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A review by nhollie
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I’m genuinely very tired of this genre of fantasy where the only thing the character ever talks about is that she lives in a sexist society and because she is a victim of sexism it’s supposed to somehow explain away every selfish choice she makes. I also get authors are like “write selfish women,” but to what end? Like truly to what end is this literature where because women live in a sexist society the only options are to be cruel or greedy or to not care about other people. It seems like every fantasy release I’ve read this year has had this same boring, cynical premise. There is nothing challenging about being cynical or writing character who are “not like other girls,” and I’m becoming exceptionally bored with it.
I’m equally tired of this “tough/not like other girls” who are somehow the most naive characters in the entire novel even though the entire foundation of their character is supposed to be “i’m not like other girls because i like to think/scheme/do science” etc., but are just vapid.
Now onto Blood Over Bright Haven…I really didn’t like this book — and it’s definitely informed by my own personal history as a descendant of an enslaved population who was historically and is contemporarily oppressed, dehumanized, and victims to similar state sponsored violence like the Kwen in this novel.
1. I’m floored that there is supposed to be a romance between Sciona (who is complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Thomil’s people) and Thomil. He says he isn’t going to forgive her for her actions, but it okay being romantically interested in her? The person whose entire society and way of life is built on the oppression of the Kwen? The oppressor/oppressed romance is gross — and it’s implausible to me that Thomil likes a woman who even after she realizes what her magic is doing and thinks that it’s okay to use it as long as they don’t target people, but still target the land the people live on. Also, Sciona is still a racist? She doesn’t challenge the fundamental principles of her racist religion or culture? Like she, at no point, understands the fundamental humanity of the Kwen, so again how is this a romance? Please make it make sense!!
2. I’m also just generally appalled that these people are so broken down that no one fights back. That is not how any oppressed group in history has ever responded to oppression. People fight back and organize. Why are the Kwen not doing that? I similarly refuse to believe that every person in Tiran who is aware of what is happening (to spoil the novel entirely: The Blight is caused by Tiran’s magic) only has the recourse of suicide? Again in history, there are traitors to oppressive causes who form coalitions with the oppressed. This does not happen in this novel. It makes no sense.
3. And in this novel and similar ones, authors only identify sexism as a potential problem that a person may face, there is a complete lack of any sort of awareness of multiple forms of marginalization. I know it’s common for even the most marginalized privileged person to distinguish themselves from the true “Other” because of race, gender, class, etc. but it’s so incredibly boring, predictable, tired, that our intelligent main character can’t even for a second empathize or understand Thomil.
4. And to that end, I find is really offensive that because women are denied participation in the higher levels of the magistrate, that they are relieved of any responsibility for the violence of their magic. It’s just fundamentally untrue that women are not active participants in horrific violence (see Stephanie Jones-Rogers They Were Her Property).
5. Also even after finding out about the fundamental violence of Tiranish magic, nothing about Sciona changes. She is still selfish and egotistical — and it’s actually unclear why she even cares about the magic hurting people because those fundamental elements of her character remain. She doesn’t listen to Thomil or trust his experience as an oppressed person and leverages her privileged status against him. It’s gross.
2. I’m also just generally appalled that these people are so broken down that no one fights back. That is not how any oppressed group in history has ever responded to oppression. People fight back and organize. Why are the Kwen not doing that? I similarly refuse to believe that every person in Tiran who is aware of what is happening (to spoil the novel entirely: The Blight is caused by Tiran’s magic) only has the recourse of suicide? Again in history, there are traitors to oppressive causes who form coalitions with the oppressed. This does not happen in this novel. It makes no sense.
3. And in this novel and similar ones, authors only identify sexism as a potential problem that a person may face, there is a complete lack of any sort of awareness of multiple forms of marginalization. I know it’s common for even the most marginalized privileged person to distinguish themselves from the true “Other” because of race, gender, class, etc. but it’s so incredibly boring, predictable, tired, that our intelligent main character can’t even for a second empathize or understand Thomil.
4. And to that end, I find is really offensive that because women are denied participation in the higher levels of the magistrate, that they are relieved of any responsibility for the violence of their magic. It’s just fundamentally untrue that women are not active participants in horrific violence (see Stephanie Jones-Rogers They Were Her Property).
5. Also even after finding out about the fundamental violence of Tiranish magic, nothing about Sciona changes. She is still selfish and egotistical — and it’s actually unclear why she even cares about the magic hurting people because those fundamental elements of her character remain. She doesn’t listen to Thomil or trust his experience as an oppressed person and leverages her privileged status against him. It’s gross.
I could say more, but overall this book was just not it. It’s not dark academia. It’s certainly not a romance. It’s just…bad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Genocide and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit and Suicide attempt