I thoroughly enjoyed this vampire romantasy book. It’s the first of its kind, and I’m eager for more. Briar Boleyn’s writing is superb, and I was intrigued by the female protagonist and the world-building. Despite feeling a bit old for the genre, I couldn’t put it down.

On the Wings of Blood, has a wonderful in depth world building filled with politics, lore, and tension. The dark fantasy academia vibes created a gritty yet vividly decadent setting.

The Fmc was likable and sassy, she had strength and wit with a great resiliency and I found myself genuinely liking her.

Our mmc was the sexy morally grey shadow daddy we all adore but inside had fluffy golden retriever vibes.

The last 20% of the book really picks up and the ending will grab you and get you excited for the next.

*full review on Goodreads shelved as NetGalley

It's kind of giving Vampire academy meets Fourth Wing kind of dark academia vibe. There's quite a bit going on but it all works so well.

If there's one thing Briar is gonna do, it's build a freaking world. I loved the worldbuilding in this book. Even though it felt like we were kind of plopped right in the middle of something it was easy to pick up on magic system (I say magic system but I really just mean like the rules and lore of the setting of the book. I can't really describe it differently.)

The beginning of the book moves quite quickly as we're meeting all the characters and get into the thick of the plot, the middle (to me) kind of drags a bit, but then we get into some action and the ending of the book is where it gets good again.

Another thing I loved about this book (but also Briar's writing in general) is the characters. Medra is such a good mix of independent and no BS, but also still someone you want to root for, i.e doesn't fall into the pick-me girl category. Blake is broody on the outside, soft on the inside which I love in a man (I could overlook how possessive he was after barely knowing her but I guess that's the whole bonding/mate type situation speaking. Also, not as much of a bull/a-hole as I was anticipating which kind of threw me off). I think we definitely should have gotten more of Blake's POV. I felt less attached to him in a way.

I also love the side characters, especially Medra's little girl gang.

All in all I think that it was a good first book in the series, as it focused mainly on worldbuilding (which is like the entire point of the first book of any series) however, I think that we could have gotten just a bit more plot driven action. I just feel like there wasn't a lot to really sink my teeth into. I'm really intrigued to see where the second book goes because the set up of this book suggests that the next one is going to be really incredible. We'll see.

Thank you to Netgalley, Starwater Press and Briar for the ARC of this book.

I loved this book, I was hesitant going into it but I am so so glad. I was hooked and from the very first few chapters. The overall plot felt unique and well executed and I cant wait for a follow up.

This was really good! I didnt realise there was another series before this one so I was a bit confused when the book was referencing to certain things.

The story itself was jam packed full of action which I loved!! The romance was really good and so.many.vampires!!! 😍

I will read anything Briar writes.
This book drew me in from the first chapter, and I just couldn't put this book down. I knew I was going to love this book bc I absolutely adored the Blood of a Fae series, and I am SO excited for the second book in this series.
Also, Naveen WHAT LOL

4.25 ⭐️

Angry pining. He falls first…and hard. Vampire Draco. Blood bonds. Vampires. Dragons.

Oh. My. God. This book consumed me!!! It has definitely gotten me back into the fantasy genre and I cannot thank Briar enough for that.
I found myself wanting to learn alongside Medra and Florence in their classes because the lore is so fascinating and intricate. Wanting to befriend and give the biggest hug to Theo.
Blake is EVERYTHING I have ever wanted in a Draco-coded vampire, especially the snarky banter! He’s equal parts frustrating and swoon worthy.
I cannot wait to read the second one and find out what happens after that cliffhanger!

“I hoped my face didn’t reveal how vomity I felt as I smiled back at her.”
“little dragon”
“Mine.”
“Maybe it’s the hair. Like the fire of a dragon, you’re impossible to tame.”
“I was a dragon, exploding in fire like a shooting star in the night sky.”
“I was proud of her. So fucking proud.”
“Tell me you love it when I kill for you.”
“The stones that were falling. Every single one of them was black.”

eARC

Rating: 5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

Wow, I loved the previous series (Blood of a Fae), and when I saw that she wrote another one, I knew right away that I would love it, and I did. I need book two like right now!!! This book has all the amazing tropes, dark academia, enemies to lovers, forbidden love, slow burn, bonded and of course vampires. I loved that in this series you will get a lot of information, but it will not be an info dump on you, just a really wonderful world building and getting to know the characters more. I thought the author did a fantastic job with the dual POV, it really helped to understand the characters and their emotions/their own voices to everything going on. I liked that in this book it has action but not a lot, just a little bit but I swear you will be happy to know even without the action you will find a story that you will devour this book so fast. I know for me I was able to read half of the book in 3 hours because I couldn’t put it down without knowing what was going to happen to Medra and Blake.

I found Medra to be a strong female character. I liked that she was feisty, kind to others (so long as you’re named Blake or Regan), she is a bada$$, and I loved getting to know her more throughout the book. I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for her in the next book, but I have a feeling that I will cry or be soooo joyful that I scream. I loved that she took mercy with Regan, but at the same time I was rooting that she would end that jealous little witch. You will watch her struggle with the idea that is bonded with Blake without her permission and then start to get used to it until he opens up his mouth and shows us something new to like. However, I do love that the author gave us a little glimpse of what might happen if Medra was to choose another that isn’t Blake and to see the reasons why Blake feels that way. I loved getting to see how he acted with Neville, it was so cute. I feel a little more for Blake when I read that. That love triangle that might happen, if Blake doesn’t pull his head out of his butt.

I found Blake to be so Hot, I loved getting to read the combat training and other scenes with him without a shirt. I loved that he is witty, but you will also find that he is an arrogant butthead, and you will come to understand the reasons why. I loved getting to see the softer sides to him, but I also wanted to shake him so hard when he would start to build up walls again when it comes to Medra. I just can’t wait to see Blake begging on his knees to Medra….. I better see something like that lol.

I liked that you will see there are different houses and understand their history. I loved that in this book you will have vampires, fae, dragons and so much more. If you haven’t read the previous series I highly recommend you do because you will fall in love with her writing style and the characters in these books. Oh and can we talk about the steamy scenes.... I NEED MORE OF THOSE!

I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you netgalley for letting me read this for my honest review. I was hesitant to request this book because of the reference to Harry Potter and everything going on with JK Rowling. I think that a magical school has a lot of potential and honestly doesn’t need to be compared to or have inspiration from those books, which is what had me intrigued with this series.

This had a lot of plots going on at once and I think it may have been a stronger book if it didn’t have so many. Although that did help to not make it predictable. The beginning of the book is also incredibly fast paced and I really thought for a minute I accidentally picked up a second book in a series. To be honest I still don’t understand the purpose of the town in the first chapter, but hopefully it comes around again or maybe I missed it.

I think Medra is a fine fmc, but I wish I had seen more character growth from her. I understand her being sassy is part of her personality, I just think seeing her develop on a deeper level would have made me connect with her more. With that I also wish the relationship with her and Blake had more build up. We saw a little yearning from him, but I wish we had seen more slight touches and moments where they connected emotionally.

I will pick up the next book in hopes that some of the things I had issues with maybe get resolved. But I will be giving this a 3.75 stars

5/5⭐️
2/5🌶️


“There were two sides to every story and what she had just spewed was carefully written historical bullshit.”

“We all have a sob story. It dosnt mean we should treat other people like shit.”

“Sometimes the problem is we don’t see ourselves the way others do.”

“Dazed but alive. That simply wouldn’t do. He had said mine. Mine.”


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, my review is still 100% my own!

This book was WOW. It was everything I wanted in a dark academia. For me to fall for and also root for a blonde man is a hard task but damn I fell hard for this man. Give him a little animal side kick and it’s hard to say no lmao.

My one and only complaint about this book is the amount of plot lines. There’s probably 7 or 8 different story lines happening currently and while the balance of them felt really good, the Orcades plot point seemed to fade in the background for a while and I wish that could’ve been fully flushed out before more happened- HOWEVER, I also really appreciated the amount of things happening because it kept me guessing and I hate to be bored in a book, especially one set in a school because the day to day monotony can be a bit much sometimes.

Overall I’m so stoked to keep reading this series and see wtf is going on bc Blake sweetie I need you to do better.

Is captivating an intense fantasy novel that blends elements of dark magic, political intrigue, and complex relationships. Set in a world where power is both a gift and a curse, the novel introduces readers to a rich tapestry of characters and an intricate plot that keeps you turning the pages until the very end. Boleyn explores how power can corrupt, how those who wield it must often sacrifice pieces of themselves, and how those without power navigate a world that seeks to control them. The novel also delves into themes of family, love, and loyalty, with characters constantly having to make difficult choices for the sake of their loved ones or their cause. For anyone who enjoys a dark, thought-provoking fantasy with strong character arcs and a richly developed world, On Wings of Blood is a must-read. A story that is as emotionally compelling as it is thrilling. The world-building will leave readers eager for more. With its morally complex characters and high stakes, this is a book that will linger in the mind long after the final page is turned.

This book was gifted from Netgalley.

So, I first have to say that I don’t really love Harry Potter. I read the books and watched the movies along with everybody else – I was at the perfect age when they all released – and enjoyed taking the Pottermore quizzes when I was a freshman in college. But at the risk of having my head bitten off, I just was never that into it. It’s… fine. And this book’s description has plastered all over it: “Harry Potter mixed with Fourth Wing!” “If Draco Malfoy were a vampire… he’d attend Bloodwing Academy.”

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why they did it. I say this neutrally, as somebody who has also written fan fiction: in some aspects it gave “fan fiction with the serial numbers filed off.” The world is absolutely unique. I am NOT trying to imply that there was any plagiarism… only that the inspiration is obvious enough to bear mentioning.

Here’s what I’m getting at with this, coming from someone who thought Harry Potter was okay while I was reading it and with all the JK Rowling stuff these days thinks that you can do a lot with a magical school setting without mentioning HP at all: it was really off-putting to go into the book with HP looming over it. I haven’t read all of Fourth Wing but it’s definitely a more apt comparison. Another more apt comparison would be A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. And a whychoose vampire romance set at a college called Forged in Blood by Sadie Kincaid. And From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

I get the HP comparisons. I do. It’s still a really popular series/setting. It’s just not for me – it immediately predisposed me to judge the world.

My review of the book without spoilers is as follows: it’s fine. I give it three stars. Please do mind the content warnings.

It’s fast-paced, though the way it starts genuinely made me wonder if I had missed something. I wish there had been a softer lead-in. Medra Pendragon wakes up naked, covered in blood, and underneath a dead man in a burned-out town. She is immediately discovered and taken by an extremely handsome man named Blake.

This is where I first take issue with Medra. I had the same problem with the main female character in From Blood and Ash: why can these people not keep their mouths shut? Pissing off the people who have just pulled you from a pile of dead bodies just really doesn’t seem that smart. Look, she’s sassy, I get it. Here’s where I want to recommend a fantasy romance with wonderful and clever characters: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. Please! You will not regret it.

Moving on, because Medra and Blake never stop annoying me. Medra is told she is likely a dragon rider due to her hair being red. Heritage in this world is marked by the color of your hair. Blond/blonde means “highblood” (vampire) while darker shades (brunette or black) means “blightborn” (human). There are also dwarves but the hair thing isn’t really mentioned that I recall.

Lord Drakharrow, the leader of the most powerful House (yes there are four), declares Medra too valuable to kill and binds her to his nephew, Blake. He then declares that she attend Bloodwing Academy alongside the rest of the vampire elite. Here is where I also take issue with Medra: I don’t disagree with her dislike of Blake, but I never get the feeling that she fully understands or appreciates the position Lord Drakharrow places Blake in. She just does not have a head for the politics of it and never seems to make more than a surface level effort.

I have a lot more minor and petty issues with the book. I think there is so much potential and that is why I am so frustrated with it. Having a school setting makes world-building relatively simple, because Medra is placed in introductory-level courses that let the author just have professors explain how the world works and its history to you. It ends up working well, but there is so much interpersonal drama that it really limits the characters. Medra discovers at some point that she can escape the school by following Blake through a hidden passageway. To my knowledge she never takes advantage of this fact beyond following Blake down these hidden passageways.

Ultimately I think this is a three-star minor disappointment because I believe in all ways it could have been taken further. There could have been more steam, more horror, more adventure, more magic, just more. In one scene Medra wastes time while a child is bleeding in her arms yelling at Blake for not …killing his baby sister? Get a grip!

I will look forward to the next books in the series but will not be waiting up for them. If this is your thing, I highly recommend it. Otherwise, there are better examples of the genre.

What a way to end my reading journey of 2024! I wad immediately drawn into this magical world from the first page. Meets is the perfect FMC if you love a strong, independent, witty, and determined woman. The enemies to loves trope in this is so good and he slow burn especially from Blake's perspective is amazing! I will definitely be reading the second book in this series! If you are looking for something action packed with magic and mythical creatures as well as vampires, fae, and dwarves add this immediately to your TBR you will not be dissapointed.

This was a fantastic romantasy! The themes and tropes alone sold me, but the tension, spice and dragons really hooked me! The characters were written fantastically, the world building made me feel like I was apart of the book. I am really looking forward to the next book, but this does end on a cliff hanger so buckle up!

On Wings of Blood (Bloodwing Academy #1) by Briar Boleyn

I didn't sign up for this.

A half-fae in a school of highblood vampires? That's a recipe for torment.

Rating: *****
Feels: Anger, Anticipation, Challenged, Awe
Style: Fantasy, Romantasy, Dark Academia, Vampires, Dragons , Magic, High Fantasy
First published November 30, 2024 : 523 pages, Kindle

This book was such a ride that you never want to get down from. First of all I love Camelot flair which this has which makes it so much more fun. Our FMC who is often called Pendragon is thrown into a world run by highblood vamps. Toss in some dark academia and bully romance and this is just a recipe that you will want to eat right up !!! I loved the connections made between the students/characters and the MMC is a lovely shade of morally gray. I can not wait to pick up the next book in the series and continue on with this story !!


Favorite quote: "My heart might have been black, my deeds as dark as night, but she was mine to protect, mine to keep safe, with everything I had to give. She thought she was trapped? I was the one trapped. Trapped with this feeling I couldn’t get away from...."

This book has:
Strong FMC (Stabby)
Morally Gray MMC
Enemies to Lovers
Vampires vrs Humans
Touch her and die
Dark Academia
Found Family
Revenge Plot
Politics
Magic
**Bully Romance

how dare you end this book on a cliff hanger! also give me book 2 now.

This was a great romantasy book based in an academy setting. It had everything, vampires, magic, tension, political intrigue, romance, spice and of course DRAGONS!

I loved Medra and her fiery personality. she literally gave no sh*ts and was unapologetically stubborn. Her friendships between Florence and Naveen were lovely to read and felt very organic. Blake was a great character too! The tension between the two was fantastic! This is a bit of a bully romance but it works and i loved it. i loved how we learn alongside Medra as she is literally dropped into this new realm. and i also love how she is just a flabberghasted as any of us would be to find out that not only Vampires exist but everyone is just cool with them sucking their blood.

One note i will say is, if you haven't read the final book in Briars Queen of Roses series then you might get some minor spoilers. Not enough to ruin the final book but enough to make you kind of slap your forehead.

This book didn’t disappoint. If anything, it left me wanting more. After waking up in an unknown world, Medra is forced to attend Bloodwing, which is like the vampire equivalent to Hogwarts, with her newly betrothed mate, Blake. Blake is the leader of House Drakharrow and definitely doesn’t make Medra’s first year at school tolerable. Medra is forced to endure several misfortunes and challenging events but after each one, her and Blake seem to grow closer.

The best way I could describe this book —
a magic school with vampires, a dark, moody MMC and fiery FMC with spice

There seems to be so much more to learn about the history of the world, the school, and many secrets for Medra to uncover. I definitely feel like something is up with Prof. Rodriguez and Kage’s warning to Medra. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC!

Unfortunately I can’t give much feedback - as after multiple attempts to push through I had to DNF this book. I was told by a fellow ARC reader to fake my review but I did not feel comfortable doing that. The writing made this feel like I was jumping into the middle of a series and I didn’t understand what was going on, the writing also felt very choppy and it was just really hard to try to get into this story. While I can see this author holds promise and I would try again in the future - this wasn’t a book that I would have tried this hard to continue if I had just found it in the wild.
I won’t be sharing a public review anywhere as I didn’t finish the book

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

💝 Thank you to Briar for providing me with the eARC of “On Wings of Blood” in exchange for my honest review.

I have to admit that I was skeptical when I went into this read. This book is long, at over 500 pages, and it had a very intense marketing campaign. I kept seeing it everywhere; it felt like every one of my followers was on Briar’s street team for this one! Then, I saw some not-great reviews and DNFs. For all of these reasons, I almost didn’t pick it up.

But boy am I glad that I did!! This book was awesome. It was exactly what I needed from a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers situation. It had me feeling like I was back in college with a crush on the unattainable senior. It had me feeling the way I did when I first read the Sookie Stackhouse novels back in the early 2000s. It was like if True Blood met Harry Potter. So, so, so, so good.

I didn’t realize that there was a whole related series ahead of this one, but in the end, it didn’t matter. You got enough context from this book to be able to proceed just fine. It picks up with Medra thinking she died but actually being transported to a whole new world, where she lost her magic and vampires are real. Luckily, she gets found by one of the most powerful vampire houses and winds up in a magical academy betrothed to a vampire prince.

Medra is such a fun character, and Briar did a great job of really capturing the attitude, emotions, and actions of a college freshman. She thinks she knows everything and is stubborn and reluctant while simultaneously almost getting herself killed at every turn. The friendships that she builds with the side characters are well-developed and beautiful. I wanted to go to school with them!

And the romance… usually I hate a miscommunication trope, but this was done so well. Our MMC was just the right amount of morally grey that you couldn’t decide if you wanted them to get together or stay apart because he was such an arrogant jerk. He gave me Erik Northman vibes and I was here for it!!! Be right back - I have to go read the sequel now because that cliffhanger was too much! 🩸

I would recommend this to people who enjoy romantasy with a vampire MMC. You should definitely pick it up if you liked True Blood, Harry Potter, Sookie Stackhouse, Zodiac Academy, Queer as Folk.

#eARC # advanced copy #bookreview #bookstagram #booktok #booklover #fantasy #vampires #morallygrey