Okay. I, wow. The Bond that Burns is Book 2 in the Bloodwing Academy Series and it continues right where On Wings of Blood conveniently stops at a cliffhanger. Medra's journey at the Bloodwing Academy continues as she learns more about dragons and the highborns' relationship with them. She and Nyxaris also continue to develop a relationship and a truce of sorts as they work together to find out more. Along the way, she strengthens her relationship with her found family and finds herself trying to figure out just what her relationship with Blake and Kage is.

I spent way too long being excited about reading the ARC and then also trying to drag out the reading because I am just SO invested. As much as I wanted to learn and to know more, I also didn't want my time to end. Briar Boleyn has created a really beautiful piece that has kept me absolutely engaged and riveted. It's very, wow. The different relationships, point-of-views/narrations, spice(!!!), and the different twists and changes? Fuck yes.

Like the first book, I highly recommend this one and I can't wait to continue my journey with these characters. If you're looking for a series to get into, please consider Bloodwing Academy!

Thank you NetGalley, Starwater Press, and Briar Boleyn for gifting me the opportunity to read this ARC! All opinions are my own.

The Bond That Burns is book two in the Bloodwing Academy series by Briar Boleyn.
These books captivate me until the very last page.
This series is absolutely incredible! The romance, the fantasy, the action, the characters, the plot twists, the details. I am seriously obsessed and it is one of my favorite series.
This series is a must read for any fantasy and romance reader.

6 mf ⭐️!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ handed it out to Briar! The second book is even better than the first! Stop right now! I’m going to go sit in a corner and drown my sorrows but also write out WTF so many times until my hand hurts!!! The cliffhanger! I paced around my house reading the last few chapters!!!🥺🤯🤯🤯🤫

Well done Briar!!! Well fricken done👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

In this world of vampires, dragons, and lies, there are no happy endings. Just legends–and the darkness it takes to make them.”
“Fuck self-control, I thought, as I leaned down and captured her mouth with mine.”

We are back to Bloodwing Academy and our badass FMC Medra is as usual fighting for her life. Her found family is keeping her sane but those pesky bonds with the newly returned dragon and bad boy Blake are doing some damage.

I want to write this detailed synopsis but I’m dying of flu. I stayed up through the night to read this book even though I was dying of the flu. I mean doesn’t that tell you it was 5 stars?!
If not the uh scene in Chapter 17 will have you begging for more.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS!

What an absolute blast, and potentially the most exciting ending I’ve read all year. A couple things I saw coming, but so many twists I was utterly shocked by. Lots of gasps and squawks and OH MY GODS to my poor husband. Even the predictable turns were tee’d up well and I’m stoked to see the impact in the next book.

This picks up shortly after the world-altering events of the last book. Medra is pissed at Blake’s betrayal and Blake is…not handling it well. Numerous political agendas are tightening around Medra and she has no idea what to do or who to trust. Some want to kill her, others use her. I loved how Boleyn really upped the stakes here on all sides, without anything ever feeling confusing or disingenuous.

Blake Drakharrow…I am not a bully romance fan and absolutely wanted to murder him for his idiocy for the first 40% of this book. Thank goodness for Visha, who became a surprise MVP this book for numerous reasons. When he comes around though it’s incredible.

Conversely I adore the found family and the one forming here builds on the first book in such a satisfying way.

Dragons! Hard to say much about this without spoilers but at a time when dragons are (pun intended) hot, I liked this twist. While certainly evocative of Fourth Wing, the dragon lore stands on its own.

And Medra is a great FMC. She’s frustrated, a little lost, vulnerable when those she cares about are threatened, and yet never lets Blake or her superiors push her around. And her friendship with Florence is a guiding star for her.

Anyway this is quickly becoming a favorite series. Can’t wait for more! Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is an electrifying sequel that dives deeper into the perilous world of Bloodwing Academy. Medra’s bond with Nyxaris, a fiery dragon, thrusts her into deadly power struggles among vampire highbloods. Blake, the brooding vampire with a complicated connection to Medra, brings tension and betrayal that keep you hooked. The story masterfully blends court intrigue, dragon lore, and morally grey characters with enemies-to-lovers romance. Medra’s loyalty to her friends and determination to uncover the truth makes her a compelling heroine. Packed with action, secrets, and heart-pounding twists, this dark academic romantasy is perfect for fans of high fantasy and dark academic romance.

I loved every second of this book. Briar's writing just draws you and immerses you entirely. It was a rollercoaster ride with high points of joy and low points of true despair. I am so invested in this series, and I'm going to be staring into the void for a while after that ending.

The Bond That Burns is the second book in the Bloodwing Academy series by the very talented Briar Boleyn. Imagine finding yourself in a strange world, and you accidentally awaken a dragon from stone, yeah that’s where I’m at. Will Medra and Blake and their friends make it? Read The Bond That Burns to find out.
I enjoyed visiting the fantastical world of Bloodwing Academy again. I loved getting to see Medra and Blake’s characters grow in so many ways. This story is full of characters that you can’t help but love and others that you will love to hate. I love that the main character is a strong young woman, who always does what is right. I can’t wait to read what happens next for Medra, Blake, and their friends in the next installment of this amazing series.

<b>5/5 Star</b> ⭐
<b>3/5 Spice</b> 🌶️

Briar is now one of the Queens of cliffhangers. I can't. I'm in pain. I don't want to wait until MARCH FOR BOOK 3!!!! Thats so evil ma'am! I will try to keep my review spoiler free and mark appropriately but seeing as it is BOOK 2 there will be spoilers for book 1 more than likely. Also, a big thank you to Netgalley and Briar and her publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

To sum up my review, if you liked her other books and the first one in this series, you will like this one!

Book two picks up almost where book 1 left off. The plot is great, pacing is wonderful, and I was feeling all the things. I finished the book in a few hours' time and stayed up late to finish. Multiple POVs!! I enjoyed having a Florence POV. I would enjoy a Kage POV. The world building was placed very well and didn't feel overwhelming or like a huge info dump. The enemies to lovers is definitely starting its lovers' part! SOOOO HAPPY! There were many more spicy scenes in this one and I quite enjoyed a particular, mutual um... pleasure scene! *blush and giggle*

The overall arching story is moving along, and I was pleasantly surprised with some of the twists. I wasn't expecting them, to be honest, especially relating to Blake and Kage. Excited to see what comes from that. OMG I ALMOST FORGOT KAGE!!! I LOVVVVEEE the love triangle we have going. I want more with Kage!!!! I kind of hope we get like a forbidden love two house leaders triad love triangle LOL! Although I know Blake would probably just kill Kage but eh I digress I can dream about them both worshipping her and putting aside jealousy and differences LOL.

The first book was good, this one, not so much. The story starts right where the last book ended. I managed to get through the first half of the story but one can only take so much teenage angst and filler pages. I jumped to the last chapter and that's where the book real action takes place. It sets you up for the next book which I hope will be covering a real story and a real plot and not be filled with so much filler nonsense.

I loved the first book of this series but I did not expect to get so involved in the second one. Reading it I was on a huge roller coaster of emotions. There was joy, love, betrayel, rage, trust, friendship, mourning,...

All the world building and characters development continues with this book and the results are incredible.

Now I need the third book :)

The Bonds That Burns did not disappoint, and I cannot wait for the next book in this series. This is not a short read and when I say that I devoured this book, I literally could not put this book down. I suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. I absolutely love Medra and her best friend Florence. Medra has not had an easy journey at all but no matter what she is determined to prove she can push through anything and everything comes her way, and Blake is there to challenge her at every turn. There is never a dull moment between the two of them and I can't get enough of them, but to be honest there is never a dull moment in this story. The suspense, action, secrets, betrayals, mystery, power struggles, banger, friendships, jealousy, and so much more makes sure there is always something going on to hold the reader's interest. There's still so much more to uncover and I'm here for it and more. I can't wait to read the next book in this series to find out what happens next.

Ahhhhh!!!! Oh my gosh. I have stayed up way too late to finish this book. THIS SERIES HAS ME IN ITS GRIP AND IT WON’T LET ME GO! And, I’m okay with that.

Medra and Blake are such good main characters. Blake has the most growth in this book, and I’m here for it. I loooooove with a miscommunication trope changed into a communication trope. Please and thank you. Plus, when the spice spices…. 🥵🥵🥵

I’ll just be over here (im)patiently waiting for book three. Send it my way anytime, thanks.

First things first, happy release day to this beautiful, chaotic masterpiece of a novel! If you’re a fan of Fourth Wing or Harry Potter (honestly, who isn’t?), then prepare for a wild ride that throws in vampires just to keep things interesting. I. LOVED. THIS. SEQUEL. It’s everything I hoped for and more—think of it like the first book but turned up— and doing the absolute most.

We get *more* of all the good stuff (yes, that means the 🌶️), and trust me, it does not disappoint. Blake and Medra? Oh, they’re still at it, fighting and… other stuff, too. More Neville. More Kage. More Florence. More Theo. Basically, more of everything that made the first book so incredible. The stakes are higher, the drama is juicier, and honestly, the plot feels like it could burn through the pages with how intense it is.

It’s like someone took everything that worked the first time and cranked the intensity up to 11—and also… DRAGONS. This sequel is a full-on rollercoaster and I’m here for every twist, turn, and chaotic moment.

If you’ve not jumped into this series here’s your sign! Get on it.

I'm seriously not sure how Briar Boleyn managed to outdo her first book but The Bond That Burns manages to do just that, holy crap! I'm still sitting here reeling over the book and her giant ending. Thank you for giving us such an amazing series, well done!!!!

Oh my god… this book was insane! I loved that the whole book had different POVs by chapter and we got to learn a lot more about Blake and saw his character develop, in more ways than one 👀. I personally love Medra (and always will) but I was kind of hoping she had some sort of personal “awakening” with magic, but this could also be set up for the next book.

One of the other aspects that went really well with this book was making the other characters mean something instead of being side characters. At first I was wondering why many seemed to become more fleshed out and a bigger role but the ending cleared that up real quick. I need the next book immediately because I’m going to think about the ending for the next few months.

I highly recommend this book, series, and the Blood of a Fae series (helpful for background on Medra too)!

Things totally kicked up a notch in this second book, coalescing into an incredibly intense and astonishing ending! Absolutely unputdownable. I thought I was dead after the first one, but now that I deeply love and sometimes hate the cast of characters I’m actually totally dead, died, done… until the next one this is! 😆 I cannot wait.

Loved reading the mesmerizing and spellbinding paranormal story. Medra has awaked a dragon, the dragon doesn't want to be bonded to her, Blake still wants Medra, and even though Medra can't forgive Blake, she finds it harder and harder to fight the bond. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting storyline. Can't wait to read the next story in the series by the phenomenally talented author, Briar Boleyn!

I was ready to throw my book across the room so annoyed with Blake most of this book 😂

* I was rooting for you! We were all rooting for you*

absolutely love the depth we get to see to Medra's relationships and the 3rd POV?! Dying to know more about the house leaders secrets ….. tbh everyone has secrets 👀👀

I'm so excited to *potentially* meet more riders (?!?!)
and dragons (?!?!) in book 3....?!

Thank you Briar and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

We’re back at Bloodwing Academy and I couldn’t be happier in these harrowing hallways. This sequel had me desperate to uncover the next thing at every turn. Deadly plans are discovered, tests and treachery at every turn, and an increase in spice made this a well rounded book.

It was a bit more angsty, and I’m glad to see some plot points and characters come full circle without any loss of curiosity of what comes next. I have a feeling year 3 will be the most exciting year yet.

Thank you Briar and NetGalley for a complimentary copy.