4.5 stars.

Truth over delusion. Growth over comfort. I loved so much of this! From the discussions on morality, cultural differences, religion, and right and wrong to the discussions about women's roles in society and the parallels with our own society. It's very accurate to what we experience today especially in male dominated work places. The main female character has her own prejudices too so she's not just a perfect woman fighting against the patriarchy which I enjoyed. I love it when something you grew up believing to be good is actually completely challenged. The realization that the main character's heroes were actually villains was amazing. And it was realistic that she didn't accept that all her beliefs were biased or wrong at first. It makes for such interesting conversations. People aren't all good or all bad. There's shades of gray in everyone. The ending was brutal in the best way. My only complaint is that the magic system had a lot of rules (I did like how unique it was) but I like more whimsy in my magic systems.

"'Women are always told to be kind, be forgiving, be nurturing.' Sciona glared down the walk ahead. 'As far as I know, it's never gotten them anywhere. The men of Tiran, who have the real power, won't return the favor when it matters.'"

This book was a bit slow for me to get into just because the coding-like magic system was so complex to explain and understand, and it took a lot of page time to really get past that. But, once I did, holy cow. The twists, the forbidden, caste-crossing romance, the chilling social commentary that grabbed you by the throat and pulled absolutely no punches--I got so hooked after a point. It was definitely a dark and not very happy story, all things told, but so well done. I'd definitely recommend.

This book is nothing short of a masterpiece. As a standalone fantasy, the world building exceeded all expectations! The magic system created felt new, but also reminiscent of shows and books I grew up with (Full Metal Alchemist), and the characters all felt real and fleshed out.

The most powerful thing about this book was the reactions felt REAL. There were real human reactions that do not normally make their way into books. There are ugly thoughts and words spoken to characters, and brutal reactions to people who they deem different. And in the end, there was no pretending like people learned lessons in a snap. There is still hatred and ugliness, and all we can do is hope for the next generation to learn from past mistakes.

This was my first ML Wang book. This is not my last.

Big THANKS to NetGalley and Del Ray for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I feel like I may not do this book justice with this review. Blood Over Bright Haven is beautifully written, the pacing of the story is perfect, and it’s easy to read despite the heavy content this book contains. This is a story about love, loss, someone in power desperately trying to right some wrongs, and a magic system that is more complicated and sinister than it seems. I loved this book from start to finish.

Blood Over Bright Haven was the first book by M.L. Wang that I’ve ventured into and I was not disappointed. This is a dark fantasy so be sure to read any warnings from the author but that said I really enjoyed it. It was a bit slow to pull me in but once it did, I was stuck and could turn the pages fast enough. The world building was great and the magic system unique. The characters were flawed and engaging. Sciona, though linear in her magic and thinking was able to overcome the system and beliefs that brought her up in Tiran when faced with the truth of her world. Thomil was a true bright spot for those in his life and was the perfect balance for Sciona. The ending got me a little but was beautifully done.

Blood over Bright Haven surpassed any expectations I had going in. Throughout the story, I never had any idea where it would go next, and I loved every surprising moment.
This hooked me from the first page when we see Thomas and his tribe trying to escape the blight. His and Scorches' story had me completely immersed in it and had me staying up into the wee hours of the night because I couldn't put it down.
The world building is unique, well thought out, and descriptive without being overwhelming. I loved Thomil and Sciona and how they went from two people from complete opposite ends of the hierarchy to something more.
I will absolutely be reading more by this author.

Omg I was not prepared for this book! There was so much to unpack and it was so brilliantly laid out. This is a book that I will be thinking about for a long time.
Sciona was a selfish (but didn’t see it) character but was brilliant and was the first female highmage. Females were too delicate and couldn’t handle the magic or so they said. There was a highly complex magical system with plotting and mapping. And when the source of the power was discovered by her she would not be silent.
Sciona’s relationship with Thomil, who was a race that was seen as less than and they only stuck her with him to demean her, was more than I expected. Those high born men really did underestimate these two just cause of gender and race. Let’s see how that turned out for them.

The vibe:
““The High Magistry controls the history books, Freynan. You know that. If they don’t want Tiran to remember something, then within a few short generations, it will be buried.”

Omg I want to tell you all about this but it will ruin the fun. Trust the process and see her final word! I promise you won’t regret reading this. Though be prepared it’s chaos at the end and there is no hea for many.

This definitely felt like a hate letter to colonialism and the patriarchy. And I loved every second of it. Lobotomies are not healthcare.

Sciona has had one ambition her whole life - to be a high mage. The only problem is no woman has ever been admitted into these ranks in this history of her city.

With single minded focus, Sciona breezes through the entrance tests, but she isn't exactly welcomed with open arms. Even worse is to come when her brilliant mind delves deeper, more quickly than other mages of her rank and with a push from her unexpected assistant, she discovers the true origins of the power of her city and her world crumbles.

Armed with this terrible knowledge, and the horrific indifference of her mentors and the mage council, she's determined to bring the city down with her.

The themes of this book explore colonialism, racism, misogyny, and the desire to do good in the world even in the face of an unjust system. Honestly this was a book I NEEDED this week. The horrors persist, but so do we.

So... I really thought this would be a new favourite. Even at 51%, I was still convinced that was the course I was on!
And while I quite liked it and it fully held my attention and I think it's a good book... I also don't think I'll ever re-read it, nor will I find it easy to recommend, and part of me simultaneously really hates it? (Also this made me scared to re-read Babel)

Okay. How to figure out how to talk about this book. Let's start with--

How it Compares to Sword of Kaigen:
The things I really truly loved in Kaigen were mostly related to the magic system and the fight scenes. They were beautifully written and so cinematic. This is ML Wang's greatest writing strength. I also enjoyed the themes of characters discovering government propaganda and the balance between becoming informed and jaded vs their pre-existing beliefs and values and how to integrate those essential parts of your core character with the new knowledge, since everything was built on a fraudulent foundation.

What I didn't love was the shoddy world-building and the primary relationship at the heart of the book, as well as the infuriating repeated mentions of the patriarchy and how the main character just sort of gives up and gives in to it and makes herself small.

Magic System:
Blood Over Bright Haven does not have an interesting magic system-- I'm pretty sure the system itself is just programming. I'm also in the weird position where I feel like I really understand how the magic works... but not what the magic is? Or what can be done with it. Because I am given exactly two uses of the magic system and they are both really simple and boring; nothing about this magic system excites my imagination.

Fight Scenes:
As for fight scenes, this is a mostly academic setting so the opportunity to have them is small. The ones that we do get don't excite me in any way either, but they're also primarily perpetrated by bloodthirsty bad actors, so it's harder to get invested anyway.

World-building:
And no, I'm not really sure the world-building improved. Well, maybe it did. What I can say is that the world-building didn't make me constantly question what the fuck 'X' is supposed to mean or why the author made those decisions... so that's an improvement! But I also don't feel like the world was very inspired or detailed. So it's still not good, but it's not as frustrating.

Patriarchy:
The positive is that this character is much less willing to roll over and accept her place in the patriarchy. When she has nothing else, she still always maintains her ego and indignation at being considered lesser for simply being born a woman.

Belief System Reckoning:
I did enjoy several of the conversations where the main characters had to discuss their belief systems and the different ways their societies view morality. The way that characters spiral as they have to rebuild themselves and their purpose once they discover propaganda and how deeply the poisoned well runs.

It's Like Babel, But Not (Themes, Writing):
You would think I'd be destined to love this given Babel was my favourite book of 2022. This book had a lot in common with Babel in the following ways:
- how the magic system worked
- how the White lady character acted when challenged to believe her non-White friends
- discussions of systems and power and oppression, primarily as it relates to race
- very unsubtle about what it's doing
- general conclusions and ending

But I think my main issues were that it felt very repetitive and that the main character lost a lot of internal consistency.

For example on internal consistency-- as the reader, I'm exposed to the fifteen minutes in her day where she discusses and makes plans with other characters, but not the other 8 hours in between talking and doing where she has more time to think and prepare. And yet, repeatedly, things don't turn out the way that she assumes they will. In fact, each time she's like 'oh, obviously. I should've accounted for 'X' and I can't believe I didn't think about that. and 'Y' totally warned me this would happen, I should've listened to them.' Repeatedly. And that doesn't feel true to the highly logical and mathematical side of the character that's constantly running statistics, nor does it feel true to her constant pledges to actually listen to her companion. It feels more like the author is determined to make a storyline to watch the scene play out for the White lady's bad choices and hubris than she is dedicated to keeping the character consistent.

And that's fine! It's her book to do with as she pleases! It just feels a little sloppier to me, and takes me out of the book. After this happened a few times at the end, I was really starting to consider skimming.

Predictability:
I think I could've enjoyed this more if I didn't predict literally every piece of it. I felt like the book was heavily telegraphing itself at every turn, and didn't really get to have clever moments. It was very single-minded in its focus and purpose, so while it did thoroughly get to tell the story it wanted to, there wasn't a lot of room for creativity or interesting little details and divergences.

Overall:
Man, I do not know what to do with this author's books. Every time I write a review it sounds like I'm totally dragging the book. I have so much more to rant about than gush about, and yet somehow Kaigen feels like nothing but a 5 star read for me, and Bright Haven is a solid 4. But also I think I hate them? I don't know, it's all terribly confusing.

But, uh... maybe you should read this book? And maybe you shouldn't.

Wowza...this book was like a punch in the gut over and over. I literally cried in the first chapter and was hooked from the get go. Definitely some challenging and in your face themes of sexism, classism, racism, and ultimately hope for a better life/world. I was hoping for a different outcome in the end but upon further reflection I can see how it needed to go the way it did. This story will be sticking with me for a long time! Side note - I went back and forth between audio and digital and both were great. The audiobook narrator was excellent!

4.5 ⭐️ MAN. What a book. I'm sad that I read this during a reading slump because I feel like I could've absolutely devoured this if I had been in the right head space for it. The characters, the setting, the plot, the magic system, the writing, it was all soo good and I know I could've loved this even more. This was my first novel by M.L. Wang and it will not be my last.

Sciona is the definition of a strong woman breaking the mold. From the beginning, she is determined to break the ceiling (literally) and become the first female highmage in the history of Tiran. Seeing her succeed and immediately jump into her work to put her mark on history is such an incredibly well written and complex story. Sciona, Thomil, and the other characters in the story are so well written and developed that I felt connected to them throughout the story.

The way M.L. Wang wrote such complex and relevant themes of gender-equality, the struggles of faith, and racism made the story that much more compelling. Instead of Blood Over Bright Haven being just another fantasy novel, it turned into a in-depth, thought-provoking commentary on real issues that are still plaguing the world today more than ever.

I feel like everyone has been raving about M.L. Wang's writing and I absolutely see why. I think everyone who loves a complex story and strong characters need to read this book.

I loved this book. Greatly highlights the daily struggles of every day women trying to break the mold in a world of men. As well as the systemic racism people of other races face every day. It certainly wasn't the story I thought it was going to be. Sciona grapples her moral compass throughout the entire story and learns one thing about herself: she will do anything for glory. To be immortalized forevermore among her peers. However, she struggles with her faith throughout her journey with how far will she go to get that said glory.
She finds that achieving one of her greatest goals, becoming the first female high mage, comes with hard truths. And is introduced to Thomil a Kwen refugee that opens her eyes to how blind she has been in her ambitions. When faced with the truth she is forced to make a hard choice to see what her world really is. A world of greed and power. And though we know this is what our FMC craves. The reader finds out will we find out will Sciona buckle under the pressure of her male mage colleagues or rage against the system?

Blood Over Bright Haven has quickly become my favorite read of 2024.

The magic system is absolutely brilliant—an intricate form of magical coding that resonates with my tech-loving brain in the best way. It’s not only unique but incredibly cool, offering a fresh, innovative take on magic that feels both grounded in the world and full of possibility.

The emotional depth in this book is extraordinary. You can feel every character’s struggle, fear, and drive so intensely. Sciona’s relentless determination to prove herself in a male-dominated world and Thomil’s quiet resolve to uncover the truth about his past create a deeply human, gripping story that’s nearly impossible to put down.

Wang does a masterful job weaving complex, real-world themes like gender inequality, racism, faith, and colonialism into the narrative. These issues are explored with such nuance and depth, transforming the book from a thrilling fantasy into a powerful, thought-provoking commentary on contemporary struggles. The way these themes are seamlessly integrated into the story makes them feel organic, enhancing the plot rather than overshadowing it.

Despite its relatively short length, the book is rich with world-building and layered themes. Everything flows effortlessly, and the pacing is spot-on. Blood Over Bright Haven is a triumph—a beautifully crafted, intricate tale that expertly balances magic, politics, and personal growth, keeping you hooked from start to finish. I LOVED this.

This book left me absolutely reeling. This is the first book I've read from M.L. Wang - Sword of Kaigen has been on my TBR for a while and will absolutely be moving up in the priority list. This isn't a happy, feel-good book. The world is imperfect and deeply flawed, and the society is a mess. The magic system is so unique and interesting, I was immediately drawn to the imagery and how it all worked. I was so invested as I learned right along with Thomil how it all worked. This book was so intense, especially towards the end, and I'm still processing everything that happened.

Love. Love. Love.

Being able to set up world building, describe a magic system, have intriguing characters, and touch on important subjects ALL in a standalone novel that isn't the size of a dictionary is a near impossible feat, but Wang showed she is one for the job. And in all of it, delivering a moral of not standing against evil, is overall allowing and abetting evil to occur.
That is my "easy" response to reading this book. The rest is this : this book destroyed me in all the best and worst ways. In part in the timing I read this, and my soul has been altered. I REALLY struggled to like Sciona (the FMC), but liking her is neither here nor there with a message as important as this story carries with heartache and tears immediately in the first chapter. I need this book in every edition.

Expansive and beautiful work of sci-fantasy with a gaslight feel and strong thematic elements, this novel is also an excellent slow burn romance and commentary on race and class. I absolutely loved the depth of the characters, the exquisitely crafted magic system, and the solid world building. Read this now if you’re a fan of Babel, The Fifth Season or Gideon the Ninth.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for a digital copy of Blood Over Bright Haven for a fair and honest review.

“It was a beautiful thought– for a different world that was just, kind, and not about to collapse.”

Today is November 7th, 2024. And I am sick reading this book. I had to skim read the final ten pages for how much I wanted to scream and cry and throw up. This was not the thrill of Maeve Fly throw up, but rather the raw, hopeless, pulling out your hair kind.

M.L. Wang– you are a genius. You have delivered us a beautiful book about imperialism, racism, capitalism, classism, sexism; and you’ve done so in such a realistic way I almost want to refuse to review this book.

While the opening chapters were a touch slow and difficult to get through, the climax seemed to last half the book. I was sickened reading things I’ve seen on social media in wake of police brutiality and recently with the election. I don’t believe I can give this gorgeous book justice with my words.

“The path to God wasn’t laid for women like her. It was laid on their backs.”

Blood Over Bright Haven is bleak. It’s horrible. It shows the cruelties of men in power, language of war and conflict that negate human life, dangerous ideas that men in power in my country tote in our helpless faces. This book is violent and disgusting. This book is a raw, horrifying, nauseating truth.

This book is so important. I cannot recommend it enough.

Thank You NetGalley for the digital Arc. I had to wait for the audio because I just knew the narrator Moira Quirk would do a great job, and I am so glad I did wait. This book is really, really good. On the top of my favorites list this year. It was such a simple story line that M.L. Wang created into a wondrous story. Very different from everything out there. I am glad this book was picked up by a traditional publisher because everyone deserves a chance to read this Woman empowering fantasy novel.

They come from two different world, Sciona was born into industrial utopia of Tiran, protected by a magical barrier. Thomil escaped into Tiran from the dangerous world outside, from what had been a life of a nomadic hunter until a wild magic began killing everyone.

All Sciona has ever wanted was to prove herself, dedicating her life to studying magic while hoping to be the first woman to be admitted to the High Magistry, to become a high mage. But being the best isn’t always rewarded, as she is grudgingly accepted only to find her new colleagues trying to foil her at every opportunity. They even give her a janitor to be her lab assistant, someone with no training. At least that is what Sciona believes. However, Thomil was able to make his way through a magical barrier that separates his world, full of danger, into her world, protected from the wild magic. And he has a different way of thinking that opens her mind, plus the skills of his old life. He will always be considered below the people of Tiran, less educated, more barbarian, and someone who could be kicked out if he wasn’t productive. Soon, Sciona starts to realize Thomil has so many unexpected skills, and is actually a good lab assistant.

It's a long book, but the story was intense.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blood over Bright Haven is the first book that I have read by this author. The story is a standalone dark academia setting filled with magic, mystery, and the thriving city of Tiran which is powered and kept safe by the high mages of the city. Sciona has always had her sites set on becoming a high mage even though there has never been a woman in the role. When she is finally accepted as a high mage she must face the reality of being a woman in a man's world. She works twice as hard with half the advantages. Instead of a research assistant, she is given a janitor, Thomil, to aid her work. However, he is not just a normal janitor but a refugee from the lands outside of Tiran where the blight, cold, and lack of resources were slowly killing off his tribe. As they work together, they begin to uncover horrible truths about the source of the magic that keeps the city safe.

I was absolutely blown away by this story. It was so well written and the author did an amazing job of building a tumultuous magic filled world. From the first page, I was invested and absolutely tore through the book. First off, the characters are beautifully imperfect characters driven by very human factors. Sciona wants to make her stamp on this world as a woman and a high mage. She is one of the best but still is seen as inferior. She is portrayed as cold and impersonal and solely driven by her passion for advancing the field of magic. Thomil is hardened by his experience as a Kwen refugee. They are only allowed in the city if they can be useful and are seen as simple, dirty, lesser heathens. However, as Sciona begins to work with Thomil she discovers that what she was raised to believe all her life about the Kwen is not accurate. Thomil is intelligent and strong and challenges Sciona's beliefs and views of the world. As they begin to discover dark secrets about the city, it drives a wedge between their budding friendship and makes them both critically evaluate what they believe in. The character development in Sciona is beautiful. She is constantly evaluating her views and determining where the line is that she will not cross. Thomil becomes her balance and moral compass.

The worldbuilding was so well done. It was intricate without feeling too heavy. It was fully immersive and it was hard to remove yourself from the story to go about your daily life. The magic system was very unique and heavily relied on machinery, coding, and mathematics. The story makes the reader really examine the world and what is going on and reflect on it on a personal level. The tragedy and pain from the story is rough but it is such an amazing story with messages of hope and love. This book has shot to the top of my list of best books of 2024 and I highly recommend it.