A phenomenal example of what Dark Academia has to offer, and how realities can be challenged by different perspectives — I absolutely loved this book and will be returning to it in times to come!

How do you describe the emotional journey that such a book takes us on? Blood over bright Haven left me emotionally raw, with questions directed at the current politics of the world. M. L. Wang really does draw every ounce of blood from her heart and commit it directly to the page. Thank you for the gift of this book, both a pleasure and a pain.

I fell in love with ML Wang's writing with The Sword of Kaigen which I think about at least once a week. I will never be over it! Blood over Bright Haven is a new, complex World with the same fantastic writing of ML Wang. The prologue of this promised amazing things, it was brutal, harrowing with a smidgeon of hope. I almost wished it continued immediately from there.

Sciona, has become the first woman to be appointed a place as High mage and to study at the University. She takes her work seriously and focuses solely on her work. Her magic has devastating consequences but will she find out what they are? I loved the blossoming relationships and the growth of Sciona. I found the science part long and lost a bit of my interest. It felt a bit complicated to flow for me, but I know this will be a much loved book.

I really enjoyed this and will continue to hold ML Wang as one of my favourite authors.

Thank you to ML Wang, the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

“It’s much easier to tell yourself you’re a good person than it is to actually be one.”

Sciona has just made history: She's become the first woman ever admitted to study magic at the High Magistry in Tiran. But, she finds her male colleagues are less than welcoming, with some being openly hostile and willing to sabotage her work, by assigning her a janitor to be her lab assistant.

Thomil was once a hunter whose tribe lived beyond Tiran. It's been ten years since his family was killed by Blight while trying to make it to the city. Now, while working with Sciona, he'll finally discover exactly why they died.

Together, Sciona and Thomil will discover a truth so horrifying that both will be left reeling. It is a secret that can destroy not just them, but all of Tiran and the people they love.

This book has received really high ratings, and I think if I had to rate it on plot and themes alone, I'd probably give it a 4. The magic system is original and the themes of class, gender and racial inequalities are explored with enough depth for me to be angry about how both Sciona and Thomil were treated. That said, it was very on the nose: the author tells rather than shows the discrimination. The book screams racism, sexism and colonialism, and I felt like rather than the author pointing out the wrongs of the society, they could be 'revealed' through the plot more.

The characters are interesting, but for some reason, I really struggled to connect with either. While I had empathy for them and what they experience, as a reader, I didn't feel like they were taking me on a journey WITH them, but rather that I was reading about them from a distance, though I find it hard to articulate why this was so. Both Sciona and Thomil show growth, so it's not that (though Sciona takes an extraordinarily long time to figure out the twist and to leave her selfishness behind). Maybe the language describing them wasn't emotive enough? All I know is I wanted to feel more than what I did, which was very little.

This is not a bad book but it wasn't for me. I want to read fantasy that makes me hungry to know more about the world, and with characters that sweep me off my feet. I know I'm in the minority but I just didn't feel that way about this book.

One of the best fantasy books I’ve read in a long time, and dare I say, my favourite of Wang’s! More please!

"The worthwhile run is never the short one."

This blew me away! I have had this authors work on my radar for years and was delighted to ge4t an ARC of this novel. This story tackles so many things and does them all incredibly well. The setting of this world was intesting from the first page! If youre looking for an academia book and feel like nothing has quite hit the spot please check this novel out, this is like nothing I have read before in the best way! The characters are so well thought out, M.L. Wang is a pro at character work! This is one of my favourite books of the year!

Wow what can I say this book is a game changer .

I’d heard of their other book and finding it hard to get a copy on hard back but luckily enough I got this one on hardback and signed !!!

It’s not a book I would have picked up thinking it would be to hard for me to grasp but the writers way to describing the world is so fluid .

I cried within the first chapters grief stricken about people on pages I’d only known for mere seconds .

I’d love to have heard the audio helping me understand how to pronounce these places and names as my own mind has now made them up .

I adored this book I’ll reread it with the audio again just so I can get more into the story without worrying about how I’ve said things

Loved this! Fantastic story. This was rage inducing but in the right way. Great message, definitely need to read her other works.

Honestly incredible, I am so happy that I got to read this, very compelling and felt like a unique fantasy book which isnt always easy to achieve.
I really will be picking up other books from this author.
I love that this was a compelling, fully fleshed out standalone novel, its so rare to find proper fantasy books now that arent in a series. I do love to ready series but something about a whole story contained within one book is so fantastic and this is executed so well.

I will be recommending to everyone.

Unfortunately, I've decided to DNF this book at about halfway through. It's not because of the writing. I found the story very intriguing. M.L. Wang is incredibly skilled at worldbuilding and this world is immense and expansive. However, it wasn't the right time for me to read the book, and I just couldn't bring myself to pick it up again.

4.5
This was my first book by M. L. Wang and it won’t be my last. The author’s writing style immediately drew me into the story, and the depth of the worldbuilding (one of the best I’ve read in recent few years) hooked me and was such a joy to read. The scientific aspects of the magic system and the way the author fed elements of the world as needed throughout the story were well done and probably my favourite elements of the book. Sciona felt like one of the most substantial characters I’ve read in a while because of how well she was developed. She’s determined, but also frustrating and at times unpleasant; she has to unlearn ingrained beliefs and prejudice, reflect on her own motivations, and learn the truths of her society, one she’s worked hard to be part of, while striving for change. However, these things take time as she’s still a flawed character. Although I debated whether I liked her development, in the end, I found that it aligned with the story and with the reality of the world. Thomil was also a richly developed and engaging character, and the secondary characters provided a good foundation for the development of the story and to help express the themes. The themes and topics discussed were a thoughtful reflection of our own society. Although some aspects of the world system didn’t quite work for me, this didn’t detract from the more engaging and emotive aspects of the book. I look forward to reading M. L. Wang’s backlist and future books.

I am a huge ML Wang fan, having absolutely devoured The Sword of Kaigen early last year.

ML Wang knows how to tug at your heartstrings and Blood Over Bright Haven filled me with moral dilemmas and absolute angst as I realised the truths hidden behind the magic - oh it was absolutely heart wrenching! This is a beautifully written tale with a clever magical world, well described and built. There could never be happiness in this book, but I still felt myself wishing for there to be a happy ending. Beautifully written, an absolute masterclass of the dark academia genre.

I've seen this book on SO many 'best of' lists for 2024, so I'm really disappointed it wasn't a good fit for me. The premise is excellent and I adore the idea of a ruthless and morally complex female lead, but by the 50% mark I just didn't find myself feeling any connection to the story. I definitely think this was a case of an excellent book just not being a great fit, rather than a reflection on the story.

What a book. One of the first ones I read this year and it got it off to a brilliant start. Imaginative, dark, suspenseful with just the right amount of in your face philosophy to make the subject matter hit you right in the face. It's not an easy read, Wang gets you to contemplate a lot about privilege and how what benefits some maybe damage others and it's often harrowing. This isn't a book that uses delicate metaphors so as to not hurt as equally delicate white sensibilities, it doesn't hold back with its' blunt discussions on what we owe to each other - even when we don't know each other. I was floored by this novel.
And even though the main focus was clearly the messages encased within the narrative, the plot was still excellently done and heart-wrenching. The characters, flawed but it was so easy to root for them and want them to live and thrive and succeed. The magic system felt detailed, smart and effortless, despite the fact i figured out what was power the spells pretty quickly, I loved the anticipation of watching the characters figure out the horrifying truth.
I still think about this book daily.

So the reason I wanted to read this is because the synopsis looked really interesting on Netgalley. I'm not gonna lie friends, I was very 50/50 on this book. First, we'll talk about the good. I have not read a book so far that has been this relevant and realistic in how governmental bodies treat their citizens compared to people who migrate into their systems. This book is so important especially with everything that is currently going on in the world right now. This story was so sad, and beautiful and really installed the hope that it was trying to do so. Now for the bad, I did not feel as emotionally attached to some of the characters as much as I felt I should have, especially with how much of the story we spent with them. Now, this could absolutely be just a me problem, but it made the ending of this book really underwhelming for me and I was low key disappointed. I 100% understood why the book ended the way that it did, but I wish I just felt more about it. All in all, I would absolutely still recommend this book to everyone and anyone because of the importance of it's contents, however I do not think I will be buying myself a physical copy of this book.

This was brilliant! My first book by this author and a solid 5star read. Love the Gender injustice theme, the magic was fantastically created and so well written, a dark academia novel at it’s best.

This book has cemented M.L Wang as an auto buy author for me. Incredible writing and a brilliant story touching important topics that will make readers emotional

An incredible fantasy with a unique magic system and flawed yet relatable characters, Blood Over Bright Haven was a gripping read from start to finish.

The themes of colonialism, capitalism, racism and sexism tackled in this book were well handled and hard hitting. This is a book that really made me think and will be one that will stay with me for a long time. I loved the academic setting and the world building as a whole.

The writing was excellent, and I am very much looking forward to reading The Sword of Kaigen so I can enjoy more by this author.

I rated this book 2/5 stars, as it didn't really work for me. I wante this to be a scathing look at class and wealth, and it didn't look at any of these things. The main character didn't realise her privilege and do anything to combat it, or even introspect on it at all. An interesting magic sytem, but I couldn't get past the character.

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang is nothing short of phenomenal—a breathtaking, immersive read that left me utterly captivated. From start to finish, the story is packed with vivid world-building, complex characters, and an intricate plot that keeps you hooked.

Wang’s writing is masterful, weaving together themes of power, sacrifice, and morality in a way that feels both intimate and epic. The characters are incredibly well-drawn, with their struggles and choices pulling at your heartstrings. The twists are perfectly timed, delivering gut-punch moments that had me flipping pages late into the night.

This book doesn’t just entertain—it challenges you to think deeply about its world and our own. For fans of fantasy that’s as thought-provoking as it is thrilling, Blood Over Bright Haven is an absolute must-read. I’ll be raving about this one for a long time!