Member Reviews

This book is everything I want a fantasy romance to be.
The world building had me very intrigued, it was full of incredible banter and tension, the duel POV, and...the Draco coded MMC who is an asshole at first but goes soft only for her! Perfection.

Was this review helpful?

what to say... I could not put it down!!!! I was hooked from the first page . the chaters had me the plot the story had me on a rollercoaster. this book is most different has to be one of my top reads of 2025; well done.

Was this review helpful?

I feel confused about this one.
First of all, not a huge HP fan so I went in a bit scared, but the only reference there is, is the school system *sigh of relief*, then I got worried it being a "teen drama" because of their age. But numbers were never given, and they (mostly) didn't behave like annoying teens so, 10 points to Briar !
I love the world mix between arthurian and vampirian, can't wait to see where it leads !

But if I need to sum it all up, this is definitely a guilty pleasure read. The kind of story you feel like you won't like, but you just can't resist knowing all the drama, gossip and rumors. It's giving really well written teen soap opera with a touch of fantasy.

100 extra points for Neville.

Was this review helpful?

Got into this one for the cover but I stayed for the plot. In all honesty could use a little bit more on the romance side but the enemies to lovers angst is 100% on point. Cant remember the last time I wanted two characters to end up together this badly. But there always seems to be another wrench thrown at that plot. One of my favorite reads this year

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!! I enjoyed this authors first few books and this one was no different!!

Was this review helpful?

Really enjoyed this book!! I mean anything with dragons and vampires in has me sold!! Loved the characters I felt I could really connect with them, hope there’s another book to follow this one!

Was this review helpful?

Another fantastic book by Briar.

Had me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters were likable and the plot was easy to follow

Was this review helpful?

Thoroughly enjoyed. Definitely continuing the series with that ending. Loved the mix of trials, dragons and magic. Rooting for Blake now.

Was this review helpful?

Ok this is now my new obsession!
I need to know what happens next.

If you loved Harry Potter but wanted more dragons and some scheming vampires then this is the perfect book for you.
Medra, a fae princess suddenly finds herself in a different land, a different world, nobody knows. Stranded and alone she is faced with challenges she never saw coming and must fight for her very survival, in a strange vampire boarding school where almost everyone wants to kill her.

She is unlike anything he has ever seen before. From the moment he saw her, he knew she would wreck him.

I raced through this book and am already starting the next book, such an entertaining read. There was no lull in the writing or slow passages, just a story that kept me reading long into the night.

Was this review helpful?

*thanks to NetGalley for the eARC*

since the first chapter I was soooo hooked, It's an amazing book I really loved everything, the enemies to kind of lovers to enemies, the action, the vampire World, the mention of Dragons omg I love Dragons even if there were none until the Very final, everything else was soooooo worthy, the tension, the friendships, the magic, the spicy scenes and the Blake's POV's that Man omg It got me kicking my feets my new book boyfriend 🩷🤌🏼

Was this review helpful?

From the moment I read “What do you get if you mix Harry Potter with Fourth Wing, Zodiac Academy, a dash of Arthurian legend, and lots and lots of vampires? Bloodwing Academy” I was sold!!! In a lot of ways Medra was very annoying but the side characters were everything. Lots of world building but in a lot of ways it was very helpful. I found myself wanting to pick this book up every second I could. I’m ready for book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press for providing an advanced reader’s copy 🤎

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this title.

This was my first Briar Boleyn book and it did not disappoint. The world building was well executed and the pacing was just right including a slow burn romance that was a delight. I had such a fun time reading this book and look forward to reading more of this story and more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

A thrilling mix of dark academia, forbidden romance, and supernatural intrigue, On Wings of Blood plunges readers into a world where power and survival are everything. Medra Pendragon's journey as a half-fae in a vampire-dominated academy is filled with high-stakes challenges, deadly secrets, and a dangerously captivating love-hate relationship. With dragons, vampires, and a rich blend of Arthurian legend, this novel is offering a deliciously dark, tension-filled tale that you won’t be able to put down.

Was this review helpful?

I had such a fun time reading this book. It’s the first book by this author and I was not disappointed. The world is such a complex and interesting concept and the world building was so good. I was hooked from the very beginning and can’t wait to get more of these characters and their journey

Was this review helpful?

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.

Medra, surprisingly, turned out to be a FMC that I wanted to follow through this story. Her personality and how she handled herself made me smile because I couldn't help thinking that I would have done what she would have or felt how she did. Not to mention the band of friends she gets introduced to on day one. Theo had me smiling the whole time. The tit for tat when it came to the two mains really rang true for the enemies to lovers side of things and I can't wait to see how things play out in book 2.

I'm not one to spoil books in my reviews so I won't here but I highly recommend Bloodwing Academy. I'm digging into the next one as soon as I am able because THAT CLIFFHANGER! Book 2 is definitely next on my tbr!

Was this review helpful?

I had loved Briar's Blood of a Fae series so naturally I couldn't resist this. I was pleasantly surprised to realise that Medra is tied to that series and it was delightful to read her story.

This was a great blend character development, world building and an exquisite slow-burn that has you engrossed. Medra is young and having to deal with a new world, following her previous sacrifice and is forced into a situation that she is unhappy with but has no option but to accept. Her character is relatable,albeit frustrating at times. Blake is the quintessential morally grey hero, appearing to be the nemesis but actually doing his best to be a good person. Their chemistry is electric, flitting from enemies to a terse understanding and all the stages in between.

I love the relationships that Medra is able to develop and you feel her emotions as she does, be it joy or heartwrenching sorrow. And Neville is an absolute delight.

Pick this up if you are in the mood for a well written fantasy rich with emotions and drama

Was this review helpful?

Rating 4/5 | spice 3/5

I really liked this book! The book is about a female who wakes up in a different world than her own and she needs to join this Blood Wing academy which is basically a military academy. There she learns about this mysterious world she ended up in and about her kind.

It was somewhat different from the books I normally read as I don’t usually read books about vampires. It is a fantasy book with a lot of world-building in the beginning but once you get the hang of the world, the story is great!

Since it is the first book in a series, it felt kind of slow in some places mostly due to world-building (which is understandable) as well as the book taking mostly place at the school. Still, it was very entertaining and I will definitely continue this series!

I have also posted this review on my instagram Onskureads.

Was this review helpful?

Medra & Blake….I really like them.

Blake has a lot of growth to do. I think his full character arc is going to be really good. Its interesting because his inner monologue he knows that he has to communicate with Medra( like when he feeds from her at the end, he originally was going to speak with her before he did it but then something got lost in translation) but he just can’t seem to get it out when he is with her. It is like she completely throws him off balance that he just forgets what he originally was going to do.

Medra is interesting. I don’t love her yet. I also think she has a lot of growth to do. I think she is just very lost and can’t figure out what she is supposed to do. She’ll get there though. They always do.

Overall I really, really liked this and I am excited for the next ones

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Starwater Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

While I did enjoy this take on dark academia, including vampires and fae, the writing really wasn't for me so this was hard to get through.

Was this review helpful?

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 🌶️🌶️

🪄 5 Favourite Tropes:
- Villain gets the girl
- Slow burn
- Bully romance
- Enemies to lovers
- Found family

💁🏻‍♀️ I liked this book! It’s an easy read. Confusing and infuriating at times, but still enjoyable. I’d recommend it, especially if you need a break from heavier, more complex reads.

📖 The story is told from the first-person POVs of Medra and Blake. Personally, I didn’t love the frequent use of “She’s/You’re mine” and felt that some plot holes could have been better addressed.

🌶️ If you enjoy slow-burn spice, you’ll likely appreciate this book! 🔥

🐩 One surprise element I loved was Neville, the “pet.” It adds such a fun vibe to both the story and the characters.

🎁 Thank you, NetGalley, Briar Boleyn, and Starwater Press, for the eARC and the opportunity to review this book!

Was this review helpful?