Title: A War of Wyverns
Author: SF Williamson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: January 6, 2025
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop | Goodreads | StoryGraph
Summary
Vivien Featherswallow has found herself at the center of the rebellion in Britannia. But most people don’t know who she is. Is she the Swallow, the face of the rebellion? The brasstongue, on the cusp of translating dragon languages? Or has she just blended into the background?
All Viv knows is that she has to fight back. Armed with a machine to translate dragon languages and a secret diary, she’s determined to find the Hebridean Wyverns in order to turn the tides in the war.
Review: A War of Wyverns
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of A War of Wyverns by SF Williamson to review! I was excited to get to the sequel after reading A Language of Dragons last year, especially since it left off with a little bit of a cliffhanger.
The thing that intrigued me the most about A Language of Dragons was the way it incorporated history, languages, and dragons. Admittedly, there are definitely more dragons in this sequel (for which we rejoice!). There were some in the first book, but Viv interacts with more dragons (and wyverns) in this one. Williamson takes the elements of the first book and really elevates the tension in this book.
One of the things that Viv struggles with in this book is the fact that translation is never exact. And is it really preserving a langauge if you’re translating it because something is definitely lost. As someone who is into studying literature and meaning, I liked the academic spin in this book. It brings something to the fantasy that I don’t think we see a lot of, especially in YA fantasy.
Of course, the war is not wrapped up in this book. Another book is clearly on the way. Curious to see where Viv and her allies go next!
4/5 stars