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A review by caia_in_wonderland
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
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