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hunterkat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.5
Wow. This book was so amazing. The only reason it didn’t get five stars was because of the info dump at the beginning. Even for a lover of world building and hard magic systems like me, it was a little too much. It was necessary to the plot, but spreading it out would have helped. Overall though, amazing book with a dark twist and a somewhat predictable but incredibly well done ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Xenophobia
moonlitreading_'s review against another edition
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“She was going to show Tiran something they have never seen before. She was going to show them Hellfire.”
M.L. Wang’s The Sword of Kaigen is one of the books I loved so I just had to pick up Blood Over Bright Haven. Sadly, I didn’t love this one as I did TSoK but it is still a good book. Blood Over Bright Haven discusses racism, classism, feminism, and religious bigotry.
Thomil’s POV started the book and it set my expectations higher. It was so dark and intense that I was literally on the edge of my seat as I read on. Unfortunately, the pacing after that felt slow for me, especially during the first half of the book.
Sciona grew up in a very religious society that is deeply misogynistic and racist. As much as Sciona cries misogyny, it doesn’t change the fact that as a Tiranishwoman she has more privilege than the Kwen—especially the Kwen women. Even though I dislike Sciona, I still couldn’t help but root for her. The Tiranishmen are a hundred times worse, I wanted to squash them all especially Cleon Renthorn, that man is my enemy I don’t care if he’s fictional.
I felt like the talks about feminism and racism were only discussed through the experiences of Sciona and Thomil. I am in no way dismissing their experiences or belittling them but I would’ve loved this more if Sciona interacted with women outside her family but she’s not like other girls. With Thomil, I felt like his character only revolved around Sciona. I wish we were shown more of the Kwen community in Tiran. Also, the romance??? That was a weird addition and felt unnecessary to the story.
I understand why people gave this five stars, but it sadly didn’t work for me.
M.L. Wang’s The Sword of Kaigen is one of the books I loved so I just had to pick up Blood Over Bright Haven. Sadly, I didn’t love this one as I did TSoK but it is still a good book. Blood Over Bright Haven discusses racism, classism, feminism, and religious bigotry.
Thomil’s POV started the book and it set my expectations higher. It was so dark and intense that I was literally on the edge of my seat as I read on. Unfortunately, the pacing after that felt slow for me, especially during the first half of the book.
Sciona grew up in a very religious society that is deeply misogynistic and racist. As much as Sciona cries misogyny, it doesn’t change the fact that as a Tiranishwoman she has more privilege than the Kwen—especially the Kwen women. Even though I dislike Sciona, I still couldn’t help but root for her. The Tiranishmen are a hundred times worse, I wanted to squash them all especially Cleon Renthorn, that man is my enemy I don’t care if he’s fictional.
I felt like the talks about feminism and racism were only discussed through the experiences of Sciona and Thomil. I am in no way dismissing their experiences or belittling them but I would’ve loved this more if Sciona interacted with women outside her family but she’s not like other girls. With Thomil, I felt like his character only revolved around Sciona. I wish we were shown more of the Kwen community in Tiran. Also, the romance??? That was a weird addition and felt unnecessary to the story.
I understand why people gave this five stars, but it sadly didn’t work for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
caia_in_wonderland's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
Mind blowing dark fantasy.
The prologue was very intense, heartbreaking and gory, introducing us to the Blight - a lightning kind of death magic that falls from the sky and thorns skin from muscle, muscle from bone, until only a puddle of blood remains, and to Thomil and the remains of his tribe as they make the crossing to the only place safe from the Blight, the magically protected city of Tiran.
Then the first chapter, which we assume is a few years later, introduces us to the MC, Sciona, a very stubborn, very intelligent, very interesting and determined young woman who wants to be the first highmage.
She eventually achieves it but her male, mostly misogynistic, colleagues don’t want her to succeed and in a prank style have a janitor become her assistant in the project that is supposed to increase the size of the city by finding more magic in the Otherworld to siphon. That janitor is none other than Thomil, as the tribes people can only have low jobs and bow to their masters and protectors.
This book is filled with relevant themes and complex events and decisions. From colonialism, misogyny, racism and exploitation. And, it doesn’t shy way from the gore, violence, and abuse that these themes encompass. But, it also shows how an intelligent person faced with the real facts can understand the errors in their conditioned reasoning and change their whole view of things, it also portrays the ways in which love can save a person, and how a culture can survive even when all try to bury it.
I was only somewhat bored with the complex magical system, that is until I understood it completely, until the realisation broke through and my mind exploded, not only at the brilliant idea of it but also at the fantasy-reality correlation. It was again, mind blowing.
The end was terrific, heartbreaking, and hopeful.
Brilliant writing, brilliant exploration of the chosen themes, and a great imagination, plot, and characters in this not that big standalone.
Anyone who loves fantasy, particularly the heavy lifting kind, needs to read this indie author, and this book. I can’t wait to have a minute to get into her debut The Sword of Kaigen. I mean, just see the reviews. Golden! Definitely a new author to follow!
The prologue was very intense, heartbreaking and gory, introducing us to the Blight - a lightning kind of death magic that falls from the sky and thorns skin from muscle, muscle from bone, until only a puddle of blood remains, and to Thomil and the remains of his tribe as they make the crossing to the only place safe from the Blight, the magically protected city of Tiran.
Then the first chapter, which we assume is a few years later, introduces us to the MC, Sciona, a very stubborn, very intelligent, very interesting and determined young woman who wants to be the first highmage.
She eventually achieves it but her male, mostly misogynistic, colleagues don’t want her to succeed and in a prank style have a janitor become her assistant in the project that is supposed to increase the size of the city by finding more magic in the Otherworld to siphon. That janitor is none other than Thomil, as the tribes people can only have low jobs and bow to their masters and protectors.
This book is filled with relevant themes and complex events and decisions. From colonialism, misogyny, racism and exploitation. And, it doesn’t shy way from the gore, violence, and abuse that these themes encompass. But, it also shows how an intelligent person faced with the real facts can understand the errors in their conditioned reasoning and change their whole view of things, it also portrays the ways in which love can save a person, and how a culture can survive even when all try to bury it.
I was only somewhat bored with the complex magical system, that is until I understood it completely, until the realisation broke through and my mind exploded, not only at the brilliant idea of it but also at the fantasy-reality correlation. It was again, mind blowing.
The end was terrific, heartbreaking, and hopeful.
Brilliant writing, brilliant exploration of the chosen themes, and a great imagination, plot, and characters in this not that big standalone.
Anyone who loves fantasy, particularly the heavy lifting kind, needs to read this indie author, and this book. I can’t wait to have a minute to get into her debut The Sword of Kaigen. I mean, just see the reviews. Golden! Definitely a new author to follow!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Blood, and Colonisation
Minor: Rape
honnhi's review against another edition
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.
Overall, it was a good experience that I’d recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicide, Cannibalism, and Abandonment
adancewithbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
Thank you so much to author M.L. Wang for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
If you think you are picking up a fantasy book with a bit of a darker theme, think again. Blood over Bright Haven is a hard-hitting book that swings back at colonialism, our past and our present.
While the tag line for this book is 'what if there is a cost to magic?' it boils down to so much more. The city of Tiran has done quite well for itself. Its people and magic thrives and they are proud of that. Outside of their borders and their magical protection lay plains and Kwen. Kwen and its people are barely surviving because of the Blight. A weird phenomenon that kills any life (including plants and animals) in weird lightning strikes. If the blight doesnt outright kill you, the lack of nutrition will. Survivors try to reach Tiran. Some are able to come into the city, but only if they can work. They aren't treated kindly and while they aren't slaves, they are not at all treated kindly. Does that ring any bells?
The above is not the only theme of course. Ask yourself the question if magic could give you anything you want, if you would give that up because the cost was high? What is too high for a whole society to thrive? What is morally right and acceptable? What if there is no right choice?
I think what I appreciated the most about the book was that nothing was easy. There was no easy answer to any of the hard hits that our characters had to deal with. You don't discover something, tell everyone and then everything will fall into the right path. You can't change hundred of years of set behaviour by disclosing that one secret. There wasn't one right choice.
I can't say that I was particulary taken by any of the characters. They weren't unlikeable but I didn't fall for them either. Yet when chapter 23 came around, I felt like crying just as much as the characters did at the start of it. And I think that lies in the strenght of M.L. Wangs writing. How she manages to twist all these difficult topics together and loads it with all these emotions. It's not our world, but it is just close enough to trigger those feelings. Of the things that we see happen around ourselves. About not knowing how to make a stand.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
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