Perhaps closer to 2.5 than 3

SPOILERS, MANY SPOILERS, BIG SPOILERS

This plot has been done before, and better than it is done here.

I have a few major issues with this book. What the people of Tiran are doing to the people outside their city is truly truly terrible. Yet we are expected to believe that no one of Tiran, no one except our heroine Sciona, understands that? Even after she reveals the terrible secret to the whole population? I do not buy that. Otherwise the whole city deserves to burn. There are always "God says we deserve this" people, but there are also people who are not so sure.

What the people of Tiran are doing to the people and landscapes outside the city is truly, truly harmful. How have they not destroyed the entire world outside Tiran by now? They use a ton of magic, and the magic does terrible damage every single time. Look what we’ve done to our own planet in a short period of time, and our terrible practices are less destructive than Tiran’s. The math doesn’t work.

Also, Girl Power! Bad men! The messaging is not subtle.

If you are a Hunger Games fan, imagine that Plutarch Heavensbee is the hero, and Katniss and Peta provide a little assistance but that is it. If you are a Harry Potter fan, imagine that Hermione never becomes friends with Harry and Ron and she and she alone frees the House Elves. The focus is on the wrong character, and I cannot believe no one else helps tackle the terrible magic problem. The strength in many similar works is in people pulling together to end injustice. The people with the power must be involved, but so must the people suffering the injustice.

There is some good writing here, but as a story this book did not work for me. The first chapter is strong. Thomil and Carra should have been the main characters. Chapter 21 is also strong. The author does make a bold choice in killing her main character and in not pursuing the romance.

I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

This is a masterpiece.

Going in, I was expecting a dark academia fantasy. Now, that is technically what this book is, but I feel like I would be doing it a disservice if I belittled it to just a story. This was just so much more. It encompasses so many topics that are so unfortunately prevalent in the real world: Imperialism. Classism. Racism. Sexism. Capitalism. Religion. Morality. Ego. And much, much more.

Overall, I thought the way that these complicated topics were introduced and the way that the characters reacted was realistic, albeit extremely upsetting. Reading this was such an emotional experience for me, and I left this book sobbing my eyes out not only for the characters, but more importantly for all of the hatred and injustice in the world. M.L. Wang’s ability to deliver this information is unmatched and this is a story that I think everyone should read, as it simply isn’t just a story, but a reflection of our own society. Stories like this are so important.

‘Blood Over Bright Haven’ is so entertaining and well written. The way that M.L. Wang managed to deliver such dense and intricate world-building information in an easily digestible manner is genuinely a talent. I was blown away from the first paragraph because the writing style is just so elegant, yet engaging. I’ve struggled to connect to the characters in my past couple of reads, and that instantly changed during the first chapters in this book.

The FMC, Sciona, is a very dedicated person. She has worked her entire life to get to the point of being able to test to become a highmage, where she would be the first female highmage in Tiran. I wanted to root for her as a woman in a “world of men”, but she is basically the embodiment of white feminism. She has a lot of misguided, harmful views at the beginning of the book and is a very self-centered and, at least I think, intentionally unlikeable character. I feel like the development could’ve gone south, headed towards “white savior”, but M.L. Wang didn’t allow that and constantly held Sciona accountable for her actions and views throughout the story. We see all sides of her very complex character and the development that she goes through. I, personally, really appreciated where her story ended up going and the message on accountability.

However, although we were mainly in Sciona’s point of view, M.L. Wang managed to portray development and character description at an impecable level for the other main and supporting characters. The realizations that the MMC, Thomil, goes through were heartbreaking and, while I wouldn’t say he was a character who needed as much development and self-awareness as others due to the adversity he’s faced, no one is perfect, and his growth was also very beautiful to read about.

I could never hope to encapsulate everything that this story stands for in a short review, but I heavily urge you to read this book for yourself.

It is getting trad-published and releases October 29th, 2024.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this book!

History is written and controlled by those in power…and what you don’t know won’t hurt you, right?

This book is devastating. ML Wang does what ML Wang does…every single time. I have not been so absorbed in every single page of a book as I was with this, and Sword of Kaigen.

It’s beautifully written and beautifully tragic. The plot twist made me scream alongside the characters.

Book of the year.

Huge thank you to Del Rey and PRH for allowing me to receive an advance copy via NetGalley!

Y’ALL. I don’t know what I was expecting but this was so. Much. Better. I sacrificed an entire night of sleep because I couldn’t put this one down.

Blood Over Bright Haven centers on two main characters. Sciona, orphaned at the age of 4 and brought up by her aunt, has aspirations to become the first female highmage in the history of their city of Tiran. Thomil is a Kwen janitor who was condescendingly assigned to be her lab assistant by her misogynistic peers. The Kwen are viewed as an inferior race, and only those regarded as “useful” are allowed to remain in the city. This unlikely pair must then work together to not only solve a magical puzzle that has stumped even the most revered mages, but also break down the hard set prejudices and barriers that set them apart. They face many ethical dilemmas along the way, all culminating in what I can only describe as a mind-blowing masterpiece of an ending.

The world-building in this novel is the best I’ve read, bar none. I was fascinated by the detailed descriptions of magic and how mages perform their work. What could have easily seemed more like a college lecture was instead absolutely spellbinding (pun intended). I fell in love with the badass FMC that is Sciona, and the wisdom and strength Thomil shows in the face of staggering racism and unjust treatment.

I could probably write my own novel about how much I loved this novel. I wish this wasn’t a standalone, but the ending is so well done that I’m not too upset about it. M. L. Wang is officially one of my auto-buy authors, and I’ll be recommending this book until the end of time.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the gifted ARC!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I thought Blood Over Bright Haven was a fantastic book from start to finish. This was the first book I've read by M.L. Wang and it will not be the last. This is a dark academia, sci-fi and fantasy book that follows Sciona, the first woman admitted to the High Magistry, and Thomil, a janitor who survived the dangerous crossing of Tiran's magical barrier. Together they unravel a mystery that could disrupt the city of Tiran as they know it.

I absolutely loved the world building and magic in this book. I found it so fascinating and unique. Just when I thought I knew where the book was heading, I was thrown an unexpected curveball that left me speechless with my jaw to the floor. I felt so many different emotions reading the book, some were very unpleasant and uncomfortable, but I do believe that was the author's intent.

I haven't read anything like Blood Over Bright Haven and feel so lucky that I was selected for an advanced copy. I do plan on buying the physical book because I just loved it that much. This is one of my favorite books that I have read this year!

YALLLLLLLLL you need to read this book!!!!! It's fantastic!!!! Thomil is such a deep, great character. The world building is dark with a complex magic system. It's perfect for spooky time too! I have to share this little quote “The worthwhile run is never the short one. You know we're not running from oblivion, Thomil. We're running toward hope.” I'm crying seriously. The ending is gut wrenching. Please prepare yourselves!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read early in exchange for a honest review. I honestly LOVED THIS BOOK. This book is everything you want a stand-alone fantasy to be. Also, did I mention stand-alone already?! I know many people that struggle to get into secondary books, but love fantasy and this book is perfect for them! The beginning of this book SUCKS you in right away wanting to know more and to keep turning pages. Extremely well-written, beautifully developed characters. I truly don't know how M.L. Wang does it, but I'm ready to read everything she writes!

“Truth over delusion. Growth over comfort.”

Wow, I think this is my book of the year. Do yourself a favor and preorder this now.

I thought this was just going to be a good old fashioned dark academia book, but I was wrong it’s so much more than that. The vibes are a mix of Babel, The Poppy War, and Sword of Kaigen with a sprinkling of Scythe. The city of Tiran is protected from the blight by a magical barrier, but the city is becoming too big for the barrier to hold. Our FMC, Sciona, is the first female mage to enter the High Magistry (the highest order in their society). Here the men on her floor pair her with a Khen janitor, Thomil, to research magic for their border expansion project. In this society Khen are akin to slaves, so the men don’t expect Sciona to succeed, but the two form a unique relationship and uncover world changing secrets. What unfolds in this novel is a beautifully aching take on sexism, colonialism, racism, greed, racism complicity, and putting “God” and men before all beings.

There is a unique magic system at play here, and how Wang describes it to the reader is fantastic. It did not feel heavy and dreadful as some fantasy books world building can be, it was digestible and almost felt interactive from the first page. All of the characters in this are deeply flawed, Sciona is selfish, egotistical, and cold to others, while Thomil is quietly raging, straining to be free from his oppressors. The main characters challenge each other in ways that often don’t work in a fantasy novel but did here. The readers get to see in real time their belief systems ripped from under their feet and how they manage that. The themes of guilt and hope seep from these pages and make the reader anxious to see how everything panes out. The last 30% of the book was so good that I couldn’t put it down. I think the ending is a perfect conclusion to the story told and leaves the reader with hope. I can’t wait to my physical copy and reread already. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Intense, bold, and the kind of deep world building and explorations of power I can't get enough of. M.L. Wang was already becoming a name in fantasy but I wouldn't be surprised if this really blows up. Joining the chorus of people saying that I read the book in just over a day- for a book that's over 500 pages it just shows how propulsive it is.

Brilliantly written. M.L. Wang is the best-kept secret in fantasy. This book is perfect for all of the dark academia fans out there!

This book will stick with me forever. I’m having trouble finding the right words at this very moment and will add comments later. It’s dark academia with sci-fi elements for those looking for a mix of both genres. Just know it’s amazing and will rip your heart out. Just incredible.

I think this is the best book I have read this year.

Sciona is a brilliant female mage in a world of men who don't believe that a woman can hold the same role. Raised by hardworking women, she pushed to forge a new path for herself and create a legacy of greatness. When given a "lesser" Khen janitor as her assistant, Sciona find secrets long kept quiet and lies about their entire existence that are enough to break even the best minds. Sciona and Thomil work together to piece together amazing plans to show the truth and right the world.

This book was devastating and beautiful. It resonates strongly with so much of our human history and how we treat each other and looks into how hard those ingrained beliefs can be to break.

The world building was absolutely top tier and the character development felt so incredibly realistic. I just highly recommend this story.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for allowing me to read this early!

I was already a fan of M.L. Wang’s writing but this solidified it for me! The story telling, characters and world building are absolutely incredible and always leave the reader in awe! The book tackles some challenging subjects and does it in such an eloquent way. This is a book that you can’t miss!

"Truth over Delusion. Growth over Comfort. God over all."

-NO SPOILERS-

Blood Over Bright Haven is a dark, twisty, thought-provoking standalone fantasy novel. When the first female enters an order of mages, a story of family, heritage, women's rights, a warped caste vs class system, faith and hope come together to make this lovely reading experience.

I enjoyed many things about this book. I liked reading about this different magic system (though at times, pretty complex) and that there was action from the very first chapter! Our main female character, Sciona, is not your typical female character. I found myself rooting for her, then not liking her at all, then rooting for her again. I found myself asking, "How will I leave my mark?"

I would have enjoyed a little more background (details) on Sciona's history to really understand some of her early decisions, thought processes, and confidence.

If you enjoy a solid fantasy standalone with a super unique, detailed magic system, then this one is for you!!

Plot: 5
Characters: 4
World Building: 4
Magic System: 5
Themes: 5

This is officially one of my favorite books of all time. Thank you so much to the publishers for allowing me to read it before it is published again, I tore through this book.
I often find fantasy books either fall flat with their political and social messaging, or there is a glaring absence of any kind of messaging where one is appropriate. This, like Babel of RF Kuang, hits the nail on the head with both its fantasy elements and its extremely poignant, shocking and well-written political message.
This book is NECESSARY, especially right now as we bear witness to another genocide being supported by those in power. The narratives around colonization, exploitation, dehumanization and the lengths we go to numb ourselves to all of these things could not be more carefully woven through a fantastic and all-encompassing fantastical world which sweeps you off your feet. The characters each embody important aspects of our current era, and truly feel human in every way that is important.
I URGE you to pick up this book in any way you can, and tell your friends because this is soon to be a modern classic.
Review will be posted soon on TikTok to @bkrbooks

I was so excited to read this book because I've heard great things about M.L. Wang. This book did not disappoint. Thank you for the ARC!

The book is incredible. Hands down one of the most thought provoking, stand alone fantasy stories I have ever read. Wang had created a world that’s complex, with beautiful world building that manages to draw the reader in and show them how it mirrors our own ways of life. The discussions of religion, race, social class, misogyny, and power have left me reeling since finishing the last page.

The story itself is captivating: Sciona is a female mage in a world where only men study magic, but she’s smart and on the path to become a high mage, the highest ranking magic practice in their world. She has spent her entire life on her studies and magic and is eager to break the mold as the first female highmage. She lives in the world of Tiran where magic provides its citizens modern comforts (electricity, plumbing, transportation) and she is working to figure out a method to extend the barrier of the city that protects all of Tiran.

Thomil is a Kwen man who sought refuge in Tiran, giving up his family and livelihood to make it past the barrier. He makes ends meet as janitor but becomes her assistant by accident. The two build an unlikely partnership as they work on Scions’s project and she is delighted that Thomil is able to question her methods and help her dig deeper to achieve her goals. They two ultimately work well together and uncover some secrets about their world and magic that change things forever.

I won’t get too much more into the plot because I really think it is best uncovered as you read, but know there are dark themes at play and it will have your mind bending to figure out what exactly is happening behind the scenes. I saw myself in Sciona, wanting to believe in the science and her studies, wanting to believe in the goodness of people and ultimately was not surprised with how the story played out.

Vibes:
Unique magic system
Dark academia
Strong character development
Female rage

Content warnings: abuse, sexual assault, racism, misogyny, violence, gore

This might be the best book I’ve read so far this year. “Blood Over Bright Haven” isn’t just a book; it’s also a commentary on morality.

M.L. Wang paints a vivid picture of what it’s like to live in a society that values the few over the many. Throughout the book, you’ll start to question what it means to be a good person. Not just that—you’ll start to question what it means to be human.

The main character is inherently flawed, which is my favorite type of character to read about. Her character development is incredible. She’s constantly unlearning the societal biases that were taught to her as she’s presented with information that contradicts what she always believed to be true. It’s just marvelous character work from Wang.

The magic system is one of the most complex I’ve ever read. It’s unique and unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a fantasy book. It’s analytical and rooted in scientific realism and reasoning. Wang does a great job describing it to the reader.

“Blood Over Bright Haven” isn’t just an amazing piece of literature; it’s also thought-provoking and will have you questioning everything you thought you knew.

Everyone NEEDS to read this book!

Thank you so much to Del Rey and Random House Publishing Group for gifting me an ARC of this book before its official release.

Blood Over Bright Haven: A Poetic Review

In Tiran’s grasp, where shadows dwell,
A tale unfolds, both dark and swell.
Sciona, an orphan, dreams take flight,
In search of magic, she seeks the light.

With ambition fierce, through trials she’ll tread,
High Magistry’s call, a path she must thread.
But fate intervenes, with a twist of the plot,
A janitor named Thomil—her partner, though not.

Together they navigate secrets of old,
In a world of ambition, where hearts turn cold.
Through echoes of tragedy, morality's fight,
They wrestle with darkness, in search of the light.

An industrial utopia, both wondrous and grim,
Where knowledge is power, and shadows grow dim.
Dark academia whispers, in corridors vast,
As they unravel the future, and confront the past.

Wang weaves her words with a lyrical grace,
Each sentence a brushstroke, a haunting embrace.
With vivid depictions, emotions laid bare,
The struggles of Sciona linger in air.

In the depths of ambition, where dreams intertwine,
Morality dances on a delicate line.
Blood over Bright Haven, a tale rich and deep,
A gripping addiction, a story to keep.

So delve into pages where shadows entwine,
In a world filled with magic, where destinies shine.
For those who seek darkness, and mysteries crave,
M.L. Wang’s creation is a journey to save.

Transparently, I went into this book thinking that it was going to play out a lot differently than it did. However, I am NOT upset about it. Think magical realism in kind of a dystopian society but not....because this was clearly to be framed to model a sort of mid-century time frame. Honestly, the time frame was a bit ambiguous but I'm guessing what the estimate could be.

This was a story of social hierarchies. It was a story about how society is set up to truly benefit only one of those social levels. It was a story about selfishness, and ego, and thinking (or not thinking) about others.

This is not a story about a girl who is selfless and fearless, and always has the best intentions. Our FMC is flawed, through and through. But you love her. Because she grows. She's egotistical, mean, fanatical, defensive, and reckless, but she never does any of it because she is evil. She wants to leave her mark on the world.

The magic system in this world is heavy and dense. It's scientific and there is a lot of time spent describing it in immaculate detail that blew me away. Essentially, think of the magic system like the magic was performed by code and there are 100 people in this world that write the code. It was truly fascinating to watch this world build and unfold.

This story is nothing what I expected it to be, and I couldn't be more glad for it. The feelings that this brought forth were thought provoking and uneasy, but they are good.

I would recommend this book!