This is the best book I’ve read in 2023. Why can’t every book be this good! I wish I could give a 6 star rating. M. L. Wang is my favorite author of the year and possibly of all time! This story started off feeling like a dark academia with a fun magic system, but quickly morphed into something with a powerful message. I am in awe of this author’s ability to create a fantasy story that makes me examine my own life. Just outstanding. Absolute perfection.

Sciona had long dreamed of being promoted to the position of high mage and had worked hard her whole life. After being abandoned by her father she is determined to show him that she is worthy. She is determined to not only obtain the position but to be the first woman ever to achieve it. She finds herself unwelcome by the other mages. Instead of giving her a qualified assistant, she is given a janitor. During her research, she finds things that will turn her world upside down and undermine everything she has ever believed in.

At first this seemed like a book I wouldn’t usually run after but the synopsis really intrigued me. Wow am I glad that I was able to get a chance to read it because I loved it! This is a fantastic dark academia fantasy. There’s depth in this book and at times a lot to unpack but it’s so worth it. Just excellent!

This dark academy story has given us the exact tone of dark that I love.

The magic system is so unique, I love the female protagonist has great development throughout the story.

The magic is seen implemented in the magic tools and spells to make different specializations.

Good writing and great narrative where they reflect colonialism, misogyny, inequality, among other important issues.

I thank Netgalley for this amazing ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of Blood Over Bright Haven!

THIS WAS SO GOOD. This was, by far, the best book I've read this year. As someone who is just getting into coding, I loved the magic system and I thought there were a lot of unique elements. The world building was intense but still approachable, exploring themes of misogyny, colonialism, class systems, and racism. This was also one of the few books where my brain didn't try to skip over the epigraphs. I just wanted to be as immersed in this world as I possibly could be. M.L. Wang weaved in wonderful philosophical questions about identity, intent/motivations vs actual actions, and moral goodness that made me contemplate the character's choices and my own life.

I was a little bit conflicted about Sciona. I loved the passion, drive, ego, and how consumed she gets in her work. I don't know that she was similar to any character I've ever read before. But, she was very whiny and her ability to not read a room astounded me at times (I understand her entire world was pulled apart so I'm not deducting stars for it). That said, I was absolutely devastated for certain parts (no spoilers) of her story and I felt her grief like it was my own. So her whining was definitely warranted for parts of it and it was written well. I really enjoyed both Thomil and Carra, but I do wish we met more of the Kwen. I did get a little tired of meeting all the old Tiranish dudes. And I wanted to absolutely destroy Renthorn.

Overall, 5 stars and added to my all-time favorites list. This was a book that could have been 1,000 more pages and I would have been 100% fine with that. I guess this is my sign to finally read Sword of Kaigen!

This was probably my most anticipated read of the year and it didn't disappoint! I love the dark academia vibes and that the female main character isn't necessarily a warrior, but a brainiac. I thought the magic system was so interesting and really reminded me of the Magicians and Babel. The relationships built within the book are well written and I thought the narrative on religion and race were very apt and needed at this time given the state of politics.

This is one of the best books I have read. I loved it so much. I was sad when I sat down to read the last bit because I didn't want it to end.

I was immediately grabbed by the opening, describing the horrors of the crossing. Then we are introduced to Sciona, and I immediately loved her. I was rooting for her to become the first female high mage and to fight the old boys club (and hopefully change it or tear it down). I love her fierce determination. And the entire book kept me gripped.

I loved her and Thomil. The way they interact and work together was so good. Every revelation about magic and how Tiran is structured around it was horrifying.

I also love the magic. How cool is it that they use old timey typewriters for their spells? And that finding, sourcing and using the magic is like coding? Very unique system.

A new favorite!

Blood Over Bright Haven is one of the best books I read all year. It tackles conversations about misogyny, class, race, and colonialism with ease. The city in this story is the one safe place from The Blight, which attacks without reason or mercy. The people inside believe themselves to be God's chosen and any who flee to the city for shelter are second class citizens.

Thomil flees the Blight for hope of a future, even though he and his niece are all that remains of his tribe. Sciona is the first female high mage in history, with a lot to prove and the hope that she will be the one to expand the barrier of the protective city. As the two work together they uncover a nefarious plot that had me burning through this book. The magic system uses a typewriter like instrument called a Spellograph, which functions similar to a coding language. The book goes into so much detail about the magic, world, and society but is never bogged down by those details. I couldn't put this down and highly recommend this super intriguing standalone fantasy!

*Blood Over Bright Haven* is hands down one of the best fantasy novels I’ve ever read. It tackles heavy themes like sexism, racism, colonialism, and the ways people in power justify their cruelty under the pretense of religion and civilization. Be aware that the book also touches on sensitive topics like sexual assault, depression, self-harm, and the outdated treatment of women’s mental health—necessary elements considering the historical setting.

What immediately hooked me was the fresh take on magic. The magic system is uniquely inspired by software development, making it feel more relatable and grounded compared to traditional high fantasy. There’s even a handy glossary at the end that explains how the magical tools and spell components work, and the author excels at imagining what different mage specializations might look like in such a world.

Sciona, the main character, is not likable at all, but that's part of what makes her fascinating. She embodies the same racist and sexist views as those she claims to oppose, creating a compelling dynamic where you both cringe at and love to hate her. I won’t spoil the plot, as it’s something best experienced firsthand, but the story’s progression is thrilling and had me on edge the whole way through.

Overall, *Blood Over Bright Haven* is a must-read for anyone looking for a fresh twist on fantasy that isn’t afraid to explore tough themes. If you’re in the market for a fantasy novel that challenges you and stands out, this one should be at the top of your list.

M L Wang hit a home run. Thank you to the publisher, netgalley, and the author for this arc in exchange for a honest review.

Prose: This is an interesting one because it's fantasy and academia, but this is a very accessible book to read. I've read several academia books and this seems to be the least pretentious of the ones I've read. M L Wang's use of common and accessible language will most likely turn more people to reading dark academia and SFF.

Plot: She has such a incredible grasp of storytelling in a way that almost makes you feel like you're watching a movie. The plot was cohesive and medium paced til the last 30-40 percent, then it ramps up quite a bit. Without giving anything away, the ending was spectacular and I could not have imagined a more perfect ending.

Characters: Sciona makes for a great main character. She has so much development throughout the book til the very end... BUT my only complaint is I wish we had seen more Thomil and Carra, seeing as their journey was so fascinating and heartbreaking. I wanted more. As far as the other mages go, I think every woman knows those men in real life, and so every action that was taken by them was unsurprising, yet as in real life- disappointing.

Worldbuilding: Perfect. Amazing. Interesting. Zero criticisms.

In total, Blood Over Bright Haven is a god tier book for me. 6 stars.

This one is for anyone how has justified rage from academia, the workplace, your community due to boot heel of "The Way things are." M. L. Wang doesn't beat around the bush with "Blood Over Bright Haven" (Out 29 October 2024).

Honestly I'd rather you just dove in cold and didn't read my opinion. I devoured it at a feverish pace on a flight, possibly startling my aisle with my cursing.

Utopia exists, in a land with a plauge that strikes randomly and unspools what it touches. But there is a haven. For some. Shielded from the cold and the Blight the Tiranish people (mostly the men) enjoy a society with the comforts of magic. The Kwen, can come in and work the jobs no one wants, since they don't embrace the truth of God. Sciona is possibly the most brilliant mage to try to join the High Magistry at the University, a position a woman had never held. As the woman to become a high age her coworkers are not the best. A janitor, promoted to lab assistant as a joke, named Thomil exposes exposes her to things she has not noticed. Unfortunately, knowledge brings pain.

Reasons to read:
-If you have ever felt a spark of anger at the hypocrisy in anything and wanted to do something about it
-The pacing hits so well
-The different voices for the POVs show the frustration in different ways
-Crazy magic technology
-JUSTIFIED ANGER AND HORROR

Cons:
-Are the Kwens oppressed gingers...let my people go

This was the second book I've read from author M. L. Wang with the first being The Sword of Kaigen. I enjoyed her first book immensely. This book was enjoyable as well but not on the same level as her first book. I understood the themes that this book was exploring. Overall though, I felt like the story was missing something else. Maybe a bit of pacing. I found myself taking a long time to read through it. I didn't feel very connected to either main character, By the time the overall conflict was upon me, I just was like ok.

It's a story of dark academia but I just didn't feel super connected to the story or the characters. If you like stories of magic and themes of religion and humanity, you might enjoy this one.

Prior to reading Blood Over Bright Haven, I didn’t know of author M.L. Wong. Now, I will happily read anything this author publishes and can’t wait to read The Sword of Kaigen. I saw someone on TikTok put this on their “Wish I could read this again for the first time” recommendation list and I couldn’t agree more.

If you love adult fantasy, dark academia, and girl power - this is the book for you!

Thank you to the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for the eARC!

(4.5⭐️ rounded to 5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC! So happy to have gotten approved for this one!

”𝒯𝓇𝓊𝓉𝒽 𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒹𝑒𝓁𝓊𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃. 𝒢𝓇𝑜𝓌𝓉𝒽 𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓉. 𝒢𝑜𝒹 𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓁𝓁.”

An absolutely addicting & intriguing dark fantasy with an eye opening plot twist that blends religion, academia, morality, & mortality. The balance between living & dying at the cast of a spell in this utterly gripping standalone novel by the incredible M. L. Wang.

I was already in awe of the beautiful writing & world building from the get go. The descriptive hierarchy & unique magic system allowed for an immersive experience. The characters we follow - 𝒮𝒸𝒾𝑜𝓃𝒶 & 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓁, their character development was superbly written & phenomenally impactful. The ending was painfully satisfying & brought about a whirlwind of emotions that I just could not put this book down. I read the second half of the book in one sitting.

M. L. Wang is a masterful storyteller. I was so in awe of her writing and the beautiful display of words to tell this story. I highly highly recommend this book, it is a must read!

First of all, I was so into this book I read it throughout my 1st anniversary trip that's how unputdownable it was to me. Second, how did this not get picked up the first time around? The worldbuilding, the character development, the magic system???? INCREDIBLE. If you've been trying to fill the Rin void of a strong, powerful, smart, idealistic, REAL, gives no fucks female MC then look no further. I support women's rights and women's wrongs. This book will make you think, it will make you gasp, it will make you question everything.

This was absolutely fantastic. I love the world - the world building was easily understandable and still robust. I have not read a ton of urban fantasy and Tiran was fascinating to me.

I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

wow. I'm still processing but, this is definitely one of the best books I've read this year - and in a while.

it was hauntingly brilliant, with touches of achingly familiar societal issues. the magic system was unique & imaginative.

the ENDING.

my heart aches, but I know it couldn't have gone any other way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC of Blood Over Bright Haven. This fantasy standalone is about a young mage, Sciona, who is the first woman to be inducted as a highmage in the Tiranish society. It’s been getting good hype from other ARC readers, so I was so excited to get an advanced reader’s copy. This did not even remotely live up to the hype it’s been receiving.

The first half was incredibly slow and clunky and focused on the world building, and didn’t do enough to endear the main characters to the reader the point where a character-driven plot could hold its own. The magic system is unique and original, but I found that I just didn’t care about using a special typewriter to cast spells in an Industrial Revolution setting.

The pacing of the second half did improve dramatically, but the political and social commentary was SO heavy handed and lacked any subtlety. It felt very forced vs. an organic transition from naivety to open-minded understanding. Sciona’s martyrdom was also over the top in a way that didn’t feel cohesive with the rest of the story.

The reveals were not shocking in the slightest, considering the heavy handed foreshadowing and prior bits and pieces of world building we received beforehand. We get it, the Kwen are secondary citizens who the “white” people of Tiran see as animals instead of humans. It could have so easily been reinforced via actions without the pointed language and dialogue.

It’s very clear what message the author is trying to convey, and while it’s one that I whole-heartedly agree with, it could have been done in a way that left that reader incensed and ready to learn more, instead of “well duh.” While it did greatly improve in the second half, it’s not a book that I would recommend to friends because at no point did the writing or character development make up for what the plot and pacing were lacking.

Blood Over Bright Haven is one of the best fantasy books I've ever read. The book boldly explores heavy themes like sexism, racism, colonialism, and the justifications people in power use for their cruel acts under the guise of religion and civilization. Along with these themes, be aware that there are mentions of SA, depression and self-harm, along with an antiquated view of mental health particularly in women that is a necessary evil considering the setting.

The part that drew me in immediately was the fresh take on magical fantasy. The magic system is inspired by software development, which is super unique and makes the tone much more relatable than most high fantasy. There is a neat little glossary at the end of the book explaining how the tools and parts of the spells work, and the author does a great job imagining what mage specializations might arise in such a universe.

Sciona, the main character, isn't likable at all, but you end up both cringing and loving to hate her as she mirrors the same racist, sexist views as the people she claims to oppose. I won’t dive into the plot details because it's something you need to experience firsthand, but I assure you that the story progression is incredible and had me screaming all the way through.

Overall, Blood Over Bright Haven is a must-read for anyone who loves fantasy with a fresh twist and isn't afraid to tackle tough themes. If you’re looking for a fantasy book that stands out and makes you think, this is the one for you.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

This novel absolutely blew me away. I was incredibly moved by the end, and the underlying themes really hit close to home for me. If I could give this six stars, I absolutely would.