Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

203 reviews

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Ich hatte so viel Spaß mit diesem Buch wie seit langem mit keinem mehr! Das Worldbuilding war frisch und interessant, die Atmosphäre immersive. Die Allegorien haben für mich funktioniert, in der Aussage und philosophischen Ausrichtung ist das Buch extrem relevant. Und wow, selten war ich in eine Beziehung zwischen fiktionalen Figuren so invested wie in Sciona und Thomil. Beide POVs waren extrem gut geschrieben und sie haben mich sowohl als alleinstehende vielschichtige Figuren fasziniert, als auch in ihrer Dynamik miteinander. Ich konnte das Buch ab Seite 100 ungefähr nicht mehr aus der Hand legen. 

In der deutschen Übersetzung sind mir allerdings viele Schreib- und Flüchtigkeitsfehler aufgefallen sowie unreine Satzstrukturen etc. Aber das hat meiner Lesefreude keinen Abbruch getan.

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dark tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book was fantastic. One of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read
I love books that yap and info dump and this was exactly what this book was 🤭

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

explores themes of power, privilege, sexism and oppression. overall, such a crazy story!! i loved getting to know sciona and thomil sooo much. Bright Haven has so much blood and heavy secrets in their closet. Sciona, although shes very egoistical and selfish, she really finds her truest self in the pursuit of truth and honesty. She continuously challenges the status quo and perfectly encapsulates female rage as she navigates a male driven world (so real queen & #womeninstem). Cannot wait to read more from ML Wang

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adventurous dark reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book is excellent with interesting characters that engage with their flaws, but (which I know you guys expected) it all feels like the first chapter, like something continually building that finished before the last block slotted into place. Furthermore, I really would have loved to learn a bit about the old magic because it is framed as the good magic but it is the foundation for this new magic and so did the
old magic also siphon the souls of people why did it change.

However I loved the characters and their growth and care and I enjoyed that their wasn't a trite happy ending for them because I could never believe that. Either the immigrant who fled genocide would have to give up fundamental parts of his culture or a woman would have to throw away her dreams and doing either of these would destroy the themes of the novel 

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Does intent or impact matter more? 

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dark hopeful medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Do you wish you could rewatch FMA for the first time all over again? That's how I felt reading this book. Highly, highly recommend. Wang has some very poignant commentary about racism and sexism and the way the white imperialist patriarchy uses this to encourage infighting among the oppressed rather than allowing the oppressed to rise as a single class against their oppressors. I appreciated that Sciona struggles with her racism towards the Kwen for the vast majority of the book. And the ending was just... chef's kiss. I thought it was really satisfying,
even though it wasn't a "happily ever after." Because sometimes, choosing to fight means you are risking your death
.

I really struggled with whether this deserved 5 stars or not. It only barely missed the bullseye.
I just felt that the romance between Sciona and Thomil was not necessary. I didn't think the relationship was more compelling or more profound, and at some parts I felt like it detracted from the main plot. Maybe it's a me thing. It just felt very... heterosexual. Also, at one point there's a line about how "Thomil could not belong to a Tiranishwoman and Sciona could not belong to a man". And I'm like... girl go get a girlfriend then? Maybe if it was sapphic I would be more forgiving. LOL.

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

By far the best book I’ve read in a long time! It should be required reading 

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Given the ending, I was convinced this had to have a sequel but I am pleasantly surprised to learn it's a standlaone so props to the author for ending the story that way!

This book got off to such a slow start for me with such an extended chapter on the workings of the magic that I honestly almost DNF'd it. I'm glad I didn't but the first couple of chapters were quite a slog with a character I really didn't like.

That said, the magic system is complex and fascinating and feels very real. The themes here are blatant and were hard to read about given the current state of the world, but I'm glad some of the bigotry was addressed on the page. In such a racist and misogynistic society I know it would've been surprising to have it not also be queerphobic but I would've loved to have seen some queer or disabled characters fighting for their place in the world too. There is only one mention of queerness and of course it's homophobic. There is also a scene involving SA that I think wasn't really needed considering how awful the perpetrator had already proven to be.

This is a dense read that tackles some extremely unpleasant topics and doesn't shy away from gruesome descriptions of death including some explicit descriptions of animal and child death so be prepared. I wish Thomil and Cara had had more chapters and I'd love to read more from either of their perspectives. 

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