4.9 / 5.0 A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson is a debut YA historical fantasy with some romance, some politics, and a lot of intrigue. This is the dragon book my history-loving, research-obsessive, language-fascinated heart needs. It hit all the notes of an immersive, entertaining read that I hope for in a book and my only complaint is now I have to wait for a more. That it was picked up for a special edition box is a given and I am so ecstatic that this exists and I get to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.

A Language of Dragons
by S. F. Williamson
Pub Date: Jan 07 2025

Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get a summer internship studying dragon languages, be smart, be sweet, and make sure her little sister never, ever has to risk growing up Third Class. She just has to free one dragon.

By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.

With her parents and cousin arrested and her sister missing, Viv is brought to Bletchley Park as a codebreaker—if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.

As Viv begins to discover the secrets of a hidden dragon language, she realizes that the fragile peace treaty that holds human and dragon societies together is corrupt, and the dangerous work Viv is doing could be the thread that unravels it.

A Language of Dragons takes place in an alternate London after the end of World War I in which dragons coexist with humans. Throughout the book, Viv's world gets upended multiple times, leaving her questioning her world view and her morals. Does she keep helping the Prime Minister in order to save her family or does she join the rebel cause to help free the oppressed dragons and third class citizens?

Viv is a deeply flawed FMC who is struggling with all the decisions that have led her to this spot at Bletchley Park and all the decisions she has to make going forward. I don't always agree with her thinking or her choices, but as a reader I can see how she got there. Our supporting characters too, are great. Marquis is a loyal cousin, even when he is disappointed with Viv's decisions. And Atlas is smart and passionate. The only thing that I wish I would change is we didn't see most of Viv and Atlas's letters which I felt would have given us a better insight into their relationship and into Atlas himself.

I am so excited for the sequel and to get more interactions with the dragons. I'm also excited to see how Viv's language skills are put to use from here on out! A Language of Dragons is a fabulous debut fantasy novel that young adult and adult readers will both enjoy.

Review goes live November 11

Can't say I enjoyed this one that much even though, at first glance, a book involving dragons AND languages sounds amazing.

I wish authors would stop throwing in random gay characters where they don't fit. Marquis being gay added nothing to the story and felt like an afterthought.

The random demonization of eastern Europe was just strange. Why were the Bulgarians such villains?

I also hated the main character. She was annoying, stupid, and mean. I know the author tried to do a redemption arc for her but... it just didn't work for me.

3.5/5

Started this book due to it being FairyLoot’s young adult book in December and was so pleasantly surprised! “The Language of Dragons” is set in 1923 London where humans are at war with dragons, and our FMC Vivien is recruited to learn a secret language that dragons use to communicate to help her country win the war.

It was such an interesting concept that was very well executed! This wasn’t a perfect rating for me bc 1) that ending and 2) I prefer a liiiiittle more romance in my books. Overall it was a very good time.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Language of Dragons is a mixture of the historical code-breaking of Bletchley Park, RF Kuang's Babel (an act of translation is an act of sacrifice), a little V for Vendetta, and Starship Troopers (the movie satirizing facism, not the book, but not as campy). I mention Starship Troopers firstly because the MC here, Viv, starts off as a propaganda-inhaling villain, although she does come around by the end (unlike the movie characters), and secondly because this novel is a deconstruction of racist, nationalist authoritarianism. There are a lot of parallels between this book and Starship Troopers: the non-human bug/dragon threat, the surrendering of liberties being necessary to defeat the enemy, citizens buying into the government's "meritocracy" to improve their lives and social standing, even that humanity instigated the original conflict and bugs/dragons acted in self defense. Unlike Starship Troopers, though, the government/society is explicitly described as flawed and needing revolution (this novel is NOT a satire), and the characters are good people at their core.

I do have some issues with the plight of the non human species being analogous to POC and colonized peoples, same as I did with Starship Troopers, but the dragons were much more humanized (probably not the best word to use here) than the aliens. And that's where we get into the next huge theme of the book: language. The power of language, language as an exchange, as empathy, as a sacred bond between family, and how restricting people to one language removes understanding and compassion.

There were also some musings on Christian sin and forgiveness, but I'm never a big fan of a love interest being a priest or priest-in-training.

This was an easily digestible takedown of discrimination and almost-fascism for a YA audience.

Hear the Call. Ignite the Revolution. In an alternative London in 1923, a young accidentally breaks the fragile truce between dragons and humans all while trying to save her family from a traitor's death.

A Language of Dragons is a debut novel by S. F. Williamson and it is a retelling of Bletchley Park steeped in language, class wars, politics and rebellion. Vivien Featherswallow has her whole life turned upside down when her parents and uncle are arrested as suspected traitors to the crown as they study dragon linguistics. To help them be pardoned and make sure her sister does not get moved into the Third Class, Viv agrees to help the government with translating dragon language.

And they say books aren't political? Williamson's novel is superb. I loved the characters, I loved the setting and how it is steeped with real world history. Such a beautiful read that left me wanting more.

Thank you to Harper Collins for inviting me to reading an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, and thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for granting me access to this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I have been slow to embrace fantasy's recent shift toward dragons, so when I read the blurb for <u>A Language of Dragons</u>--dark academia! found family! linguistics! <i>dragons</i>!--I thought my time had finally come. <i>Yes</i>, I will happily read a book about the magic and power of translation, set in a post-Great War England inhabited by dragons!

Unfortunately, though, <u>The Language of Dragons</u> just didn't work for me. The problems started almost from page one with the FMC, Vivien, who is, to put it mildly, a narcissistic brat. I read the author's note at the beginning of the book, so I was, in part, prepared for Vivien to be problematic. But I was <i>not</i> prepared for how little growth she would demonstrate throughout the book. Despite the <i>overwhelming</i> evidence of the horrors of the class/caste system in which she lives, Vivien seems to be the only person in England who thinks it's a system that benefits not only her (a member of the privileged Second Class) but everyone around her (including the members of the Third Class who literally live in squalor). Vivien is frequently and directly confronted with the (many, many) shortcomings of the class system; however she continues to support it and fight for it for reasons that are never fully explained (or, rather, can only be explained by the conclusion that Vivien is, herself, classist--at best--and racist/xenophobic at worst). By the time she switches sides, she's already shown her true colors, and her "change of heart" feels less like an actual shift in mindset and more like a resigned admittance that all her friends support the rebel cause so she, therefore, probably should as well.

Because the entire story is narrated through Vivien's POV, there is little time or space for us to get to know the rest of the supporting cast. Marquis, Atlas, and Sophie are the most fleshed-out side characters, but still, after 400 pages, they seem more like archetypes than actual people. And I never once understood why any of them liked and/or even wanted to be <i>around</i> Viv. The romance didn't work for me at <i>all</i> because I didn't believe for a second that Atlas would be attracted to Viv. And the "found family" trope fell flat as well because neither Sophie nor Marquis were around enough to make an impression.

Then there were the dragons. Notice that I haven't mentioned them until now. That's because I truly don't know what to say about them. They were in the book, yes, but I never understood their relationship to humans. Like, these are <i>huge</i>, intelligent animals who can communicate in dozens of different languages. And yet they seem to just want to assimilate into human society and be subservient to humans... why? Why don't they have their own societal structures? Why don't they have their own towns and governments? Why aren't they just burning human civilizations to the ground? Totally unclear. Also, why are they sometimes pets (like the dracoval)? Isn't this kind of demeaning for a species that has at <i>least</i> human-equivalent intelligence?

Finally, the translation. Setting aside for a moment that a 17-year-old is apparently the only person in England capable of learning multiple languages, the premise that a human is needed to crack a dragon's code is pretty far-fetched. There are dragons that are working <i>with</i> England's government to fight the rebels and uphold the class system (which again, why?); so why wouldn't these dragons provide the insight necessary to help win the war? Especially since several of them share information with Viv (but not the Prime Minister!) about the code? For as much page space as was dedicated to the tedious task of translation in this book, it was the part of the book I cared about--and bought into--the least. Viv is constantly talking about clicks and swoops and whorls, but all of the pertinent information about the code is revealed in conversations that occur outside of the translation room. And it turns out that the code wasn't even that complex in the first place, so when Viv finally "cracks" it, it feels very anticlimactic.

So, overall, I didn't find what I was looking for in this book. The ending definitely sets up room for a sequel, but I think I'll be skipping it and looking for my potential dragon fix elsewhere.

What a fan-freaking-tastic debut novel! I couldn't put this book down and the ending was such an emotional rollercoaster. I can't wait for the next book in this duology.

Viv lives in a world where people are divided by class and dragons are a part of her every day life. When her parents are arrested, her whole world changes. Viv must do whatever she can to protect and reunite the family she loves.

I loved reading Viv grow as a character through out this book and I loved how her relationship grew with Atlas.

I will be recommending this title on my YouTube channel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the plot involving the languages of dragons. I'm looking forward to seeing the growth of the female main character and the development of the story.

Thank you Net Galley and HarperCollins for the advanced reader copy.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book. I really enjoyed it. There are dragons and rebellion, so what more could there be to love! There is a lot going on in this book with characters and world building. It was sent out right before the US Nov 2024 Elections, so it may have been purposefully timed. I don't think this is a light read, even with all the fantasy. There is minimal romance. The book takes place in the early 1900s. I couple instances made me question whether the advanced tech shown was appropriate for the time period. This is categorized YA, but there is a lot of politics to pack in that adults will get more than kids. I like how the main character developed and had to go through things to evolve thinking about others over self. A lot of the country is going through this right now. The main storyline of codebreaking and linguistics kept my interest. I can't wait until the next book and hope the dragons characters are developed more.

Yay another dragon book! After Fourth Wing, I will read any fantasy book with dragons! This was definitely a good start to the series, but I hope the author can expand more on character depth and pacing. For some parts of this book, I was flipping through pages and other parts I really just wanted to DNF it.

In 1923 London Vivian Featherswallow just wants to snag an internship studying dragon languages and keep her sister from growing up Third Class. Unfortunately, when her parents are arrested, she accidentally starts a war when she tries to destroy the evidence against them. Trying to save her family, she agrees to a mysterious job at Bletchley Park as a codebreaker. But while trying to understand the secrets of a hidden dragon language, she uncovers things that expose secrets and surprising hidden agenda's, Her world isn't as safe as she once thought

A Language of Dragons is an epic fantasy with a cool Dark Academia vibe. There's tons of drama, action, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. I was hooked on Viv's story from the beginning. She's all about protecting her family, and that's her drive throughout the book. Even with Viv’s struggle with a tough catch-22 is so relatable. I loved how the familiar Bletchley Park setting for code-breaking during the war added depth to the fantasy. As the story goes on, the author slowly reveals secrets, keeping things intriguing. The ending was totally satisfying.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williams is an adventurous YA dark academia fantasy set in the 1920’s. Viv Featherswallow is a young woman working towards her goal of becoming a world-renown dragon linguist, but her plans get derailed when her parents are arrested for being a part of the rebellion and she accidentally starts a civil war trying to exonerate them. Viv makes a bargain with the Prime Minister to help her in her war efforts and Viv and her family will be pardoned. Viv arrives at the facility, with others who have been offered bargains to help, and finds herself competing in a cutthroat competition. Viv thought she knew a lot about society and rules but realizes there’s more to the rebellion than she initially thought and now she must make a difficult decision about what side she is fighting for.

This was a fun read! It has Fourth Wing x Hunger Games vibes. It’s YA so generally an easier read but some of the themes addressed in this book are dark (war, genocide, death, class/caste system, poverty). I loved the variety of character personalities and the complex world-building. Also loved that none of the characters are perfect and their flaws are very realistically addressed in the story.

Also….The way it ended has me *desperate* to read the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and author for granting me an advanced reader copy of the ebook. My review is based off of this draft and the final publication may be different. Expected publication date is January 7, 2025.

A Language of Dragons is a YA historical fantasy about an alternate 1920’s era British ruled by a ruthless Prime Minister who uses class systems and dragons to keep the population in check.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this book. I’m giving this four stars.
Our FMC, Vivian, is a young teen prodigy at Dragon linguistics. When her parents are accused of rebellion and she tries to destroy the evidence with the help of an enslaved dragon, she unwittingly finds herself in the middle of a war.
Vivian has no choice, but to help the government with a plan to help decipher a new type of dragon language. While this book did have a tendency to meander a bit when discussing the dragon, language and specifics of linguistics, I thought this was a relatively fast-paced and enjoyable YA fantasy.
Of course, because this is a YA fantasy there is a love interest for our main character, and the ending of this book felt very reminiscent of the book Divine rivals. One thing I really liked about this book is that the ending felt like if this book had a sequel it would make sense with the plot line and the characters and feel organic. If there ends up being no sequel to this book the ending is still one that satisfies.
I will be recommending this book to my audience on social media, TikTok, and YouTube closer to its release date in January

I will probably read just about any book that has dragons in it. Because dragons. Lately most of these books seem to fall into more of a romantasy category. There is a romance in this story, but it’s more dystopian in nature, in that war is essentially coming between humans and dragons in early twentieth century Britain. This alternate world has been broken out into a defined class system that forces people to make undesirable decisions to maintain or elevate their class, which is what creates a lot of the conflict for Viv, the protagonist. When her parents are arrested as terrorists working against the peace agreement in place the consequences of Viv’s actions land her at a covert operation working to decode the language dragons use to speak to each other that humans can't comprehend. There, she is reunited with the best friend she betrayed and increasingly begins to question the motives of the prime minister who sent her there. The book can be a bit slow paced at times, but one thing it does exceptionally well is show how hard it is Viv to overcome is the desire and even need for her to blindly accept what she's been told by people in authority. Viv constantly grapples with what doing the right thing actually is. A Language of Dragons also shows how hard it can be to do what you know in your heart is right when the lives of the people you love are threatened. Williamson starts the book with a disclosure that the characters are flawed, but this is one of the best parts of the book in a genre where most characters tend to inhabit strict definitions of good and evil. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The concept of this book was great, adding dragons that coexist in a setting similar to europe during world war II era. The main character was unbearable she distracted from the story of the war. I finished for the other characters but it was hard to focus everytime Vivien tried to justifying her selfish thoughts and actions.

For fans of Seraphina and possibly teen fans of Babel; I don’t think that the Fourth Wing comp is doing this any favors, because while both have dragons that talk, the tone and content is so vastly different that it only sets up expectations to be disappointed.

I thought the world this is set in is interesting. It is essentially an alternate history of England, where there are dragons and a dystopian, rigid class system. There is a lot of commentary on class, equality, access to education, propaganda, and rebellion. I would say this is significantly less subtle than Babel, so if you struggled to follow the various points that Kuang was setting up there, this might be more interesting to you. Also good for a teenager who may have never thought about those topics before and is being introduced for the first time.

Lots of violence, some graphic but most not. A mild romantic subplot but I would not say this is a romantasy at all. Does not end on a cliffhanger, but rather with the next step of the plot waiting to move forward in the next book.

2.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and HarperCollins Children's Books for this advanced copy. You can pick up A Language of Dragons on January 7, 2025.

This book had all the makings of the next great dragon read. And I'm sure some people will view it that way, but I'm afraid it was not for me. I found the writing style to be weirdly simplistic and almost babying with how much we had to be walked through basic concepts and conversations. The descriptions of echolocation and the dragon code were simultaneously too much and not enough at the same time.

I know the author put in their note at the beginning of the book that they wanted the MC to be someone a bit more privileged, selfish, and naive, and I understand how that establishes a great foundation for growth. But while I was ready for a Sansa Stark level transformation, instead, we're met with a whiny FMC who continues working for the dictatorial Prime Minister until 2/3 of the way through the book. And keeps defending them! Or stating how there's nothing she can do because her family is at risk. And then suddenly the last third of the book is crammed with her LITERALLY switching sides every other page, coming up with insane plans, kind of pulling them off but then they fail, and eventually escaping. Like??? What is going on??

And don't even get me started on the romance. It was insta-love, no chemistry, no understanding one another, and just... totally unnecessary. I'd rather the relationship had been taken out completely and she just focused on realigning her moral compass instead.

Also, for a book about dragon languages, there was a sad lack of dragons until the last 60 pages or so.

Overall I enjoyed the concept behind A Language of Dragons. The overall idea is really intriguing, and the characters, species and setting are interesting. Developmentally though, it reads a little immature. Character interaction and even the world building itself was somewhat underdeveloped or even half finished. You’re able To get the basic premise of what the author is trying to convey, but feel like you’re receiving a muted version. The pacing is clunky at times and too fast at others. I feel like this series has the opportunity to be something really incredible with a bit more attention to detail and character growth both individually and through their interactions. The anatomy and history of the dragons is really interesting and I wanted to know more. As it stands, it comes off almost middle grade in writing style. I’m hopeful with time and experience, the author is able to add more depth as the series progresses.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this advanced Copy of A language of Dragons.