Hello, everyone! I’ve been looking forward to reading A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson for quite some time. So, I was stoked when the audiobook became available at my library so quickly after publication. I was sold on the synopsis because it reminded me of the themes in Babel with the addition of dragons. Of course, I had to check it out! Read on to see if it lived up to my expectations.

EVERY ACT OF TRANSLATION REQUIRES SACRIFICE

Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons.

London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivian Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.

With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.

At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must What war is she really fighting?

An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice.

A Language of Dragons sounded like a book written just for me. Dragons? Check. Integration of linguistics with dark academia vibes? Yep. Alternate historical setting with fantasy elements? Yes, please. It had all the makings of a new favorite. I’m happy to report that all of the components came together into a really great story. There was just one thing that kept holding me back from truly loving it, the main character.

First, I want to give some praise for what A Language of Dragons did well. The use of languages was so cool, and I loved how the author took the time to really delve into the weeds of the dragon code. I wanted to learn even more about it, and the idea was just such an interesting one, at least to someone like me who loves learning about language. The world-building, in general, was good despite being somewhat limited due to most of the story taking place in one setting. I’d have loved to see more of this alternate historical London, but I’m hopeful that future books will build on the solid bones of this book.

The political intrigue in A Language of Dragons was also quite riveting. There were spies galore, and everyone seemed to have complicated allegiances and motivations. The story explored themes related to political corruption and how leaders set up and utilize oppressive systems, such as class, to manipulate the populace and keep them in line. It all made for a tense setting where the characters never knew who to trust because their leaders stoked the flames of discord amongst them.

The main character in A Language of Dragons, Viv, was so insufferable. I get that she was supposed to be morally gray and selfish. However, she also came across as quite dumb at times despite supposedly being intelligent. She was determined to save her family at all costs, which I did find somewhat admirable. It just took her way too long to get on board with the rebels. Everyone around her was telling her how helping the Prime Minister was a bad idea that wouldn’t save her family in the end. She just would not budge even though it was obvious her actions would hurt the dragons without any kind of payoff for her family. Mostly, she just got on my nerves. lol.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading A Language of Dragons. It was full of cool ideas, an interesting historical fantasy setting, and tons of exciting subterfuge. Also, there were plenty of dragons, which is always a good thing. I just wish the main character had been a bit quicker on the uptake and had a more gradual arc of growth. Therefore, I rate A Language of Dragons 3.75 out of 5 stars. I look forward to seeing where the story goes in the next book!

There you have it! My thoughts on A Language of Dragons. Have you read it already? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments.