4.5 stars!!
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I enjoyed this book so much! This was the first romantasy I've read in a while that felt refreshing and original. I feel like too many fantasy books I read tend to try and replicate or gather inspiration from The Hunger Games series, but this book and its storyline felt completely new. It was also pretty easy to follow along with the story- the world building wasn't intense or confusing.

It was fascinating following the characters as they navigated learning about dragons and the languages that they speak. I thought it was interesting to read about the class system in their society as we also follow a morally gray fmc. It reminded me a tiny bit of the Hunger Games districts in which lower class families starve while the upper classes (districts) thrive, also making me think about parallels to wealth and power in our own world. I did think that the romance was a bit lacking to me. I didn't quite buy in to the whole romance, although I liked the mmc.

Also, I am begging for a spin-off of Canna. That would be SO interesting and I think that would make such a compelling storyline.
Overall, so good!!! Read this when it comes out in January!

A Language of Dragons by S. F. Williamson is a mix of alternate fiction and fantasy. The story grabs your attention immediately with it's alternate London dystopian setting. The world building is wonderful, with it's class system, it's political system, and of course it's dragons. The characters were a little underwhelming though. Vivian was insufferable. She was selfish and naive, yet supposedly brilliant which did not combine efficiently into a solid character. The other minor characters were only partially fleshed out so you never really get a feel for who they are. The romance was minor but was a cute addition to the story. I just had hoped for Vivian to become a stronger character who stopped wavering in her beliefs.
Overall I liked the idea of the story, talking dragons and secret languages to discover. I would read the second book in the series and I hope that Vivian will be a stronger, more decisive character in that one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

This was well written and interesting.

I loved the alternate London with Dragons and how they fit into society. The whole race to be the first to break the code and the interaction between the characters was interesting.

Well ok! This has ended my reading slump. After a few lack luster entries, comes this gem. Vivian is one of those characters that you want to smack - she is so single minded in her thinking that she fails to see the forest for the trees. Her ambition is one thing and her love of her family is another; but I did enjoy seeing her grow over the course of the book and learning more about the world she's been so comfortable in and thinks is groovy to get back to.

I'm very much looking forward to more in this series.

Thai book had me from the first page. While not my usual genre, I couldn’t read fast enough. It’s set in the 1920s where class and social status rules and dictates who you are!
I loved Viv and understood her!
This book was so good!!!
No spoilers here, but you won’t want to miss this one!

This is an incredible start to a series. The world building is extremely immersive and well done and I love the concept of a world where dragons and humans co-exist and are trying to figure out how that works in regards to laws and politics. The stakes feel very high the entire book, which makes it hard to put down. I found the code breaking and linguistic elements very interesting to read. It has strong classism and government corruption themes and a lot of political intrigue.

There is a sprinkling of romance, but I definitely wouldn't call it an "enemies to lovers" romance and I do not recommend reading this book for the romance.

The reason I gave this book four stars instead of a five stars is because I feel like the side characters and the villain are underdeveloped and I found the main character to be frustratingly selfish.

I am very excited for the next book in this series and I really think it will be even better, but be warned, this book ends on a cliff hanger and leaves you feeling like "where's the rest."

Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins for the early review copy of this book.

I cannot wait for this book to hit the shelves! This had the most unique premise that includes dragons that I’ve ever read! This also was super cool because it helped me to dip my toes into historical fiction, which is a genre I’ve never gravitated towards, but this was phenomenal!! I work at B&N and this is one I will be highly recommending.

The Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson is a fantasy novel set in a world where humans and dragons coexist in a strict class hierarchy. Vivien Featherswallow, a Second Class citizen, deliberately frees a dragon named Chumana, sparking a civil war. As punishment, Viv is sent to Bletchley Park, where she works as a codebreaker tasked with deciphering the secret language of dragons. There, she reunites with her estranged best friend Sophie and a team of others fighting to turn the tide of the war.

The book has a promising premise, blending a fascinating world of dragons with wartime intrigue, but the execution falls short in several areas. The world-building, while detailed, drags in the opening chapters, making it difficult to become fully immersed. The characters also lack depth, leaving them feeling flat and unrelatable. For instance, For instance, Viv's break in her relationship with Sophie—a key plot point seemed poorly justified and lacked the emotional weight needed to make it believable. Similarly, Atlas, another central character, lacked the development needed to make him compelling as the lead male character and love interest for Vivien.

The dragons, often the highlight of fantasy novels, were surprisingly underwhelming here. Chumana, though pivotal to the story, didn’t inspire the awe or connection I hoped for in a talking dragon character. Additionally, the descriptions throughout the book were inconsistent. Critical details, such as Chumana’s size and Atlas’s appearance, were introduced late or in offhand comments, making it hard to visualize the story's events and characters until the climactic moments.

While The Language of Dragons wasn’t one of my favorite dragon novels, it has intriguing ideas and may appeal to readers who enjoy complex fantasy worlds and wartime plots. The story leaves several questions unanswered, hinting at a sequel, and I hope Williamson further develops her characters and world in future installments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing this book for review.

I loved the focus on the dragon languages. It gave this book a very unique space in the fantasy world compared to a lot of other dragon-based books. I was surprised to have an author’s note but it did help me not be annoyed with the main character the majority of the book since her motivations were clear. The ending wasn’t quite what I expected but was fine. It’s a solid conclusion to the story but leaves a few loose ends if this is a series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collin’s for the ARC!

The good:
Linguistics nerddom and codebreaking, world war 2 intrigue/fun alternate history, and compelling high stakes (a world war! a family torn apart!).

The bad:
Nothing to say here - I enjoyed every minute of this book. It was well written, well paced, and I will be looking forward to a sequel.

The ugly (silly complaints):
- Why is the love interest into Viv? They flirt, but Viv has nearly no redeeming qualities that he ever sees. She's brilliant and her internal struggle is great from the inside, but he's not around her when she's being brilliant and she's not a good person at the beginning especially. I wasn't a believer in the romance, but it didn't get in the way of my enjoyment.
- Man, our villain/prime minister is really, really dumb. Also a little unbelievably evil- like, pointlessly so.

Wow, this is a very strong debut. Very creative, based on phenomenal linguistic research, and simply a great idea for a fantasy novel.
First and foremost, the worldbuilding in this book is fantastic. It's strongly based on post-First World War Britain, but with dragons. Add to this a Hunger Games-like class system that divides society into categories. I truly appreciate how the author introduces us to this world; she avoids clumsy exposition and unnatural dialogue. What we know about the world, we learn step by step as the plot progresses.
Speaking of the plot, it's extremely engaging and well-crafted. I was invested from the very beginning. The stakes are high, and the tension is palpable. I couldn't put it down—I was eager to know what would happen next! I also really appreciate the deeper layer to the story - structural oppression and society's reaction to it.
I don't want to spoil anything, but if you liked Babel for its anti-colonial and anti-racist themes, you'll surely love this one too.
I also liked the characters. All of them, not just the FMC Vivian are multidimensional and, quite honestly, morally grey. It works great in a plot like this, where characters are dealing with a war situation and all have so much to lose. Some people complain about how the romance is developed-or rather, underdeveloped-in this book, but for me, it was not a problem at all. I was convinced by it as just a subplot. This isn't a romantasy novel. The romantic arc definitely adds stakes to the story but is not supposed to be the main focus. Overall, a great read.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read this book!

I am in my dragon era. I was drawn to this book because of the title and the cover. Dragons and Dark Academia! Yes please! That ending though!

I’m happy to have read this book! I even read it’s a debut? I can wait to see what more the author has in store!

This is definitely YA focus in terms of struggles and conflicts.
In my dragon era so I enjoyed that aspect of it.
There was pockets of droll but overall the story was decent.

Dragons in London. Language studies. Tension. Rebellion.
This is very much a Young Adult book.

This book has drama and a FMC who is discovering who she is through hard times. There is a minor love interest that does not include any spice. I rated it four stars because it was a bit repetitive at times and didn't hold me in its grasp enough that I could not put it down. The story is good and has potential for character growth and more action in future books.

This was such an enjoyable read! I loved the political intrigue, the unreliability of the MFC, the academia and of course the dragons!

I read that this was a standalone but if there is ever another book made I would LOVE to continue this story!

This was an ARC from NetGalley. This is a fresh, action-packed take on dragon fantasy. It was a nice blend of Fourth Wing, A Throne of Glass, and Hunger Games. The character had strong development with clear world building. I look forward to the next in the series, and where this story is headed. #netgalley #fantasy #action #dragons #femaleherione

I just read a book that blew me away. It is one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Williamson turns Bletchley Circle into a magical, horrifically cruel place. There isn’t magic per se. There are dragons, devices, and spies. Code breakers, polyglots, dead drops, and more tug you into one of the most famous places just after a Great War.

Vivian Swallowtail has a guilty secret. Now her parents have been arrested. Her baby sister given to others. She must help her country after one foolish action condemns her country to a brutal war. She and her fellow recruits have hard decisions ahead of them. Hard, dangerous choices that can save their country or betray it.

I am ready for the next in what I hope will be more than a trilogy. The world-building shows Williamson to be a master. She also creates the most complex draconian society.

It doesn’t end on a typical cliffhanger. There is closure and there is hope.

I think if this book didn't feature an extremely confusing aspect in the form of a specific dragon language, it could very well have been the next YA hit.

I still found it super bingeable and loved how we had talking dragons! But the importance of this "dragon language" never quite made sense to me and I found the same plot twist being used for multiple people to be a little lazy imo.

This was still an excellent debut novel from the author and I very much recommend it for anyone in the mood for a fast paced YA novel.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Language of Dragons, 4.5*

I’ve heard the buzz for this book recently, and I’m happy to say I’m joining in the hype. This was a really great debut from S. F. Williamson.

This is a YA story that has mass appeal in my opinion. The novel takes on issues of class systems, rebellion, privilege, and corruption. Set in an alternate reality 1920s London, the novel brings us into a world where dragons are not only real, but active participants in society.

The FMC is morally grey, and I found myself rooting for her in her journey. There is a love interest, but that relationship is more of a subplot to the bigger story. I’ve seen some reviews call this a romantasy and I would have to disagree. This is firmly fantasy that happens to have a romance as part of the story.

The main characters have layers to each of them. I liked that the FMC’s worldview was challenged throughout the story. She has to wrestle with that understanding constantly as she realizes some hard truths about the world she lives in. The writing was great, the academic aspects were very interesting, and it was a fast read. I’m very excited for the sequel set for 2026.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Harper Collins for giving me this ARC in return for an honest review.

"Dark Academia for fans of Babel..."
If you’re expecting dark academia, a believable romance, or any critique/exploration of the horrors of empire… look elsewhere.

In fact, R.F Kuang deserves a personal handwritten apology for the comparison because this is little more than a shallow attempt at best on the commentary Babel provides in regards to the power of language and translation as a tool for empire and conquest.

I would even go so far as to say that everything about this book is incredibly shallow; the politics of the war, the exploration of the class/caste system they operate in, the characters and their relationships to one another, and even the character growth that was practically nonexistent in the first place.. all very shallow and very surface level.

the writing quality is mind-numbingly simplistic, holding the readers delicate hand throughout the entire book, as if we're too stupid to get there ourselves. all while trapping us with an insufferable main character who can't see past her own privileges until its way too late. I commend the author for attempting to write from the perspective of a privileged character, but when that character undergoes zero growth until the very end, and more so from resignation than a real wanting to change, that plain ignorance becomes frustrating and she turns unlikable very quickly.

anyways... thanks to the publisher for the arc. 1 star for the premise because while it fell short it was unique and one star for the fact that i was able to finish it and it wasn't a dnf