This book ended with an illegal cliffhanger, and I’m not sure what to do with myself until spring 2025 when the third book arrives…

This book is such a wild ride! In the first part, the main characters, especially Blake (mostly Blake), drove me crazy with their attitude and behavior. Whatever understanding I had for him in the first book, it was gone in this book. But then came spice and all is forgiven and forgotten. 😀

There is no new character, but we learn more about existing ones, who were more in the background of book 1. There is also exciting development with special powers which I’m looking forward to exploring in book 3.

The author has a clear vision of where she is going and how she plans to accomplish it. While some things were maddening, I like how the main characters have developed and their relationship has changed. Blake changed the most (considering how he was at the beginning of this book).

If you liked the first book, I’m convinced you will like the sequel as well.

I once again ABSOLUTELY ATE THIS UP!! This book has wrecked me in the best way possible - what a positive way to start my 2025!!

The Bond that Burns is a thrilling sequel; it’s a story of betrayal, survival, redemption, as well as a heart-warming friendship and budding romance. There’s so much raw emotion and vulnerability in this book, leaving me desperate for more.

Blake’s redemption in this book is honestly the highlight for me. He started off being an absolute menace and an even bigger bully than initially which grated on my nerves, but his character grew so beautifully and he became so complex; his struggle with his family values compared to his own was heartbreaking. The author’s talent at conveying how a character can grow and change is incredible. His relationship with Medra is still rocky and all over the place but THE TENSIONNN?? IT ABSOLUTELY PAYS OFF. The bath scene?? GOOD LAWD 😮‍💨😮‍💨

Medra continues to be her selfless, badass self; she reinforces her friendships and relationships and is absolutely unstoppable. Her relationship with Nyxaris?? PLEASE I love him and his grumpy self - their banter was one of my favorite things about this book. Who knew that everyone should have a sassy dragon by their side. The loyalty they have for each other is *chefs kiss, even though Nyxaris insists he’s not loyal to anybody, yet he can’t help himself from warming up to our rider 😼.

I am still intrigued by Kage, I CANT HELP IT. I need to see him let loose and go wild; I just know there’s more to his character than this controlled, calculating person that he portrays himself to be. I love a mysterious man, I can’t help it 🤭🤭.

The ending HAS ME IN A CHOKEHOLD?? the amount of twists and turns and reveals in the last 15% of the book has me SCREAMINGGG!! I am SAT.

If I thought the first year at Bloodwing Academy was tough for Medra, then I clearly didn't anticipate everything that happened during her second year!

I am so invested in these characters and what is in store for then. I have so many questions that I need answered. And by the Bloodmaiden, Blake! I didn't see that coming, but I am here for it. Gives a new definition of winged MMC!!

This book had me gripped, and I didn't want it to finish - maybe I should have read slower!

We've got dragons, vampires, wolves, enemies to lovers, found family, dark academia, and some blood drinking orgasmic spice!

Thank you so much to Netgally and Briar for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I am impatiently waiting for the next book!

I have been waiting for this book ever since i read the first one On Wings of Blood, and i am already now excited for the third one!! <3
The story picks up where book 1 ended, and the book is action- filled and fast paced from the start. I feel like this book made me understand and connect better with the characters, and we learn alot more about the magic system and the world.

The writing is easy to follow, the characters are lovable, and i love the premise of this story with vampires and dragons. The only reason as to why i did not rate it 5 stars is because it is not as actionfilled as the first book, but i still loved it. And also the ending seriously caught me by surprise, and i need the next book asap!

This series is filled with suspense, tension, banter, mysteries and secrets- and i love everything about it. It is perfect for readers who love series like Fourth Wing or Zodiac Academy, and it has quickly become one of my favorite series!!

Thank you so much to Briar, Starwater Press and Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! <3

Thanks to netgalley and Briar for a copy of this ARC!

This is the second book in the Bloodwing Academy, and let me tell you it definitely didn’t disappoint 👀

This book had all the fantasy goodies you could possibly want;
- Dragons
- Vampires
- Wolves 👀
- Enemies x lovers
- Fluffins 🥺
- Found family
- Spice 🌶️

Briar does like to write about satanic children (if you’ve read her Blood of a Fae series you’ll know exactly what I mean LOL) and this book did not disappoint 😂 #fthemkids

I am SO excited for the next book to come out- we were left on one hell of a cliffhanger 😅

The Bond That Burns (Bloodwing Academy #2) By Briar Boleyn

Surviving the first year at Bloodwing Academy was rough, but it was just getting started. Unexpectedly and accidentally waking a dragon frozen in stone and learning to train him was not on Medra Pendragon's to-do list in her second year. Dealing with all the Vampire houses fighting over what Medra's fate should be for doing so, she is betrothed to Blake Drakharrow and his horrific uncle is trying to play King of all the houses acting as if he owned her was not helping. Well, maybe a little since some of the other vampire houses wanted her dead now more than ever.

Medra and Blake are still at each other's throats so he needs to make some changes for her to forgive him for trapping her connection to him further. Things get heated and as angry as she is at Blake and wants to break free of him when the opportunity arises, she is hesitant. Blake starts to see that threats and public embarrassment are not the best tactics to win her heart. Just as he figures out how to finally get close to her, the odds are always against her from more than one place.

"I kissed her fiercely. As if trying to erase every argument, every insult, every moment of doubt between us. And she let me, meeting my passion with her own."

Medra's plate is full. She must bond with and gain the trust of the cranky dragon that hates all the humans and vampires. Since she is the only dragon rider who can speak to him and help him remember what happened before he was trapped in stone, he gives her a chance and their relationship starts to bloom. She must still attend classes and prove to the vampire courts that she is worthy of staying alive and can contribute to them and be useful. A handsome and intriguing vampire from one of Blake's rival houses is trying to steal Medra from House Drakharrow and having her best friend placed in that house makes it all the more enticing to Medra.

The end of this book is on a cliffhanger with more than one life on the line, although I feel like there will be many interesting things happening in book 3 of Bloodwing Academy. I'm here for it all.


In this edition you will find:

-Vampire Court Politics
-Strong FMC
-He Falls First
-Touch her and Die
-Dragons
-Found Family
-LGBTQ Rep
-Enemies to Lovers
-Slow Burn Romances
-Spicy Scenes
-Hidden History
-Fluffins!

Please note that this is book 2 in a series so you need to read book 1 to understand what is going on in this continued story. Although it is mentioned that you do not need to read the Blood of a Fae series before this one where the FMC Medra originates, I do recommend reading them if you want her backstory, know where she comes from, and where her family tree starts which is part of the Camelot court. Medra is a powerful fae in that realm and somehow lost most of her powers when she landed in the path of the Drakharrow family.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher Starwater Press (Indie) for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm a proud member of Briar's Rose Court Street Team of readers and have access to her books prior to publication.

A fantastic book 2! I think this is going to be one of my favorite series. I would like to make a request though.....Neville needs a girlfriend and to have babies. Hint hint wink wink.

I loved this it was a fun & cozy book. I loved the characters banter & humor. So many action elements that really made it a bit faster paced. Tons of information & lore. A lot of twists & truns running around the school. Love, Betrayal, Heartbreaking moments that keep you in your own feelings. Characters Development was beyond what I expected. I read this book in one sitting. Can't Wait for the next one. This has become a favorite of mine.

I adored this book more than I cared to admit. While there were some things I am hoping doesn't end up happening. For example, Florence's joining Medra and Blake to become a triad (I hate anything third person relationships so this rubs me the wrong way) otherwise. I absolutely adored this book,. Writing, fun as always. The storyline, amazing and it feels like there is a whole lot more to come. You see dragon books such as Forth Wing, and even that doesn't give much background story to the dragons. I'm glad this book doesn't just treat them like secondary characters in their own story. I can't wait for the next one, and my review has been posted on Goodreads. My final rating was 3.75 but I rounded it up to 4 because this was a fun read!

I have not stopped thinking about this book!!!

The cliffhanger has me wanting more and now!!!

Medra is back for a second year at Bloodwing academy. She has been imprisoned for the whole two months summer break and the only people she sees are the servants and Blake when he needs to feed from her.

She starts the new school year with determination to release her bond from Blake and needing to control the dragon she freed Nyxaris

Throughout the book we are taken along the growing relationship between Medra and Blake. Not only are they bonded without Medra's permission but she is the only reason Blake he needs her blood but they both have expectations from other people on how they need to live/do which ruins any sort of relationship they could of had, brings them together and destroys it again (sort of).

Neville is awesome. As a side character, I love him. I want a Neville.

This books has:

✨found family
✨Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
✨Dragons
✨Draco Malfoy MMC vibes
✨Fourth Wing vibes
✨Vampires
✨Secrets
✨ Betrayal

After the ending to the first book I was so ready to jump back in for the second year at Bloodwing Academy! What an emotional rollercoaster. So much is happening to Medra in the second book. After Blake’s betrayal in the first book she is determined to stay her own person and forge her own paths. But with Victor and Marcus, who are Blake’s family, the tribunal, and dragon Nyxaris constantly pulling her in different directions and using her as a pawn Medra has a hard time determining who she can trust.

Throughout the book Medra and Blake’s relationship was once again up and down. Their banter and tension were very fun to read about but I really needed them to have a good conversation way earlier in the book. Their character growth was big in this book but especially Blake. I really enjoyed his story more in this book than in the first. With the additional mystery of what’s happening to him I loved his points of view. Plus we really get more from Visha, Theo, and Florence in this book. I am loving this friend group for Medra.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I struggle with some of the jumps in time but love the world building and characters. My favorite part had to be Medra telling Blake about her home-world and past. We are finally starting to get some more information. After that wild ending I am so excited to see what comes next for all of the characters. There is so much to look forward to in the next book!

Thank you to Briar Boleyn and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy! I will post my review to my bookstagram on January 11th!

Thank you Briar Boleyn and NetGalley for providing with arc! I am leaving is review voluntarily.

What to expect:
- Dragons (if you couldn’t tell from the cover)
- Betrayals
- Academy
- Enemies to lovers
- Animal sidekick/pet (Shoutout to Neville)
- LOTS of action!
- Spice 3/5 (I’m looking at you, chapters 17 and 24 😏)

My thoughts:
After a few days of thinking over this books I think I’ve finally settled on a verdict. This book was alright. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. Now do I believe this has to do in part with me? Definitely. It could totally be that I just wasn’t in the mood for this book… it’s the curse of being a mood reader. 😖

Although I didn’t love this book as much as I had hoped, there were still some notable characters and scenes.

First off, the fmc, Medra. She is such a strong badass character whom I always love to read about. Every time she gets knocked down you can best be sure she’ll got back up again. Seriously #goals. Now combine her with Nyaxris, and damn what a duo. I LOVED their banter. There truly is nothing quite like a strong fmc and a huge, feared, black dragon. (I’m looking at you Fourth Wing)

Also don’t even get me started on that plot twist! I totally did not see that coming 🤯

I can’t end this without mentioning Neville. I so wish he had more of a relationship with Medra but him and Florence is just too adorable! Now if we could just get some scenes of him with Blake 🤭

I will continue this series.

Recommended if you enjoyed the first book and need a VioletxTairn-like relationship

I'm going crazy fan girl here but seriously what a book. What an ending. What characters.

I just loved this book and finished it in a day coz I just couldn't wait. I requested it just as soon as I saw the book is available here on Netgalley and I downloaded and started it in a flash.

I finished it and I just can't breathe coz that ending was so much more than I expected it to be or unexpected. Finally Blake has got some brains and grown some balls coz I would have liked to kill him myself if he hadn't. Medra's character need some growing up too. I didn't expect that twist about someone's transformation. I don't really want to give up spoilers here.

Next best thing about this book, it didn't kill unnecessarily especially the main characters like one exception of Navin in the book 1 but that's fine. I just thought Navin will be back in this one somehow,I was a bit disappointed but I moved on. But I have started to like every character in this series especially Theo and Visha. Please Briar, do not kill them in next book. I love them even more than I love Medra and Blake even with their chemistry.

Medra and Blake's chemistry was too good. It was heart pounding and adrenaline pumping throughout. There was never a dull moment in the book and the ending , I did not see that coming at all. When I read the fantasy, I can easily figure out what's gonna happen next but this one kept me in dark for the whole damn book. Damn you Briar for making it so unpredictable and so good that now I want the third book already. The whole storyline was totally surprising. No predictable twists or turns which says a lot about author. Coz it gets very dull and boring if one can figure out what's going to happen next.



One more thing that I will say is I want to see Draven and Morgan in this series coz I had loved them as well. But I love Medra and Blake even more. I'm eagerly waiting for the next part.

Thank you so much Netgalley and starwater press for this wonderful ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the ARC 🤍

OMG what did I just read and why is Spring of 2025 so far away? 🥹
This book was so much better than its prequel, expanding the world and its lore. I loved every last page of it and couldn’t put it down. The main characters grew so much on me; Blake became a much better version of himself (love made him evolve) and Medra softened a bit making her much more likeable 🥰 And all the supporting characters like Florence, Theo, Visha and even the dragon were such a great addition to the story (love every one of them). Book 3 can’t come soon enough 😫

I DEVOURED The Bond That Burns — it's so good and I couldn't put it down!
From the very first page, the dark, dangerous world of Bloodwing Academy completely pulled me right back in.

The stakes are higher than ever in this sequel, and the tension just doesn’t let up. Waking a dragon was just the beginning. The protagonist is now caught in a whirlwind of power plays, all while trying to navigate her own terrifying connection to this mythical, fire-breathing creature. The world-building is next level—so rich, unique, and detailed that I felt like I was right there in the middle of it all.

Also, Blake Drakharrow is the ultimate morally gray love interest with serious Draco Malfoy vibes. He’s infuriating, magnetic, and impossible not to love. The slow-burn tension between him and the protagonist is so good. Every bit of banter, every stolen moment—ugh, it’s perfection.

The ending is EPIC and I seriously don't know how I'm supposed to wait for the next book. Briar Boleyn, you sure know how to write an ending!!

If you love dark academia vibes, intricate mythology, and romance that makes you feel every emotion, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. I’m officially obsessed, and I can’t wait to see where this story goes next!

Oh my Gods, Briar really knows how to keep you on your toes 🤯 This is book 2 in the Bloodwing Academy series & it delivered all right!!
This was an incredible follow-up to On Wings of Blood, I loved the character growth, I loved how Medra stays so loyal to her friends and always stands up for what's right no matter the consequence, I love a strong fmc so much
Blake is still one of my faves, eventhough he can be insufferable at times, I actually loved his growth as a character too, he was more likeable this time 😂 I also loved Medra & Blake's chemistry in this, it was hottt!
Also yes the spice was spicinggg 🥵
Although maybe I did want something more to happen with Kage & Medra..😅😍
I loved getting to learn more about Nyxaris as well & more of the history of the dragons! Nyxaris is hilarious & I loved the banter in this book too, it was perfect! Also loving all the Neville we get to read about, I adore that little Fluffin so much ❤️

The Bond That Burns was amazing in every way! The action, the suspense & the whole plot was perfect! And the twists had me pacing around screaming at my phone, I was shocked quite a few times! That endingg too like AH 😂 But by the Bloodmaiden Briar- I NEED book 3 ASAPPP pls & thx!

Ugh Briar Boleyn has me in such a choke hold. This book was fast paced, sexy, and stressful in the best way possible. If you're a fan of fourth wing, bully romance, and dramione (because let's face it... Blake is very Draco coded) you will love this series. My only complaint is that Medra needs more character growth and I hope we see that on book 3. Also the ending is a hell of a cliff hanger. Also, like I said in my review of the first book, please don't skip the blood of the fea series before reading these if yUgh Briar Boleyn has me in such a choke hold. This book was fast paced, sexy, and stressful in the best way possible. If you're a fan of fourth wing, bully romance, and dramione (because let's face it... Blake is very Draco coded) you will love this series. My only complaint is that Medra needs more character growth and I hope we see that on book 3. Also the ending is a hell of a cliff hanger. Also, like I said in my review of the first book, please don't skip the blood of the fea series before reading these if you want a full picture. ou want a full picture.

Medra has to find a way to get through the new year. Things between her & Blake have changed become more serious. But the threats are even more and she knows that she has to find a way to save her mother and to save the dragon from the high bloods. But everyone is out to use Medra who can she really trust?
Blake knows that he has to become stronger this year as his uncle has a plan with the dragon & the rider? But will he be strong enough to save his mate?
Even better than the first book. The bond between Medra & Blake is stronger & she has shared her memories with him but what will become of them now. Will she accept Blake now that he has started to change or will she think that he is a monster?
Great characters stronger storyline this time. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the copy. This is my voluntary review.

The story picks up exactly where Book 1 left off and continues to follow Medra and friends through year 2 at Bloodwing Academy. Overall, this book drove me nuts. Medra drove me nuts. There were times when I wanted to put the whole thing down and DNF it, but once again I am so glad that I didn't.

What. An. Ending.

I don't even have words for the cliffhanger. It's like nothing happened in the entire book and then at the end everything happened at once. UGH. Now I have to read book 3.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️🌶️/5

Okay bookish friends, The Bond That Burns has absolutely wrecked me in the best way possible. The twists and turns? Insane. The cliffhangers? Brutal. The spice? Let’s just say... chef’s kiss. And don’t even get me started on the betrayals—I'm still recovering.

The grumpy dragons had me rolling, and the fluffins? Pure serotonin. This book delivered on every level. 🤌🤌🤌 The way the characters and the storyline evolved? Fabulous. I was hooked from start to finish, the pacing was perf.

I have to survive until spring for the next one? I simply want to pass away. Someone hold me because I need answers, and I need them NOW.

Highly recommend if you’re into fantasy with spice, epic betrayals, and creatures with big personalities. It’s a wild ride, and I’m 100% here for it.

Thank you Briar Boleyn for the ARC!! All opinions are my own and are 100% voluntary.