Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

25 reviews

salewis224's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was so tremendously innovative. It turned out to be an entirely different experience than I thought it would be, in a great way.  While I never ended up “liking” or relating well to any of the characters, I was fully invested in their fates. The author does an incredible job mashing genres together, which led to a magical, but thought provoking story.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

rhi_'s review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

rnbhargava's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

The book has themes of genocide and also has a section of the book with the setting in an ongoing riot status. There is a scene that’s a sexual assault. Complicity in institutional segregation and genocide is the major theme of the book.

bookish_panda's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

“Maybe it would be a hundred generations before the sun rose on a life of dignity for their descendants, but the worthwhile run was not the sprint.”

What a masterful story. Heartbreaking and so necessary in these times. It was difficult to read sections of this book knowing how close it is to what has and still is going on in today’s world. As sad as the ending was (I’m still crying) it was perfect and hopeful. 

The author portrayed the toxicity of patriarchy, colonialism and, above all, white feminism/fragility to such a perfect degree. I feel like everyone should read this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Miscarriage and Suicide

princess_azula's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Infertility, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Deportation

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

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

sammymilfort's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense 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

5.0

I have no words 

This is probably one of the most important pieces of literature I will ever read 

“To hope
To hope, Highmage Freynan”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

abbacus's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

5.0

This book had me by the fucking throat IMMEDIATELY, I'm in love with the worldbuilding in this, not to mention the characters which are perfectly flawed and super compelling, their growth is satisfying and somewhat melancholic and that ending had me feeling things fr😭 can't wait to dive into some more M.L. Wang this year, what a great book to kick off 2025

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault and Xenophobia

Minor: Cannibalism

anni_banani's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.75

If I had to describe this book in a sentence, “ Which characters are heroes and which are villains? Yes”
Lol
For real though this book made me hate to love it and maybe least likeable MC in the most amazing book ever! How dare Wang make me obsessed with this book and pick it back up every time I through it across the room in frustration with the protagonist. I could hardly stay in my seat by the climax of the book, it was a whirlwind. The magic is exceptional and unique. 

The book has ruined me so much for other books that I wonder if I ever want to like another MC again? 

Thomil and carra forever. Love them sooo much 

This was my first ML wang book and I’m already on my second! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Vomit, and Police brutality

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Deportation

CW details Attempted R*p*, violent - chapter 16 Past infertility and still birth - chapter 18. Mass institutional infertility