Book Review

A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson

Published Jan 2, 2025 by HarperCollins

Dragons, codebreaking, a morally grey main character, slow burn enemies to lovers romance, and a dark academia setting? Sign me right up!

The main character, Viv, had me wanting to grab her and shake her until her teeth rattled for what she did to her best friend, and for the terrible decisions she made. At times, I wasn't sure if I was reading a redemption arc or a villain's origin story. It could easily go in either direction, and I was hooked.

The story is less about traditional codebreaking and focuses more on learning the different languages and ways dragon's communicate with the hopes of using the knowledge to help win the war. I loved the world-building and various types of dragons we are introduced to. The romance was sweet without taking center stage, and despite Viv's flaws, I found myself caring a lot about the characters.

This book is an engrossing debut with an ending that left me excited for the next book in the series. I hope Williamson is hard at work on book two. Bring on the dragons!

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of this book.

Rating: ★★★★