The Bond That Burns

Bloodwing Academy #2

by Briar Boleyn

At Bloodwing Academy, blood is currency, but a dragon's legacy is priceless—and as dangerous as fire.

I thought surviving my first year in Bloodwing's deadly halls would be enough. I was wrong.

I accidentally woke a dragon—a creature of myth, of death, of fire.

Now every highblood house wants control over me and the dragon's legacy I carry. But here's the truth: I have no control. I'm bluffing my way through every encounter, trying to keep everyone from realizing that I'm not the one pulling the dragon's strings.

And then there's Blake Drakharrow. I thought he was on my side, that I might even be able to trust him. But he betrayed me. Now I'm his only blood source. How messed up is that? In a place like Bloodwing, where power and survival are everything, this bond may well be the death of us both. Unless I can find a way to end it.

In this world of vampires, dragons, and lies, there are no happy endings. Just legends—and the darkness it takes to make them.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Dragons, Vampires, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Fantasy Romance

448 pages, Hardcover

First published December 27, 2024

About the author

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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.

Reviews

[Marianna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you expect me to just continue LIVING after that ENDING??!!!! My heart is about to fall out of my chest I am so BEYOND UNWELL!!!! But my god I am absolutely OBSESSEDDDDD!!!!! All of the tiny issues I had with book one were made up for in book 2 it somehow got a million times better and was just everything I wanted and more!! And now I’m just sitting here in pain. Because seriously WTF????

I am a slut for when we go from enemies to almost lovers BACK TO ENEMIES AGAIN!!!! God let me tell you this is true enemies… the HATREDDDDD, there’s something wrong with me because they were toxic AF and I ate up every last bit of it. THE TENSIONNNN AND ANGST!!! Give me all of it!!

I’m so obsessed with this world and these characters I never want to leave!!! This is the perfect balance of plot and romance that I was DESPERATE for from fantasy romance! And the way the plot developed in this book had me absolutely incapable of putting this down.

I have to start with my tortured soul, possessive, unhinged, filthy mouth vampire… guys I’m so down bad for Blake it’s actually not even funny. I’m disgusted. I’m sick. Like added to the book boyfriends roster level OBSESSED! This man!!!!we wanted to bring back yearning and Briar was like I GOT YOU!!!!! Like I’m actually foaming at the mouth, he had me giggling so hard I didn’t know what to do with myself. The words that came out of his mouth actually should be illegal because I simply cannot exist anymore. The way he describes Medra…. No I actually want to die. And the CHARACTER GROWTH FROM HIM >>>>>>>>> everything I was hoping for! His story actually has my heart in shambles. AND TO END LIKE THAT??!! No im so worried about him im spiraling. WHYYYYYYYYYYYY??!!!

Then my girl Medra GOD I LOVE HER SO SO MUCH!!!! I haven’t loved an FMC this much in so longggggg she is so fierce and strong in so many ways and never ever backs down. Her growth continues to make me so proud of her and the way she stands up for herself and what she believes in/deserves!

Medra and Blake…. The push and pull… the MESSINESS.. the palpable chemistry?!! The love they so clearly have for each other in their own fucked up way that they refuse to acknowledge. The SPICE?????!! Guys we turned up the heat in this one and I’m actually SWEATING! The library scene…. The shower scene… bye. Also Kage…. I think I have you figured out but I also have no idea. I’m just praying this doesn’t turn into MFM.

DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON OUR SASSY GRUMPY DRAGON NYXARIS!!!!! Not stop. IM SCREAMING IM SO OBSESSED I HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM TOO!!!!

The ending of this book traumatized me but then there was also so much comedic relief that I desperately needed! This found family and the side characters have my whole heart I’m so emotionally invested in each and every one of them!

Okay I’m just gonna leave you with quotes that are permanently engrained in my brain

“She was beautiful in a way that made my limbs weak and my heart hurt.”

“She’d fallen asleep in my arms. It was such a simple thing. So why did it feel like a miracle I could barely process?”

“The thought of leaving her side tonight—or any other—felt like sacrilege.”

“She was deep inside me now. Woven into my blood. Carved into my heart. But maybe these feelings were poison. Sweet but deadly.”

“My breath caught as I looked at her, every freckle, every curve making me ache with how stunning she was.”

“The sight of her stole the air from my lungs.”

“I want...” I hesitated. Searching for the right words. “I want to worship you. Say you’ll let me.”

“Black for Nyxaris. But you bring the fire. You make even the darkness shine. Even dragon fire can’t compete with the way you burn, Pendragon.”

[Bailee Latham · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Everything's gone to hell in a handbasket. WHAT JUST HAPPENED??

Book 2 was better than book 1 in this case. Wow. Blake, he's doing some serious character growth. Medra, I'm starting to like her more. And all of the other characters? Loving them. I need book 3. I need more dragons. I just need more.

[Laura Greenhalgh · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a great follow up to book one. invested in where this story is going!

[cherie ^_-★ (comment restriction)]

update #2
it’s kinda embarrassing how i haven’t started this book yet 😭


update #1
i had such a great time with my family today and didn’t end up reading at all 🥹 i’ll be starting this in february instead ~


pre-read
happy lunar new year! 新年快乐! 🐍🍊🧧 i’ll probably read this on my phone if i get bored during family gatherings… 🫢

thank you netgalley and starwater press (indie) for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a feral rabid raccoon for this series.

UGH I NEED BOOK THREE IMMEDIATELY!!!!!

—second in series
—vampires
—dragons
—fae
—academy

I ate this book so fast. You guys don’t even understand. I stayed up until 3 am just to keep going. The ONLY reason I stopped reading is because my eyes were shutting. I would have pried them open and kept them open just to continue reading but I had to be up at 6am the next day.

Blake and Medra FOREVER.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 STARS!!! INFINITELY BETTER THAN BOOK 1!!!! GOODBYE?!?!?! holy shit do I ever love vampire smut. and snarky dragons. that ending has me physically unwell. ugh.

[Gry ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

If someone told me the author wrote this book in her sleep, I would've believed you 😀

[naz · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT THE ROMANTASY DOCTOR ORDERED BUAHAHA! This was so good 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ and the ending?! Damn book 3 is gonna be good.

Rtc


⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
➳ 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ I been having a bit of a funk with my contemporary romance, so let's switch this up to some dark academia/romantasy shall we? 🖤

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone is just so stupid. I like it, but also, wattpad vibes.

Tell me why I'm still kinda rooting for her to end up being the archon with both Blake and Kage? I just find Blake kinda boring. I'm so intrigued by Kage.

Also, Rodriguez really had to disappoint me.

I need more things to happen in book 3. I need more about the shifter storyline, and I need more dragons. I would take less of Florence lol...i like her but there's just too much of her.

[audrey (completely gone rn) · Rating 2 out of 5]

start on: 12.29.24
end on: 1.31.25

‎‧₊˚✧final review✧˚₊‧

‧₊˚🖇️✩₊housekeeping˚🎧⊹♡
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ possible minor spoilers
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ my rating is 2.5 stars rounded down to 2
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ If you are big on this book - like, LOVED it, this might not be the review for you
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ this is a book written by Rebecca Yarros, Jennifer L Armentrout, and assorted Dramione fic writers
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ forgive me, I kind of slacked on this review.

🫧𓇼𓏲rest of review✩‧₊˚🎐

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ Adult Fantasy Romance

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ what to expect
➳1st person past tense
➳ Dual Main pov with 2
➳ Dark academia boarding school
➳ enemies to lovers bully romance
➳ vampires
➳ slowburn
➳ arranged marriage
➳ found family + unlikely alllies
➳ villain gets the girl
➳ steamy
➳ LGBT representation
➳ (more) betrayal

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳★★.5

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ ᰔᩚᰔᩚ.5/5 (spice rating)

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ ❀.5/5 (fluff rating)

「 ✦The Bond That Burns✦ 」
(noun) a disappointing secret

Skyfall
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺
1:35 ───ㅇ───── 3:47
❝Hear my heart burst again❞

☁️ . . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ overall thoughts

Honestly, it was…disappointing. I was SOOO excited to read this, what with how much I loved the first book and how my eyes have been opened since to the wide, wide world of Dramione (this isn’t a Dramione fic, but it feels like one). But it just didn’t do what I wanted it to. With everything going on, it was too similar to other books (Fourth Wing, From Blood and Ash, Secrets & Masks, etc) - like literally, there’s pretty much nothing original about it. And that made me sad.

˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆ writing style

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there are authors whose writing styles I would literally die for. Unfortuantely, Briar Boleyn’s is not one of them. Not only that, but there were spelling errors, grammar mistakes, pure awful paragraph breaks….and no, this time I do NOT blame the PDF *cough cough the risk cough cough*. This is pure editing madness (although I am now aware that ARCs are usually made before final edits go through, so hopefully the majority of this has been fixed). That being said though, it’s not just the editing issues. The writing is either bland or cheesy, and the pacing is actual trash. And again: the writing is just kind of…bland, for this story.

♡₊˚ 🦢・₊ ♪ ✧ plot

I do not understand. That’s it. Thats the review. The plot was all over the place and genuinely I don’t remember or understand what was going on for like half the movie.

˖◛⁺⑅♡main romance♡⑅⁺◛˖

🎶welcome to Sangratha where consent isn’t a thing. The bond controls us all because Blake needs to feed🎶

I used to love their relationship. Like, SO much, seriously. But the deeper into Dramione I go, the more I, surprisingly, hate it. There’s no reason for the whole ‘barely consensual feeding’ to be happening. They feel forced. I’m not swooning over Blake getting jealous the way I used to. It just doesn’t hit the same - maybe because they aren’t real Dramione? Idk man idk.

Side Character「 ✦Professer Rodriguez✦ 」
She really had to go and ruin the only good character, didn’t she?

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ favorites

ˋ°•*⁀➷ favorite character
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ THEO. ALWAYS THEO.

ˋ°•*⁀➷ favorite scene
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ the library scene hehe

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ final thoughts
Why. just why.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ please comment or pm me if I missed anything, especially tropes!

♫₊˚.🎧 ✩｡ playlist
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene - Hozier
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ Blood//Water - grandson
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ The Great War - Taylor Swift

ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ Love y’all. Let’s go light it up and rattle some stars! Mwah ♡
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

‎‧₊˚✧[ARC] pre-review✧˚₊‧
what the FUCK just happened? (rtc)

‎‧₊˚✧[ARC] pre-read✧˚₊‧
Briar Boleyn liked my review and then the next day I was approved for the arc...coincidence?

anyways I'm back and ready to read about Draco and Hermione Blake and Medra

‎‧₊˚✧pre pre-read✧˚₊‧
saw someone reading this and RAN to netgalley to request it...fingers crossed!!

update its not there I'm going to implode I need ittt

update #2: nvm I found it I'm slow guys

[Rachel (ravenhairedreader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ THIS CLIFFHANGER MIGHT BE ONE OF THE WORST OF ALL CLIFFHANGERS.

June needs to get here because I need book 3.

This one has strong fourth wing vibes, I’m digging it.

[Sophie (lambsbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It felt good. So fucking good to know I could make her do more than hate me. Dangerously good.

Excuse me!?
EXCUSE ME
I FEEL LIKE IVE RUN A MARATHON. My heart is pounding, I’m shaky, I’m feeling all the emotions, I can’t breathe.
Ohmygod

“Magnificent. Utterly magnificent.” And it was his tone of voice that caught me off guard this time. Reverent. No, worshipful.

Okay, I got my shit together.

This was everything I wanted and more. Blake was perfect. Medra was perfect. Florence was a cute little bean. Tanaka was swoony. Theo and Visha stepped up. Neville has my whole heart and I would end the world for him.

“But you bring the fire. You make even the darkness shine. Even dragon fire can’t compete with the way you burn, Pendragon.”

This book picks right up where the last one ended, on the cliffhanger, and OH this one has a cliffhanger to, so get ready to DIE. I’ll be here to console you in hell (babes, we’re not going to heaven at this point lmao).

So, my girl was a princess. It wasn’t that much of a surprise, really. She’d always looked like a queen to me.

Medra takes absolutely no shit. I love it and her. She stands up for herself all the time and for her friends. There wasn’t a time where I got annoyed because she wouldn’t say anything, you know, when you’re screaming at a character to stand up for themselves, Medra was just great.

I thought of how close we’d become last year. How good it had felt to think, just briefly, that she was on my side. The two of us against the world. Now I was alone again.

Blake, our little bully vamp turned into an obsessive bully vampire AND something is happening to him, some change that I won’t say to spoil it but OHMYGOD YES. AND TANAKA. YES. All the yeses.

She was deep inside me now. Woven into my blood. Carved into my heart. But maybe these feelings were poison. Sweet but deadly.

I don’t think it’s gonna happen but I am rooting for MFM or MMF but I have a feeling I know where it’s going based on the ending now, so while I’m sad, I still like how this is all playing out.

I’m going to die, aren’t I?
You are not going to die, Nyxaris answered. You will not fall. I will not allow it. I will not permit you to humiliate me in such a ridiculous way.

Nyxaris. That’s all.

Pendragon hated me. I already knew that. But what I hadn’t realized was that her dragon did, too.

What even is this review? What a fucking mess lmao

“You survived your first year because I allowed it. Don’t make me prove that to you now.” He suddenly pushed his chest up against mine, shoving me backwards. His breath was hot against my ear. “Why don’t you just fall in line, like a good little girl?”

Thank you to the author and RR Book Tours for a physical copy🥹 and Netgalley for this eARC! I am dying for book 3 😩


__________________

Review to come once I get my shit together

[giulsxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

➼ 4.5★

“Why tell us the truth when you could just condition us into ignorance and then repeat history a second time?”

what the hell was that ending?!
i don’t like where this is going, but it’ll be a problem for the future me.

this book was even better than the first one.
the enemies to almost lovers to enemies again… UGH!!! i ate up all the tension and toxicity from the main characters!

“I already knew what else I’d find in her eyes if I looked hard enough. Hatred. Desire. Two sides of the same coin. I knew because they were mirrored in my own eyes.”

i love blake, i’m seriously a weak bitch for him. the character development!!! the way he speaks about medra makes me want to find myself a hot tortured vampire!!! he can be a real asshole but when you get to know him better, it’s over for everyone! y’all can’t stand a chance at hating him.

“But he’s mine. Right or wrong, he’s mine. I won’t let you harm him.”

i love medra as well. she’s so strong, it’s truly admirable! i admire how she always stands up for herself and never backs down from a challenge.
i love her connection with nyxaris and i want to see more of then together!!! the way she cares about florence fills my heart with love. they’re each other sisters they never had. i love this.

“She was beautiful in a way that made my limbs weak and my heart hurt.”

the tension between blake and medra is chefs kiss. you can see that they hate each other because they want each other so much!!! eheh

the found family is so precious! i love theo and visha and florence so so much.

i honestly can’t wait for book 3—june can’t come fast enough!!!

let’s say that march 2026 can’t come fast enough?💀

“I may be a fool, but here we are. Together. Again. You’re stuck with me, Pendragon. You know that, don’t you?”

[Haley Jean · Rating 1 out of 5]

felt like i was reading an unedited first draft

the first book had some definite issues but was still entertaining.. however those issues just got 10x worse in book two. the amount of continuity errors and grammar mistakes was enough to drive me nuts. plot lines were allll over the place. conversations and lines were repeated or retconned. and don’t get me started on the Nyaxis who is literally just a carbon copy of Tairn. 😭😭

[_blondebooknerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, where do I even begin? The Bloodwing Academy series has totally captivated me, and The Bond That Burns is everything I hoped for and more! 🐉❤️ If you're like me and obsessed with dragons, vampires, shifters, and all things magical, you absolutely need to dive into this book!

🔥Picking up right where we left off in the first book, we follow Medra as she faces the intense fallout of accidentally waking a dragon – yes, a real, mythic, fiery dragon! 🔥 Every highblood house now has its sights set on her, and honestly, the stakes couldn't be higher. Blood is currency in Bloodwing Academy, but the legacy that comes with a dragon? Priceless.

Medra is in a precarious situation, bluffing her way through encounters while hiding her true weaknesses. The tension is palpable, especially when it comes to her connection with Blake Drakharrow. 💔 What started as a potential alliance turns into a twisted bond of necessity, as she discovers that he’s not just a friend but also her only blood source. How wild is that? 😱

😍 Characters You Can’t Help but Love (and Hate) The character development is simply chef’s kiss! 👩‍🍳 Medra’s journey is fraught with deception, emotional turmoil, and fierce determination. You find yourself rooting for her even when the odds are stacked against her. And then there’s Blake… the push and pull of their relationship is deliciously complicated! 😏 Just when you think you can trust someone in this world, bam! You’re hit with betrayal.

⚔️ Action, Romance, and Cliffhangers Galore! Get ready for epic battles, visceral violence, and heart-stopping cliffhangers that will leave you begging for more! 🎢 The blend of supernatural elements keeps the story fresh, and each twist builds on the intrigue of the last. Trust me, you won’t be able to put this book down!

Wrapping this up, if you haven’t already added The Bond That Burns to your TBR pile, what are you waiting for? ⏳ It’s an electrifying adventure that dives deeper into the dark, captivating world of Bloodwing Academy. I’m already on edge waiting for book three to come out in May – is there any way I can get an ARC?! 😅 Seriously though, pick this up ASAP, you will not regret it!

Until next time, happy reading, my fellow fantasy lovers! 📖💖

[Ashley Pope · Rating 2 out of 5]

Welcome to another episode of “I read shitty books so you don’t have to,” of which I am an unwilling participant. If you have this on your TBR you can safely take this off. This first book was entertaining but had a lot missing. I was okay with it because I thought answers would be had in this book. WRONG. Not only was nothing answered but new questions were introduced. There were so many plot points it was chaotic: Blake turning into a dragon shifter, Kage is a wolf (?), Blake’s sister being feral, Medra’s mom is a knife, the tribunal trying for force bond Medra to try and control the dragon (even though they aren’t bonded?), Nyraxis has no memories of the past, secret evil teachers, etc. I found myself not caring about a single plot line.

Blake was still a piece of shit. I guess the author thought that was okay because we had access to his inner monologue but would still belittle, humiliate, and treat Medra like garbage. The weirdest part is that around 70ish percent they become lovers out of the blue. I mean, true lovers interested in a relationship?? After practically two books of bullying, she forgives him with NO PROOF of personality change. Wild. There was no build up or slow build to the relationship. I felt no chemistry.

We also never find about Medra’s back story. That is unacceptable for two books. How many books are in this series?

I hated Nyraxis 🙈 oops. The consequences of poor writing.

[Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ✰ THIS THIS THIS THIS‼️‼️ guysss, guyssssss, you don’t understand! I’ve become a FAN ( 𝙇𝙄𝙆𝙀 𝙉𝙐𝙈𝘽𝙀𝙍 𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝙁𝘼𝙉 ) of this series. I need the third one, I need it. I can’t live without it, I can’t. It’s my daily vitamin, I won’t live long 😵😵

That endingggg, nuh uh!! You’re a mean girl Briar Boleyn for keep us waiting till March 😕

I loved our tease sassy dragon ( NYXARIS ), till the end 💕


LET ME LEAVE IT AT THIS ( with some quotes 😌)

Prepare yourselves, it’s gonna take years for you to get through all of them. Sooooo, take a seat, grab a drink and enjoy 🫠

Qᴜᴏᴛᴇ 1

𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙘𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙙. 𝙄'𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙, 𝙄 𝙪𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙤. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥, 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙙. 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙧𝙖𝙥 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙣. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣?
𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠—𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧-𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙨, 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠, 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙨. 𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚.

Qᴜᴏᴛᴇ 2

𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙗𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩. - EXCUSE ME 😍❤️‍🔥

Qᴜᴏᴛᴇ 3

𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙨, 𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙚, 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜.
𝙄 𝙠𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚, 𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙.

Qᴜᴏᴛᴇ 4

𝙄 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣, 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙨, 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙨, 𝙝𝙚���� 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨.
𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙩 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙧. 𝙄 𝙠𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙄'𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡.

𝙄 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚. 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮, 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮. 𝘼𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨.


Qᴜᴏᴛᴇ 5

𝙄 𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙙, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙, 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩-𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚. 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙄 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.

𝘿𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙙. 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙙. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙝𝙚𝙧.

Qᴜᴏᴛᴇ 6

𝙎𝙝𝙚'𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙨. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙎𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨?

Qᴜᴏᴛᴇ 7

𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚, 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚, 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧. 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧.

SPICY SCENE- BONUS ❤️‍🔥

"𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙠𝙚, 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚," 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙙. "𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩..."
"𝙁𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚, 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩"

See ya in March for more 🙏🙏

[Poppy Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Ahh the ending!!!!

I loveeee the series so much, I love how much the story is unfolding and all the dragon Lore, I love Nyaxris 🥹 he reminds me of a Tairn from fourth wing a little bit!

I love the found family in this, I’m still struggling to like Blake I lowkey want Medra to be with Kage 👀

I did find a lot of this book to be filler, I think we could’ve got to the last 20% a lot faster, but I loveeee it, roll on book 3!

[Rhiannon Solomon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book while terribly written had a decent storyline. This book was straight up hot garbage filler.

The story lacked plot and focused a lot on the infuriating romance that turned on a dime. As the book progressed it only got worse and made no sense. We got twilight and fourth wing fanfic melded into one. Some lines and plots were directly ripped from these books and others just entirely mutated lore that doesn’t and never needs to exist. Sadly the humour fourth wing has been as severely lacking but clearly attempted.

There was a continuity error in one chapter, how do you make a continuity error in the same chapter? As in the first book we got more adjectives and needlessly long descriptions but this had improved mildly. An editor would probably be Briar’s best first investment, and if she’s using one she needs to sack them immediately. Littered with spelling mistakes, missing punctuation and as mentioned, continuity errors. The book also refers back to the first instalment in thorough detail throughout the book treating the reading like a 5 year old who can’t recall what happened.

The last 100 pages moved at breakneck speed and seemed to hold the only real plot in the book but it was all over so quickly and mashed into one scene that it was a let down.

You know you really don’t care about a book when you’re hoping someone dies so you can see if you give a hoot.

The info about book 3 after the book ends also spoil the ending as it mentions the fate of a person whose life is teetering on the edge, way to spoil your own series.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bond that Burns (Bloodwing Academy #2) by Briar Boleyn

At Bloodwing Academy, blood is currency, but a dragon's legacy is priceless–and as dangerous as fire.

I thought surviving my first year in Bloodwing's deadly halls would be enough. I was wrong.

Rating: *****
Feels: Anticipation, Challenged, Surprise
Style: Fantasy, Romantasy, Dark Academia, Vampires, Dragons , Magic, High Fantasy
First published December 27, 2024 : 583 pages, Kindle

I was so happy to get my hands on book 2 and then I didnt want it to end. Loved this book !!! The way the characters progressed and we got to see more of Medra coming into her own, growing and bonding with her found family. I also am loving the little fluff ball Neville !!! There is definitely more tension in this book, more revelations about the past and why things are the way they are now which I love. The pace in the story and world building way just amazing. I was not ready for it to be over. When do I get book 3 !!!

Favorite quote: I looked away from her, my jaw clenching. “When you’re in danger, I feel like I’d gladly give up my life and everything in it to keep you safe.”

This book has:
Strong FMC (Stabby)
Morally Gray MMC
Enemies to Lovers
Vampires vrs Humans
Touch her and die
Dark Academia
Found Family
Revenge Plot
Politics
Magic
**Bully Romance

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bond That Burns? No, babe.. it is me that’s burning. On the inside.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for emotional destruction.

🥲

[Aiste Tauras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pabaigiau ir be žado sedėdama spaudžiu 5⭐️ Jei šita serija nebus BIG, tada nežinau… 1100 puslapių surijau per 5 dienas ir NORIU DAR. Kaip išlaukt gegužės? 😭😭😭 Antra knyga net dar geresnė!Tiek jausmų, negalėjau atsiplėšt skaitydama ir anksti ryte ir darbe ir naktį... Su tokiu liūdesiu palieku, kad net nenoriu nieko kito imt skaityt. Kažkoks narkotikas čia buvo 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Jei dar neįtraukei į TBR, nežinau ko laukt dar🫢 o aš einu fizines knygas užsisakyt 🧎‍♀️

[✨Caroline✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good! The ending was criminal!! What a cliffhanger!!???😭😭

Rtc

pre-read:
Jumping straight into the next book in the series!! I think this one is going to be even better than the first!! 🙂‍↕️the enemies to lovers and slow burn trope is 🤌🏼🥵

[౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

That ending!!!!!!! Incredible. Can’t wait for book 3

[Nadine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Welcome to Bloodwing Academy where consent isn’t a word that exists and the bar is so low for Blake he won’t even trip walking over it.

The bully romance aspect of this series truly kicked in in The Bond That Burns in the worst ways possible. Blake is probably one of the worst characters I’ve ever read. If you thought Blake’s behavior in the previous novel was bad, the first 40% of The Bond That Burns he’s insufferable with incredibly questionable decisions. For example, he decided to teach Medra a lesson by choosing someone desperate to impress him to spar with her. Blake even mentioned telling him to rough her up, but don’t beat her to a pulp. So instead of taking responsibility for his actions, he got someone else to do it. Blake is a pathetic coward. This scene was a step too far for me.

At the end of the novel, Blake makes another terrible decision and still Medra defends him. So, I guess she’s a lost cause too.

Nyxaris is just a Temu Tairn.

Florence suddenly gets a POV. Unfortunately, it was dull and was a clear sign something was going to happen to her.

It truly pains me to rate this novel so poorly because I think this world is so interesting and creative. Unfortunately, the bully romance ruined it. This novel killed my interest in this series so much so that I cancelled my preorder for On Wings of Blood and I’m not sure if I’ll read the third novel when it releases in 2026.

Overall, The Bond That Burns ruined the story with its inclusion of the bully romance. Blake is a terrible person and does not even deserve the dirt beneath Medra’s shoes. There’s a truly fascinating and engaging story here, but it’s buried under a gross bully romance.

[Denisse 🦋 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words. No words to express how I feel about this second book. It’s very very rare for a second book to be good but this is one of those rare occasions the second book is better than the first. I holding my breath, crying, laughing, eating every word that comes from this book. And THE ENDING?! HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO WAIT 2 MONTHS TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?!

The toxicness of Medra and Blake?! The sassy dragon?! Do not even get me started with the spice. The slowwwwwwwwww burn, worth it because it delivered and delivered with extras. I just don’t know what else to say because this book was just utterly amazing.

[Olivia ✨✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️🌶️/5

Okay bookish friends, The Bond That Burns has absolutely wrecked me in the best way possible. The twists and turns? Insane. The cliffhangers? Brutal. The spice? Let’s just say... chef’s kiss. And don’t even get me started on the betrayals—I'm still recovering.

The grumpy dragons had me rolling, and the fluffins? Pure serotonin. This book delivered on every level. 🤌🤌🤌 The way the characters and the storyline evolved? Fabulous. I was hooked from start to finish, the pacing was perf.

I have to survive until spring for the next one? I simply want to pass away. Someone hold me because I need answers, and I need them NOW.

Highly recommend if you’re into fantasy with spice, epic betrayals, and creatures with big personalities. It’s a wild ride, and I’m 100% here for it.

Thank you Briar Boleyn for the ARC!! All opinions are my own and are 100% voluntary.

[Hailey Goshert · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

⚠️‼️⛔️MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!!! do not read this unless you’ve already finished this book!!


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***since i have no idea how to actually review this book due to all the crazy stuff that happened; below are my unfiltered thoughts that i hastily wrote down in my notes app while reading. please enjoy😌***

32% uhhhhh scales?? what tf is going on? is he a dragon shifter or something? or is it really like what he thinks and nyxaris is somehow doing this to him? i know our sassy dragon doesn’t like blake at all… but this is sus🤨

39% thank god for visha. she’s out here doing the lords work by telling blake how it is. straight to the point; you will lose her. stop being an ass. get👏 your👏 shit👏 together👏

40% OKAY! HOT! BATHROOM SCENE IS GOATED🥵

62% okay first blake has scales, then kage is asking medra if she’s noticed any changes in him, the crescent moon tattoo on his neck, the moon necklace, house avari’s motto mentioning a blood moon, and now there’s a fucking silver wolf stepping in to protect and save her?? YOU CANT CONVINCE ME THEYRE NOT SHIFTERS. ITS GIVING ZODIAC ACADEMY!!!😈

68% ohmygod she actually switched houses?? i have no idea wtf is going on right now. i’m about to riot. why would she do this?! i need to stare at a wall for 30 minutes and collect myself. why do my fav book characters always insist on making absolutely insane choices. 🥲

82% aaaaaand why do we need a Florence POV…? not that i don’t love ya girl, but- what?

87% i fucking hate this plan. medra just started to trust him again and this is gonna blow it allllllll to shit !!! don’t do it blake😩

90% OHHHHH SHIT😳 get him blake!!! FUCK YOU VIKTOR AHAHAHAHAH

100% well… that’s…. fuck. is she even alive??😭 and who will medra ride now if flo is bonded to nyxaris?! ….. blake?👀

now, please enjoy some of my favorite quotes😏:

”If she’d wanted to, she could have sat up and punched me in the face. Hell, I would have let her.”

“She was beautiful in a way that made my limbs weak and my heart hurt.”

“The thought of leaving her side tonight—or any other—felt like sacrilege.”

“I want to worship you. Say you’ll let me.”

“So, my girl was a princess. It wasn’t that much of a surprise, really. She’d always looked like a queen to me.”

“So, yeah, red was officially my favorite color now.”

that’s it. that’s the review.

[Ellen (elmreadsbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE NEXT BOOK ISNT OUT UNTIL 2026 😭😭😭😭