Blood Over Bright Haven was an enjoyable and exciting book. It tackles imperialism, sexism, class struggle, and religion. Overall, I liked the two main characters - some of the supporting ones were a bit flat though - and the way they challenged one another although I did not always like or understand their choices. The magic system was unique and interesting. And it ended with a big bang. This story was a lot grimmer than I expected but I still enjoyed it. I will definitely check out the author’s other books.

A dark academia diatribe on ethics, power, and choice that has left me staring at the walls and unable to read anything else. I knew I was going to be emotionally eviscerated, and still I read on.

This book is like if the Barbie movie’s themes of the lack of female power were set in the tone of Oppenheimer. Keeping the distinct undercurrent of “small man make big choice for all people” and add in a dash of racism, classism, narcissism, and general murderous vibes, and there you have it.

I’m going to watch the Barbie movie and pretend that these aren’t the real choices that people make every day until I no longer want to sob kthanksloveyoubye

PS NO NOTES, but ML WANG WHEN I SEE YOU

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Everything you look for in a dark fantasy novel, plus more (imperialism, racism, elitism, and supremacy).

M. L. Wamg knocked out another great read! Don't know where he comes up with these stories, but just wow!

Another must read.

Expected publication October 29, 2024 by Del Rey

Originally self-published and now being traditionally published on October 29, 2024, *Blood Over Bright Haven* is a standalone dark academia novel with a unique magic system and complex characters. It tackles important issues such as racial inequality, sexism, classism, and more, while exploring the age-old question of impact versus intent.

Sciona has fought tooth and nail to become the first female highmage in the High Ministry of Tiran. In a world designed to celebrate men and stifle women and the poor, Sciona has secured her dream job after devoting her life to achieving it. However, on her first day, she realizes that despite earning her position, she will never be accepted for her skills and talent. Determined to make her mark, she is insulted when a janitor is assigned to be her laboratory assistant. Little does Sciona or the High Ministry know, Thomil is more than just a janitor; he is one of the last survivors of his tribe, most of whom perished in the Blight while trying to enter the city ten years prior. Together, Sciona and Thomil must find a spell impressive enough to expand the city's barrier. In their research, they stumble upon a harrowing truth that changes everything. Sciona must come to terms with a life built on lies, and Thomil must face the true cost of magic.

I usually never read standalone fantasy books because I always want more time with the characters. But wow, this book did it for me. It had an easy-to-process yet unique magic system, amazing but infuriating character development, and a well-paced plot. At no point was I bored; I was incredibly intrigued from the first chapter. Thomil’s introduction and background immediately drew me in, especially with the description of the Blight that plagues his people. From the very first chapter, I knew I was going to love this novel. Sciona was both hard to love and hard to hate—truly a complex character with flaws, prejudices, and ego. She shows that true character development is not linear. There were moments when I was cheering her on and others when I questioned if she had learned anything. The ending was bold, emotional, and exactly what I wanted. The last three chapters alone bumped this book from 4 stars to 4.5/5 stars. Although I somewhat predicted the ending, it was executed beautifully, and I was cheering for each character.

I would recommend this to any reader and will definitely be adding M.L. Wang to my auto-buy list from now on.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, M.L. Wang, and Net Galley for an advanced copy of the traditionally published *Blood Over Bright Haven* in exchange for my honest review.

Blood Over Bright Haven by @mlwangauthor asks the question, “What cost is too high for advancement and comfort and God’s glory?”

My rating jumped all over the place throughout this book. It started at a 5, fell to a 3, went back to about a 3.5, and it managed to end on a 5. It both started and ended strong with the middle being a little too predictable for me, but that is what happens when you read a lot of sci-fi/fantasy.

PROS:
🩸Unique Magic System
🩸The Kwen
🩸Freynan Mirror
🩸Thomil
🩸Carra

CONS:
🩸The Source of Magic
🩸Mostly Predictable
🩸Misogyny
🩸Religious Superiority
🩸Colonialism
🩸Racism
🩸The price “good people” are willing to pay

🪞🪞🪞🪞🪞out of 5 mirrors to the Otherworld for the exceptionally strong ending

Thank you to M.L. Wang and @netgalley for the opportunity to read one of my most anticipated titles of 2024.


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This book was quite the ride. With a unique magic system, that is easy to follow. I enjoy these types of fantasy novels, because they are easy recommendations for friends that are new to the fantasy genre. This was an emotional rollercoaster and Wang is a master at character development.

So far, this is my favorite fantasy I’ve read this year. I would recommend it to fans of VE Schwab, RF Kuang, and Brandon Sanderson. The plot is incredibly engaging and masterfully paced. At one point, I gasped out loud. The characters jump off the page, even minor ones feel real and complex. This is only one of the reasons that the explorations of colonialism and prejudice are so effective. I could gush about this for a while but I think it’s better if you just go and read it yourself.

I recently had the pleasure of reading "Blood Over Bright Haven" by M.L. Wang, and I was thoroughly impressed. The book is a captivating fantasy novel with well-developed characters and a richly imagined world. The author's storytelling is immersive, and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat. The book masterfully blends action, intrigue, and emotional depth. Overall, "Blood Over Bright Haven" is a must-read for fantasy enthusiasts, and I eagerly look forward to reading more from M.L. Wang in the future.

This may be one of the best books I’ve ever read. So unique and interesting. I loved the magic system. The plot slowly gets going but once it does you won’t be able to put it down!

I read this because my favorite booktuber said this was her favorite read of 2023, and did not disappoint.
The magic system, the character development, the dark academia vibes, the social commentary. Top. Tier. Run, don't walk, and go buy this or scoop it up from your local library. Side note, my library didn't carry it but I requested it, and they had within days.

Do you remember the first fantasy book that really made you feel magic? We might not remember a specific book, but our TBR pile has been full of fantasy ever since. We're constantly in search of books that give us a hint of that same feeling. Some books might be just as good as those we first read, but without a fresh take, the thrill of discovering a new magical world remains elusive. And the more books we read the harder it is to find that feeling again.

All that to say that Blood Over Bright Haven is one of those books that made us feel that hard to find glimmer. First self published by M.L. Wang, in 2023, it will be re-released by Del Rey on Oct 29, 2024. It’s a stand alone fantasy, which we think works for the story. While we love a great series, we don’t love when authors push a needless sequel (or trilogy) on us, drawing things out because they know we’ll stick around just to see how the darn thing ends.

For us the best part about Blood over Bright Haven is the world building/magic system. Bright Haven is a community protected by a magical barrier from both the weather and a horrifying occurrence called “Blight,” which is basically when your body unwinds itself into strips. The founders who put this barrier in place long ago are revered, almost as gods. This is magical dark academia, and the academics here influence politics and religion, and consequently have most of the power.

The magicians in this academic community use a form of typewriter to help them cast spells, and they write these spells in a very coding-like way. It's obvious that M.L Wang spent a great deal of time making sure the magical rules were consistent and interesting. We've seen another reviewer of this book say that the descriptions of magic made them feel like they were in school. They meant this as a negative, but for us it was a positive. It made the magic feel more real, and also, we'd love to be in a magic school.

Unsurprisingly this system of politics, religion and academia, is male dominated. One of the main characters, Sciona, is trying to go farther up the ladder of academia than any woman before her. Sciona herself isn’t a completely likable character. She’s got flaws. But we like when a character isn’t sickenly sweet, who have to navigate grey areas, who might make the wrong choices.

One of the few issues we have with the novel is that, in a few instances, it was hard for us to tell if the narrator had a specific feeling/viewpoint or if the viewpoint was meant to be attributed to Sciona. One example of this that really rubbed us the wrong way when it was said that Sciona "threw like a girl," and the implication being that she threw poorly. We're going to give the author the benefit of the doubt because she herself is a martial artist, so probably can throw a pretty good pitch.

The other main character, Thomil, is a newcomer to this protected Kingdom. And outsiders are treated as lower class, less than human. Through Thomil we see the ways in which magic helps the upper class while the lower class is relied upon to do the dirty work. While working as a janitor Thomil is assigned to be Sciona’s assistant in a hazing “joke.” When the pair end up being a good team they are able to uncover some secrets about this boys club of academia.

For us Blood Over Bright Haven is a solid 4 out of 5 (that's high for us, we're very picky). The combination of academia and magical world building felt fresh, not just another story riding Harry Potter’s coat tails. If you're looking for a book to make you feel like you stepped into a world where magic is real, you should give this a shot.

TW: Sexual assault and violence

Thank you to Del Ray for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are our own.

Outside the magical barrier of Tiran lies Kwen, a land (and a people) ravaged by Blight. The Blight is a supernatural phenomenon that literally strips the skin, muscle, and organs from person's body until nothing is left beyond hair and bone.

Within Tiran's borders, however, is a land of magic and prosperity. Its inhabitants believe they have been blessed by God, and the Blight is used as proof of that; God smites the Kwenish people and their land because they renounced Him, but the Tiranish people prosper because they live in accordance to His truth.

The book follows Sciona, Tiran's first female highmage, as she strives to make progress in the spellwork that will be used to expand Tiran's magical barrier. Sciona is given a Kwenish assistant (Thomil), and together they make a breakthrough. As a result, however, Sciona and Thomil unintentionally discover the horrific source that powers Tiran's magic. Sciona tries to instigate change based on her discovery, but Sciona's attempt to make things right only uncovers something worse: societal complicity.

Blood Over Bright Haven is about power and oppression, faith and indoctrination, and truth and delusion; its themes are directly tied to Wang's world building and complex magic system, and everything ties together in a masterful way. Honestly, I think it's one of the best books I've read this decade, and I could easily see this book becoming required high school/college reading (or banned entirely, depending on where you live) due to its complexity and haunting questions.

10/10, M.L. Wang's newest book is a masterpiece.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into Blood Over Bright Haven expecting to find a new favorite book, but I ended up disappointed. While the magic system was unique, I’m not a fan of info dumping. I also found Sciona difficult to root for and really do not enjoy when an author does not trust readers to read between the lines — the book discusses important themes but they are too in your face.

Utterly magnificent. I cannot get enough of this author. I've already preordered a physical copy and will be circling back for their previous book. Fantastic work.

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.