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!

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.