First time reading from this author, and I’m glad I did. It was so amazing. I love the creativity and the ability to come up with something unique while also keeping readers engaged!

I'm so torn on how to rate Blood Over Bright Haven, because, on the one hand, I did read a 500+ page book in 3 days during the holiday season, which meant I consciously snuck away from every other thing on my plate to read--and it's no easy feat for a book to grab me like that. And the magic system is one of the most unique I've ever read--computer science-based! Math and mapping! And it does it the dark academia vibe impeccably, with actual critiques of systems of power and a scholarly main character who deep-dives into theory, philosophy, the whole shebang. But there are a number of things that, because the aforementioned elements are so GOOD, started to grate on me and gradually lowered my rating the more I read.

But first: the good. M. L. Wang's worldbuilding is incredible and more than delivers on the back of the book promise. Sciona Freynan is the first female highmage in her city of Tiran, and she's determined to prove that she deserves her title. Tasked with expanding the barrier around their city--the only thing that protects them from the deadly Blight of the outside world--Sciona's path to greatness is constantly hampered by the men around her. On her first day, rival Cleon Renthorn assigns Sciona an assistant in a cruel prank -- Thomil the janitor, one of the Kwen, refugees who cross the Blightlands to end up in Tiran, only to be treated as second class citizens. With Thomil's help, Sciona makes great strides in magic...but also discovers the disturbing secret of their perfect city.

Like I said, the dark academia aspects of this book are phenomenal, and the first half had me hooked. I loved all the magical theory and how the worldbuilding never felt dumbed down or info-dumpy, but was still easy to understand. It's a difficult balancing act, but I felt Wang handled it masterfully. Same with the critiques of religion and discussions of philosophy; everything was woven in so naturally and wonderfully that when the big secret of Blight was revealed, I gasped out loud.

But as the book wore on, it sort of stagnated. Conversations felt like they went on for far too long, and everything didn't have that frenetic energy that I'd felt in the beginning. I think a large part of this is that the characters, other than Sciona, were flat beyond flat. As other reviewers have pointed out, Thomil feels very "native savage" trope in a way that got increasingly icky as it went on. So you mean this man forgives Sciona for everything she's done, like completely unconditionally? Not buying it. Carra, his daughter, is pretty flat as well, and the Kwen are just one large, faceless group beyond the two of them -- which I was willing to forgive in Sciona's very limited point of view, but less so when we got into Thomil's POV. I wish Wang had spent the time on developing the relationships in the same way as she developed the magic system, because the first half of this book was stunning beyond stunning. I am not sure if there are a few more rounds of editing, since I did receive an ARC, but I really hope that these issues will be fixed before it's in print.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Del Rey, and M. L. Wang for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is the first book in a while that had me hooked from the start. It was SO good. It has everything I love with a detailed magic system, great worldbuilding, and a touch of heavy topics like sexism, classism, and oppression. Sciona is the first female High Mage and such a relatable yet flawed character. Her fight to navigate a patriarchal society while uncovering a dangerous conspiracy had me rooting for her the whole time. And Thomil with his tragic backstory and constant struggles with daily oppression made their partnership with Sciona so emotional and compelling.

The magic system was amazing and super detailed. As a STEM girly I really appreciated the scientific approach to it which added a relatable and unique layer to the world. This is easily one of my top reads for 2024 and I would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy. 😮‍💨

M.L. Wang has become a new favorite of mine. She delivers this fast-paced fantasy with effective world-building that allowed me to focus on the characters' reluctant partnership. Sciona and Thomil's perspectives and experiences really make this fantasy world feel real.

Where do I even start? I actually ended up listening to this as well and it was PHENOMENAL. I can't even adequately explain how amazing M.L. Wang is as a writer. I actually cried a bit just thinking about Sciona and Thomil and the things they had to endure throughout the book. I think that the beauty of this book was in the way it could be applied as commentary for things we experience in real life but had just enough fantasy for me to not feel like it was too heavy. Thomil's commitment to keeping his culture and traditions alive touched me so much and reminded me that I need to do the same for my son. If you want a story that will hook you from the first few pages, pull at your heartstrings and make you seriously question humanity, this is the one!

I'll definitely be reading more M.L. Wang!

This is my first time reading anything of ML Wang, and this is certainly not going to be the last! What a nuanced, complex, and multi-layered fantasy. Love the ingenuity of the medium used, found it quite unique. What a book! I am now interested in reading The Sword of Kaigen next!

Rip my heart out why don't you!!! This was my first ML Wang book and it definitely won't be my last. The story was so captivating and the writing was beautiful. I really love a good dark academia fantasy book, and this was just done so well I was enthralled by the magic system and i feel like this book was easy to follow!

Having never read anything from ML Wang before, I didn’t know what to expect. To be honest, this was so far from what I expected the story to be. The first chapter was so incredibly strong that I didn’t anticipate the pacing issues towards the middle of the book. I was really interested up until 30% and then the story was starting to drag a little for me. Could it be that I disliked the FMC? Sure. But I really feel like the pacing slowed down at this point and didn’t pick back up until around 60%. The major revelation really gave me that omg moment we all look forward to, but the ending really left something to be desired for me. I did end up enjoying this but not as much as I hoped. I look forward to what else ML Wang comes up with.

Links to come.

I need to lay in a field of grass while it rains and sob. I need to stand on the edge of a cliff and scream. I need to take a baseball bat to a room full of glass. I need the ability to give this book more than 5 stars.
ML Wang wrote a world and story that perfectly depicts everything that matters and everything that is wrong. My mind will never be done processing this book, and I will be reading it again. Please read Blood over Bright Haven.

*eARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

A great book with a dark and unexpected twist. The main character isn't necessarily likable, but the story is very compelling.

♾️🌟

What a journey. After loving Sword of Kaigen (4.5⭐), I dove into this with very high expectations. Chapter 1 got me instantly hooked but afterwards the pacing and the plot lost my interest drastically. It was very slow going for me so I found myself reading other books in between. It wasn't until 40% through that the story completely captured my attention and refused to let go until the last word. It made the slow start absolutely worth it. I switched to the audiobook and that also changed my experience immensely. The narrator was fantastic. Moira Quirk breathed life into every maddening moment of this story.

Sciona's character development was so well done. I did not like her at first. She was so self-centered but after discovering the horror of the mages, her entire world got turned upside down and she began to see things in a different light.

Blood Over Bright Haven is everything I wanted in a standalone fantasy. This was such a timely, rage-inducing, heart-crushing read that deserves all the praise it's gotten and more. Please if this book isn't on your radar, go pick it up!

OH MY! This is one of my new all time favorite books and I can see M.L. Wang becoming a new favorite author. The atmosphere of this book was EVERYTHING. I also loved the themes/ topics this book covered.

🔥 Am I glad I read it? Hands down, this is one of the best books I’ve read this year and possibly the single best fantasy I’ve read. It’s freaking fantastic.

The first chapter grabs your attention by the throat and doesn’t let go. The last two chapters had me simultaneously on the edge of my seat and bawling my eyes out.

I’ve read some reviews that describe Sciona as “insufferable” or expressed some similar sentiment. I related to her so much, with her stumbling, growing understanding of the inherent violence of the city she loves. She’d long since perceived Tiran’s gender inequity and fought against it in pursuit of her ambitions, but her journey is to recognize the totality of Tiran’s injustice. I imagine plenty other white women can (or should) also relate to her.

Critically, so so critically, neither the narrative nor Sciona herself absolves or even forgives her for the terrible harm she—unknowingly, sure—committed. As I got closer to the end of the book, I wondered how Wang would close the story without falling into the white savior trap and consequently negate the impact of the story. I am so pleased and satisfied with how she accomplished this.

Incredible book.

🔥 Rating: 🖤 (loved)

Reviews on SG, Amazon, GR, and B&N are now live.

I had already heard a lot of great things about this book before reading it so I knew it would be good. This story drew me in from the first pages and it was hard to put down.

wow wow wow, another powerful story from M.L. Wang! this book drew me in with its detailed world building and magic system, but it really sank its teeth in me with its deeply thought provoking themes.

sciona is such a complicated and layered character, which made her truly unlikeable at times but so real and raw. her character arc throughout this story was gripping and developed in ways that felt believable. thomil was an easy character to root for and quickly became my favorite in this story. both of the main characters demonstrate such resilience and perseverance dealing with a lifetime of misogyny, oppression, prejudice, and discrimination. i appreciate that Wang leans into uncovering and understanding the grittier parts of life and society in her stories.

like the sword of kaigen, i will be thinking about blood over bright haven for awhile. M.L. Wang is definitely an author to watch!

How do I even remotely describe the impact this book had on me? I am not a huge fan of dark academia but if DA is written like this then I absolutely will love anything and everything written in this genre. The way Wang has interwoven sooo many themes without compromising the rights and wrongs of each, without downplaying the inherent discrimination even within minority groups while still highlighting the wrongness they have to face in one from or another is a work of art. And the climax did not simplify the solution and give unrealistic outcomes but neither did it end without hope. I am utterly floored by the craftsmanship of Wang and beyond highly recommend this work of brilliance

Blood Over Bright Haven is the first book written by M.L. Wang that I have read and has been one of my favorite reads of this year, if not all time. A compelling and addictive plotline with intricate and immersive storytelling, this book had me hooked in the prologue and all the way through to the very end.

This story has a lot that I look for in a fantasy: detailed and developed characters, unique and intricate magic system, heavy lore and world building, romance (just a bit), and politics.

Needless to say, I will be reading more from this author and look forward to what comes next!

THIS BOOK SLAPPED SO HARD! The beginning it took me a bit to stomach the MC because. could clearly see her faults and the way she was totally oblivious to them. It was frustrating! But there can't be character development without flaws, and I thought the way M. L. Wang addressed the themes of racism, sexism, power dynamics between "co-workers", and colonization was done in such a subtle yet accessible way... it was just chef's kiss.

If you liked Babel and thought "I want to read more of that" then pick up Blood Over Bright Haven. If you thought Babel should have been more nuanced and didn't feed the reader its views, then pick up Blood Over Bright Haven because in my opinion M. L. Wang did it better.

THIS. WAS. INCREDIBLE. M.L. Wang is a master of character, and I wish more books I read (even ones I hold in high regard) would have such intricate and complicated characters. Sciona was simultaneously relatable & impossible, and the fact that M.L. Wang can make me love a character that is at times so flawed is a testament to their mastery of the craft. More, please, yesterday, thanks!

Thank you publisher for the eGalley!

This book was amazing! Wang is brilliant, and I love everything about this book. She knows how to write nuanced characters and I am still in awe. This book made me feel all the emotions from start to finish. I love the characters (yes, even Sciona), the setting, the plot, the themes, etc. EVERYTHING!

If you love dark academia, you need to pick this one up!

I will post my full review on my Instagram page soon!