I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley.

This book was phenomenal! I fully expect this to be one of my best books of 2024. It was so surprising, so though provoking. Considering the length of this books, the amount of world building included was so impressive. I was also impressed by how accessible and clear the fairly complex and clever magic system was, explained in a scientific, but easy to understand way.

This book was infuriating at times, not because of the writing (which was excellent) but because of the ignorance of those in power and the horrendous sexism our female main character experiences. Despite being one of the most talented mages ever seen, she is continually dismissed for being female, told her weak female brain can’t handle things, that she can’t cope with being at the university, that she should be having babies and serving a husband rather than studying. This is necessary to understand her motivations and conflicts, but so many of the male characters were rage inducing! And that’s not even getting started on the treatment of the Kwen, which I’m deliberately avoiding so as not to give any of the plot away.

This book was so evocative, the world brought to life so clearly, with the university at the centre and the continuous drive for progress regardless of cost. This explores serious moral issues and characters are often faced with information that challenges their world view.

Loved this book, can’t recommend it highly enough.

This was one of my favourite reads of the year so far and definitely one that I’m going to think about for a long time.

The novel starts with Thomil who is part of a clan who loves in an area called Kwen which is plagued by a blight. Thomil and his family are running to get to the save haven of Tiran – a shining city with a barrier to protect from the blight.

There is a passage of time, then we meet Sciona. A female mage who is about to go through an examination to become a Highmage. Highmages are extremely skilled and highly respected – the majority of Highmages are also male and Sciona is bidding to be the first female highmage in a decade.

This novel has a unique magic system which blends science and study rather than being elemental or intuitive which I enjoyed. The worldbuilding and explanation of this magic system and the ‘rules’ of this world, it’s class-system, teachings and ways is very accessible and not too complex so it’s very easy to get into. Very visual while still allowing you to build your own picture.

The character development in this is great – it’s a standalone and quite fast-paced. The character development is believable and realistic and (in my opinion) quite emotional – if you like character development and good characters, you’ll like this. The main cast of characters is quite small but they all have their purpose to this story.

If you like a novel that doesn’t shy away from commentary and diving into themes, you’ll also like this. I feel M L Wang is so good at exploring themes and weaving them into the prose so that it doesn’t take away from the story itself, nor does it feel like she’s trying too hard to make a point.
I found the overarching theme in this to be duality. You get explorations into 2 differing ideologies, the powerful and the weak, male vs female (this is a big one) and also right and wrong.

Sciona has become one of my favourite female protagonists of all time. She’s clever, unapologetic and has a balance of being rational and emotional. I found her quite astonishing in some parts of this and I’m sad that I don’t get more of her!

Overall, highly recommend. M L Wang is becoming an auto-buy author for me!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this as an ARC – I will 100% be purchasing a copy when it comes out.

The world in Blood Over Bright Haven is fantastically compelling. It centres around a society built on the idea of ‘Truth over delusion’ which harbours at its very heart so many lies, maintained by religious taboo and existential fear. It’s absolutely delicious.

Sciona is selfish and egotistical and ruthless and brilliant, and I love it. She is the kind of ambitious person who I feel would absolutely pull the ladder up after her if she thought leaving it would mean sacrificing any of her success. Her first thought is always for herself, or very occasionally the people in her immediate vicinity who she overlooks the entire rest of the time. I think that’s a big part of what makes her such an interesting character to act as the filter through which the events of the book are processed. Her context adds a lot of depth to the world and the story that makes it incredibly compelling to read.

One of the things I think this book did particularly well was exploring the gradual process of changing your beliefs. Sciona discovers things that shake the very foundations of the world in which she lives and the principles that have governed her life, but her first instinct is to hold on. She continues to make decisions based on how she expects the world to be, as though it would warp to her expectations even after she has learned that they’re wrong. It felt like a very realistic response, and it was really fascinating to see how she and her thought process changed as the book progressed.

I highly recommend this book and I think it fits into the dark academia subgenre well, though I think its focus outside of the magic itself is more on the wider implications rather than limited to the academic sphere of influence, because the whole world the book is set in runs on the academic work that Sciona is a part of. I’m not really explaining it very well but to me it meant that it felt more expansive than something purely academia-focused in a way that I really enjoyed.

I have read this book twice in the last couple of months – something I never do (unless it is a very short children’s book). I usually wait decades before rereading. But ‘Blood over Bright Haven’ was that good – I just had to get more of it (and will read it again too!).
The book starts with a horrific scene. The last forty surviving members of the once populous tribe, the Kwen Caldonnae, are making their desperate run to the potential sanctuary of the magic-protected city of Tiran. Behind them is starvation and certain death. Ahead is the tiny sliver of hope that a remnant of the tribe will survive. Then the Blight strikes. The Blight is a ravening, unseen entity that strips the flesh from the Caldonnae, unravelling their bodies and their being one by one, so they die screaming in unimaginable pain. Alone of the forty, Thomil and his tiny niece Carra make it through the killing fields, and are grudgingly permitted to enter Tiran, to a life of drudgery and hopelessness.
Sciona Freynan is an aberration – a female who has devoted every minute of her life to magic, instead of being a biddable woman, looking forward to a future of subservience to her husband and a child-filled domestic bliss. Sciona wants to become Tiran’s first female High Mage. She is not just good – she is brilliant. But, High Mages have always been men, and, even then, are seldom chosen from the lower classes – legacy is everything. We meet her on her way to her testing:
““They say testing women is a waste of time.” “Right,” Sciona said, “meaning the Magistry only trots out a female applicant every ten years to prove the truism—that women aren’t worth the Council’s consideration. So, you see my problem? If I fail, I’ll be that proof. I’ll have ruined magic for the next decade of female research mages.””
Sciona is supported by her mentor, Archmage Bringham. Her testing is much harder than that of her fellow male applicants, but her aptitude – and more importantly – a particular need in the Magistry that perhaps only Sciona’s particular skills could fill, means she get her life-long desire. Her promotion is greeted by ridicule from her male High Mages – especially the odious Cleon Renthorn. Renthorn, as a joke, assigns the Kwen janitor, ‘Tommy’ to Sciona as her assistant – instead of a trained junior mage.
So, Sciona meets Thomil. Instead of giving Renthorn the satisfaction of seeing her discombobulated, Sciona accepts Thomil, and begins to teach him magic, so he can properly assist her. Sciona has to first overcome her prejudices about the Kwen – that they are filthy, ignorant leeches on civilisation, who breed like rats, and are only good for very menial tasks. If they can’t work and obey, they should be expelled from Tiran.
But, Thomil is clean, smells good, and is highly intelligent. He has spent half a life-time making sure he is unnoticed. Slowly, he and Sciona learn to work together, and discuss their beliefs and hopes, and differences in their morality:
“This is the difference in our morality. The Caldonnae and most peoples beyond the barrier weigh a person by their actions and the effect they have on the world. It’s not enough to have meant to do good; if you don’t do good, most gods—those of the rivers, the sky, and the fields—don’t care for your motivations. Why should they?” “They should care because a man who means to do good can improve,”
In virtually all fantasy books about magic, the rule is that there is always a cost to magic – usually to the user, but with dark magic, the cost is born by unwilling persons. In Tiran, magic appears costless, apart from the decades of study required to practice it. The energy comes from the seemingly limitless, unknowable ‘Otherrealm’. Everything in Tiran works on magic. Everything is possible only because of the work of the mages. Sciona is one of the best mages ever in mapping the Otherrealm, and identifying and siphoning its energy sources. But, her studies and experiments lead her into uncharted territory, and terrifying revelations about the origins of the source of Tiran’s magic, that eventually bring down her whole world.
As Sciona is forced to confront all that she believed about her city, society, magic and her religion, so are we as readers forced to examine our own lives. How do we view (and treat) immigrants and asylum seekers? Do we actively try to find out the sources of all our luxury? How many lives are sacrificed, how much is the environment destroyed, that we may live in comfort? How readily do we dismiss the beliefs of others (religious or otherwise) when they differ from our own? How much has the West plundered, in the belief that artworks, land, resources … are safer with ‘us’, who are ‘civilised’. Ignorance is bliss – do we really need to know – or care?
“We are a civilized people, living civilized lives. To talk about where magic comes from is . . . It is in poor taste.”
“Butchers who have given the Tiranish homes, warmth, safety, electric lights, fast trains, running water, and a sense of being blessed by their god,” Thomil said. “That’s a lot to ask a person to give up for something as pesky as the truth.”
“Because good people can turn desperate when the horrors are upon them—especially people whose culture of plenty has left them with no systems to cope with scarcity or cataclysm. Good people will turn monstrous when it’s down to their survival or someone else’s.””
Who is being protected by silence? Can we afford to view reality through a ‘Freynan Mirror’?
This is a book of immense complexity and vision, with stupendous world building, that is searingly thought provoking. It is clearly the best new fantasy novel I have read for a long time. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for letting me access this book early! My review contains some spoilers.

Straight away you're thrown into a world of complex magic in Tiran, the setting for Blood Over Bright Haven, and the imminent danger for those who love outside it's boundaries.

The worldbuilding and magic system in the book are fantastic, clearly well developed and explained in a way that doesn't dump information on you without it being necessary. Some people may find the magic system complex, and whilst it is it doesn't mean you need to know absolutely everything about it to follow the plot.

Sciona was a character that I didn't necessarily like but I understood her, her motivations, and why she thought the way that she did. She was such a clearly defined character that had her entire belief system called into question once she finally achieved her lifelong goal. It's hard not to be sympathetic towards her and appreciate her development as the story progresses and she's faces with tough decisions.

From the author of The Sword of Kaigen, M.L.Wang has given us an emotional rollarcoaster. Unique magic system, dark academia, and new blend of science, magic, religion, and internal struggle of what does it mean to be good?.

I definitely recommend this book.

A complex tale this story takes place under a dome made by the founding mages which protects those in the city from the Blight. 

The blight kills without shame and destroys anything with life that it touches from trees and plants to unravelling a human infront of your eyes. 

We see our main character develop a lot throughout this book, as an academic she questions everything and despite Kwen being frowned upon in their city when she is mocked by her all male peers for being the first female archmage ever she takes the Kwen janitor under her wing as her assistant. 

Its narrative addresses issues such as genocide/ seeing certain groups as lesser beings as well as colonisation in the form of <spoiler>ignoring the harms of magic and the destruction they reap on the Kwans native land , despite being a product of stolen texts taken from the original female witches under the Kwan who only aimed to help people. </spoiler>

Overall despite being deep and at sometimes saddening I truly loved this book and could not put it down. It’s unique from its magic system, to how it addresses social issues and I think is a vital addition to diversifying the worlds of sci fi and fantasy.

This might be my favourite book of the year…

After reading so many mediocre books with the promise of interesting premises, I picked this up on a recommendation and was so glad to be approved to read the republished version of it early. This did not disappoint. It may just be one of the best standalone fantasy books I’ve ever read!

We follow Sciona, a mage in training who applies to become a highmage at the university where magic is taught. Being the only woman ever admitted in a man’s world, she faces obstacles but soon learns dangerous secrets that could destroy her world forever.

I loved how dark academia this book was- it had me feeling like I was there with Sciona, studying and learning about the magic system. Her character is so distinct and unique- she might be unlikeable for some but she has so much drive and determination and she’s set to prove the men wrong.

I also enjoyed Thomil’s character. He’s a janitor who becomes her apprentice, but soon you realise there’s more to him than just his patience and kind words. Both of these characters are opposites of each other, but I felt like they were so well suited. They have deep, meaningful discussions and bounce off each other- I loved the slow development of their relationship.

And the magic system and worldbuilding? 100/10
I adored this world and the history of it- albeit it was quite sad and heartbreaking.

And the plot twist??? It was the plot twist to end all plot twists. I haven’t felt so shocked reading a reveal like that in a LONG time. This book made me fall in love with reading again and the writing was so fresh and beautiful.

I can’t recommend this book enough- read it and I promise you won’t be disappointed!! Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc!

Dark academia mixed with adventured and with 2 very enjoyable characters - this book was so good and addictive!
I’d never read anything written by this author but the writing style and pace made this a great read, the plot was well thought through and the characters were really good together.
I’ll definitely be reading more by M.L. Wang if this is anything to go by!

🩸🫧𝕭𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝕺𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝕭𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝕳𝖆𝖛𝖊𝖓🫧🩸
by @mlwangauthor

I return from the grave (full time work) to sing the praises of this book! This is the first book this year that has actually made me s o b, so much so that I had to actually go get a tissue lol

we follow Sciona as she takes on the trial to become the first ever female mage in her community, and the dark and convoluted history of magic that unspools as she digs further into the academia. this coincides with Thomils story, we follow his families desperate attempt to escape The Blight and seek sanctuary within the city; meeting back up with him 10 years later when his and Scionas paths meet by chance.

this book absolutely emotionally devastated me but I cannot recommend it enough, it was beyond incredible! I adored the worldbuilding and the intricate storytelling, and the characters were written with such complexity as real people are. I loved how they were shown to have flaws, some of which were irredeemable; and were still good people despite it. the ending shattered me, but it was so true to the desires and aspirations of the characters. I always love a tangibly hopeful ending, and I got one here despite the emotional trauma right before 🩵

I loved the pre-chapter lore world building, and how real world like a lot of the character interactions are.

Pros:
Realistic entrenched racism, sexism, and nepotism.
Really cool magic system which was well explained despite being very technical.
Someone gets a typewriter smashed through their skull.

Cons:
I worked out the ‘plot twist’ in the first chapter which could have been included later in the book to avoid this.

A standalone fantasy about Sciona, the first woman to be accepted into a prestigious order of mages uncovers a secret conspiracy. The world building and character development is great and the dark themes are handled well. One of the more unique magic systems I’ve seen which was really interesting although at times there was a lot of information given. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cornerstone for approving me for this ARC. I didn’t think I would get approved for this so am very grateful. I’ve not read The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang but I’ve heard great things.

Wow, what an intense showstopper of a first chapter. In terms of a first induction with Wang’s writing, this was spectacular. I was shocked and breathless by the end of the chapter as it wasn’t what I expected at all.

We jump significantly in time from the second chapter which is where the story takes off. I think it would’ve been better if the first chapter had been made into a prologue since it’s different to the main story. There is quite a bit of world-building info dumping here and I did get confused, especially with the names of the gods and the high mages as well as the magic system, so it took me some time to understand the world. It kind of reminded me of a dystopia model with wizards.

The story follows Sciona who is the first female to become a high mage in Tiran. Tommy/Thomil, a Kwen (someone who is from outside Tiran’s borders), who works as a janitor is hired as Sciona’s lab assistant as a joke. The depiction of Sciona’s struggle and prejudice she is faced as a woman in position of power as well as the racism Tommy faces as an outsider are clever mirrors of the things we face in the real world. We do get further details into the world as Sciona teaches Thomil the basics of the magic, therefore informing the reader. Here it does veer heavily into the academia setting.

Their work together is explained but I personally found it quite difficult to follow and got bored and skimmed those passages at the start. The magic system is based on maths/science/coding, something I have no interest so this was a little lost on me. It was detailed but this part fell down for me. As the story progressed and I started to get more of a handle on the magic system, it made more sense, and definitely enough for me to get the overall concept.

There is also a lot of discussion into the theology of the world, again mirroring our own society. Wang’s book is a social, political and religious commentary. It weaves big themes and questions about life into this seemingly small contained fantasy world. In this sense, it reminds me of the Hunger Games, although they’re both very different books with different plot lines so they are not comparable books.

In conclusion…THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD! I was a little worried that the book would start to fall short when it got to the climax and the ending but I was left satisfied. This is not an epic fantasy novel or a romantasy or even fantasy romance. It’s hard to describe exactly what it is. All I know is it’s an incredibly well-written book and a day later, I am still thinking about it. Wang packs a powerful punch into this 399 page standalone. That is a remarkable feat, and I applaud Wang for her artistry. She has catapulted herself into a must-read author, and I think I must give Sword of Kaigen a go now, even though war stories aren’t really my thing.

I give this a much deserved 5 stars, and it has cemented itself as one of my top reads of 2024 so far, and I'm getting this book for people for Christmas since the publication is end of October.

Thanks to the publisher Del Rey and Netgalley for a review of this novel. I had heard a lot of good things about M.L. Wang’s previous novel, The Sword of Kaigen and had it on my TBR list but somehow, as lists do, things got shuffled. After reading this wonderful deeply moving novel I will be putting it at the top. M.L. Wang deftly handles difficult and very timely issues in this allegorical but amazing steampunk fantasy novel of a woman’s desire to make a difference in the world.

Sciona achieves the impossible by becoming the first woman to gain entry into the prestigious High Magistry of Mages and is determined to make her mark. She begins her first day assigned to the department whose task is to find more and greater sources of power to drive the machines that power the barrier that protects their homeland from the threats beyond it. A barrier that must be extended given the growing size of the population. But Sciona’s male colleagues resent her, so much so she finds that instead of a lab assistant she gets Thomil, who’s not only a janitor but also from one of the barbaric races beyond the barrier. Resigned to working with little help, as the days wear on Sciona finds Thomil better than any lab assistant who assists her to achieve her goals, but helps her see and understand the world in a different and totally unexpected way. A view that leads to some huge and terrible discoveries.

The story is clever, richly designed with a skillfully managed world building that not only provides a wonderful backdrop to the narrative but hugely informs the allegorical quality of the story. It’s wonderful and profound message is so appropriate for today and the world’s climate change challenges but the message is delivered through wonderfully drawn characters that are compelling and balanced. Sciona’s struggles with her nature, her acculturation and perceptions are real and moving as is Thomil’s. The depiction of the fellow mages are depicted realistically as well. All of these elements contribute to make this a powerful must read. Highly recommended.

A dark, but very accomplished fantasy novel from ML Wang. While thematically similar to Babel, I think Blood over Bright Haven had more to say, and provoked more interesting philosophical discussions. That said, it’s not an easy book to enjoy, given the frustrating protagonist and fairly heavy-handed depiction of sexism in academia (though the relationship between Sciona and her academic mentor touched upon more intriguing nuance).

Blood Over Bright Haven starts off really strong with some solid world building and emotional character plots. However, it doesn't continue as effectively with the sheer amount of dry information to take in starts to get overwhelming very fast. I think it was the writing style I struggled with more than the plot, which now I think back on it was actually pretty good. Not a book I particularly enjoyed though!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

There are not many books that can deliver a twist like the one in this book. Dark academia at its finest, with discussions on ethics and morality, the complex mechanisms of spellwork that make up an intricate and interesting magic system, a main character who I personally adored in all her prickly, single minded glory and a plot that will leave you reeling, with reveals you will not expect.

I loved this book, I found myself thinking about it and wanting to pick it back up again whenever I could. Thank you so much for the early read!

Dark Academia books will always have my heart and this novel is no different. The themes of power, prejudice and justice held strong throughout. The story itself was dark and thought provoking, certain parts made me so furious and I had to walk away, other parts had me so upset and questioning myself!

The world and magic system were super detailed and well established, some of the magic explanations were quite complex and I did have to reread sections to fully grasp it but that could just be me being slow 🙈 but it did mean it took me out of the story at times because I was a bit confused.

I think this story did a great job at having a strong willed main character and stripping her down and making her questions herself, her world and everything she’s worked for.

To me, this book thrived under the emotions of the characters, the anger itself was written so well but even the hurt and pain were truly written beautifully. I haven’t felt so emotionally engaged with a story like this in some months, so this was a true rollercoaster.

I do think that the sexism was extremely heavy handed. There was no subtly to it and I felt like it was being punched into my face, which at times made the story hard to swallow. However I still think it was handled well and was very reflective of our world.

Overall a delightfully well written standalone fantasy book and a dark academia that actually fed me with academia!

4/5⭐️

Really disappointing read, I've heard amazing things about the Sword of Kaigen so I was really excited to try this, but unfortunately it missed the mark.
The characters are really shallow and the dialogue and prose are really clunky. I felt like I was being hit over the head with the themes and messages. The magic system was incredibly creative but it was also bordering on convoluted. The first 25% felt like clunky yet extremely dense exposition and over the top cartoonish sexism and racism.
I'm still going to try Sword of Kaigen as from what I can see other people who feel the same way as me about this book still really enjoyed that one!

4.5 stars,
If you like strong main characters with flaws engrained in their personality and vital societal topics, the issues of humanity tackled via narrative, metaphors, subtlety, and if you enjoy a greatly crafted prose, go for it. This book is for you.