 | On Wings of Blood (Bloodwing Academy, #1) by Briar Boleyn ★★★★☆ Read: November 29, 2025 575 pages |
This book felt like a promise it never intended to keep.
From the very beginning, On Wings of Blood sets up a world brimming with intensity—dragon riders, soul magic, an FMC who literally teleports from another realm with a powerful legacy behind her. But somewhere along the way, it forgets to follow through.
Medra enters the story with mystery and power—only to become painfully ordinary. Her magic fades into the background, her origin is barely explored, and her mother’s soul (which fuses with her to save her life!) is all but forgotten after being transferred to a dagger. No closure, no weight. Just… dropped threads.
Drake had potential, but instead of opening up to Medra and building something with depth, he withholds, manipulates, and sabotages a connection that could’ve been genuinely gripping. He’s not a villain—but he’s definitely not the romantic payoff this story needed.
Add in the “mean girl” drama that felt outdated and overused, and a surprising lack of actual dragons in a dragon rider book (they show up, but far too late to save it), and the whole thing ends up feeling hollow.
Not a bad book—but one that could’ve been so much more. I hope the sequel remembers the promises it made.
From the very beginning, On Wings of Blood sets up a world brimming with intensity—dragon riders, soul magic, an FMC who literally teleports from another realm with a powerful legacy behind her. But somewhere along the way, it forgets to follow through.
Medra enters the story with mystery and power—only to become painfully ordinary. Her magic fades into the background, her origin is barely explored, and her mother’s soul (which fuses with her to save her life!) is all but forgotten after being transferred to a dagger. No closure, no weight. Just… dropped threads.
Drake had potential, but instead of opening up to Medra and building something with depth, he withholds, manipulates, and sabotages a connection that could’ve been genuinely gripping. He’s not a villain—but he’s definitely not the romantic payoff this story needed.
Add in the “mean girl” drama that felt outdated and overused, and a surprising lack of actual dragons in a dragon rider book (they show up, but far too late to save it), and the whole thing ends up feeling hollow.
Not a bad book—but one that could’ve been so much more. I hope the sequel remembers the promises it made.
Track your own reading journey ✦
Discover Tynga Publishing Reading Journals
