With Hearts of Flame

Bloodwing Academy

by Briar Boleyn

They say love makes you foolish. At Bloodwing, it makes you dangerous.

I thought surviving a vampire academy was the hardest thing I’d ever have to do.

Then I fell in love with a boy who can turn into a dragon.

After the events in Veilmar, my only concern is for Blake. Will he survive the monster who possesses him? But as I fight a battle for the soul of the man I love, my dearest friend is up against the greatest danger a dragon rider can ever face.

Meanwhile, as Bloodwing reels from loss and betrayal, an ancient prophecy tightens its grip, and an unexpected triad is rising—one powerful enough to change the balance of power in Sangratha forever.

As the Veil cracks and the dead come back to haunt us, love becomes a weapon—sharp enough to destroy the world or strong enough to forge a new one.

This dark fantasy series tackles mature themes. Readers are advised to consult the trigger warnings before embarking on this intense, morally gray/black journey through the realm of Sangratha!

READ THE ENTIRE BLOODWING ACADEMY SERIES!
• Book 1: On Wings of Blood
• Book 2: The Bond That Burns
• Book 3: The Wings That Bind
• Book 4: With Hearts of Flame

FOR FANS OF:
• Enemies-to-lovers
• Dark Academia
• Morally Grey Men
• Forced Proximity
• Vampires and Dragon Riders
• Fourth Wing meets A Court of Thorns and Roses with a hint of Vampire Academy

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

617 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 20, 2026

About the author

*** I am most active on Instagram!
Please Note: Goodreads won't let me follow any more people, but please feel free to add me as a friend! :) ***

BRIAR BOLEYN is the author of more than twenty-five romance books and novellas. Her novels have become New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times and Spiegel bestsellers and have been sold in over a dozen countries. As a child, she endlessly scribbled stories in every genre, from murder mysteries to time travel romances to dystopian sci-fi. Briar lives with her family in Manitoba, Canada. 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 also writes under the name Fenna Edgewood.

Reviews

[QuirkyTofurkey]

[Cassie Nosko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Briar Boleyn for allowing me to read and review this fourth and final book in the Bloodwing Academy series! I am so so torn! This finale is so bittersweet as I've fallen deeply in love with this world and all the characters; I don't want this series to be over 😭

This book held a whirlwind of emotions; this book truly highlights the elusive House Orphos and presents the opportunity for this house to shine. The rhythm of this book is so fast paced, and certain aspects escalate quickly. The banter is unmatched throughout and I will reiterate certain chapters will rock your world 😉 (I'm looking at you in particular chapter 40).

I love that this series had cross-over references and characters from Blood Of A Fae series. It truly made this series SO special and speaks tremendously on Briar's talent!

This book surpassed all my hopes and dreams! Bloodwing Academy will forever hold a special place in my heart!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️

[Ellimac]

I have a confession guys...

I don't know if I can wait until October. I NEED MORE OF THIS AMAZINGNESS!! I LOVED THE THIRD BOOK SO F-... uh.. there might be children around... um- FREAKING MUCH!! IT'S AMAZiNG!!

(Also, to said children... easy warning: If you're under thirteen um.. don't read this book series? I think it's a bit too spicy for tweens, but thankfully not plain smut [...I think...])

[ciana · Rating 4 out of 5]

“my edges are broken, too. i’ve seen your sins and your scars. i’ve seen what you think makes you unlovable. and i love you anyway.”

—

oh man idk how to write this review without giving spoilers, but imma try my best.

first of all, i want to say i enjoyed this book a lot. i really liked the multiple plots that we followed and how they came together in the end. the side characters were also a highlight. i found myself loving people and relationships that i didn’t even know were an option.

i will say there are a few things i still have questions about. i’m not sure if they were forgotten about, if maybe i just missed the implication that we’re supposed to know, or if they’re just loose ends that didn’t get tied up.

there were also a few character relationships that were more told than shown. i know one in particular was a surprise, which i ended up LOVING, but i was shocked there was no previous tension or hint of it in the past books. it had me thinking i missed something. nyxaris and florence’s relationship also felt very rushed to me, and i wish there would’ve been more development in his highblood form beforehand. the ending especially shocked me with how fast we moved.

i loved seeing blake and medra in this book. if i’m being honest, i wanted to see even more of them. i love a multi-pov, but i felt like they got pushed to the side a bit. i started this series hating blake, but ended up loving his character development. seeing them both so in love was so perfect and made me love them so much more. give me all the novellas of them!!

and this is where it gets tricky. absolutely devastated at the ending. when i tell you i turned the page at 95% and read “epilogue,” i was going to scream and throw my kindle. absolutely shaking with rage at work. i got war flashbacks to the plated prisoner series (iykyk). i also feel like the ending has the opportunity for a spinoff? i’m begging if it means a certain possibility.

while there were definitely some more answers needed, characters that deserved a better ending, and more screentime for characters i wanted, i still really enjoyed this book. also, while the diabolical ending will have me raging for months to come, i was very entertained and locked in the whole time. a few chapters had me giggling and kicking my feet so badly as well.

i hope to see more of these characters in the future!

thank you briar for sending me an e-arc and allowing me to be on the street team! ♥︎

“𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒕. 𝒊 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓.”

[acupofteaandabookplease · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, I just love this series! Each book is just as gripping as the last, with a story that unfolds with great coherence and suspense throughout these four volumes. And this final volume is truly a little gem, thanks not only to Briar Boleyn’s fluid and enjoyable writing style but also to certain characters who gain more depth... what a rollercoaster of emotions to experience as this incredible adventure comes to an end! I’m really going to miss some of these characters… it goes without saying that if you enjoyed the first three volumes, you should definitely read this one as soon as possible!

[Hallowyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

⋆｡°✩ ᴀʀᴄ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ✩°｡⋆

ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ : With Hearts of Flame
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ : Briar Boleyn
ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴅ: E-Book
ᴘᴀɢᴇ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 617
ᴀʀᴄ ꜱᴜᴘᴘʟɪᴇʀ : Author
ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: 20th October 2026

I can’t believe it’s all over! What an incredible ride into Bloodwing Academy! I’m going to miss all the gang so much!

High Priestess Hallowyn you say?!?! EEEEK my name was used, what an utter honor 🥹 Thank you Briar for making a reader dream come true! 💕

Book 4 is filled with action and spice! A perfect combo I think! In this book relationships form, they grown and blossom into something I absolutely love! It doesn’t just focus on Medra and Blake anymore, everyone has a story to tell and it’s needed to create so much depth into the book!

I love how there is action going on in different places, not everything is always just happening with the ‘core two’ of the book. Everything that happens is essential to the ending and the ambiguity at the end of what really happened within the gang creates a realistic ending I think!

Medea and Blake are so perfect together, the way Blake now shows his vulnerable side but still have his snark and cockiness is just who he is suppose to be!

Florence and Nyxaris, EEEK! These two made me kick and scream Everytime they were on the page together! Florence being all shy and Nyx being bossy is everything! Pretty sure my brain just melted everytime Nyx was on page 🤣

Regan is my queen, I love her! Even though she has sent me on an emotional rollercoaster, I love her redemption arc! I love seeing her go from mean girl to one of the gang! I love how after everything she has been through her snarky personality shines through!

Kage and Lysander are so H O T ok? Anytime those two are in any action together I am melting!

Theo and Vaughn are not in the book as much as previous but I say that’s a good thing, I just want them two to be happy now!

Visha, she is so bad a s s and I adore her! I love her loyalty and her sharp banter with everyone!

We got to meet new characters in this book, Kazmyn being one of the and he was so funny 🤣 When he is talking to Visha I’m just cackling 🤣

HAWL! I can’t believe we get to see him again 🥹 The way he becomes attached to Neville is so cute!

Again it’s a bittersweet ending, and the fact Briar used my name in the book is one of the biggest honours of my life! I will treasure this book forever! Thank you for this journey Briar!

ALSO IM IN THE DEDICATIONS!!! WHAT AN ABSOLUTE HONOUR! I have never been so happy and I’m going to legitimately frame the page & first mention of Hallowyn 🥹🥹🥹

[Ashley Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t quite believe this series is over 💔 I am unwell! All 4 books have been an absolute masterpiece for me - I will never stop shouting about this series ❤️

The previous 3 books set everything up for an epic conclusion. This book was fast paced however a little too fast at times - I would have loved more detail and time for certain aspects. There could have easily been an extra 100 pages+ to include everything that felt missing. Although I loved the multi POV, I do wish there was more Blake and Medra. The power triad was quite a surprise but very welcomed 👀 i can’t say very much about this book without giving away spoilers. The action just never stopped - I could barely breathe for the entire book. The story wrapped up nicely after a rollercoaster ride. But I am genuinely sad to be at the end of Blake and Medra’s story. I’d love to see some spin offs from this world with certain characters - there’s definitely a story or two to be told.

Thank you Briar for this incredible journey and allowing me to be part of your street team and giving us the chance to read this early. I can’t wait to see what you cook up next 🫶

[Ky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t believe Bloodwing is over! Blake and Medra are truly one of my favorite fantasy couples ever and I absolutely loved the growth we got to see from them over four books. Both individually and in their relationship they made such progress and beautiful development. That was the highlight of the series for me and I will always look back on it fondly especially the first two books for introducing me to them! 🥹

This final book I had no idea what to expect after book 3. Both the plot and the relationships went in so many different directions that really surprised me! It’s hard to review without spoiling anything but we got a lot more lore about the dragons and insight into the world in general. There were multiple relationship developments that I never saw coming and still for sure trying to wrap my head around if you know you know 👀 haha. The ending had me pacing, stressed and very curious if this would lead to another spin off as there are still some things I would love answered.

Thank you to The Hive and Briar’s street team for the advanced copy!

[Kenz✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe this series is ending 😭 this installment has a lot of character growth, grieving and overcoming trauma, blossoming relationships, and getting revenge over those who caused severe abuse. I felt quite emotional reading it knowing it was the end, but also for several of the losses we faced. the final scenes were so bittersweet, especially with how attached I had become to the triad throughout this book.

while the first two books of this series focused heavily on Medra & Blake, we really got to see more from Florence and Regan, which I personally LOVED. despite all the shifts in POV, it was easy to track the plot even if all the characters weren’t in the same places. it kept the story fast paced and had me on edge what would happen next.

I absolutely swooooooned over all the declarations of love and how these characters were able to find goodness and hope while going through dark and turbulent times. while I loved all the romantic connections, I felt extra connected to the friendships forged between the women. despite their pasts and differences, they came together to eliminate a common enemy, and while doing so, realized they are more alike than they had ever imagined. going through similar traumas and survival mechanisms may have initiated the bonds, but at the end of the day, their relationships were so much more.

another favorite component of this story for me was the fluffins. those cute little creatures have more strength, tenacity, and fearlessness than so many of the characters in this world. I only wish they were real!

the epilogue gave us a solid insight into where the characters have ended up after the war, but left enough open for a potential novella or spin off. I REALLY hope this is the case because I would love to see Blake and Medra with her family.

this book is perfect for those who love:
✨ romantasy
✨ strong FMCs
✨ dark academia & war colleges
✨ bonded mates
✨ dragons & shifters & vampires
✨ found family
✨ taking back power from abusers

thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Bailie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 - I really struggled with this one, and honestly, I hate saying that because I’ve genuinely enjoyed this series.

Book 1 was great. Book 2 was even better. Book 3 was okay… but this one just wasn’t working for me, and I ultimately ended up DNFing it.

I think part of my disappointment came from the connecting novella between this series and the author’s other series. That novella really felt like it was building toward something HUGE, so I went into this book expecting a big “EVERYTHING IS COMING TOGETHER” moment—maybe an epic battle or some major payoff. Instead, what I read of the book, along with the epilogue, just kind of fell flat for me.

There were also a few character/relationship choices that really pulled me out of the story. I want to be clear that some of these are simply personal preferences and aren’t something I’m factoring into my rating.

Florence and Nyxaris’ relationship was probably the biggest miss for me. Nyxaris spent SO much of the series as a dragon, so the sudden “surprise, I can shift and I’m in love with my rider” revelation just didn’t work for me. And honestly, that relationship ended up changing what I loved about Florence’s character in the earlier books.

I was also really caught off guard by Kage and Lysander’s relationship. That one felt like it came out of nowhere for me, and it just wasn’t a storyline I connected with.

Looking at the series as a whole, I think the biggest problem for me was the direction of the characters and relationships in the later books. Reagan’s sudden character shift in book 3, Florence and Nyxaris’ relationship throughout books 3 and 4, and then Kage and Lysander in book 4 slowly took me further away from what I originally loved about this series.

Books 1 and 2 had me SO invested. There was so much excitement and tension, and I really loved the vampire/dragon aspect of the story. Unfortunately, by the time I got to this book, I just wasn’t feeling that same excitement anymore.

That said, I don’t regret reading the series! I still think it’s a fun recommendation for anyone who loves vampires, dragons, romantasy, and a little bit of chaos. The first two books were definitely my favorites, and I’m glad I gave the series a chance.

[Tyla 🧚 🗡️ ☠️ 🩸 🖤 · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC 3.5 ⭐
Breaks my heart this.
I love this series so much. I love Blake & Medra, books 1 & 2 I absolutely adored & flew through. Book 3 went into a different direction than I was expecting, thinking it was leading up to a big finish in book 4. I did enjoy this book there was lots going on. But it didn’t hit like I was expecting 😩
I’m not sure if the ending has been left open for another book, a novella, a spin off, series maybe?
I feel like I still have a lot of questions. A lot of things was brushed over. Because they’ve talked about so many different people & give so many POVS in this one & the last book, it’s taken a lot away from Medra & Blake & wasn’t long enough to give so much detail for so many people!!
I was expecting a really big dramatic ending, I was expecting to be heartbroken & it kind of fell a bit flat.
I do absolutely love these characters it hasn’t put me off the plot or the series as a whole. I just wish she’d write another one 😩😩😩😩😩

[Paige Wuerdemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to say a massive, massive thank you to Briar Boleyn, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC of With Hearts of Flame. I've been on this journey since I discovered On Wings of Blood when it was indie published and was super privileged to be on this journey since discovering her. I screamed a little when I found out I would have the privilege to ARC read this series again for the last book.

It's honestly bittersweet knowing that we've reached the end of the Bloodwing Academy books and I won't be getting new books in this series. Due to this it's taken me a few days to write my review because I had to sit with all of my emotions after finishing this one.

I will recommend reading not only the Blood of a Fae series before diving into this last book, but also the novella From Blood to Blossoms. It'll tie everything together nicely and if you're looking for a recommended reading order, definitely check out Briar's Instagram post about it!

Through this series, we've definitely had character growth, not just from characters you were expecting- but all of them. Be prepared to feel a wide range of emotions while reading the last book and definitely have the tissues close by, and don't be like me and read certain parts at work that will cause you to be an emotional mess.

While I'm sad that this is over, I'm super excited to see what comes next from Briar. I also cannot wait to do a reread of both of these series!

[Kyli · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓹𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓷 𝓶𝔂 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓮… 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓱𝓮𝓻.

I still can’t quite believe we’ve reached the end of Bloodwing Academy :’)  I’m going to miss my pathetic, yearning, tortured soul Blake sfm

“𝓘 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓹 𝔂𝓸𝓾. 𝓘 𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝔂𝓸𝓾. 𝓕𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓭, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝓮. 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓮, 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓶𝔂 𝓭𝓪𝔂𝓼. 𝓝𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓷𝓸 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓮𝓵𝓼𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓬𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓶 𝓶𝓮.”

Just gonna give a PSA right now, don’t read this in public unless you’re okay with blushing beet red and sweating because girlies, there is a certain scene that had me doing precisely those things.

“𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝔂𝓸𝓾. 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓻. 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓼𝓽.“

Blake’s inner dialogue had me loling a lot, like how is he such a comedian but like unintentionally??

“𝓓𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝓭𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽. 𝓘’𝓿𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝔂 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾. 𝓜𝔂 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷’𝓽 𝓯𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓱.“

I loved Medra’s love and encouragement for Blake. She was really his number one cheerleader (while still humbling him ofc)

I liked how this wrapped up for the most part, especially because I feel like if Briar ever wanted to revisit this world and some characters I feel like she could! (But that’s just my interpretation and possibly wishful thinking oof)

There was something that happened that was sad, but it had the potential to be soul crushing and emotionally devastating if there had been some more background for it in the previous books. 

Big huge thank you to Briar & team and Harlequin for the arc!

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖: With Hearts of Flame (Bloodwing Academy, 4)

Duty, redemption, vengeance and the prophecy come to a head. The fate of Sangratha hangs in the balance in the conclusion to the Bloodwing Academy series.

Series Tropes:
🎙️Multi POV
🏫Dark academia
⚠️Enemies to lovers
🩶Morally grey MCs
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Found family
🐉Vampires, Dragons, Dragon Riders
🌶️Open door

Briar brilliantly melds Medra’s past, present, and her fate as more of the prophecy looms. These different romantic storylines were everything! These MMCs are possessive, protective, and so down bad for their women. These characters have captured my heart throughout the series even as Briar proceeded to rip my heart out.

In With Hearts of Flame, Briar unleashes an epic and electrifying finale to the series! Prepare for high-stakes, scorching romances, and heartbreak. Dark academia romantasy lovers, this is for you! If you haven’t read the Blood of a Fae series yet, I highly recommend them for full emotional impact.

So grateful to the author, Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA books, The Hive, and NetGalley for the review copy opportunity. This is my honest and voluntary review

[Ágnes Malta-Lakó · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

First of all, I'd like to thank Briar and her publisher for the advanced copy.

2.5 stars, rounded up.
It really pains me to give such a low rating for this 4th and final book of the Bloodwing series. Unfortunately, I had a lot of issues with this finale, and I feel lucky that I got to talk to someone about these while reading because it kinda also got summarized through this venting.

The multi-POV setting was already getting confusing in the precious instalment, but here we got to a point where POVs changed every chapter. I do not mind mid-book cliffhangers, but this just felt more like when you switch between chats on your preferred messaging platform. I did not really get why we had both 1st and 3rd POVs either. Also, the storyline branched, so much happened, that it felt like reading a shopping list: the deaths became less impactful because of the frequency of them, and anytime we had a conflict, it resolved so quickly I didn't even have time to blink.

I missed the academia from Bloodwing Academy. We completely lost a (for me) vital part of the story, and it became a quest.

The writing felt YA. There were paragraphs I had to read again to make sure I really read what I've read. English is not my native language but this was something I struggled with.

Since I'd like to explain in more detail, from here I will put a spoiler warning.

I could not connect with the characters. My main issues were
- Florence was becoming important in book 3, here she basically gets railed in the beginning and then disappears for the majority of the story. Then reappears in the end and poof, all is good again. The love story felt rushed and forced, since we did not have a lot of meaningful interaction between them previously.
- I understand that why choose is appreciated by a lot of readers, but I am not one of them. I did not see any foreshadowing for the LysanderxKage relationship, and I felt that Lysander got inserted into the mix for the sake of the final martyr4 scene. Again, trauma should not directly lead to love, the way it did in this book.
- Blake went through a serious character change, which led to me not recognizing him at all. He became a golden retriever throughout this series. At least we got more from him and Medra, but they still became background characters.
- All the villains felt one-dimensional. All of them repeated the same mantra, and if you would black out the names we probably couldn't tell who it was. What was it with every single one of them wanting to rape someone???
- There were so many characters that their traits blended together slightly. All the professors and dwarves throughout the quests.

I also felt like even the writer was not taking the story seriously sometimes. For example, the multiple entrances to reach the eggs. All the villains died like they didn't want to / could not fight. Silvio and Marcus were offed in a way that they should have been dead in the previous books...
Also, the. spicy scenes were introduced awkwardly.
- Florence's first time outdoors? Please
- Regan not being able to handle physical touch. Sleeps through the night = let's have a threesome.


I understand that I might be in the minority here, and I am happy if this book finds the readers who will enjoy it. Unfortunately, this time, it wasn't me.

[Amber R · Rating 5 out of 5]

“They say love makes you foolish. At Bloodwing, it makes you dangerous.” 🖤🐉

The fourth and FINAL book in the Bloodwing Academy series is here, and calling this ending bittersweet is a HUGE understatement!

After the attack on Veilmar, Medra is pulled into a secret dwarven quest with an enemy already one step ahead. Back at Bloodwing, a fragile revolution grows as Regan fights to protect the students she once oppressed. Meanwhile, in the north, dragons rise, the dead stir, and an ancient prophecy forces impossible choices. Love, loyalty, and sacrifice collide—and Briar did not hold back!!!

From the dedication to the epilogue I didn’t even know I NEEDED, this book was EVERYTHING. The different POVs made me feel so close to all these characters, which only made saying goodbye hurt that much more.

That ending?! Rip my heart out! The tears were FLOWING!!! And then the epilogue… OMG, Briar, do I dare hope for more of Medra and Blake?!

Ahhhh, I absolutely loved this ride! Thank you, Briar, for having me on your incredible street team and giving me an inside look at your fantasy worlds. I can’t wait to see what amazing things you do next!🖤

[Ashley(burntedgesandbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even start?
First I would like to thank Briar Boleyn and htpreviewer and NetGalley for this wonderful opportunity to read this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book...
.......THIS BOOK!!!!
I don't even know where to to find the words to describe how much I loved this book! But we all have to start somewhere and this is going to be hard...
It was a rollercoaster of a ride. SO MANY EMOTIONS. So many tears, so many times I had to pause and just stare or process what i was reading.
What can I say? How do I explain how great and wonderful this final book was?
Other than WHY IS IT OVER?
Briar Boleyn wrote a master piece of an ending. You became invested in ALL the characters, more than the ones that you already loved to beginning with.
You, of course, get Blake and Medea, they are the heart and soul of this book but they are and will aways be my favorite. I have to say that the others that made approaching that kept popping up, you couldn't help but get emotionally attached to them as well.
New enemies, new lovers, new soulmates, new besties, NEW TRIADS, new riders.... the list can go on and on.
This book give you everything.
All for your rollercoaster to take you all th e way to the end.
The end.
That leaves you crying, but oddly satisfied in your emotional heartbreak.
This book was all I could wish for in a final book of a series.
It is a masterpiece of emotion put in writing, put in trauma, put in a fierce satisfaction of a series you never want to end, ending.
This book.... THIS Series! is Highly recommended, a series you do not want to miss out on. AT ALL.
BUT WE CAN'T FORGET NEVILLE! I love his little Fluffin self! (HOW CAN I GET ONE?)
I feel like a history book on fluffins are in order. that would be amazing!

For a series that started off as a buddy read because dragons...vampires..fae... what could go wrong? This series will always hold a place in my top reads of the year!

[Tonya’s life in pages 📖🍓 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Early Arc Review

Queen B…what have you done to me with this series and this final book!?!

This book quite literally fried my brain in the best way possible. The plot be plotting!!

The twists. The turns. The highs. The lows. The end.
I fear I won’t recover from this.

I am so sad to have this journey come to an end but what a ride it’s been.

Dragons, Vampires, Wolves, Fluffins, Fae, this series has something for everyone who loves Romantasy. I feel like I’m leaving some of my besties behind with the wrap up of book 4.

So a big shout out to Briar and an even bigger thank you for the Arc and for sharing this realm and these characters with your readers. It’s been a heart thumping, mind racing, sweaty palm, screaming out loud, inner dialogue evoking awesome time! I can’t wait for the next one!

[Jenn | bookdragonbrunette · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review hurts me to write.

I have loved every single one of Briar's books up until now. Maybe that's part of the problem. I had such high hopes for this finale and was just horribly let down.

First, let's start off by saying that I wasn't a fan out of two of the three relationships in this book and that's entirely a me preference (I don't think most people will object to them since Why Choose is so popular nowadays). They felt like they came out of nowhere for the most part and were forced into the book. ALL of the spice scenes felt cringey to me (two I skipped entirely). I didn't even like the one between Medra and Blake because it felt so forced and was really random the way it went off.

There were a lot of POVs and they shifted rapidly. Now, normally I like multiple POVs, but this had too many and I couldn't keep things straight or whose head I was reading in. A lot of it felt unnecessary, but also like too much information being shoved into one final book.

We were promised a crossover and while we got one, I was very disappointed by just how much we got. Also, I have so many unanswered questions about what's happening in Morgan and Draven's world. I'm hoping that there will actually be an epilogue novella that clears things up, but as of the way this stands with how it ended, I'm just not okay.

I know Blake went through huge personality changes throughout the series, but I honestly felt like he was an entirely different person in this book and I didn't really like that. We got small nods to his flirty and sassy personality, but mostly he was just a totally different person.

Thank you to the author and her team at Mira for the eARC. My thoughts are entirely my own.
Finish date: 9/15/26, Release date: 10/28/26

[Addie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

I have been a fan of Bloodwing Academy and the Blood of a Fae series since 2025. I was so looking forward to reading the last book and seeing how the puzzle pieces were going to fall into place in an epic conclusion.

I’ve always enjoyed Medra’s character. The found family was cute and the fluffin of course is again my favorite.

What I struggled with was the writing and the pacing. I was left confused at times and it was very hard to keep track of the different POV’s with a different character and location each chapter. I was not as connected to the characters in this final book and was unfortunately disappointed in the ending as well as some huge events and tropes that I felt were unnecessary. Overall I was sadly underwhelmed.

I do think this is a good series as I truly enjoyed all of the other books before this. Unique world, vampires, fae, interconnected storylines. This one just missed the mark for me.

[Thenerdypsych · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an action packed conclusion to one of my favourite series! As we try to make sense of a prophecy that suggests someone important will die, the world is quite literally falling a part. Blake is missing, Nyxaris had some BIG secrets, and Bloodwing is facing a threat like no other. Across Sangratha, Viktor and house Mortis are running amok causing all sorts of world ending problems. This final installment of Bloodwing bounces across all of the chaos ending in an underworld adventure with the dwarves and a special guest from Medra's past. I loved all the action and adventure but Regan, Kage, and Lysander were my favourite. The 3 of them go through some wild levels of development and we get to know the guys sooo much more. Nyxaris and our fluffin friend were the stars of the show, all would be lost without them. I loved everything about this except for the inconclusive ending. Medra comes from another world in Briar's other series. Considering there was a prequel novella bridging the 2 series and ramping up Medra's rescue through a cross over I expected that to happen in this book. Unfortunately we're left without the reunion making the ending feel like a cliffhanger. I'm hoping that means we'll get another book from the Blood of the Fae world to tie these bits up.

[eclecticbychoicereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end has come. And with it, tentative peace and hope. Hope for a different, fairer world. Hope for a brighter future, one lined with healing, growth, love, and remembrance. For remembrance is essential for Sangratha. The world must learn from its past so it can move towards a better future, one where power doesn't come unearned. But to get there, it took a lot. A lot of tears, pain, and hurt. It took a lot of sacrifice, and the effects will linger. Some wounds will never heal, only fade to a dull ache. And that's all right. It's all right to mourn while still wanting to live, for it's the best way to honor those who gave up their lives for the world they left behind. It's all right to love and cherish each day going forward.

The end has come, and with it, the epic conclusion this series deserved. With Hearts of Flame gave me everything my soul yearned for. It gave me the finale I desperately needed. The emotions, the tension, the action, everything was beautifully woven into a tapestry one could only dream of. The multiple POVs showed me different perspectives and offered me a glimpse into the characters' souls. It was all there, and it was all perfect. Now I just have to learn to live without these characters I've grown to love. It's hard saying goodbye, but my heart is at peace.

Thank you, Briar, for having me as your ARC reader once again. It's always an honor.

[BiblioSizzle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final Bloodwing Academy books had a lot to accomplish and to wrap up. The end of the third book left us in absolute chaos with the city in ruins, Florence and Regan captured, and Blake running off in despair after a botched attempt to rid himself of his dragon.

I enjoyed the call back to Medra’s beginnings and the tie in to Briar’s related series. I enjoyed Regan’s redemption and the triad that formed between her, Kage, and Lysander. It was interesting to get to see the Dwarves more and to learn about their part in all of this.

Critically, I think that this book did what a lot of fantasy series’ do – rush the ending to wrap everything up neatly. I do wish that the series would have been plotted out more ahead of time to help the pacing at the end. Blake’s eventual love of Medra was such a quick 180 turn around and I would have liked to spend some more time with that struggle.

I adore Briar’s writing and I think that this is overall a five-star series. However, this wasn’t my favorite book in the series and I found my attention wandering quite a bit.

READ IT IF… 🔥
You think vampires are sexy and you like your fantasy dark and heavy on the romance. You enjoy an academic setting, and a chaotic plot.

[Lauren Ouellette · Rating 4 out of 5]

🔥 WITH HEARTS OF FLAME — Briar Boleyn 🔥

How am I supposed to just… move on from Bloodwing Academy now?!

Going into With Hearts of Flame knowing this was the FINAL book already had me emotional, but Briar Boleyn really said, oh, you’re attached to these characters? Cute.

This series has had me completely hooked from the beginning the dragons, the danger, the romance, the betrayals, the friendships, the morally questionable decisions… ALL OF IT.

I will say, I did struggle a little with the multiple POVs at times. There were moments where switching between so many perspectives pulled me out of the story slightly, and I found myself wanting to stay with certain characters just a little longer. That’s definitely more of a personal preference though, and it didn’t take away from how much I’ve loved this world and these characters.

And finishing this one as an ARC made it even more bittersweet. Getting to be part of this final release and experience the ending before it officially entered the world felt so special.

Bloodwing Academy has officially earned a permanent place on my fantasy romance shelf. I’m not ready to leave this world, these dragons, or these characters behind.

Thank you Briar Boleyn and the team for the ARC. 🖤

[abbeyrosereadss · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
Thank you very much to Briar and her team and Hachette AU for this arc!
This series means a lot to me and I’m devastated that it’s over! This is definitely my least favourite in the series, however it was still a solid read!
I loved that we continued to follow all our characters. All their endings made me emotional and one in particular was a massive shock!
Medra and Blake will forever live on in my heart… I love them so much!!
Florence…. You go girl iykyk
Neville my baby, he’s forever a fave animal in a fantasy series for me!

I really love Bloodwing as a series. Yes I believe the first 2 are without a doubt the strongest…
It’s still worth it for the cast of characters!!

Thanks again for the opportunity!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book had me completely hooked start to finish! This series just got better and better! There was so much happening on all fronts and I loved getting the extra pov’s. I even fell in love with characters that I never thought I would in the start of this series. And some of their stories brought the tears on for sure! It all wrapped up so nicely. Even though this is the last book in the series I am hoping that we may still get more Medra and Blake in future books.

Thank you to the author and HTP Books for the advanced copy.

[bookgirlieri X · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW courtesy of HTP Books, Briar Boleyn, & Netgalley.

Absolutely devoured this. The angst? The tension? THE DRAMA?!

How I wish I could read this series for the very first time all over again.

There are stories you read, & then there are stories that become a little piece of you. This series will always be one of those for me.
I’m honestly way too emotional right now because I DID NOT WANT THIS SERIES TO END. There’s something so bittersweet about reaching the final page of a series that has completely pulled you into its world. I wanted more. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters, their stories, or this world.

The POVs?! 👀🔥 I LOVED getting more POVs in this final book. Being able to experience the story through different perspectives added so much depth & made me even more invested in everything unfolding. There were moments where I was just sitting there thinking, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. That is all I’m saying because I refuse to spoil even the tiniest detail for anyone going into this series. Trust me when I say you want to experience it for yourself.

This series has everything I want in a romantasy: magic, danger, romance, tension, secrets, powerful characters, morally grey moments, emotional devastation, & enough twists to keep you turning the pages. It completely pulled me in and made me care far too much about these characters.

I’m deliberately not going into details because I genuinely think this is a series you need to experience without knowing too much going in. Let the story surprise you. Let the characters get under your skin. Let yourself become completely obsessed.

Because I will ALWAYS recommend this series.

Some books you read & move on from.
Some books you love.
And then there are the rare ones that leave a little piece of themselves with you long after you’ve finished.
This series is one of those for me.❤️‍🔥
Now excuse me while I go stare into the distance and mourn the fact that it’s over.😭

[Brooke Thacker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book I’ve been looking forward to since finishing book 3! I love this series so much and I am really bummed to say this one didn’t hit the mark for me.

Would I still recommend the series? Absolutely.

I love Briars writing! The first three books are incredible! And this one isn’t bad it just wasn’t for me.

Maybe mild spoilers if continued reading..
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A big relationship was changed out of no where and that’s where I first started to lose interest. It didn’t fit the story and seemed to be thrown in to check a box. If it had been sprinkled in throughout the series and hinted at then I would’ve been more for it.

Because of that it made me not interested in these characters chapters which was a big portion of the book.

I thought I would be VERY intrigued to see how Florence and Nyxaris could be together but it just made me cringe reading their moment. I’m not against them at all but it felt rushed and not a good build up.

Medra and Blake didn’t have me excited and giddy reading their chapters and moments like in the previous books.

I still love and adore Fluffins. The cutest additions to this story!

Overall this just didn’t go in the directions I thought it should and was an okay read instead of being a 5 star read.

[Yolanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 - ARC REVIEW

Firstly, thank you so much to Briar Boleyn for the opportunity to read an ARC of With Hearts of Flame. All opinions are completely my own.

I already know this may be a slightly controversial take, and based on the amount of 4 and 5 star reviews I’ve seen, I may very much be in the minority here. I genuinely hate giving this 2.75 stars because I’ve really enjoyed the Bloodwing Academy series, but unfortunately this finale just didn’t hit the way I expected it to.

After reading the prequel series and bridging novella, I was expecting an epic, emotional finale with huge battles and massive payoff. There were moments I enjoyed, but overall I finished feeling underwhelmed.

My biggest issue was that there simply wasn’t enough Medra and Blake. For the final book in their series, I wanted so much more focus on them, but with so many characters, POVs and storylines, they sometimes felt pushed to the side.

I also loathe to admit it…but I needed more Viktor. I really think his POV would have added so much more context and emotional weight. There was also a pretty significant moment involving Flo that I really wish we had experienced from her POV, rather than through another character.

Flo and Nyxaris felt a little strange to me at the beginning too, personally, some of it just felt too soon.

The “power triad” storyline unfortunately wasn’t for me either.

The journey to the dwarven city gave me slight Lord of the Rings vibes. Kazmyn also gave me Ridoc from Fourth Wing vibes, almost like he was there to be the funny member of the quest squad, but unfortunately a lot of the humour felt a little forced to me rather than naturally funny.

Rodriguez, however,absolute twat. Some very weird behaviour from that man.

I was glad to see Hawl again, and the mention of Lancelet being dropped somewhere else after she was meant to follow Hawl, immediately made me suspicious because…why mention her now?! Possible spin-off setup?

My biggest disappointment, though, was the emotional payoff. Some deaths happened incredibly quickly, while others felt almost skimmed over when I thought those characters deserved far more.

The ending should have destroyed me. I understood the prophecy and why everything happened, but I just didn’t feel there had been enough build-up for the sacrifice to hit emotionally the way it should have.

Then the epilogue introduced a trope that, personally, I really don’t think was needed.
There were still things I enjoyed,. I love this world, and I enjoyed seeing connections to the wider series, but after everything leading into this finale, I expected it to feel epic.Instead, I finished thinking......is that it?

I’d still recommend the Bloodwing Academy series, but for me this finale needed more emotional fallout and a much bigger payoff.

[Michelle (easy.vesey.reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"From the beginning until the end, you are it for me. You alone, for all my days." ♥️

This review is so hard for me to write because I loved books 1-2 so much, but books 3-4 just didn't live up to my expectations. Blake and Medra are my favorite relationship that has come from this series, but it felt like they took a major back seat in this book. And it's so surprising to me because this is the final book and I was expecting so much more!! Plot wise, I feel like almost nothing happened for the majority of the book. I know one relationship is going to piss people off for certain reasons I can't mention without spoiling. The spicy scene with Florence in the beginning was super cringe I almost DNF'ed the book right then and there. I truly feel like this book was just all over the place. I do feel like we got a solid ending but the build up to it was just underwhelming. I also feel like the spark and everything I loved from books 1-2 were lost in this one! Even though I didn't love this book as much as I hoped, Blake and Medra will still go down as one of my favorite romantasy couples!

Thank you so much to Briar Boleyn, HTP Hive, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!