I recently had the pleasure of reading "Blood Over Bright Haven" by M.L. Wang, and I was thoroughly impressed. The book is a captivating fantasy novel with well-developed characters and a richly imagined world. The author's storytelling is immersive, and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat. The book masterfully blends action, intrigue, and emotional depth. Overall, "Blood Over Bright Haven" is a must-read for fantasy enthusiasts, and I eagerly look forward to reading more from M.L. Wang in the future.

This may be one of the best books I’ve ever read. So unique and interesting. I loved the magic system. The plot slowly gets going but once it does you won’t be able to put it down!

I read this because my favorite booktuber said this was her favorite read of 2023, and did not disappoint.
The magic system, the character development, the dark academia vibes, the social commentary. Top. Tier. Run, don't walk, and go buy this or scoop it up from your local library. Side note, my library didn't carry it but I requested it, and they had within days.

Do you remember the first fantasy book that really made you feel magic? We might not remember a specific book, but our TBR pile has been full of fantasy ever since. We're constantly in search of books that give us a hint of that same feeling. Some books might be just as good as those we first read, but without a fresh take, the thrill of discovering a new magical world remains elusive. And the more books we read the harder it is to find that feeling again.

All that to say that Blood Over Bright Haven is one of those books that made us feel that hard to find glimmer. First self published by M.L. Wang, in 2023, it will be re-released by Del Rey on Oct 29, 2024. It’s a stand alone fantasy, which we think works for the story. While we love a great series, we don’t love when authors push a needless sequel (or trilogy) on us, drawing things out because they know we’ll stick around just to see how the darn thing ends.

For us the best part about Blood over Bright Haven is the world building/magic system. Bright Haven is a community protected by a magical barrier from both the weather and a horrifying occurrence called “Blight,” which is basically when your body unwinds itself into strips. The founders who put this barrier in place long ago are revered, almost as gods. This is magical dark academia, and the academics here influence politics and religion, and consequently have most of the power.

The magicians in this academic community use a form of typewriter to help them cast spells, and they write these spells in a very coding-like way. It's obvious that M.L Wang spent a great deal of time making sure the magical rules were consistent and interesting. We've seen another reviewer of this book say that the descriptions of magic made them feel like they were in school. They meant this as a negative, but for us it was a positive. It made the magic feel more real, and also, we'd love to be in a magic school.

Unsurprisingly this system of politics, religion and academia, is male dominated. One of the main characters, Sciona, is trying to go farther up the ladder of academia than any woman before her. Sciona herself isn’t a completely likable character. She’s got flaws. But we like when a character isn’t sickenly sweet, who have to navigate grey areas, who might make the wrong choices.

One of the few issues we have with the novel is that, in a few instances, it was hard for us to tell if the narrator had a specific feeling/viewpoint or if the viewpoint was meant to be attributed to Sciona. One example of this that really rubbed us the wrong way when it was said that Sciona "threw like a girl," and the implication being that she threw poorly. We're going to give the author the benefit of the doubt because she herself is a martial artist, so probably can throw a pretty good pitch.

The other main character, Thomil, is a newcomer to this protected Kingdom. And outsiders are treated as lower class, less than human. Through Thomil we see the ways in which magic helps the upper class while the lower class is relied upon to do the dirty work. While working as a janitor Thomil is assigned to be Sciona’s assistant in a hazing “joke.” When the pair end up being a good team they are able to uncover some secrets about this boys club of academia.

For us Blood Over Bright Haven is a solid 4 out of 5 (that's high for us, we're very picky). The combination of academia and magical world building felt fresh, not just another story riding Harry Potter’s coat tails. If you're looking for a book to make you feel like you stepped into a world where magic is real, you should give this a shot.

TW: Sexual assault and violence

Thank you to Del Ray for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are our own.

Outside the magical barrier of Tiran lies Kwen, a land (and a people) ravaged by Blight. The Blight is a supernatural phenomenon that literally strips the skin, muscle, and organs from person's body until nothing is left beyond hair and bone.

Within Tiran's borders, however, is a land of magic and prosperity. Its inhabitants believe they have been blessed by God, and the Blight is used as proof of that; God smites the Kwenish people and their land because they renounced Him, but the Tiranish people prosper because they live in accordance to His truth.

The book follows Sciona, Tiran's first female highmage, as she strives to make progress in the spellwork that will be used to expand Tiran's magical barrier. Sciona is given a Kwenish assistant (Thomil), and together they make a breakthrough. As a result, however, Sciona and Thomil unintentionally discover the horrific source that powers Tiran's magic. Sciona tries to instigate change based on her discovery, but Sciona's attempt to make things right only uncovers something worse: societal complicity.

Blood Over Bright Haven is about power and oppression, faith and indoctrination, and truth and delusion; its themes are directly tied to Wang's world building and complex magic system, and everything ties together in a masterful way. Honestly, I think it's one of the best books I've read this decade, and I could easily see this book becoming required high school/college reading (or banned entirely, depending on where you live) due to its complexity and haunting questions.

10/10, M.L. Wang's newest book is a masterpiece.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into Blood Over Bright Haven expecting to find a new favorite book, but I ended up disappointed. While the magic system was unique, I’m not a fan of info dumping. I also found Sciona difficult to root for and really do not enjoy when an author does not trust readers to read between the lines — the book discusses important themes but they are too in your face.

Utterly magnificent. I cannot get enough of this author. I've already preordered a physical copy and will be circling back for their previous book. Fantastic work.

The book is great, very different from other fantasy books I’ve read, I absolutely loved the magic system, though it could have been exploited more. The book had a very strong start and then takes a turn in a different direction, not bad but it does slow down a bit. The ending makes up for some of the slower pace in the middle of the book. I would recommend this book, it’s a different kind of fantasy with a bit of theological plot.

Overall rating: 8.7/10
Unputdownable (pace): 4/5
Writing style 5/5
World building/ Creativity: 5/5
Characters: 4/5

Type: Fantasy, sci-fi
Romance level: 1/5
Bloodshed level: 3/5
Funny/laughter level: 1/5
Spice level: 1/5
Cry/tears level: 2/5

Absolutely in love with the writing, the characters, the worldbuilding, the visuals and the teachings behind each action or inaction of the characters.
The themes are absolutely amazing, the psychological issues and their impact on the human mind, spectacularly used.
The beginning was brutal, I cried so much, heartbreaking yet not uncommon nowadays to see a people disappear due to the greed of the "holy". It was exhausting to read of their greed, yet so important...I was enamoured with the author's portrayal of women and their internal struggles.
I will definitely be rereading this again some day!

This might be the best book I’ve read so far in 2024.
Great writing, AMAZING character development and the ending was well thought. It really made me want more.
Such a great and complex main character, Sciona I love you.

Thank you to NetGalley, M.L. Wang, and the publishers for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

4.5 stars

I am so glad that I got a chance to read this book. It was so good. It highlights conversations about women’s rights and diversity in this world. It follows two unlikely people connected by the truth that they reveal. A woman who needs to figure out what to do next.

I highly recommend it!

I enjoyed the magic system: I thought it was unique. I think Sciona's character arc was pretty good and quite believable. I did enjoy the themes but I thought they were too heavy handed.

*Blood Over Bright Haven* is a story set in a society which, at a glance, seems quite different from our own. Powered by magic, the city is protected from sickness and the elements and is ruled by highly religious mages and politicians. Magic is pulled via typewriter-like machinery from the “otherrealm”—a god-given source of power limited only by the technical abilities of the user. All seems well. However, similarities to our own world are quickly revealed. The “utopian” society is only perfect to those deemed deserving, while the undeserving are exploited, feared, and scapegoated. People who benefit from the system are eager to turn a blind eye to its consequences.

I would especially recommend this story to fans of R.F. Kuang’s *Babel*. Both are dark academia stories that share similar messages regarding society’s exploitation of certain populations. I would even say I preferred *Blood Over Bright Haven.* From the opening chapter, I knew that I would not be able to put this story down. I stayed up way too late finishing the book, then could not sleep as I kept turning the events of the story over in my mind. That being said, if you are a reader who prefers subtlety in your stories, steer clear. The themes of this book were very heavy handed, and the plot twist was fairly predictable. Additionally, if you need a happy ending in your stories, this one is not for you! I was *devastated*.

While not technically perfect, *Blood Over Bright Haven* has remained on my mind since I finished reading it and I have recommended it to several friends already. Please do yourself a favor and pick this one up when it releases this October.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC!

Please check content warnings before reading this book.

Blood Over Bright Haven is a steampunk fantasy novel with magic, and a dash of romance by M. L Wang. It follows Sciona who becomes the first woman High mage in Tiran. She is excited and thinks it will be the greatest achievement of her life to be in an institution that celebrates knowledge and truth above all. Unfortunately that is not what happens. Her males colleagues are against having a woman on board and as a cruel joke assigns her the janitor for her assistant. Thomil is a Kwen refugee living under the brutal prejudices of the Tiranish people. He is also the last of his tribe and lives everyday with the trauma of the crossing. When he is assigned to the Tiranish woman high mage, he doesn't expect her to keep him, and is surprised when she not only keeps him, but is determined to teach him as well. I highly, highly recommend this book and M. L Wang is now one of my faves.

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC!

This was a fantasy read. The writing was excellently done with the characters shining bright here. Sciona and Thomil are some of my favorite characters I've come across lately. The themes and world building are fantastic. The magic system was my favorite. It is a very complex magic system with a unique twist on how it is executed that comes across as unique and fresh.

Overall, it's not an overly long book with minimal slow spots. I felt complete with the story, and with a satisfying ending, I definitely recommend this to anyone who's a dark academia fan looking for something a bit different than what's currently offered.

This story started off soo well! Sciona being a woman and trying to break into a “man’s world” was awesome and loved she was going to prove them and everyone wrong that she could be more than a teacher or homemaker. The story was going so well until the magic, spells, and the science behind how everything was created and worked was like sitting in a classroom all over again but being taught in another language, that is what this story felt like to me. I was sooo bored and my eyes kept glazing over because the explanations were just so long, boring and I just couldn’t wrap my head around any of it. This is just not the kind of story I like reading.

If you like a story that teaches you about a new world with magic and want to use your brain to figure it all out like you’re studying then this is for you. However, if I’m going to use my brain this much during reading it’s to figure out the twists and mysteries in a story not this. I’m realizing more and more that not all fantasy books are for me and that’s ok. I’m glad I still gave it a chance.

WOW. After reading The Sword of Kaigan, I didn't expect M. L. Wang to ever live up to such a unbelievable story. But after finishing Blood Over Bright Haven I can, without a doubt, say that this book has become one of my all time favorite reads. From the extremely top tier main characters to the heart wrenching story that unfolds, this standalone is so emotionally destructive that it'll leave you gaping in awe of what happens next. Safe to say, M. L. Wang hit it out of the park with this dark academia, equal parts disturbing yet completely compelling.

TW: Racism, suicidal thoughts, sexual violence

Thank you to Del Rey, NetGalley, and the Author for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Wow! What a unique and INTENSE story. The magic system in this book is thoroughly explained, and I still don't get it - it is super unique and impressive. The author also tackles a lot of deep and tough topics like rasicm, classism, masoginy, and many more, and does it really freaking well. You get to see the growth and change of the MC as the book goes on, and I fully see and appreciate being able to witness a person who can grow to recognize and accept the truth around them. Everything about the story draws you in, and you won't be able to put it down. I also really loved the ending of this book, and can't imagine a better ending.

I'm 1000 percent impressed with this book and am very excited to get the new special edition coming out shortly. I will be checking out this authors other books ASAP.

Blood Pvee Bright Haven was a good dark academia book. The concept was unique enough and the flow and pacing of the story was well done. I enjoyed reading this story. It had many of the elements that I expect from a dark academia book, including morally gray characters.

When I first discovered ML Wang it was on the pages of Sword of Kaigen. It was a book I couldn’t stop thinking about for months. So much so that I was nervous to read BoBH because I was worried SoK was so hard to top.

Thankfully I got over my fear because BoBH surpassed SoK. The characters from Sciona to Thomil and even Renthorn were all so rich. The world she created was robust with a unique magic system unlike anything I have ever read.

This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time to come and truly believe it should be on everyone’s must read!