The premise is great: Bletchley Park + dragons! But this is very YA and the main character’s growth arc isn’t quite carried off.

Vivian Featherswallow is similar to the FMCs in Blood Over Bright Haven and Some Desperate Glory in that she’s an ambitious and clever woman who fully believes in the dystopian society she lives in until she is forced to acknowledge the rot at its core. Unlike those in those other books, though, Viv is resistant for most of the book — the 80% mark — and even then continually looks for reasons to revert to her previous worldview.

This, along with her defeatism and willingness to place her own ambitions over her principles and friendships, make Viv a pretty unsympathetic character. I never warmed to her or her romance as a result.

This is YA, so the pretty one-dimensional villains and surface-level romance were disappointing but not surprising. They’re probably fine for the book’s intended audience, which isn’t me.

The story was exciting, thrilling, with a splash of romance. A relatively slow burn kind of book, but enjoyable plot and character development. I found Vivien to be a relatable human— often thinking of what I would do if in her position. While it wasn’t as attention-consuming as other dark academia fantasies on the market, this is a solid read for those looking to dip into an enemies-to-lovers dragon-based fantasy. While I enjoyed the story, plot, and development of the tale, I personally had difficulty tolerating the tones/accent of the narrator. Aside from that criticism, it was an enjoyable tale.

3.5
This book has a lot of interesting themes. I love exploring what our world would look like with dragons and I'm always down for a revolution. That being said, I found the main character pretty frustrating and the narration wasn't my favorite.

Wowza! Reading the description of this book, I was extremely interested but felt I had overcommitted to books with the same release date. Then the audiobook became available and I jumped on it, despite it being release day and I am so glad that I did.

I will admit that I debated my rating, I loved the book so so so much BUT there is a character called Atlas and he kept shrugging and it drive me INSANE! I almost deducted half a star but honestly, even with that it was AMAZING!

Vivian is a "second-class" citizen in Great Britain, which is separated into a class system and the threat of becoming "third-class" looms as a threat. There are dragons everywhere, but there were more during her childhood. She is a polyglot, speaking a large number of dragon tongues. Her mother escaped Bulgaria as an infant when the dragons there rose up and killed all the humans. When her family is arrested on suspicions of being rebels, she is offered the opportunity to save them if she works to break a dragon "code" for the prime minister. As she discovers more and more, she begins to suspect that her government is corrupt and must decide between saving those she loves and the country she loves.

The narration of the audiobook was perfect, even for the Bulgarian accents. Despite the length of the book, it is very fast-paced and a fun story.

This is considered YA, with the main character being 17. While it is totally appropriate for high school, I do not think it should be limited with a YA label. I think it should be read widely.

Thank you to Net Galley, Harper Collins, and Harper Audio Children's for the DLC. All opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️
Starting the year with A Language of Dragons truly set the bar high for 2025 debuts! This book was a breath of fresh air—original and captivating from chapter one.

Set in a reimagined early twentieth century, with gaslamp fantasy vibes. Think “The Imitation Game” meets Babel meets The Hunger Games with talking dragons a la Fourth Wing (but done way more complexly).

I went into this almost entirely blind and would recommend you do the same! But a brief premise is that our FMC, Viv, lives with her younger sister, older cousin, parents and uncle in a Britain divided by three class systems. They’re in the Second Class, and hope with the right education, the younger generation can be elevated to First. Schooling is very important, as are the class passes each student must carry, because it dictates where you live, shop, and who you can associate with. Dragons used to be a more integral part of society, but have slowly been pushed out and unfairly discriminated against under the current Prime Minister.

Within the first few chapters, Viv’s parents, uncle and cousin Marquis are arrested for being suspected rebels and conspiring with the dragons. She is intent on keeping her little sister Ursa safe and freeing her family, no matter the cost. And as a student of both human and dragon languages, Viv is in a special place to possibly help her government. She’s is a very naive 17, but I feel that it worked well for her character growth and the way she sees the world is understandable.

This was a 5 star read from the jump and only got demoted half a star with the way the romance played out. That said, I loved this book, will be shouting its praises from the rooftops and eagerly await the next installment!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced audiobook review copy. The narration was top notch and highly engaging. All opinions are my own.