Class wars. Political intrigue. An ambitious main character who dives into an ocean of libraries and books and codes, armed with a deep love and respect for languages. All of this, set in a richly imagined world where dragons lurk around every corner, and narrated with genuinely lovely writing. Perfect for classical fantasy fans who like their stories with a heap of empathy and *fiery* revolution!

"EVERY ACT OF TRANSLATION REQUIRES SACRIFICE.
Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons."

The concept behind A Language of Dragons immediately hooked me, taking inspiration from Bletchley Park and codebreaking but with dragons (I mean come on)! And honestly it was far better I initially imagined. Not only do we get codebreaking and dragons which are a part of day to day life, we examine an dystopian society filled with corruption, class systems and the use of language as power.

A Language of Dragons is a fast-paced, exploration of the power of language and translation as well as how far people will go to protect those they love, even if their actions go against the greater good. It explores how belief in what you've been told your entire life can be hard to break.

I loved the premise of the book, which was what originally led me to request to read this book. But I think for me the pacing felt a little too quick for my liking in the pace of the first chapter so much happens and so much information is thrown down. For me I would've liked the pace a little slower to really delve into this world with dragons and to properly learn who our main characters are and form some sort of bond with them.
I think the writing was okay in parts, there were sometimes where is felt a little perplexing and somewhat simple for this unique world, I would've liked a little more description to further draw me into this world and leave me hooked.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I was intrigued by the premise of this one, an alternative Bletchley with Dragons. For me personally it was just ok, I found the main character Vivien rather annoying at times and also certain themes became repetitive. I would recommend this for YA readers who like dragons/dark academia.

I was drawn to A Language of Dragons because the idea of Babel mixed with dragons sounded like one of my favourite concepts ever for a book, so I'm glad to say that I really enjoyed this one! I'm fascinated by linguistics and translation, and this was a really intriguing way to explore some of those topics through a fantasy lens. The plot is fast-paced and kept me engaged throughout, and I really was invested in Vivian's journey as she comes to understand herself and those around her. The romance was sweet but underdeveloped at times, and whilst the rest of the characters could have been explored in more depth they were still interesting to read about. I really liked the themes of rebellion and corruption, too, and I'm definitely intrigued to see where the plot goes in the next instalment.

If the concept of codebreaking crossed with dragons appeals to you, I would definitely recommend. 3.5 stars.

A Language of Dragons is a debut novel by S.F. Williamson and it follows Vivien Featherswallow in London, 1923. In this alternative London, dragons fly in the skies. Vivien wants to get an internship studying dragon languages which will stop her and her sister moving to the third class. Her parents end up arrested so she ends up working as a codebreaker to help the war effort. Vivien has hopes to discover the secrets of different dragon languages but she starts to question what people are fighting for.

This was enjoyable to a certain extent, I think for young adult readers this will be a hit because Vivien was a relatable character to follow and it was easy to emphasise with her. Personally it didn’t grip me like I was hoping for but I can see others loving it.