A dark and immersive fantasy with rich world-building and an intoxicating enemies-to-lovers romance. Briar Boleyn crafts a gripping story full of intrigue, passion, and stunning prose. Perfect for fans of dark fantasy and powerful heroines!

On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn is a captivating entry into the Bloodwing Academy series, seamlessly blending elements of dark academia, fantasy, and romance. Set within the enigmatic Bloodwing Academy, the narrative immerses readers in a world where power is intertwined with blood, and betrayal is a constant companion.

The protagonist's journey is both compelling and intense, navigating a treacherous landscape filled with morally gray characters and intricate power dynamics. Boleyn's adeptness at world-building shines through, creating an atmosphere that is as dark as it is enchanting.

The romantic tension is palpable, with an enemies-to-lovers arc that unfolds organically, adding depth to the character development. The prose is both lyrical and evocative, painting vivid scenes that linger in the reader's mind.

On Wings of Blood is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and romance, offering a fresh and enthralling perspective on the genre.

This was a fun read and reminded me a lot of the crave series and house of night. The writing was definitely cheesy and not great at times but the fast paced plot and twists kept me entertained. Will definitely read the second to see what happens next!

Review has been posted on Goodreads & Instagram (linked below).

Oh where to begin?!

I thoroughly enjoyed so many parts of this book, I LOVED Blake and the kind-of-but-not-enemies-to-lovers he and Medra had going on.

I loved the world building, the plot, & dark academia /autumn vibes.... plus vampire prince x dragon rider?! YES!!

Don't even get me started on the hot villain getting the girl trope!! That's one of my favorites and oh boy it was so wonderful in this book!!

I will say though, that you should read Boleyn's other series Blood of a Fae before this series. I personally, got confused at points because without giving spoilers...the main character has a history or background with that series/characters in it. There's quite a good amount of mentions & references to that, and if you don't know that it honestly can get really confusing.

My only issue was that Medra really got on my nerves at points. For example, when it was obvious Blake had not been at fault for something or had tried to help behind the scenes, it was like she went out of her way to believe he maliciously did everything and blamed him.

4.25 🌟 This introduction to the Bloodwing Academy Series felt like a clever combination of Hogwarts and Basgiath, with a heaping dose of vampire court politics. There were strong Dramione vibes between the FMC and MMC which was frustratingly fun. If you love vamps, dragons, and bully romances then this book is for you. I will most definitely be returning for #2! 🐉 🧛‍♀️ 🏫

Thank you NetGalley, Starwater Press, and Briar Boleyn for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ahhhh omgggg. Loved this book. Definitely had Harry Potter, Zodiac Academy, and Hunger Games vibes. The politics, magic system, and world connections were amazing. I hope we learn more about Medra's past. I need book 2 now, and a physical copy asap.

I won this physical book in a giveaway after getting an ARC from NetGalley. I figured that was my sign to dive right in and I absolutely loved everything about it. This book made me feel nostalgic while also creating a detailed academy setting and an intricate magic system. If you enjoyed Harry Potter and Vampire Academy when you were younger, think of those elements combined with modern favorites like Fourth Wing and ZA, and you get Bloodwing Academy. Medra and Blake were exciting characters to read about, and their tension, banter, and chemistry was fantastic. I appreciate a morally ambiguous MMC, make him a highblood vampire, and I was not disappointed. Medra is sassy and fierce, thrown into a political situation that she never asked for. I can't stop thinking about this book! It met my expectations in every way and it's definitely one of my top reads of the year so far, I can’t wait to dive into the next book!

✨Read If You Love ✨
Enemies to Lovers
Dark Academia
Sassy & Stabby FMC
Morally Gray MMC
Dramoine Vibes
Touch Her and D
Dark Academia
Found Family
Revenge Plot
Political Intrigue
Slow Burn
Dual POV
Arranged Marriage

“He was beautiful in the way that fire was beautiful. Raw and scorching. I hated it. Hated that my breath caught in my throat when I saw him like this. Hated that my heart raced. Not just with anger, but with something I’d sworn I wouldn’t let myself name.”

I unfortunately could not get into this book. I did try several times but I think the story just couldn't grasp or hold my attention.
I don't feel confident giving it a true rating as it was 100% my fault for not being able to get into the story. The writing is great and the concept is usually something that I would love. I'm hoping to give it a better shot down the line and for that I have kept it on my kindle. Once I am back in the mood for this type of story, I will leave a better review on Goodreads and Amazon.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book, I have just been very picky with the books that have captivated my attention or/and in the mood for.

I hate how much I loved this. Mostly because of my love/hate relationship with Zodiac Academy (we're in a hate phase right now). But I ate this up like I hadn't eaten in 30 days. Like laying on your stomach giggling into my kindle kind of enjoyed. Like I could not sleep because I needed to know what these clinically depressed and traumatized young adults with trust and communication issues will do next.

For fans of: Harry Potter, Zodiac Academy, childhood trauma, Manacled (IYKYK).

You should read if:
- You love a bully romance.
- Feel like throwing your book, kindle/e-reader, phone, reading device of choice across the room.
- You want to remember how absolutely horny you were in college.

You shouldn't read if:
- You value your sanity.
- Can't be left on a cliff-hanger that will have you laying awake staring at your ceiling.
- Have unresolved feelings for your mortal enemy.

Dark acadamia (sign me up), dragons (yep, I'm in), enemies to lovers (one of my favourite tropes), magic systems (yep), Vampires (okay I'm interested).

This is not my first Briar Boleyn read. And it won't be my last. This book is an interesting read. I haven't read Harry Potter so I can't say that its like that book and I don't like Fourth Wing so I won't compare it to that one either like the blurb has done. I prefer to say it's along the same vein as so many popular dark academia books with dragons and magic that are on the market. I will say that the who bully or enemies to lovers wasn't strong - he wasn't really a bully and certainly not an enemy. And I didn't really care much for the FMC. However, over all the book is interesting and fun to read and is a series that no doubt will continue to get better as most of her series do. I look forward to the others in this series.

Throughly enjoyed the harrypotter and zodiac academy vibes this book was giving.
Merda was my girl, so strong and sassy, she wasn't putting up with anything.
I loved that her and blake weren't intsa love that it was a good slow burn. I live for a slow burn. I just wish there would of been more of povs of Blake's.

On wings of blood is a fantasy book with Harry Potter and Zodiac Academy vibes.

I enjoyed the vibes of this book a lot. The writing style wasn't the best out there, but it was a very entertaining read. Medra is a fiesty FMC who sticks by her convictions. She is blunt and strong-willed. I loved her relationship with Florence and Naveen.

Blake is definitely a morally grey MMC. He is cold and ruthless but also has a soft side to him. I loved how protective he is with Theo and seeing the softer side of him.

I felt like there was a lot of worldbuilding in the book, and at times, I felt like there was a bit too much filler and not enough progression of a plot. I enjoyed the slow burn dynamic between Blake and Medra but wished we had even more of his POV chapters to see their bond grow throughout the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and will definitely be reading the second book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book.

WOW. This book had everything and more… vampires, dragons, enemies to lovers, strong friendships, brutal rivalries…. It was perfection.

Going on this journey with Medra was such an interesting read, the world building was there without being overwhelming and I thought the world and magic system were explained very well.

A couple of scenes of spice was just right, the relationships really had time to develop so it wasn’t just thrown at you and it leaves you wanting more. It will be interesting to see how this progresses and I have a feeling it will get spicier with the next book(s?)

I am so excited to read the next book! The only thing I hope is it will further delve into Medras past life/world it’s the only thing I felt was missing but I thoroughly enjoyed this 🫶🏼

So so good. First of all thank you so much for allowing me to read this. Basically was a combination of everything I love in one book. Dragons? Yep. Harry Potter references? Check. Basically a world that is Harry Potter meets Hunger Games meets Twilight meets Fourth Wing. Add to that a Dramione vibes and you have yourself this amazing book. Cannot wait for the next book.

This book is amazing! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. It’s everything I want and more! Vampires, lots of magic, great characters! Definitely recommend if you’re a fantasy reader.

e-ARC from NetGalley.
No Spoilers Review.

Sadly, I have to give this book 1.5 stars. I was so thrilled when I initially read that the book had been compared to Fourth Wing and Zodiac Academy, both of which I enjoyed. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed in the end. It was really difficult for me to get into the book, and I found myself trying to stay interested from start to finish. I really wish there was more plot development. The main characters and the supporting characters were both underdeveloped, and I didn't feel strongly attached to any of them.

There were plenty of filler scenes, and I often found myself asking how much some scenes had to the rest of the story.

Overall, because I do believe that there is potential in the world and the book idea, I will read the next book in this series. I believe the series can be enhanced, and I would like to see the next book be more balanced with better plot and character development.

Thank you NetGalley and StarWater!

As a Draco Malfoy girly 🐍, I was immediately drawn to On Wings of Blood based on the comparison to the MMC. That kept me going for a while, but sadly, this book just wasn’t for me 😕. I really wanted to love it, but I couldn’t.

I know this book is a New Adult, but it read like a YA fantasy in the beginning. The pacing, the character dynamics, and the tone screamed YA—so imagine my surprise when the spice kicked in. I LOVE spice-the spicier the better, but the sudden shift from YA to explicit scenes/dialogue threw me off. Was I reading about teens or adults? I’m still not sure if I missed the character ages somewhere.

The biggest issue for me, though, was the FMC, Medra. She was insufferable. No self-preservation instincts whatsoever and some seriously questionable decision-making. I couldn’t get behind her choices. It felt like she was acting the way the plot needed her to, rather than having any character development.

The dialogue was another sticking point 😩. Forced and repetitive. I really wanted to see more variation between characters, but instead, it was the same phrases and structures over and over again. The constant use of "Do you?" at the end of sentences literally drove me insane. [Example: "Oh, so you like it rough, do you?" (hide spoiler)]

As for the plot, there was just too much that was crammed into less than 500 pages, but with a solid 70% of it feeling like filler, if that makes sense? It made my whole reading experience feel bloated, and I found myself skimming parts just to get through it.

That said, I’m grateful to NetGalley and Starwater Press for the ARC! 🙏
Unfortunately, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. While there were some interesting moments, the book as a whole didn’t land the way I had hoped.

This book was good in theory! The first part and the last part were good, it was the 60% in the middle that made me want to DNF it. This book definitely is setting up others in the series, but so painful!

Firstly, let me start by saying the cover design is absolutely stunning! I also loved the small artistic details throughout the book— it added such a nice touch.
I really appreciated the dual POV; I always prefer that in romantasy books, as it makes the story feel more immersive. And now, about the book itself.

Honestly, this book exceeded where Fourth Wing fell short for me. The writing style and emotional depth.>>>.

The writing style was incredibly atmospheric🥰 — so rich and vivid. The characters were diverse and intriguing.
The world-building was phenomenal, especially the Academy setting. As a Harry Potter fan, I loved the inclusion of houses. and the found family trope .The enemies-to-lovers was chef’s kiss.

I am so eager to grab the second one ( thank God already releaseddd) and figure out how the story will unravel!

I would say that for a first book in a series, it was even more than I expected—it got me hooked and interested in the story. I’d highly recommend it, and who knows, maybe I just found my new favorite author!

Way to go, you did it again.... Characters and story are on point and captivating OMG I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN