On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn is a mesmerizing fantasy novel that captivates from the very first page. In a world where magic intertwines with danger and destiny, Boleyn crafts a narrative that is as enchanting as it is thrilling.

The story follows our fierce protagonist, who is not just a warrior but a dreamer, navigating a realm steeped in shadows and intrigue. Boleyn’s talent for world-building is evident; she creates a vivid landscape filled with lush imagery and captivating lore that pulls you into the heart of the adventure. Each setting feels alive, from the dark forests teeming with secrets to the bustling towns where friendships and rivalries collide.

What truly sets this book apart is the character development. The protagonist’s journey is one of growth and resilience, making her relatable and inspiring. As she faces seemingly insurmountable challenges, readers will find themselves rooting for her every step of the way. The emotional depth of her journey—filled with triumphs and setbacks—adds a layer of authenticity that makes her struggles feel real and impactful.

The relationships in On Wings of Blood are intricately woven, showcasing a spectrum of emotions from camaraderie to betrayal. Boleyn excels at crafting dialogue that is sharp and engaging, often infused with humor that lightens the heavier moments. The dynamics between characters add richness to the story, enhancing the reader’s investment in their fates.

While the pacing occasionally fluctuates, with some slower moments that allow for deeper character exploration, the action sequences are exhilarating and well-executed. Boleyn maintains a perfect balance between heart-pounding excitement and reflective moments, ensuring that readers remain engaged throughout.

Overall, On Wings of Blood is a beautifully written tale that blends fantasy, adventure, and heartfelt emotion. Briar Boleyn has created a world that is both enchanting and dangerous, filled with characters that leap off the page. If you are a fan of strong female leads and intricate plots, this novel is an absolute must-read. I will be reading and reviewing the next installment in this captivating series soon!

Enjoyment: 2
Start: 4
Characters: 1
Atmosphere: 1
Plot: .25
Ending: 0
Style: .25
Rating: 1.42

Nothing could pull me into this book. On Wings of Blood seems to hit all my wants and desires in a book, I couldn't get past... something. I don't even know what it was I couldn't get past. The characters seemed flat and one-dimensional. As hard as I tried to get into the world, I couldn't do it.

This was a fun read as someone growing up with Twilight and Harry Potter books. This enemies to not-quite lovers is actually built up great.
You have dragons, magic school, different worlds and a lot of secrets. Very grand and gloomy vibes. It is everything it promises to be. I jumped onto book 2 right away.

This book had everything I love! A dark academic fantasy with true enemies to lovers. A super slow burn, lots of banter and a very morally grey MMC. Medra (the FMC) was also really likeable, and I'm hoping to see more of her history in book 2.

Overall really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to continuing the series!

This was such a fun read, full of all the things I adore in a Romantasy. The setting, the characters, the spice, not to mention the politics and intrigue that come along with the harry potter-esque setting of Bloodwing Academy.

Did I just fall in love with vampire dark academia?! Yes I bloody did 👏👏
You’ve got slow burn, you’ve got forced proximity, you’ve got enemies to lovers and a whole lot of magic, fae, vampires and fantasy 😍😍
I’ve not read any of Briars previous work but best believe I’ve added everything to my TBR!
I cannot wait to deep dive into book two 🤗

Thank you to Victory Editing and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this beauty ✨

Rating: 3.5/5
Spice: 2/5

Honestly, I don't know if I love or hate this book. I feel like I'm so annoyed reading it that I want to stop yet it's so addicting I can't. This book describes the MMC as a bullying Draco Malfoy type, and I thought maybe the bullying would get to be too much for me (since I usually hardcore hate the bullying trope) but I don't even think he really bullied her that much. It felt more like Four in Divergerent vibes. What reallllly pissed me off is the book starts off with this cool backstory for the FMC. She's a half fae princess from another world who LITERALLY KILLED her grandfather the KING and feel down to this new world afterwards yet she acts like a punk a$$ b*tch. Like excuuuuse me girl, you just saved your whole world, but now you're just fine living in a new world where half the citizens are seen as a subservient lower class. I will give the book credit I feel like I didn't see the plot coming most of the time. It felt well paced. I just think I can't get over how the FMC goes from hero to girl you gets bullied at private school.

Anyway, maybe I just lack patience and in the next book things will be different. Do I want to read it? no. Will I? probably

thanks to netgalley for this arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"She was mine before we’d even met. Even when she hadn’t known it yet. She was mine and I was hers.

It didn’t matter if she believed it. If she accepted it. It didn’t matter if she hated me. I’d believe it enough for both of us. She was mine and she always would be."

If you were/are a Harry Potter fan then you will most likely love this book. It is advertised as having a Dramione vibe which it definitely does. However, it also has some other major Harry Potter feels throughout the book.

With that in mind, at times the book does kind of feel a little like it is or was a fan fiction that has been edited and tweaked for publication purposes. It isn't necessarily a bad thing (also I might be the only one who feels that way), but it is just something to keep in mind when approaching this novel.

Boleyn does a very good job at world building and setting up the lore of the series for readers without making it feel like a history book. I think that is a major problem that I have with a lot of fantasy series is that the first book or two are solely dedicated to world building and without the right touch it very easily begins to feel like completing homework.

Mid-way through the book I did find myself not as invested in what was happening, though I think that was more of a personal thing, than an issue with the story or writing. Especially, because it only lasted for 10 to 20 percent of the book and by the half way point I found myself growing more invested once again. Mood reading can be a killer sometimes lol, but I'll definitely be picking up the second book.

Overall though, I would definitely recommend this to Harry Potter fans and would suggest people who are fans of academia settings and vampires to at least give it a try.

Fair warning this does end on a cliffhanger, however, the second book is already out so you can just immediately follow through without the dreaded wait.

SCREAMING!!! I could NOT put this down! On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn is an electrifying adventure that effortlessly fuses dark academia, vampires, dragons, and a pulse-pounding enemies-to-lovers forbidden romance. This book had me hooked from start to finish. As a Potterhead all grown up, it checked all my boxes: a Draco Malfoy-esque MMC, found family, a second chance at life, and just the right amount of bully romance. Every twist and turn had me wanting more!

Medra Pendragon is thrust into the cutthroat halls of Bloodwing Academy, where power-hungry vampires rule and “blightborns” like her are considered nothing more than expendable, albeit skillful pawns, Medra doesn’t just survive—she strives to thrive with every obstacle strengthening her resolve. The real magic of this book lies in the sizzling chemistry between Medra and Blake Drakharrow. This brooding, snarky anti-hero had me giggling and swinging my feet—his cold exterior only makes the glimpses of the fiery, possessive man beneath that much more rich. Watching him slowly unravel and let his walls slip from time to time is just SO, so good. Add in Kage, Blake’s rival and an alternative (potential) love interest for Medra, and you’ve got a lil’ love triangle that’s pure, delicious drama. The jealousy between the two men and the banter that follows? *Chef’s kiss*

The world-building in On Wings of Blood is rich with lore, high-stakes trials, and shadowy secrets that will keep you turning the page. On Wings of Blood is a must-read. I'm excited to go back and check out Blood of a Fae and get more context as well, but it can be read just fine without.

Thank you to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review (and I am sorry it's delayed)!

This just really wasn’t for me, I’m usually a really fast reader but just couldn’t get into this at all and it dragged on unfortunately. I think the writing was quite amateurish and lacked direction at times. The concept was good, the execution just left me feeling disconnected from the characters and the plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the advanced copy of this book.

4 stars

Got this one a little late on NetGalley, so got around to it when I could, but absolutely loved this one!

I loved the setting especially - the HP vibes - the dark fantasy romance vibes, all of it was amazing.

I ate this one up in just a couple of settings and I'm very excited to see where this one goes. This was amazing and I can't recommend it enough.

Def. reccomend this one to others! This should be very enjoyable for the genre lovers!

What a fun read! I enjoyed the slow burn and tension between Medra and Blake. Also, Neville is just the cutest!!

The start felt a little slow for me, but I am glad I continued, the story really progressed and kept me guessing.

It did not go the ways I though and I can't wait to finish book 2 to see where the story takes me next!

Thank you NetGalley for the gifted e-ARC!

3 stars. This book truly is a mix of Fourth Wing, Harry Potter, and Zodiac Academy, but with vampires.
It is a sloooow burn, enemies to lovers romantasy in a school setting, with side characters that you will actually really like (& dislike). I really like Medra's character - she is strong and not scared of a dang thing, even when she probably should be. I especially loved the sweet little Fluffin, and now I want one IRL! However, the book fell a little flat to me, maybe because of the slow burn, but also the lack of Medra's history and not learning anything more about where she came from and who she was. It also reads more YA/New Adult than other romantasy books IMO. Even so, i will be continuing on to the 2nd book after that cliffhanger ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars. I liked it, I think the mmc not having brown hair ruined it for me though. And I didn’t feel the attraction between them for so long and then suddenly they were interested in each other or so it seemed.

Oh how i am a fool for a slow burn and this was exactly that just add vampires and a harry potter vibe. loved this so much.

Dragons, fae, vampires, enemies to lovers, bully romance, forced proximity - this book sounds like it was written for me. Sadly though, I just didn’t vibe with it.

The enemies aspect is basically non-existent. The mmc, Blake, is barely around and when he is, he’s completely inoffensive. The only ‘bullying’ is between the fmc and another female character who does terrible things like…make the fmc late to class on her first day. Medra, the fmc, should have been really interesting. A half-fae who sacrificed herself to defeat a god, only to wake up in a new world surrounded by vampires, told she’s the last dragon rider in existence and thrust into a ‘deadly’ academy. Instead, she felt flat and annoying, constantly being snarky or combative for the sake of it. I found her attitude really draining and immature.

Not a lot happens for most of the book, and the dialogue was very repetitive. We spend a lot of time going between lessons but not really learning much. I felt Medra should have been questioning other things. She was super fixated on the societal structure between humans and vampires but didn’t have much interest in exploring how she fell through worlds, the new voice in her head that she just dismisses immediately, or how she’s marked as a dragon rider.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Unfortunately this just didn’t hit the mark for me personally.

A great mix of all the fantasy genres, which I truly enjoyed.

I wasn't expecting much from this story, because a fairy in a vampire world sounded quite strange. However, the story unfolds very smoothly with the help of more fantasy cliches that the author gives us, such as Dark Academy and enemies to lovers. There's everything here, everything we like, and it's very well told.

I did not get a chance to read this as an ARC; however, I did read it as eBook and OMG I loved it!!!!

Sooooo much going on and I love vampires so this was hands down already high on tbr.

Great writing and relationship between mfc and mmc, swoon worthy. Thank you so letting me read your story.

THIS BOOK. On Wings of Blood pulled me in from the start - hook, line, and sinker. This book had vampires, dark academia, a deliciously slow burn romance, and multiple morally grey characters. Oh, and dragons! Mostly just the mention of dragons, but one does eventually make an appearance.

I tend to be a vibes reader, and this book hit all the vibes I was looking for right now. The tension and angst between Medra and Blake? Chef’s kiss. I really enjoyed getting to see the friendships Medra formed along the way, but damn there was some trauma associated with that - Naveen iykyk. I also really loved that this was dual POV, and Blake’s chapters were some of my absolute favorites.

Also, Neville the fluffin. 🥰

I thought how the book started was super cool, and I loved the concept and how the storyline blossomed from there. I’ll definitely be reading book 2 soon to be prepared for book 3 coming out in May!

Thank you to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Well, what a great read! I was provided an ARC from Starwater Press (Indie) through Net Galley (thank you!) and running to 500+ pages, this was a book that needed some time commitment. The first in a series, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but really very much enjoyed it. Right from the outset, the book had hook, following the story of half fae Medra Pendragon, who is discovered in a pile of dead bodies by Highblood (vampire) Blake Drakharrow, and taken to his land. There she is immediately betrothed to Blake and forced to attend Bloodwing Academy.

What follows is a fast paced and gripping story of resilience, survival, friendship and of course some Enemy-Lovers build up. The characters are strong, with the story told through the two POV’s of Medra and Blake. There is a lot of detailed world building, and at times quite graphic descriptions, but if you enjoyed books such as Fourth Wing / Harry Potter / Hunger Games / Vampire Diaries, then you are sure to enjoy On Wings of Blood. It ends on a cliffhanger, so be sure to have Book 2 (The Bond that Burns) at the ready!