Ever read a book that feels like peeling back layers with each chapter? Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang is exactly that. This was my first 5 star read of the year. I sing high praises!

Blood Over Bright Haven is a captivating journey through the vibrant city of Tiran, where we follow Sciona’s quest to become the first female high mage.

M.L. Wang masterfully develops each character, making their motivations and struggles feel incredibly real. The world-building is equally impressive, with Tiran’s rich culture and intricate magic system adding layers of depth to the story.
As the plot unfolds, the dynamics of power, ambition, and identity are explored in a way that keeps you HOOKED until the very last page. Highly recommended for fans of complex characters, and immersive fantasy worlds that take you to another world whilst reading.

"To hope. Sciona lifted her glass, and Thomil raised a fist in return. To hope, Highmage Freynan."

HOW WILL I EVER RECOVER FROM THIS PAIN??

For anyone who is currently a victim of the global reading slump, this book is for you. This is a fast-paced dark academia fantasy where our ambitious FMC, Sconia, becomes the first ever female "Highmage" after passing an extremely competitive exam. However, when she gets there, she realizes her gender and social standing puts her at a severe disadvantage, with her male co-researchers not accepting her, and ridiculing her by assigning her a janitor, Thomil, as her assistant. Thomil is from a race called Kwen, and is currently living in Tarin with the mages, where him and his people are SEVERELY mistreated by the city.

I can honestly gush about this book forever. The magic system is basically magical coding, and as an engineer myself, needless to say I was in love with it. It is sometimes a bit hard to wrap your head around, and a lot of the world building is through dialogue and info dump, so beware of that. Additionally, the conversations in this book were excellent, with philosophical topics that combine religion, colonialism, and the ultimate question "what makes a good person?" I saw a lot of reviews comparing this book to Babel by R.F. Kuang, and I 100% agree. I will say, I found this book to be even more heavy handed than Babel, so if that bothered you before, it'll probably bother you more now.

The characters were INSANE. I will happily admit that I despised Sconia for the majority of the book, and yet her arc was very impressive. I also loved Thomil and Carra's arcs, although I wish we got more chapters from Thomil's perspective. The structure of the novel was also amazing, and everything just comes together in the end.

Overall, I honestly adore this book, and I honestly cannot even think of a more perfect ending.

Such a beautifully written dark acedamia fantasy! M.L. Wang definitely did not disappoint!! She’s about to be one of my favorite authors of all time! I actually bought a special edition of Sword of Kaigen a while back that I haven’t gotten a change to dive into yet. Now I can’t wait to start!!! ♥️

Lord, I don't even know how to start this review.

Since everyone I know loves ML Wang's books, I decided to request the trad pubbed arc thinking that this would be a new fave.

Yeah, so... That was a huge mistake.

This was a buddy read with my fellow hater from another mother, Mai, and I was glad that we had the exact same thoughts throughout the novel.

Mine was mainly: Who is this novel written for?

While I'm always down to support marginalized authors, I've noticed that ever since my favorite author, RF Kuang, started to dominate the bestseller lists, there have been several clones popping up in SFF. A lot of debut authors think they can handle heavy themes such as institutionalized racism and colonialism/anti-colonialism with an ounce of Kuang's finesse, but then they let me down with their obvious lack of understanding with such complex topics.

I'd label Blood Over Bright Haven as either Babel-lite or a Babel wannabe.

But make it about a white savior.

As a fan of Babel, I honestly don't care too much if a novel is heavy-handed with its themes. This novel though... Sure, it was heavy-handed, but it also made the extremely huge mistake of holding the reader's hand by literally writing out all of its themes like I was 18 years old again enrolled in Sociology 101.

I mean, this is cool for readers who never knew that SFF can be a mirror for societal issues, but for longtime readers and fans of SFF, this book felt like it was talking down to the reader.

Hell, even for newbies to this genre, I'm pretty sure you can easily figure out this book's themes without having the author treat you like a child. Especially since this is supposed to be a novel geared towards adults.

For example:

Kwen were dangerous beasts when it meant tightening control over Tiranish women. Tiranish women were damsels when it meant tightening control over Kwen. They were all hapless children when it meant denying them access to power—and it was that lack of power that made them helpless, made them monstrous, made them subject to the benevolent Tiranishman, who would save them from their deficiencies. Each gear turned tidily into its neighbor in a soul-grinding system designed to sustain the men who had named the pieces and made them so: damsel, devil, servant, wife.


Not only that, the main POV character, Sciona, was insufferable. There was no redeemable quality about her. Was there even character growth by the end? Not in my opinion. I love morally grey characters as much as anyone else on BookTok/Bookstagram, but she was so narrow-minded and one-dimensional that it was difficult to root for her, much less like her.

Literally everything she did was self-serving. Even the major event she pulled at the end was self-serving.

The entire time I was reading this arc, I was wholly in denial that a BIPOC author would write about a white savior/martyr character. My god. Do better.

There was no one else to stand up for Thomil's people, for Carra's future, for the sanctity of Truth in the face of this insidious lattice of lies.


And Thomil? Poor Thomil didn't deserve to be saddled with an idiot of a main character. The author really tried to make his character complex, but he felt lumped in with the faceless mass that was the stand-in for the Indigenous/POC community in this novel.

Speaking of that, it was really uncomfortable for me to read about a marginalized community's role as the defacto downtrodden, second/third class citizens when readers are introduced to only TWO characters from that community who are given names and are mostly well-written (Thomil and his niece, Carra).

And next to that, the novel introduces us to handfuls of the white folks upper echelons of society who are white majority coded, along with their names, their roles in society, their personalities, their relationships to each other, etc.

As Sciona grew closer to Thomil, why weren't we introduced to more Kwen folk?

I didn't think this would be an issue, but in the second half, the Kwen become a literal riotous, bloodthirsty mob with only revenge on their mind.

Which, well...

If this was supposed to be a book about the Kwen being treated like lowly members of society, it definitely got the point across well. We get no names, no introductions, no personalities to this zombie horde that starts attacking the Tiranish and their property.

A second shock wave crashed through the crowd, and Sciona heard more bones snap, more cries of agony. But the Kwen didn't stop coming. Why should they? Their ancestral land was ravaged, their kin Blighted, their future stolen. What did they have to lose? And who in the wide world could tell them to stand down?


It felt so wrong to paint them that way. Like the author couldn't be bothered to give the Kwen the same level of respect that she gave the Tiranish. And even though they were the last Caldonnae, Thomil and Carra felt cut off from the rest of the larger Kwen community because we were never introduced to anyone else.

The vibes were so off.

Like I asked above: Who is this novel written for?

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for this arc.

So thankful to NetGalley for an arc of this book. 4.5 stars for Blood Over Bright Haven, a dark academia novel with a magic system that is unique and interesting. I was caught up in the story and the characters from the very beginning and now I feel like I need days to process all of the different feelings I’m left with. The way M.L. Wang writes is a perfect combination of world building and information while also keeping the reader engaged within the story with heart wrenching plots and memorable characters. Sometimes books are read and then forgotten. That is not the case with this book. I’ve thought about it every time I had to put it down and now, I wish I could read it again for the first time.

Thanks to Del Ray Books and NetGalley for the eARC…

What a fun book this is with great pacing, fun characters, a satisfying plot that tackles tons of topic.

It starts as what seems a simple Dark Academia with a FMC, Sciona, going up against the patriarchy in her attempt to become a high mage, but that is the biggest “undersell” possible. This book challenges everything about Sciona, her belief system, who she is, love, family, religion and attacks topics such as racism, sexism, colonialism, immigration through this world. All these heavy topics don’t weigh down the story, but are continuous challenges for Sciona to determine who she wants to be, and it’s a great ride down, and back up with her through to a thrilling end. Thomil is an outsider with a different perspective and life experience and is able to challenge Sciona’s search for truth and knowledge. You really get invested in these characters and want good things for them. This is all intertwined with a magic system that feels and sounds like computer coding.

This story was great, the fantasy world was different, and this was my first read of Wang’s but will definitely be going to read the Sword of Kaigan, also by her.

I highly recommend it, especially as it is a stand alone book, that you can still enjoy the world in but you get a climax payoff in just one book.

5 stars.

Blood Over Bright Haven was the dark and twisty academia story I didn’t know I needed. The way this author makes you feel as if the world is crashing down around you along side the characters with the weight of the truth of this society is so masterfully told

I actually really enjoyed this book! Can never go wrong with an M.L. Wang book! Have seen this all over TikTok and Facebook, and Instagram and am so glad I was able to have a chance to read! Thank you!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Brilliant and hardworking Sciona has a lot riding on her shoulders as the first female highmage in the magical city of Tiran. Her fellow mages are unwelcoming and jealous. She’s stuck with a low-caste janitor from beyond the city’s magical barrier as a lab assistant instead of someone more qualified. But Sciona is determined to make her mark, and she finds out that her lab assistant Thomil is both willing to learn and smart. As they work together, Sciona and Thomil begin to discover a secret that could change everything.

I enjoyed this a lot. The magic system is very neat– like Robert Jackson Bennett’s Foundryside series, it reminds me of computer programming. Sciona is more complex than an average character with both good and bad traits, which come to the forefront as her reasoning clashes with the racist assumptions baked into her society. The book is also an exploration of how being of one oppressed class doesn’t render a person unable to inflict harm on others. Some readers have termed this a colonizer romance. I think this stands out from other books that deserve this moniker– imho, it truly isn’t a romance, and the power differential between the two parties is at the forefront.

I did guess at the main plot twist fairly early on, but it didn’t bother me overmuch.

Tiran is a shining beacon of civilization, a city where everything is powered by magic from the trains to the barrier that keeps out the dreaded Blight. Sciona's brains and ruthlessness enable her to become Tiran's first ever female highmage. Rampant sexism means the only lab assistant she can get is Thomil, one of the downtrodden Kwen given refuge in exchange for grinding poverty and discrimination. Their partnership is surprisingly effective, until they make a breakthrough so revelatory it threatens to destroy Tiran. Gripping and intense dark academia. None of the characters are nice, but even the secondary ones contain layers and depth. Thanks, Netgalley.

Blood Over Bright Haven by M L Wang follows Sciona, a young woman with a goal. That goal is to be the first woman accepted into the High Magistry. However, getting in is just the beginning because challenges await her at every turn. Will she be able to make it through?

This was my first book by this author and it definitely won’t be my last! One thing I really loved about this book was how accessible it was. While there is a pretty intricate magic system, I think it was so well explained that it would be easy to understand for most readers. With this being a standalone as well, I think it is a great fantasy book that I will be recommending over and over again.

This book had a lot of hard hitting themes of racism, classism, sexism, and colonialism and it manages to balance everything really well while still conveying the message. More than one time I wanted to throw my ereader across the room because I was getting so mad at what was going on.

There are a lot of complexities to the plot and it somehow manages to come together so well at the end of the story. I was worried I would feel like this book didn’t do enough but I was very satisfied with how it ended.

This book packs an emotional punch because you get so attached to the characters so anytime they are facing a hardship, it feels like you are right there with them.

I would highly recommend picking this book up when it releases. It is so good.

This book was emotional , powerful and so addictive. I could not put it down. The world building was so rich and immersive. The magic system is well written and interesting. The book flawlessly tackles issues of racism, misogyny , sexism, colonialism and imperialism. Everything is portrayed with so much honesty. The ending ….. the ending took me by surprise. I absolutely loved this book.

Blood Over Bright Haven is an intensely unique story about ego and it's effects on the world. The story was difficult to read at times, but real and raw. Sciona's struggles with ego and her stubbornness did not make her a lovable main character, and they weren't supposed to. This aspect made this story so unique and interesting to read. Sciona's stubbornness and ego was meant to frustrate the reader, the systems of oppression within the book were meant to be upsetting and hard to read and uncomfortable, and Sciona's slow growth to overcome these systems while still holding on to her core character was also frustrating. The author's ability to do this intentionally while still making readers so invested in her and her story leaves me speechless. This book was a masterpiece. Thank you for providing me an ARC.

A fantasy that is not part of a series!!! This one starts off fast and never slows down. Sciona is a rare female mage, and the first in a very long time to try to become high mage. Magic (here similar to engineering) is her everything; she cannot stop working on a problem until it is solved. But over the years this has blinded her to the people around her, well, people in general, or their motivations or trustworthiness. After seeming to achieve her dream, she discovers horrors beyond belief and has to truly understand herself before making unimaginable decisions about others. Racism, sexism, genocide and magic all run amok. How will she fight them all?
This does not hold its punches. The bad guys are bad, the seemingly good guys are unconscionable, and the lowly and downtrodden are squashed like bugs. And Sciona herself takes no prisoners. You will be exhausted, yet satisfied, when all is said and done. Highly recommended.

Woah. This book was not at all what I was expecting when I started it. I loved how unique the magic system was in the book, even if it was at times a bit technical for my tastes. I still enjoyed this though! The characters were interesting and engaging, I just wish there were a few more POVs from the MMC, there were a few time jumps I felt could have been filled from his POV. I did guess the twist before it was revealed but I don't think it made the horror of the reveal less impactful. Again, I do wish we would have gotten to see more of it from a different POV. Overall this was a great book and a nice break from what I usually read!

I did not love this as much as I loved Sword of Kaigen, but I still really loved this. ML Wang has quickly become one of my favorite authors. The way she packs an emotional punch is unparalleled. The magic system is unique and interesting. And I loved the way she touched on important issues such as sexism, racism, and classism in this book. I will absolutely be picking up a hardcover copy of this with the sprayed edges once it's released. It was a wonderful read!

I'm not the type of reader who hands out 5 stars. I'm actually pretty hard to impress. I thought this book was brilliant.

The world building, the magic system, the story structure, the complexity of the characters, the themes... Masterful. This is what I would consider a modern classic. It should be used for teaching. Not just to literature students for its message, but as an example for aspiring writers of what quality and compelling storytelling looks like.

thank you netgalley & del rey for the ARC!

this is my first stab at one of m.l. wang’s work and my god what an absolute whirlwind. to be fair here, i did have to read the first 2 chapters twice over but after that, i can’t say i wanted to ever really put this book down. we’re given strong MCs and a well executed storyline, the pacing of it all felt balanced and while there were a few info dumps along the way, i personally felt it didn’t detract from the plot. it made me feel like i was in sciona’s head with the way her thoughts were put on page.

wang’s storytelling made me feel so many emotions and it’s hard to believe that this is a STANDALONE fantasy book. yeah, a standalone. i’m so used to seeing 3 to 5 story fantasy series that i loved that i was able to finish this in a matter of days.

i know this has been self published last year and is now being traditionally published this coming october, but please get your hands on a copy once it’s out. i’ll be thinking about this for a while.

ty again and happy reading ◡̈

This book was so great! I love dark fantasy so much, and this did not disappoint. The storyline was so good that I couldn’t read fast enough.

An ARC was provided for me via NetGalley.

I received an eARC from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is a dark fantasy set in Tiran, an industrial haven protected by a magical barrier against the wilderness outside, populated by the “uncivilized” Kwen who are struggling to survive against the mysterious Blight that has been ravaging their people and home. The story follows the fate of two characters, Sciona, an aspiring female Tiranish mage railing against the corruption, sexism and nepotism of the existing academic and political hierarchy, and Thomil, a Kwen who entered Tiran seeking refuge from the Blight, only to be treated as a second class citizen. The two cross paths when he becomes Sicona’s assistant while working on

While some of the pacing was uneven at times, plotholes and backstory were sometimes patched with a few pages of dense explanations, and some parts of the plot were painfully predictable, they ultimately did not detract from the compelling story, which kept me coming back to the book. The world they live in is magical, but the themes and conflicts were real and painfully relatable - the silencing of women who dare to speak up against men, the dehumanization of those who are deemed to be “other” and “lesser than,” and the ease with which seemingly good people can turn a blind eye to the pain and suffering of others in order to preserve their own comforts and self-image.

I also liked the nod to computer programming in the underlying system of magic, and the philosophical discussions around what it means to be good, and whether intentions matter more than the results of one’s actions. In particular, I liked that there was no clear right answer, and no clear happy ending, but there was room for thought and reflection, as well as a glimmer of hope.

I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a dark fantasy or dark academia that isn’t afraid to confront sexism, racism, classism and moral ambiguity.