This book was so hard to put down once I started! I am such a dragon fan and love a good fantasy. Guys.... there is a PINK dragon!!!!!

This book is so good, full of political intrigue and a great interpretation of corruption.

The characters are amazing as well!!!

A Language of Dragons is a fantasy dark academia set in 1923 London where dragons can be seen soaring through the skies. The book follows Viv as she works towards getting an internship to study dragon languages. However, due to a series of events, she starts a civil war. When she's offered a mysterious job that could help save all her family from criminal charges, she takes it and soon starts helping the war effort as a codebreaker. This story is filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities and leaves Viv wondering which side she should really be on.

Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons.

After hearing this tagline, I was immediately hooked! It's like this book was made for me and had everything I love in a book.

The political strife in this story felt authentic and intricately woven, making it a pleasure to delve deeper into its complexities as the plot unfolded. The high stakes created a palpable sense of suspense, and the exploration of dragon languages was a unique and captivating concept that kept me thoroughly engaged. I’ve always enjoyed dark academia, and this setting certainly lived up to my expectations.

The small cast of characters, each with their own rich backstories and struggles, added depth to the narrative. There was a perfect balance in the number of characters, allowing for fascinating dynamics and interactions across the different societal levels, while still making it easy to keep track of each individual’s journey.

The plot is engaging, filled with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The stakes are high, and the sense of urgency is palpable as Viv races against time to save both dragons and humans. Williamson expertly balances action with moments of reflection, creating a narrative that is both fast-paced and thoughtful.

I found myself staying up late to finish this book, compelled to discover what would happen next. I was on the edge of my seat, filled with tension, and there were even tears along the way. This story delivered everything I had hoped for, and I can’t wait for the next instalment!

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for this early copy to review.

wow well done. pleanty of tension and growth of the heroine as she moves through the story. lots of action. very readable. I would live to see others by this author

This book is a wild, electric ride through a 1923 London that’s all teeth and fire. Vivien Featherswallow’s journey isn’t some dainty adventure; it’s a gut punch of courage, family, and sheer rebellion. Watching her stumble from rule follower to rule breaker, you feel every nerve-wracking moment as she unravels the fragile threads holding dragons and humans together. It’s intense, it’s fierce, and it makes you believe in the power of a single voice daring to defy a world built on lies.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an eARC of A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic debut from S.F. Williamson, sure to be everyone’s next dragon book obsession!

I highly recommend this book. I think this is a great book for those that have been on a dragon kick, and haven’t quite found something that satisfies them after reading the breakout hit Fourth Wing and the like. And while it is not a romantasy, as the romance is very much slow-burn sub-plot, the book truly does not need it, as it has so much fantastic content without needing a romance to help it stand on its own.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

“Forgiveness is suffering redeemed.”

This book was a 6 star read, I started it and couldn’t put it down (literally I read it in one sitting). Which has left me very upset because I already NEED the next book and the first one hasn’t even actually released yet. It was an amazing example of dark academia meets historical urban fantasy. The author has written characters you feel the realness in because the ‘evil’ isn’t some nameless boogie man but rather people thinking they are doing what is right regardless of the consequences or who it may hurt. The main character Viv could be any of us who have lived a privileged life unaware of the suffering around us. Her growth and set backs are a struggle anyone can relate to. This is a YA book but it is written in a way that even adults can enjoy and really sink into the story which can sometimes be hard when you are 20 years older than the characters. I will stay away from spoilers but if the premise sounds like you would enjoy the book and you want to read something that is heart wrenchingly authentic then pick this book up.

I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about this book. There are a lot of storylines that aren't all fully fleshed out by the end of book - which I'm not going to judge yet since this is a series and many of the plots could be building for later payoff.

The characters were fairly two dimensional but enjoyable - except for the FMC, Viv, who is insufferable for quite a bit of the book. I know she's young and that's truly the only reason I didn't DNF. But her insistence on everything being black & white despite being straight up told from first hand accounts that it is not just got old.

Viv is also supposedly this master at languages yet she seemed to get thrown by seemingly simple linguistic things? Most of it was for the plot but it seemed odd that she can master so many languages but can't seem to grasp something like dialects.

The romance is very much a subplot and honestly could have been left out, I don't feel like it really added a lot to the story and seemed to be pointless by the end.

There are also quite a few religious mentions and while that likely won't bother most people - I wasn't a fan. It felt shoehorned in and really unnecessary and didn't add anything to the overall story.

The book is quite political and has the potential to be very cool in that aspect but honestly a lot of it didn't really make sense to me - the dragons and the humans seemed to be fighting for basically no reason? But then throw in a class system for the humans that you can move up and down if you're...smart? I don't know. I'm hoping that book two may answer a lot of the questions I have and/or flesh out the world a bit better.

I see a lot of comparisons to Fourth Wing and I'm not sure I understand why. The friend group is reminiscent of the friends in Fourth Wing and there are dragons and corrupt government officials - but anything beyond the surface level is completely different.

While I did have a lot of complaints about the book I did enjoy it enough to continue on with book 2 to give the series a fair shot at fleshing out the story some more

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I tend to strongly dislike early 1900s period books and historical fiction... but add dragons and I'm going to have to give it a try.

The world is pretty normal 1920s London- but dragons are around and always have been. Humans and dragons are suppose to be living peacefully side by side BUT we are on the brink of war.
Ah yes, delectable political intrigue.

Our main character, Vivian, is not a perfect chosen one- she is realistically flawed and willing to do just about anything for her family (AKA a bit morally gray)
Did I mention a slow burn enemies to lovers (subplot) where our MMC is just as realistic?

A YA fast paced political intrigue/rebellion story with a romantic subplot, dragons, and a sprinkle of dark academia.
Give me book 2 and more dragons (please).

With a premise made just for me (Babel meets Dragons!) I went into this with the highest of hopes. With the caveat that this is for a YA audience, A LANGUAGE OF DRAGONS did indeed give me some fun discussions of language and dragons that spoke and had zinger personalities. But packed tightly around these core elements were some narrative tropes and decisions that felt overly generic, to the point they almost didn’t seem to work with the plot at hand (the choice of male love interest, for example). I do think the book will appeal to YA readers (the target audience) at the intersection of DIVINE RIVALS and ERAGON. Would make a great high school book club selection.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an eARC of A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic debut from S.F. Williamson, sure to be everyone’s next dragon book obsession!

After a series of events lands our FMC, Vivian, as the Firestarter for a civil war across Britannia, Viv is given the opportunity to be punished for her war crimes, or work as a codebreaker in the war efforts. Though language is something she loves, she is put on a dangerous timeline to help the government win the war.

Now I haven’t read Babel by R.F. Kuang, but I’m going to blindly agree that this is Babel meets Dragons. The core of this book focuses on linguistics and code breaking dragon communication, which is such a unique and intriguing plot. Thankfully, it was also well executed. But the book is also so much more than that. It has politics, war, strong family bonds, secrets, lies, friendship, a sprinkle of romance, and a morally gray (but conflicted) FMC.

It was incredibly easy to get swept away by this book. You can really feel the authors love for linguistics (as they themselves are a linguist). There is also fantastic political intrigue that keeps you on your toes.

I do agree with some of the early critiques, such as the FMC being a bit unsufferable, but I also think she is a teenager that has been forced into some impossible situations. She is morally gray but she also looks introspectively at herself and wants to know if she is a good or bad person. I think it was very realistic for a teen that is experiencing the things that she goes through, so it barely bothered me. If anything, it was nice to have an FMC that isn’t perfect and always doing the right thing. I want to see more main characters be conflicted and make mistakes and question themselves.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. I think this is a great book for those that have been on a dragon kick over the last year, and haven’t quite found something that satisfies them after reading the breakout hit Fourth Wing. And while it is not a romantasy, as the romance is very much slow-burn sub-plot, the book truly does not need it, as it has so much fantastic content without needing a romance to help it stand on its own.

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

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

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

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

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

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

A riveting premise, with all the tropes that I love in a story. My only gripes are that the main character wasn't very compelling, and that the writing felt rather simplistic and leaned too heavy into the telling rather than showing. But I can definitely see other readers loving this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this ARC and give my honest review!

With the surge of romantasy on BookTok and with my middle school readers I have been on the hunt for these books that are appropriate for their age group. This book hits on everything I was looking for! It has the intrigue of dystopian novels with the romantasy of Fourth Wing! We need more books like this for the middle school and high school students in our lives.

I loved A Language of Dragons and read it compulsively. It was a different take on dragons, incorporating them into a version of our ordinary world, and I enjoyed reading about the different kinds of dragons and Viv's efforts to understand their language. Vivid characterization, great description and page-turning action.

Thank you so much NetGalley and for the Author for this eARC unfortunately I had to DNF. I do not believe this book is for me but I do appreciate being including on this early release!

3.75/4
A story that is different and holds it own. The plot is wonderful the dragons, languages and the conflict between the dragons and humans is well developed. I personally had an issue with the FMC, Viv personality and her being the narrator of the book at points it was insufferable trying to read her perspective because she seems kind of flat compared to how the side characters are presented which seems to be how her narrative is suppose to be with her self image. However it just made me not want to continue the story at some points but I pushed through because the plot is interesting. The world is creative and explained so the reader understands and learns with the FMC. The civil war is not super developed but it is a learn what we need to for this book. I will continue on to book 2 with hope that Vivien has some growth but overall a decent story.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this e-arc.

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.*