wow wow wow, another powerful story from M.L. Wang! this book drew me in with its detailed world building and magic system, but it really sank its teeth in me with its deeply thought provoking themes.

sciona is such a complicated and layered character, which made her truly unlikeable at times but so real and raw. her character arc throughout this story was gripping and developed in ways that felt believable. thomil was an easy character to root for and quickly became my favorite in this story. both of the main characters demonstrate such resilience and perseverance dealing with a lifetime of misogyny, oppression, prejudice, and discrimination. i appreciate that Wang leans into uncovering and understanding the grittier parts of life and society in her stories.

like the sword of kaigen, i will be thinking about blood over bright haven for awhile. M.L. Wang is definitely an author to watch!

How do I even remotely describe the impact this book had on me? I am not a huge fan of dark academia but if DA is written like this then I absolutely will love anything and everything written in this genre. The way Wang has interwoven sooo many themes without compromising the rights and wrongs of each, without downplaying the inherent discrimination even within minority groups while still highlighting the wrongness they have to face in one from or another is a work of art. And the climax did not simplify the solution and give unrealistic outcomes but neither did it end without hope. I am utterly floored by the craftsmanship of Wang and beyond highly recommend this work of brilliance

Blood Over Bright Haven is the first book written by M.L. Wang that I have read and has been one of my favorite reads of this year, if not all time. A compelling and addictive plotline with intricate and immersive storytelling, this book had me hooked in the prologue and all the way through to the very end.

This story has a lot that I look for in a fantasy: detailed and developed characters, unique and intricate magic system, heavy lore and world building, romance (just a bit), and politics.

Needless to say, I will be reading more from this author and look forward to what comes next!

THIS BOOK SLAPPED SO HARD! The beginning it took me a bit to stomach the MC because. could clearly see her faults and the way she was totally oblivious to them. It was frustrating! But there can't be character development without flaws, and I thought the way M. L. Wang addressed the themes of racism, sexism, power dynamics between "co-workers", and colonization was done in such a subtle yet accessible way... it was just chef's kiss.

If you liked Babel and thought "I want to read more of that" then pick up Blood Over Bright Haven. If you thought Babel should have been more nuanced and didn't feed the reader its views, then pick up Blood Over Bright Haven because in my opinion M. L. Wang did it better.

THIS. WAS. INCREDIBLE. M.L. Wang is a master of character, and I wish more books I read (even ones I hold in high regard) would have such intricate and complicated characters. Sciona was simultaneously relatable & impossible, and the fact that M.L. Wang can make me love a character that is at times so flawed is a testament to their mastery of the craft. More, please, yesterday, thanks!

Thank you publisher for the eGalley!

This book was amazing! Wang is brilliant, and I love everything about this book. She knows how to write nuanced characters and I am still in awe. This book made me feel all the emotions from start to finish. I love the characters (yes, even Sciona), the setting, the plot, the themes, etc. EVERYTHING!

If you love dark academia, you need to pick this one up!

I will post my full review on my Instagram page soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Sciona has one dream. She wants to be the first woman to become a highmage. When her dream becomes a reality, it’s only the beginning of Sciona’s crazy story. Living in Tiran, Sciona has fought tooth and nail to prove herself. She’s worked twice as hard, twice as long, and twice as much as any man. But the men in the magistry will always look down on her because she was born with the wrong chromosomes. The insult continues when Sciona is given an assistant who was the current janitor in her building. Unwilling to back down, she accepts the Kwen man, Tomil, within her ranks. As she works desperately to impress the high magistry, Sciona is assigned to the biggest project in her lifetime; expanding the border of Tiran and protect the people from the ever destructive blight. The further Sciona and Tomil dig to find answers the more their lives begin to change.

This book was tremendously fast paced. Every chapter had me turning to page to the next one with a desperate need to know what happens next. I’ve never hated a main character so much but had to know what happens next. Sciona was so eager to be right all the time. But it really poses a big question; does the main character have to be likable to make a book amazing? I had so many thoughts throughout this book that weren’t directly spoken in the book! When does “helping” go from assisting to saviorism? Is the author’s intent to highlight this for a specific reason? Is Sciona a martyr? I have so many questions M.L. Wang!!! Overall, I give this book a 4.5/5 stars. I love this story and the plot twist made me audibly gasp and put a knot in my stomach to the point I had to stop reading but I’m really questioning what the “between the lines” goal was here.

4.5 stars. I read this in one sitting and want to read it over again. You know that something is deeply wrong in Tiran, and you can probably guess what it is, but the reveal still hurt so much. I've seen lots of comps to Babel, for good reason.

What I liked:
- Sciona's journey. She starts out as a rather unlikeable but ambitious main character, and has a strong growth arc. There's a strong message about propaganda here too.
- The magic system is complicated and at the beginning, confusing, but you kind of go on a journey with Thomil figuring it out.
- Dark academia that's actually a critique of academia!
- The imagery
- Programming as magic

What I didn't like:
- There were so many times I almost felt an allegory to the Roman empire, but it wasn't fully fleshed out. I would love to see a historian who studies frontier zones in the ancient world analyze this book.
- The villains were so villainous. Like there's no redeeming any of them, and it fell flat given how well everything else was constructed.

I expected to like this more than I did, which is a sentiment I shared with The Sword of Kaigen. It's a good book, don't get me wrong, with interesting characters, an engaging plot, and great, thought-provoking commentary, but ultimately I felt something was lacking.

Thank you Netgalley/Del Rey for the ARC.

blood over bright haven was a beautifully written masterpiece of a book. ML Wang is an incredible writer and this book brought out so many emotions in me. i loved it so much and i can't stop thinking about it. thank you for the opportunity to read it!

I have been in a bit of a reading slump, but finally getting the urge to finish Blood over Blood Haven by M. L. Wang. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine/Del Rey for this advanced reading copy for my honest review.

I was not disappointed! I finished this with the help of the audiobook, but I will say the struggle was not easy! I have come to notice that I am not an audiobook girlie. I fell asleep too many times to count and lost my place. I read too fast for the narration and kept losing my place and had to reread everything, so I sped it up but felt like it was doing too much. I, myself, was all over the place. I will say the audiobook brought the story to life in a way that I couldn’t. The Scottish accents and the fiery spirit of Carra reminded me of the main character in the movie Brave.

There were so many layers to this book to uncover! Elements of the book remind me of Mortal Engines and His Dark Materials. The author’s ability to be so descriptive with the world-building and idealism of a magical system the individuals in the book cared so much about and didn’t wonder who it harmed. I loved Sciona and Thomlin! I loved how, no matter what Thomlin had been through, he stayed true to himself and his ability to change Sciona’s thought process. Without giving too much away, I highly suggest you pick it up if interested!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for access to this book in exchange for my honest review! I kept pushing this book down on my TBR list since it was a re-release, and I am so upset that I did that because it was SO GOOD! This was somewhere between a 4.0-4.5/5.0 read for me. I really enjoyed the story and was surprised at multiple points in the book. It was a very well written book with a solid plot that kept me interested the whole way through. I read a lot of romantasy novels so it was actually really nice to read something a little different. Would definitely read another one of M.L. Wang's fantasy books again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-book copy!

Blood Over Bright Haven is an epic story following the first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages. While there she uncovers a secret conspiracy that could change their magic and the world as they know it. I recently read this author's previous work and enjoyed it so I went into this with high expectations. This did not disappoint at all. The main character, Sciona, goes through the stages of grief as she has to decide how to expose this new information. She knows it could lead to turmoil but is willing to let it happen to seek greater piece. One thing I'm noticing about this author is that they love to cram everything in so the audience won't feel left out. In this setting, I can say less could have been more since a lot that was discussed did not get a proper resolution. Despite that, I do think this novel is worth the read, and it is definitely one of my favorites of the year.

I really wanted to love this book but it just wasn’t for me. It wasn’t bad, just wasn’t for me. The world building was a bit confusing and I just couldn’t get into the story because of it.

Oh, man, was that intense.

Blood over Bright Haven by ML Wang is a masterclass in world-building and character depth. From the outset, the story introduces a plethora of names that I initially struggled to keep straight. I even took a few notes to help me track the characters. As it turns out, every name is important, and Wang does a phenomenal job of keeping each one fresh in the reader’s mind.

Each chapter is carefully crafted, sprinkling hints of the past and offering glimpses into the character's inner workings. These elements gradually build a bigger picture of the heart-wrenching future awaiting them.

Central to the story are the newly minted Highmage Sciona in the patriarchal utopian city of Tiran, and Thomil a lowly Kwen janitor turned assistant. Sciona, driven by ambition and ego, often makes ignorant off-handed comments about Thomil’s people that creates a hostile wedge and very little sympathy from the reader. It's a bitter irony, given that Sciona frequently comments on the perceived inferiority of others, all the while complaining that others do not see her as a scientist but as “just” a woman. This book navigates a world where sexism, xenophobia, colonialism, and conspiracy run rampant, and affects everyone in its path.

This book was not a quick read for me. The unexpected depth of conversations and intricate sections required moments of reflection. I found myself going back to reread paragraphs and conversations to fully grasp their deeper meanings. There were times when I held my breath as I turned the pages, engrossed in the intense narrative only to come to a section where the author weaved in a moment of humor, to allow me to catch my breath.

Blood over Bright Haven is a standalone novel that tackles themes, analogies, science, philosophy, and hard truths. It’s the kind of book that will have your head spinning for weeks, if not months, afterward. Every word and ridiculous situation captivated me, making this a memorable and thought-provoking read.

M.L Wang truly brought back the magic of a good book. Blood Over Bright Haven was so enthralling and unique that it reminded me of how it felt to be a kid, reading classics like Harry Potter or The Lightning Thief for the first time.

Sciona was masterfully written, her rage relatable. She was fully fleshed out and multi-faceted. I could not get enough! Aiming to become the first woman Highmage in a highly patriarchal society, she experienced many disheartening moments that I believe most women can relate to.

Wang's storytelling was nothing short of masterful, Blood Over Bright Haven deserves a total 5 stars!!

This ARC has been sitting in my queue for a while and I finally found the time to start it and boy did I pick the perfect time! This is a dark academia with a unique magic system and only a touch of romance. This story really focuses on Sciona and her single, minded focus on her goals and dreams, to become the first female high mage. This sounds like an achievable goal until you see the absolute crap show of a misogynistic patriarchy to overcome. To complicate matters further, Sciona discovers a long covered up secret that could destroy their entire world or at the very least get her and her janitor turned lab assistant killed.

This story is such a great example of women overcoming all odds and doing what they feel is right, not just what they’re told to do. The way the author shows the struggles of natives, in a world that seems to hate them, is also fascinating. Thomil is a wonderful example of a loving, caring male, determined to take care of the people around him. When presented in contrast to the rest of the society around them, its startlingly reassuring to know there are still good ones out there. This whole story was a quick, hard to put down, fast moving story that you should definitely add to you list.

Read this if you like:
➡️ Unique Magic System
➡️ Girl Boss Energy
➡️ Positive Native Representation
➡️ Dark Academia
➡️ Low Spice
➡️ Neurodivergent Representation
➡️ Stand Alone

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#BloodOverBrightHaven #MLWang #DarkAcadamia #StandAlone #Romantasy #NetGalley

After reading this I immediately went to my local book store and bought a copy. ML Wang has done it again! This was a complete masterpiece. This had a dark academia vibe but the magic system was chefs kiss. The story telling and plot was perfectly paced. 4.8 stars!!!

Blood Over Bright Haven is, on its face, a story of magic - a magic controlled by equations. But this story is much deeper than that. Sciona is a mage in training, preparing for the test that will make her a highmage - a member of the ruling council of mages. She lives in Tiran, a walled city designed to keep its residents safe from the Blight, a bright white light that literally disassembles those it touches, but which can't get through the city's wards. The Tiranese society is tiered, with men at the top, then women and children, and finally the Kwen - people from outside Tiran, who fled from communities decimated by the Blight, allowed into Tiran as the working class, the lowest-class citizens in the city, derided for their different culture and religion.

The novel begins with Sciona being tested for a place in the High Magistry, an organization of 100 highmages, all currently male, who conduct research, control the flow of magic, and direct the course of Tiran - for the benefit of the city, they say, but really for their own benefit and advancement. But there is a dark secret at the heart of their magic, a secret that is shared with those in power - one that Sciona will discover on her own, too quickly to be able to assume the blasé attitude toward this secret that the rest of the High Magistry and the other rules of the city hold, a secret that will upend her society and its class system. Recommended for teens and adults.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a pretty good fantasy book that weaved in really deep subjects, like: women’s rights, religion and spirituality, social equality, and right versus wrong. The magic in this book is really complicated, utilizing both math and science. I had a hard time following, because of this. I have science-based degrees, but I like to not think while I read. That being said, I was drawn to Sciona and Thomlin. I enjoyed the twists and turns. I enjoyed Sciona’s character development and spiritual journey. Without adding spoilers I was shocked with the ending and can’t wait for book 2.