Reviews with content warning for Body horror - Blood Over Bright Haven

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Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

183 reviews

justkrissaying's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Things I Liked:
- SCIONA FREYNON. Truly the spiritual successor to Edward Eric that I never knew I needed. She’s insane [affectionate] and a bitch [super affectionate] but man. She’s brilliant. I really loved following her character growth throughout this entire book. Just literally such. Such an incredible character. The little egomaniac will live on in my heart.
- I REAAAALLY loved how

the book openes in a similar way it began: with Thomil and Carra running towards a better, new hope.

Like it really thematically brought everything together full circle—literally, in some ways. Same with the Deep Night too, if I’m recalling correctly!!
- Speaking of the ending I’m also obsessed with like

where Mordra’s character is gonna go from here BWAHAHAHA. Like that narrative has so much potential for me. In the power vacuum left behind, does he manage to still be kind? Has he truly unlearned anything or will convenience of his new surprising position and power get to him like it has to those before him? I’M CURIOUS MAN.

- I did call SUPER early on the big twist/secret that Sciona and Thomil discover but I honestly think the reason for that is because of good foreshadowing. So kudos to Wang for that.
- I love how unabashadly brutal this book is especially when its dealing with the themes it does, here. It’s so relevant and it’s so harsh and it hashes it out in your face. I think that works in its favor, even if…

Things I Didn’t Like:
- … even if the narrative voice/dialogue got a little hand-holdy and on-the-nose at times. Like yes let’s

call out systems of oppression for the visceral, murderous cogs of the larger machine they are

but also, I would love to have just a little room within the narrative voice to have these thoughts breathe; it felt oftentimes like the narration was just repeating what the character just said but in different words, or telling you outright what to think/how to feel about a given character. A minor nitpick really, all things considered, but still messed a little with the pacing for me.

Anyway, I REALLY enjoyed this book and the more I think about it, the more I like it. It’s not a perfect book, but I still think its a really important and intentionally challenging one. I loved The Sword of Kaigen so, so much, and it’s so great to see that M.L. Wang has churned out another banger I’ll be thinking about for a long time. Thanks, Wang.

Content Warnings

lostinthelake's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional 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

In refusing to be a stepping stone, she had made herself a boot. p. 375-376

Content Warnings

sannosmo's review against another edition

5.0

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

Content Warnings

daisy2050's review against another edition

5.0

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?

Content Warnings

moominquartz's review against another edition

4.5

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.

Content Warnings

novel_nibbles's review against another edition

5.0

I was forewarned but I was not forearmed!

This book left me wrung out but in the best possible way. I smiled, I cried, I felt uncomfortable, angry and devastated but ultimately finished the book feeling hopeful.

5/5 An incredible book I am going to be thinking about for a long time.

Content Warnings