A dual-POV romantasy with dark academia vibes that has fae, vampires, and dragons??? Absolutely yes!! I've been obsessed with Briar's books since I read Queen of Roses last year and I'm so glad that this new series is just as good and continues the story (in a way)!

The enemies to lovers slow burn had allllll the tension and delicious banter necessary for a delicious dark romantic fantasy. This one did NOT disappoint!

Thank you to NetGalley and Starwater Press (Indie) for the opportunity to read an E-ARC of On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

This series is linked to “Blood of a Fae” whisky there really isn’t any huge spoilers, I highly suggest reading that first! It’s a fab series!

This book… I read it in a day, it was fast paced action, I love dark academia settings alongside trials with a touch of yearning! Sooo delicious!

Medra literally wakes up in a new land, she supposed to be dead! She is FAE royalty and is now in a world full of Vampires with no power & no clue how she got here… in this world she is special, and the claims over her life are just the beggining!

OMG... On Wings of Blood was an amazing read with it's enemies to lovers, hate to love, slow burn to steam themes it had me loving and hating the MMC and wanting to scream at the MMC so many times for how he treated the FMC. She didn't deserve how he treated her in so many ways.
What do you do when you find yourself naked in a strange new world and being found in a situation that you don't know how you got there. Well you do just what Medra Pendragon did. you stand up for yourself the best way that you can. Medra is a strong willed character and I loved how she handled everything that was dealt to her. Her ambition to survive was stronger then giving up... Medra is a fighter for not wanting to be controlled or owned by anyone even when forced into a bond that she didn't want.
Blake the MMC made me want to yell and scream at him many times. His morally dark and gray behavior and Anti-hero persona is a major thorn in Medra's side. I thought it would take a miracle for him to wake up and be the man that every girl dreamed about... Specially Medra.
So if you love Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Hate to Love, Academy Survival then you will love this

Definitely a harry potter vibe to this series. Jumps into things quickly without much background, but stick with it and soon you'll find yourself immersed. Interesting spin on dark academia, with vampires, fae and romance. I had to keep pushing myself through, but I'm glad I did. Definitely a different plot heading into with vampires. The MMC Definitely grew on me and I'm excited to continue on the series.

Reading On wings of blood, is like going back to uni, except most of your classmates are of noble class and vampire, or dwarf or even half fae. And you train for war, politics, healing instead of math and literature.

I love how strong headed Medra is, and her unique perception of what is happening at the academy and this world in general as an outsider, she questioned the system in a clever way. Pointing out injustices while trying to learn and fit, never forgetting what is fair and right.

As the story progress it becomes sexier and rawer, in the emotions of the characters but also how they are portrayed.
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the rest of the story.

On Wings of Blood is an action-packed, spice-filled fantasy that delivers everything you’d want in a romantasy read—dragons, court intrigue, and a heroine who refuses to back down. Briar Boleyn crafts a gripping sequel that builds on the tension, magic, and betrayals of the first book, raising the stakes in all the best ways.

Following the events of On Wings of Ash and Dust, our protagonist is thrust into an even deadlier game of power. The slow-burn romance heats up (seriously, the tension is so well done!), and the dragon lore continues to be a highlight, adding depth to the worldbuilding. Boleyn’s writing is immersive, balancing fast-paced action with emotional depth, making it easy to devour in a single sitting.

While some twists were predictable, the execution kept me hooked, and the character dynamics—especially the push and pull of the romance—made every moment worth it. If you love stories with fierce heroines, morally gray love interests, and high-stakes fantasy, this is a must-read.

4.5⭐
1.5🌶


This book was a ride from beginning to end, I could not put it down! I loved Medra, she is the strong willed, no non-sense FMC this book needed. Blake while tough on the outside, was honestly such a softie. I loved how he always looked out for Medra even though they were at odds. I don’t know about you, but I definitely love a slow burn with a possessive MMC and of course enemies to lovers. I found their relationship a bit lacking because they didn't interact much but when they did, the tension was there. I also really liked the side characters Florence & Naveen. Of course there is lovable Neville whom I adore!!! I am also intrigued by Kage Tanaka….possible love triangle?!🤔

I found the blurb about this book to be a bit misleading with the Harry Potter/Fourth Wing vibes but I didn't really get that. I also found the “bullying” aspect to be lacking and was hoping for more of it from the MMC but it was more so from the side characters, so I docked .5 stars for the misleading info. I enjoyed it regardless, especially with the dragons, vampires, spice, tension all within an academic setting. This book has so much to offer and I definitely recommend it. Plus the cliffhanger OMFG!!!!!

Fave Quotes:

“It's not protection, little dragon. It’s a claim. You're mine. No one touches what belongs to me.”

"My chest tightened. She’d attacked me with murder in her heart. And yet, idiot that I was, it was her I couldn’t take my eyes off."

“This is the power you have over me. This is what you do to me every day, Pendragon. You drive me wild. I can’t look at you without longing to f you.”

5 stars | world building, characters, plottwist

Damn, what a book! I love me a good vampire book but the twist with the isekai idea… Color me intrigued! And I wasn’t disappointed. The world is pretty unique, dark, and evil. The characters and even the side characters have a lot of depth they seem so real and tangible.

I’m not a native English speaker I didn’t have any problems understanding it, so the language isn’t too complicated. I enjoyed the writing style.

I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m not going into depth here but for all vampire and romantasy lovers, who love a good enemies to lovers story with plottwist, this is the book! I’m so looking forward to the next book!

On Wings of Blood surprised me in the best way. I expected an entertaining dark fantasy romance, but what I got was a gripping, fast-paced story with solid world-building, complex characters, and just the right amount of angst.

Medra Pendragon, a half-fae among highblood vampires, is thrown into the cutthroat world of Bloodwing Academy, where power rules and weakness is preyed upon. She’s determined to survive, but Blake Drakharrow—the arrogant, dangerously powerful vampire prince—makes that nearly impossible. Their dynamic is everything: tense, electric, full of sharp edges and undeniable pull.

The atmosphere is dark and immersive, with gothic halls, deadly court politics, and a magic system that feels fresh. The story moves quickly, with plenty of action and intrigue, though some moments could have used a bit more depth. Still, the tension, the slow-burn romance, and Medra’s fierce determination kept me hooked.

If you love supernatural academies, enemies-to-lovers romance, and a heroine who refuses to be broken, this one is worth picking up. I’ll definitely be reading the next book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a fun read! It quickly became impossible for me to put down. Even though I found her a tad insufferable at times, I became so invested in Medra’s story. I can’t wait to pick up the next book!!!

For fans of all things Potter, Zodiac and Fourth Wing with tones of Hunger games thrown in. Loved loved loved this book! When I don't want to be disturbed because of wanting to read that's an awesome sign. Characters are well developed. Full of action. I encourage everyone to pick this up and read it! Thanks #Netgalley and #Starwaterpress for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read Bloodwing Academy.

I enjoyed this book a lot. However, there were times I felt the passing of time was off, things were left unfinished that could have been wrapped up better, and influences from other series were maybe a little too strong. I’m unsure if this started out at fan fiction, but it definitely feels like it. WHICH THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH. Some of these influences though seemed just thrown in there for no reason.

<spoiler>For example, Pendragon’s aging? It’s just mentioned and then nothing of it is said again. When she puts her mom into the dagger by accident, she just throws her on the shelf and forgets about her for what seems like months. </spoiler>

But again, I really did enjoy the book. I’m curious to see where things go for Medra and Blake! I think there’s potential for this to be a great series. I just hope some of the things that seemed thrown in there get an explanation at some point.

I have seen in a few reviews that this book is like a Harry Potter mash up. I don't think that at all.

First of all thank you Netgally for sending me this ARC. And Thank you Briar Boleyn for trusting me to leave my honest review.

I loved this book and I have already started book 2. My only issue with this book is that the dragons took way to long to make their appearance. LOL. With that being said I would have to say that this book is more like Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games but with vampires and humans.
I am so glad I decided to read this book. I almost passed it up.

It will be a high contender for my top 5 of the year I can tell ya that.

I loved this book! It had everything I love when I read: vampire, fae, dark academia, suspension. I was hooked when I started and read it in about two sittings! The tension and trials had me on the edge of my seat and I really loved how the romance was thought out and well developed. I rooted for Medra the entire time and thought she was a great FMC who was strong, yet sensitive when she needed to be. Will I be reading the next one? Absolutely.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️
IM ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED!! I read that this had Harry Potter, Zodiac Academy, and Fourth Wing vibes and immediately dove right in. Also, the consort games gave me slight hunger games vibes because we didn’t know what any of it would entail until it happened. The vibes did not disappoint one bit.
- bully romance
- vampire/human academy
- dragons
- fae FMC / vampire royalty MMC

Fast paced, the world building was included well throughout the story, but I still have so many questions about the lore here. I still don’t understand how the other consorts knew what to expect from the games? Was it because they’d watched prior years do it, or they knew the customs whereas Medra knew nothing? Just kind of felt like everyone made it seem like this huge secret, yet the other participants had more than enough information to go on than expected. Then the romance, loved the bully romance aspect with the bond refusal from Medra being rightfully warranted and I don’t want to give anything away, but it took me a while to start liking Blake, and now that I kind of do, I can’t stop thinking about Kage. I want to know more about him and I have a feeling he’ll play a bigger role coming up. Actually I’m hoping so, because of how things ended in this book. I stand with Medra’s emotions here and would feel the same. But then that ending!! Excuse me?? What a cliffhanger, I’m glad it didn’t go the cliche way and I can’t wait to see how book 2 turns out.

Medra is a Fae who somehow finds herself in a new world with no memory of how she got there after war broke out in her own realm. Even worse it’s a world full of vampires and the humans who serve them. Immediately forced into a betrothal with the intent to bond her to Blake, the high blood vampire who found, chained, and dragged her before the vampire court who would seal her fate. Once betrothed to Blake in a mere hours of meeting him, she is sent to Bloodwing Academy where she will learn the ways of her new world, and hopefully find a way to escape. Much to her surprise, she also finds herself with a newly formed voice in her mind that clearly doesn’t belong to her. Can she find a way to sever this extra soul in her mind, break from the impending forcing of a bond she doesn’t want, and ultimately escape while fighting off the vampire bullies who clearly have no rules or regulations holding them back from horrifying acts of violence against the human blightborns?

I'm a sucker for a dark academia fantasy romance clearly. The MFC Medra (half fae/dragon rider) wakes up in a strange world full of vampires. She then gets taken back to their Bloodwing Academy and forced to attent this rather prestigious school as vampire Blakes consort. Medra is kind of a bad ass and is easily likeable character while Blake is just an asshole vampire and hard to love in the beginning. We do get both POV's which does encourage us to like Blake after a little bit. The bullies reminded me of somewhere between Harry Potter, Mean Girls and Zodiac Academy. I really liked the MFC and her found family. The side characters and their friendships were amazing. I would've liked more dragons but I'm thinking that's coming in book 2. It was fast paced and I had a hard time putting it down.

Thank you NetGalley, Briar Boleyn, and Starwater Press for giving me the opportunity to read On Wings of Blood.

On Wings of Blood is a solid 4 ⭐️ read. I’ll be honest, when I first started reading this book I wasn’t sure if I could get into it. Next thing I know, I’m finding every opportunity I can to finish the story. I truly did not want to put this book down! The character development, world building and overall plot were all so captivating. Medra Pendragon is a FMC that I can root for. She is strong, sarcastic, determined and kind to those deserving. The banter between Medra and Blake can come off a little too YA, but not enough to make me lose interest. I also really enjoyed the friendships Medra forms with her fellow blightborns (and even occasional highblood) throughout her time at Bloodwing Academy. So often these romantasy stories put all of their focus on the love interest that there isn’t much room for other character development. Briar Boleyn, however, did not fall into this trap. Her characters came to life on the page. I cannot wait to read the next installment in this series and see what happens to these characters I’ve come to love.

On Wings of Blood is an enthralling fantasy novel that introduces readers to Medra, who finds herself in a world with vampires and ancient prophecies. Enrolled in Bloodwing Academy, Medra must navigate a risky environment filled with magic, danger, and complex relationships.

I think it’s important to remember that being the first book in a series, there is a lot of world building which some people may struggle with, but it is easy to follow. The story blends elements of dark academia, vampire lore, and dragon mythology, and is compared to Harry Potter, Zodiac Academy and Fourth Wing. I agree that the dark academia elements are similar to those in Fourth Wing. I would say the main similarity is the world building being a big part of the beginning of the story, with a slight drop of towards the middle of the book to then pick up in the last quarter of the story.

In my opinion, On Wings of Blood is a captivating read for fans of fantasy romance, especially those who enjoy themes of magic, forbidden love, and academy settings. Its blend of familiar tropes with unique twists makes it a good addition to the genre – I’m excited to read the next book in the series and see how the story develops further!

I've been seeing this book all over Instagram and was finally able to grab a copy from NetGalley!

This is the line that had me hook, line and sinker- "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 absolutely had to pick up a copy and read it. All of this is right up my alley!

From the first page I was hooked on the writing from Briar Boleyn. I found the world building captivated me and I couldn't get enough of it.

Medra is the FMC who takes no sh!t from others. She finds herself in a new world that she is stuck navigating all while dealing with the loss of her powers and the hierarchy of the new world she finds herself in. Let's not forget she also has some insane things happening to her throughout the course of the book.

Blake is the MMC who finds himself struggling with the life he finds himself in. Haunted by the choices he's made as a younger male and the choices forced upon himself. His uncle is the one in the place of power in this world and has plans of his own.

Both of these main characters were exciting characters to read about, and their tension, banter, and chemistry was fantastic. I always found myself wanting more of it.

I will definitely be diving into book two right away and eventually the Blood of a Fae series! I cannot wait to see what book two brings for these characters after that ending!

🐉 Book Review: On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

A captivating dark academia romance that weaves together vampire politics, dragon lore, and magic within the haunting halls of a mysterious academy.

ARC provided by Briar Boleyn and NetGalley, thank you!

Key Elements:

- Enemies To Lovers Romance
- Ancient Dragon Legacy
- Vampire Nobility
- Gothic Academy Setting
- Complex Power Dynamics
- Political Arranged Marriage
- Dangerous Trials
- Exquisite Slow Burn
- Mild Spice but still new adult
- Found Family Bonds

In this masterful blend of dark academia and paranormal fantasy, Briar Boleyn crafts an immersive world where vampire aristocracy rules and the legacy of war-riding dragons echoes through history.

The story follows Medra Pendragon, a fierce protagonist thrust into vampire society and betrothed to the enigmatic Blake Drakharrow, whose cold exterior masks deeper wounds. Their path leads them to the prestigious Bloodwing Academy, a ruthless institution that shapes future leaders through strategy, combat, and magical arts. While peace currently reigns, ancient tensions simmer beneath the surface, threatening to ignite at any moment. Do yourself a favour and read this book :)

I just know the next book is going to be amazing!