This book is a captivating blend of mortal and vampire intrigue, set within the walls of a high-stakes academic institution. Medra’s journey from narrowly escaping death to being thrust into a vampire-dominated world is filled with tension, danger, and a fierce determination to survive. Her fight to avoid a forced betrothal is both thrilling and captivating, making for an unforgettable story.

The slow-burn romance between Medra and Blake is another highlight. Their evolving relationship is tense, emotional, and satisfying—though the wait for the payoff is a test of patience! The chemistry between them is undeniable, and the twist at the end adds an extra layer of complexity to their bond.

I’m already eagerly anticipating book 2, but I have to admit, I’m also a little frustrated... Naveen definitely deserved better!

Overall, On Wings of Blood is a must-read for fans of enemies-to-lovers stories, slow-burn romance, and dark, immersive world-building.

A book with potential, but sadly not my cup of tea.

I can see that this story has a lot of potential, with an interesting premise and some well-developed elements. The world-building and characters show promise, and I can tell the author put a lot of thought into the plot. However, unfortunately, it just wasn't to my taste.

The pacing felt a bit uneven at times, and I struggled to connect with the characters in a meaningful way. Furthermore, I just cannot relate to a bully-to-romance plot. That whole plot point just didn´t resonate with me at all, though I’m sure other readers may appreciate it more. While the writing itself was solid, the tone and style didn’t quite align with what I personally enjoy in a story.

That said, I can see this book appealing to other readers, and I believe the author has a lot of talent. It just wasn’t a perfect fit for me. I’d still encourage others to give it a try, as it may be exactly what some readers are looking for!

🌟🌟🌟🌟✨ (4.5/5 stars)

On Wings of Blood sweeps you into a dark, magical world where vampires reign and secrets lurk around every corner. 🧛‍♂️🔥 This first installment of the Bloodwing Academy series is an addictive blend of dark academia, romance, and fantasy.

Medra Pendragon, the last dragon rider (or so she’s told), is dragged to Bloodwing Academy, a place ruled by powerful vampires who see her as a pawn in their games. Bonded against her will to Blake Drakharrow—her arrogant and dangerous nemesis—Medra must navigate deadly rivalries, uncover buried truths, and confront her own awakening power. The slow-burn romance between Medra and Blake crackles with tension, and the intricate world-building keeps you hooked. 🐉🩸

Briar Boleyn crafts a compelling story full of morally gray characters, political intrigue, and high-stakes challenges. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is electric, and the gothic, atmospheric setting is perfect for fans of Fourth Wing or Zodiac Academy. ⚔️✨

If you love stories about forbidden love, hidden power, and navigating a world of danger and magic, this book is a must-read. Just be ready for the cliffhanger that’ll leave you desperate for the next chapter! 📚💔

There are many things I love about this book! And only one thing I slightly dislike.

I love that she’s a Pendragon, though I’m very sad she didn’t get to keep her fae powers, I’m glad she’s a tough cookie. Medra is a great friend, despite all the odds stacked against her. While I dislike her continued hostility against Blake, it’s not like I don’t understand it. And it does seem like all characters go through a character development arc of some sorts, which is greatly appreciated. The author isn’t forgetting any characters and is including them in the story, allowing them to grow. Also, shoutout to the diversity of names!

I’m very curious to seeing the dragons more!

#enemiestolovers #slowburn #villainMC #vampires #dragons #bullying #romantasy #explicit #spicy

This book was different , in a good way. I think i needed just a smidge more from book 1 but im excited to see where this story goes in book 2

On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn is the first book in the Bloodwing Academy series. It's a bit of a continuation of her Blood of a Fae series in that there is a character that carries over to this one but I think you can start this one without having read that one. While there are references to that world, it's not so much that you will be completely lost picking this one up. I say that having not read the last book of that series...which means that this book absolutely ruined that one for me but oh well.

Anyway, our fmc in this one is Medra Pendragon who gains consciousness in a world where she has no idea how she got there or why she is even there. Nevermind the fact that she is a half-fae surrounded by vampires and they believe her to be the last of the dragon riders which puts her in a weird position. She's special, but she's also a captive of the highbloods - specifically one particular family and they are going to use her to keep whatever power they have. That means enrolling her at Bloodwing Academy and forcing her betrothal to Blake Drakharrow, the vampire who found her and despite how much he protests, can't seem to stay away from her.

Blake is interesting. He does everything he can to try to distance himself from Medra - he's cold and arrogant and he has his crew test her in every way. But he can't help himself, he's continually drawn to Medra and when push comes to shove, he does everything he can to protect her too. He acts like Medra is a possession more than a person at times and isn't above killing someone for touching what is his but Medra isn't one to let him walk all over her.

I thought this book started off a little slow. I think the whole betrothal thing with the competition, while interesting, seemed to drag out which then led to the dance and you get the idea. I know this is the whole academy story but I wanted to get more into the story of the dragon riders and it felt like we didn't truly get there until the very end. I think the secondary characters and the friendships that Medra created with Florence and Naveen were wonderfully done. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next book now with how things ended in book one.

All that to say, I thought this was a solid start to this series. If you're looking for a new Romantasy series to pick up, consider this one. I think I will grab the next one just to see how things go based on the ending of book one as I'm interested on the outcomes of the things that occurred.

Dark academia with enemies to lovers, magic, tension/slow burn with so much more!
We follow our main character as she awakens in a new world and must quite literally fight for survival.
Excellent world building, likable characters, intriguing magic system, forced betrothal. THE TENSION between the two characters was everything I wanted!!!
I definitely want to continue this series...because that ending left me speechless.

Holy dragons and vampires batman!? I absolutely devoured this book. I do have to say that the "touch her and die" trope is by far my all time fave next to "I'll burn the world for her." And this had that in SPADES. I'm also a sucker for books with trials. Something about the stakes and the pressure completely draw me in while also stressing me all the way out. Medra and Blake, well...they were probably too hot for me to be able to put into words. I cannot wait for the next book! I will def. be recommending this one to anyone who is a lover of Romantasy!

On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ published 25th October 2024

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's the first vampire romantasy book that I have read and just like a bloodlust, I want more! Briar Boleyn has done a superb job with this book and i thoroughly enjoyed this read! (I read it in two days!)

I thought the world building was excellent. I didn't need anything to help with the visualisation, it was flying off the pages. I really liked the academy, how ancient and opulent it is. Medra could see the beauty there and in turn so does the reader.

The characters were very interesting. I'm not usually a fan of the miscommunication trope but it was well written. I enjoyed the enemies to (almost) lovers theme, sort of like it was forbidden, and how she drove him wild.

Medra is a good FMC I liked that she was headstrong, rebellious and untameable. I do want to learn more about her life before Bloodwing though so I'm definitely going to read more of this authors work. I know there's another series linked to this.

Blake's character was also an interesting one. I wish he wouldn't be so pig-headed at times and be more open with Medra but I guess that's all part of the slow burn element, frustrating as it might be. Kage though??!! I am quite drawn to him. Will be interesting to see what storyline he takes up in the next book.

There is spice in this book. I enjoyed it. The slow burn intimacy is written really well and the balcony part in the temple was 🔥.

The side characters were all really endearing. Especially Neville! 😍 Some of my favourite parts of the book was the building of camaraderie. Plus the way that the book makes you hate Regan with a passion is great.

I enjoyed the politics of the realm, how the four houses rule and the history behind that. We learn more through Medra's lessons just as she does so it doesn't feel so overwhelming.

The cliffhanger!!!!! The dragon!! I need to read the next book. I absolutely cannot wait for book 2. When you say early 2025, how early do you mean?? I'm not sure I can be patient! 😂😂

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for my arc copy of the book. This is my own honest review of the book.

This gave Harry Potter meets House of Dragon vibes, with maybe a little bit of Fourth Wing. The story pulls you in from the very start and I absolutely loved that!! I’m just not seeing how so many people are raving about it but then only giving it 3 stars. I think some people are just really harsh critics.

The vibes were:
* touch her and unalive
* Vampires / Dragons
* Enemies to lovers
* Forced proximity/betrothal
* Strong FMC
* Possessive MMC

Absolutely can’t wait for the second book!

Sooo…I’m going to need book two, immediately!

I knew going in that there was a very high chance I’d enjoy this one as I loved the Blood of a Fae series, so I was already a fan of Briar Boleyn. Now I’m an ever bigger one!

I LOVED it.

From the very beginning, with the reveal of the ending before going back in time to build up to it, I was hooked.

Medra Pendragon suddenly finds herself in a world that isn’t her own. Lost and confused, she’s quickly found by brooding vampire Blake who takes her back to his city where his powerful uncle quickly bonds them in more ways than one. But Medea isn’t going to accept that without a fight.

Sent to the prestigious Bloodwing Academy, Medra must navigate her way through her new world, life and of course, Blake. Can she fight for herself when the odds are rapidly stacking up against her?

Sizzling chemistry, twists and turns, characters you fall in love with and, well, dragons. What more could you want?

I would absolutely recommend this book.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read.

Vampires, Dragons, and Fae- Oh my! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 🌶️🌶️

The way I absolutely DEVOURED this book?! I ate it up in one day and I could not go to sleep until I was done. And that cliffhanger?! I'm dying for the next book, I'm not okay! This is definitely one of my top reads of the year.

This gave Harry Potter meets House of Dragon vibes, with maybe a sprinkle of Fourth Wing. The story pulls you in from the very start. Medra, a fae who wakes up in a world ruled by vampires after dying while saving her own, finds herself as a pawn in the vampire's political games after a vampire prince, Blake, finds her among the wreckage of a destroyed city. Her red hair? Turns out it's a big deal when surrounded by a bunch of light haired vampires - it links her to dragon riders, at a time when dragons were thought to be extinct. Apparently, Blake's uncle knows a little something about that and binds her as his consort *signal in the chaos*.

But Medra is no pawn. She's feisty, bold, and fiercely underestimated. Navigating a school of vampires that would much rather see her dead, she finds a found family of loyal blightborn (mortal) friends, and challenging Blake at every turn. Her relentlessness only strengthens his pull towards her and she starts to see there might be more to him than he initially led on.

As the story goes on and more is revealed, it only becomes that much more addicting. I will be counting down the days to the next release!

I want to thank Netgalley and author Brian Boleyn for sending me a copy for review!

Thank you for the opportunity...

I could not put this book down. It's is compared to forthwing and zodiac academy (which i didn't read) but this book definitely had me frothing at the mouth. That cliffhanger is hard.. I need the next book asap.

I truly enjoyed this read

* touch her and ☠️
* Enemies to lovers
* Forced proximity/betrothal
* Strong FMC
* Vampires 🧛‍♂️ / Dragons 🐲
* Possessive MMC

On Wings of Blood is a dark fantasy academia book with Vampires, Fae, magic and dragons.

Our FMC Medra ends up in an unfamiliar world and is face to face with our Vampire/Bully MMC Blake.

She ends up betrothed to him thanks to Blake’s very powerful uncle believing her to be a dragon rider thanks to her wild red hair and is forced to attend Bloodwing Academy alongside Highbloods and some chosen Blightborns. She finds she finds herself making friends with some blightborns who help her understand the world she is now in.

She has to navigate through deadly competition, dealing with her co-consort, trying to stay alive while being hated by Highbloods, all the while concealing the truth; that she isn’t from their world!

The tension between the MCs begins off slow while we are on Medras POV. Once we switch to Blake’s POV, we begin to see his is intrigued by her and has an attraction towards her.

The dragons enter the story very late in the day and the ending leaves us with a huge cliffhanger.

The synopsis is correct, if you like Harry Potter and Fourth Wing (and potentially Zodiac Academy, I however haven’t read this) then you will see the very close similarities between the stories.

Overall I would give the book:
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Thanks to NetGallery, Briar Boleyn & Victory Editing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved fourth wing so when this was compared to it I had to give it a go. It did not disappoint. The world build is brilliant and storyline between the characters are amazing. I truly enjoyed reading every page

Thank you Starwater Press, Victory Editing, Net Galley and Briar Boleyn for an advanced reader copy of On Wings of Blood!

A god-like being falls into a land ruled by vampires, an unfamiliar world for the fae-goddess, yet familiar for readers. I'm saying familiar on the conditions of its extreme similarity to Harry Potter, Fourth Wing, a bit of Hunger Games styled enchantments, and other descriptive devices used in the synopsis of the book. I knew what I was getting myself into, didn't know to what extent really. I do understand plots and characters being inspired by other literary sources, but this book had a promise of delivering a world where inspiration doesn't hinge itself to a loose thread of reckless identity crisis on what the book stands for. A mirror for the could have beens of other fantasy literature or an attempt to fan-fictionalise narrative which consequently can be found on ao3 or such.

I did like how the story progressed, I was immensely excited in the beginning, and I liked how different structures of the society of 'Sangratha', has its own history. I liked the essence of new terminologies built around different conditions of the main characters, Medra Pendragon and Blake Drakharrow. (Also, simply naming the hero Blake... lmaooo). I also liked that the villain stayed true to his characteristics. [...] The book featured a richly diverse cast of characters, encompassing a wide range of sexual orientations and racial identities, but I still don’t understand what period of time is being used to create this world, because all of them have such normal, present-world names, but then the book mentions ancient systems, and I can’t figure out what world-building method of time is being used to describe these characters.

Anyways, heed onto the trigger warnings. A good edition to the romantasy genre. Not that good if you wanted a well-developed narrative, world-building, characters with their own shades of colours, that didn’t read like a dramoine fanfic. (But, if that’s your thing, then it’ll be nice.) This was my first attempt at Briar Boleyn, can’t wait to read more!

4.5⭐️
1.5/2🌶️

I ABSOLUTELY loved this book!!! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for the opportunity to ARC read this.

If you like FOURTH WING, Serpent and the Wings of Night or Zodiac Academy - YOU WILL LOVE THIS!

This dark academia/romantasy follows Medra Pendragon(FMC) as she awakes in a strange world, trying to get her bearings when Prince Blake Drakharrow(MMC) stumbles across her. The red hair, pointed ears and elongated hands immediately peak his curiosity, alongside his accompanying army who all seemed shocked to see someone who looks like a ‘dragon rider’. Medra soon realised that she is no longer in her own world and is surrounded by creatures of myth - Vampires🧛‍♂️ putting her at the bottom of the food chain.

‘If I accepted that this was real, then it meant I was alive. I was betrothed. I was a hostage of vampires. And I was a student.’

How quickly things have taken a turn!!

Bloodwing Academy certainly puts Medra through her paces as she tries navigate her new reality. New friendships are forged along with a perfect ENEMIES-LOVERS-?EMENIES? between her and Blake.

THE CLIFFHANGER IS KILLING ME!!!!!

“Whatever I’ve done, it was only to make you stronger. You’re MINE, Pendragon, and that won’t ever change.”

* touch her and d!€
* Enemies to lovers
* Forced proximity/betrothal
* Strong FMC
* Vampires 🧛‍♂️ / Dragons 🐉
* Possessive MMC

Absolutely loved this book!

It’s said it is fourth wing meets true blood and I definitely see it!

The plot and world build was easy to follow and this is a must read for any fantasy lovers

I so wanted to love this book because I have loved other books this author has written, but this one was not for me. It read like a bad Harry Potter V Fourth Wing fanfiction and the only reason I did not DNF was because it was like watching a slow motion car accident and I wanted to have all the details to tell the police. The characters had none of the complexity that I have seen from this author in other books and the plot was too similar to HP and FW. I mean, a sorting rock. Give me a break!

I will still be reading more from Briar Boleyn and I'm hoping that this is a 'second album' syndrome. I will not be recommending this. Sorry!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for a copy of this book. This is my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

So when this book started off, I had a hard time with it only because of all the bullying. But that is honestly just a personal preference and it’s something that I could push through. It only affects my opinion a small amount.

I cannot get enough of Briar Boleyn’s work. I think I will read every single book she comes out with. When Knight of the Goddess ended, I did not want it to end and I was not ready to be done with those characters. So I am so excited that we get to pick up where they left off somewhat.

This did take me a little while to get into because of the bullying and I kept kind of dragging my feet a little bit. But once I got to about 30%-ish, I could not put it down.

The book blurb says Harry Potter mixed with Zodiac Academy mixed with vampires, and it could not be more accurate!

At the end of Knight of the Goddess, when Medra disappears, we think she’s gone for good or dead. However, in this book she isn’t. She has just reappeared in another world. This time she is in a world full of vampires and they think she is the key to their prophecy…the last dragon rider. The only problem is there aren’t any dragons left…or are there?

Now she must attend Bloodwing Academy to learn the way of the vampires and their “royalty” if she has any chance of survival in this world.

This was 4.5 out of 5 starts for me and I would highly recommend everything she’s written so far!!!!