This book gave all the tension! Dark academia read with hate to love trope. I would say it gives Harry Potter vibes, but with more spice. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dark academia with tension between the main characters, banter, and growth!

Dark Fantasy Meets Academia: A Must-Read for Vampire and Dragon Fans

It's a a thrilling introduction to the Bloodwing Academy series. With its dark, atmospheric setting and a fiery enemies-to-lovers romance, this book is perfect for fans of paranormal academy stories with high stakes and forbidden attraction.

Medra Pendragon, a fierce and resourceful half-fae, is unexpectedly thrust into the dangerous world of Bloodwing Academy, an elite school where highblood vampires rule. From her arrival, she’s thrown into conflict with Blake Drakharrow, a brooding, ruthless vampire who seems intent on making her life unbearable. As Medra uncovers the secrets of her mysterious lineage and learns to survive in this cutthroat world, the tension between her and Blake shifts in ways neither of them expects.

Briar Boleyn’s world-building is rich and immersive, creating a vivid, haunting setting for the story. Although the book starts slowly due to the depth of the world-building, once the groundwork is laid, the story takes off, becoming impossible to put down. Medra is a strong, determined heroine, and her banter with Blake crackles with animosity and chemistry. The slow-burn romance is perfectly paced, with just enough tension to keep you hooked.

The academy itself feels alive, filled with treacherous politics, dangerous secrets, and a hierarchy where survival is never guaranteed. The twists in the plot, especially regarding Medra’s lineage, add layers of intrigue that keep the pages turning.

The initial chapters are slower, as the heavy world-building takes center stage, which might deter readers who prefer immediate action. Additionally, secondary characters could have been more fleshed out to add depth to the story.

If you love enemies-to-lovers romance, fantasy academy settings, and morally complex characters, On Wings of Blood is a must-read. Fans of Zodiac Academy, A Court of Thorns and Roses, or The Plated Prisoner series will find plenty to love.

While it starts a bit slow, On Wings of Blood blossoms into a gripping, tension-filled story that’s impossible to put down. Briar Boleyn weaves a tale of power, danger, and passion that will leave you eager for the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley for an E arc, all opinions are honest and my own!

2.75 ⭐️⭐️

I wanted to love this so much more. It just wasn’t vibing for me at all. I didn’t mind the writing style. But I didn’t love the pacing or the amount of tropes in it. Deff willing to still check out other work by the author tho!

Briar Boleyn is a new author for me, and the premise of this book seemed really promising, but it just didn’t meet my expectations.

Medra Pendragon is hiding a secret. The vampires want her because of her red hair and what that could mean. What ensues is a lot of things crammed into one book and is compared to a lot of high-ranked books in the fantasy/academia genre. It seemed like a bit much in some aspects. There were so many tropes - enemies to lovers, fantasy romance, slow burn, trials, and more.

The book itself started off strong, slowed down a bit mid-story, and then picked up again. It did give off academia vibes for sure, but it wasn’t as much of a must-read as I was hoping for. I’m still interested in seeing where book 2 goes, though.

Medra Pendragon is thrown from the fae world into another world and wakes up in a pile of dead bodies. She’s found by a tall, blonde, regal man and taken forcefully back to his city which turns out to be a school of high blood vampires and selected mortals. And her kidnapper, he turns out to be a prince of one of the Royal vampire houses. Medra is forced into Blake’s world when his regent uncle betroths her to him as his second consort and announces that she’s a dragon rider with rare blood. Medra must face her new world, a bunch of blood thirsty vampires, a hatred for her newly betrothed but an undeniable attraction to him, and his jealous first consort. Hopefully she can survive this crazy new world.

This book was SO good. It’s SO long but so good. I’m not normally a romantasy reader but requested this one on @netgalley because it sounded so good. And I’m all about me some vampires. It’s hot and spicy and full of adventure as Medra goes through her new world with bravery. It’s bloodlusty, dark academia and is a must read. The second installment of this series just released snd I’ll definitely have to read it!

The most exciting Romantsy book that I have ever read. I loved it even more than Fourth Wing! It has everything I love about the fantasy world and the romance was hot and steamy. I enjoy a long story if it's interesting and this is just that. It's academia dark. Medra Pendragon is supposed to be the last of the dragon riders but there are no more dragons. Blake is a dangerous vampire who Medra is consorted too. A cross between Twilight and Fourth Wing. I can't wait to read the next book and I hope many more by this talented author!

Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy.

I absolutely adored this lust, dark academia book. It has me gripped from the very start and I am desperate for the next installment.

I really enjoy Boleyn's writing and this did not disappoint. She always manages to write great characters that I am desperate to know what happens with them. Absolutely brilliant start to the series and I highly recommend

Sped through this! Addictive, captivating and totally impressive world building.

This book had me hooked from the start. I loved how this book just threw you straight into the darkness and tangled web of the Vampires world. And combined it with dark academia, magic and unlikely friendships!

Medra is an awesome FMC, strong determined and hell bent on surviving rhe world she has found herself in.

When I heard that Drake had SERIOUS Malfoy vibes with dark Vampire twist I was keen to see how this plays out and OMG it works so well.

These two together are hot!

A fantastic cliffhanger ending and I'm so ready for book two.

Utterly loved this!

This book took me by surprise! You don’t often see dragons and vampires only together in books so it was an interesting twist for me. With that being said

The things I liked: I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters, it was fun to read and had me giggling a few times. Initially I wasn’t sold on the FMC and thought she could be foolish at times, but she grew throughout the book. I also enjoyed the dark academia components and the side characters as well. I think the plot flowed well overall and the dialogue as well as world building kept me engaged the entire time. The world building in the beginning was done well and was relatively easy to follow. The few spicy scenes were done well and there was no cringe factor for me.

The things I didn’t like: there were a couple of plot holes for me, specifically with the mother’s soul, but I’m hoping that will be revisited in the next book. I also wish their would have been more info with the dragons as I felt that wasn’t mentioned as much, but feels like a big part of the book. I also felt like in the beginning she was describing something that happened in a past series, for which I didn’t see and disclaimers at the beginning of the book mentioning it, but felt like I should have read that first (personal problem lol)

Overall I really did enjoy reading this book and will definitely be reading the next one!

SCREW YOUR TBR YOU NEED TO PICK UP THIS BOOK NOW!! Wow wow wow!! Where do I begin?!

I loved everything about this book! I was pretty hooked from the beginning and while I was having a good time thorough the last 70-80% of this book was incredible

The characters in this book are complex—some characters are so easy to like, some characters you want to like but feel uncertain about, and some characters you absolutely love to hate. The main characters are by far my favorite but there’s so many minor characters that stand out, the cast is so well done.

The vampire academy vibes are incredible. The writing is beautiful and paints such a beautiful picture. You feel immersed in the story and it’s so easy to get sucked in

The slow burn and tension in this book is SO GOOD!! When you finally get to the spicy stuff it is SOOOO worth the wait!! I also feel like we only got a taste but I’m DYING for more!!

There’s twists and turns, their backstabbing and betrayal, and a cliffhanger that makes you want to dive right into the next book! What an incredible read! I’m not kidding, you need to pick it up NOW!!!

Loved it!!!

I devoured this book! I was hooked right from the start and found it so hard to put down. It’s been a while since I got through a book as fast as I did with this one! I lost sleep reading this until the early hours of the morning 😂 it was worth it!

This book was giving me strong Fourth Wing meets Harry Potter vibes, but with vampires.

I instantly loved Merda! Our feisty and fiercely determined half-fae FMC, who is fighting to survive at a deadly vampire Academy.

Blake is the brooding vampire prince MMC who will give you whiplash with his hot and cold emotions.

Loved the multiple POV’s in this story. I also liked how Kage was thrown into the mix (essentially Drakes rival at blood wing academy) and I’m really interested to see how that storyline develops in book 2!

Pacing was great, the story was really interesting and kept me wanting to know more.

I enjoyed this book so much I ran straight to Amazon to buy both books 😂

Tropes:

✨Dark academia
✨Vampires
✨Forced betrothal
✨Bonded mates
✨Slow burn
✨Dual POV
✨Bully romance
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Dragons

Thank you to for sending me a copy of this e-book to review

As always, check the trigger warnings

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
1/5 🌶️

-

What to Expect:
🐲Enemies to Lovers
❤️Dark Academia
🐲Arranged Marriage
❤️Found Family
🐲Dark Romantasy
❤️Draco Malfoy Vibes
🐲Vampires, Fae, etc.
❤️Slow Burn
🐲Book 1

-

Holy Wow!!!!

This book completely swept me off my feet. From the very first page, I was COMPLETELY HOOKED, and let me just say—it did not let go. On Wings of Blood has everything I want in a romantasy: dragons, vampires, forced proximity, political intrigue, and a fiery enemies-to-lovers dynamic that had me audibly gasping. Medra Pendragon is such a compelling FMC—she’s sharp, headstrong, and utterly badass. I adored her friendships with Florence and Naveen (we love a supportive found family), and her banter with Blake? Chef’s kiss. Every conversation between them felt like a masterclass in tension and wit.🔥

Blake Drakhallow. Where do I even start? The most Draco Malfoy vibe character I’ve ever read - this morally gray, tattooed vampire prince had me swooning, fuming, and blushing in equal measure. His arrogance had me rolling my eyes, but his vulnerable moments—especially with his family—absolutely melted me. Let’s not forget the sizzling chemistry between him and Medra. The tension was everything, and when Blake started calling her “little dragon,” I was done for. This is peak enemies-to-lovers energy, and I’m here for it 2347289349234%.

The world-building was another highlight for me. Sangratha is rich, dangerous, and filled with secrets waiting to be uncovered. The vampire academy setting brought all the drama, stakes, and cutthroat dynamics I love. Add in the political scheming, ancient bloodlines, and dragons (yes, we all know I have an obsession with dragons!), and you’ve got a story I couldn’t put down. That ending though—a total cliffhanger! I’m already counting down the days until Book 2 (and 3) because I need answers, and I need them NOW. If you love morally gray MMCs, capable FMCs, and a story that’ll keep you up until 3 a.m., this one’s for you!

This book has it all! Vampires, fae, dragons, dwarves, magic, romance, and adventure! I went into this book blind and am so happy I did. It’s like the authors combined everything I ever liked about romantasy and put it into this book! Another universe where vampires rule and there’s a special academy for students that are deemed worthy. There is a lot of world building, but not so much that I ever felt overwhelmed, Medra is a strong main character dumped into this world and academy and this allows the reader the learn the world and rules with the book. Fantastically written and I cannot wait for the next book! #NetGalley #NetGalleyARC

I recently had the privilege of reading "On Wings of Blood" and was thoroughly enthralled. The world-building and characters drew me in, and the slow-burn romance kept me on the edge of my seat. I especially loved the portrayal of Medra Pendragon, a strong and determined heroine. I would be overjoyed if you considered sending me a physical copy of this novel so that I can add it to my collection and delve further into this captivating world.
I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Medra Pendragon, the Female Main Character (FMC) of "On Wings of Blood." Her strong and determined personality, coupled with her well-hidden reserves of loyalty and goodness, made for an intriguing mix. What's even better is that she stands by her decisions while remaining open to new information that may change her perspective. And let's not forget - redheads forever!

And then there's the Male Main Character (MMC), Blake Drakharrow. He's a character that fits the classic romance/romantasy trope of "You're mine". This is the kind of alpha male character that loves to use the phrase - "You're mine" in every possible way. He's even willing to take the phrase "touch her and die" very seriously, as evidenced by his behavior from the first page. With his arrogance, possessiveness, and violent tendencies, he's got serious Draco Malfoy vibes (think Bloodwing Academy cross between Hogwarts and Basgiath meets Game of Thrones). The only saving grace for him is his affinity for dogs, so perhaps we'll see if he manages to redeem himself enough to become our new book boyfriend.
The slow burn in "On Wings of Blood" kept me eagerly anticipating the moment when the romance would ignite, and when it did, it absolutely packed a punch. The chemistry between these characters was palpable and kept me engaged even in the absence of frequent intimate scenes.

However, there was one aspect that slightly bothered me - the lack of emphasis on the FMC's previous life in Camelot. Despite some hints that it may be developed in future installments, I couldn't help but feel that the concept of her being a 'princess from Camelot' could have been easily replaced with her waking up with no memory of her past life. This didn't detract too much from my overall enjoyment of the book, as I found myself captivated by the engaging story and quickly devoured it in one day. However, as I neared the end, the thought of only having 30 pages left and knowing that big things were still to come caused me to freak out a bit. And then, to my surprise, the book ended on two cliffhangers - one that was heavily foreshadowed but no less devastating, and another that caught me off guard more than it should have.
This novel features a number of tantalizing tropes:
- Enemies to lovers (though this aspect is presented somewhat unconventionally)
- Vampires
- Dual Point of View (POV)
- Dragon riders and magical academy
- The alpha male "touch her and die" trope (quite literally, as it appears immediately)
- The heroine as a 'chosen one'
- An arranged marriage between the characters
- A bully romance element
- A slow burn buildup of suspense and chemistry that eventually leads to spicy scenes (though limited in number, they pack a punch).

I'm thrilled by your rating of 5 out of 5, and the spice level of 3.5 out of 5 for this intriguing book! The anticipation of those spicy scenes must have been well worth the wait, culminating in a satisfying climax.

I'm keen on acquiring a physical copy of this book and would kindly like to request one directly from the author.

Rating: 4/5⭐️
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Series: Book 1
Cliffhanger: Yes
POV: multi-1st person
Relationship: M/F

Darkness Rating: 2/5 🖤
This is a bully fantasy romance similar to the Cruel Prince but with more death & gore.

Spice Rating: 1.5/5 🌶️
Just 2-3 explicit, open door scenes.

I LOVED this book. I cannot wait to read book two!

Am I a sucker for anything vampires yes, blame twilight for that. The world briar built feels so amazing and nostalgic from fantasy from the 90s. And I loved every minute of it. I think thier is so much more to happen with these characters I cannot wait for it

Medra, half-fae winds up in a world full of vampires. She is supposedly the last of the dragon riders and studies alongside the humans as well as the vampires at Bloodwing Academy. Blake is a vampire also attending Bloodwing, and they are betrothed. Plot twist Blake has a second betrothed (whom he does not really like and she HATES Medra).

Medra is an amazing female main character. She is strong and determined, and amazing with her friends. She created beautiful connections with Florence & Naveen, and it was beautiful to see how she always tried to help her friends and always fought for the underdogs. Florence is an amazingly awesome wingwoman and best friend always standing by Medra's side no matter what.

Blake really hides his inner self very well. He's extremely annoying in the beginning but becomes HOTTER and HOTTER with every turn of the page. He transforms from arrogant to caring over time. The way the author inserted his POV a bit here and there throughout the book really made you see how much he holds to himself and slowly opens up once he understands he can trust Medra. His relationship with his sister and Neville really make you want to swoon <3

The book keeps you interested throughout and the world building was well paced. I hope that in the second book we'll get more information about Medra's home world. Also want to add that I love that she had her mother by her side during this whole book.

Tropes:
- Dragons and Vampires
- Enemies to lovers
- Dark academia
- Arranged marriage
- Touch her and you die… literally

Thank you to Briar Boleyn and NetGalley for providing me with an arc!

I was instantly hooked from beginning to end with this story. Be prepared to be swept into this amazing world and this adventure.

On Wings of Blood is the first book of the spin-off series and you should definitely read Blood of the Fae first, as Medra (the FMC) recounts certain events and people from that series.

Wow, I could not put this book down! I was a bit nervous since we changed from Fae to vampires and to Medra as FMC but it was captivating. It has all the popular tropes as dark academia, vampires, dragonriders, enemies to lovers (ish)... The tension was great!

It ended with a very promising event and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!

Thank you Netgalley, Starwater Press and Briar Boleyn for the copy I received.

This book is 5 stars all around. I absolutely DEVOURED it. It has been a while since I’ve felt such a strong need to read something constantly. Every spare moment I had, I was reading, and when I wasn’t, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The world Briar Boleyn has created is incredible, so vivid, immersive, and full of intrigue. Bloodwing Academy is as dangerous as it is fascinating, where power games, deadly competitions, and secrets around every corner make survival feel impossible. Medra Pendragon’s journey pulled me in completely. Her resilience and determination, even when everything seems stacked against her, made her such a compelling character to root for. And then there is Blake Drakharrow. Cold, arrogant, and oh so infuriating, yet you can’t help but be drawn to him. The chemistry between them is absolutely electric, and I loved every bit of their push and pull dynamic.

The vampire and dragon lore felt so fresh and unique, and I couldn’t get enough of the court politics, ancient rituals, and mysterious legends woven into the story. It has everything I love in a romantasy, from banter and tension to high stakes and that addictive feeling where you just have to know what happens next.

If you are a fan of Fourth Wing, Zodiac Academy, or A Court of Thorns and Roses, you need this book on your shelf.