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A review by dark_reader
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
2.0
Going against the grain here. I won't deny anyone else their enjoyment and I see why this book is so well received. It's written very well, the story is polished and flows well from start to finish, and it has a deservedly satisfying outcome, especially if you want to see power structures smashed a la Iron Widow. Plus, props for making it an actual standalone fantasy novel.
I found it all cliche and predictable.
Opens with a magic school audition, closes with a courtroom scene, with no real surprises in between except for the appearance of the Batmobile. Was there ever any doubt that (spoiler for the book's mid-point and then vaguely the end) (view spoiler) or that (view spoiler)?
Sanderson-worthy detailed magic system, with opportunities for the main character to explain it in full to non-practitioners, elementary style, for multiple pages. Yes, it serves the story, but it also felt like Sufficiently Advanced Magic crossed with grammar-based magic from The Long Price quartet (A Shadow in Summer) and while this isn't a bad thing it felt very much like, "main characters explains the magic system," for multiple pages. This was balanced at the back end by character arguments that went on for pages without actual story progress, unless "this guy's a dick about everything" becoming, "this guy's also a dick about this additional specific thing," counts as progress.
Those are relatively minor annoyances. My biggest issue with the book is simply how in-your-face the themes are. I appreciate how the book reflects paternalism and misogyny, racism, climate destruction, demolishing native cultures, religious hypocrisy, medical sexism—but did it have to be so blatant and on the nose about it all? There's zero subtlety or nuance to any of it. The men are so explicitly paternalistic and dismissive they're caricatures of themselves ("I guess it's her time of the month, hur hur"). The Kwen as an oppressed class are practically a cartoonish depiction of such. The whole societal construction is so plain jane about all its evils in support of "progress" I have to think it's geared to people who don't already see that these things are bad. We know it's bad to say women are hysterical and incapable of emotional control. We know it's bad to decimate native cultures and force the survivors into sub-par living conditions and debased labour. We know destroying the environment to sustain modern comforts is bad. I can't find anything in the book taking this discussion beyond that level. I accept that other readers may find catharsis in the idea of simply smashing the system apart. It did nothing of the sort for me.
My feeling is that this book will appeal more to readers who also enjoy YA and NA fantasy fiction. The kissing scene sealed this.
On a positive note, at least the book wasn't ruined by unnecessarily italicized dialogue, except on pages 12-14.
I found it all cliche and predictable.
Opens with a magic school audition, closes with a courtroom scene, with no real surprises in between except for the appearance of the Batmobile. Was there ever any doubt that (spoiler for the book's mid-point and then vaguely the end) (view spoiler) or that (view spoiler)?
Sanderson-worthy detailed magic system, with opportunities for the main character to explain it in full to non-practitioners, elementary style, for multiple pages. Yes, it serves the story, but it also felt like Sufficiently Advanced Magic crossed with grammar-based magic from The Long Price quartet (A Shadow in Summer) and while this isn't a bad thing it felt very much like, "main characters explains the magic system," for multiple pages. This was balanced at the back end by character arguments that went on for pages without actual story progress, unless "this guy's a dick about everything" becoming, "this guy's also a dick about this additional specific thing," counts as progress.
Those are relatively minor annoyances. My biggest issue with the book is simply how in-your-face the themes are. I appreciate how the book reflects paternalism and misogyny, racism, climate destruction, demolishing native cultures, religious hypocrisy, medical sexism—but did it have to be so blatant and on the nose about it all? There's zero subtlety or nuance to any of it. The men are so explicitly paternalistic and dismissive they're caricatures of themselves ("I guess it's her time of the month, hur hur"). The Kwen as an oppressed class are practically a cartoonish depiction of such. The whole societal construction is so plain jane about all its evils in support of "progress" I have to think it's geared to people who don't already see that these things are bad. We know it's bad to say women are hysterical and incapable of emotional control. We know it's bad to decimate native cultures and force the survivors into sub-par living conditions and debased labour. We know destroying the environment to sustain modern comforts is bad. I can't find anything in the book taking this discussion beyond that level. I accept that other readers may find catharsis in the idea of simply smashing the system apart. It did nothing of the sort for me.
My feeling is that this book will appeal more to readers who also enjoy YA and NA fantasy fiction. The kissing scene sealed this.
On a positive note, at least the book wasn't ruined by unnecessarily italicized dialogue, except on pages 12-14.