I was really looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint. I loved the magic system for spellcasting through the spell typer. Did I predict what the blight was before it was revealed? Yes but it didn't lessen the impact. I loved this book and will look forward to what this author writes.

This was a really intriguing read that immediately sucks you into the world. I liked how the magic was science based.

A problem I had with this book was Sciona…I found her a tad bit annoying but Thomil was sweet enough for me to overlook it.

ARC provided by Del Rey Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first M. L. Wang book though I now know I must pick up her first. What an incredible book. I fell in love from the first pages when we meet Thomil and the Caldonnae, and then again when we meet Sciona. What a force to be reckoned with, that one! Her drive, her determination, and yes, even her ego, were all things I absolutely adored about her as a main character. The way she came to realize her own biases as she worked with Thomil...we love to see it. I was perturbed by the sheer misogyny in this book from the Tiranish, but honestly, Sciona more than makes up for that if you know what I mean. (wink wink). No spoilers, but I did get misty-eyed at the ending. I immediately preordered this book to have on my shelves because I enjoyed it so much. Very easily a five star read for me, and eager to pick up another of Ms. Wang's novels!

(posted on 10/13/24 at 6:32pm via Goodreads and Instagram)

If you love dark academia, unique and complex magic systems, unapologetically fierce main characters, and beautifully written fantasy, this is a book you should pick up.

This book has strong themes of racism and sexism, as well as a few other triggers, so please read trigger warnings before you read. But M.L. Wang does a fantastic job of showing character growth and perseverance to both accomplish their goals and create a better society for those who have systemically been forced into subservience.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a great dark academia book unraveling the racism and sexism in this particular society!

One thing I like is that there aren't multiple POVs throughout the book--just two, and the second is used when it's needed, which works perfectly well. Sciona is an excellent, stubborn, and driven protagonist who is very entertaining to read. Her character development was second to none.

Honestly though, I still don't understand the magic system. I get how the magic was...well...collected....but I don't quite understand how it works. It wasn't a huge deal but not sure if I wasn't reading it thoroughly or what.

This was an absolute masterpiece. Five star read without question. This book made me think about so many things so deeply it was uncomfortable and enjoyable all at the same time. I have already recommended it to multiple people.

So damn good! I couldn't put it down and was obsessed! I need more from this author stat! I loved this! 5 stars!

This was so incredible and different. Truly a hard five star read for me. I absolutely devoured it and the story telling is truly next level. There’s not been that many books this year where I keep thinking about them and am blown away, and this very much falls under that umbrella. Just amazing.

This starts off with a bang and rarely lets up. If you love reading about a fairly unlikable main character in a very unlikable world, you will love this. The world and the people in it are infuriating, and our main character goes through a journey that takes her from one of the most obnoxious main characters I’ve ever read, to one of my favorites. This was a truly great read. Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. My Goodreads review has already been published!

M.L. Wang wrecked me (in a good way) with Sword of Kaigen, but she DEVOURED me with Blood Over Bright Haven! How she manages to top the masterpiece of Sword of Kaigen astounds me. But what she does best is weaving a narrative that is both emotionally charged and thought-provoking, using characters with complex backstories to further drive the plot. The world-building is fantastic with a magic system that feels entirely fresh and unique. The magic, which operates like a mathematical equation, sets this world apart from typical fantasy settings and lends the book a dark academia atmosphere perfect for autumn and winter reads. I seriously don't know anyone who hasn't loved this book as it is a masterclass in storytelling. M.L. Wang isn't afraid to write gut-wrenching, honest stories, and this book proves that she is one of the best at what she does.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing and Del Ray for this advanced copy of Blood Over Bright Haven.

ML Wang has absolutely done it again with this incredible book. On the surface, this book is about Sciona trying to gain recognition for her bright mind as a mage in a male-dominated field. But keep reading! This book is so much more. This is about a culture and country choosing to overlook the systemic racism and inequality within their system. Tiran is built on the blood, sweat, tears, and the backs of entire group of people viewed as “less than” and slaves. Hmmm sounds familiar here in the States.

Thomil and Sciona forge together the most unlikely friendship as she is forced to work with the janitor as an assistant. Sciona struggles internally with achieving the dream of becoming a great mage while coming to knowledge the deadly secrets of her society’s magic.

Though I found problems with the book, this is a prime example of how an imperfect book can, in fact, be 5⭐️. It has been over a month since I’ve finished this novel, and it has not left my mind. ML Wang can absolutely gut her reader for the greater good of the plot without remorse. I would probably rate her grocery list 5⭐️ at this point!

Blood Over Brighthaven by M.L. Wang

⭐️: 4.5/5

I was not expecting the storyline form the blurb- tbh it is so much better than the blurb and I would’ve been even more inclined than I was to want to read it.

This is really a story about racism and the effects it has on society and the physical world. Wang’s writing is excellent and her magic system is really unique- I can already see a lot of writers wanting to use it! It’s a mix of science, math, and maybe cartography!

Her FMC is relatable to me because of her ambition. I don’t think we get to see too many women depicted with ambition in a way that’s both positive and negative. This one nails it. It’s a double edged sword.

TW: racism, slight gore, slight homophobia

Approx. 440 pages

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for making ML Wang's book available via NetGalley. They have had no influence on my review.

I've been a fan of speculative fiction for as long as I've been reading on my own. BoBH's synospsis appealed to me because it is fantasy with a mystery to solve. I didn't realize it had been self-published last year, so this is my first time reading it. At first, I appreciated that that number of POVs was limited. However, since the story focused on the subjugation of an entire race, I wish more of them had been more prominent in the story. In fact, I might have preferred that the main POV was Thomil or Carra instead of Sciona.

This story might appeal to people who enjoy a more scientific approach to magic, as is found in the Foundryside trilogy (by Robert Jackson Bennett). However, the darkness also reminds me of "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" and Fullmetal Alchemist.

The story gripped me and I had to keep reading to find out what happened. Some of the "secrets" were predictable, though that may be due to my own cynicism and probably by authorial intention. The ending, however, was a surprise. It felt darker and more realistic than I might expect based on my experiences with other stories, but it felt right.

If I could change anything, I would have edited out the one character who is a very cliche villain. The story worked better when it was grayer instead of black and white. Still, I enjoyed reading it and will seek out other books by the same author.

There are some books that build a world that is alien to us and some that pull at the core of all that is rotten in our own, dress it up, and then slowly unravel it for all the world to see. Blood Over Bright Haven is the second kind of book.

Wang has a gift for pacing, characterization, and dressing up hard truths in absolutely beautiful prose. Her understanding of what makes people tick, and what hopes and denials they might cling to when their worldviews are threatened, is unparalleled, and her gift for storytelling is up there with the likes of Jemisin and Kuang.

Blood Over Bright Haven is a stunning force of a book about the dangers of unquestioned doctrine, unchecked misogyny, the horrors of colonialism and the systems of oppression that it creates, and the evils nurtured by pride and denial. It is not only an excellent entry into the dark academia genre, but also very much the kind of story that the world needs right now.

⌨️🩸ARC REVIEW 🩸⌨️

Blood Over Bright Haven By M. L. Wang
5/5 ⭐

It's hard to even put into words how much I recommend this book. This is my 136th book of the year, and, right now, it's my favorite. Do yourself a favor, and read it.

The story follows a woman trying to break the glass ceiling and become the first female highmage. Along the way, she uncovers dark truths others would rather stay buried. The magic system is so interesting - its like spellcast coding.

Please read if you like the following:
🪄 Intelligent, driven main characters
🪄 Fighting for social justice
🪄 Interesting, 'logical' magic systems
🪄 Fully realized female rage

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the advanced copy of this fantastic novel.

🏷️#netgalley #delrey #bloodoverbrighthaven #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #books #booklover #bookworm #bookstagrammer #reading #bookish #bookaddict #booknerd

I did not like the writing style. I felt like I was thrown into a story that had things going on, which I didn't understand. Maybe a guide would've helped. Like what is the Blight?! What are some of these terms mentioned? Snow lions? Are they shifters? And where is Thomil going and why are these people dying? Why are they going extinct? From rivals or from the Blight?!

The idea of there being direwolves, snow lions etc was actually really cool and different tribes of people.

"The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever, in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen.

For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry.

When Sciona finally passes the qualifying exam and becomes a highmage, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome - and, instead of a qualified lab assistant, they give her a janitor.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was not always a janitor. Ten years ago, he was a nomadic hunter who lost his family on their perilous journey from the wild plains to the city. But now he sees the opportunity to understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the privileged in power.

At first, mage and outsider have a fractious relationship. But working together, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever - if it doesn't get them killed first."

NEVER underestimate a janitor! NEVER!

I just don’t think I’m a dark academia girl. I love ML Wang’s writing and Sword of Kaigen may be my top read of this year so I was excited to get an ARC of this one. But man, the world building in this book is crazy. The magic system is unique but it takes a long time to understand it. And I got a bit bored. It was also kind of predictable. I will keep reading whatever she puts out but this one is just not my fave.

This book so good! Sciona is a bright Mage who lives for her work. When she gets an assistant named Thomil, everything that Sciona has ever believed is turned upside down. This is a unique, high fantasy story that is heavily political but in a good way. Highly recommended!

Exquisitely dark, this one, darker than I usually prefer. It didn't make me feel good, but it was so well-done--and so different--I can't help but rate it highly. I checked out the author's blog post from last year when she self-published it, and it sounds like it didn't make her feel good either, but she needed to write it to get it out of her head. I'm glad it's been picked up by a traditional publishing house, not because that legitimizes it in any way, but because she'll get a wider readership.
The protagonist and magical system were particularly different--Sciona had a lot of biases and lacked empathy for a good portion of the book, but she was also believably written with the ability to examine herself and change her mind. Her choices yielded questionable and sometimes horrific results (and also made me want to fall to my knees and wail), but I appreciated her fallibility. The big reveal of the book was something I didn't figure out, but I think people who read more closely might. I prefer the gut punch I got, and the anticipation I experienced for the rest of the book--how will she fix this? I liked Thomil, the other main character, a lot, although I couldn't love the harshness of the Kwen religion, which regards intentions as meaningless. When taken to its logical end, it's just a horrible philosophy, but I see why Wang had it in the book. The book manages to address racism, sexism, class conflict, and toxic religious beliefs without feeling like the author was working off a checklist. I could see the representation of ills in the real world without feeling hammered with it. There's also a very good representation of the fallout of horrible decisions made by people with good intentions who are trying to right a wrong, although I don't know if that part was the author's intention or just my interpretation. I don't know what better alternatives there were for Sciona either. I was anticipating her second move (her "final word"), and I kind of wished she'd only done that, but I don't know if it would have been enough to bring about change.
A worthwhile read by a talented author. Just keep something lighthearted in reserve for when you're done. My next read will be a romance.