Ever wondered what it would be like if Harry Potter, Fourth Wing, Twilight, and Arthurian Legend had a love child? Wonder no more, for On Wings of Blood has entered the chat!
Despite the busy introduction, On Wings of Blood has an opportunity to be every millennial’s dream escape, including my own. Maybe you’re a Dramione shipper. Maybe you love a brooding shadow daddy. What about the skin of a killer, Bella?
Regardless of what you choose, this book claims to have it all. Will Briar manage to capture my zillennial heart with the first installment of her Bloodwing Academy series? Read on to find out!
Plot Summary
On Wings of Blood centers on the story of Medra Pendragon, a half-fae Arthurian princess and prophesied dragon rider who crash lands on the world of Sangratha, where vampires rule and humans are tea-time refreshments. Medra is immediately captured in her birthday suit by Blake Drakharrow, a vampire prince with a sh*tty attitude and “my father will hear about this” energy. Her only means of survival? A forced betrothal to Blake, and enrollment at Bloodwing Academy.
While at Bloodwing Academy, a school that makes Hogwarts look like a kindergarten playground, Medra learns she must learn to survive in a brutal and unforgiving world. Whether it’s navigating a contentious throuple dynamic, participating in a series of deadly trials that involve literal murder, or accidentally setting sh*t on fire, Medra must learn to survive, thrive, and somehow bring back dragons to a world that isn’t ready for them.
Quality of Writing
Rating: 4/5
My only gripe with On Wings of Blood was word usage. Personally, I am just not a fan of the use of words and phrases like P*ssy and J*rking Off, as they feel very juvenile to me and strangely out of character for a fantasy world. That being said, I understand that they have a place in the Romantasy genre, so I am not overly critical of their usage – it’s just something I don’t like!
Plot Development
Rating: 4/5
As with any series, the world building within the first quarter of On Wings of Blood was quite slow. However, I found the world building to be very interesting, with certain aspects pulled from the overall fantasy genre to create a multi-faceted and unique world. The mixture of humans, vampires, and dragons manages to not feel cluttered or busy, as each have a clearly defined role and ample lore to make them feel established.
Once things got going, I was completely engrossed in the story. I had a great time learning more about the magic system, and I really enjoyed the academic aspect far more than in books like Fourth Wing, which felt topical and underdeveloped at times.
Trope-wise, there are several going on, from Bully Romance, to Dragons, to Vampires, and even a Found Family side plot. Yet, each of these tropes are given great attention and manage to not feel out of place at any point – difficult to achieve when you cast your net this wide.
Characters
Rating: 4/5
Initially, my rating for this category was in the dumpster, mainly because of my hatred for Blake. While I appreciated getting his perspective every few chapters, and it did help humanize his emotions, he would immediately follow it up with some sort of obnoxiously god-tier level cruelty. To put it lightly, this drove me batsh*t, and I found it incredibly frustrating and cringy for most of the book.
Once I got to the last 100 pages of On Wings of Blood, it occurred to me that my visceral reaction to Blake was deliberate – I was experiencing the exact same love/hate feelings as Medra did. This made me realize how well written all of the characters in this book really are if they’re able to churn up that kind of reaction out of me, as it’s very rare that I feel particularly strong emotions about characters (unless I’m being a hater, clearly!).
Aside from the intense relationship drama, I feel that each of the side characters are very well written and have an appropriate amount of depth. I absolutely love Medra’s friends and their involvement throughout the plot. Florence, Naveen, and Visha are refreshing and whole side characters that perfectly compliment Medra and her antics, while Theo feels like a lighthearted counterpart to Blake and his self-deprecating cruelty.
Ease of Reading
Rating: 5/5
Despite the massive amount of lore and world building crammed into On Wings of Blood, I had no issues understanding and following along. I don’t need a glossary or podcast to figure out what’s going on, which in my world is an automatic 5 stars!
Ending
Rating: 4/5
The lead up to the end of On Wings of Blood felt perfectly paced without a sudden crash landing. Although I am looking forward to the second book, I did feel like it was setting up for a love triangle, which has me a little perturbed. Honestly, I’m just not a “why choose” girly, so I’m hopeful that this trope is not explored in book two.
Would I Recommend This Book
I would absolutely recommend picking up this book. On Wings of Blood is a super fun read full of lore, spice, and plenty of angst. It’ll keep you on your toes and anxiously turning the pages for more.
Overall Rating
Book Rating: 4.5/5 (TW: Blood, Forced Marriage, Threats of SA, Death, Child Abuse)
Spice Rating: 2/5 (TW: Dirty Talk, Possessive Talk)
Overall, I had a great time reading On Wings of Blood, and I’m excited to see how the rest of the Bloodwing Academy series turns out. This book was fun, well paced, and sometimes exasperating, but in the best way. I do have some reservations about future tropes in the second book, but no way will that stop me from devouring the rest of this series!
Curious about how I rate my reads? Check out my Rating System Blog Post for more!
Let’s Talk
Does the “enemies-to-lovers” tension between Medra and Blake feel genuine, or is the attraction purely based on the magical bond between them?
Reading Stack
Previous Book: Christmas With The Elf King
Current Book: A Dawn Of Onyx
Future Book: Cloak of The Vampire
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