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A Language of Dragons #1
Drakonų kalba
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Sci-Fi (2025)LONDONAS, 1923-IEJI. Danguje skraido drakonai, gatvėse siautėja protestai, o Vivjena nesijaudina. Ji laikysis taisyklių, gaus galimybę atlikti vasaros praktiką, skirtą drakonų kalbų studijoms, pasižymės sumanumu ir geru būdu ir pasirūpins, kad jos jaunėlei sesutei nė už ką netektų augti Trečioje klasėje. Jai tereikia išvaduoti vieną drakoną.
Vidurnaktį Vivjena sukelia pilietinį karą.
Jos tėvai suimti, sesuo dingusi, o ji pati pristatyta į Blečlio parką dirbti Kodų nulaužimo skyriuje – jeigu jai pavyks, kartu su šeima galės grįžti namo. Jei ne, visų laukia mirtis.
Atrasdama slaptos drakonų kalbos paslaptis, Vivjena supranta, kad trapus Taikos susitarimas tarp žmonių ir drakonų, yra nesąžiningas, o pavojingas jos darbas gali ją pačią pražudyti.
Vidurnaktį Vivjena sukelia pilietinį karą.
Jos tėvai suimti, sesuo dingusi, o ji pati pristatyta į Blečlio parką dirbti Kodų nulaužimo skyriuje – jeigu jai pavyks, kartu su šeima galės grįžti namo. Jei ne, visų laukia mirtis.
Atrasdama slaptos drakonų kalbos paslaptis, Vivjena supranta, kad trapus Taikos susitarimas tarp žmonių ir drakonų, yra nesąžiningas, o pavojingas jos darbas gali ją pačią pražudyti.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 2025
1839 people are currently reading
96536 people want to read
About the author
S.F. Williamson
2 books559 followersS. F. Williamson is fascinated by the way languages are born and was surrounded by them long before she undertook a degree in French and Italian.
From her Grandma’s rolling Scottish R’s and her Nan’s ability to slip from English to Welsh, to the dialect spoken in the French village she grew up in, Steph has always known that languages are creatures that live and move and breathe.
As a child she learned that speaking them meant accessing ideas, traditions and people she would only otherwise know from a distance. Her debut novel, A Language of Dragons, is inspired by her work as a literary translator and the fact that no matter how intimately a linguist knows their languages, some meaning is almost always lost in translation. A graduate of Bath Spa University’s MA Writing for Young People programme, Steph now lives in France with her husband and two cats.
From her Grandma’s rolling Scottish R’s and her Nan’s ability to slip from English to Welsh, to the dialect spoken in the French village she grew up in, Steph has always known that languages are creatures that live and move and breathe.
As a child she learned that speaking them meant accessing ideas, traditions and people she would only otherwise know from a distance. Her debut novel, A Language of Dragons, is inspired by her work as a literary translator and the fact that no matter how intimately a linguist knows their languages, some meaning is almost always lost in translation. A graduate of Bath Spa University’s MA Writing for Young People programme, Steph now lives in France with her husband and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,391 reviews
August 27, 2025
Here is how I see A Language of Dragons…
Imagine if you took all the nuance, political intrigue, corruption, and rebellion aspects of The Hunger Games - you know the stuff we missed when we read it as kids but became super obvious once we grew up and realized our world is an absolute mess…
Now take all that goodness and shove it into a reimagined post WW1 London, where dragons and humans coexist. Then add in linguistics and translation al la Babel. Add a little dark academia vibes. Throw in a morally gray FMC that would do anything to protect her family, a few feisty side characters, and mini dragons that deliver the mail… Plus a romantic sub-plot.
I had a great time with this book and think it is an absolutely spectacular start to the series. I cannot wait for the next book. The author S.F. Williamson is one to watch!
What I loved…
- a spectacular representation of a corrupt government and killer political intrigue
- flawed characters that felt real
- a PINK dragon!
- excellent prose and fantastic imagery and world-building.
- fast-paced start and an action packed ending that had be gasping!
What I didn’t love…
- there is a bit of a lull in the middle of the book imo, but those who find the academia/linguistics aspects really interesting won’t find the same issue
- I wanted more details of the relationship development between the FMC and her love interest. There is evidence to back up the feelings they have but its off page evidence and I wanted to see more on page relationship development
- helicopters were barely being invented and tested in 1923 (we’re talking could only hover 40 feet off the ground) - I get that this is a fictional world but it was just one of those random things that stuck out to me as not really fitting.
While this is technically a young adult novel I think it has mass appeal for adult and younger audiences - the only YA aspect of this book was the age of the characters.
Ready for the sequel? See my review of A War of Wyverns HERE.
4.5 ⭐️ | TikTok | IG |
Thank you NetGalley and HaperCollins for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Imagine if you took all the nuance, political intrigue, corruption, and rebellion aspects of The Hunger Games - you know the stuff we missed when we read it as kids but became super obvious once we grew up and realized our world is an absolute mess…
Now take all that goodness and shove it into a reimagined post WW1 London, where dragons and humans coexist. Then add in linguistics and translation al la Babel. Add a little dark academia vibes. Throw in a morally gray FMC that would do anything to protect her family, a few feisty side characters, and mini dragons that deliver the mail… Plus a romantic sub-plot.
I had a great time with this book and think it is an absolutely spectacular start to the series. I cannot wait for the next book. The author S.F. Williamson is one to watch!
What I loved…
- a spectacular representation of a corrupt government and killer political intrigue
- flawed characters that felt real
- a PINK dragon!
- excellent prose and fantastic imagery and world-building.
- fast-paced start and an action packed ending that had be gasping!
What I didn’t love…
- there is a bit of a lull in the middle of the book imo, but those who find the academia/linguistics aspects really interesting won’t find the same issue
- I wanted more details of the relationship development between the FMC and her love interest. There is evidence to back up the feelings they have but its off page evidence and I wanted to see more on page relationship development
- helicopters were barely being invented and tested in 1923 (we’re talking could only hover 40 feet off the ground) - I get that this is a fictional world but it was just one of those random things that stuck out to me as not really fitting.
While this is technically a young adult novel I think it has mass appeal for adult and younger audiences - the only YA aspect of this book was the age of the characters.
Ready for the sequel? See my review of A War of Wyverns HERE.
4.5 ⭐️ | TikTok | IG |
Thank you NetGalley and HaperCollins for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
May 16, 2024
My best friend wrote this book and she's the most talented person I know. So naturally it will be the best book you ever read.
November 26, 2025
I do think that mileage on this is going to vary especially for those who go into this book forgetting that it is a YA book. CW: death, war, physical assault, violence, classicism, sexism.
What Worked: It's clear that S.F. Williamson is a linguist. So much of A Language of Dragons revolves around the "power of language" and it's ability to either build up or oppress groups. While the world itself needed just a tad bit more detail, I was particularly excited to see Williamson play with a geographic region known for its code breaking during WWI and WWII (please keep in mind that this book takes place in 1923 so it is not an attempt to retell either war). I'm a prior undergrad history major that is a junkie for the global history of the earlier part of the 20th century. Williamson's inclusion of dragons as second class citizens is a unique element that I personally haven't read in young adult. This book, if read carefully, is a mimic of current global events. The use of language as an oppressive tool, the use of language to shock, the use of language as propaganda is literally the basis of media coverage during each and every news cycle. Though I've seen many criticize the unlikability of the main character, I enjoyed the nuances of her character development. First, as a teenage protagonist I did not expect her to made sound reasonable decisions. Second, her inability to understand the error of her ways felt intentional, a clear reflection of someone attempting to deconstruct. Viv cannot do better because she has been forced and literally beaten into believing in the class system designed by her country's leader. How could she be expected to change so quickly? With future installments in this series (I'm anticipating we'll get more based on that ending), I think that Williamson has an opportunity to do quite a bit more with her character work.
What Didn't Work: I would have appreciated more information on the class divisions. While some information is relayed to the reader, I would have liked a greater picture in its establishment, purpose, and affects on the community.
Overall, this was a good book. To be honest, it's one of the better YA fantasy books that's recently released.
What Worked: It's clear that S.F. Williamson is a linguist. So much of A Language of Dragons revolves around the "power of language" and it's ability to either build up or oppress groups. While the world itself needed just a tad bit more detail, I was particularly excited to see Williamson play with a geographic region known for its code breaking during WWI and WWII (please keep in mind that this book takes place in 1923 so it is not an attempt to retell either war). I'm a prior undergrad history major that is a junkie for the global history of the earlier part of the 20th century. Williamson's inclusion of dragons as second class citizens is a unique element that I personally haven't read in young adult. This book, if read carefully, is a mimic of current global events. The use of language as an oppressive tool, the use of language to shock, the use of language as propaganda is literally the basis of media coverage during each and every news cycle. Though I've seen many criticize the unlikability of the main character, I enjoyed the nuances of her character development. First, as a teenage protagonist I did not expect her to made sound reasonable decisions. Second, her inability to understand the error of her ways felt intentional, a clear reflection of someone attempting to deconstruct. Viv cannot do better because she has been forced and literally beaten into believing in the class system designed by her country's leader. How could she be expected to change so quickly? With future installments in this series (I'm anticipating we'll get more based on that ending), I think that Williamson has an opportunity to do quite a bit more with her character work.
What Didn't Work: I would have appreciated more information on the class divisions. While some information is relayed to the reader, I would have liked a greater picture in its establishment, purpose, and affects on the community.
Overall, this was a good book. To be honest, it's one of the better YA fantasy books that's recently released.
February 16, 2025
Since I haven't read Babel or Fourth Wing, I can't compare it to either. But that's a good thing because this book is just addictive and it's become one of my all time favorites!
The author's note was such a unique touch and this book is an incredible debut. Truly, I could go on and on about this book but I'll keep it short and stick to my favorite things.
The characters are real and the character development is drastic!
The world building is lush and vibrant and so uniquely crafted to perfection in my opinion. And I loved the dark academia vibes it gave me, fall was made for this book. Since the very first page I was sucked in. The pacing of the book I felt was continuous and it never really hit a dull spot.
And I'm going to admit the ending had me crying. It's so rare a book can get me to care so quickly but I guess I got way to attached to this story...I don't know if that's a bad thing? And now I'm going to be heartbroken for days.
Regardless, the book is phenomenal and I will be reading the second book when it decides to grace us with it's presence.
"𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔."
*𝑳𝒐𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒈𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒄*
The author's note was such a unique touch and this book is an incredible debut. Truly, I could go on and on about this book but I'll keep it short and stick to my favorite things.
The characters are real and the character development is drastic!
The world building is lush and vibrant and so uniquely crafted to perfection in my opinion. And I loved the dark academia vibes it gave me, fall was made for this book. Since the very first page I was sucked in. The pacing of the book I felt was continuous and it never really hit a dull spot.
And I'm going to admit the ending had me crying. It's so rare a book can get me to care so quickly but I guess I got way to attached to this story...I don't know if that's a bad thing? And now I'm going to be heartbroken for days.
Regardless, the book is phenomenal and I will be reading the second book when it decides to grace us with it's presence.
"𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔."
*𝑳𝒐𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒈𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒄*
March 31, 2025
overall rating: 4.5 ★
genre/tropes: fantasy-romance, forbidden love (?), dragons
gotta give myself credit for finally dragging myself out of my slump 😔 i did it besties!
the book claimed it was for fans of fourth wing, romantasy, and enemies to lovers, and i was genuinely surprised because i would’ve never put it in that category myself.
it was more fantasy with bits of romance, a forbidden relationship rather than an enemies to lovers, and having dragons in the plot is the only thing similar to fourth wing (in a good way). simply put; i loved this book so much!
viv is a deeply flawed, morally gray character; strong-willed, intelligent, narrow-minded, and selfish in the way that her loved ones always come first. it’s refreshing, yet equally exasperating, because she refuses to be persuaded despite proof. she’s perfectly human and embodies the “will burn the world down to save you” archetype.
she makes terrible mistakes under societal pressure, but she genuinely atones for them. i can’t help but feel sorry for her 😭 just how many times will she let herself be stabbed, bludgeoned, or bone-snapped simply because she believes she deserved it to repent.
the themes of war, inequality, and oppression were incredibly well written—props to madam author! she’s truly eloquent, and i ate this book up.
(give me more fantasy books with plot rather than mcs trying to smooch each other off, thank you!)
the pages includes snippets of journals, articles, and newspapers that gave me emily wilde vibes so i enjoyed it so much! if you're looking for a romance-focused story, keep moving. this is more about the beauty of language, and translation.
though the ending felt a bit rushed (with everything happening all at once) i personally prefer strong/intriguing plot over spice so i wasn’t bored at all. can’t say the same for everyone else, though!
p.s. please let there be a book two 😭 miss author i am begging you!
quote drop:
pre-read: another preread i am so sorry 😭 i swear i need to keep better track of the books i need to return to the library before the deadline. anyway historical + dragons? exciting 💗
genre/tropes: fantasy-romance, forbidden love (?), dragons
gotta give myself credit for finally dragging myself out of my slump 😔 i did it besties!
the book claimed it was for fans of fourth wing, romantasy, and enemies to lovers, and i was genuinely surprised because i would’ve never put it in that category myself.
it was more fantasy with bits of romance, a forbidden relationship rather than an enemies to lovers, and having dragons in the plot is the only thing similar to fourth wing (in a good way). simply put; i loved this book so much!
viv is a deeply flawed, morally gray character; strong-willed, intelligent, narrow-minded, and selfish in the way that her loved ones always come first. it’s refreshing, yet equally exasperating, because she refuses to be persuaded despite proof. she’s perfectly human and embodies the “will burn the world down to save you” archetype.
she makes terrible mistakes under societal pressure, but she genuinely atones for them. i can’t help but feel sorry for her 😭 just how many times will she let herself be stabbed, bludgeoned, or bone-snapped simply because she believes she deserved it to repent.
the themes of war, inequality, and oppression were incredibly well written—props to madam author! she’s truly eloquent, and i ate this book up.
(give me more fantasy books with plot rather than mcs trying to smooch each other off, thank you!)
the pages includes snippets of journals, articles, and newspapers that gave me emily wilde vibes so i enjoyed it so much! if you're looking for a romance-focused story, keep moving. this is more about the beauty of language, and translation.
though the ending felt a bit rushed (with everything happening all at once) i personally prefer strong/intriguing plot over spice so i wasn’t bored at all. can’t say the same for everyone else, though!
p.s. please let there be a book two 😭 miss author i am begging you!
quote drop:
— “You would choose your sister over the entire dragon race? Over your fellow humans who are treated no better than animals simply for being born Third Class?”
“I would,” I say. “That probably makes me a terrible person. But trust me, that's not news to me.”
— “Teacher's pet, star pupil, always simpering and desperate to please. Your whole life has been built on what you can do. So much so that you have no idea who you are.” (lmao ouch relatable)
— “Forgiveness is suffering redeemed.”
pre-read: another preread i am so sorry 😭 i swear i need to keep better track of the books i need to return to the library before the deadline. anyway historical + dragons? exciting 💗
December 2, 2024
This young adult novel blends historical fiction with fantasy, and I’m here for it! If I'm being honest, the author had me at the mention of dragons. 🗡️🐲
The story revolves around a war involving dragons and young linguistic experts who are desperate to decode the dragon language for an advantage in the conflict. It is surely an addictive, dark academic tale, that features a (very) slow-burn romance and morally gray, flawed yet lovable characters. This book was right up my alley. I loved every bit of the buildup, I enjoyed the plot, the characters, and of course, the dragons.
This is so close to being a five-star book but it fell flat in the high-tension moments. Just a little bit more and some of the scenes could have been epic. The other bit that I didn't love was the inconclusive ending. My understanding was that this is a single/standalone book and the way it ended just wasn't for me. However, if this is meant to be a duology or a series, then I could perhaps understand the cliffhanger.
Regardless, a huge thank you to HarperCollins for providing me with a copy of this e-arc. The publication date is set for January 07, 2025, and I still highly recommend this book to my fantasy lovers.
As always, all thoughts are my own. ✨🖤 Can't wait to share what I think with you all!! xx
The story revolves around a war involving dragons and young linguistic experts who are desperate to decode the dragon language for an advantage in the conflict. It is surely an addictive, dark academic tale, that features a (very) slow-burn romance and morally gray, flawed yet lovable characters. This book was right up my alley. I loved every bit of the buildup, I enjoyed the plot, the characters, and of course, the dragons.
This is so close to being a five-star book but it fell flat in the high-tension moments. Just a little bit more and some of the scenes could have been epic. The other bit that I didn't love was the inconclusive ending. My understanding was that this is a single/standalone book and the way it ended just wasn't for me. However, if this is meant to be a duology or a series, then I could perhaps understand the cliffhanger.
Regardless, a huge thank you to HarperCollins for providing me with a copy of this e-arc. The publication date is set for January 07, 2025, and I still highly recommend this book to my fantasy lovers.
As always, all thoughts are my own. ✨🖤 Can't wait to share what I think with you all!! xx
Want to read
January 14, 2025"Perfect for teen fans of Fourth Wing and Babel." Well now, is it trash or not? I can't tell by these comparisons.
March 30, 2025
✩ 3.25 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Morally Grey FMC
➼ Dragons x Humans
➼ Romance sub plot
➼ Set in Alternate 1920s London
➼ Debut YA Fantasy
➼ Political Intrigue
➼ Historical Fiction
➼ First Person POV
This book made me realize how similar real life in The U.S. is to a fantasy novel right now and I gotta say, it’s not nearly as fun as I always imagined. 😩😭 I was not prepared to draw so many parallels to real life while reading about the incredibly corrupt government detailed in this book. Our leaders aren’t feeding anyone to dragons, but I wouldn’t put it past them at this point if they had some available. 🥴 Kind of depressed now, but on to the review…
The political aspects of the authors world building were very well developed and realistic. Historical Fantasy is a genre I don’t often read but the idea of an alternate timeline/history is one I always find very interesting. The FMC is not the most likable heroine which is not that surprising since she is kind of the villain in her own story. You learn early on that she has made a very selfish choice that she regrets, but I wouldn’t say she regretted it enough to have made a different decision if given the chance. It kind of set the tone that she would do almost anything to achieve her goals so I was never sure what direction that would take.
Not only can the dragons in this book talk, but they can speak many languages and our FMC is fluent in several of them. I’ve read other books where the dragons are written like any other animal and I have to say I much prefer that they be depicted as sentient and intelligent creatures on or above the level of human intelligence. Interesting that some of the dragons were willing to betray their own kind. Their involvement added a whole new level to the political intrigue since we had not just human politics, but also dragon politics in the mix too.
The book slows down a bit in the middle when she is working on decoding a new dragon language, but the pacing of the beginning and the end mostly made up for this lull. The romance was probably the weakest thing about this book. It had an insta love vibe to it and their interest in one another didn’t have a lot of substance. He is quick to stick his neck out for her, but I didn’t really feel that she deserved it most of the time. The FMC also has pretty bad instincts for how to manage the situations they find themselves in and is very singleminded about saving her family even at the cost of everyone else. Especially considering that the MMC is depicted as much more moral and righteous, I was at a loss for why he would be interested in her romantically. She’s probably nice to look at I guess. 😆
Something pretty major happens near the end of the book. It was a turn of events that I’d be pretty upset about if I thought it would stick, but I feel confident it will be righted in the next book. The way the FMC reacted to this event though was bizarre and unfeeling and further solidified that she is very unlikable. I am definitely someone who reads for the romance, so I was sad that it wasn’t more developed, but I still have hope for book two. I would still recommend this despite its issues. I think it’s headed somewhere interesting! Hoping we’ll learn about and get to know more of the dragons in the next installment! 🤞🏻
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: Took FOREVER for my Libby hold to come in.
Finally starting this! 🐉
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
What to Expect:
➼ Morally Grey FMC
➼ Dragons x Humans
➼ Romance sub plot
➼ Set in Alternate 1920s London
➼ Debut YA Fantasy
➼ Political Intrigue
➼ Historical Fiction
➼ First Person POV
This book made me realize how similar real life in The U.S. is to a fantasy novel right now and I gotta say, it’s not nearly as fun as I always imagined. 😩😭 I was not prepared to draw so many parallels to real life while reading about the incredibly corrupt government detailed in this book. Our leaders aren’t feeding anyone to dragons, but I wouldn’t put it past them at this point if they had some available. 🥴 Kind of depressed now, but on to the review…
The political aspects of the authors world building were very well developed and realistic. Historical Fantasy is a genre I don’t often read but the idea of an alternate timeline/history is one I always find very interesting. The FMC is not the most likable heroine which is not that surprising since she is kind of the villain in her own story. You learn early on that she has made a very selfish choice that she regrets, but I wouldn’t say she regretted it enough to have made a different decision if given the chance. It kind of set the tone that she would do almost anything to achieve her goals so I was never sure what direction that would take.
Not only can the dragons in this book talk, but they can speak many languages and our FMC is fluent in several of them. I’ve read other books where the dragons are written like any other animal and I have to say I much prefer that they be depicted as sentient and intelligent creatures on or above the level of human intelligence. Interesting that some of the dragons were willing to betray their own kind. Their involvement added a whole new level to the political intrigue since we had not just human politics, but also dragon politics in the mix too.
The book slows down a bit in the middle when she is working on decoding a new dragon language, but the pacing of the beginning and the end mostly made up for this lull. The romance was probably the weakest thing about this book. It had an insta love vibe to it and their interest in one another didn’t have a lot of substance. He is quick to stick his neck out for her, but I didn’t really feel that she deserved it most of the time. The FMC also has pretty bad instincts for how to manage the situations they find themselves in and is very singleminded about saving her family even at the cost of everyone else. Especially considering that the MMC is depicted as much more moral and righteous, I was at a loss for why he would be interested in her romantically. She’s probably nice to look at I guess. 😆
Something pretty major happens near the end of the book. It was a turn of events that I’d be pretty upset about if I thought it would stick, but I feel confident it will be righted in the next book. The way the FMC reacted to this event though was bizarre and unfeeling and further solidified that she is very unlikable. I am definitely someone who reads for the romance, so I was sad that it wasn’t more developed, but I still have hope for book two. I would still recommend this despite its issues. I think it’s headed somewhere interesting! Hoping we’ll learn about and get to know more of the dragons in the next installment! 🤞🏻
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: Took FOREVER for my Libby hold to come in.
Finally starting this! 🐉
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
January 6, 2025
i sadly did not like this as i hoped i would.
𓍢⊹ ࣪ thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
let’s start off on a good note and mention what i did like: the plot/story! it was quite unputdownable and intriguing in my opinion!
let’s look into how this book is advertised/what it promises and see if it delivers:
— an epic sweeping fantasy - yes!
— incredible dark academia setting - not really
— slow burn enemies to lovers romance - NO! not even close! more on that soon
— unputdownable story - yes!
— twists and turns - eh
— betrayals and secret identities - not really
my main problem with this book was the insufferable fmc! she was so ignorant, selfish and blinded by privilege. her actions were horrible and made me so mad that it simply did not make this a good reading experience at all. the fact it took the ENTIRE book and i’m talking about 90% of it for her to realize her wrongs is insane to me; if there’s a sequel to this, it has the potential for the best character development! i know the author intentionally made her insufferable so props to her for bringing this anger out of me.
the other thing i did not enjoy at all was the romance. the book promises slow burn enemies to lovers, slow burn where? enemies where? lovers where? the fmc and mmc start off as strangers, take one look at each other and the next they are interested. can’t even call it insta love because there were barely any interactions at all! i felt no connection between them whatsoever.
i was hoping for a jaw dropping ending based on a few things i saw about it but frankly i didn’t care at all when it happened and was relieved i reached the end.
anyways, this book simply wasn’t for me and these are all just my opinions!!
𓍢⊹ ࣪ thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
let’s start off on a good note and mention what i did like: the plot/story! it was quite unputdownable and intriguing in my opinion!
let’s look into how this book is advertised/what it promises and see if it delivers:
— an epic sweeping fantasy - yes!
— incredible dark academia setting - not really
— slow burn enemies to lovers romance - NO! not even close! more on that soon
— unputdownable story - yes!
— twists and turns - eh
— betrayals and secret identities - not really
my main problem with this book was the insufferable fmc! she was so ignorant, selfish and blinded by privilege. her actions were horrible and made me so mad that it simply did not make this a good reading experience at all. the fact it took the ENTIRE book and i’m talking about 90% of it for her to realize her wrongs is insane to me; if there’s a sequel to this, it has the potential for the best character development! i know the author intentionally made her insufferable so props to her for bringing this anger out of me.
the other thing i did not enjoy at all was the romance. the book promises slow burn enemies to lovers, slow burn where? enemies where? lovers where? the fmc and mmc start off as strangers, take one look at each other and the next they are interested. can’t even call it insta love because there were barely any interactions at all! i felt no connection between them whatsoever.
i was hoping for a jaw dropping ending based on a few things i saw about it but frankly i didn’t care at all when it happened and was relieved i reached the end.
anyways, this book simply wasn’t for me and these are all just my opinions!!
December 18, 2024
thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
okay, what. dark academia? clandestine, slow burn romance? *pulls out magnifying glass. looks through telescope. studies the maps.* nope, can't find it.
i am not even sure where to begin with all the problems i had with this story, there is such a multitude. the alternate british society didn't make much sense, and the story tried to tackle all sorts of themes and i don't feel it did a good job handling any of them. this book also, somehow, managed to make dragons that i didn't really give a damn about.
i am a lil slut for dragons and the dragons in this simply left me cold, no matter how much fire they breathe. the idea of them being professors and factory workers and bankers was just weird, especially given that most of them are physically gigantic. why would a dragon even have any desire to do mundane human jobs, and why would dragons ever be subservient to humans? they're massive, fire breathing destruction machines with intelligence on par with or even greater than humans. they had the power to wipe out entire nations in no time at all.
and to that point, this book kept trying to lecture us about the evils of humanity like that's super deep, yet it's stated that the dragon queen is corrupt and not long ago dragons g*nocided the whole country of bulgaria, so i'm not sure dragons are any less "evil" than anyone else. it leaves me in a position of thinking, "who gives a shit. let the humans and dragons wipe each other out and call it a day." which still seems like a possibility given the ambiguous nature of the ending.
flimsy world building aside, the characters were what truly made this a slog. vivien is yet another case of "strong super smart girlie" who is none of those things. she makes stupid choices constantly, and has information handed to her by other people. she doesn't actually figure anything out for herself. different dialects in dragon languages was her mother's theory, not something she realized on her own. she couldn't figure out that rigidly dividing people by assigned class ranking is bad, until everyone tells her it is about a hundred times. if you want to convince me a character is smart, show them being smart. you can't make them denser than undercooked bread but have all the other characters praise their genius. a lot of authors seem to think their readers are as stupid as their protagonists and we just won't notice.
vivien is supposed to speak nine languages and is the only one who can crack "echolocation," and i have to wonder how, exactly. this girl couldn't find her own ass with both hands, and i'm supposed to buy her as britannia's potential savior? lol, no. our cartoon villain prime minister was an absolute joke; it's embarrassing that anyone feared this woman, because she was so painfully incompetent. she had not one but two rebel spies working in her top secret war effort program, and recruited literal children to design planes and crack codes.
i understand YA features young people, but there is a limit to suspension of disbelief. no one is going to put all their hopes for winning a world war in a small band of child delinquents. the prime minister could've just as easily blackmailed professional adults into cracking codes and building war planes, why did she only recruit a bunch of minors for these tasks? not to mention some of them were arrested for having ties to the rebels, and obviously any leader worth their salt hands over government secrets to the very people who want to rebel against them, right? right. they also, of course, openly reveal their schemes and plots to a teenager they're currently blackmailing with no prompting. but then to be fair, the rebels aren't any smarter. dr. seymour admitted to being a rebel spy the second vivien asked her about it. it's like these people don't actually want to win their respective battles.
then there was vivien's drama with sophie, which was pointless and gave us nothing. vivien finally admits how she betrayed her best friend, sophie ominously declares, "you'll pay for what you did to me," and then the next time they speak she's just over it and they're friends again. someone show me where the fucking point is, because the only thing that contributed to the story was giving vivien a reason to bemoan what a bad person she is, but she had so many other reasons to hate herself that this didn't seem necessary. and imagine telling your best friend "hey, i betrayed you and ruined your life without a second thought so i could go to university a year early, but don't worry: i am forgiving myself! 🥰🥰"
the baby dragons and dracovols were the only characters in this thing that i cared about in the least. i am not even going to address the romance because it was so lackluster and uninteresting that it's not even worth getting into.
tl;dr: uninspired romance, nonsense plot, characters with all the depth of a damp dishrag, disappointing dragons, pathetic villains. don't let the pretty dragon cover fool you, this book is just a hot mess blowing smoke.
okay, what. dark academia? clandestine, slow burn romance? *pulls out magnifying glass. looks through telescope. studies the maps.* nope, can't find it.
i am not even sure where to begin with all the problems i had with this story, there is such a multitude. the alternate british society didn't make much sense, and the story tried to tackle all sorts of themes and i don't feel it did a good job handling any of them. this book also, somehow, managed to make dragons that i didn't really give a damn about.
i am a lil slut for dragons and the dragons in this simply left me cold, no matter how much fire they breathe. the idea of them being professors and factory workers and bankers was just weird, especially given that most of them are physically gigantic. why would a dragon even have any desire to do mundane human jobs, and why would dragons ever be subservient to humans? they're massive, fire breathing destruction machines with intelligence on par with or even greater than humans. they had the power to wipe out entire nations in no time at all.
and to that point, this book kept trying to lecture us about the evils of humanity like that's super deep, yet it's stated that the dragon queen is corrupt and not long ago dragons g*nocided the whole country of bulgaria, so i'm not sure dragons are any less "evil" than anyone else. it leaves me in a position of thinking, "who gives a shit. let the humans and dragons wipe each other out and call it a day." which still seems like a possibility given the ambiguous nature of the ending.
flimsy world building aside, the characters were what truly made this a slog. vivien is yet another case of "strong super smart girlie" who is none of those things. she makes stupid choices constantly, and has information handed to her by other people. she doesn't actually figure anything out for herself. different dialects in dragon languages was her mother's theory, not something she realized on her own. she couldn't figure out that rigidly dividing people by assigned class ranking is bad, until everyone tells her it is about a hundred times. if you want to convince me a character is smart, show them being smart. you can't make them denser than undercooked bread but have all the other characters praise their genius. a lot of authors seem to think their readers are as stupid as their protagonists and we just won't notice.
vivien is supposed to speak nine languages and is the only one who can crack "echolocation," and i have to wonder how, exactly. this girl couldn't find her own ass with both hands, and i'm supposed to buy her as britannia's potential savior? lol, no. our cartoon villain prime minister was an absolute joke; it's embarrassing that anyone feared this woman, because she was so painfully incompetent. she had not one but two rebel spies working in her top secret war effort program, and recruited literal children to design planes and crack codes.
i understand YA features young people, but there is a limit to suspension of disbelief. no one is going to put all their hopes for winning a world war in a small band of child delinquents. the prime minister could've just as easily blackmailed professional adults into cracking codes and building war planes, why did she only recruit a bunch of minors for these tasks? not to mention some of them were arrested for having ties to the rebels, and obviously any leader worth their salt hands over government secrets to the very people who want to rebel against them, right? right. they also, of course, openly reveal their schemes and plots to a teenager they're currently blackmailing with no prompting. but then to be fair, the rebels aren't any smarter. dr. seymour admitted to being a rebel spy the second vivien asked her about it. it's like these people don't actually want to win their respective battles.
then there was vivien's drama with sophie, which was pointless and gave us nothing. vivien finally admits how she betrayed her best friend, sophie ominously declares, "you'll pay for what you did to me," and then the next time they speak she's just over it and they're friends again. someone show me where the fucking point is, because the only thing that contributed to the story was giving vivien a reason to bemoan what a bad person she is, but she had so many other reasons to hate herself that this didn't seem necessary. and imagine telling your best friend "hey, i betrayed you and ruined your life without a second thought so i could go to university a year early, but don't worry: i am forgiving myself! 🥰🥰"
the baby dragons and dracovols were the only characters in this thing that i cared about in the least. i am not even going to address the romance because it was so lackluster and uninteresting that it's not even worth getting into.
tl;dr: uninspired romance, nonsense plot, characters with all the depth of a damp dishrag, disappointing dragons, pathetic villains. don't let the pretty dragon cover fool you, this book is just a hot mess blowing smoke.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2025
Babel meets Fourth Wing.
In an alternate 1923 London, there are protests against the Peace Agreement that enforces harmony between dragons and humans and setting up a Class system for humans.
Vivien Featherswallow is focused on gaining an internship studying dragon languages, but after her parents are arrested for aiding the rebellion, Viv sets a dragon free and starts a civil war with the government and the Dragon Queen on one side, and the rebels on the other.
To save her family, Viv agrees to work as a top secret code breaker for the government alongside other criminal misfits - a chance at a new life.
Vivian learns that the world she’s grown up in isn’t as idyllic, fair, and meritocratic that her Second Class bubble had led her believe.
I loved how the author wrote about language. How it connects people, reveals the world, portrays emotion. This is where the VERY SIMILAR connections to Babel emerges.
Every act of translation requires sacrifice–it is this harsh truth that made me fall in love. There exists no direct correlation between the words of one language and another, and no translation can be entirely faithful to its original. So, while a person can more or less bridge the gap between languages using words, there is always some deeper meaning left unsaid, a secret invisible to those who only have one language with which to navigate the world. A translator, on the other hand, is a creature that flies with several pairs of wings.
Reading this book in the current political climate was crazy. How the control of media, propaganda, education, separation, knowledge and brainwashing work to keep a population docile.
People shouldn’t fear their prime ministers. Prime ministers should fear their people.
Vivian is a hard character to root for or even like at times. She constantly makes selfish decisions and puts herself and her family first regardless of the consequences for others or the majority. She is a coward and would rather continue in her destructive ways than change them.
This book really forces you to question how can we choose a good life for ourselves and not for everyone else? Peace isn’t peace if it’s only given to some.
This is strong in some areas, but is definitely very YA with extreme binary good vs evil. The romance was also a weak point with me (he’s a priest in training) and whilst I liked how the depictions of faith was handled, I didn’t like how the love interest was used a mouth piece and the perfect example of someone doing good.
The ending also ramped up the action and I did find it predictable with a hint towards the fallout of book two.
Overall, I think this is a great book for Young Adults looking for more politically nuanced book that has dragons but is more academic focused. I REPEAT - academia rather than dragon riding.
A strong debut.
Thank you to HarperCollins for providing the arc in exchange for a review.
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In an alternate 1923 London, there are protests against the Peace Agreement that enforces harmony between dragons and humans and setting up a Class system for humans.
Vivien Featherswallow is focused on gaining an internship studying dragon languages, but after her parents are arrested for aiding the rebellion, Viv sets a dragon free and starts a civil war with the government and the Dragon Queen on one side, and the rebels on the other.
To save her family, Viv agrees to work as a top secret code breaker for the government alongside other criminal misfits - a chance at a new life.
Vivian learns that the world she’s grown up in isn’t as idyllic, fair, and meritocratic that her Second Class bubble had led her believe.
I loved how the author wrote about language. How it connects people, reveals the world, portrays emotion. This is where the VERY SIMILAR connections to Babel emerges.
Every act of translation requires sacrifice–it is this harsh truth that made me fall in love. There exists no direct correlation between the words of one language and another, and no translation can be entirely faithful to its original. So, while a person can more or less bridge the gap between languages using words, there is always some deeper meaning left unsaid, a secret invisible to those who only have one language with which to navigate the world. A translator, on the other hand, is a creature that flies with several pairs of wings.
Reading this book in the current political climate was crazy. How the control of media, propaganda, education, separation, knowledge and brainwashing work to keep a population docile.
People shouldn’t fear their prime ministers. Prime ministers should fear their people.
Vivian is a hard character to root for or even like at times. She constantly makes selfish decisions and puts herself and her family first regardless of the consequences for others or the majority. She is a coward and would rather continue in her destructive ways than change them.
This book really forces you to question how can we choose a good life for ourselves and not for everyone else? Peace isn’t peace if it’s only given to some.
This is strong in some areas, but is definitely very YA with extreme binary good vs evil. The romance was also a weak point with me (he’s a priest in training) and whilst I liked how the depictions of faith was handled, I didn’t like how the love interest was used a mouth piece and the perfect example of someone doing good.
The ending also ramped up the action and I did find it predictable with a hint towards the fallout of book two.
Overall, I think this is a great book for Young Adults looking for more politically nuanced book that has dragons but is more academic focused. I REPEAT - academia rather than dragon riding.
A strong debut.
Thank you to HarperCollins for providing the arc in exchange for a review.
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Tiktok
May 22, 2025
Overall Rating: 2/5
Original Rating: 2.25/5 (the more I sat on it the angrier I got... fight me)
Ughhhhh the premise was amazing... execution tho? womp womp....
Ripped off V from Vendetta quote and had a white savior ahhh FMC
Also whoever marketed this book needs to be fired.... STAT cuz wtf was this? I was promised so many things yet nothing was delivered....
------------------------------------
Ok so first things first. I'll be going over the mismarketing of the book because if you do read it I don't want you to be diddled like I was...
Enemies-to-lovers: THIS IN FACT WAS A LIE. Enemies, where? Lovers was barely there.... the execution of this love story was just so minimal there wasn't even a proper romance storyline to begin with.... it's more of a "forbidden love" type of troupe tbh but even that wasn't done well... I wish the author spent more time focusing on their romance more than the main character's flaws because throughout the book I'm just wondering like "why did this dude (don't care to remember his name because he was that forgettable) fall for her? she literally the DUMBEST person on the mfing planet."
Romantasy Genre: This was a lie and I'm not even sure why it's tagged that way on GR.... IT IS A FANTASY with a romance subplot for sure tho... and I will give it to Williamson because the dragon anatomy, hierarchy, and communication style was done pretty well imo... enough to keep me from rating this 1 star.
Dark Academia Setting: Now this I would kinda go 50/50 because we do see Viv (fmc) pursuring the knowledge of dragon linguistics and communication but it's not based on self-discovery and the pursuit of greater knowledge but it's more like because Viv is forced to..... And I'm not the biggest Dark Academia fan but I'm pretty sure this book... doesn't do it well...
Twist, Turns, Betrayals, Secret Identities: None of this was done well. Not. A. Single. One. Every twist, turn, betrayal, and "secret identity" was so fucking predictable it just made it plain boring to read.... every time a reveal came out I was like "oh yay.. already knew that but sure make it dramatic and move df on." I think there was only one reveal that I wasn't able to predict... But that's not to say that the author didn't introduce shocking reveals... but the ones that were truly shocking kinda was only there to further Viv's internal conflict or to make a character "morally grey" and felt like it came out of the authors ass last minute.
Now moving onto the plot holes and pacing issues. This story has pacing issues... ALOT OF THEM. The author dragged on Viv's inner conflict WAY TOOOOOO LONGGGGGGGGGGGGG... Like I can't tell you how many times I wanted to bang my head against the wall... if I actually did it i would be deceased... in a coma... brain dead.... I felt like a lot of this could've been fixed had the author made the "government bad" and "brainwashed" elements were less in your face... Another book that does this, and in amazing way, is Blood Over Bright Haven. From the beginning we're introduced to a misogynistic society but we only truly see how corrupt the government is and how brainwashed the character is when she becomes "enlightened" as well. However in this book... the author pretty much shows you that in the beginning and we're forced to suffer through Viv's stupidity and brainwashing from an already "enlightened" viewpoint which is why that ruins the reading experience....
Then we have the plot holes... one of the biggest ones stems from the Peace Agreement between the dragons and the humans of Britannia.... You're telling me.. that this wonderous entity that can kill humans on site, is bigger, stronger, faster, smarter being.... IS TREATED LIKE A LOWER CLASS BEING AND THIS IS WHAT THEIR QUEEN AGREED TO???? BSFFR... The dragons worse off than the lowest caste level human and their Queen said "ok" to that??? No. That shit makes no fucking sense.... ESPECIALLY AFTER THEY MASSACRED AN ENTIRE COUNTRY GTFO... That peace agreement shit was so stupid that everyone i ranted too agreed with me about why the dragons would just take that.... makes no fucking sense... and the author doesn't even give a decent explanation as to why the Queen agrees... sighhh...
Last thing I'll mention is Viv's character... I don't wanna be too much of a hater because this is a debut but Viv's character was trash. I hate her. Even after she stopped being stupid... I hate her with every fiber of my being. And she's a typical white savior character... but not even a good one at that..
Keep her away from me. Please and thank you.
Now as to why I didn't rate it 1 star.... It mainly had to do with the dragons... they were the best things about the book... The way the author explains their means of communication, how they raise their young, their anatomy, everything about them was just so fascinating. If this was just an encyclopedia about dragons I would've LOVEDDD it. I even loved the murderous dragons. My fav dragon was Chumana as she seemed to be the only competent character within the book.... But even with dragons being one of the most important parts of the story we don't even get to see them or see them interact with the FMC that much.... The translation/linguistic aspect along with the dragons wasn't enough to let me rate this any higher tho...
Well... Overall it wasn't a bad debut but it could've been a lot better with more time and edits... I'll be getting rid of my copy and I won't be reading the second book (if there is one) unless someone who rated the first one low says the second is better. And by better I'm talking a 4.5 or higher...
Original Rating: 2.25/5 (the more I sat on it the angrier I got... fight me)
Ughhhhh the premise was amazing... execution tho? womp womp....
Ripped off V from Vendetta quote and had a white savior ahhh FMC
Also whoever marketed this book needs to be fired.... STAT cuz wtf was this? I was promised so many things yet nothing was delivered....
------------------------------------
Ok so first things first. I'll be going over the mismarketing of the book because if you do read it I don't want you to be diddled like I was...
Enemies-to-lovers: THIS IN FACT WAS A LIE. Enemies, where? Lovers was barely there.... the execution of this love story was just so minimal there wasn't even a proper romance storyline to begin with.... it's more of a "forbidden love" type of troupe tbh but even that wasn't done well... I wish the author spent more time focusing on their romance more than the main character's flaws because throughout the book I'm just wondering like "why did this dude (don't care to remember his name because he was that forgettable) fall for her? she literally the DUMBEST person on the mfing planet."
Romantasy Genre: This was a lie and I'm not even sure why it's tagged that way on GR.... IT IS A FANTASY with a romance subplot for sure tho... and I will give it to Williamson because the dragon anatomy, hierarchy, and communication style was done pretty well imo... enough to keep me from rating this 1 star.
Dark Academia Setting: Now this I would kinda go 50/50 because we do see Viv (fmc) pursuring the knowledge of dragon linguistics and communication but it's not based on self-discovery and the pursuit of greater knowledge but it's more like because Viv is forced to..... And I'm not the biggest Dark Academia fan but I'm pretty sure this book... doesn't do it well...
Twist, Turns, Betrayals, Secret Identities: None of this was done well. Not. A. Single. One. Every twist, turn, betrayal, and "secret identity" was so fucking predictable it just made it plain boring to read.... every time a reveal came out I was like "oh yay.. already knew that but sure make it dramatic and move df on." I think there was only one reveal that I wasn't able to predict... But that's not to say that the author didn't introduce shocking reveals... but the ones that were truly shocking kinda was only there to further Viv's internal conflict or to make a character "morally grey" and felt like it came out of the authors ass last minute.
Now moving onto the plot holes and pacing issues. This story has pacing issues... ALOT OF THEM. The author dragged on Viv's inner conflict WAY TOOOOOO LONGGGGGGGGGGGGG... Like I can't tell you how many times I wanted to bang my head against the wall... if I actually did it i would be deceased... in a coma... brain dead.... I felt like a lot of this could've been fixed had the author made the "government bad" and "brainwashed" elements were less in your face... Another book that does this, and in amazing way, is Blood Over Bright Haven. From the beginning we're introduced to a misogynistic society but we only truly see how corrupt the government is and how brainwashed the character is when she becomes "enlightened" as well. However in this book... the author pretty much shows you that in the beginning and we're forced to suffer through Viv's stupidity and brainwashing from an already "enlightened" viewpoint which is why that ruins the reading experience....
Then we have the plot holes... one of the biggest ones stems from the Peace Agreement between the dragons and the humans of Britannia.... You're telling me.. that this wonderous entity that can kill humans on site, is bigger, stronger, faster, smarter being.... IS TREATED LIKE A LOWER CLASS BEING AND THIS IS WHAT THEIR QUEEN AGREED TO???? BSFFR... The dragons worse off than the lowest caste level human and their Queen said "ok" to that??? No. That shit makes no fucking sense.... ESPECIALLY AFTER THEY MASSACRED AN ENTIRE COUNTRY GTFO... That peace agreement shit was so stupid that everyone i ranted too agreed with me about why the dragons would just take that.... makes no fucking sense... and the author doesn't even give a decent explanation as to why the Queen agrees... sighhh...
Last thing I'll mention is Viv's character... I don't wanna be too much of a hater because this is a debut but Viv's character was trash. I hate her. Even after she stopped being stupid... I hate her with every fiber of my being. And she's a typical white savior character... but not even a good one at that..
Keep her away from me. Please and thank you.
Now as to why I didn't rate it 1 star.... It mainly had to do with the dragons... they were the best things about the book... The way the author explains their means of communication, how they raise their young, their anatomy, everything about them was just so fascinating. If this was just an encyclopedia about dragons I would've LOVEDDD it. I even loved the murderous dragons. My fav dragon was Chumana as she seemed to be the only competent character within the book.... But even with dragons being one of the most important parts of the story we don't even get to see them or see them interact with the FMC that much.... The translation/linguistic aspect along with the dragons wasn't enough to let me rate this any higher tho...
Well... Overall it wasn't a bad debut but it could've been a lot better with more time and edits... I'll be getting rid of my copy and I won't be reading the second book (if there is one) unless someone who rated the first one low says the second is better. And by better I'm talking a 4.5 or higher...
October 12, 2024
3.75 ⭐️ This book had the potential to be 5 stars if the main character wasn’t so insufferable 🥲
The story is super interesting and even though it’s a fantasy it has a huge reality check on how unfair so many things in our society are. The setting is great and I found it really immersive, it’s the kind of book that feels like a movie in your head
Unfortunately for me all of that was (almost) wasted because of Viv. There was a moment I really thought about dnfing the book bc I just couldn’t stand her being so selfish and naive. Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to be naive when you don’t know the truth but she didn’t try to change even when people were telling her something was wrong. I also can’t forgive what she did to Sophie, I swear I’ve never seen such a low move coming from a MC
I loved the dragons but I wanted so much more of them :( the way the book ended makes me feel like we’ll get more in the next one but having more dragons in this one would’ve made a huge difference for me
The ending was CRIMINAL!!!!!! My only hope is that newspaper on the last page bc if that person is really **** I’m gonna SCREAM 🤺
Thank you Netgalley & HarperCollins for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review 🩷
The story is super interesting and even though it’s a fantasy it has a huge reality check on how unfair so many things in our society are. The setting is great and I found it really immersive, it’s the kind of book that feels like a movie in your head
Unfortunately for me all of that was (almost) wasted because of Viv. There was a moment I really thought about dnfing the book bc I just couldn’t stand her being so selfish and naive. Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to be naive when you don’t know the truth but she didn’t try to change even when people were telling her something was wrong. I also can’t forgive what she did to Sophie, I swear I’ve never seen such a low move coming from a MC
I loved the dragons but I wanted so much more of them :( the way the book ended makes me feel like we’ll get more in the next one but having more dragons in this one would’ve made a huge difference for me
The ending was CRIMINAL!!!!!! My only hope is that newspaper on the last page bc if that person is really **** I’m gonna SCREAM 🤺
Thank you Netgalley & HarperCollins for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review 🩷
January 23, 2025
✦ ✦ ✧ ✧ ✧
(2.5 rounded down)
whaaaat?? i literally did not understand what was happening for half of that book and i still enjoyed it. i haven’t read any books where the dragons can literally TALK in english and their own languages, so that was a first. it was a bit confusing when a dragon was talking, but they didn’t specify that it was a dragon, so i thought it was a human. 🫠🫠 also the ending- i am reminded of why i try to avoid unfinished series.
there are several things that this book claims to be that it isn’t really
✧₊⁺ enemies to lovers ~ maybe forbidden romance is better to describe them. he never hates her.
✧₊⁺ dark academia ~ in comparison to something like nocticadia, this is NOTHING. i can see like the teacher betrayals, but no.
✧₊⁺ betrayal ~ don’t get me wrong, there WERE betrayals, BUT they were just predicable and i could see them from 100 miles away, so it just didn’t give me that “OMG THEY’RE A TRAITOR!!” feeling.
i’ve also seen this compared to fourth wing which i can kind of see i maybe? but not really. it’s a really big stretch.
──────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────
✧₊⁺ features ~
❥ dragons
✮ forbidden romance
❥ secrets & betrayal
✮ rebellion
❥ lots of learning languages.
✮ false society vibes
❥ no spice
──────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────
✧₊⁺ relationships ~ HOW COULD THEY DO THAT TO ME?? just a warning - this is not HEA. also her reaction was so bad help 💀💀
✧₊⁺ characters ~ i’m just going to rant about my girl vivien for a second. she is this like mastermind girl who CANNOT use her brain. she just- i don’t even know how to explain it other than to say she’s stupid. like, stupidly stupid.
~~~~~
in my dragon era 🤍🐉🖤
(2.5 rounded down)
whaaaat?? i literally did not understand what was happening for half of that book and i still enjoyed it. i haven’t read any books where the dragons can literally TALK in english and their own languages, so that was a first. it was a bit confusing when a dragon was talking, but they didn’t specify that it was a dragon, so i thought it was a human. 🫠🫠 also the ending- i am reminded of why i try to avoid unfinished series.
there are several things that this book claims to be that it isn’t really
✧₊⁺ enemies to lovers ~ maybe forbidden romance is better to describe them. he never hates her.
✧₊⁺ dark academia ~ in comparison to something like nocticadia, this is NOTHING. i can see like the teacher betrayals, but no.
✧₊⁺ betrayal ~ don’t get me wrong, there WERE betrayals, BUT they were just predicable and i could see them from 100 miles away, so it just didn’t give me that “OMG THEY’RE A TRAITOR!!” feeling.
i’ve also seen this compared to fourth wing which i can kind of see i maybe? but not really. it’s a really big stretch.
──────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────
✧₊⁺ features ~
❥ dragons
✮ forbidden romance
❥ secrets & betrayal
✮ rebellion
❥ lots of learning languages.
✮ false society vibes
❥ no spice
──────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────
✧₊⁺ relationships ~ HOW COULD THEY DO THAT TO ME?? just a warning - this is not HEA. also her reaction was so bad help 💀💀
✧₊⁺ characters ~ i’m just going to rant about my girl vivien for a second. she is this like mastermind girl who CANNOT use her brain. she just- i don’t even know how to explain it other than to say she’s stupid. like, stupidly stupid.
~~~~~
in my dragon era 🤍🐉🖤
January 30, 2025
4.5 stars
if a book has dragons in it? i’m sold!✔️
this honestly blew me away. i didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as i did. this is a phenomenal debut novel and i will definitely keep an eye out for any future releases from this author.
this book took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. i was fully sobbing at one point. there was so much going on between political intrigue, corrupt government, dragons (obviously), a little bit of dark academia, a beautiful subplot romance, and a found family. there’s so much about it to enjoy. i also thought all of the discussion on langue was really interesting to read about.
the main female character really tested my
patience though. she really started out super unlikable to me. i didn’t know if i’d ever be able to root for her, but she went on an amazing journey of growth and self discovery and i love a complex character.
i’m not sure if there will be a second book, but there’s definitely potential for one with the way things wrapped up and i am BEGGING for at least a sequel🙏
“To control languages, to control words, is to control what people know.”
“But how can we choose a good life for ourselves and not for everyone else?”
“Peace isn’t peace if it’s only given to some.”
side note: this isn’t necessarily a complaint, but the story is marketed as enemies to lovers and it’s definitely not. it doesn’t really matter to me because the story is great even if you take out the romance, i just thought it’s something worth mentioning. also, it’s marketed YA but it can really appeal to any age.
if a book has dragons in it? i’m sold!✔️
this honestly blew me away. i didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as i did. this is a phenomenal debut novel and i will definitely keep an eye out for any future releases from this author.
this book took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. i was fully sobbing at one point. there was so much going on between political intrigue, corrupt government, dragons (obviously), a little bit of dark academia, a beautiful subplot romance, and a found family. there’s so much about it to enjoy. i also thought all of the discussion on langue was really interesting to read about.
the main female character really tested my
patience though. she really started out super unlikable to me. i didn’t know if i’d ever be able to root for her, but she went on an amazing journey of growth and self discovery and i love a complex character.
i’m not sure if there will be a second book, but there’s definitely potential for one with the way things wrapped up and i am BEGGING for at least a sequel🙏
“To control languages, to control words, is to control what people know.”
“But how can we choose a good life for ourselves and not for everyone else?”
“Peace isn’t peace if it’s only given to some.”
side note: this isn’t necessarily a complaint, but the story is marketed as enemies to lovers and it’s definitely not. it doesn’t really matter to me because the story is great even if you take out the romance, i just thought it’s something worth mentioning. also, it’s marketed YA but it can really appeal to any age.
January 12, 2025
This would be a great introduction into political fantasy for teens!
Unfair class system, treaties that only benefit the higher ups, betrayal and government corruption! It had it all
Combined with lots of dragons I ate this up!
It does read very YA but it is YA so I can’t hold that against it. I would recommend it for 13-17 year olds.
I really liked the fast paced plot and how high the stakes were. Everyone has something to lose if they fail so the competition between the recruits was cut throat!
Unfair class system, treaties that only benefit the higher ups, betrayal and government corruption! It had it all
Combined with lots of dragons I ate this up!
It does read very YA but it is YA so I can’t hold that against it. I would recommend it for 13-17 year olds.
I really liked the fast paced plot and how high the stakes were. Everyone has something to lose if they fail so the competition between the recruits was cut throat!
dnf
April 3, 2025Dnf @58%….I’ve been trying to read this book for months, the premise is great, but I’m so bored…🥲🥱😭
November 21, 2025
“People shouldn’t fear their prime ministers. Prime ministers should fear their people.”
A book that focuses on the power of language and translation, about the many ways corruption will benefit some and destroy others' lives, rebels, political intrigue and dark academia vibes? With dragons? Well, I must say, I was hooked right from the start!
Reading "A Language of Dragons" felt like an adventure. This story has a unique and fantastical setting, infused with magical realism, which is a genre I've found myself enjoying very much recently. However, there is little to no whimsical happening. Although magical and fantastical, the reality is that Vivien lives in a world of oppression, fear and segregation, issues that are bringing the world she has known, as a Second Class Citizen, to the end. Essentially, we are witnessing a time of deep political unrest and hunger for change. I must say, I love themes like this, particularly, when they are well written.
I loved to see the events in this book unfold through Vivien's eyes, mainly because she spends most of this story as a morally grey character. Brilliant, a polyglot of human and dragon languages, but often selfish and self serving, Vivien is ready to do anything to save her family and herself, no matter the consequences others will face due to her actions. Even uncovering the biggest secret dragonkind keeps from humans...?
It was really interesting to read a young woman written in this way. It gave her depth and complexity, elevating the story, making it not only a tale of political intrigue, but also a journey of growth and self-discovery. Her changes, throughout the narrative, the way her belief system was deconstructed constantly, the way she fought it and then, finally, understood it... incredible writing and, I bet, an experience many will be able to relate to, in today's climate.
I must say, however, that even though I adored so many human characters in this book, besides Vivien (Marquis and Karim, Dr. Seymor, Sophie and, of course, Atlas...), the dragons really were the best part of this book. Discovering the way their societal customs worked, their language, the way their place within human society kept changing through the whims and wills of others... The way even them can be corrupt... All of these elements were so interesting and so unique, in my opinion! Definitely, one of the strongest points in this story!
The book finishes, essentially, with a full out war about to start. I am invested, not only because I really want to learn the fate of the many characters (both human and dragons alike), but also because the fate of this version of the United Kingdom interests me deeply. The final chapter sets up the second book to be, possibly, even more intense and dangerous, and I would love to read it!
"To control languages, to control words, is to control what people know."
P.S. I did dislike basically every single adult in this story, at a certain level, even Vivien's parents. You're telling me you have an absolutely brilliant daughter and you couldn't have prepared her for the eventuality of your sudden (but not surprising!) arrest? 🙃 Like at all?? Considering you have drilled the class system into her mind and body??? huh.
P.P.S. I love how this book focuses also on the importance of language and translations, the power they hold, and I was only able to read it because I'm fluent in a second language 😁
A book that focuses on the power of language and translation, about the many ways corruption will benefit some and destroy others' lives, rebels, political intrigue and dark academia vibes? With dragons? Well, I must say, I was hooked right from the start!
Reading "A Language of Dragons" felt like an adventure. This story has a unique and fantastical setting, infused with magical realism, which is a genre I've found myself enjoying very much recently. However, there is little to no whimsical happening. Although magical and fantastical, the reality is that Vivien lives in a world of oppression, fear and segregation, issues that are bringing the world she has known, as a Second Class Citizen, to the end. Essentially, we are witnessing a time of deep political unrest and hunger for change. I must say, I love themes like this, particularly, when they are well written.
I loved to see the events in this book unfold through Vivien's eyes, mainly because she spends most of this story as a morally grey character. Brilliant, a polyglot of human and dragon languages, but often selfish and self serving, Vivien is ready to do anything to save her family and herself, no matter the consequences others will face due to her actions. Even uncovering the biggest secret dragonkind keeps from humans...?
It was really interesting to read a young woman written in this way. It gave her depth and complexity, elevating the story, making it not only a tale of political intrigue, but also a journey of growth and self-discovery. Her changes, throughout the narrative, the way her belief system was deconstructed constantly, the way she fought it and then, finally, understood it... incredible writing and, I bet, an experience many will be able to relate to, in today's climate.
I must say, however, that even though I adored so many human characters in this book, besides Vivien (Marquis and Karim, Dr. Seymor, Sophie and, of course, Atlas...), the dragons really were the best part of this book. Discovering the way their societal customs worked, their language, the way their place within human society kept changing through the whims and wills of others... The way even them can be corrupt... All of these elements were so interesting and so unique, in my opinion! Definitely, one of the strongest points in this story!
The book finishes, essentially, with a full out war about to start. I am invested, not only because I really want to learn the fate of the many characters (both human and dragons alike), but also because the fate of this version of the United Kingdom interests me deeply. The final chapter sets up the second book to be, possibly, even more intense and dangerous, and I would love to read it!
"To control languages, to control words, is to control what people know."
P.S. I did dislike basically every single adult in this story, at a certain level, even Vivien's parents. You're telling me you have an absolutely brilliant daughter and you couldn't have prepared her for the eventuality of your sudden (but not surprising!) arrest? 🙃 Like at all?? Considering you have drilled the class system into her mind and body??? huh.
P.P.S. I love how this book focuses also on the importance of language and translations, the power they hold, and I was only able to read it because I'm fluent in a second language 😁
January 17, 2025
The best things about The Language of Dragons is that it has a fantastic concept behind it that I really haven't seen done before. To compare it to a book like Fourth Wing would be doing it a disservice because really the only similarities for me was that they both had dragons. I felt books like Babel and Divine Rivals vibes to be more accurate.
This is a blend of historical fiction and fantasy with a corrupt government that tries to control its people by placing them into toxic class systems. Our main character is a prodigy translator of dragon languages and after disaster strikes...essentially has to make a "deal with the devil" in order to save her families lives.
The pacing is really pretty steady and the build is fast. It kind of had this front lines of war type setting...where a rebellion is rising from the people who will no longer stay silent. When war on the horizon is a ticking time bomb and lives are on the line...how far would you go...and who would you step on to get there? I loved getting an insight into the different dragons tongues, echolocation type translation, the history of dragons and their place within society! There are some really fascinating concepts that i'd love more of in book 2.
The main character is someone the villain of her own story but I do think she has some great growth and some fun side characters to help her along the way. This is a story that is cut throat and brutal but can please a YA audience. This book is a more of a politics and worldbuilding first...romance second kind of story, but the romance is sweet and heartfelt and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story.
This one has an explosive finish and ends in somewhat of a cliff hanger, so I will definitely be reading the next book at its release!
This is a blend of historical fiction and fantasy with a corrupt government that tries to control its people by placing them into toxic class systems. Our main character is a prodigy translator of dragon languages and after disaster strikes...essentially has to make a "deal with the devil" in order to save her families lives.
The pacing is really pretty steady and the build is fast. It kind of had this front lines of war type setting...where a rebellion is rising from the people who will no longer stay silent. When war on the horizon is a ticking time bomb and lives are on the line...how far would you go...and who would you step on to get there? I loved getting an insight into the different dragons tongues, echolocation type translation, the history of dragons and their place within society! There are some really fascinating concepts that i'd love more of in book 2.
The main character is someone the villain of her own story but I do think she has some great growth and some fun side characters to help her along the way. This is a story that is cut throat and brutal but can please a YA audience. This book is a more of a politics and worldbuilding first...romance second kind of story, but the romance is sweet and heartfelt and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story.
This one has an explosive finish and ends in somewhat of a cliff hanger, so I will definitely be reading the next book at its release!
February 17, 2025
Una trama muy rica en política y conflictos sociales. Dragones inteligentes que conviven con humanos en el día a día. Todo controlado por un acuerdo entre ambas razas con el que los rebeldes no estám de acuerdo, ni con eso ni col la división popular en castas. Una historia con gran visión política y estratégica con secretos y una academia.
Me ha encantado y me ha sorprendido, muy diferente a todo lo que encontrarás sobre dragones actualmente. Serán (por lo visto) dos libros.
Me ha encantado y me ha sorprendido, muy diferente a todo lo que encontrarás sobre dragones actualmente. Serán (por lo visto) dos libros.
April 5, 2025
3,75/5
Świat w którym ludzie żyją w koalicji ze smokami i dziewczyna, która odkryła, że jej rodzice należą do grupy rebeliantów, sprzeciwiających się takiemu porządkowi, przez co zostają aresztowani. Vivien dostaje jednak szansę na ich uratowanie jeśli dołączy do tajnego rządowego programu, i jako znawczyni języków smoków rozszyfruje taki, o którym nikt wcześniej nie słyszał.
Ogromne podobał mi się cały pomysł na fabułę oraz zamysł na wplecenie w nią smoków, które nie tylko posługują się językami ale mają swoje przekonania, kulturę, zwyczaje czy właśnie tajemniczy ów sposób komunikacji, który ma odszyfrować Viv.
Jako czytelnicy jesteśmy zaangażowani w cały proces badań i eksperymentów. Cały ten wątek został poprowadzony świetnie wraz z koncepcją, którą wymyśliła autorka.
Od początku tej książki czuć motyw dark academia. Nastoletni przestępcy, rywalizują ze sobą o wynalezienie rozwiązania w swoich dziedzinach, a stawka jest tu bardzo wysoka. Każda z postaci ma swoje sekrety i motywacje przez co często dochodzi do konfliktów czy burzliwych dyskusji. Tym bardziej, że wśród nich może być szpieg, rebeliant lub informator rządu...
Wątek romantyczny mnie niestety nie przekonał ale zapowiadał się obiecująco bo uwielbiam gdy bohaterowie prowadzą ze sobą tajne korespondencje w książkach. Autorka zamiast wykorzystując różnice między Viv a Atlasem w postaci poglądów politycznych, by spowolnić ich relacje, postanowiła, że główny bohater czuje powołanie na zostanie księdzem. Wydawało mi się to sztuczne i nie na miejscu, tym bardziej, że sami wiecie...
Jest to typowa młodzieżówka z przekazem - Viv jest od dziecka pod wpływem indoktrynacji przez co nie widzi krzywdzących decyzji rządu. To typ postaci, która woli trzymać się zasad, nawet jeśli przez nie cierpią inni ludzie. Wielokrotnie jej postawa może budzić irytacje ale kreacja jej postaci jest prawidłowa - przedstawiając długotrwały proces zmiany myślenia.
To co bardziej mnie raziło to fakt, że tak jak początek i koniec książki są bardzo dynamiczne i pełne akcji, tak środek fabuły jest bardzo jednostajny, momentami nużący.
Intrygi jak i cały konflikt polityczny rozwinął się w ciekawym kierunku więc z pewnością sięgnę po kontynuację.
Świat w którym ludzie żyją w koalicji ze smokami i dziewczyna, która odkryła, że jej rodzice należą do grupy rebeliantów, sprzeciwiających się takiemu porządkowi, przez co zostają aresztowani. Vivien dostaje jednak szansę na ich uratowanie jeśli dołączy do tajnego rządowego programu, i jako znawczyni języków smoków rozszyfruje taki, o którym nikt wcześniej nie słyszał.
Ogromne podobał mi się cały pomysł na fabułę oraz zamysł na wplecenie w nią smoków, które nie tylko posługują się językami ale mają swoje przekonania, kulturę, zwyczaje czy właśnie tajemniczy ów sposób komunikacji, który ma odszyfrować Viv.
Jako czytelnicy jesteśmy zaangażowani w cały proces badań i eksperymentów. Cały ten wątek został poprowadzony świetnie wraz z koncepcją, którą wymyśliła autorka.
Od początku tej książki czuć motyw dark academia. Nastoletni przestępcy, rywalizują ze sobą o wynalezienie rozwiązania w swoich dziedzinach, a stawka jest tu bardzo wysoka. Każda z postaci ma swoje sekrety i motywacje przez co często dochodzi do konfliktów czy burzliwych dyskusji. Tym bardziej, że wśród nich może być szpieg, rebeliant lub informator rządu...
Wątek romantyczny mnie niestety nie przekonał ale zapowiadał się obiecująco bo uwielbiam gdy bohaterowie prowadzą ze sobą tajne korespondencje w książkach. Autorka zamiast wykorzystując różnice między Viv a Atlasem w postaci poglądów politycznych, by spowolnić ich relacje, postanowiła, że główny bohater czuje powołanie na zostanie księdzem. Wydawało mi się to sztuczne i nie na miejscu, tym bardziej, że sami wiecie...
Jest to typowa młodzieżówka z przekazem - Viv jest od dziecka pod wpływem indoktrynacji przez co nie widzi krzywdzących decyzji rządu. To typ postaci, która woli trzymać się zasad, nawet jeśli przez nie cierpią inni ludzie. Wielokrotnie jej postawa może budzić irytacje ale kreacja jej postaci jest prawidłowa - przedstawiając długotrwały proces zmiany myślenia.
To co bardziej mnie raziło to fakt, że tak jak początek i koniec książki są bardzo dynamiczne i pełne akcji, tak środek fabuły jest bardzo jednostajny, momentami nużący.
Intrygi jak i cały konflikt polityczny rozwinął się w ciekawym kierunku więc z pewnością sięgnę po kontynuację.
December 28, 2024
"A Language of Dragons" is set in London in 1923, in a world where people are forced into classes, protests erupt in the streets, and dragons soar through the skies. Vivian Featherswallow plans to follow the rules, secure an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her sister never has to risk growing up third class. However, by midnight, she has inadvertently started a civil war. With her parents arrested and now her sister missing, everything is collapsing around Viv. She receives a lifeline in the form of job offer, she seizes it. Living at Bletchley Park, she soon discovers that she is recruited as a codebreaker aiding in the war effort. If she succeeds, her family goes home; if she fails, they die. Initially, she believes that uncovering the hidden dragon language is achievable, but the more she learns, the more she realizes nothing is as it seems. The safety she thought she had was merely an illusion. This enemies-too lovers, academia fantasy is a must-read with its twists, turns, and betrayals at every corner. You won't want to it down.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 1, 2025
“Viv, stel nou dat God me naar jou roept?”
ik had best wel hoge verwachtingen en hopes voor dit boek. een boek met draken waarin ze geen fluffy wezens zijn maar enge wezens waar je bang voor moet zijn, maar met wie je ook kan samenwerken. en dat maakte dit verhaal voor mij bijzonder.
het boek gaat over Viv, een meisje uit de tweede klasse (ja er is een klassensysteem (en dus ook een gekke premier)), die een draak bevrijdt om haar ouders te redden van de straf die staat op hoogverraad. maar dan wordt ze gesnapt en in een groep met mede-“criminelen” gegooid om de premier te helpen met het kraken van de drakencode, zodat ze de draken kunnen verslaan.
Viv is in het begin een beetje naïef, en het dringt allemaal nog niet echt tot haar door. zij wilt gewoon haar ouders redden en iedereen verraden ipv de wereld en de draken redden. maar als lezer kom je er vrij snel achter wie aan welke kant van het conflict staat.
er zit wel wat liefde in het verhaal, maar dat is zeker NIET de hoofdrol. ook is het ya, dus ik wil NIEMAND horen over smut of spice!!!
hierdoor zat ik eerst op 4.5⭐️, maar toen kwam het einde en toen heb ik zitten JANKEN, dus 5⭐️
ik had best wel hoge verwachtingen en hopes voor dit boek. een boek met draken waarin ze geen fluffy wezens zijn maar enge wezens waar je bang voor moet zijn, maar met wie je ook kan samenwerken. en dat maakte dit verhaal voor mij bijzonder.
het boek gaat over Viv, een meisje uit de tweede klasse (ja er is een klassensysteem (en dus ook een gekke premier)), die een draak bevrijdt om haar ouders te redden van de straf die staat op hoogverraad. maar dan wordt ze gesnapt en in een groep met mede-“criminelen” gegooid om de premier te helpen met het kraken van de drakencode, zodat ze de draken kunnen verslaan.
Viv is in het begin een beetje naïef, en het dringt allemaal nog niet echt tot haar door. zij wilt gewoon haar ouders redden en iedereen verraden ipv de wereld en de draken redden. maar als lezer kom je er vrij snel achter wie aan welke kant van het conflict staat.
er zit wel wat liefde in het verhaal, maar dat is zeker NIET de hoofdrol. ook is het ya, dus ik wil NIEMAND horen over smut of spice!!!
hierdoor zat ik eerst op 4.5⭐️, maar toen kwam het einde en toen heb ik zitten JANKEN, dus 5⭐️
August 31, 2025
Tohle mohla být prádní politická fantasy plná draků, překládání a skvělých vztahů mezi postavami... nebýt toho, že hlavní hrdinka je naivnější, než America v Selekci 🫠 Ale už jen kvůli tomu světu mám chuť dát šanci druhému dílu.
3,5/5*
3,5/5*
February 25, 2025
Girl discovers that people can have opinions????
No, but seriously, this was atrocious. Also somehow for a book that is heavily themed around dragons, there wasn't a single dragon in this that I gave a fuck about and they were also really boring. I don't really understand how the dragons worked; especially the fact that they could be bankers, etc. Are all the buildings just exceptionally large? Why would dragons want to do human jobs? Why would dragons be subservient to humans?
Vivian is truly one of the most insufferable characters I've ever had the displeasure to read. Honestly, she deserved everything bad that happened to her and it was aggravating that the ending was positive-ish for her. The choices she makes are completely stupid and for someone who's supposed to be super duper clever, I think she's probably the most idiotic character in the book. Vivian for some reason is the chosen one who will solve everything and I can't suspend my disbelief that far because Vivian is as smart as a rock.
Also, the prime minister is just not a fucking threat, dude, she's recruiting kids to build planes and crack codes and had TWO rebels within her inner circle, like???? Surely, the prime minister could have threatened adults instead of literal children, who were also arrested for rebel behaviour?? On a side note, the rebels themselves were shit at keeping secrets, case in point Dr Seymour.
Don't get me started about her fight with Sophie (I'm completely on Sophie's side btw and it's atrocious that she seemed to just forget about that whole thing at the very end) and the insta-love with her and Atlas. Atlas was in theory a decent character and I liked the whole priest in training section but that was DROPPED. Like how tF is this guy a priest in training but still hardcore flirting and then just fucking drops his whole priest thing for VIVIAN. LIKE VIVIAN???
Also viv defends the class system that has literally oppressed atlas his whole life and I'm supposed to be all 😍😍
Dude ngl I was so happy every time someone died and I wish more people did
Bro if you see me pick up the sequel to this know that's not me that's my clone
No, but seriously, this was atrocious. Also somehow for a book that is heavily themed around dragons, there wasn't a single dragon in this that I gave a fuck about and they were also really boring. I don't really understand how the dragons worked; especially the fact that they could be bankers, etc. Are all the buildings just exceptionally large? Why would dragons want to do human jobs? Why would dragons be subservient to humans?
Vivian is truly one of the most insufferable characters I've ever had the displeasure to read. Honestly, she deserved everything bad that happened to her and it was aggravating that the ending was positive-ish for her. The choices she makes are completely stupid and for someone who's supposed to be super duper clever, I think she's probably the most idiotic character in the book. Vivian for some reason is the chosen one who will solve everything and I can't suspend my disbelief that far because Vivian is as smart as a rock.
Also, the prime minister is just not a fucking threat, dude, she's recruiting kids to build planes and crack codes and had TWO rebels within her inner circle, like???? Surely, the prime minister could have threatened adults instead of literal children, who were also arrested for rebel behaviour?? On a side note, the rebels themselves were shit at keeping secrets, case in point Dr Seymour.
Don't get me started about her fight with Sophie (I'm completely on Sophie's side btw and it's atrocious that she seemed to just forget about that whole thing at the very end) and the insta-love with her and Atlas. Atlas was in theory a decent character and I liked the whole priest in training section but that was DROPPED. Like how tF is this guy a priest in training but still hardcore flirting and then just fucking drops his whole priest thing for VIVIAN. LIKE VIVIAN???
Also viv defends the class system that has literally oppressed atlas his whole life and I'm supposed to be all 😍😍
Dude ngl I was so happy every time someone died and I wish more people did
Bro if you see me pick up the sequel to this know that's not me that's my clone
December 30, 2025
Bletchley Park with dragons!
’To control languages, to control words, is to control what people know.’
I thoroughly enjoyed this YA historical fantasy, dark academia story set in 1920's London. Featuring political intrigue, linguistics, dragons, colonialism, betrayal, rebellion and censorship.
‘Language is as crucial to war as any weapon.’
I am keen for the next story!
4.5 stars (rounded up)
’To control languages, to control words, is to control what people know.’
I thoroughly enjoyed this YA historical fantasy, dark academia story set in 1920's London. Featuring political intrigue, linguistics, dragons, colonialism, betrayal, rebellion and censorship.
‘Language is as crucial to war as any weapon.’
I am keen for the next story!
4.5 stars (rounded up)
March 8, 2025
˖ ࣪ ⟡˚ 2 stars ˚⟡ ࣪ ˖
the female main character was annoying me from page 1 and her ex bestie was even worse. the only person i semi-liked was her gay cousin (classic me behavior).
the female main character was annoying me from page 1 and her ex bestie was even worse. the only person i semi-liked was her gay cousin (classic me behavior).
January 11, 2026
I was still salty about dragons, apparently. I picked this up thinking it was going to be a delightful YA distraction after finishing the absolutely devastatingly beautiful Plated Prisioner series and… I should have read the synopsis.
It’s got dragons alright, but you are put square in the middle of a war. A war between rebels with dragons and loyal British with dragons. Mimicking the Second World War, and literally taking place during the time period in London, this is a lush world of humans and dragons living in society. Sort of. This isn’t a light read. It’s rife with stark classicism, war crimes, and fighting that doesn’t flinch when it comes to the loss of life (dragon or human). All of which hinges on a group of young “criminals” contracted to be code breakers in Bletchley Park. S.F Williamson does an incredible job of painting this reality and the crisis of conscience the code breakers must grapple with as they try to save their country, themselves, and their families. The question remains…at what cost.
Make no mistake. This is a heavy read, not dissimilar to current events going on in the world. I really enjoyed this but the end felt a little too tangled. Now that I know there's another book in the series I’m curious where Williamson will go from here.
It’s got dragons alright, but you are put square in the middle of a war. A war between rebels with dragons and loyal British with dragons. Mimicking the Second World War, and literally taking place during the time period in London, this is a lush world of humans and dragons living in society. Sort of. This isn’t a light read. It’s rife with stark classicism, war crimes, and fighting that doesn’t flinch when it comes to the loss of life (dragon or human). All of which hinges on a group of young “criminals” contracted to be code breakers in Bletchley Park. S.F Williamson does an incredible job of painting this reality and the crisis of conscience the code breakers must grapple with as they try to save their country, themselves, and their families. The question remains…at what cost.
Make no mistake. This is a heavy read, not dissimilar to current events going on in the world. I really enjoyed this but the end felt a little too tangled. Now that I know there's another book in the series I’m curious where Williamson will go from here.
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March 5, 2025This was a lot of fun! A historical YA fantasy set in the 1920s 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! However, 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 not a criticism of the story itself: it 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 (especially the fact we did not gain our Independence from the Ottoman Empire until 1908, but in the book's universe, we'd been "colonising wyverns for centuries"). It is simply a small disappointment from one Bulgarian reader.
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! However, 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 not a criticism of the story itself: it 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 (especially the fact we did not gain our Independence from the Ottoman Empire until 1908, but in the book's universe, we'd been "colonising wyverns for centuries"). It is simply a small disappointment from one Bulgarian reader.
March 6, 2025
A Language of Dragons is an interesting read full of fascinating world building and resonant themes. That being said, it's not a fun read. Yes, we get a rivals-to-lovers romance and a world full of dragons, including one particularly grumpy one, a la Fourth Wing. But we also have discussions of propaganda, greed, and the class system. Most of this book is the main character realizing that the government is not looking out for her, and the rebels she's been taught to hate are not her enemy. These are strong themes that I'm glad are discussed, I just didn't expect such a heavy tone going into this book. In some ways, this bittersweet tone reminded me of both Babel and Divine Rivals. This heavy tone doesn't make this a bad novel, I think the marketing was just a bit misleading. My only actual problem with this book is that sometimes the main character felt a little too naive. I wanted to yell at her to open her eyes. In a similar vein, because her character arc is her realizing the flaws of the system, Finally, I've heard that this is a standalone, but the ending is very open-ended and leaves me with so many questions. I feel like there needs to either be a sequel, or a more concrete ending.
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