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

Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

14 reviews

kasiasffrealm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

An absolutely incredible read for fans of *Babel*, *Arcane* (Netflix), unique magic systems, and dark academia. The story follows two characters, Sciona and Thomil, as they cross paths in a city protected by a barrier spell that is fueled by dark secrets and justified by religious dogma. Sciona becomes the first-ever female highmage in the city’s history, challenging their religion’s view that women are unsuited for working in the upper echelon of magical innovation. The story is challenging, bringing up issues like colonization, oppression, and the intertwining of church and state. Reading it made me appreciate the power of fantasy writing to challenge deeply rooted beliefs taught to us from a young age. While other reviewers focus on the idea of “What is the cost of magic?” I would take it a step further to say the book asks: what is the cost of comfort?

The writing is exceptional, opening slowly with strong worldbuilding, explained clearly and cleverly to the reader. The book even includes an annex with terminology. The story takes a turn about a quarter of the way in, and the action and twists start to take shape. This book was a page-turner for me, between the worldbuilding, the moral dilemmas, and the author’s intoxicating writing style. The focuses of the story are the character flaws, personal ambitions, the desire for legacy, and systems of power — but there is a hint of will-they-won’t-they for readers who enjoy a sprinkle of romance in their books. Similar to one of the dilemmas presented in *Arcane*, the story presents the dichotomy of people using magic as a gift to enrich their community and those who manipulate and bend it to their will to fulfill selfish ends.

Easily the best book I have read this year — I will be clawing for a hardcover edition as soon as it’s available and following M.L. Wang’s writing journey closely! And of course, thank you to Del Rey Books and Random House Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings

mmiamuse's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book grabbed me by the lapels and held on TIGHT! While reading this, I was consumed by it. I could not stop thinking about this at work, while driving...while existing lol. The writing is phenomenal, the character development is flawless. You will be emotionally scarred after reading this. This is a solid dark academia/fantasy stand alone. The MC is a woman in her mid 20's and I LOVED that. It made the character more relatable to me because I am the same age as Sciona (the main character). This is definitely added to the list as one of my favorite books ever...along with The Sword of Kaigen. I think I have a new favorite author.

Content Warnings

couchaphant's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Content Warnings

courtsport3000's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

Brutal and unflinching, yet peppered with so many pure, tender moments. Beautifully written. Somehow both otherworldly and alarmingly close to home. Incredibly cool magic system and worldbuilding so clear it feels tangible. Everything is done well in this book. Everything.

This read really made me reflect and stretched my feelings to the max. I lost count of the number of times I gasped or clapped a hand over my mouth. Wang shocked me in ways few other authors have. Very eager to check out their other work now.

Content Warnings

insomniacsun's review

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

ML Wang, un nome una certezza: dopo questa lettura e The Sword of Kaigen, si conferma come autrice di cui leggerò i libri senza pensarci due volte.

La mia lettura è iniziata al quanto alla cieca, senza eccessive ricerche riguardo ai grossi temi affrontati dalla storia. Le alte aspettative e il mio eterno cinismo mi hanno reso un po' scettica sullo sviluppo adeguato della storia, soprattutto visti i ritmi del primo arco narrativo molto frettolosi e densi.
Sono estasiata nel dire avevo completamente torto.

Tiran, città emblema dell'innovazione e cuore pulsante della civiltà, dimostra come il progresso avrà sempre un costo, che inevitabilmente viene pagato con il sangue. La grossa ferita che traspare nel corso della storia non viene sminuita con un misero cerotto di eccessivo eroismo e ingenua positività:

Sciona non diventa magicamente l'emblema dell'altruismo e amata dal popolo, Carra non cresce come bimba indifesa e innocente, e Thomil è chiaramente eroso da un decennio di maltrattamenti.

I personaggi appaiono così vivi e autentici, rispecchiando la realtà in cui vivono attraverso i loro difetti e le loro azioni non sempre sagge.

Ho apprezzato particolarmente la fine di Sciona: fino all'ultimo ho temuto che il suo sacrificio sarebbe andato a cancellare il peso delle conseguenze delle sue azioni perdonando il fatto che per tutta la sua vita fosse parte del sistema oppressivo, a prescindere dalle difficoltà che ha dovuto affrontare lei stessa.

She had always belonged here among these insatiable men, her brothers in greed and ego. Her only distinction among these mages was that she was a more honest monster than any of them, and she would die an honest mage of Tiran: finely dressed and filthy-souled, taking with arrogance what was not hers to take.

E invece ML Wang decide di colpirmi con questo: una morente Sciona che accetta le sue colpe, che accetta di non essere poter assistere di persona al segno che ha lasciato sul mondo, che accetta di non essere riconosciuta da Tiran come il genio che il suo ego nutriva, che accetta di essere ricordata per aver perseguito la verità solo da Thomil e Carra.
Come posso non adorare un personaggio del genere.

Si nota come l'autrice rispetti il lettore, in quanto non usa il banale elemento shock rivelando informazioni senza fondamento, e preferisce far fiorire i temi trattati attraverso le esperienze dei personaggi e conversazioni organiche tra di loro(looking at you Babel).

Mi trattengo dal dare il punteggio pieno per il ritmo troppo veloce iniziale: trovo che alcuni momenti emotivi molto intensi abbiano perso parte del loro impatto per l'eccessivo susseguirsi di avvenimenti.

Detto questo, blood over bright haven mi ha dato nuova speranza con la ricerca di fantasy di mio gusto in grado di trattare tematiche serie in modo realistico e rispettoso, e per questo devo molto alla Wang. Non vedo l'ora di leggere altro dalla sua brillante mente.

Content Warnings

errie's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

stephjlw's review

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5 stars!

video review | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCUSn7t6IOY&t=141s

for fans of fullmetal alchemist? the way i bought this immediately.

oh mannn... there's so much to say but also so little. this book is incredible. it's an amazing example of standalone fantasy, an amazing eample of a straight up well crafted novel, and I think the standard to which dark academia should be trying to reach as a genre.

to me, dark academia is more than a Pinterest aesthetic, but should be about works confronting the violence or corruption of institutions, using academia or an academic setting as a vessel, and this book does it wonderfully.

the reason this isn't a 5 star read for me is because there were a few things about the ending I didn't love, most of which have to do with my penchant for hopeless romanticism. the ending of this book suits the story that came before it, but like many outcomes in real life, I wish somehow it rose to something happier.

not to say that this book has a tragic, grim-dark ending, it doesn't. but I do think M.L Wang was aiming for a more hopeful feel than what I felt.

this is a novel about the violence in the world around you, and what it takes to confront it. the story unfolds and ends in a way that makes sense, and feels inevitable. and the mid-way reveal/ plot-twist in the book is PHENOMENALLY done. i can't stress that enough, one of the best reveals I've ever read.

there is so much to think about in this novel, I can see myself re-reading it to fully absorb some of the passages. it's brazenly political, anti-colonial, and anti-imperial, and confrontational of the complicity those in society have in the violence of their systems. it's fast-paced with excellent characters, and a world that I would love to see Wang explore more of.

this is a book that should be on the radar of any fantasy reader, especially those that like political fantasy, and I highly highly recommend it.

Content Warnings

atalea's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious sad 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

4.25

Content Warnings

honnhi's review

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

4.75

I went into this book with the very little knowledge of what it was about besides having a dark academia setting, and I appreciate that as it afforded me the opportunity to experience it at firsthand.

My favorite thing about M. L. Wang’s works however shall always be her unique ability to seize the most specific, unsettling, and devastating emotions and bring them to life through her words. Before I had any inkling of what the plot could be about, I cared about the characters she introduced me to and what would happen next. Unfortunately except towards the beginning, while I was interested in the events that would happen next I rarely found myself genuinely invested in the stakes. Perhaps, it’s easier for me to feel emotionally connected to smaller-scale, more personal conflict. Luckily, despite not relating to the main character, Sciona, much at all, I found her perspective and thoughts to be captivating, her boldness and willingness (stubbornness) to stand by her values admirable. The great character work really did a lot of heavy lifting in this book.

While I do think the messaging about sexism and colonialism was a little heavy handed, I don’t think that it’s any less enjoyable or important. I think her depictions of the truths and emotions that underly these things were realistic and necessary for to get the purpose of this particular book across. To compare it to Sword of Kaigen would be doing a disservice to both novels because they are fundamentally different in what they are trying to accomplish.

This woman-in-STEM approach to the story and world was surprisingly interesting considering I generally prefer more traditional fantasy environments. Still, my heart is set on softer magic systems that bring wonder to my eyes and heal my soul.
Overall, it was a good experience that I’d recommend.

Content Warnings

opalmars's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

More...