After reading the authors Blood of a Fae series I was excited to see what she had in store for Medra especially after the way that series ended. I will say it was nice to go in with a little bit of our FMC Medra’s back story of how she was a half far half human princess from a place called Camelot, however it is not necessary to read it before moving into this new series.
In Book 1 of the Bloodwing Academy series we get to see how Medra was thrusted into a new world full of vampires & blightborns and where she was believed to be the very last dragon rider in existence. She is captured forced into a betrothal with a broody arrogant high blood vampire as well as attend the prestigious Bloodwing Academy.
We get to meet our MMC Blake a vampire who is an entitled prince who loathes being forced into this unwanted betrothal to Medra. She is considered blightborn and inferior in every way to him and the rest of the vampires in this world but he is now forced to be tied to her regardless of their mutual disdain for one another because she is the only dragon rider in a world that dragons no longer exist. To top it off Blake is already betrothed to Regan.
We get to watch their relationship throughout the school year toe the line in this hate and lust. Not only do we get the whole romantacy vibes but we get the dark academia with the whole enemies to lovers in this slow burn and I can’t wait to see what is in store for book 2 in this series.

Starts with Medra waking up naked in a pile of dead bodies being found by Blake Drakeharrow. She doesn’t know how she ended up in his world, but his A$$whole of an uncle decided to basically bond them together after they realized she has rider blood in her. She is a dragon rider with no dragons. She has to fight to stay alive whether it be in school or the consort trials. This is book one, start slow with the world building and learn about the school but it got so much better. Already have book two!

Banter! Banter! BANTER!!!🔥🔥

@briarboleynauthor has crafted an addicting series that you’ll want to devour from cover to cover!

We’re introduced to our fierce FMC, Medra, a lost Fae Princess who’s found herself in a world ruled by vampires. With fiery red hair that makes her stand out among the blonde vampires and the coveted Dragon Rider mark, Medra is caught between being desirable and feared. She must use every ounce of her strength to survive.

Her survival, however, becomes intertwined with Prince Blake, our broody MMC. Bound and betrothed, Blake is the first to fall for Medra, growling “mine” and taking lives for her without hesitation. While he swears to protect her, Medra refuses to simply accept her fate—or Blake—without a fight.

It’s refreshing and infuriating to watch Medra hold her ground, refusing to fall head over heels for Blake just because they’re bonded. I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance—especially with an extra slow burn that keeps you on edge.

The addition of dragons and incredible supporting characters adds layers to the story, creating a captivating, page-turning plot that will keep you up way too late.

The tropes:
• Dark academia
• Bully MMC w/ Draco vibes
• Forced betrothal to a vampire
• Dual POV
• 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (definitely more spice in the second book)
• Slow burn
• The banter is bantering
• Villain gets the girl
• He falls first
• “Mine”
• Touch her and 💀
• Half-Fae Dragon Rider FMC
• Dragons
• Fourth Wing meets Zodiac Academy

"On Wings of Blood" by Briar Boleyn is a thrilling start to The Dragon Queen series, packed with magic, romance, and just the right amount of danger. The story follows a fierce heroine caught in a world of dragons, forbidden love, and high-stakes power struggles. Boleyn does a fantastic job bringing the setting to life with vivid descriptions and complex characters you can't help but root for (or against).

If you're into dragons, vampires, and that dark academia vibe with a twist of romance, this book definitely delivers. The chemistry between the leads is intense, and the slow-burn tension keeps the pages turning. It’s a must-read for fans of fantasy romance who love a bit of edge to their stories. As the first in the series, it sets the stage for even more twists and heartbreak to come — and leaves you desperate for the next book.

On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn is a wild, addictive ride that plunges you straight into the shadowy halls of Bloodwing Academy—a world filled with deadly secrets, simmering rivalries, and enough brooding vampire drama to make your heart race. It’s the perfect blend of dark academia, fantasy, and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tension that leaves you hanging on every page.

Medra Pendragon is exactly the kind of protagonist you want leading a story like this—tough, clever, and stubborn as hell. Being a half-fae dragon rider with no dragons left is a harsh enough fate, but throw in being captured and dumped into a school run by vampire elitists who view her as little more than walking nourishment? That’s next-level brutal. Yet, Medra doesn’t cower—she fights back, and you can’t help but root for her as she navigates the twisted politics of Bloodwing Academy.

Then there’s Blake Drakharrow. The cold, arrogant highblood heir who takes one look at Medra and decides to make her life a living nightmare—until fate intervenes and shackles them together in an ancient betrothal. Classic. But Blake isn’t just a cookie-cutter bad boy; there’s an undercurrent of something deeper in his tormenting ways. The slow unraveling of his motivations adds a layer of intrigue and makes their dynamic much more than the typical “hate at first sight.” There’s a real emotional push-and-pull as they’re forced into each other’s orbits. The sparks are undeniable—even if they’re mostly flung at each other like grenades.

The world-building in this book is rich and immersive, with the academy itself serving as a battleground where allegiances are fragile, competitions are life-or-death, and every smile hides a dagger. The history of the dragons and the myths surrounding Medra’s bloodline add a compelling sense of mystery and destiny. And while there’s a lot of familiar "dark-academy-for-outcasts" territory, Briar Boleyn keeps it fresh by weaving in the dragon lore and giving Medra real stakes beyond just surviving her classmates’ venom.

Now, let’s address the spice—or rather, the lack of it. If you’re expecting pages upon pages of steamy moments, this isn’t that book. The chemistry is there, absolutely—it’s sizzling just under the surface, all longing glances and biting banter—but it’s more of a slow-burn setup, clearly saving its fire for future installments. And honestly? It works. Instead of rushing into anything too quickly, the tension builds like a pressure cooker, making you crave the inevitable explosion. The emotional beats are strong enough to carry the story without needing constant heat.

If there’s any slight critique, it’s that some of the "mean elite academy student" tropes can feel a little expected. There’s always the gaggle of rich vampires who sneer and try to get Medra killed, and while they serve their purpose, they don’t stand out quite as much as Medra and Blake do. That said, the stakes and pacing keep things moving so swiftly that it’s easy to overlook.

At 4.5 stars, On Wings of Blood is an incredibly satisfying read that lays a strong foundation for an epic series. With its fierce heroine, tantalizing slow-burn romance, and pulse-pounding competitions, it’s everything you want from a dark, magical academy fantasy—and then some. Sure, the spice level is low for now, but you can feel the promise of future fire. If you love strong-willed heroines, complicated anti-heroes, and stories where survival means embracing the power inside you, this is one worth sinking your teeth into.

Fantastic book!

Can’t wait for book two! I loved the characters in this book and I felt that the world building was set at a great pace.

5 ⭐️

On Wings of Blood completely hooked me! It’s like Harry Potter, Zodiac Academy, and Fourth Wing all collided into this dark, magical, and chaotic story.

Finally, a FMC and MMC I actually liked! Why can’t more fantasy books get this right?

The side characters, Florence and Naveen, have my heart.

The writing was smooth and immersive, without the endless world-building that bogs down so many fantasy books. I even found myself bringing my kindle to work to read when I had breaks because I couldn’t put it down.

This book is pure escapism, and I loved every second of it - magic, dark academia vibes, and characters that feel real. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to immediately read book 2!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with this e-ARC!

This is my first book by Briar Boleyn and I am very curious to see where this story is going to go. There are a lot of elements in here and I am still trying to process them all in comparison to the stories that are referenced the vibes are from. I was a bit confused and lost when the book first started out, Medra's background is still relatively a mystery to me and I am trying to puzzle together the Arthurian legend aspect that I think will be brought it maybe as the series continues.

Bloodwing is definitely what you get if you mix the concept of Hogwarts and throw in the bullying and murder being an ok past time from Zodiac Academy. The world building once I got into things and past the confusion of the introduction of Medra was easy to follow. Medra is tough, determined and strong willed with her beliefs on how things should be. She was quick to stand up for herself and I appreciated a FMC who relatively knew how to protect herself. Blake definitely has a mask that he shows to the whole world based on how his family dynamic is now. He has the potential to be a caring person who doesn't treat the blightborns like everyone else but seems to be very much put in a box. You get glimpses that the cold mask isn't really who he is, his openness is slow, but I imagine that it's hard to drop the hard shell in this type of world. In terms of the romance in this book, I wish we got more of Blake's POV. I didn't understand how he quickly fell to an obsession like unwanted lust/feelings for Medra from the hatred that was displayed at the beginning. The timeline with them didn't really ever fully feel right and their dynamic felt a bit incomplete. I'm hoping that as the story continues we will get a better feel for the couple, especially now that they are in the same house and their relationship/connection can have the ability to be balanced with the world building.

I really appreciated the cliffhanger! I like that ending moment and the reveal that finally came and am excited to see what comes! This was a fun and interesting read, I can see the groundwork that has been done and am looking forward to book 2!

Thank you to Starwater Press, NetGalley and Briar Boleyn for the E-ARC!

medra pendragon thought she was dead... until she wasn't.
waking up in a strange world with no idea where she is, medra must learn to adapt and survive.

while you do not have to read Queen of Roses to understand this story because there is context given throughout the book about her past, it would be helpful to read if you want to understand who she is prior to her arrival in this world.

medra is forced to attend bloodwing academy, a school primarily filled with vampire nobles and non-vampires are also attending in coexistence. bloodwing is a very prestigious school, and medra does not belong there. everyone knows it, but especially her who clings to memories of her past life while also adjusting to this new one.

during her time in bloodwing, medra attends classes while also building relationships with those around her. this story definitely has major harry potter vibes, and is FOR SURE a slowburn mixed with dark academia and everyone's favorite thing... dragons (and vampires)! 🐉🩸🗡️

there are so many twists that will keep you wanting more and honestly, i was hooked. already preparing to read the second book as we speak. i am obsessed! 🤩

i really love medra and how fierce she is, and following her journey throughout this book is such a wild ride! i also love blake drakharrow, definitely a different type of mmc from the ones i'm used to in novels and honestly, i appreciate that so much.

this world and everything about it is so amazing to me!

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.