On Wings of Blood (Standard Edition) Series: Bloodwing Academy Book #1 Published by Mira Books on August 19, 2025
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Action & Adventure, Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary, Fiction / Fantasy / Romance, Fiction / Romance / Action & Adventure, Fiction / Romance / Paranormal / Vampires
Pages: 592
Find the Author: Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
Goodreads
Welcome to Bloodwing Academy.
Expect magic. Expect competition. Expect blood.
I didn't sign up for this. A half-fae in a school of highblood vampires? That's a recipe for suffering.
I'm Medra Pendragon, last of the dragon riders--or so they tell me. Funny thing is, there are no dragons left. Not a single one. But somehow, that hasn't stopped the vampires from deciding I'm worth capturing. Now I'm stuck at Bloodwing Academy, where the highbloods run everything, and blightborn like me? We're just blood in their veins, pawns in their games.
But that's not even the worst part. Enter Blake Drakharrow: cold, arrogant, and way too gorgeous for his own good. He's been tormenting me since the moment we met, and now, thanks to some ancient ritual, we're betrothed. He acts like he owns me, but I'm not going down without a fight.
Bloodwing isn't just a school--it's a battlefield. Highbloods fight for power, and if you're weak, you're dead.
Between deadly competitions, lies that could get me executed, and a dragon-shaped secret looming over my head, all I have to do is survive. Easy, right? Except I'm starting to think the real danger isn't the academy--it's what I'm becoming in this twisted game of power.
And Blake? He might just be the one who pushes me over the edge.
They think they can control me. They think they can use me. But they have no idea what they've awakened.
FOR FANS OF:
- Enemies-to-lovers
- Dark Academia
- Morally Grey Men
- Forced Proximity
- Vampires and Dragon Riders
- Fourth Wing meets A Court of Thorns and Roses with a hint of Vampire Academy
Review:
Dark academia, vampires, and a deadly magical school? On Wings of Blood arrived with all the ingredients for an addictive fantasy romance—and while it doesn’t soar perfectly, it delivers an atmosphere that’s hard to ignore.
The story follows Medra Pendragon, who dies only to wake in a brutal new reality ruled by vampires. Forced into Bloodwing Academy, Medra quickly learns that survival depends on obedience, blood, and political alliances. To make matters worse, she’s bound to Blake Drakharrow, a powerful and emotionally closed vampire whose presence is as threatening as it is magnetic.
From the start, the book leans heavily into dark academia vibes. Bloodwing Academy is oppressive, hierarchical, and dangerous, with classes and trials that feel less educational and more like endurance tests. The world-building is dense and ambitious, layering blood magic, social stratification, and ancient grudges. Readers who love immersive settings will appreciate how fully realized the academy feels—even when the pacing slows to accommodate it.
The romance is a proper slow burn. Medra and Blake’s relationship is rooted in tension, mistrust, and forced proximity rather than instant chemistry. Their dynamic is sharp and emotionally restrained, which works well for readers who enjoy enemies-to-lovers arcs that unfold gradually across a series. That said, those expecting significant romantic payoff in book one may find the progression frustratingly subtle.
Medra herself is a divisive protagonist. She’s resilient and determined, but her decisions don’t always land cleanly, and her reactions can feel uneven at times. Blake, meanwhile, fits the brooding vampire archetype almost too well—commanding, cold, and morally gray. Whether that works for you will depend on your tolerance for dominant love interests with sharp edges.
Where On Wings of Blood struggles most is pacing. The middle portion lingers in academy routines and exposition, occasionally stalling the forward momentum. Some plot threads feel introduced before they’re fully developed, clearly setting the stage for later installments rather than resolving within this book.
Still, the novel’s strength lies in its atmosphere. There’s a constant sense of danger, imbalance, and unease that makes Bloodwing Academy feel genuinely hostile. The stakes are personal and political, and the ending offers just enough intrigue to tempt readers into continuing the series.
Final Thoughts
On Wings of Blood is a moody, slow-burning start to a dark fantasy romance series. It’s not a fast read, and it demands patience—but for readers who love vampire academies, layered world-building, and tension-heavy romances, it offers a compelling foundation.
Perfect for fans of:
- Dark academia fantasy
- Vampire romance
- Enemies-to-lovers slow burns
High-stakes magical schools
About Briar Boleyn
Briar Boleyn is the New York Times, Sunday Times, and USA Today bestselling fantasy romance author of the Bloodwing Academy and the Blood of a Fae series. Briar once wrote scholarly papers on Dumbledore, Dragon Age, and King Arthur before finally realizing she could create her own worlds where all three might coexist–with significantly more kissing. After wandering through English literature departments at four universities across Canada, she took a detour to teach in the Arctic, where her students would sometimes run out of class to chase polar bears. When not raising fictional dragons from the dead, Briar enjoys reading all types of sci-fi and fantasy, cultivating an unhealthy Disney World obsession, and playing RPG video games. She has written fourteen historical romance novels as Fenna Edgewood.
