This in the second book in the series that I affectionally refer to as vampire Harry Potter. This is not an original story in basically any way, but it is extremely enjoyable for what it is. At the end of Medra's first year at Bloodwing Academy, she accidentally awoke a dragon, when dragons have been extinct in Sangratha for a century. The ruling highbloods demanded that she control her dragon and become their tool, but that's not so simple, and of course Medra has no intention of being used by the very beings she despises. To make things more complicated, Medra is now bonded to the bane of her existence, Blake, which means he has to feed from her every week despite her not consenting to the bond. Medra is basically in constant danger, and the relationship between her and Blake swings wildly in all different directions. It's truly so fun.

I am very happy to report that this book did not fall victim to the curse of the second book in a romantasy series! (At least to me of course lol). I adored this second installment so much. The world-building actually made more sense than in the first book, which is no mean feat: Boleyn narrowed her focus to who and what directly affected and implicated Medra, which was smart, and we got answers at a pace I appreciated while still leaving a lot up in the air. The conflict between Medra and Blake feels very real and not contrived, and although Medra's feelings are a bit all over the place, it didn't grate on me because she's fully aware of everything she's feeling and trying to make sense of it along with the reader. The spice in this book is also really, really good - truly some of the best I've read in a while (TLDR it's the definition of the female gaze). The plot moves along nicely, minor characters get fleshed out without overburdening the main narrative arc, and the book ended with a bang. Loved this one so much and can't wait for the next to book to come out in March 2026!

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Starwater Press for an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Theres simply never enough words to describe how I love this series. I believe it just continues to evolve in a way I never expected

I don’t want to give anything away since this is the second book, But we follow Medra Pendragon in her second year at Bloodwing, and you can expect more:

🩸Dragons
🗡️Shifters
🩸Vampires

I fell in love with the first book and the second book did not disappoint. More revelations about characters came out with a fun new part of the plot that I’m excited to find out more about. The ending of this book had me zooming through and shaking my head 😱 I need the next book, like NOW!

The cover to this book is absolutely stunning. Briar Boleyn’s writing is incredible. This was my first book I’ve read by her and it will not be my last. I loved Medras character. I enjoyed the whole atmosphere of Bloodwing Academy. There was a lot of unique ness to this story. I loved the whole found family aspect of it. I love when there’s dual POV in a book. It helps you better understand the characters. I just kept on reading because I wanted to find out what was next. Each chapter brought you more in depth into the book than the last. Getting to know all the characters was really good too. Then bam you’re at the end and are wanting more.

The Bond That Burns is a captivating second book in Briar Boleyn’s series, building beautifully on the foundation laid in On Wings of Blood. The world feels richer, the stakes higher, and the emotional tension more intense.
Boleyn’s writing is immersive, with just the right mix of fantasy, romance, and intrigue. While some scenes lean into the drama, it suits the story’s tone and keeps you hooked.
A great follow-up that sets the stage for more
— perfect for fans of romantic fantasy with a dark twist.

The Bond That Burns is a great continuation of Briar's Dramione coded vampires and dragons story! If you're looking for a great enemies to lovers fantasy, you'll want to check this one out.

Tropes of the series:
Enemies to Lovers
Academia
Bully Romance
Hate to Love You

Medra is being forced to prove that she has control of her dragon, but he's got a mind of his own. They come to a deal: he'll help her if she helps him get information. He can't remember what happened in the past, and he wants answers. Blake continues to struggle with his feelings, and Medra is also confused. Things start to get messy, even though she is struggling to trust him after he betrayed her. We get another intense cliffhanger, and I can't wait for things to continue!

The only reason I didn't get it 5 stars is I felt like Medra is a little too much with the "I can't trust you". It gave me Violet from Iron Flames vibes, and I really struggled with that. It's definitely not as bad, but I'm glad that seems to be over by the end of this book.

The dragon is sassy. The spice is full of heat. And the plot is thick. Book 2 is a fantastic read, continuing the story of our FMC. I am so glad this series got picked up for trad publication, it deserves to be in the spotlight. I cannot wait for book 3 to come out!!

This book was so insanely good! I love the dragons, the tension between the characters was so good! The storyline was interesting with the academia setting, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole book! I can’t wait for the next book! I would highly recommend this book!!

The Bond That Burns picks up immediately after the end of book one. Medra thinks she has made it out of one problem, only to find herself in the middle of more and perhaps out of her depth at this point in time. It's dual POV, which I love. I need to know what is going on with Blake because sometimes (read: a lot of the time) he's a big ol' mess. I liked getting more information on the side characters and the world as a whole, including the history of dragons. The ending... whew. Here we go! I can't wait for book 3!

Thanks to Briar/Starwater Press for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

"How does the saying go? A prince in the keep, a dragon between the sheets?"

Academy drama? Check. Dragons? Check. A blonde vampire menace I want to punch and kiss? Absolutely.
This book is hot chaos in the best way—dragons, vampires, secret agendas, forced engagement, and the kind of slow-burn enemies-to-lovers that leaves you feral.

The MMC? Peak toxic. Gave me full Malfoy energy, and I hated him—until I didn’t. One minute I was ready to set him on fire, the next I was like “no one touch him, he’s mine now.” Honestly, I was rooting for a love triangle just to watch him squirm. Petty? Maybe. Satisfying? Absolutely.

Medra’s out here juggling vampire politics, secrets, a dragon with major attitude (Nyxaris, who gives off strong Tairn vibes), and somehow still protecting everyone like it’s her full-time job. The found family energy hit, and her bond with Nyx had me obsessed.

If you’re into adult magical academies with bite, betrayal, forced proximity, and morally gray love interests that make you question your sanity—you’re gonna devour this.

Book two? I need it injected directly into my veins.

This was a great follow up to On Wings of Blood!

Love the world building and how we are finding out more and more about Sangratha's history and the dragons.

There is major character growth and development in this book. Especially for Blake. I am loving how Blake and Medra's relationship is progressing. Not gonna lie, I am also kind of Team Tanaka.

Although, I felt there could have been more, I loved that we got way more dragon time in this book than the first book.

Can't wait to see what happens next!

Would recommend this series to fellow fantasy fans!

Thank you to NetGalley, Briar Boleyn and the Starwater Press for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing just amazing!!! So much drama between houses, lovers, friends and different factions!
I couldn’t put it down I was racing to find out what would happen but also didn’t want it to end!
And that ending…….the cliffhanger!!!!!! How am I going to wait for book 3!!
Such great characters, so many favourites and some I love to hate and hate to love! The setting is incredible Bloodwing Academy just sounds like such a scary place to be, for a blightborn especially!
Fantastic series that I will be recommending to everyone!

The Bond That Burns by Briar Boleyn is the sequel of "On Wings of Blood" and it surpassed all my expectations. I'm so invested in this story and cannot wait to see what comes next.

We follow our characters growth and the emotional depth this book brings was perfection. We continue to see the world building being developed and we feel like we are there instead of sitting at home reading. This was full of twists, with some heart-pounding action scenes that kept me invested till the end. The tension is palpable and i didn't wanted it to end. I cannot wait to read the next installment.

That cliffhanger was BRUTAL!!! NO!!!! I need book 3, like 5 minutes ago. So book 2 continues with Medra in prison, Blake being a dumb bunny, and Florence being the best bestie that ever besties. These books have it all - confusing romances, cute little side fluffins, mighty dragons, and a little bit of academia at school for vampires - and dragon riders, of course! Highly recommend!

This. Was. Excellent!

We pick up right where we left off from book 1 with an absolute vengeance. Everything about this book felt carefully cultivated. Medra and her find a way forward and he is one cheeky chicken! The banter between Medra and Nyxaris is top notch and I loved watching their relationship grow. The angst, heat, and devotion from Blake was delectable and I'm unsure where Kage's loyalties lie. The betrayal and devastation across the last 70 pages was absolutely wild. I am feral for the 3rd book and have told anyone who will listen to me to read the Bloodwing Academy books! I cannot wait to see what happens with my favourites Neville and Florence!

Thank you Netgalley & Briar for trusting me with this ARC for an honest review

3.75 Stars rounded up. This was an enjoyable read overall! The bully romance didn’t quite do it for me, at times I felt like Blake was more of a straight up jerk than a misunderstood love interest. We also don’t know much about his background yet so that could be it as well. Medra’s quick shift to romance at the first sign of kindness from him felt slightly unearned, but still enjoyable. I love the characters individually, but as a couple I’m not sure if it clicks the way I want it to. I have high hopes for how their relationship develops in upcoming books, and I’m looking forward to seeing how Blake redeems some of his nastier qualities. It also feels a bit strange that Medra’s main defining trait (being the last of the dragon riders) hasn’t amounted to much yet, power-wise. Here’s to hoping the next book fills some questions I have, and develops the romance and worldbuilding more in depth! Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC, opinions are my own and given freely!

The second installment in this series was just as enjoyable as the first for me. I'm a simp for a magical academy lol. I'm extremely sad that I have to wait so long for book 3

What a treat this one was!

More trials! More angst! More tension! More spice!

Medra is such an interesting, complicated FMC. She's a fully developed person, and whilst the romance is an important element, it's not her whole world. Her fierce love for her friends, especially Florence, is so nice.

I love the world building and just feel there is so much more to come from this world and this story.

I'd be really interested to know more about Medra before she came to be at Bloodwing... a prequel perhaps?

Can't wait to read more and see what happens with the Dragons!!!

This was sooo much better than book 1 and I know book 3 will o it blow my mind even more! Briar this was genius and so much fun to read.
I can’t get over how much I love Neville and Nyxaris! And how Blake and Medra’s relationship blossoms.
I also love how we got some of Florence’s POV!!!! She is the best of best friends ever!

Thank you Briar and NetGalley for this amazing ARC!

Any Briar Boleyn book is an instant 5 star read for me. She can do no wrong and I live for the next instalment! Book one hooked me and this did not disappoint. The character development, world building and magic system (as well as the spice…) all make Briar one of the great romantasy writers. Add in the dark academia element in this series and it is perfection.

Thank you to Briar Boleyn, Starwater Press and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.