I am absolutely obsessed with this book—I couldn’t put it down until I finished it! Packed with action, angst, sexual tension, and an incredible fantasy world, this story had me hooked from start to finish. Although bully romances aren’t usually my thing, the author’s skillful and tasteful writing completely won me over.

Medra, is thrust into a new world ruled by vampires. She becomes bonded to Blake, a vampire prince, through a ritual orchestrated by his powerful uncle, Lord Drakharrow. The bond is forged because Medra is believed to be a “dragon rider”—a role thought to be extinct in this world. Though she is weaker than the highblood vampires, Medra enrolls in Bloodwing Academy to train as a dragon rider and learn the history and combat techniques. As Medra trains at the academy and adjusts to her engagement to Blake, their tension intensifies and the story takes unexpected twists.

The characters are rich with depth and grow throughout the story. Medra is fiercely stubborn in the best way and unyielding in the face of the highbloods. She’s clever, quick on her feet and hilariously sarcastic. Blake is her perfect counterpart: a cold, brutal vampire prince with a hidden softness beneath his icy exterior. Their chemistry is undeniable and makes for a captivating enemies-to-lovers dynamic.
The worldbuilding is done expertly. I felt like I was right there alongside Medra and Blake attending the Bloodwing Academy.

This book is a slow burn, but the payoff is absolutely worth it. The romantic tension between Medra and Blake is electric. The steamier moments were well written.

If you’re a fan of romantasy filled with vampires, dragons, tension, high stakes, and morally grey characters, all wrapped in a story so addictive you can’t stop turning the pages—this book is an absolute must-read.
I can’t wait to dive into book 2!

A big thanks to NetGalley, publisher and Briar Boleyn for providing me with this ARC!

"No matter how beautiful the man or how mesmerizing the dragon, Blake Drakharrow was still a monster."
On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn started off a bit slow for me, but once I reached the 40% mark and got his POV, I was completely drawn in. The dark academia setting, combined with Harry Potter vibes, vampires, and a dragon theme, created a fascinating world that kept me engaged.
I really enjoyed how Blake's character seemed to be inspired by Draco Malfoy, adding a familiar yet fresh twist to the story.
The magic system was well-thought-out and added a compelling layer to the plot. The enemies-to-lovers trope was done perfectly, keeping the tension alive throughout the book.
That said, I felt the story could have had better flow.
Sometimes, secrets were revealed too quickly, with one character immediately clarifying things in the next chapter, which reduced the suspense. I also wished there were more dragons and that the Medra's full potential had been explored more.
The cliffhanger, though, was intense, leaving me eager for the next book. Overall, On Wings of Blood was an entertaining and gripping read, and I'm excited to see what happens next.

This book delivered on a lot of fronts - great world building, good mix of action and political plots, slow burn and some decent spice. The book started off really strong, pacing of world building and introduction of characters was great - kept the pages turning, it was a bit weak in the middle - and felt like a bit of a chore to continue around the half way point - but then there was a bunch of action to wrap it up and leave you with cliff hangers wanting book two. I wish some of the side characters were fleshed out a bit more - there were a lot of different personalities and I felt like I was missing more of their journey to really keep me invested in them. I enjoyed this book and would have given 5 stars if the pacing had held up from front to back. Looking forward to following the rest of the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press for the ARC!

On paper, this should have been everything I'm into: Dramione vibes, dark academia, dragons (!!!) so why 4 stars and not 5?

- Blake's behavior wasn't really my cup of tea. He went from seriously bullying her to suddenly realizing he's in love with her. These characters aren't as young as the Hogwarts kiddos (if we use Draminone as the basis) and I think some of his bullying came off as 'ick' for me.
- The mixture of all the different fantasy themes had my head spinning: Camelot, vampires, dragon riders - I had a hard time following.
- The romance felt like it came out of nowhere. Though, I love how the dual POV shows us Blake's thoughts and we do get insight into how we get to that first spicy scene.

I'd love to see what happens with their relationship in book 2!

I tried really hard to get into this book. The comparable titles are some of my favorites so I had high expectations for this to deliver a similar experience. Unfortunately, I could not get behind the characters, plot, or the writing. The FMC did not have any fight like I was expecting. She wanted to run away at every encounter. The MMC was confusing and was really absent in my opinion. I found the writing to be choppy and fragmented in ways that took me out of the story. The plot and apparent motivation of the characters felt mismatched and did not make sense to me.

"On Wings of Blood" combines the best things in the entire fantasy genre: dragons and vampires! Throw the enemies-to-lovers and dark academia in the mix and there was no way I could not NOT read this book. I fell in love with the dark setting and the protagonist from the beginning. Her attitude is just amazing and now wonder she es shaking up the whole place - dragon rider's blood or not. I would have loved to learn more about the dragons and the rivalries between the houses. In the middle I thought that the plot was a bit thin, but still with a great atmosphere and characters that quickly grow on you - I definetly need a fluffin in my life now! The cliffhanger is probably the most brutal one in history and I cannot wait for the next book.

This book truly was a combination of Zodiac Academy and Fourth Wing but with vampires. Medra nearly avoids death and ends up in another world where high bloods rule. Because of her red hair, she has powerful dragon rider blood and is betrothed to one of the strongest vampires at Bloodwing Academy. You get to see her deal with entering a new world, figuring out her betrothal, and trying to survive her first year at Bloodwing academy as a Blightborn.

My favorite part of this book was definitely the mmc and the side characters. I feel like they were written well to the point that they had their own stories and you could connect not just to the fmc but them as well.

The story intrigued me the entire time and I really enjoyed it. The only thing I didn't love about this book was the amount of conflicts/ plots being thrown about. It felt like there were 5+ different plot points but none really talked about in depth which left me somewhat confused and disappointed. I just wanted to know more about some of them. But overall this was a great book that I would recommend and I will be reading the second book!

A NetGalley ARC honest review:

An intriguing world, however there were many plot holes. There’s virtually no backstory on Medra’s life before she falls into this new world, and it truly never gets addressed in the first book.

There was a lot of filler throughout the book that didn’t really feel like it added anything to the plot.

Overall not a bad read but definitely could use more world building, less filler, and a better flow between plot themes.

3 stars ⭐️ someone said this read like harry potter, fourth wing, and zodiac academy had a kid and i agree but most heavily on zodiac academy and i didn’t really like that series personally. I think the world building was great in this and the concept was definitely interesting bc not many books do vampires and dragons. Blake was just a bit too possessive for me lmao like pleaseee relax, u dont even know her!!!! And glad Medra could hold her own but sometimes im like girl if u know what’s best for u…..shut up. Anyways the way i want kage takana instead 🤭 this also was a bit longer than i would’ve liked but it was interesting enough for me to see it through to the end. There were a couple parts where i was like oh! Wha! Wow! So that was nice. I’m just not a big insta-love person and while they didn’t fall in love quick, when things started to pick up - it almost felt overnight esp for blake.

Willllll i read the next one? Potentially!!

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