenagers, has it all figured out - get an internship studying dragon languages, follow the rules, ignore the all-consuming guilt of her choices, and save her sister from growing up Third Class. In the time it takes to listen to the "and nothing can go wrong" TikTok audio, Vivian starts a civil war, watches her family get dragged away, and "joins" a government-run academy as a codebreaker to help the war effort in exchange for everything going back to normal. As Viv begins to notice holes n more than just her translations, she must answer for herself what she's fighting for and what she's ready to believe.

I have never wanted to throttle a book character more than I have Ms. Vivian Featherswallow. This was an absolute delight of a story with the secrets, twists, and turns of an academia YA novel, with vibes of some of our favorite wizard school stories, but it's all 20th century world war themed, and there's a bite of darkness with actual kidnapping, torture, death, and destruction mixed it. But I think what makes this story more unique is that Vivian is completely unlikable - she has the vibes of a know-it-all, which I think a lot of bookish readers can relate to, but she lacks the moral compass/"I'm the main character therefore I am the good guy" one usually expects in these kinds of books, and acts accordingly. Watching Vivian struggle with her own choices and those presented to her is what makes this book so spellbinding - she is the embodiment of "What is better ? to be born good or to overcome your evil nature through great effort ?”. If you like books about dragons, war, secret academies, and especially books with incredibly strong character development, you NEED to pick up this one (and there's a sequel!).

Thanks to Harper Collins for gifted access via NetGalley. All opinions below are my own.

I loved this one! It is a more YA version of Babel with dragons. It wraps dark academia vibes with plucky, young people realizing the harsh realities of the world and coming to grips with who they want to be. Set in an alternate 1920's London, war is looming as the balance of power between humans and dragons begins to slip. Viv, our MC, is the daughter of an immigrant so speaking multiple languages is natural to her. She has learned several dragon languages and is desparate for a position at university. When we join the story she has made some questionable choices to get her there. As decision time comes her world is upended and she's blackmailed into becoming a part of the growing war effort where she faces many more choices that will challenge her view of the world and herself.

I've seen lots of comments that Viv was 'unlikable' at first. That is a silly assessment in my opinion. Just because she wasn't 100% goody two-shoes Hermoine-type did not make her unlikable. She was a product of the society she was raised in with a harsh class system and very little opportunity for advancement. I think she is representative of many of us who don't grow up imagining they will grow up and change the world or become a revolutionary. She was so real in her choices and in her arc. The side characters were all varying levels of good and evil that served as perfect foils to her.

It's definitely more of a cerebral fantasy story than an action packed one. I appreciated no spice as well as completely realistic violence, oppression and some not so happy endings. Also, this one has a real ending which gives room for the story to grow but does not leave you on a cliffhanger.

Definitely enjoyed a new take on dragons! Loved the idea of linguists and learning the dragons languages. Gave great insight into complicated military turmoil in times of desperation and out FMC is perfectly normal. She deals with trying to figure out the best way to survive without being completely morally grey, or black, or pure. She just wants to believe so terribly that promises will be kept and her family safe if she does what they say even if she doesn't necessarily agree. It's a very compelling character and I appreciated the author's note about Viv at the beginning in case it was a trigger point for anyone@! Definitely will be recommending!

3.25⭐️
Such a fun adventure! I enjoyed the dragon aspects and how it had a unique language system for the dragons. That is what made this story stand apart from other fantasy books with dragons and made it not feel repetitive or like a typical fantasy. I don’t know whether there will be a sequel or not, but if there is I will definitely read it!

An intriguing series opening featuring language, a little romance and dragons. Viv's world is shaken to its core when her parents are arrested for being rebels. After her own act of rebellion, she is sent to Bletchley Park to work on decoding the languages of dragons. Viv finds herself working with and against other teens to uncover the required information to free her family.I loved the inclusion of Bletchley Park, infamous for its codebreaking history during WWII, as the setting for this alternative history. I was immediately hooked after reading the first chapter of this title and am eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received a copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

So this book was good, but there were times I was ready to throw my Kindle. I liked the focus on language and how it connects some people/animals and how important emotion is. The political aspect is one seen in other books but interesting. Now toxthe characters. Honestly, Vivian was a tough character to like. She was selfish and really didn't show much redemption until the end. I did like Atlas and their relationship.

I don’t know that I’ve ever really delved into the dark academia genre, dragon politics and human rebellion, but I think I’m into it. Enough so, I’ll definitely be back for book two. This one is for all the Fourth Wing girls searching for more YA writing.

This story felt so original! A young adult, Vivian, has been tasked with decoding a dragon language in exchange for the release of her parents, who have been arrested for rebellion against Britannia. Britannia is a divided country, between 1st, 2nd and 3rd class, and dragons and humans. The world chooses to live alongside dragons, but Britannia’s prime minister Wyvernmire believes that dragons should stay 3rd class citizens.

“So . . . this is a civil war?” I say. “With the government and the Dragon Queen on one side, and the rebels on the other?” “Correct,” Wyvernmire says. “The question now, Vivien, is this: Which side will you be on?”

As Vivian and the many other recruits are put under pressure and threatened to solve the code, many secrets begin coming to light. Undercover people within the program are revealed as part of the rebellion, and Vivian must make a choice on whether to choose the people of the rebellion, Britannia and the dragons or her family.

Language—that’s how we rebel.”

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins Children’s Books and S.F. Williamson for allowing me read A Language of Dragons in exchange for an honest review.

A Language of Dragons by SF Williamson: eBook ARC provided by NetGalley

From the first page, A Language of Dragons sweeps you into a post-WWI London where humans and dragons coexist in a tense, intricately woven world of political intrigue, corruption, and rebellion. SF Williamson doesn’t just write a book; they craft an experience that feels ready for the big screen—or better yet, an HBO adaptation.

This is almost 5 stars!!! 4.5...
The pacing is blisteringly fast, pulling you into each new twist and turn while still giving you moments to savor the world-building and lush imagery. I could see it all unfold so vividly, like I was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the characters in the smoky streets of London or soaring above them on dragon wings.

Speaking of characters, this cast is delightfully flawed and human, growing and evolving in ways that felt relatable and real. The FMC’s journey of discovering that her world isn’t what she thought is a trope I adore, and Williamson executes it perfectly. Watching the puzzle pieces fall into place before the main character herself catches on added an extra layer of satisfaction.

For romance fans, there’s a delicious slow-burn enemies-to-lovers arc that simmers just under the surface. While I wouldn’t have minded this theme playing a louder role, its subtlety left me wanting more—in the best way possible. It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel because the balance between smart literature and pure enjoyment was so well executed.

I regret being late to the party with this one because it’s that good. If you’re a fan of fast-paced, intricate plots with dragons, political upheaval, and characters that feel like friends (or enemies), pick this up immediately. I’m already eagerly awaiting whatever SF Williamson gives us next!

Bletchley Park meets Dragons? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!

I haven’t read Babel or Fourth Wing, so I’m not quite sure how these books would compare with A Language of Dragons, but I enjoyed it immensely. I read it in a day and stayed up until morning to finish it, which I haven’t done since high school.

As someone who is studying languages and linguistics in school, this book was fascinating. I greatly enjoyed Viv’s mental dialogue with herself about the nuances and power that language holds. I also enjoyed her character growth throughout the story and how steadfast her love for her family was.

Some parts seem a bit repetitive, specifically with Viv’s internal dialogue. Also, I really did not see the romance as being enemies-to-lovers at all. It seemed more like a mutual distrust than anything resembling enemies, but I enjoyed it greatly and was quite attached to the characters by the end. However, I think the overall message of the novel is quite clear and shines brighter than the minor flaws I found within the novel. The slow burn romance is cute and I really appreciated the morally gray cast of characters, who all seemed like real people to me.

I am immediately going to go buy a physical copy of this and I cannot wait for a second book!

Thank you to Harpercollins and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

A Language of Dragons marries fantasy and historical in a way that I really enjoy, and I think we need to see more of in the future. Vivien Featherswallow is forced to make some extreme decisions under pressure in order to save her family.

I really liked the unique take on dragons -- looking at dragons in fantasy from an academic lens where they are (or had been) very much integrated into society and had jobs and things was a take that I haven't seen before, and I thought it was very cool and well done.

I certainly wanted to see where the story would go, and had my guesses. Reading it from the perspective of 2024 America, it added a layer that maybe I wasn't ready for at the moment. The story also showed its hand a little early with some of the backstory and explanations for what brought Vivien and Sophie to be where they are, and I think that would have been better served in a different way. It came up so many times as well that I sort of threw me off. Vivien was hard for me to relate to and I had a hard time with some of her characterizations.

Overall, I think it has potential to continue to go in a great direction, but it just wasn't for me at this time.

Enjoyed this book during the winter season! A book full of world building and coming of age drama.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my hoenst review.