Reviews tagging 'Infertility'

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

62 reviews

angh's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read The Sword of Kaigen last year and loved it. It was one of my favorite books read in 2024. Now M.L. Wang brings another fantasy standalone book, similar to TSoK in a lot of ways that seem to be her style: the emotional things, compelling storytelling, great characterization and a unique magic system; but at the same time BOBH stands on its own, and in my opinion is an improvement. It covers a lot of social issues like misogyny, racism, elitism, classism, religion, indoctrination, politics, that were well woven into the story.

The magic system is unique and intricate, never seen something like it before. I understand how it can be confusing at first, then I realized it was basically algorithms and coding, and it clicked. The spellagraphs and conduits, the elaborate spells, and the truth behind the magic, everything was so well crafted and played an important part of the story.

Sciona, the FMC, is the perfect example of someone being fed with propaganda to the point where they’re so indoctrinated that they follow it without question, and blindly following a religion is also a main theme of this book, because the High Magistry and the magic in this world is basically treated like religion with its own bible and everything. She starts with the goal of being the first female high mage, and she does (not really a spoiler it happens within the first chapters), but it’s everything that happens after that makes the story and her character interesting. How she deals with the institutional sexism, her relationship with her family, her relationship with her mentor, and her reaction to the “dark secret” behind magic, it made her such an interesting person to follow

Thomil, the MMC, gives you another perspective. While Sciona faces misogyny in an environment dominated by men, he faces racism and classism for being a Kwen, who are treated as less than human by the Tiranish people. He became an integral part of this story and Sciona’s journey. He was the balance to her character, helped her see things in a different way than wasn’t just the Tiranish faith, made her question everything. They clashed very often, but it was precisely this that moved the story and contributed to developing their characters.

The ending was heartbreaking, but also poetic. The perfect balance between chaos and peace, that portrays the idea of “one door closes and another opens.” A tragic ending and a hopeful new beginning.

Would I like a sequel? Of course, I’d wouldn’t mind seeing what happened to this world after the ending.

Is it necessary? I don’t think so. This truly is a standalone with a great, satisfactory ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Infertility and Miscarriage

teejaywhy's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Blood, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Genocide, Hate crime, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Death of parent

cb1984's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.75

Really really good. It's weird because it's basically a book where the magic system is the plot, which could be really really dull - especially as most of the book is basically a mage in a lab learning about magic. But it's done in such a good way that it works really well. 

It helps that the magic system is really well done and creates intere ting quandaries - sign ficant consequences to using magic, but they are borne by other people. There's quite a lot of interesting social commentary on the world they've created too.

I think the only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars was because there was a bit of a lull/artificial falling out before the finale that I didn't love. But this was a really really good book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Racism, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual violence

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, and Cannibalism

andreareadsalot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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

Devoured this book. Amazing. I loved it. I am going to need a copy for my forever shelf. 

Plot: This book is a mix of a technical magic system that feels math based with the analysis of big themes like sexism and racism. I liked that all the characters had flaws and this book explores those flaws. This book was fast to medium paced and really leaned into the character’s development. The world felt well developed. It was intense and emotional. Fantastic writing. 

Overall Rating: 5/5. Loved. 

TW: racism, sexism, sexual assault (ch16), stillbirth, infertility, death, gore, violence, substance use, explicit language (3 uses of F, several b and d and gd) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Child death and Infertility

mj_86's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Suicide

charleyyyyy's review against another edition

3.0

UHHH😓 okay, I have mixed feeling about this book.  There were definite strengths, like the unique magic system that was so in-depth, and the facinating world building!! But there were also definite weaknesses, like the plotting, characterisation, and the way the main themes and concerns were conveyed to the reader.

It definitely felt like I was in a academic setting, not because there's great descriptive and immersive writing, but because it was like I was in a lecture the whole time😖 Be assured that not a single thought needs to pass through your head while reading this book, the author will explain it all to you like you're five.
I could almost feel the author watching me read, peering over my shoulder: "do you get it?? Did you see what I did there?? Let me explain it all to you again."
Please, us readers are capable of independent thought I swear😩

I do love what this book is attempting to do, just not the execution. Discussions of corrupt government built on the pain and exploitation of marginalised groups of people will never not be important or relevant. Unfortunately, we all live in a world just like Sciona's, and we really need to be smacked over the head with the reminder of it so that we don't cover our eyes to it like the antagonists of this novel did.
One thing I did appreciate was the use of the magic system to further develop and explore the issues of this fictional world (and our nonfiction world), that's something I will always enjoy in a fantasy book.

...I just wish it was written better yk🫣

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

lexihworth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

This is one of the darkest stories I️ have ever read. It is also one of the most masterful works of storytelling I️ have ever read.

spatterson7's review against another edition

dark hopeful medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Genocide, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Gun violence, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

ktbelliss's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

4.5

I really enjoyed this book! I think it's rare to find standalone fantasy with worldbuilding that feels this fleshed out. It had some good twists and reveals too. Only knocking it half a starr
 because it did lose momentum a bit around 70% of the way through, but the ending was still satisfying (in a way). Would definitely recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Classism

Moderate: Rape and Suicide

Minor: Infertility

Contains a single sexual assault/attempted rape scene and mention of other women previously raped by the assailant.

apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Cannibalism