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.

<i>Blood Over Bright Haven</i> drew me in from the very first page. ML Wang has a way of captivating readers with her writing and making us care about her characters very quickly. First, with Thomil in the prologue, and then again, with Sciona in the first chapter. I was hooked from the start and cared deeply for both characters, despite how flawed Sciona was in particular.

My only major gripe was the ending. While one character arc was extremely satisfying, hitting the climax that the arc had been very obviously building toward, the other character arc felt unfinished. The question of this world’s future was left unanswered as well and that, to me at least, felt very lazy. Wang essentially dropped an atomic bomb on her own story and then walked away. Where was the resolution? What are the implications of any of this? The fact that I’m struggling to even picture how the characters would move forward is indication enough that something wasn’t done right. While Wang cleverly wove her way through raised stake after raised stake, I expected more to come from the ending. It’s like she knew how she wanted to utterly turn upside down the world she created, without knowing how to or wanting to deal with the aftermath.

The dark cloud that was the ending is really hanging over me when I consider what to rate this. At this point, it’s a 3.5 rounded up because the messaging about racism and sexism was very strong and extremely relevant when allegorically applied to our world today.

<i>A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for providing me with an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review!</i>

I expected nothing less than a five star book from M.L. Wang, and she delivered.

Was this as devastatingly brilliant as The Sword of Kaigen? No, and I frankly don't think I will read a book that does to me what that book did. Still, this was action packed to the brim and beautifully written.

Connecting to the characters was easy as was putting myself in their shoes when they dealt with tragedy and moral questions.

I found the ending extremely satisfying (yay for stand-alone books) and it left me longing for another book of Wang's.

It may be time to give Girl Squad Volta a try.

The premise is very promising: a woman wants to become the first female High Mage in history. She has studied her entire life to get to that point. She performs very well during her entrance exam, which is biased because she's a woman and nothing is really expected with some nepotism males, but she gets the job. However, the men are incredibly sexist, and think they are being funny when they give her a janitor as a lab assistant.

This lab assistant has been relegated to that position because of his ethnicity. He lost most of his tribe trying to get into the city because some kind of force takes a lot of the people outside the city. In order to survive, he does what he has to do.

They work together, trying to figure out this huge project, and in doing more research, and really getting to know each other (Sciona has some SERIOUS bigotry), they find themselves getting closer and closer to a solution for the main problem, but find themselves lost after finding out the magistry's dark secrets.

The premise of the book is very good. Sciona is very no-nonsense and goal oriented. She goes through some very difficult trials and you do feel for her. Thomil is a star, incredibly smart and capable. The twist in the book - I can honestly say I did not see it coming. At all. It did not even cross my mind, and I love that.

I didn't LOVE this book, but I completely understand that I am in the minority. I recommended this to my husband, who is obsessive over Brandon Sanderson, because this writing felt evocative of that.

A engrossing standalone fantasy woven through with unique magic, while telling a raw tale about the price of power among classism, and the dangers it brings.

I think I physically yelled “the AUDACITY!” two dozen times and still couldn’t put it down. I was so caught up in the world building that I really felt the real indignation of the characters. They are fighting racism, sexism, dogmatic beliefs, and all around delusions. I also loved how the magic system was complex but still easy to understand. Also I love Carra. She is the best.

Omg. From the very first chapter i was intrigued by this story, and i basically went in blind so i had no idea what was going to happen. I’m so glad i did that because the way that this book SHOCKED me and got so intense so suddenly about 40% through was crazy. And then the end of this book was so sad but powerful.

The onlyyy thing that i didn’t like was how dumb sciona sometimes was for how smart she was supposed to be. Otherwise, i have never read m. l. wang’s books before, but i definitely will read more now!

What a book!

I've had the Sword of Kaigen for ages and had heard all the praise for M. L. Wang's writing, yet I was not prepared for my first contact with it, which ironically was through Blood Over Bright Haven instead of the Sword of Kaigen.

M. L. Wang's writing is beautiful. It's been a long time since I've felt that way about an author, despite reading many books that I've liked this year. The first scene in this book shook me to my core. It was visceral, haunting, devastating, yet so incredibly powerfully written. I could not imagine how the book can possibly continue in the same manner, but Wang showed me. Reading Blood Over Bright Haven is not smooth sailing, nor is it necessarily pleasant. I was anxious, I felt pain for the characters, I felt absolute horror from what was happening in this world.

The book is, more than anything, a mirror, funnily enough as a mirror is also a major plot device in the book itself. And just as the mirror in the book reflects the ugliness of that world, the book serves as a mirror to our world, and poses moral questions which are relevant in both our worlds.

I will spare all the details of the plot, because I feel it would be a disservice to the reader - I went in not knowing much of anything about the story and the journey I had was so raw and powerful that, despite my sadness at times, I would wish the same for any other person who picks this book up, and please - do read it!

I don't think this world will leave me soon, even now I think I haven't had the time to think through the ending, the hopeful tone of the book still clashes with my bleak experience with it, and that is something that I'll have to mull over for a while. What a book...

Dark Academia is a genre I love but am yet to find a favorite in. M. L. Wang, most known for Sword of Kaigen, writes perfectly within the tropes of the genre while also critiquing the cost of progress, technology, and empire. I loved the world building in this book and the characters, but do have to wonder who this book is written for. Most of the novel is from the POV of Sciona, who becomes the first high mage woman in history. She reads like a white feminist coming to terms with racism towards the indigenous people in this world called the Kwen; all while relying heavily on her assistant, Thomil, who is Kwen, to do so. I think many BIPOC readers will want to throttle Sciona for the position she ultimately puts Thomil in, and I was frustrated by the romantic plotline that developed between the two of them... It felt unnecessary! I wish that this story was simply told from Thomil or Carra's perspectives... :|

Blood Over Bright Haven is a beautifully written, dark academia standalone. I’m keeping my review short because I highly recommend starting this book with as little knowledge of the synopsis as possible.

Some of the things I really loved:
-The magic system. It’s very unique and well thought out.
-The politics.
-The two main characters. They are from very different backgrounds, and it was so nice to see how they grow and change throughout the book.
-The tension.
-The ending!

Blood Over Bright Haven is perfect for those who love a fast paced, dark fantasy.

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

My gosh, thiswas one hell of a story! Sciona Freynan has always focused on her studies, hoping to become a high mage of Tiran one day. This is a very difficult feat to accomplish. But it happens! The other high mages, all males, are giving her hard time, but they have no idea how smart and how much of a fighter she is. I don't want to give away more, but I want to say that it is a story of love, resilience, empathy, greed, the writing is impressive, the world building and the magic are very complex, and I absolutely loved it. The end is chef's kiss! I do not recommend it to readers who are not used to reading fantasy, though. The spells and backstory are quite intricate and it took me a while to get into the story. I read this as an ARC but I loved it so much that I will get myself the hardcover and reread it. Sciona is a queen, and her Kwen assistant Thomil is a man I fell in love with ❤️

**Features:**
- Dark academia
- Explores themes of sexism and xenophobia
- Protagonist with questionable motives and morals
- Technical, ‘engineer-like’ magic system

**Summary:**

For most of her life, Sciona’s only focus has been to become the first female High Mage in Tiran’s history. However, when she finally achieves what no woman before her has, she finds herself facing uncharted waters that are far more treacherous than she could ever imagine. The only help she has is from Thomil, a janitor that has been appointed to be her lab assistant. Despite his lack of lab experience, Thomil has something no mage does: extensive knowledge of the world beyond Tiran’s magical barrier. After the last of his tribe was killed in a desperate attempt to reach Tiran 10 years ago, Thomil has longed for answers about the magic that has led to the loss of almost everything he held dear. Thomil’s hunger for truth and Sciona’s mission to prove herself will lead both down a dark and dangerous path of secrets.

**Thoughts:**

This book had me captivated from the first heart wrenching scene to its fitting conclusion. The harrowing opener focuses on Thomil and his niece arriving in Tiran and wonderfully sets the tone of the book before introducing Sciona and building the world. Sciona’s is the type who wants to be ‘good’, but whose ambition and narrow world view often warp her perspective. I think Wang does an excellent job making Sciona a deeply flawed character who I still was invested in seeing grow. However, it was Thomil who really shined for me. Both the magic university and Tiran itself are very insular, so Thomil’s perspective provides a lot of the broader world building and I felt it was essential to understanding the broader implications of the characters’ choices and discoveries.

This book is not a steampunk book, but the way magic works made me compare it to that subgenre a lot. It felt very technical and, for lack of a better word, academic. The mages of this world felt like an interesting blend of researcher and engineer with different specialties. Since the work they did directly impacted the way the city functioned, it gave extra weight to the people who truly wielded power. While it does make mention of a classist structure that limits access to this knowledge for many, I didn’t feel it was ever fully explored. My only real complaint is that in general, this book doesn’t explore its themes in a way that feels truly nuanced. However, it integrates these themes really well into the overall journey making it both easy to enjoy and meaningful.

This is the second book I have read by M.L. Wang and I already know I will be reading anything that she writes. In this book she weaves a beautiful tale of a woman working to break the gender roles of her society and a man who makes her question her beliefs, but also this book is somehow full of magic and a commentary on tyrannical societies? Will be recommending to all of my friends!