Rating 2.5 stars, rounding up

This book had a lot going on, which I gave kudos to. It was very fast paced, which I enjoyed. The story picked up RIGHT from book 1 and even though it has only been a few weeks since I read that one, I did appreciate how the author wove in reminders about what happened in book 1 and who was who. As there are a lot of side characters due to the various families involved in this book, those reminders were necessary for me to remember the significance of the families and who was involved. This book follows the consequences of the end of book one, which I really don't want to spoil. Blake and Medra's relationship continues to develop in its sort of very up and down rocky sort of way. There are lots of hints and foreshadowings that made me excited for the plot twists that were eventually revealed. If you want a combination of Zodiac Academy and Fourth Wing, I think you would really enjoy this book.

However, I was able to get around the bully romance from book 1 because we saw Blake grow as a character. It didn't excuse Blake's actions but as his feelings developed for Medra he backed off and took more of a protective role. Most of that I felt like went out the window, especially at the beginning of this book, with Blake now realizing his feelings and still going back to bullying and hurting Medra out of what - spite? No thank you. This book was also much spicier than book one, and some of the early spice scenes in this book felt a bit more like coercion to me than enthusiastic consent. She is actively saying that she doesn't want something to happen and he's like no, you know you want this. The fact it happened more than once left a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the book. I don't think this series is for me and will likely not be picking up the remaining books.

Thank you Briar Boleyn and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. All thoughts and reviews are my own and are voluntary.

Medra survived her first year at Bloodwing Academy, as the only dragon rider in the school, surrounded by vampires (highbloods) and mortals (blightborn) - and now, she has a dragon. Nyxaris, one of the four house dragons entombed in stone, has awoken, and Medra doesn't know how. She continues to wrestle with her toxic relationship with Blake Drakharrow, her betrothed, even as their relationship changes, with Blake relying on her more than ever. Blake becomes more awful than ever, fulfilling the bully romance trope completely, and it seems like things might never change.

I loved picking up Medra's story again - just like the first book (On Wings of Blood), this book is super easy to read and I just wanted to keep going! The story is well paced, the plot is planned well and there is plenty going on for the reader to think about.

I was anxious to find out what happened to Medra after the events of book one, and disappointed to find Blake was behaving worse than ever. Medra and her bestie Florence are closer than ever, with a few of their highborn friends remaining by their side. Medra and Blake's relationship is more twisted than ever and I found myself genuinely disliking his character and wishing she'd move on, but knowing she probably wouldn't. Blake finally starts to question himself and the way he acts, which had me cheering! Nyaxaris is the perfect grumpy dragon, who has no interest in being bonded to a rider, who Medra has to try to win over. Neville the fluffin remains a constant, cheeky, adorable presence in this story, I wish I had a fluffin! The characters are definitely a big part of the reason to keep reading this series.

Another excellent book in this series, and with a cliffhanger finish, I can guarantee I'll be reading the next one when it comes out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fake it til you make it…or until you die.

Read The Bond that Burns by Briar Boleyn if you like…

🌹 spice
🌹 enemies to lovers
🌹 political intrigue
🌹 forced proximity
🌹 dragons
🌹 women warriors
🌹 banter banter banter


🩷HER🩷
The one, the only unstoppable half fae prisoner princess. She was born to rule, but the men in her life are too stubborn to be her subjects. Medra won’t give up and is ready to fight.

💙HIM💙
The arrogant, mean, unfortunately sexy as hell vampire she’s bonded to (against her will) that keeps trying to control her house, her life, and fight as she might her heart.

📖 THEIR STORY 📖
Everyone thinks Medra, the only dragon rider in existence, can control Nyxaris, the only dragon in existence. So everyone wants to control Medra.

No one wants to control her more than her unwanted, annoying betrothed that is doing whatever it takes to hurt her at the same time. And their stupid bond keeps pulling her back to Blake, despite how much she hates him.

If Medra wants to stay alive long enough to break her bond and gain her freedom from the stubborn prince, she’s got to fake it until she makes the stubborn dragon agree to actually help her.

Thank you to Briar Boleyn and #NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Bond that Burns.

If you like intense battles of will with scorching romance thrown in, this is your next read.

The Bond That Burns continues on from book one as Medra is discovering a world where she talks to a dragon and the stakes are higher than ever. Well I need more of this series like yesterday! The author weaves a tantalising hot romance with extra heat and a dark and deadly fantasy world. The reader becomes immersed in life at Bloodwing and my favourite character is the cheeky Neville. How could anyone not love him? Bring on the next book!!

Thanks to Briar Boleyn and Netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

The Bond That Burns was the perfect follows up to On Wings of Blood and i am here for it.

Medra and Blake interacting in this book are *chefs kiss* for me i love them. But don't get me wrong there's a little something to be said about Kage hanging around 👀

But Ms Boleyn *ahem* please bring book 3s launch forward! That ending had me sitting open mouthed and I NEED to know what happens next, k tnx bye

The second book is even better! I couldn’t put it down. If you like fantasy with a spicy twist, epic betrayals, and big-hearted creatures, you’ll love it. It’s a wild ride. Briar outdid herself with this sequel. The Bond That Burns is a tale of betrayal and a dragon’s legacy.

I am obsessed with this series. When I read the first book, I enjoyed it but this book - I couldn't put it down. I LOVE books that get better as they go in this series. I enjoyed book 1, but this book blew it out of the water. The struggles that Medra had to conquer (which she did valiantly I might add) were huge compared to what she had to deal with in book 1, plus all the twists and spice. I do mean spice, my goodness the scenes were fire. Still not a huge Blake fan, especially at the beginning, but based on things going on and at the end, I think he finally is working on it and I have fingers crossed for the next book. I'm really enjoying this ride, and Nyxaris is such a stubborn Dragon that we can easily love.

Yet another fantastic book! Briar Boleyn just writes masterpieces.

I love how back and forth my love and hate for the male characters in this book goes. I've never gone from hate to love to hate to love to hate again so much than I do in this book 😅 it's very well done to be able to flip my feelings so back and forth. I also even though I'm at a hate stage with a particular character, I, at the same time hope there is some future where we will read about another male getting himself a lady........
That said, the main couple I love so much, even if I get ticked off a lot!

Also, we get a snarky dragon in book 2! Who doesn't love that ?!?!

This book also kept my attention at all times. It's very go go go and doesn't leave you to get through any dull or slow parts, which I know is important to some. The spice in this one was definitely upped from book one, and I LOVED it. Very well done.

I cannot wait for what book three brings !!!

I also was able to ARC read through Netgalley for my honest reviews :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bond that Burns was another great book from Briar Boleyn and a great addition to the Bloodwing Academy series. Like all of Boleyn’s books, The Bond that Burns immediately pulled me in and I couldn’t put it down. Medra is such an exciting character, especially now with Nyxaris in the equation. I can’t wait to for the next book in this series!

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫!

This was the perfect sequel to book 1!

I love that we got more Florence, Neville, and Nyxaris! The cute little illustrations of Neville throughout the book are the best 😍 I need him!

I also enjoyed getting to know Theo and Visha better! They are two of my favorites! Although, my heart is heavy for both of them right now 😭

One thing that surprised me the most was Blake's character development. I wanted to strangle him but that feeling lessened as the book went on. I feel like sometimes when they write a "bully", they've gone too far for redemption. I'm glad that wasn't the case with him.

Now, if we could just take care of the two fools that are trying to destroy everything, that would be great. Thanks!

That cliffhanger ending is killing my soul! I'm so happy that the next book is coming out in the spring. If I had to wait any longer than that I might freak out lol.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Briar for allowing me to read this book! I absolutely love the direction this series is taking!

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. Things are really heating up between Blake and Medra. Half the time, Medra hates Blake. Other times, she trusts him. Blake needs to fight his jealousy when Kage keeps getting closer to Medra. Meanwhile, Medra feels she can count on Kage, but if push came to shove, she’s more likely to trust Blake.

At the end of the last installment, Medra had accidentally awakened a dragon named Nyxaris. Although he didn’t kill her, he wanted nothing to do with her and flew away. The highblood houses are shocked by the awakening of a dragon and want to know how Medra did it. She doesn’t want to tell them it was through blood magic trying to move her mother from her mind to a knife (they can still communicate when in close proximity). They debate putting her to death, but eventually decide to allow her to “train” Nyxaris and show her what they can do together—with the understanding that both she and Nyxaris are to serve the needs and wishes of the highbloods.

Medra finds she has a mind connection with Nyxaris and can communicate over long distances, and they reach an agreement. He will pretend to follow her directions, and she will research everything she can find out about him because his memory is spotty. When he comes to see her during one of the Tribunals, he smotes one of the highbloods for not showing proper respect. I loved this description: “Dragon fire wasn't like ordinary fire. It was an overwhelming force, beautiful and terrible in equal measure. The fire that roared out of Nyxaris’s open jaws was molten light, impossibly bright. Streaks of crimson and gold spiraled like living veins, radiating into the air like deadly ribbons.”

What Medra discovers about Nyxaris is not good and when she tells him, he gets upset because his memories begin to fill in and he feels guilty about what he did. Discussing his actions with a trusted teacher, Rodriguez and Medra have the following conversation:

“He was a soldier in a highblood house. Are soldiers allowed to say ‘no’ when they're given an order?”
“Always.” Rodriguez narrowed his eyes. “Sometimes our children are all we have, Miss Pendragon. They define us, for better or for worse. Obedience doesn't absolve anyone of guilt. Not dragons. Not riders. Not you or me.”

This is a great answer because it demonstrates an integrity that is seldom seen. People like to blame others for their actions. Rodriguez makes it clear that’s not acceptable. Even under threat of torture or death, we always have free will. However, I might argue, in this instance, Nyxaris had lost his free will because his mind was being controlled, making him not entirely responsible. Nothing is ever black and white, and we should hesitate before judging the actions of others.

Medra and Blake learn, independently, that at least one of the highbloods is planning to soulbind her so that they will be able to control the dragon without her agreement. Naturally, they assume it will be Blake’s Uncle Viktor, perhaps the most powerful and evil highblood of them all. Both are terrified of what that will look like and make plans for how to avoid it. Medra confides in Rodriguez and he promises to look into it, but she continues her research. Meanwhile, Blake researches the same thing and confirms it’s his uncle’s idea. To complicate matters, Blake is experiencing some physical changes he doesn’t quite understand, but it seems like his uncle does and he’s gleefully watching Blake suffer. It also seems like Kage knows what’s happening. He tells Blake that if he survives it and cannot control it, Kage will help him.

This book is a page-turner, filled with vivid descriptions that made me feel like I was there. The characters’ emotions were coherently explained through changes in POV. We’re even treated to Florence’s thoughts a couple of times. I found it hard to put down. At the same time, I didn’t want to reach the end. And certainly not on a cliffhanger.

I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say the plot is rife with danger and surprises. At the end, the looming specter of Medra being brought to Viktor is unresolved, likely to be soulbound to him. Eww. The cliffhanger happens exactly one year after the last one, at midnight on the night of their annual Dance of the Longest Night. It’s tense and dangerous. There are so many unanswered questions, which I hope will be answered in the next book—which I hope will come soon! I highly recommend the series.

I really appreciate the arc for this book. I was obsessed with book 1. I loved it. I struggled with book 2. As much as I understand why they went back to enemies the bullying was a bit much. I wanted more time of them together. But I will anxiously wait for book 3. Excited to read it once it comes out. Thank you

Boleyn never ever fails, I swear her writing and books never disappoint! After book 1's ending, I needed The Bonds That Burn like I need my next breath of air. And dang is book 2 just as good (if not better than) book 1!

This sequel was 1,000 times better than the first book and I don’t say that about many series. The romance was scorching hot, the evil antagonists just made your blood boil and the dragon was a broody, hilarious mess. The twist and turns in the book had me up all night trying to get to the end. I can’t wait for book 3.

Firstly thank you to Starwater Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
My gosh. Where to start?! This book was just a whirlwind from start to finish. We left off with quite the cliffhanger in book 1 and book 2 picked up right where we left off and started with a bang. I really think the pacing in this book was great. Something was always going down and I didn’t feel like anything dragged on for too long.
I LOVED the will they/wont they tension between Blake and Medra. They do by the way 🥵. I also really loved that we finally got to see some character development with Blake and realizing he doesn’t have to be an asshat all the time. I really did enjoy the super intimate and vulnerable moments between the two of them.
Also (in the best way possible) WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON IN THE LAST 2-3 chapters. It’s was so wild and I feel like so much was happening with so many characters. I have questions that need to be answered ASAP.
I feel like this series is just going to keep getting better and better and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 3.

That ending! That bloody ending! How dare you Briar!

The amount of times I had to look at my imaginary audience after reading the last 100 pages was ungodly. The roller coaster of emotions I felt, the frickin plot twists!

How the hell am i going to function while I wait for book 3!?!

I loved the first book but this one was so much more intriguing and caused some sleepless nights - thank you to NetGalley for sendinv through. Really enjoyed reading from other characters POV, helped with my confusion of Blake's behaviour. Included strengthening of friendships, serious hatred, spicy passion, betrayals and unpredicted twists. The relationship between Blake and Medra is hot and cold, for a while I thought Kage would become their third so maybe in the next book. Florence has been such a great sidekick in the last book, I got main character vibes from her this time round and am dying to see what happens. Roll on May 2025

I need the third book immediately!! 😭😭

This was great second book to the Bloodwing Academy series!! I’m so happy to see the progression of Blake and Medra’s relationship bc they are so cute 😍 and the spicy scenes are 🔥🔥 Visha and Nyxaris have got to be my favorite characters, I love their personalities and they’re both so funny 🤣

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!!

AHHHH a book with Fourth Wing level dragon snarkiness! And twists and betrayals that I didn't always see coming (although some of them WERE predictable). The friendships in this book are so wholesome, Medra and Florence's love and fierceness and loyalty to each other makes me so emotional! My one qualm is the relationship between Medra and Blake. I was so mad at him after the last book and this one left me with whiplash from all of the back and forth. He's an asshole, then he's thoughtful, then he's pulling another idiotic stunt -- ooop, and then he's back to being the sweetest again. I want to like him, but I'm honestly still kind of mad at him. The ending has me so excited for the next book! Thanks Netgalley for the e-arc!

This was a wonderful sequel.

Blake actually begged - got on his hands and knees and begged! Loved that moment and then hated how he learned nothing from his mistakes!! His character development went backwards after taking 2 steps forward.

It makes me want Medra to not end up with either of the guys! Can she end up with Florence?

I really enjoyed the plot and the relationships that Medea had with her friends and the dragon. Neville again stole the show.

Was not a fan with Blake this book.