WOW. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

I applied for this ARC because I thought the title and cover were interesting. I had no idea this was a dark fantasy or anything regarding the story - I went in completely blind. I actually recommend reading it that way. This book is HEAVY, but I could NOT put it down. M L Wang has a masterpiece with this one.

The magic is something so unique - I’ve never seem anything like it before. The characters are interesting and the world is fascinating. I don’t want to really say much more beyond that because I want people to have the experience I had - one of complete surprise, intrigue, and sitting on the edge of your seat.

1000/10 recommend!

Wow. What a book. The premise and storyline are absolutely fascinating. Sciona comes across as such an unlikeable character but redeems herself. I would love to know how the story continues.

Another new to me author who is now be an auto buy author! WOW! I love a good standalone fantasy book and this had everything! Hooked from start to finish. Will definitely be adding a shelf trophy to my collection and rereading very soon. So good.

Lots of good here, but a slow connection speed, if you see what I'm saying. I did literally fall asleep with 25 minutes left to read, for what that's worth.

The easiest 5 stars I've ever given. This book made me feel such a huge range of emotions. I will never get over this book. Fans of dark academia, magical fantasy worlds, and dynamic and imperfect characters will adore this book. But be warned - it is not a lighthearted read and will likely rip your heart out like it did mine.

Ultimately, what sucked me in was the parallels that can be made for females in STEM-related fields. As a woman with a hefty STEM background, I felt the rage that our FMC Sciona felt to my core. This, and so many deeply relevant topics to today's world were addressed in this book (racism, sexism, religious violence just to name a few). I'm blown away by M.L. Wang's ability to so eloquently deliver some seriously impactful deeper meanings in this book.

This was heartbreakingly beautiful and enraged me in the best of ways. I feel like I could write an entire wall of text on this book, but I'll end my gushing here. M.L. Wang, you are a genius and I love this book with my whole heart.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for an ARC of this book.

It was slow in the beginning but once it got started, I couldn’t stop reading. Definitely themes that could be applied to real life now.

This book was amazing!

The dark academia! The characters! The writing!

Just all of it A++

I got this book as an arc from NetGalley

This book was amazing! It was way better than I expected. I loved Sciona. I loved Thomil. There were so many moments that made me cringe, specifically when Sciona couldn't see past her conditioning and the manipulation, but that society was built to foster conformity. I really enjoyed witnessing her growth, however. Thomil's character was written very well too! I would wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone how wants to read a fantasy/sci-fi with extremely relevant themes and messages.

Goodreads review 5/08

Thank you Random House publishing and Netgalley for the eArc of Blood over Bright Haven.
5/5⭐️

While this book was a little different than the usual genre that I read, I thought it was amazing. I really loved the opening story and how it immediately got me hooked. I had to keep reading to find out more, it was just so intriguing. It was a little hard in the beginning to connect with the main character, Sciona but it got easier as the story went on. I really enjoyed how the ending felt very full circle by finishing and beginning with Thomil's journey. Overall I thought it was great and I encourage everyone to give it a try.

Review posted to Goodreads:

This is hands down my favorite book of the year, and probably my favorite in a while! From start to finish, I was completely hooked. The magical system is fascinating and so well thought out—it adds so much depth to the story.

I absolutely loved Sciona and her dynamic with Thomil. She's such an imperfect character, and that's what makes her so compelling. Wang did an amazing job creating a world and characters that stick with you long after you finish reading.

Read it! Just do it!

10/10! I highly recommend. This book started off making me cry. There were times I hated the FMC and then loved her at the end. Very intriguing plot. The magic system is well thought out!

This book was good, but it had a slow start in my opinion. There was so much information that had to be given in order to really understand the story & what was happening. The world building was fabulous, I really enjoyed that aspect of it and it was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Honestly, the book just wasn’t for *me* but I still think it is a great story.

Thank you to #netgalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Blood Over Bright Haven By M.L. Wang is a dark academic fantasy set in the city of Tiran.
Sciona Freyman has been elected the first female highmage. The station is considered the wrong place for women who should only be allowed to teach it not be a mage. Still, Sciona is so talented that she can't be ignored and get the position. I'd compare a high mage to being both a scientist and the clergy. In an attempt to humiliate her, they assign the Kwen janitor Thomil to be her assistant.
The Kwen are the racially discriminated against members. of tribal societies outside of Tiran. Many of the Kwen escape to Tiran to survive the blight.
Thomil and Sciona spend a lot of time arguing about magic, science, racism and religion. It was a bit much for me. The set up took a good third of the book explaining the very scientific magic system. I think this and the preachiness of it lost me. The ending also made me mad without giving anything away there is no HEA here. While I like dystopian occasionally this story went too far into the dark.
Thank you to Netgally for this arc. This review was given voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

I had the opportunity to read Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang before its release! 🩸✨

My understanding is that this book was released in 2023, but will be traditionally published on October 29, 2024. This is my first read by M.L. Wang!

Our story finds us in a world where male mages rule. Scionia, our FMC, becomes the first female highmage to ever work for the prestigious University of Magics and Industry. However, her journey is one filled with elitism, sexism, and racism. It was quite difficult to read the way in which the male characters expressed their ideas about the roles females should play in society.

My one complaint was that Scionia spoke to our MMC, in a manner that made it hard for me to cheer for her success. She worked so hard to overcome inequality, but made the same type of offensive assumptions/comments. However, her character is meant to be flawed and I do believe we watch her grow in other areas.

I did NOT expect the ending and enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the first! The way in which magic was used was different from other books I have read and I really enjoyed how spells were written and performed. I believe readers of who enjoy dark academia would enjoy this one!

While there is not a trigger warning list, it does discuss death, sexual assault, and some other topics that may be difficult for readers.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for providing an ARC!

After reading this wonderful standalone dark academia/fantasy, I can see why M.L. Wang is praised for The Sword of Kaigen. The writing style is *chef’s kiss* 🤌🏽. I fully intended to read The Sword of Kaigen after this.

This book tackles a lot for being a standalone! I only docked one star due to the societal issues being so heavy handed at times. Overall pacing was good, but there were portions that were hard for me to get through.

The world building and magic system are both wonderfully unique and fascinating. I loved that the characters had depth with their passions and flaws. Especially loved when Sciona started to realize her own problematic behavior in an attempt to correct it.

Highly recommend reading this book, just be aware that this is not a light read!

Blood Over Bright Haven is a unique fantasy with a setting and magic system, unlike anything I've ever read about before. Tiran is a magical city under a dome, protecting its citizens from the Kwen, a land ravaged by a dark force called Blight. Sciona Freynan aspires to become the first female highmage - a tough feat in Tiran, which has never had one before. Along her journey, she meets Thomil, a Kwen who came from the other side of the dome, and he ends up helping her accomplish more than she could've imagined.

All of these elements were intriguing, especially the setting. I felt like a citizen of Tiran the second we stepped foot there in the story. Sciona's studies of magic felt strongly rooted in reality as well; the magic system was akin to computer coding. Everything felt fresh and exciting, and I'd recommend it to readers feeling jaded with classic fantasy tropes and magic.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the book because I wanted a more well-rounded cast of characters to follow. I also hoped the characters we followed would evolve as time passed, but they felt stagnant and stuck in their respective boxes. This book has strong themes revolving around feminism and oppression, which I would have enjoyed, except I thought there was a lack of trust in the readers to understand what was happening. I felt I was constantly reminded that Sciona's motivations were feminist, and Thomil's actions were because he's Kwen, and the Kwen are famously oppressed in all of Tiran.

I believe if the story were more concise, probably about 100 to 200 pages shorter, then this would not have been an issue. I found that for my taste, there were too many long monologues that were very repetitive.

Overall, I think this would be great for readers looking to get into the fantasy genre and anyone who enjoys unique settings and magic systems. Also, the new cover is stunning, so I think this would be perfect to add to a fantasy collection if you're into collecting books!

Words cannot describe how much I loved this book. This is the best book I’ve read in 2024 and I’ve read a lot of books so far this year, this completely blew it out of the park for me!

I feel like the Author really started the book out strong, you immediately feel the immense danger of the crossing, and the grief that comes with those lost on that journey. I think it right away gives you a look into the society there and who is really important to the people in power.

Sciona was instantly a character I knew I could relate with, she’s a little too intense when it comes to the things she cares about but that ultimately is her greatest strength. I was constantly inspired by her convictions when it came to her morals but also the fact that she had the ability and the want for others to change her mind, her compassion for others may not always be selfless but she shows it through the entire book no matter what.

Thomil was always just down to hang which I loved, he was intense and stern and protective, but he held his ground when it came to what he thought was right, and while he accepted his circumstances for what they were, I think ultimately he knew with the help of a little Mage with green eyes, things would change possibly for the better.

I did not expect the ending but somehow it turned out to be perfect, perfectly heartbreaking, but ultimately where I think it needed to go to keep the story true to itself.

Thank you to M.L. Wang, for this incredible work of art, I loved it so much I pre-ordered the book about 30% in and I am so excited to get my psychical copy!

Huge Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for my free ebook copy of “Blood Over Bright Haven” 5/5⭐️

I received this advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Pub Date: Oct 29th, 2024.

“The brightest meadows grew from dead things.”

When I saw that this was 5 stars on Netgalley after 130 people reviewed it, I knew it was going to be something.

Everything about this book was unique. The way that Wang created this world and magic system blew mind. Its unlike anything I’ve ever read, yet her writing and descriptions made it easy to understand and visualize.

The characters and plot are dynamic and raw. The story dives into some deep topics like elitism, racism, systemic oppression and misogyny. You’ll also see a surprising amount of insight into religion and what it means to be a good person but also how it easy it is to manipulate. This book GOES THERE and doesn’t back out.

The ending is so emotional and intense. After our MC is hit with revelation after revelation, she takes matters into her own hands and the twists are jaw dropping.

This book is BOLD and will definitely leave you in your thoughts.

For my romantasy readers, I say give this a shot. There is no spice, it firmly stays in the fantasy genre, but I promise, this is a story worth reading.

Imaginative and unique world building unlike any I’ve read before. There’s magic, there’s bloodshed, there’s class disparity, there’s chosen families, and there’s hope. I was really surprised by how much I was invested in this book and its characters and would definitely read more by this author.

Thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were amazing and character development throughout the book was really good. The plot was interesting and had good suspense.

Overall I liked this book and gave it 3/5 stars!