If you thought the Bloodwing Academy series couldn’t raise the stakes any higher, The Wings That Bind proves otherwise. Having had the pleasure of reading an advance copy, I was fully immersed from start to finish. This is very much a five-star read and one I would wholeheartedly recommend.
This third instalment drops readers straight into the fallout, with fractured trust, shifting power and bonds that refuse to stay simple. Nothing resets. Nothing heals neatly. Instead, the story leans into consequences. Dragons are no longer just symbols of power, but forces that reshape identity, loyalty and desire.
What makes The Wings that Bind so addictive is how much is happening at once, yet how intentional it all feels. Multiple points of view pull you deeper into a world ruled by hierarchy and control, where strength is performative, alliances are fragile and survival often comes at a cost. Characters you thought you understood begin to shift, especially those living in the morally grey spaces between obedience and resistance.
Dynamics evolve, tension sharpens, and intimacy takes different forms, deepening where trust already exists, while elsewhere it simmers through restraint, curiosity, and what is deliberately left unsaid. Add to that immaculate spice, emotionally charged banter and a familiar Fluffin quietly stealing scenes. It’s impossible not to stay glued to the page.
An encroaching threat makes Bloodwing Academy feel anything but safe. It’s clear this isn’t just another sequel; it’s a turning point.
If you love dark academia energy, dragons with agendas and stories that reward attentive readers, The Wings That Bind is one you won’t want to miss! Briar Boleyn’s The Wings that Bind is set to be published in March.
Words by Johanna Düring
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