On Wings of Blood — Briar Boleyn || Book Review

What if Draco were a Vampire???

Book Content Warning — explicit sexual content, profanity, bullying, misogyny, blood drinking, partying

Post Spoiler Level — Low

On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn was so much more than I expected. After defeating her fae tyrant of a grandfather, Medra Pendragon believed she was dead; instead, she woke up in another world — one run by vampires known as Highborns. Due to her appearance, red hair, and pointed ears, Medra was forced before a council that believed she was the long-lost heir to the extinct Dragon Rider bloodline. There, she was forcibly bonded to the asshole who found her, Blake, and then was compelled to attend a war college where she had to prove herself and her strength to stay alive. That and figure out how to be a Dragon Rider with no dragon…

Shadow: V | Fire: Scorcher

On Wings of Blood

Briar Boleyn — Bloodwing Academy, Book 1

Hardcover — 575 pages

High Romantasy — High Stakes

January 15, 2026 — January 17, 2026

Buy on Amazon

Musings

Enthrallment

I loved the way Boleyn took the lore of Harry Potter and turned it into something almost entirely different. She took the concepts of the four houses but elevated them more. The houses became more of ruling clans, who all mirrored Slythern if we’re being honest. She also coded a lot of her characters to mimic the traits of JK Rowlings’; for example, Blake was so incredibly Draco coded, I almost forgot I wasn’t actually reading about him. Then you had Blake’s Uncle Viktor, who was Lucius Malfoy to a fucking T. Medra was a combination of Heromine and Harry, to me at least. A lot of those characters’ strengths melded together into Medra’s character arc.

The lore and world-building were immersive and rich; I particularly enjoyed the historical tragedies that led to the rise of the Highborns. It was interestingly vague and in favor of an oppressive, lecherous regime, so it wasn’t a massive shocker to find out that what they were preaching was all bullshit. Victors write the history books, and they’ll always write their version of it.

Finale

Coda

Briar Boleyn’s On Wings of Blood was a decadent read that grabbed me by the ear and dragged me through the plot line’s turmoil, skipping and giggling, before it booted me onto my ass as I frantically scrambled to purchase the sequel. It's filled with jealous, possessive vampires, banter, combat & conflict, and a world so twisted, you’ll question how any character can find happiness.

Have you read On Wings of Blood? What did you think of Blake and Medra’s relationship? Do you think they complement each other or are too toxic for each other? How about what Blake does for everyone behind the scenes? Do you think Medra will ever make it back to her world? Lastly, what did you think of the ending? How do you think it’ll affect Medra’s status within this already unwelcoming realm?

♡

The Keeper