Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I was intrigued by the premise of this one, an alternative Bletchley with Dragons. For me personally it was just ok, I found the main character Vivien rather annoying at times and also certain themes became repetitive. I would recommend this for YA readers who like dragons/dark academia.

I was drawn to A Language of Dragons because the idea of Babel mixed with dragons sounded like one of my favourite concepts ever for a book, so I'm glad to say that I really enjoyed this one! I'm fascinated by linguistics and translation, and this was a really intriguing way to explore some of those topics through a fantasy lens. The plot is fast-paced and kept me engaged throughout, and I really was invested in Vivian's journey as she comes to understand herself and those around her. The romance was sweet but underdeveloped at times, and whilst the rest of the characters could have been explored in more depth they were still interesting to read about. I really liked the themes of rebellion and corruption, too, and I'm definitely intrigued to see where the plot goes in the next instalment.

If the concept of codebreaking crossed with dragons appeals to you, I would definitely recommend. 3.5 stars.

A Language of Dragons is a debut novel by S.F. Williamson and it follows Vivien Featherswallow in London, 1923. In this alternative London, dragons fly in the skies. Vivien wants to get an internship studying dragon languages which will stop her and her sister moving to the third class. Her parents end up arrested so she ends up working as a codebreaker to help the war effort. Vivien has hopes to discover the secrets of different dragon languages but she starts to question what people are fighting for.

This was enjoyable to a certain extent, I think for young adult readers this will be a hit because Vivien was a relatable character to follow and it was easy to emphasise with her. Personally it didn’t grip me like I was hoping for but I can see others loving it.