A review by signebrum
A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“People shouldn’t fear their prime ministers, prime ministers should fear their people”

A definite 5/5 stars.

I just LOVE when an author knows EXACTLY what they’re doing (or at least when it seems like it).

A Language of Dragons is a perfect example of this. Everything from the way bilingualism and languages are treated, to how religion and faith can be conveyed differently, to the choosing a first person narrator from the perspective of girl, who may not be entirely unreliable, but definitely naive. I loved every second of it!

I don’t even know where to start with this review, so I’ll start of with a spoiler warning. From here on, there may be spoilers for the book. Read the book (I beg you!) before reading the rest of this review.

I loved the way this world was build up, it is easy to get into, yet feels full and thought out at the same time. 

I love how every character has multiple sides to them - even those we barely spend time with. I love how the world is made so much fuller from the detail of each of the recruit’s reasons to be recruited. From a rich runaway not wanting to get married to a priest-to-be trying to save a life. 

And most of all, I love how this story depicts how fascism and propaganda works. I love how we se Vivien struggle with choosing between what is easy and what is right. She is a deeply flawed character in all the best ways, which made it ever so rewarding when she finally - finally - chose to try to forgive herself and fight for other. 

I love how the relationships are depicted, both the romantic ones, the familial ones, the platonic ones. And I especially enjoyed Vivien and Chumana’s relationship, as it pushed Vivien out of her comfort zone to a place where she needed to burst her bubble and face reality. 

There were so many simply beautiful moments in this haunting story, that doesn’t shy away from revealing the horrible facts of its world. 

This is a world where a fascist government will stop at nothing to keep control. This is a world where criminal youth, kids, are sent to an island to be dragon food. A world that oppresses the poor (and the dragons) while the rich live lives in glorious ignorance. 

Overall, one of the easiest 5/5 stars ever. This book will haunt me for the rest of my life and I am glad of it.