1.5 ⭐️
I wanted so badly to love this :( and I'm so mad at this being falsely marketed!! it raised my expectations for no reason!
It was written so well, the writing flowed and I loved the political parts and how it can relate to real-life but by the time I reached the end, it just didn't do it for me
The premise of this book sounded so promising- dark academia, dragon code-breaking and political intrigue
And for the first 150 pages I loved it, thinking it was a 5 or 4 star rating for me and then it started going downhill
This is also nothing like 'Fourth Wing' and trust me, that's a good thing- the only thing it had in common with it was the dragons
And the only 'Hunger Games' aspect of this is in the last 150 pages when they are suddenly pitted against each other and one of them tries to kill the fmc and I don't even know what happens after that
Also the only similarities it has with 'Babel' is the language and translating parts, as well as the setting and political parts. Personally I think its an insult to Babel by comparing this to it because Babel was amazing and its far more in depth than this...

I’m gonna start off by saying that this was so very falsely marketed as slow burn enemies-to-lovers when it is anything BUT that
It was something more like 'potential-lovers-who-keep-squabbling-over-the-morals-of-politics-and-take-so-long-to-make-out-because-the-guy-is-a-priest-in-training-who-can’t-date-but-still-flirts-with-the-girl-for-no-reason'
Seriously? A priest in training is the slow burn excuse? And then he suddenly realises that he doesn’t want to be a priest anymore because he’s in love with her?
he was trying to become a priest but still flirts with her for no reason? hello?! literally no reason?!
I don't know about anyone else but that's not slowburn and they never hated each other, so its not enemies-to-lovers either
The romance was really lacking and only developed halfway through, as if the author just remembered that it existed, and it was also kinda insta-lovey
Omg smhhhh

Another of my biggest problems was Vivien, when I slowly started to realise that she's so incredibly shallow, selfish and naive
Like yes we all make mistakes and its important to forgive yourself and own up to it but there's no need to be so angsty over it and bring it up every single page for 100 pages
It seems like Vivien was supposed to be morally gray or an antihero but that concept failed badly
For someone who is some academic scholar, she sure comes across as dense
Omg give me patience with this girl- she literally spent half the book debating with her cousin, crush and ex-bestie that their corrupt political system is not corrupt at all and that she doesn’t care about anyone and anything as long as she saves her parents and little sister
like yes, what about your 5 year old sister that you are gonna save- is she going to end up in a corrupt civil war society? like what happens after you save them?
and she suddenly switches in the last 50 pages of the book when she realises she can forgive herself for all the horrible things she's done?

the ending left room for a sequel but if there is, I'm definitely going to skip.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

content/trigger warnings: physical abuse/assault (fmc gets slapped, her arm broken, choked and bruised by this soldier guy) , child abuse (giving them scars on their arms whenever they get a grade thats not 'outstanding'), blood, child death, death

My first five star of 2025 releases. This is an incredible debut book, and one which I could not put down. I honestly can not praise this more.

In short, and as per the blurb, we live alongside Dragons, but the peace agreement isn’t all it seems to be, and the Prime Minister wants to “get ahead”…..we move to Bletchley Park (that infamous place..) to break the dragon codes.

I’ve made this sound very simple, but it’s not - it’s a tale of treachery, love, family bonds, and danger. Oh..:and dragons.

Absolutely enthralling, and obsessive.

My thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, Children's for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[ARC provided by NetGalley and A Language of Dragons. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Harper Fire.]

Rating: 3/5

Before getting into this review, I think it’s important to acknowledge that a few external factors may have resulted in me enjoying this a little less than I hoped I would. Mainly, I’d recently finished another dark academia book which has become a new favorite for me and, unfortunately, I think anything with similar themes was going to feel lackluster in comparison.

A Language of Dragons is by no means an unenjoyable book, and although I struggled with it at times, I’m also conscious that my reading tastes are growing further away from the majority of YA reads as the years go by. That being said, this is still a fun and interesting book that I’m sure many will enjoy, and I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a dragon story with some depth.

Set in an alternate 1923 London where dragons and humans coexist, A Language of Dragons introduces us to Vivian Featherswallow, a young scholar who will stop at nothing to secure a safe future for herself and her family. With the threat of class demotion looming over her head, Vivian’s goal is an internship studying dragon languages, but when family secrets come to light and she inadvertently starts a civil war, she will have to take a mysterious job as a codebreaker or else her family will be killed for their crimes.

I’ve seen a lot of people liken this to Babel and Fourth Wing and I’d agree with that, but please keep in mind that it’s the academia and dragon side of Fourth Wing that you’ll find here, and not the prominent romance. Of course, there is still some romance in this book, but it’s a little more subtle and quite slow burn. Others have been calling it ‘enemies-to-lovers’ but I don’t think that’s true - at a push, it’s a slight dislike to love. The Babel similarities, however, are pretty strong. Language and the complexities of translation are strong themes, along with societal inequality, the impact of war on a society, and the difficulties with loyalty in times of conflict.

My main issue with this book was the main character, Vivian, who I often found to be insufferable. Frustratingly, I could understand why she acted in certain ways and that her belief system was being challenged daily, but going through such a large portion of the book with her in this headspace was unenjoyable for me. This, paired with a romance that felt weak and other characters that lacked depth, made large portions of the book drag.

Despite not loving the overall story, I found that the climax gripped me to the point where I am intrigued about what will happen in the next book. Admittedly, I’m not sure if I’ll get around to reading it, but if at any point you’re a little unsure of this story then I’d say the ending makes up for it. The final chapters set up some very intriguing developments which I’m sure will make for a great book two.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the book for me, but don’t let my review put you off. If you’re new to dark academia then I think this would be a great starting point, and if you like historical fiction with some fantasy elements then you’ll probably enjoy this. I’ll still be recommending this to others and I’ve no doubt that A Language of Dragons will receive a warm reception from readers.

3.5* I came to this book straight after reading ‘Iron Flame’. The Fourth Wing comparisons do it no favours., just left me feeling disappointed. Yes, there are dragons but there the similarities end. The enemies-to-lovers angle is overplayed too.
This story is more about politics, language and codes. It is slow with little spurts of action. There is quite a lot of information about translating languages, which i did find interesting but may not have a lot of appeal for the intended audience. I liked all the bits about the class system and its unfairness too. The romance is slow and minimal. i can see promise in the story if it continues as a.series but it hasn’t found it’s stride just yet.

Just wow, this was so brilliantly complex with different languages and political controversy. I’m happily rating 4.75 rounded to 5 stars.

I devoured this book, it was interesting and heartbreaking. Our FMC isn’t really that likeable at first, but you can appreciate her difficult position and the fact she is basically a teenager. She is basically blackmailed and used throughout this story for political gain and to maintain the fragile peace with the dragons. War is looming from every angle and our FMC is at the heart of things.

This book had so much to love about it, I enjoyed the fact it was devoted to the plot and had a smidge of romance plus some strong friend connections throughout. Literally so excited to see what happens next.

I was intrigued by this book just from the title alone. Once I opened the book, I couldn't put it down! Dragons, mixed with a dark academic setting political intrigue, and linguistics is the perfect blend for a fast-paced read. I loved the morally grey FMC and the vivid world-building. I want to explore this world more, and I hope the author might revisit it again in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of this book.

In a dystopian world, Viv desperately wants to succeed as a linguist specialising in dragon languages. When her parents are arrested she is forced to make some difficult decisions, which make her reflect on the supposedly just society she has worked so hard to join. Viv is an interesting character, she is pretty focussed on her future and fairly blinkered to what is going on around her, even when her best friend vanishes. She's not ready to face anything until her parents arrest and comes across as rather self-centred and naïve. Nether-the-less you do enjoy her painfully slow awakening, her regret and her desire to atone.

I did not continue with this despite getting 45% in, at which point you'd think I'd finish it considering how far I'd come. I'm seeing the imagine to man digging for diamonds and turning away before the end but not here. I couldn't deal with Vivian I'm sorry but she isn't likeable and I totally understand that not every protagonist has to be likeable and the who complicated female charactes etc. But she's insufferable, she's arrogant and selfish and an idiot for someone supposedly so educated. I'm not rooting for her, I enjoyed when she wasn't on the page which I think says something when I like everyone but the main character and that fact that A Language of Dragons is in first person made the whole situation worse.

Thank you to Harper and Williamson for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow!

I got hooked from the very first page! I loved this one so much that I did not want it to end!

The Language of Dragons has everything you need and more. It is a story of love, loyalty, second chances and redemption. It is filled with plots and twists made to keep the reader entertained all the way to the very last word.

From the blurb I expected something along the lines of enigma where a team of the brightest minds come together to break the enemies morse code or something to win a war. This book was not what I expected - it was so much more intricate than that in the best possible way! I mean a post-WWI type Britannia with dragons and a bunch or brilliant teenagers, including Vivian Featherswallow our FMC, are shipped off to a government facility where they are being incentivized *coughthreatened/blackmaliedcough* to break the silent dragon language.

The story is a blast of a pic proportions, and off course the dragons are amazing! You can definitely tell that the author is well-versed in the art of translation and languages from the way Vivian, our FMC, works to break the mystery of the hidden dragon language. I see others saying the book was influenced by Babel with the languages but since I haven't read that one I can only go off of my own lived experience with English being my second language. I can relate to the author's description of nuances and how "every act of translation requires sacrifice" going from one language to another - and what is lost in translation is the purview of the translators - some words and phrases just don't translate to English and it is only pale comparisons to what the meaning is in the original language.

I did NOT expect this level of well crafted and intricate story telling, political and social commentary and all the following intricacies. For me it's either a hit or miss with a debut author, but Williamson hit the bullseye!

The political and social commentary is incredible, especially with the state of the world now! "People shouldn't fear their prime ministers. Prime ministers should fear their people." This is more relevant than ever. As is "Peace isn't peace if it's only given to some."

The book is really good at showing how propaganda influences Viv, who lives in the comfortable middle class in the heavily segregated Britannia, where she doesn't see/experience the horror of the lowest class. This is also pointed out to her, by a dragon nonetheless:

"I have no interest in political debates-" "Only because you are privileged enough not to be be concerned by them."

I definitely didn't expect all this societal commentary in a YA! What I did expect was flipflopping from teenagers and Vivian's actions is YA to the core - everyone else have strong morals or stand steadfast by their convictions, however black or white, good or bad they are, while Viv's actions and intentions changes direction several times on the same page. So yay to YA readers facing this obvious segregation of human society and vilification and 'othering' of dragons from a government can cripple a society, and how facing it head on is the only way to realise the ugly truth so you can move past it and to finally be able to change the injustices.

I'm rambling, sorry, this story just hit a subject I feel needs to get a very bright spotlight.
A last sticking point for me is the enemies-to-logers tag is so frustrating because Viv and the love interest are never enemies to begin with.

I'm giving it 4.5 glowing stars rounded up to 5 stars.

Set in 1920's Britannia, the country is in an uneasy truce with the dragons. When Vivienne's parents and cousin are arrested she inadvertently starts a war, To redeem herself and her family she is asked to use her skills as a dragon linguist to find out more about the dragons' secret language along with other recruits. The recruits are pitted against each other with surprising results.
I wasn't sure what to think of this book initially as the detailed focus on the dragon language sometimes hindered the flow of the plot for me. I did however love the parallels to British history, which I think older children will enjoy. By the time I was halfway through the book, I was already hoping that there was going to be a sequel.

A Language of Dragons is set in a really fun, interesting alternate reality. It's the UK, post-WW1, but dragons are a normal part of life. A war and following 'peace agreement' between the humans and the dragons has caused tension between the communities and led to a very restrictive class system and mistreatment of both dragons and the lower classes. Our protagonist, Viv, is a polyglot who speaks numerous dragon languages, and finds herself in a tricky situation forced to work at Bletchley Park as a translator and codebreaker.

It's such a fun premise, and I loved a lot of the world building. The dynamics and politics between the different communities, and how those of a lower class were treated, were all really interesting to read about. Where it fell flat for me was the main chunk of the book set at Bletchley Park. I didn't believe the setup or why they needed a bunch of teenagers to help them win the war. Some of what they were needed to do, and the fact that apparently intelligent, educated adults weren't able to figure out some basic things, didn't make sense to me. I slightly lost interest as I was no longer 'buying in' to the story and it lost its urgency. It was still enjoyable, though, and a fascinating idea.

Recommended for YA fans.

A Language of Dragons by S. F. Williamson? Consider me HOOKED. 🔥 A 1920's London where dragons exist and codebreaking is a thing? Bletchley Park vibes but make it fantasy and Dark Academia? Yeah, I was all in from page one.

Let’s talk about Vivien Featherswallow — yes, her name is a whole vibe, and so is she. Viv’s not your typical Chosen One, and I loved her for it. She’s messy, stubborn, and makes questionable decisions, but she’s so real. The way she’s clawing her way through a system stacked against her while trying to protect her sister? My heart. ❤️ She’s flawed, but it makes you root for her even harder.

Now Atlas… sigh ✨ The dark, broody mystery boy. I wanted more of him. Don’t get me wrong — his chemistry with Viv? Chef’s kiss 👌😘 but… the insta-love was just a little too insta for me. A couple of secret notes and nighttime meetings had them falling hard, and I just wanted to see more tension, more build-up, y’know? Give me the longing, the pining, the slow burn. 🙌

PM Wyvernmire, her nephew, Ralph, and the Deputy PM? Actual menaces. The way they had me screaming at the book.... I despised them, which means they did their job as villains perfectly. Sophie and Marquis, though, were the side characters I needed. Sophie’s dynamic with Viv added so much depth to the story, and Marquis? Iconic. I’d join the fan club. 🤍 I just wish some of the other side characters got as much spotlight because the potential was there.

Let’s talk about the plot — dragons, war, and codebreaking secrets? Yeah, I was living. The dragon language angle was super cool and gave it this unique twist I wasn’t expecting. It was like if Babel and Fourth Wing had a 1920's baby, but Williamson kept the pacing fast enough that I never got bored. Did I see all the twists coming? No. Did I scream at that cliffhanger of an ending? Also no because I was too busy sobbing. I NEED book two ASAP, and I’m looking at S. F. Williamson like: don’t leave me hanging here. 😭

The dragons. Ohhhh the dragons. Chumana is EVERYTHING. Easily my fave character—wise, sassy, and shrouded in mystery. The whole dragon language plot line was so original and fascinating, and I loved piecing together the secrets alongside Viv. 🐉

Overall? This was such a strong debut. The vibes? Immaculate. The dragons? Iconic. The story? Full of war, betrayal, and enough twists to keep me turning pages like my life depended on it. If the romance had been a bit more slow-burn and the side characters had a bit more spotlight, it would’ve been an easy 5 stars. But you already know I’m pre-ordering book two.

OK so I don't typically like the whole academia trope but this.... This did it so well that it's made me LOVE the trope. A whole book dedicated to learning the hidden language of dragons, an Mc who thinks she's just inherently bad for wanting to save her family and screw the rest of the world and the shocking deaths, alliances and romances that happen within the book are just incredible. I could NOT put it down and absolutely cannot wait to hold a physical copy of this. So so glad I was able to read it early!

This was a lot of fun! A historical YA fantasy set in the 1930s during a period of tentative peace between humans and dragons, when the Prime Minister of Britannia (giving off definite Margaret Thatcher vibes) rules the country with an iron fist. Our main character is a part of a group of teenaged 'misfits'- young people who have for whatever reason broken the law and found themselves enemies of the regime - recruited to help decipher a secret 'code' the dragons are using to communicate. The reason she is perfect for the job is that she is fluent in a number of dragon languages.

I really enjoyed the way languages and translation played a big part in the narrative. I can see where the Babel comp came in, though the plot itself felt more like the Hunger Games. I also loved the atmosphere: the secret base in Bletchley Park, the looming war, the code-breaking - it was not only unique, but it was also worldbuilding as an intrinsic part of the story, rather than as set-dressing. Another thing I appreciated was the complicated relationships between the teenage recruits. There is comradery there, friendship and even love, but there is also rivalry, especially once the stakes rise and they are all pitted against each other. Viv was often an infuriating protagonist, but I appreciated her internal journey. It felt earned.

Finally, I feel like I need to add a little note here. The main reason I picked this book is because I was told that the main character's mother is Bulgarian and Bulgaria plays an important part in the narrative. As a Bulgarian living in the UK, I've rarely seen us represented in English-language literature, so I was excited! For any fellow Bulgarians, I feel like I should say, the rep is very surface-level. You could easily search and replace any mention of "Bulgaria" with any other Eastern European country, and there would be no further edits needed (it might even make more sense if you replace it with "Poland", since at one point the family eats pierogi!) This is by no means a criticism of the book - the story does not suffer due to lack of Bulgarian food or more info on, for example, the dragons from Bulgarian folklore, or how the timeline is supposed to work, given early 20th century Bulgarian history. It is simply a deeply subjective, small disappointment from one Bulgarian reader. Nevertheless, it did not hurt my enjoyment, and I'll be checking out the sequel.

I saw dragons and I was hooked. This epic adventure was everything I loved in an action adventure and I just can't wait for more!

I just finished and WOW, this is now my new favourite YA novel of 2024 and I need everyone to read it so I can talk about it with spoilers!

I gave it a solid 🌟5 stars🌟 because it totally blew me away and exceeded my expectations. Imagine Babel's translation elements in a similar dark academia setting but add in dragons! 🐉

I personally didn't enjoy Babel that much so whether you did or you didn't enjoy it but also want something similar that was more fantasy and fun then please pick up this one when it releases in January!

For me the world-building was easy to follow but still so rich and interesting that it pulls you into the story and makes you feel like you're right there with our FMC Vivien!

Add to that an enemies to lovers slow burn romance that gave me similar vibes to One Dark Window with an ending that will rip your heart out and leave you in a puddle of your own tears by the last page 💘✨

I highly recommend this and I can't wait to get my special edition copy of this as a trophy for my shelves!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. I'm posting my review on instagram on Sunday and will update link here when I do.

Until YALC I hadn't heard of this. And then I needed it and squealed to get an eARC. (Is Miss ok? She's fine, that's her just getting an exciting book that isn't out yet email squeal. - Not that my students know me too well xD)

Dark Academia, meets WWII Codebreaking at Bletchley, meets dystopia, A Language of Dragons is explosive from beginning to end. Draconic polyglot Viv is hiding secrets and she's not the only one as her parents are suddenly arrested for sedition and being involved in the human dragon coalition rebellion. Determined to free her parents and destroy the evidence, Viv frees a dragon and accidentally starts a civil war.

Arrested she's forced to work for the Government to decipher a hitherto unknown Dragon language to earn her family's freedom or she will join them in execution.

Rounded out by a diverse and clever cast @sfwilliamsonauthor challenges and reveals a world of oppression, injustice, and intolerance as Viv slowly realises everything she had believed in was a lie to prop up a corrupt government. Peppered with vicious twists, and gutting kicks to the feels, A Language of Dragons is a brilliant opener to what I hope will be a brilliant series. As a linguist this is exactly my kind of Dark Academia, and other reviewers have made parallels with Babel and they're right just less magic and more Dragons.

I cannot wait to get my mucky mitts on my special Waterstones edition but a massive thanks to the lovely people at @harperfirebooks for the approval on Netgalley.

When I first read the synopsis, I was drawn by the alluring combination.
I mean, who can resist a story set in London with dragons and their different languages.
And I think the comparisons to Babel are doing the book a disservice because Babel delves deeper into exploring and learning languages in comparison to A Language of Dragons, which gives the reader false expectations.
Let me start with the writing style and that I am sorry to say that it was like more telling and less showing and making you feel things instead of telling you this and that.
I loved how well the political part of the story was made, all the injustice and bad part of it and how the system affects people and their behavior and mindset. Including our main character Vivian, that was thought from a young age that she has to obey the rules to be granted a normal life. That's when my problem with Vivian comes—she is too naive and selfish, and she even goes out of her way to avoid what others around her show her how problematic and unfair their reality is. When we finally see some spark of recognition and change in her mindset, It feels too little too late, and somehow you can't redeem her in any way. All the more with what she did to Sophie…in my eyes, it is challenging to redeem her character from that, and the fast way Sophie forgave her for it was really strange.
The romantic part of the story for me was rushed, and I couldn't feel the chemistry between them and if it was there just for the sake of it.
The most intriguing and captivating character that held my attention was her cousin Marquis from the very beginning of the book.
All in all, I think this book wasn't for me, unfortunately. Although the cliffhanger at the end and the potential for how the story will evolve in the second book…. I'm not sure if I'm invested enough, and if I will take a look at the continuation.

I am going to have to buy this in Hardback to read. It was so good. I dont think i have ever read anything like it.

Tells the story of a young woman who is studying to be a translator of Dragon language. Her mother believes that all dragons have specific dialects and Viv is desperate to study at Cheltenham Ladies College, but they only take First Class applicants. A world class Professor visits Vivians home but not is all it seems and Vivs parents are arrested for breaching the Peace agreement and taken away. Viv decides to do something that puts the peace agreement in Jeopardy and she herself is arrested but then given a job as a codebreaker at Bletchley. I wont say anymore as i dont wish to spoil it for anyone.

I found myself all the way through just thinking what a brilliant job that must be, studying Dragon language to try and communicate effectively and keep the peace agreement between Dragons and Humans. How fantastic.

It is clever, deeply engaging, and had me hooked beginning to end. Im in my 50's too and i loved it.

What a unique and brilliant debut book. I feel the author has a bright future. Can we have a sequel? I am not on social media so no idea if this will be a series but i really hope so.

Catapulted to my 3rd best book of 2024 behind When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker and The Favourites by Layne Fargo. Well done!