The Bond that Burns

Absolutes Highlight! Was war denn hier bitte alles los?! Leider ist meine ausführliche Rezi zum ersten Band irgendwo im Nirvana verschwunden aber Leute! Der erste Band hat mich schon komplett gefesselt aber der zweite?! Ich dachte mir fliegt gleich die Schädeldecke davon! Gerade das Ende...ich habe so mitgefiebert und geschwitzt! Die Reihe wird ja oft mit Zodiac Academy verglichen und das kann ich nur sehr wenig nachvollziehen. Ich persönlich finde den Vergleich ungerechtfertigt, weil die einzige Parallelen die ich sehe sind die Academy, der bully trope und teilweise die familiären Strukturen. Aber Leute ganz ehrlich, das findet ihr in jedem zweiten Dark Academia Buch. Ich finde diese Reihe hat ihren ganz eigenen Charme und einen außergewöhnlichen Plot. Kann es kaum erwarten Band 3 zu lesen!

An Addictive Read from Start to Finish This book got me from the very first page. The plot took off fast, weaving itself into all these intriguing threads and mysteries that made it near impossible to put the book down. Yes, some answers to burning questions took their sweet time, but honestly? Totally worth the wait. The twists towards the end of the second third? Chef’s kiss. I was so overwhelmed I had to stop reading just to breathe and mentally catch up with everything that was unfolding. This book wrecked my nerves—in the best possible way. Now, let’s talk Blake. Oh boy. At first, I was honestly frustrated with him. He felt like he'd turned into this arrogant, reckless Highblood cliché who threw all his values out the window. I even started flirting with the idea of joining the Kage fan club (guilty). But then, somewhere around the halfway mark, Blake pulled me right back in. His development? Stunning. I’m still speechless. My heart is not okay. And the spicy scenes? Oh yes, well-written and intense—but what I appreciated even more is that they weren’t just there for shock value neither overshadowing the plot. And Medra? Still her stubborn, confident, razor-sharp self. I adore her. Also, the bond between her and Nyxaris? Ugh, so good. That dragon! I legit wouldn’t know whether to run away screaming or drop to my knees sobbing from joy. Preferably cuddling him and Neville at the same time, tbh. Side characters? ICONIC. Where would this book be without Florance, Visha, Theo, Saeris' mom, Kage—and yes, even Ragen (ugh). She drives me insane, but I have to admit, her annoying energy makes for some excellent character tension. Thankfully, she’s way less present than in book one, which is a true blessing. And let’s be honest: she so had that coming. The (mainly) double POV worked even better for me than in book one. Medra and Blake’s perspectives were perfectly balanced. I was surprised by the few chapters from Florance’s POV though—while interesting, I’m not sure they were necessary yet. I would’ve loved to see a glimpse into Kage’s mind or even Prof. Rodriguez instead. Maybe in book 3? And the ending… oh gods. I did not see it coming. It had me wide-eyed, jaw dropped, riding the emotional rollercoaster like it was dragging me by force. So many things were left unresolved, and now I’m desperate for book 3. Like, someone please time travel me to release day—I need it. In short: still obsessed, will stay obsessed, and Bloodwing Academy just keeps getting better. Book 2 definitely topped book 1. If you’re thinking about sticking with the series: DO IT. Worth every second.