What a book!! This was a perfect example of a book that I may not have read on my own but thanks to Netgalley I got a chance to read an ARC and I was so pleasantly surprised by how amazing this book was. The story reminds me some of “Lessons in Chemistry” with a mix of magic. The female lead was such a strong character that definitely had to fight against a patriarchal society as well as a society that tried to justify injustice that it made you root for the characters to the very end. Thank you to the publishers and to Netgalley for the chance to read this advanced copy.

Blood Over Bright Haven is the type of book that you know will stick with you, and you’ll still be thinking about it six months from now. I can’t remember the last time I finished a book and was truly speechless with how it ended. To start, Wang’s writing is absolutely incredible, and I can’t wait to read more of her work. These book starts off with an absolute bang. There’s nothing slow or subtle to ease readers in. The story overall, though, has a slower pacing, but there’s so much ground work that Wang has to lay out that it makes sense in the context of this story. I love the unique approach that Wang used to her magic system in that it’s similarly structure to writing a computer program code. It uses logic and science as building blocks to execute spells. I think this was also a great example of not every character needing a happy ending. It also makes you rethink what a happy ending means for a book overall and even if a book needs a happy ending. This book was absolutely heartbreaking and devastating yet shows the power of hope and potential for change. All it takes is one person being willing to open their eyes and be a catalyst for change. Simply put, this book is an absolute must read.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book but between you and me Goodreads, I already had this book on preorder since the pretty new edition got announced.

What can I say about this book besides it's just simply another amazing work by M.L. Wang. The world building is incredible, and although it's a little complicated, it's introduced to the reader in that way a talented writer will make you feel like it's not complicated at all, because you don't even remember learning it, it's just simply something you've already known. The magic system is also incredible, and as someone who would sit in her computer programming finals, fingers jittering to start while the professor outlines what exactly it is they wanted us to do, it was SO FUN to read. If I have any complaints about this novel, it's that I would have loved to see more of the actual spells written. But in all fairness, I think that would probably bog down the book and no one else but me and computer nerds wanna read that, heh.

M.L.Wang's signature seems to be the power she puts behind the emotional drive in her works. And I'm absolutely in love with it. No one else is moving me like she did with Sword of Kaigen and then she gets up and does it again.

5 Stars - Smart, dark and incredibly readable

I had heard many, many good things about M. L. Wang's Sword of Kaigen and was very happy to learn that her Blood over Bright Haven would be published traditionally. I was even more excited to get an e-ARC of it and wow did it deliver!

This is about Sciona, who through very hard work and tenaciousness manages to become a member of the High Magistry, the (male run) institution that uses magic to protect and run the city of Tiran. She is headstrong and arrogant, with a huge ego. But she is also smart and driven to achieve great things, and underneath it all she even has a sense of right or wrong.

Pretty early on there is a big reveal that is actually rather obvious, because otherwise the plot would not have many other places to go. However, the way Sciona and her assistant, the Kwen Thomil deal with this big realization is actually what this book really is about. Everybody in Tiran's society looks down on the Kwen as a primitive people who come from the wilderness outside of Tiran to work in the city as cheap and suppressed labour. 

Sciona has plenty of predjudices about the Kwen herself but has to learn some hard truths about herself and her society. And once a realization has been made there is no way of undoing it - so how does one react?

Wang really finds a good balance with Scionas likeable and not so likeable sides and how one person can be fighting against discrimination on one hand and be incredibly privileged (and blind to that privilege) on the other hand.

The fact that Sciona does not shy away from seeing some very uncomfortable truths and is willing to take action even if that means up giving up her privilege is what makes the story so compelling.

This is very much a story of the price of exploitation and that one's easy, comfortable life is usually paid by someone else, oftentimes with their lives in one way or another (a fact that the privileged seem to find quite easy to ignore). So, unsurprisingly, this story cannot have a happy end in the traditional sense, but it does end on a note of hope for a better future. Which sometimes is the best an exploited generation of people can get.

Despite the dark themes this book is compulsively readable, M. L. Wang's writing is just really so good, so poignant and spot on. I'm not sure I would call this dark academia (I guess it's just an easy way to market this book), but it's the best kind of fantasy: one that touches upon pertinent themes of our time and plays with ideas how to deal with them.

Absolutely and wholeheartedly recommended!

I have received an advance review copy via NetGalley and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you very much!

This book was such a good read on my long airplane ride. I was introduced to M.L Wang when I first read The Sword of Kaigen which was simply wonderful. I am happy to say that she has done it again. This book was nothing short of amazing, from the characters to the story and everything in between.

I have a feeling this book will get a lot of attention and make M.L a bigger name than she already is. Her writing style is unique and I find myself drawn back to her stories. She evokes so much emotion with her words and gets you so invested in her characters and their stories even though they are more "traditional" in a sense.

I really enjoyed the dark academia elements in this book as well which I think will also take it a long way.

All in all, I would say this book was addicting and I could not stop reading until I had finished it! I highly recommend if you like fantasy reads with dark academia and romance elements!

This book will make you want to stay up late just to finish it! It's definitely going to give me a book hangover..

Sciona may be the first female mage accepted into the high magistrate court but she's not the first mage to discover a dark and terrible secret kept from the public. With the help of her refugee assistant, she must decide if exposing this truth is worth the cost.

This story is captivating from the very beginning and M.L. Wang does an impeccable job at packing in a complex magic system into a world already filled with misogyny, SA, racism, faith, and justice.

Her story-telling ability in such a short amount of time is admirable. I enjoyed the characters immensely, the dialogue felt appropriate, the ending was emotional (I cried, obvi) & the message behind it all is *chefs kiss*. M.L. really knows how to bring a character to the page.

I can't wait to delve into The Sword of Kaigen next!

BUY THIS BOOK!!!!

Have you ever read a book and known within the first chapter that it’s going to be a 5 star read? Then you read the next few chapters..and you’re like oh I think maybe it’s going to be a 10/5 stars. And then you’re 25% in and you’re like ahhhh I see it’s going to consume my thoughts for the foreseeable future. And then it does. That’s this book. I’m serious.
I’m kind of upset. I actually have things to do today but I don’t know what to do after finishing this book.
There was so much packed into this standalone story I don’t even know where to begin. Incredible world-building that feels SO real, an intricate, well-thought out and thoroughly explained magic system, a brilliant yet flawed protagonist, themes of sexism/classism/racism, power struggles, a very light but powerful romance plot, familial love/relationships, questions of morality and privilege. There was no big battlefield war but my heart was racing throughout most of this book. Someone tell me how M.L. Wang did all of this in one book. If you can’t tell I’m blown away. I think this may be one of the best books I’ve ever read.

Thank you so incredibly much to the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this arc in advance. Can’t wait to recommend it to everyone I know.

I thought I would get into this book more than I did, unfortunately this book is a DNF for me right now. I do think I might come back to this, I'm just not in the mood for reading this right now.

When the blurb said perfect for fans of VE Schwab, Leigh Bardugo, and Fullmetal Alchemist they weren't kidding. As a huge fan of all three I can definitely say this delivered on that promise. Eqyal parts dark academia and mystery this exquisitely written book had me captivated from page one until the end.

This is the first book for me from this author and it was absolutely incredible.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House/Del Rey for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm still not prepared to write this review, but I'll give it my best shot. We have a semi-unlikeable (but also really relatable) main character, Sciona, who becomes the first female high mage in history! High mages create spells and use these magicky typewriters to suck power/energy from this unknown "otherrealm" to keep their city running and protected from the outside world where the "blight" reaks havoc. Sciona is introverted, self-centered, awkward, brilliant, and lacks a lot of people skills (i.e. sensitivity, consideration, compassion). She's navigating the religous, misogynist and academic realm of the high magistry which is difficult in and of itself. But on top of this, she is thrown together with Thomil, an immigrant to the city with a traumatic past and a chip on his shoulder, and together they work together and ultimately change the course of history for their world.

There's a lot of great themes that Wang covers including misogyny, discrimination, racism, assimilation, elitism, morality, religion and spirituality, and ultimately who should be in charge of deciding what is right and wrong. The premise, world, and magic system of this book is so original and intriguing! The writing is lyrical and whimsical while still feeling gritty and industrial with that touch of dark academia.

My knocks against this book basically boils down to Sciona. I did not like her and didn't feel connected to her. Her decisions were questionable the entire time. Normally I can be patient while a character makes odd and selfish decisions, as long as they learn from their mistakes, grow, and develop by the end of the book. I didn't feel like Sciona matured at all as a character, and I was pretty upset with the ending of the book. I loved Thomil though! He was patient with Sciona, respectful but also strong and self-assured. My heart ached for his upbringing and the horrors he witness at the hands of the blight. I wanted Thomil to have his happy ending so badly! In a way that I wasn't expecting, he did, but it wasn't what I wanted for him. This book will stick with me for a long time, depsite how I feel about Sciona. I'm excited to read more from M.L. Wang!

Blood Over Bright Haven is a story with an original magic system and fantastical world. The characters are very multifaceted with a story that has a powerful message about colonialism and sexism. It was a good story, but I just was not in love with it.

The city of Tiran is an industrial utopia propelled by magic where the outside is plagued by Blight, believed to be caused by the savages who refused to accept religious beliefs.
However, as the story unfolds, we learn that magic has a cost that is inhumanly unconscionable, yet ignored. 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 really loved this book!!! The magic system is just really awesome! Where power is siphoned from the Otherrealm through a combination of action spells and sourcing spells which are a mix of mathematics and intuition. This is explained effortlessly as Wang leads us as an enthused academic teaching a student. 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.

This is one of my favorite reads of the year and it’s doesn’t disappoint! AMAZING STORY!! 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

My first ML Wang book and won't be my last. This book covers topics from racism to imperialism and even supremacy. It has such an interesting and unique magic system and I just couldn't put it down!

*deep breath* This was compulsively excellent.

If there is one book, one author really, that booktok is not lying to you about. That really lives up to the praise you hear. It’s this one. Blood Over Bright Haven by ML Wang.

The Sword of Kaigen made my top reads of 2023 and I’m confident this will make my top of 2024. Some people say that The Sword of Kaigen, for all it’s splendor, starts off a little slow and I don’t know… but I feel like Wang heard that take and rubbed her little hands together and said fine, FINE. You want to see what an insane start looks like? I’ll show you. So the opening of this book? Had me floored. An immediately gripping launch with bursts of context and world building woven into a bloody and anxiety inducing sprint of a chapter one. Iykyk

We first get introduced to this world through Thomil, a nomadic hunter who lives in a region plagued by “Blight”, as he attempts to seek shelter in the gloriously urban and sophisticated city of Tiran. In Tiran we step into Sciona’s shoes, a brilliant student and researcher who is trying to become the first female highmage ever. When Sciona succeeds and receives her first highmage task (to work on expansion plans for the magical boarder of Tiran) the other highmages play a cruel joke on her and give her Thomil, a current janitor, as her lab assistant. What happens when you put this unlikely pair together? Well they’re going to uncover some sinister magical secrets aren’t they.

Explanation time is over let’s talk about everything else that I want to: characters, world building and themes. Wang is a master at all three and she does it with my favorite nebulous term: NUANCE.

I think it’s something quite special to create characters that are not only fascinating and complex, but who’s characterization and development serves a narrative purpose. Sciona is selfish, egotistical and single minded in her pursuit of truth, advancement and recognition. She is also incredibly prejudiced while being oppressed herself. Watching her discover and grapple with atrocity moved the plot forward in compelling ways that would have been lost if a perfect Mary Sue hero character had been given the reins. Can Sciona grow to understand someone else’s oppression through her own? Or will inequality only concern her if it directly affects her goals. Importantly, can she overcome her ignorance when faced with disturbing truth?

The supporting cast was just as moving - the quiet resilience of Thomil, the deep rage of Carra, the simple love of Alba. And the villains? You don’t even want to get me started on their brainwashed, sadistic, misogynistic, and oppressive behavior. I WILL start yelling.

The world building/ magic system… think Babel x Harry Potter with a magic system which is basically coding? This also managed to have a lot of the themes of dark academia with a cyberpunk/ technological overlay. I pictured the city of Tiran to be a kind of carnivorous gaping maw - the spires of the buildings being the teeth that chew up its residents for the sake of societal progress. I feel like… I shouldn’t say any more. Know that it’s EXCELLENT stuff.

Now for the THEMES~ my favorite part.

Sciona’s insatiable curiosity creates a manic propensity for finding the truth at all costs. This brings her and us as readers to some truly hideous revelations… and having a character both privileged and oppressed is the perfect slate for the kind of moral conversations Wang is trying to have.

Early on, Thomil and Sciona have a philosophical/ moral debate which essentially boils down to what is more important: having good intentions but accidentally causing harm or unintentionally creating a better world while not having any thought towards doing so. Aka - Do our intentions matter as much as the results of our actions? I found myself constantly going back to this question while observing the characters in this story. Sometimes these characters create good while meaning evil, sometimes they aim for kindness and instead wreak havoc, and sometimes they both wish and enact cruelty. Some don’t think at all. Most alternate between all options. None are perfect. Who’s going to “Heaven” then?

These questions are particularly fascinating in a world that seems rotten to its core - a city where blind fanaticism can be used to control historical narratives and serve the desires of the elite. BUT this is also a world that houses humans with that pesky little inclination for hope despite it all. How do we as people have the capacity to dehumanize an entire population while also retain the ability to love, to seek connection, to hope for better? Do our intentions matter here? Our actions? Or both? What legacy do we want to leave behind… and does that even matter in the slightest?

Somewhere along the way of all these questions, this book became a 6 star read. READ THIS.

The writing in this book was incredible and had me wanting to keep reading to find out what would happen and how everything would be phrased.

“She would do more than take his stupid joke, she decided; she would grip it tight and fashion it into greatness he couldn’t fathom.”

It was a much more intense book than I was expecting. I was thinking it was mostly dark academia based off the synopsis. It definitely had a very complex magic system, which I was really into! Very unique and mathematic.

“It was the beginning of a conviction: she would not be soft, but nor would she be the hard ice that Bringham wanted. She was going to show the mages of Tiran something they had never seen before. She was going to show them Hellfire.”

However, I felt most of the book revolved around religion and questioning your beliefs and how you were raised once you find out information that clashes with your ideals. I'm not a religious person and frankly, reading about it starts to bore me. I really wanted to know what happened in the end though and that's why I powered through.

“I’m starting to understand how ridiculous it is to demand civility when the world is so disgustingly uncivil.”

The writing was phenomenal and I have so many highlighted passages. I'm definitely interested to read other works by this author. While this book was good, it was too religion based for me to ever read again.

“Is it better to be safe and broken or dead.”

Read if you love:
-Complex magic systems
-Dark academia
-Deep thoughts about religion

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC of this book. My thoughts are entirely my own.

Blood Over Bright Haven by ML Wang

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for this ARC!

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*takes a lot for me to rate a book 5 stars but this was easily one of my favorite books this year out of the 144 I’ve read

It comes out October 29, 2024 so not a long wait

Tropes: dark academia, unique magic system, sexism, racism, secrets, love/sacrifice, standalone

I loved both main characters and the main FMC had a lot of personal growth. She starts out somewhat selfish just wrapped up in her own issues and goals oblivious to others and their struggles. But throughout the book she begins to see her reality is beyond just her needs and that others struggle with things far worse than she does, she begins to question her main goal in life and tries to change her destiny to do good

The book was so well written and I was engaged literally the whole time, pacing was perfect and the plot was incredible. Beyond that the magic system was one of the most unique I’ve encountered in a long time, almost a mixture of mage magic / coding.

One theme I found very deep and intriguing that I haven’t seen talked about a lot is the somewhat religious aspect of the book and the idea of morality and blind acceptance of a belief system because you are just supposed to follow it. The book very well depicts what we may see as flaws in our own religions, that in many cases are ignored or covered up because it doesn’t fit the overall narrative and is questionable. The book really makes you think deeply and apply some of these ideologies to the real world which I really enjoyed

Summary:

For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry.

When Sciona finally passes the qualifying exam and becomes a highmage, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome—and, instead of a qualified lab assistant, they give her a janitor.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was not always a janitor. Ten years ago, he was a nomadic hunter who lost his family on their perilous journey from the wild plains to the city. But now he sees the opportunity to understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the privileged in power.

At first, mage and outsider have a fractious relationship. But working together, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first.

I absolutely inhaled this book.

Disclaimer: I haven't read The Sword of Kaigen (obviously, this is going on the tbr now) and... i may have thought this was about vampires?

Obviously, i was completely over my head as soon as I realized what I had gotten into: Blood over bright haven was so much deeper and intricate than anticipated.

⇢ complicated, incredibly well written magic system: think of a mix of physics, chemistry and coding, with magical typewriters.

⇢ plot but even more character driven: Thomil made me cry and Sciona was a complex protagonist: self centered, driven to the point of obsession but not not likable. She was the oppressor and the oppressed, privileged but not male.

⇢ the story and universe made me lowkey angry, shocked me more than once and I found the last third of the book exponentially better than the rest.

⇢ the ending was both fantastic and devastating, a full circle. Bittersweet but perfect.

⇢ but why do they all have various shades of green eyes? Did I miss some kind of explanation? I’m really overthinking this part.

Absolutely recommend this book. It's more on the smarter side, science fantasy rather than fantasy and the author is going on my auto buy list.

Please see below for my review. I will also be including the book description on my IG post. This was posted to Goodreads and IG today. See attached link for IG Post.

“Do you ever read a book and feel like your brain chemistry has been altered? That was this book for me. It is times like this, I wish I was a better writer. I honestly feel like I don’t have words to adequately express how much Blood Over Bright Haven moved me, but here I go.

This story is a Dark Academia Fantasy novel that centers around a young female Mage who is breaking boundaries by trying to be the first woman ever to become a High Mage. This novel truly is Dark Academia at it’s finest. The prologue immediately draws you into the story. I started this book late one night and I could not put it down. The magic system in this book was on an entire different level than anything I have read in a really long time. It is mathematically base and it reads very similar to coding. I am by no means a coding expert so don’t worry if you aren’t either. The author does a great job breaking it down so it is very understandable to the reader.

This is one of those books that sticks with you. I found myself thinking about it constantly when I was not reading it and every night since I finished. One of the topics that has stuck with me the most, is the conversations that our two main characters had around the philosophical topic of “good intentions vs bad intentions.” I wish I could go more into detail about how that relates to the book but I feel it would spoil important plot points. I was emotionally unwell after finishing this book but I was so so glad that I read it. I would give this book 1000 stars if I could. I even went ahead and pre-order this book because I had to have a copy for my bookshelves.

Swipe to read full book description. This review is a bit different for me because I decided to not include tropes due to spoiler risk. If you decide to check this book out and read it PLEASE let me know! I would love to talk about this book with anyone and everyone. It comes out on October 29th.

Thank you so much Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review. “

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang follows Sciona as she becomes the first female high mage. Despite holding the title of high mage her challenges have just begun as she struggles to earn the respect and camaraderie of her fellow mages. Paired with an unqualified lab assistant, Sciona embarks on a journey of discovery that could completely unravel the truths she holds dear. Blood Over Bright Haven is a rare treat in Fantasy. The world and magic system M.L. Wang has created is both intriguing and complex. The characters constantly challenge each other and their world views in a way that inspires self reflection of the reader.

Overall this was a wonderful stand alone fantasy read which I would recommend to any fantasy lover. Thank you Random House Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

4.5/5 - I've been struggling with how to rate this but overall, the book is pure genius and I can't dock it for much. There is one part of the ending that I feel unsatisfied with but I don't want to include spoilers so feel free to chat with me if you've finished! M.L. Wang has an incredible imagination and created an incredibly interesting world and I've never read anything like it. This is high fantasy so don't go into this expecting an easy read but it is EPIC. Dealing with feminism, social structures, racism, and so much more within a totally different world was very impressive and I thoroughly enjoyed these elements. Now I need to go read the Sword.of Kaigen (sp?)!