Sciona has devoted her entire life to the study of magic. Her aspiration? To become the first female highmage. Despite the obstacles in her path, she gets admitted to the High Magistry where her real struggles begin. Because she is a woman, it becomes clear that her presence is not welcome, her superiors going so far to provide her a janitor as a lab assistant. Sciona, not wanting to be embarrassed, accepts her new assistant, Thomil, and gets to work with her task - expanding the cities magical barrier that keeps them safe from the blight. However, as Sciona works with Thomil, she learns more than she could have ever imagined about the world outside of the barrier and how it relates to her every day life.

I need to take a deep breath before writing this review because I'm just left in awe. This was my first novel by Wang and I regret not picking up her work sooner! If I could give this book 10 stars I would. This was exactly what I was wanting in an epic, standalone fantasy novel. I enjoyed the fact that we start with Thomil's story and then switch to Sciona's story and then get to witness the two merge together. I sometimes feel that the sudden POV changes are too abrupt but Wang executes it perfectly.

What I think Wang does best here is allowing the reader to go on the journey of morality with Sciona as she begins to discover the truth behind her every day life. I thoroughly enjoyed how Thomil's character doesn't outright tell her she is wrong (from his point of view), but questions her in the academic way that speaks to Sciona. Through this, we get to piece together the bits of truth with Sciona in real time. I loved how there was no inherently wrong or right answer to the wrongs we do unknowingly and that we, as readers, can come to that conclusion on our own.

I thought Sciona as a character was brilliant. She was determined, focused, intelligent, and forward-thinking. I enjoyed reading her journey of self-discovery and her morality. She was frustrating at times, but Wang wrote her in a way that it made sense to her character and her growth. I never found myself not wanting to pick up the book because of Sciona's personality. Thomil was also so well written. I loved reading his and Sciona's interactions and how the two challenged each other in ways they hadn't been challenged before due to their heritages.

I am begging everyone to pick up this book, you won't regret it!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review

"Blood over Bright Haven" by M.L. Wang has been haunting me since I finished it a week ago. The story addresses themes such as colonialism, racism, class privilege, xenophobia, and sexism in a compelling and innovative way.

The protagonist, Sciona, faces the challenges of being the first female highmage in Tiran, a deeply misogynistic society while her assistant, Thomil, is a Kwen-born and barely considered a human under Tiranish law. Sciona is a complex character who grows significantly throughout the story, navigating her role both as a victim of the system and as a crucial player within it. Together, they discover a conspiracy around the cost of magic and challenge the systems that discriminate them.

The ending, the characters, and the intricate world-building continue to resonate with me. M.L. Wang has crafted a narrative that skillfully explores these societal issues while delivering a gripping story. This book, along with Wang's other works, has left a profound impact on me, leaving me deeply moved both times I've read her novels.

Dark academia fantasy at its finest. This book is an unsettling, incisive exploration of the legacy of colonialism, patriarchal societies, religious indoctrination, and what it means to unlearn everything that we've been taught. The main character, Sciona, is the first female highmage in Tiran, and faces a lot of the challenges that one would expect in a highly misogynistic society. Thomil, her assistant, is Kwen-born, and is therefore not even considered human under Tiranish law. Together, they fight back against the systems discriminating against them, while also challenging one another's beliefs (especially Sciona, who has a lot to learn about the world around her). The magic system is intricate, the world-building astounding, and as everything falls into place you won't be able to put this book down.

This book was really engaging! It follows the story of Thomil and Sciona, two people from very different worlds you end up discovering some hard truths about their world together. I found the world building to be pretty good, there was periods where it was lots of exposition but it also felt somewhat necessary to under the world, it is a complex fantasy world! I found the plot moved along pretty quickly, and it felt eventful, which I enjoyed. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to readers of adult fantasy looking for an engaging and entertaining read. I also appreciate that it is a standalone since so much of fantasy right now is all series I appreciate a good standalone!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an earc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Thank you @delreybooks for the physical ARC and e-ARC. I freaked out big because getting this physical arc was honestly a dream come true!

The vibes: dark academia, coding-like magic, stickin’ it to the man, underestimated protagonists, brutal truths

Look up trigger warnings!

I LOVED The Sword of Kaigen. I was curious how Wang would approach this new setting without epic battles and action, but let me tell you. It’s good. If you’re not into big battles, this book will probably appeal to you more!

Sciona is our main POV and a champion for women in STEM! She is ridiculously smart, driven, and aiming to become the first female high mage. Thomil is a janitor-pretty much considered invisible and a lesser citizen because of his race. He challenges Sciona to face her own hypocritical prejudices and beliefs as we learn that he is so much more than a quiet janitor. Sciona was FRUSTRATING, but her own closed mindedness was definitely a realistic and human response. Somehow, they end up working together to pursue magical innovation and truth in a world of arrogant, power-hungry men.

I don’t want to reveal too much but phewee, does this have some brutal gut punches. Wang captures sexism, racism, treatment of refugees, and religious superiority seamlessly. There are a lot of similarities to Babel (but different enough that if you disliked Babel, I don’t think you’d necessarily dislike this). But yeah, the author doesn’t pull punches- do not expect sunshine and rainbows here. It hurt so good 🥲 I loved it.

I never got around to reading Sword of Kaigen (It's on my TBR shelf I swear), but I decided to dive into this book instead. The magic system in this is unique and well-written. I love the main character and her very real struggles trying to accept and understand that the world she has grown up in and loves is not all it seems to be and that she and her people may really be the "bad" ones. I have a love/hate relationship with the books where you don't get the happy ending, but in this book the impact wouldn't have hit if the ending wasn't what it was. I can't wait to read more by this author now.

What a book! What a Standalone! I am thoroughly impressed. Lemme tell you, I reaaallly disliked The Sword of Kaigen, but I am happy I gave this book a chance.

This 446 page novel is very ambitious in what it has tried to do. I mean, first of all, it's a really cool story about a city behind a barrier, the only place in the world that's immune to Blight - an instant-death "sickness" that strikes everything living - plants, animals, people. Inside the city the mages live, who created the barrier in the first place with magic that was inspired by coding, of all things. The society in the city is very patriarchal - something we imagine the past looked like, but not exactly. There're two peoples living in the city, the Tiranish rulers (as well as regular Tiranish folk) and Kwen, the servant class.

The book deals with human nature. No one in the story is a good person, there's no "good group of people" and "bad group of people".
Do I wish Sciona was less ego-driven? Yes I do. But I also think it's a good commentary done by the author on what society allows men to be while ostracizing women for. Smth along the lines of A man is strategic, a woman is calculating; a man is confident, a woman is arrogant.
Besides patriarchal commentary (which I thought was done very well bc it touches on both patriarchal cultures of the past/less fortunate countries as well as some modern issues), there's commentary on classicism, on Us vs Them mentality, it's a commentary on good vs bad and everything in between, and how perhaps there isn't anyone good in the story because the road to hell is paved with good intentions

I think partially why this novel worked so well despite it's ambition was because it kept its location and characters really concise. Minus the first chapter, all we saw is just one city. And for the ~90% of story, all we saw was Sciona's point of view, with tiny bits sprinkled here and there by Thomil. They weren't my favourite pair of individuals but they fit with what the novel was trying to do. The only thing I wish is that there hadn't been a love story, OR at least if it was done a bit differently.

But what the book was trying to do - I think it succeeded in (for the most part, even if some social commentary I found a bit on-the-nose/annoying). But the plot, the story, characterization/motives were excellent. Now I am surprised at the inconsistent characterization in The Sword of Kaigen

Very deserved 4.5 stars. One of the most enjoyable fantasy books I've ever read, and it's just a standalone, and a tiny one by fantasy standards! And it doesn't need to be anything more than that. The story is complete and near-ideal as it is.

Blood over Bright Haven starts very dark with a clan running for safety but only two survivors - Thomil and his niece.
10 years later Sciona is testing to be a Highmage - she would be the first female to reach this level if she gets the position. Once she is a Highmage she is not treated well by her fellow highmages. They assign the janitor to be her assistant- it is Thomil. Thomil learns quickly but Sciona is competing against the other highmages who have banded against her. Sciona and Thomil discover an awful truth. They have to decide what to do about their shocking discovery.
This is not a pleasant place to live - they are elitest and do not treat refugees well or even their own people.
The book is very well written. The characters are well drawn but I like humor in a story and this world is just too selfish and brutal.

ML Wang has done it again!! What an amazing ride of a lifetime. The magic system she has created in this book is just WOW AMAZING. I will be buying the special edition to sit on my shelf and look pretty

Wow, this book was incredible! I cannot believe the ending. The story, the characters, the world, the female rage... just wow. I feel like I have no words.

Blood Over Bright Heaven took me by surprise. I went into it completely blind, knowing only that it had academia vibes and had heard incredible things about M.L. Wang. I did not expect to love this book as much as I did.

The book features a badass female character and delves deeply into themes of sexism and female rage—something I absolutely loved. When the FMC's world crashed around her, and her entire view of reality shattered, I, a woman holding a Kindle safely in bed, felt like my own world was crashing down. I felt her pain, her rage, and the overwhelming anxiety of "WTF am I supposed to do now?" This, in my humble opinion, is a testament to how good the writing is.

She realized her entire world was fucked up, and instead of sitting, crying, and going mad with the truth, she decided to bring the whole world crashing down. I couldn’t stop reading—it hit all the right spots. The (VERY SLOW) slow-burn romance and tension, the academia setting, the unique magic system, the ambitious and rage-filled FMC, the hot MMC with a traumatic background, and the character development were all brilliantly done.

The book is filled with discussions about sex and race, the oppressed and the oppressors, and breaking such a system. I really don't know what to say except that you should go and read this book.

ML Wang is one of my new favorite authors. Ive read hundreds (if not thousands) of fantasy epics, and I was so moved by how wonderful Sword of Kaigen was, that ML Wang is now an auto-buy author for me. I was thrilled to receive this eARC and jumped at the opportunity to read it early. I loved it and highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

WoW! Absolutely 5 star read. I haven't read much fantasy with a dark academia theme but I can't image it gets much better than this.
The story is about the mages who power their city in bubble (Tiran) with spells and magic. The main character, Sciona, is the first female mage in history and happens to be quite brilliant. Her skill as a mage rivals her mentor and all of the mages in the council she is now a part of. The male main character, Thomil, survived the gruesome trek to Tiran, escaping the deadly "Blight" that crosses his land. His people are the working class, considered by the people of Tiran to be sub-human.
The magic system is very scientific, unique, interesting and wonderfully described. I won't attempt to describe it or summarize it; it's too complicated for the likes of me to simplify! I did feel that I had a good understanding of how the magic and spell writing worked. I could not for the life of me picture it, though.

The book tackles so many very heavy topics. Misogyny and racism. How a society functions; the secrets of those at the top and the costs. This book is INTENSE from chapter 1 and never lets up. So well done.

Highly recommend! Thanks the NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

3.5 stars

So, for the first 50% of this book, I thought I was going to love it. The magic system was creative and intriguing (like writing computer code), and the MC was well written and flawed, and I wanted to root for her.

Then everything took a dark and dismal turn, and I wasn’t rooting for her anymore, I couldn’t see a good end to the story, and whatever end it was, it was fast approaching. I truly almost was hoping for a cliffhangar as the pages dwindled. But the MC continued to be unlikeable, and the world unraveled.

I know a lot of people like this type of darkness in their books. But I’m a root for the hero, HEA girl, and this was not that.

It's a shame because it was well written and had some interesting concepts.

Blood over bright haven is a must read for all. Wang tackles so many topics including racism, imperialism, supremacy and sexism in a brilliant way. This book leans dark and can be disturbing at times but it was throughly addictive and I could not stop reading.

The story focuses on Sciona and Thomil . Sciona is trying to make history becoming the first high mage. It is unthought of for a woman to take on this role as they should be at home in the kitchens and tending the family. After testing and proving herself to her peers they still want to humiliate her and instead of giving her an acclaimed assistant she is put with the janitor Thomil.

Without giving too much away this book tackles so many topics and is very fleshed out. You will find yourself rooting for the main characters despite their flaws. Wang has a brilliant way of making the characters very realistic and relatable.

This book was top notch in my opinion and deserves all the stars. You're in for a wild ride hold onto your seats. The topics discussed in this book also make it a great choice for required reading with teens. Well done again M. L. Wang. I highly recommend reading this one perfect for adults and teens alike.

The beginning was gripping and I thought “finally, this will pull me out of my slump”! But, alas it didn’t. I met Sciona and lord she was intense, too intense and unlikable. Don’t get me wrong, mad respect for her not wanting what the typical women in Tiran wanted but it was too full on. We get it now shut up about it! She damn near emasculated Thomil in every respect which made the hints of possible attraction very cringey (lion and mouse love match? awwww, nope!). I liked how the magic system was explained initially but then it became so system-heavy, everything focusing on the process, my brain said “nope, too much for casual reading”. Interesting premise, poor execution -wasn't interested in finishing. Thanks Net Galley for the ARC.

"Blood Over Bright Haven" is an engaging fantasy novel that presents a vividly crafted world and an intriguing storyline. The author excels in creating a rich and immersive setting, filled with detailed history, magic, and political complexities that draw readers into the realm of Bright Haven. The world-building is a definite highlight, providing a strong foundation for the narrative.

The plot is well-conceived, featuring twists and turns that maintain interest throughout most of the book. However, there are moments where the pacing falters, particularly in the middle chapters. These sections, while contributing to character development and world-building, can feel slower and may challenge the reader’s patience.

The characters are well-developed, with the protagonists displaying significant depth and growth. Their personal journeys are compelling, and their relationships add emotional weight to the story. Secondary characters also contribute meaningfully, though at times, their arcs feel underexplored.

The prose is generally strong, with descriptive language that paints vivid images without being overly complex. The author’s writing style is accessible and enjoyable, making for a pleasant reading experience. However, there are occasional moments where the narrative could benefit from tighter editing to maintain a more consistent pace and clarity.

Despite its strengths, "Blood Over Bright Haven" has some shortcomings that prevent it from reaching its full potential. The uneven pacing and occasional narrative lulls detract from the overall impact of the story. Additionally, while the world-building is impressive, some elements could be better integrated into the plot to enhance coherence and engagement.

Overall, "Blood Over Bright Haven" is a solid fantasy novel with many commendable aspects, deserving of a 3.5-star rating. It offers a captivating world and well-drawn characters, but could benefit from a more consistently paced narrative. Fantasy enthusiasts will find much to enjoy, even if it falls short of being a standout in the genre.

Thank you NetGalley, Del Ray and ML Wang for this EARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'm blown away by how much I loved this book. The beginning – the crossing – absolutely grabs your attention and the world building from there forward is so intriguing that I was hard pressed to step away from reading.

There was one specific moment in the book where things were finally made clear and I felt truly shocked – I'm certain others will clock what is going on sooner, but I didn't and I'm glad! It was such a big turning point in the story and it really set up what would unfold through the rest of the book.

I'll be HIGHLY recommending this one!

4.75 ⭐️

This book is so good!

M.L. Wang makes you care about the main character even when she can be selfish, ignorant and oblivious sometimes. But by the end you care so much for her because of her development throughout this book. Well written characters is a must for me to love a book and this had complex and very well written characters.

I really liked how the characters reactions to things and responses were super realistic and not written in a way just to be entertaining. Sometimes books just have characters react a certain way just to move forward but I don’t like when certain things get glossed over like that. M.L. Wang does not do that with any of the characters which made me love it even more.

The magic system and world building is SO unique, I have not read anything like this and it is done so well. Although it is an intricate and complex system, M.L. Wang wrote it in a way that was very easy for me to understand and visualize.

After reading this and Sword of Kaigen, M.L. Wang is one of my favorite authors and will read anything she writes!

This book was life-changing for me. I still fall asleep dreaming about it. Omg. I already knew M.L. Wang was an incredible author, though I am due for another reread of The Sword of Kaigen, but this book? Blood Over Bright Haven? Ethereal, stunning, soul-crushing, heartbreaking, world-changing. You have not lived until you have read this book, I'm so serious.

Let's break it down. Amazing characters with actual growth, complexity, and stories you can't help but root for? ✅ Check! Stunning worldbuilding where every little thread connects in the most gasp-inducing ways? ✅ Check! A unique magic system that combines spirituality, math, science, and technology? ✅ Check! Societal critiques of ethnic stratification, class inequities, gender roles, struggles for survival, and the ethics of power? ✅✅✅ Check, Check, Check!

Seriously, this book was such an enriching read. I felt like I was actually reading history about a real society that existed. I think fantasy is so much more powerful when it actually addresses real-world issues and problems. Because really, what is the difference between erecting border walls to keep out immigrants or putting up a magical shield to keep your city "safe from the outside."

M.L. Wang does a brilliant and nuanced job exploring the million different things that can make a society so fucked up. Especially after centuries of propaganda, suppression, and resource restriction. And our characters are so gosh-darn incredible in their attempts to do something with their talents and knowledge.

I could say a ton more, but that would lessen the impact of reading this work of art yourself, so go grab it! Now! Just please, bring a bunch of tissues. You will need them. And a cozy blanket. And some caffeine because you WILL want to reread this as immediately as you finish.

I devoured this book!!! The main character is breaking the glass ceiling and achieving her goals in a world completely dominated by men. Unfortunately, after breaking through the glass ceiling, what she finds on the other side is nothing she was prepared for.

What I loved about this book:
- Dark, gritty, real, and both depressing and optimistic at the same time
- FMC is 27 years old and has worked very hard to achieve her goals
- FMC is extremely intelligent and driven
- Unique magic system
- Interesting fantasy world