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!

I absolutely loved this book. Rife with humans and dragons, slow burn and politics, ALoD is the first book in a mesmerising world filled with a class system, characters who are flawed and a story that is filled with Dark Academia, a rebellion, and a secret coding team that aims to decode the hidden language of dragons.

The main character, Viv is someone who loves her family fiercely. She then starts a war by colluding with a criminal library dragon and discovers that her worldview may not be the way it is. I liked the inclusion of politics, and an almost authoritarian system - where democracy does not exist and the citizens are classified under different classes. Much like the aristocrats and commoners, only this time its first to third class.

There are several fantastic parts of the book, including the world-building and how dragons learn many languages at an early age. At the heart of it all, is Viv a polyglot who speaks several languages including dragon languages and Bulgarian, her mother-tongue. Plot-wise, it was exciting and the romance was a slow-burn and was well done!

As for the other characters like Atlas, I like that despite him being a Seminarian (Priest-In-Training), his relationship with Viv cemented his character despite his religious beliefs.

In all, the plot was filled with dragons, politics, a rebellion, and a brave heroine who’s flawed and needed quite a bit of talking to see behind her rose-colored glasses. The end was such a surprise and I can’t wait for the sequel!

This story was much more than I was expecting and I loved it for that. Set in an alternate London, I loved the way it delved into class politics through the lense of language. It was an incredibly clever story with a lot going on to keep you constantly engaged. I enjoyed the side plot and the main characters depth and discovery.

The only thing that fell a bit flat for me was the description. Sometimes I couldn't envision what was happening and who people were. Mainly Altas, his job and what he looked like really confused me for a lot of this.

Great debut, I'd recommend to anyone who likes dark academia, war torn countries and dragons!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - absolutely fabulous book with dragons and academic adventures.

📖Dark academia
🐉 Dragons
📖 War
🐉 Strong FMC
📖 Slow-Burn Romance
🐉 YA Fantasy

I went into this book with little idea of the world and story. I wanted to go in blind and it did not disappoint. I was engaged and absolutely addicted.

The story follows the FMC Vivian through her acts of aiding in the war developing between dragon and human rebels and the rest of Britannia impacting the previously made peace agreement.
Her role in the war is to translate dragon codes to determine if rebels were communicating with each other and try to keep one step ahead. But plot twists lead her down a different path. She is torn between saving her family or doing what she knows is right for the dragons and all third class citizens!

This YA fantasy is action packed filled with dragons, war and dark academia! With such an amazing selection of characters this book had me hooked and unable to stop reading!

Emotion after emotion was experienced during this book making it such an engaging and gripping read! There was so much action and so many plot twists that I was shocked and desperate to keep reading!

The world building was amazing. I truly felt like I was transported into the book able to picture the locations vividly!

S F Williams writing style flowed so well making it an easy and enjoyable read and kept me hooked and interested in the story line and the characters it follows.

Thank you so much to harper Collins, netgalley and SF Williams for an ARC of this book! I really enjoyed it!!

It was a very unique and quite refreshing reading experience. The universe is mostly what makes this book so unusual and fascinating, but its plot is also captivating. It has a historical fantasy aspect on the brink of a war and it creates a heavy and eerie atmosphere. The whole translation and language part of the plot is strong and engaging. The writing is easy to understand and also impactful. The relationships between humans and dragons is very interesting and well-developed. It is quite violent at times though, so keep that in mind. It can be quite gruesome and that surprised me for a young adult book. But it did not gross me out. The characters are probably the weakest aspect of the book for me (but the relationship dynamics and the different groups are well-structured and clear). Also, I thought the romance was unnecessary.
Normally, I don’t compare books to others but it is a debut and I want to give it a shot to be read by more people: if you like the historical fantasy mixed with war of Divine Rivals, the importance of language and translation of Babel and dragons, give this book a chance.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

The premise of this book was what intrigued me the most into requesting it. A post WW1 London reimagining with dragons and dark academia Ian to the Hunger Games? While I do believe that the line level craft of the book was beautifully crafted, the book as a whole fell slightly flat, possibly due to the fact that it felt to be balancing on the precarious ledge of YA and Teen audiences.
The presentation of politics in light of everything that has been happening in the past few years felt very astute. Viv's character in the light of this heightened political strife felt hazy. She wasn't easy to root for an often came across more cowardly than other characters, I feel like this could have worked better if the world were more morally grey and complicated rather than objectively 'good' or 'bad'.
The book does have many great elements though too, I absolutely loved the elements of linguistics similar to Babel, as well as the addition of dragons. Particularly in such an unusual setting of London. I believe that if you loved Fourth Wing this will be right up your alley.
I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series.

I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to an eventual sequel.
But I also had a lot of problems with it.

There is this secret about something the MC has done, and it is set up every other page as "What if she finds out what I have done", "She will hate me when she knows what I have done." "They don't know what I have done."
Yes, okay, I get it. You did something and it will be a plot hook later in the story, no need to keep telling me.
There were multiple times where I saw needless repetitions, which sort of bothered me throughout the book.

On the other hand, I really loved the way translation was integrated in the book.
I could feel the passion for languages and translations through the page, which is exactly what the author intended, I imagine.
The way new words were integrated in the story with clear roots to other languages, beautiful.

I also flew through this book, which is a testament to how fluently it was written.

So, like I said, I enjoyed it and I am looking forward to more (and will certainly read it), but it had some points of improvement.