A Language of Dragons is an immersive, fast-paced story about a young translator who accidentally starts a civil war, and must decipher a dragon code to save her parents. I adored this story and I read it in about 2 days! The protagonist Vivien is a three-dimensional, realistic character, who makes mistakes, loves her family, gets angry, and all-in-all, acts like the 17 year old girl she is. I found it very easy to put myself in her shoes and the story hooked me very quickly. The supporting cast are also interesting, well-written characters, and I especially liked Dr Seymour. The romance is nice, if very classic YA, which is to be expected, and I liked her love interest. The worldbuilding itself was awesome, and the world felt convincingly real. The dragons were handled well, and serviced the plot immensely, not just scattered on the side to market the book (to booktok *cough cough*) The comparisons to Babel, which are the reasons I reached for the book to start with, are fitting in the academia and language elements. I will say that some lines in the start of the book feel a little like they are paraphrased FROM Babel, but the overall plot obviously is vastly different. I was on edge the whole last 30% of the book and could not put it down. This truly was a fantastic debut from SF Williamson, and I can’t wait for the sequel!

Vivien lives in 1923 London where things are tense between the classes and with the dragons. She is about to get her dream internship as a dragon translator when her family is arrested. Unwittingly she causes war to break out. She is recruited as a codebreaker, to aid the war effort, a chance to save her family. If she succeeds they all go home, if not they die. But all in this war are not as they seem...

The narrative has a warm, matter-of-fact tone and is utterly readable. We enter Vivien's life calmly but are then needled with intrigue, tidbits about future reveals and occurrences everywhere, while the first jaw-drop happens a few pages in. It is as easy as breathing to take in this world since the author successfully gives us what we need as the story goes along — no long paragraphs of infodumping needed. Observant details set the scene. The 1st person POV in present tense makes you feel like you are living it — things are more intense.

This book is well-paced, thrilling as the action is described in a breath-stealing 'visual' way, but as fun as it is, it is also quite gut-wrenching. A group of strangers or not-so-strangers thrown together for a common goal, rushing against a deadline with dire consequences on the line, is always enthralling. I love the sense of discovery we share with Viv. Dragons in our world as a norm and the incredible mythology the author dreamed up to go with it is brilliant. Wonderfully unpredictable, you never know what will happen next. I really enjoyed the 'documents' before different chapters that helped us immerse deeper into the world and gave us info in a creative way. I especially loved that document at the end *sly smile*

A linguist who knows dragon languages as a hero is something I have never seen before. Her world is turned upside-down but clever as she is, she takes action immediately. Of course she is not infallible, she makes mistakes, some costly, but she continues to try. This makes her relatable and endearing. Her stupidly courageous mouth always has her on the edge of trouble but I like it when she speaks her mind. A flawed heroine who needs a kick in the butt more often than not, but we love her all the more for it. Her ambition and self-preservation often trip her up on the way to doing the right thing. The evolution of our protagonist and the ways she thinks ring true as she loses her naiveté and her blind belief in the powers that be.

Marquis is an absolute treasure and must be protected at all costs. There is a character in which you are surprised by their involvement, then you acknowledge it could not be any other way. Additionally, we have an unexpected romance-to-be that cannot be that had me smiling a lot though it also had my heart lurching.

One of the most diabolical forms of impediment to freedom is the one you do not know is happening. When your liberties are being imprisoned and you don't even realize. Are you free just because you have been taught you are? This book delves deep into societal discrimination and equality. It is natural and beneficial to question things.

A story of determination, self-awareness and a revolution in all its capacities, I may have read the best book of this year already! So full of dragons your heart will burst with glee, fraught with danger and nail-biting suspense, devious deeds, beyond shocking reveals and utterly engrossing. It is so good you want to scream it from the rooftops.

“Every act of translation requires sacrifice”

This was such a great story, I was hooked from the beginning, with an alternate London where dragons exist and live alongside humans.

Our MC, Viv, was such an interesting & complex character to read. She is hard working & ambitious & has lived a life of privilege while also being in fear of losing it so she does whatever it takes to keep it.
She doesn’t see how privileged she is & blindly believes the propaganda.

But as she learns more she starts to see through the cracks & realises she can’t continue to turn a blind eye. But is also conflicted because it means she will lose her privileged life.
It was so frustrating to see her ignore the reality in front of her & how those who cared for her had tiptoe around her when it came to speaking against the government & rebellion.
But it also felt very real watching her come to terms with things she had been told her whole life being a lie & ultimately had me rooting for her to understand that her life would also be better if she didn’t have to live in fear of losing everything she worked for.

I loved seeing her complex relationships with her cousin & the other recruits & there is a slow burn romance with her rival.
I also loved seeing how dragons are incorporated in the world & how they are smart & they are also fighting for their freedom with the humans from the lower classes.

The book also gave the imitation game vibes as the characters are recruited to work in secret as war breaks out to crack the language that dragons use to communicate with each other that gives them an advantage over the humans in power. But they have to question whether they should be doing not if it can be done.

There are themes of revolution & fighting for the oppressed. The power of words & language & overcoming your own indifference when you live a life of privilege. There’s political intrigue & dark academia vibes amidst a civil war between power hungry leaders.

The build up & tension throughout the book leading to the explosive ending had me on the edge of my seat.

Bletchley Park… with dragons definitely drew me in to this and I was not disappointed, I loved the slow burn and intensity throughout,

I really wanted to like this - dragons, linguistics, an alternate universe, what’s not to like but unfortunately for me it just doesn’t work. Dragons coexist peacefully with humans in most of the world, in Bulgaria they actually run the country but in the UK they are subservient, that makes no sense. The biggest problem with this book is the female main character, she is shallow, selfish and for someone who is supposed to be clever she is also incredibly stupid.
This was definitely not for me, and I won’t be looking out for the sequel.

The world-building and the languages are beautifully done and thought out that it truly feels like a real world with so many breathing and living languages.

Vivien is also a truly complex character with actions done for her best interest while feeling guilty the entire time. She takes the time to learn more about herself and slowly gives herself a second chance.

The book is thoroughly well written with good plot twists if the pacing wasn’t weird. At the start, it’s one major action after another but by the end of chapter 3 or 4, the action is done and the pacing is even and steady for the rest of the story. It felt like I was being rushed to get from point A to B to C and then 300 pages of building before the next action sequence.

Overall it’s a good read but the pacing threw me off.

I won’t lie, I was a bit stressed starting this book. I had high hopes, but early reviews were mixed, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. While there are a few things I wish had been done differently, like spending more time with certain characters and exploring some aspects of the story more thoroughly, I ended up really enjoying it. A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson is a fantastic debut, and I’m already looking forward to the sequel! I also highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by Kristin Atherton, who also done Belladonna!

Set in an alternate 1923 London, A Language of Dragons takes place in a world where humans and dragons coexist under a fragile peace treaty. The story follows Vivien Featherswallow, a young and talented linguist fluent in several human and dragon languages. When her family’s safety is threatened, Vivien is coerced into working as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park, tasked with deciphering a hidden dragon language. As she delves deeper, she uncovers corruption within the peace treaty and must decide who to trust as her entire worldview collapses around her.

Prepare for a love-hate relationship with Vivien. She’s infuriatingly rash, naive, and narrow-minded at times. She constantly makes selfish decisions, prioritising herself and her family regardless for the consequences for those around her. However, her character development is worth the patience. Watching her grow from an unthinking girl into a young woman grappling with complex moral and ethical dilemmas, caught between a corrupt government and rebellious factions, was both fascinating and incredibly realistic.

What I loved most about this book was its focus on languages and translation. You can tell the author has a linguistic background, as everything is presented in a way that’s both engaging and easy to understand. While some might find it a bit dense or info dumpy, I thought it was a highlight of the book. I’ve even seen comparisons to Babel by R.F. Kuang, which makes me want to finally pick that one up this year!

Although the book wasn’t perfect, it was a pleasant surprise. The plot was engaging, and I loved how languages and translations were woven into the narrative. That said, I did wish for more action, better-developed side characters, relationships and romance. The romantic subplot while sweet felt underdeveloped at times. Although, if a certain character doesn’t make it to the second book, I will riot!

While this may not be a story that stays with me forever, it left me wanting more. I’m ready for the sequel! Here’s hoping for more action, DRAGONS, and political intrigue in the next book!

Amazing. Like blood over bright haven meets babel meets dragons. I loved the concept of language and communication being what wins the war just like in the real world wars. The addition of dragons and class wars and politics made this even better. Every character was detailed and well fleshed out, and had their own backstories and motivations. The growth of some of the characters and moral conflicts they faced were incredibly well thought out. Honestly a masterclass in writing I devoured this in one day. A compelling plot with excellent characters.

I was really intrigued by this based on the “Bletchley park with dragons” tagline and even though it’s not my usual genre I enjoyed this story. The characters were well rounded and brought to life, and I really enjoy3d the world building around the setting in both time and place. I did however find big chunks of this asked the reader to take a leap in plausibility (and I don’t just mean the existence of a world with dragons)such as the whole future of war effort being reliant on the shoulders of ‘criminal’ teenagers. The fact that there hadn’t been a rebellion prior to this stage seems implausible. And honestly the romance elements between the characters seemed forced and unnecessary. However, that all being said, it was a gripping page turner.

Oh my gosh, I just inhaled this book (whilst working full time) in less than 72 hours. LOVED. IT.

The last 50 pages had me sobbing, and I am desperate to know what happens next.

language of dragons is like if rf kuang decided to put dragons in babel, and i’m so here for it. the use of linguistics and translation were so well written and explained.

did i mention dragons????

i adored the dragons in this book. they weren’t all bad or all good. they had personalities, desires and hate. they had everything a person would have, but in the shape of a dragon. i really loved that they weren’t mindless creatures and actually had a lot of work put into their creation.

the only thing i disliked about this book was the setting. it’s set after WW1, and i dislike any historical setting between 1901-2010. that’s a me thing, and plenty of people love that. i just can’t get into those types of books very easily. despite this, i still really enjoyed this book, it just made that initial setup and getting into it a little slower.

the characters in a language of dragons were so enjoyable to read about. they, like the dragons, had a lot of thought put into their backstories. everyone had a purpose. everyone had flaws and weaknesses. everyone felt real.

i highly recommend everyone checks out this book, as it went above and beyond what i was expecting for it. i suspect it’ll be a hit.

"Language is as crucial to war as any weapon"

Wow, what a fantastic debut novel by S.F. Williamson!

Although this book is categorised as teen/YA, as an adult I devoured this book.

A Human/Dragon adventure like no other. Clever concept with with Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Dark Academia vibes that combines linguistics, politics, class system, rebel coalitions, battles and of course cool dragons.

Set mainly in Bletchley Park in 1923 we follow Vivien Featherswallow, who is offered a job as a code breaker of the language of dragons in order to save her parents. Along with her friends, family and enemies we join their journey of mistakes, redemption, betrayal, loss, love, friendships and justice.

Although I would have loved just a touch of magic in the story it did not detract from such a brilliantly original piece of writing.

A medium paced code-breaking fantasy delight in an imaginary world with some wonderful characters.

I can't wait for book 2.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC

Babel with dragons. As a translator, I had to love it. ^^ It’s a bit info dumpy at times, the same way Babel is too. So... prepare yourself ! ^^

A Language of Dragons is a YA historical fantasy that I absolutely loved. It is set in a post war era and takes a some inspiration from World War 2 codebreakers of Bletchley Park. It has dark academia vibes and gave me similar feeling to Divine Rivals which I also loved. In this world Viv our main character is skilled in several human and dragon languages which makes her useful to the Government in assisting them to break a code used by Dragons. There are lots of twists and turns with lots of political intrigue and the world building is very well done to create a full, descriptive and believable setting. I really enjoyed the character development throughout this book as well. I particularly enjoyed that the characters felt realistic as teenagers/young adults swept up in a war environment.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how this story develops and cant wait to read more in this series.

It's hard to not want to read a book when the cover of said book looks like this. Don't get me wrong, I usually don't buy or get books based on the cover alone. However, in this case the cover caught my attention and I just got too curious. I requested a copy via Netgalley and luckily Harper Fire granted me a digital review copy.

From the very first page this book grabbed me and refused to let me go. That's firstly because of the writing. It feels like we're there, with the heroine, present in the moment. We feel what she feels and therefore it's easy to feel FOR her and to root for her, despite the fact that some of her choices are morally wrong. We understand why she does what she does, though.

I also loved the world-building. The story takes place in the world as we know it, with buildings and landmarks we're familiar with, with historical events we remember all too well. However, this time there are also dragons and it doesn't make everything easier. Especially the politics gets a lot more complicated and yet it works.

And then there's the politics. In a way there is a lot going on, but the heroine of the story also knows close to nothing, which means we discover everything at her pace. And the more we learn, the more sense it starts to make and the more amazing it becomes. I can't wait for the next book to be released, because it's clear that this story is far from over!

Viv is studying dragon languages. She wants to have a good career so that her little sister never has to fear being demoted to a third class citizen. There isn't much besides suffering in the third class.

Things are going well until her parents and cousin are arrested as suspected rebels. In an effort to destroy evidence against them, she might have also destroyed the peace agreement between humans and dragons.

I really liked this! I don't read very much YA anymore, but this has dragons so of course I had to check it out! I love the idea of an alternate world where humans and dragons coexist.

Thank you, Harper Fire and S. F. Williamson, for approving my request for a digital arc of A Language with Dragons.

What a stunning debut and fantastic book to kick off the 2025! A Language of Dragon is a stunning, original historical fantasy story with an ingenious twist using World War 2 history about the work of Alan Turing and the code breakers of Bletchley Park, who broke the Enigma code used by the Nazis.

S. F. Williamson’s plot is full of high stakes, political intrigue, power, and burden of knowledge. The twists are vicious, like a blade to the throat with life-or-death consequences for failing to break a secret language of dragons in a conflict raging between the government, rebels, and dragons. The world-building is immersive, sculpturing incredible and vivid detail about the history, cultural, and political constructs of the story raging in this civil war in a world full of fear and flame.

The relationships between the characters are complicated with rivalry, secrets, and comradery as the teenage recruits are pitted together in a battle for survival. I loved that the dragons were so creatively fleshed out, and S. F. Williamson achieves the level of the Temeraire series by Naomi Novak with the rich, distinct dragon personalities of the dragons.

Be prepared to have a love-hate relationship with Vivian Featherswallow. She’s morally grey, intelligent, and infuriatingly rash. Her character development from this brash, unthinking girl to a young woman holding immense power in her hands and facing the moral and ethical dilemmas of survival caught in the fray of a war between corrupt government and rebel factions is incredibly realistic, full of anguish, and poignant.
An immersive, dragon-filled historical fantasy with high-stakes conflict and knife-edge moral quandaries in the shadow of war and rebellion against fear, injustice, and oppression. If you love clever historical retellings with a twist, morally grey main characters, set in a dark academic setting featuring dragons and political intrigue – this YA Dragon fantasy should be on your 2025 TBR!

This book is set in an alternative version of our world in 1920s where there are dragons who live alongside humans. The main character (Viv) is trying to translate a secret dragon language for the government to help them prevent a war between the government and a rebel group (who want to dismantle the government's class based human segregation system and stop the oppression of dragons in Britain) so that she can save her family.

The themes in this book are similar to Babel, although Babel definitely handles them better and with much more nuance. Viv is on the side of the government for most of the book, and she goes through a lot of mental gymnastics to justify her government's crimes because the system they have in place benefits her. She does grow as a person, but it is hard to read from her perspective the longer the story goes on, and it takes her way too long to get that character development.

This book was very easy to read and when the action was happening (and we were spending less time in Viv's head) it was so hard to put down. I loved how the dragons and dragon languages were done - I'm really hoping for more of the dragons in book 2!

The romance is very much meant to be fleebag / hot priest with the way that the love interest (Atlas) is a Catholic priest in training and some of the scenes and lines that were put in. However his religion isn't really given much thought - most of the world building is done really well and is really easy to understand, but that doesn't extend to Atlas's religion which feels like it's just there to fulfil the hot priest fantasy and isn't given much depth.

Overall, if you mind how religion is handled and don't like having an unlikable protagonist with hard to read viewpoints, then this isn't for you. But if you don't mind those things and you like dragons and themes of decolonisation and Catholic priest romance in an easy to read fantasy book, then you would probably enjoy this.

This was an enjoyable book.
I felt as if I was at Bletchley with the characters feeling their emotions and worries.
I grew to really like Vivien, Marquis, Atlas, Sophie and Karim. As I got into the story I understood their decisions were based on fear of going back to the class system which had been established.
Vivien did annoy me at times but there again she believed what she had been told she grew up not questioning and was focused on where she wanted to go in life.
She didn't see not everyone had the same chance and choices.
I loved the dragons their colours and the different personalities.
I really liked Marquis and Atlas and would want them as best friends. They always had Vivien's back.
Sometimes you aren't always on the right side to start with but you just need someone to give you a push in right direction. Where you end up and what you do is what matters. My heart broke a little at the end.
Looking forward to the next instalment.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

This was absolutely magical. A post WW1 Europe (mainly focused on Britain), a secret government service, a rebellion, dragons, linguistics and so much loss. I struggled getting into it at first (although that may just be that I wasn’t fully in the mood for it with it being Christmas). It was a really unique perspective on dragons in the UK and I am really trying not to spoil anything but there are so many things I want to say that they won’t quite come into words. It was beautifully written, incredibly emotional, and a very interesting story. I think if you are intrigued by anything about this book you should give reading it a go. And if like me you seem to struggle a bit at first, stick with it. It is worth it. It was also a great match up with this time of year, as we finished around Boxing Day.

🐉I received an ARC of this book and am leaving an honest review voluntarily🐉