A thrilling new take on dragons. I loved the academic setting mixed with talking Dragons. A society where the two live among one another. Vivien goes through an incredible journey to finding herself and though getting there is rough it’s a fantastic read. There’s heartbreak, distrust and manipulation through out the book but in the end you’ll have to decide which side you fall with, the rebels or the government? Absolutely recommend!

If I could give this book ten stars, I would. No question about it. A Language of Dragons made me smile, cry, laugh, and fall in love with the most flawed yet realistic characters I’ve seen in years!

The world-building is seamlessly integrated within ours and still full of magical elements and unique twists. Not only did I feel this story retained a true dark academic atmosphere, the translation linguistic system was intricate enough to take a moment to learn but never too much to understand. The subject of language and translation itself holds so much heart and soul to it, and I believe Williamson did a beautiful job representing that.

Oh yes, and speaking of heart and soul, did I mention that I cried? I did, but I’ll say it again because for a book to have that effect on me is a very rare instance (this marks the third time in all my life) and a major accomplishment! Williamson has created a deep complex web of core characters that you secretly root for each and every one of them knowing it’ll cost the demise of another. You’re constantly feeling conflicted and provoked into thought about morality, spiritualism, political affairs, relationships, forgiveness, and most of all, love. By the end, you realize how relatable these characters faults and desires are to yourself, so you can’t help but become so attached to them. Thus, when tragedy hits, it does so like a strong wave in the ocean during high tide. My eyes could not restrain the flow of tears that followed thereafter.

You could tell from the start of the book in the authors note that our main character was going to be a bit different and as a reader you were going to be truly challenged to follow them as a protagonist. Normally, when you hear a character is morally grey, you merely read about their action. Williamson takes another step to dwell deeper in the purpose, intention, rationale, guilt, and seeking of forgiveness in both the sinner and the victim. While I don’t agree with the actions of our heroine at times, I still love them nonetheless because they are very real to me and far from perfect. They feel as though I could be their friend and understand where they’re coming from. I can relate to their worries, fears, and twisted love that drives them to do such morally grey actions, and that is what bonds the audience with the characters.

I believe, also, that Williamson’s inclusion of God and the meaning of Himself in the lives, dreams, goals and falls of our characters added another unique element I don’t see often in fantasy. Usually, the two are pretty distinct, but as a Christian, it was so heartwarming to see Him be included in a way that was very relatable. Not knowing what His plan is for us or what exactly He wants from us. Is He even listening to our prayers or does He even care? Is God angry with me, and if so does God only focus on them? Can I be good and bad, or am I so far off being bad that I’m not redeemable in God’s eyes, therefore anyone’s eyes as well and so I should refuse to never forgive myself or seek that forgiveness from others? All of these questions/topics and more were explored in various ways—some more forthright than others—that not only made me love the story heavily but feel for them because I’ve questioned the same things too! It’s a struggle, and so admitting that it is and seeing that I’m not alone, yet there’s still a way to overcome these doubts and pains made this all the more a personal favorite of mine connecting to my spirit on a deeper level.

Williamson’s passion for thematic purposeful storytelling can be felt with every emotion and thought that she puts into her masterpiece as a wordsmith. I look forward to all her future works, including the sequel, and hope for the greatest release that this marvelous debut deserves.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy). This review is based off of an uncorrected proof.

This book had the potential to be 5 stars if the main character wasn’t so insufferable 🥲

The story is super interesting and even though it’s a fantasy it has a huge reality check on how unfair so many things in our society are. The setting is great and I found it really immersive, it’s the kind of book that feels like a movie in your head

Unfortunately for me all of that was (almost) wasted because of Viv. There was a moment I really thought about dnfing the book bc I just couldn’t stand her being so selfish and naive. Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to be naive when you don’t know the truth but she didn’t try to change even when people were telling her something was wrong. I also can’t forgive what she did to Sophie, I swear I’ve never seen such a low move coming from a MC

I loved the dragons but I wanted so much more of them :( the way the book ended makes me feel like we’ll get more in the next one but having more dragons in this one would’ve made a huge difference for me

The ending was CRIMINAL!!!!!! My only hope is that newspaper on the last page bc if that person is really **** I’m gonna SCREAM 🤺

Since I haven't read Babel or Fourth Wing, I can't compare it to either. But that's a good thing because this book is just addictive and it's become one of my all time favorites!

The author's note was such a unique touch and this book is an incredible debut. Truly, I could go on and on about this book but I'll keep it short and stick to my favorite things.

The characters are real. They are the most real characters I have literally ever read about and the character development is drastic!

The world building is lush and vibrant and so uniquely crafted to perfection in my opinion. And I loved the dark academia vibes it gave me, seriously, fall was made for this book. Since the very first page I was sucked in. The pacing of the book I felt was continuous and it never really hit a dull spot.

And I'm going to admit the ending had me crying. It's so rare a book can get me to care so quickly but I guess I got way to attached to this story...I don't know if that's a bad thing? And now I'm going to be heartbroken for days.

Regardless, the book is phenomenal and I will be reading the second book when it decides to grace us with it's presence.

"𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔."

I seriously love the author for this dedication.

*𝑳𝒐𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒈𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒄.*

“Every act of translation requires sacrifice.”

- A Language of Dragons (by S. F. Williamson)

When I first heard of this book, all I knew was that it was a Fantasy book that blends dragon lore with linguistics?? That was enough to let me know I HAD to read it!
And I’m thrilled to say it has completely surpassed my already high hopes for it!

“A Language of Dragons” takes place in an alternate 1923 Britain; one where dragons live among humans as fellow sapient species - dragons that are adept with their own spoken languages.

In a politically conflicted world that has divided both humans and dragons, our protagonist Vivien is a talented and ambitious polyglot in dragon languages.
But her carefully planned life shatters when her parents are arrested and a civil war breaks out. With the hanging threat of losing her family, the government tasks her with translating what they believe is a secret dragon code that can win them the war.

With Dark Academia vibes, an irresistibly fascinating and original concept and world - the book is also wonderfully character focused.

The plot brings together under one roof characters from various walks of life, impacted differently by the strict divide in social class, and yet now all forced into a similar predicament. I loved their dynamics (kinda gave me The Breakfast Club vibes), I absolutely loved the adorable developing romance - and most of all, seeing Vivien grapple with uncomfortable truths about her own privilege and choices.

With powerful themes of redemption and revolution, an ingenious spin on dragons and linguistics, a thrilling political plot-line, an inspiring character-development arc, and a compelling reminder of the power of language in both unity and war… this book was a compulsive and throughly enjoyable experience!

This was a good book. Dragons and codebreaking, and just an enjoyable plot. It wasn't super deep or nuanced, and I feel like it's getting a lower rating from me because I immediately started a very well-developed book and was comparing the two. But, it was a fun read, and easy to digest, so good for things like reading while in the car. And, dragons! Maybe a little younger on the YA scale, so know that, too.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I did not finish this book. The writing style was grating and stilted, and the worldbuilding especially felt surface level. The characters did not feel like they had depth. I was excited for this book because I am a big fan of dragons, but I was disappointed.

I was a big fan of Fourth Wing but did not like the Aurelian Cycle, so I was hoping this would be more like the former going in. Unfortunately, this was more like the latter and didn't entertain me in the same way. This read more like a new adult novel than young adult, definitely gives off the vibe of The Atlas Six or Babel with dragons. Either way, I guess dragon books just aren't for me.

This is like “Babel” meets The Aurelian Cycle, so it has quite the hook. In fact, a lot of elements are very much like The Aurelian Cycle (dragons, class revolution, etc.), but with a more academic, alt-history steampunk feel.

The story moves at a brisk pace, but I do think this is a YA book that would appeal most to the YA age demographic; it’s not one that will likely crossover to an adult audience.

OMG I don't know what to say other than I am sad I can't read the next book right now. The characters are so amazing and well written, the storytelling is on point and the visulization is out of this world. There were characters I hated, and still did at the end - you know who you are. There weere characters I hated that turned out to be great and on the right side and then there were characters I loved,but questioned some of the things they did and the arcs they went on. In the end I saw them with all of their floors and how they ended up being who they were and getting through their challenges. I can't wait to read more and find out what happens to the dragons.

Give me more!

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins books for this ARC for review. I loved this book! DRAGONS!!! WAR! It was amazing! Vivien is going to get an internship and is going to study dragon languages as she already is well fluent in many languages. Then her parents are arrested, she frees a dragon that was being held in a library and ends up starting a war. Not exactly the plan she had, but now Vivien is drawn into a long-ago war of humans and dragons, and she must decide whose side she is on. This was just amazing and there better be another book!

Viv is not an easy character to like. She’s a young woman who wants so very much to be good and correct. She wants academic acclaim, to be the youngest person to graduate with her degree in dragon languages, to be respect and noticed. And to that end, she did something bad. But, as with many things in life, Viv is content to ignore that, to look forward and keep going. But when it’s her family at risk, Viv will do whatever it takes to keep them safe, no matter what it is or whoever gets hurts. For much of the book she is so stuck in the idea of keeping her sister safe that she is willing to ignore the lives of other people — deliberately so.

She’s very much the sort of person who would rather look away from someone hurting than risk herself to help them. She’s hard to like, hard to sympathize with, and that’s why I enjoy her as a character so much. Viv does a lot of growing in this book, learning what’s important to her and what lengths she’ll go to for those she loves, and for the ideals she holds close to her heart. Viv isn’t an evil person, but she is a safely entitled one who will never understand the pain of others if it hasn’t happened to her first.

With all that said, Viv’s character arc feels real. Her growth isn’t an overnight thing, it’s a slow and painful process egged on by the people who love her, the people who hate her, and the the people who are willing to give her a second chance. And when she does decide to do the right thing, she does it for herself, because she wants to be better, wants to be worth something, to be worthy of the love she’s been given.

Oh, and there are dragons. Really, the dragons in this book are a highlight, and their language — the one being translated and ‘cracked’ at Bletchly circle in this alternate world where dragons live side by side with humans (occasionally eating them) — is clever. The group of people coming together, each of them brilliant in their own way, their freedom held hostage by their families, and each of them shape Viv in some way. While there is a romance in this book, it isn’t the primary focus.

That focus is reserved for the dragon language and Viv’s growth. I loved every part of this book and have already gone to preorder a copy for my shelves. Thank you so very much to Net Galley and the publisher for letting me read this book as an ARC. I can’t wait to read it again when I have the physical copy in my hands.

"Every act of translation requires sacrifice."

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: blood, child abuse, child death, death, death of a loved one, domestic abuse, fire/fire injury, genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, physical abuse, sexual assault (implied), sexual harassment, suicidal thoughts, torture, violence (against children, as well), war, xenophobia.

A scholarly take on dragons and their languages, with a focus on revolution and class wars.

Read the above line and tell me this isn't the perfect concept for a book. You can't. Granted, my favorite series is a political dragon fantasy with an emphasis on revolution and class wars so my tastes may be slightly biased. Nevertheless, this remains one of the most unique concepts for a YA that I've heard in a quite a while.

That being said, the concept could have been executed slightly better. Don't get me wrong: this wasn't bad. It was fine, pretty enjoyable in parts and some of the conversations were very interesting to read. I particularly appreciated the first half of the book, with it's focus on the politics of the world and the MC making poor choices due to her belief that she was already too flawed.

(I also LOVED the dragons. Which isn't surprising, but still! Dragons! With personalities!!)

Some YA novels transcend the age category and can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of age and/or preference, some don't, though, and that's fine. This is one of those books. If you're an adult reader that has grown out of YA, this one will not be for you. The characters are all very stereotypical, particularly the villains who are almost cartoonishly evil. The conversation around grey morality is reduced to "there is goodness and badness within us all; everyday is a chance to choose goodness" and that's about it. The writing style is also very, very stilted - with most lines being written like: "I tell him." "He blushes." "I say."

These aspects become unavoidable in the second half of the book when the threat starts closing in and the reader is confronted by how little sense it actually makes. The last bit of this book lowered my rating just a bit, based on a number of factors, but one of the main ones being how much of this book falls apart if you look at it too closely. Specifically the fact that the MC (the brightest linguist of her age) was thrown by [redacted]?

All of this to say, this wasn't bad. I liked quite a bit about this book! I also felt a bit let down by it. However, I do think a lot of people are going to absolutely love this one. (So long as they ignore the Fourth Wing comparison. Their only similarity is the fact they both have dragons and violent students.) It's got a forbidden romance with a priest-in-training (my sister kept calling this "children's Fleabag" whenever I talked to her about it), dragons, a flawed main character, dragons, languages, and also! dragons!

Overall, I'm incredibly grateful for the chance to read this and I hope it finds an audience that absolutely adores it.

This book had a lot of action and suspense. The race to decipher dragon language was engaging. However, there were plot aspects that just seemed random to me, and the romance felt really flat. I wasn’t sure I really felt any of the main character’s emotions or sympathized with her much at all. However I would still recommend it for the action and suspense.

I will read any book with dragons, so I was immediately excited when I saw this book, and it did not disappoint. This book pulled me in and did not let me go until it was finished. Although I was quite often annoyed with the decisions the characters made, this book had characters that were very realistically flawed, in a unique, but good way. They all felt real, and even the side characters that were just in the background were fleshed out enough that they felt like they actually had a purpose in the story besides just being there.

The plot and world building of this book was great. The author set up an awful government and built a world around it in a detailed way, but managed not to info dump. Although the middle of the book might seem slow to some, that was probably my favorite part of the book because of the linguistics and code breaking that Viv was going through, but also because that is where most of the romance developed.

The romance of this book was very well done. It was not the major plot point of the book, however the relationship and the development of it was very much a slow burn. Also, I just really loved Atlas. His character was my favorite in the book.

I will impatiently awaiting the next book, especially because of the ending.

4.5/5 stars, rounded to five.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the eARC!

As I tend to do, I wrote out my thoughts on A Language of Dragons and promptly lost the paper. Fingers crossed I remember everything I wanted to share.

I ran to request an advanced reader copy after I read the blurb. Babel with dragons and it's appropriate for a teenage audience? That description was everything I did not know I needed. As a language major who specialized in translation, I could not pass up the chance to read another fictional world that revolves around translation!

I immediately saw similarities between Babel by R.F. Kuang and A Language of Dragons. In fact, there were several quotes about the impossibility of exact translation that took me back to Babel. As someone who intimately understands translation, I know that these are universal sentiments. That said, as a reader, it felt like too much of a copy of Babel, especially because Williamson mentioned Kuang's book as an inspiration for this story.

Aside from that issue, I loved reading about the different dragons languages. The worldbuilding is impressive; I could truly picture Bletchley Park and this cast of "misfits" running around the place.

Maybe this will lead to potential spoilers, but I desperately need the pub version to include a list of all the outcasts at Bletchley Park. Being introduced to lots of characters at one time and having to remember them is a struggle for me. Without something to refer back to, I could not distinguish between them all.

All that said, here's what I'm looking forward to in the sequel to A Language of Dragons...

• A new romantic interest for Vivien – I was wholly unconvinced by the romantic relationship between Vivien and you-know-who. Without dropping any spoilers, I just want to say that the situation made me uncomfortable. I could not look past the glaring obstacle.

• More information about Vivien's parents – I have to say it...their story sounds more interesting to me than Vivien's.

• And of course, more dragons! – Everyone is conducting research into the dragons, but there isn't lots of human/dragon interaction. That's what I want to see in the sequel.

If you're looking to start the New Year with a morally gray fantasy, you should get a copy of A Language Of Dragons. I think this book could be something big.

Bottom line: Please read this so we can share our spoilerly thoughts with each other.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thank you to HarperCollins as this was at the top of my wishlist!

When I first stumbled upon this book I was immediately drawn to the dragons, but the aspect of codebreaking and Bletchley Park made me add it to my TBR immediately. A few days later when I was approved for it on NetGalley I woke everyone in the house because I was so excited. I don't enjoy reading eBooks at all, but, of course, I was going to for this one.

I highly enjoyed the first few chapters, especially with each chapter ending with some sort of cliffhanger. Honestly, the entire book flew by. At one point it did feel a little bit sluggish, but all the things going on made me still want to pick it up and figure out what happened next. It does pick back up and once all the pieces go together, you realize why things were somewhat sluggish for a little while.

Each of the characters was very well developed. I did not like Vivien until the very end when we come to fully understand her. What's funny is I probably would have acted the same way in every situation as she did. She is relatable and it is refreshing to see a main character that is flawed and not instantly redeemed. I would have liked a little more of her backstory told by her in her thoughts or maybe a few flashbacks. I also would have liked more backstory on the other recruits, but I think that will likely come with the sequel.

I did not expect to find romance, but it was a very nice touch. I felt like the romance was very believable and not overdone. I smiled while reading and I actually cried (if you read this you'll know what part) which is very rare for me when reading.

I enjoyed the inclusion of linguistics. The author has a background in language and I've always had an interest in it, so seeing someone else put it into words was delightful. I've not encountered any other books yet that have done something similar.

The dragons were remarkable, though they aren't as prominent for a majority of the story. I would have liked more interaction with them. I enjoyed the words in draconic language, but I felt like there weren't nearly enough. I remember some at the end of the first chapter, but if there were any others I don't remember. I can tell the dragons will have a large part in the sequel. Speaking of which, how can a book end like this? This book hasn't even been released yet and I am expected to wait even longer with that ending?!?

Overall, this was a very well thought out plot with great writing. It is much deeper than just a story and had so many layers to it. It is evident in some areas that this is a debut, though they are harder to notice, and I can't wait to see the author's progression in the next book.

A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson takes the reader through an environment similar to World War II codebreakers working at Bletchley Park in England. The story is set in a world that encompasses dragons who speak a variety of languages, including English, and an English government that has been divided into 4 classes after a Great War where dragons are a class, and then citizens are placed into First Class, rich, privileged, politicians and business men; Second Class, those who are academics and business owners who are less well-off, have more restrictions on their freedom and lastly, the Third Class, where the demoted, the poor and the criminals live. All must always wear passes to identify their class and classes are even restricted to where they can live, where they can walk, what job they can have, etc. Our FMC is Vivien, a Second-class student who is so determined to become a translator of dragon languages that she condemns her best friend to a life of Third Class. Before Vivien can fulfill her dreams of the most prestigious academic education to become a translator, her parents are exposed as rebels and her life falls apart from there. To save her parents, Vivien commits a crime and falls into the hands of the Prime Minister who is trying to “save” the country from dragons and a brewing war with rebels. Vivien is offered redemption for her parents, and most importantly, her little sister by working for the government as a secret facility at Bletchley Park. In a deal to save her cousin, Marquis, Vivien has gotten him sent with her to the facility. There, the two of them meet other students who excel in puzzles, languages, biology, and aeronautics to compete in a contest to create not only a secret language to spy on dragons, but other technologies that will give the humans and advantage over the dragons. Throughout the experience, Vivien learns about betrayal, loss, prejudice, sacrifice and love.

The characters are mostly believable and there is a large cast of characters, but the story focuses on Vivien and Marquis. There is your usual conflict of personalities because of the competition aspect of the program and there is a truly evil guard. The plot drags a bit in the middle as there are “days” of experimentation and life in the facility. However, the plot picks up at the end and ends on a cliffhanger, leading me to believe this is the first in a series, but it is not listed anywhere. The plot very much reminded me of any one of the historical fiction books I’ve read about England during World War II about codebreakers and the secret work done there during that time. This book is a Young Adult fiction book, and I believe that is the target audience, although many adults would enjoy the book, especially those who enjoy World Ear II historical fiction or dragons. Unlike many books with dragons, they are not secondary characters, the dragons in this book are main characters. This book will appeal to any who like academy type settings.

I gave this book 4 stars, mainly because it does drag some in the middle and did not completely hold my attention. I would read a sequel if there is one, because the war hasn’t been won yet and I need to know how Vivien and the dragons save the world.

Overall, A Language of Dragons is an entertaining book. The major premise of the story, talking dragons with a variety of human-like languages and characteristics is unique.

A language of Dragons is S.F Williamson's YA debut focusing on class wars, codebreaking, and rebellions sprung from language and translations. Set in an alternative 1920 Britain, we follow Vivienne as she is thrust into a war she had no idea she was starting when trying to rescue her parents from false accusations of starting a rebellion. While the fast-paced nature of this book is almost a little too fast because we don't get to focus on new and old relationships or allow a naturally forming love story between our main character and her love interest, it's the author's love for language and translation really shines brilliantly. You can really feel her research and love for languages as Vivienne delves deep into translation as a tool for war and propaganda, but also, and more importantly, revolution, hope and love.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for this ARC! "A Language of Dragons" by S. F. Williamson is a captivating fantasy novel that weaves a rich tapestry of lore and adventure. The story immerses readers in a world where dragons and their ancient language play a central role in the unfolding drama. Williamson's world-building is meticulous, with a well-crafted magical system and intriguing characters. The narrative is both engaging and thought-provoking, exploring themes of communication, power, and understanding. Fans of epic fantasy will find much to admire in this compelling and original tale.