A Language of Dragons

Name: A Language of Dragons
ISBN: 9780063353848

by S. F. Williamson

Vivien Featherswallow just wants to protect her sister in a London where dragons soar and class divides run deep. But a single act of defiance sparks a civil war, landing her in a secret Bletchley Par

About This Book

A Language of Dragons is a sweeping young adult fantasy set in an alternate 1923 London, where dragons are real and a fragile truce between species is on the brink of collapse. Protagonist Vivien Featherswallow, determined to secure her family's safety from a rigid class system, inadvertently ignites a civil war. Recruited to a clandestine Bletchley Park, Viv must use her linguistic talents to decipher a hidden dragon language, a task that reveals deep-seated corruption and puts her family's lives, and the fate of humanity, at stake. This debut offers a rich blend of historical fantasy, dark academia, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, perfect for readers aged 12-18 who enjoy complex world-building and high-stakes adventure.

**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.**

Concepts

Love & Family Resilience & Perseverance Justice & Fairness Fear & Bravery Self-Confidence & Identity Curiosity & Wonder Friendship & Loyalty Good vs. Evil

Discussion Prompts

How does the class system in the book affect Vivien's choices and motivations?

What role does language play in understanding or misunderstanding between different groups, both human and dragon?

Vivien makes a choice that leads to civil war. Do you think her actions were justified? Why or why not?

How does the 'enemies-to-lovers' dynamic develop, and what does it reveal about the characters?

What does 'every act of translation requires sacrifice' mean in the context of the story?

External Reviews

NYT Bestseller

Young Adult Hardcover (3 weeks on list)

If Your Family Enjoyed This