On Wings of Blood (Book 1, Bloodwing Academy) - Briar Boley

I was given a copy of this story through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Briar Boleyn is a Canadian author, however that is her pen name. Her real name being Fenna Edgewood – a bestselling romance author, with books such as her Gardner Girls series.



Medra Pendragon is far from home in Camelot, because one minute she is there and the next she is in a new land and covered in blood.

This land is called Sangratha and here there are no fae, this land belongs to vampires or as there are known here Highbloods and those that are human, or lesser than, are called Blightborns.

Yet that isn’t the strangest thing about this new place, Medra notices there is no one here with red hair, just her. The people are not quite sure what to make of her but they are convinced she is what they call a Dragon Rider – yet a dragon has not been seen in Sangratha for centuries. The colour of her hair represents a potential power that could yet resurface.

Luckily or unluckily, depending on how you look at it, Medra is captured by the most powerful highblood family in Sangratha – the Drakharrows; consort to Blake Drakharrow and a student and the most illustrious academy in Sangratha – Bloodwing Academy.

Blake Drakharrow is your typical alphahole – brooding, good looking and thinks he’s entitled to what he wants and is hardly ever denied what he wants, moreover he's a vampire. A vampire who things he owns Medra and her blood but he’s about to learn Medra is like no other blightborn he has ever know, she won’t bow down to him and is stubborn until the very end.

Bloodwing is not your typical academy, there are four different houses yes but as luck would have it Blake Drakharrow is the leader of House Drakharrow at the academy. Regardless it is a deadly place where students die, mainly the blightborn students due to the highbloods and the deadly competitions.

Medra must navigate this new land, the strange academy and whatever the hell is going on between her and Blake. She hates him, she loathes who he thinks he can simply use her when he wishes, just all the highbloods in Sangratha but she won’t allow it and she will figure a way out of it all.

In doing so Medra will uncover some secrets that the powerful in Sangratha would rather have been left hidden. But Medra will survive, she won’t bow down to them.



“On Wings of Blood” is a dark academia story that has a bit of Harry Potter and a bit of Crowns of Nyaxia all rolled into one. I have read Briar Boleyn’s other series – Blood of a Fae, which I thoroughly enjoyed – but I have to say this series is just on a whole other level. I devoured this book, the story had me riveted and totally intrigued. Medra Pendragon is such a strong female character who knows her worth and isn’t afraid to stand up for herself no matter who is opposing her which is what gets her into trouble half the time. Blake Drakharrow is what some might call your typical alphahole – tall, dark, mysterious, good looking, an asshole and thinks he has a right to whomever and whatever he so desires. So, when he is told no or denied what he wants it is not something he takes well. Yet Medra and the way she is, is slowly changing something in Blake. What I really loved is how the author at the end of the story had them slowly coming together and then seemingly tearing them apart and then together again. One thing is for sure that ending will definitely spell nothing but trouble for Medra and I personally can’t wait to see how she tackles this new obstacle.

Fantastic, can't wait for the sequel. Great characters and story, love the ages and the setting. Cam't wait to see what happens with the dragons in the next book.

On Wings of Blood is a dark fantasy academia with vampires, magic, and “dragons”. Yes, please! And I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about it. Our MC is thrown into an unfamiliar universe, found under unfortunate circumstances, and dragged into the world of Sangratha. Her fierce and stubborn spirit starts to fade once she’s unwillingly betrothed to her captor and forced to study at Bloodwing Academy. She gets some spark back as she begins to integrate, thankfully, but I was a little disappointed by how easily she seemed to accept her fate for a while.
There’s no mistaking where the inspiration for this story came from. The author openly acknowledges their muse, but the influence is so heavy at the start that I couldn’t get the characters of Harry, Draco, and their circle of friends out of my head. The content, inspiration, and my imagination started clashing, and I wondered if the only real distinction from the original muse was that our Slytherins are vampires.
I also couldn’t shake one relentless question: why are these vampires in school?

There’s no real information about their age or development (or maybe I just missed it) and I couldn’t get past it to the point that I began to wonder if this story was for me. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and forever more: why are preternatural, formidable, transcendent beings in school, learning basic education?

Still, I journeyed on…

At around 150 pages, things pick up, the content gets more adult and vicious. I’m starting to get into the story, and the characters are finally beginning to stand on their own. There’s a lot of world-building through student-led teaching and peer conversations, which is interesting and unique but also creates some lulls in the story. Mythical elements are introduced; some add a nice touch, while others raise more questions. But I keep going, because the tension is palpable, the banter is bantering, and I need our two MCs to kiss! Speaking of kissing, explicit content is scarce until about halfway through, where the story takes a darker turn and the “scenes” get quite graphic.

Overall, there is some uniqueness within these pages, though I’m not sure it needed quite so many of them. I’m also not sure this review needed so many words, as the book description sums it up perfectly—and kudos to Boleyn for the transparency. *“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.”* #micdrop
To sum up my honest opinion — On Wings of Blood has all of the elements for an epic fantasy but it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It was a rollercoaster of love and hate in equal measures. I hope for more uniqueness in the next book, which I am or may not read.
A special thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC copy for review.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and Briar Boleyn for this ARC and allowing me the opportunity to review this book.

I would like to state upfront that I did DNF this book at 32% (p. 244/764) as it wasn't a good fit for me as a reader.

I really liked the concept of this one. I was initially drawn in by the blurb with the enticing combination of academy romance, bully romance, dragon riders, fae, and vampy paranormal fun. I'm always on the hunt for a delicious "true" hateful bully enermies-to-lovers and something I really enjoyed about this book was that it was definitely brewing to deliver on that promise!

Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the style of writing and the verbosity of the storytelling on this one. I also found the characters and dialogue a bit too juvenile for my personal tastes and feel this book may be a better fit for slightly younger NA readers. That being said, I do think there is an audience that will really enjoy this book and I would still consider recommending this to the right reader! Fans of Zodiac Academy might enjoy this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Briar Boleyn, and Starwater Press for a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The Plot:
Medra Pendragon is a powerful half-fae thrown into a new world. She wakes up on a pile of corpses to find Blake Drakharrow standing over her. In this new world, vampires and dragons exist and Medra discovers that she is one of the last remaining dragon riders.

She is immediately enrolled in Bloodwing Academy after being betrothed to Blake where she must take classes and win competitions in order to prove her worth.

My Thoughts:
I did not realize how much I missed this type of read until now! I used to read vampire novels all the time and that dark academia background set everything up for success.
At first, I was a little nervous for the 500+ page count, but I don't think there were any wasted pages. I loved the pacing. The characters were well developed. We got enough info about the setting and history without being lectured. It was a win all around.
I also had a lot of fun with Medra and Blake's relationship. It wasn't drawn out too long. We got what we needed when we needed it. And everyone wasn't magically fixed through the relationship.

This book was a perfect balance of romance and action. If you were a fan of The Serpent and the Wings of Night or Cruel Illusions, I think you'll love this book.

Five out of five stars! This book is what I wanted Harry Potter to be!! Loved every moment and binged this all in one setting. Definite atmospheric story line with all my favorite tropes. Put this on your To Be Read and thank me later!!

4.5⭐️

I really enjoyed this book, more than I expected upon reading the blurb. It's like if Fourth Wing and The Cruel Prince got together then also had a baby with a vampire. A bully romance through and through - you may get flashbacks to high school so be warned. If you don't like bully romance or bullying in general is a trigger then you will not like this book.

I liked how it was mostly single POV (Medra) with the occasional Blake POVs sprinkled in like little treats. He was an asshole, but you just know he's not bad deep down (not to be applied to real life pls).

*That* scene absolutely shocked me to my core 😭 I was so devastated and the fact that I didn't see it coming is a testament to the story (or maybe I'm just bad at foreshadowing who knows). Some parts were a little inconsistent and could use extra editing but it didn't affect the narrative. They were just small things I noticed.

The scene right before the ending hurt my heart (iykyk) but I have hope yet. And the ending itself had both expected and unexpected elements! Parts I thought would happen and parts I didn't, which is nice because I often see things coming.

The inequality of the citizens was so brutal; you just feel Medra's righteous anger alongside with her and that made it good writing in my opinion. I legit hate the highbloods (except Theo, precious bby).

Overall I really liked it and I can't wait for book 2.

Let's be honest- this was great. It was everything I wanted from "Serpent & Dove" and "The Coven" that I didn't get. The academia was actually giving, the vampires made sense, and it was properly dark and twisty. I absolutely LOVED it and cannot wait for more from Briar Boleyn.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book had a little of everything and while its not Harry Potter or Zodiac Academy it did have slight elements of both. Is there bullying, yes. Is there magic, yes but behind that and the extra slow burn of an enemies to lovers trope there is enough originality to warrant me completeing reading this book in a couple of sittings. Im looking forward to seeing where this story goes in the next installment.

Tropes: dual POV, forced betrothal, magical bonds, hate to lovers, games and trials, dark academia, vampires, slow burn, touch her and 💀
Vibes of Zodiac Academy, Fourth Wing, and Harry Potter 😍😍
Hollly smokes this book was amazing. So many of the things I love in one place and definitely leaving me wanting the next book immediately.

Medra was magically yeeted from her world to a new one where she is found by vampires. She learns that vampires are worshiped like gods here and the rest of the population is at their mercy. She has traits that mark her as valuable though, putting her on the radar of the ruthless leader who forces a magical betrothal on her and his nephew, Blake. She is then dumped into the dangerous magical school where almost everyone seems out to kill her.

While Blake starts out despising Medra, they are both begrudgingly drawn to each other. Medra starts to see below the hard exterior as Blake struggles to protect her from both the other students and his family.



~~~ spoilers ~~~


I'm a sucker for magical bonds so while I know Medra is NOT happy right now and Blake has a lot of making up to do - I can't wait for their next book!! We've also still got mysterious backstory going on for Medra and omg the ending. I'm so excited for a sassy dragon. Come back, Nyxaris! Although I did have to laugh at the dragon laughing away Medra's attempts to make him bond with her. 🤣 I'm also quite worried about what Viktor is going to do. 🙈

I can't wait for the next book!!

Briar did it again! She created a world I’m absolutely obsessed with.

⚠️While this new series can stand alone - if you think you might even want to go back and read The Blood of a Fae series, start there before this book! We meet Medra at the end of that series and On Wings of Blood picks up where her story ended! ⚠️

Medra wakes up in world she doesn’t know, not only that but she sticks out like a sore thumb. Surrounded by mortals (blightborn) and vampires (highbloods)Medra’s fae features resemble the long since passed dragon riders. Medra finds herself not only betrothed to vampire Prince Blake Drakharrow, but also enrolled at Bloodwing Academy.

Medra is determined to find a way out of her forced betrothal but first she has to survive, Bloodwing isn't just a school—it's a battlefield. Highbloods fight for power, and if you're weak? You're dead.

Thank you to Briar, Starwater Press, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! The magic system, the world, the lore and the school environment was amazing. The MMC and the FMC captivated me. I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers and forced proximity trope use. It didn’t seem forced, it flowed naturally. The ending was the perfect cliffhanger. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

Somewhat vampire school academy centred adult fantasy. 4.5 stars rounded up. A fun read, but be warned I now want book two, and I’m sure you will too. Familiar themes, definitely for you if you like this sort of genre, but much originality as well. Lots and lots to like, but a couple of small dislikes. First, Medra can’t stand Blake or other vampires, but then swings between that hate and total lust for him. (I loved mum tagging along having conversations about this with her, made me laugh.) Make up your mind Medra, vampires are a bad lot or not! Second, Blake swings between seeing Medra’s point of view then a few pages on turns back to a totally conceited, self-centred ‘I own you/you owe me’ vampire. Make up your mind Blake! Cannot be both. Then again I can see where both of these things come from. Maybe they will get sorted out in book two. Thank you to Starwater Press (Indie) and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

“He was beautiful in the way fire was beautiful. Raw and scorching.”

A super steamy, angsty version of Harry Potter, Vampire Academy, and GOT?! Girl you had me at the description, I was hooked so quick.

Uuuhhhmmmmm…..WOW?

I have been in a terrible book slump and mu god did this book smack me right out of it. The tension throughout this entire book was phenomenal. The way Black and Medra forcefully pushed against one another but ultimately knowing how bound they were to their desires and feelings.

Briar wrote all of these characters so masterfully. She also always manages to make me cry at least once….thanks for that 😭

The trials were so epic and I felt as if I was watching a movie and not just reading a book. It was exponentially immersive.

The ending had me REELING. I knew something like this might happen but had no idea how and boy did this throw me for a LOOP!

I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. YOU BETTER HURRY IT UP BRIAR!! ✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼

I feel terrible about this review because I DNF'd the book around 6%, and I actually requested this book on NetGalley, so I really wanted to love it. But I have to admit, the writing just didn’t work for me. I’ve read my fair share of books with writing that wasn’t perfect but still managed to pull me in — this one, though, just didn’t click.

I genuinely tried to pull through, but I’m in my shamelessly DNF era where if I don’t connect with a book, I stop reading it. I’m finally realizing that not every story is for everyone, and that’s totally okay. This one just wasn’t for me.

I really wanted to give it a chance because the cover is gorgeous, it’s an indie author, and the premise had me hooked with the promise of Harry Potter mixed with Fourth Wing, Zodiac Academy, a dash of Arthurian legend, and lots of vampires. Bloodwing Academy seemed like a dream, but sadly, I just couldn’t get into it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for providing me with an eARC of On Wings of Blood in return for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately I was unwell when I received this ARC, so it took me a little while to read (keep in mind, she is a thick book though with 60 chapters). However, just because it took me a while to read, doesn’t mean I didn’t love this book. It was incredible!!! As much as I have enjoyed Briar’s previous work, On Wings of Blood is definitely her best work yet!

The concept of this series is captivating and had me hooked from the get go. I love that Medra’s story isn’t over, it’s just getting started. Briar promises readers a mix of Harry Potter, Fourth Wing, Zodiac Academy, Arthurian legend and vampires, and boy oh boy she delivers…

Lovers of enemies to lovers will obsess over the slow burn that is Medra and Blake, their relationship is incredibly complex, but you cannot help but root for them. However, this is only the first book and this would not be an enemies to lovers without a gut wrenching betrayal right? The ending of this book was just that, with a splash of a massive plot reveal for the next book in this series (2025 cannot get here fast enough).

Reader do be warned, never get too attached to any of Briar’s characters, she does have a tendency to kill off incredibly loveable characters (I swear to god Briar if anything happens to Neville the Fluffin, I will riot), and this book was no exception 👀.

Overall, I’m super excited to see where she takes this series, On Wings of Blood was a brilliant introduction to the Bloodwing Academy world!

This was so much fun! I have not read Briar Boleyn's previous series - where Medra is from - but didn't find it hard to be completely engrossed in her story. The world of Sangratha and all the vampire houses and politics felt compelling, rich and unique. Bloodwing Academy definitely took cues from both Harry Potter and Fourth Wing, though neither invented the boarding school setting with competing houses. As schools go, this one was definitely more political, with the house allegiances and classwork gearing students for war more than anything else. Blake Drakharrow though feels extremely Draco-coded, and I say that not having read any fan fiction. Not that I minded. I loved Medra's friendships with Florence and Naveen, even Theo and Vaughn and Visha. Found family is one of my favorite tropes and while this definitely included that, I definitely sense more to come. Beyond that so many great scenes and moments - a ball, some deadly trials, teachers with hidden agendas, and a fluffin! - I was fully addicted. Cannot wait for the next book!

Medra Pendragon should be dead. So when she wakes up surrounded by highblood vampires no one is more shocked than her. When taken before the Vampire council they claim she is a dragon rider, even though there are no dragons left and throw her into Bloodwing Academy. Highbloods rule the school and the blightborn are nothing more than pawns to them. One highblood in particular, Blake Drakharrow, has been tormenting Medra since he found her. And worse, they are betrothed through an ancient ritual. Now Medra has to survive, but Bloodwing and Blake have no idea just how strong she is.

My heart went out to Medra after her stunted story in the Blood of the Fae series so I was so happy this new series was based around her. It was a bit bittersweet though, cause you see how much of a badass she could have been in Camelot. Odessa would have been so proud. I am intrigued by this world and I feel like it ties back to Aercanum and the older Fae somehow. I mean the language is the biggest hint. This book is described with Harry potter and Dramione vibes and I found that super accurate. Blake fit that role to a tee. And who doesn't love the ‘touch her and die’ trope. I enjoyed this book and it basically ended just like I thought it would. I am so looking forward to the next one.

Rating 3.5 stars
*I received a review copy from NetGalley for my voluntary and honest review

overall, it's a good book! I love a good mix of dragons, vampires, fae, magic, etc
there are some major plot holes that I hope the author will address in the next book. The romance between Medra and Blake could use a LOT OF WORK. I knew this was going to be an enemy to lovers, but by the end of the book, I hated it more than I did in the beginning. I want to read the next one, but It won't be at the top of my list.
- this review will be posted on my goodreads
- review will publish (11/9)

I would like to thank Briar and Net Galley for the opportunity to arc read On Wings of Blood in exchange for my unbiased honest review.

4.5 Stars
2.5 on the spice scale
I'm not sure where to start this review but I devoured this book, absolutely gobbled it up from start to finish.

I you like Dark Academia, Zodiac Academy, Vampire Diaries and dragons with the two main characters influenced by Darco and Hermoine. Yes that's right a blond morally grey MMC and I'm not mad about it, LOL! Enemies to lovers, hate filled lust and tension, you should really enjoy reading this Romantasy.

The plot, the world building were well done. I liked that you didn't get a big info dump at the beginning of the book and the world building is scattered throughout the story which makes it easier to digest.

Medra is a character from the Blood of Fae series. Anyone who hasn't read that series might feel a little lost about where her character came from as there isn't a lot of background information at the beginning of this book about her past. However, it doesn't really interupt the plot of the book and you should be fine moving forward with this story.

Medra is thrust into a world ruled by Highbloods (Vampires) where she is considered a blight blood (mortal). Medra is discovered by Blake the Vampire Prince and is forced in front of the Vampire Court for judgement where her fate will be determined.

Made to study in Bloodwing Academy and survive among the vampires elite she is bullied and humiliated. Medra is a strong FMC who is fighting for her survival and is trying to figure out who she is in this new world and where her destiny will lead her. Forced into a betrohal with the vampire Blake, yes they absolutely despise one another. Blake the royal vampire who is morally grey and will do whatever he needs, to get what he wants no mater who he hurts including Medra. There is a fine line between love and hate and with an undeniable attraction to one another there is a hate filled lust between them that is hard for them to deny. Blake is possessive or what is his and that includes Medra.

Nefarious things are happening behind closed doors, ancient beings are about to reemerge.

# Dark Magic Academia
# Blood Rituals
# Forced Betrothal
# Vampires
# Dragons
# Enemies to lovers
# Hate filled love
# A deadly game

I really enjoyed reading this book from the very beginning. I was hooked and didn't find any part of this book to move slowly. I followed Medra from the previous series and I was worried I wasn't going to like her but her character growth in this book was perfect and she quickly became one of my favourite characters.
I really enjoyed the side characters especially Florence, she is smart and loyal and I can't wait to see what happens with her and where her character will go.
Blake, the verdict is still out on him, LOL. I'm keeping an open mind but he hasn't quite one me over it. I kind of fell in love with one of the other male side characters and would like to see more from him. The plot is perfect, the romance is romancing, the spicy scenes where spicing and not over done. The cliff hanger is perfect and I'm excited to see where this story leads.

I think my only constructive critique would be that some of the chapters seemed to end abruptly and then the start of the next chapter significant time had passed. I felt I was missing information when that happened and a smother transition could possibly help that.