Review by rosereadsandreviews - Blood Over Bright Haven

rosereadsandreviews 's review for:

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

4.75

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective 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

This book is a stunning allegorical fantasy about religion and colonialism, hidden inside a riveting story of a groundbreaking female scientist in a unique magic system. The secondary characters develop so well and trigger such strong emotional responses that I was squirming in discomfort during multiple scenes.

The book showcases a magic system that segregates cultures, but those from the "right side of the tracks" follow with blind faith and believe it is "God-given." The author uses it as a metaphor for colonialism and how certain societies think they have more of a right to thrive than others. The handful of people who know where the power fueling their world is from have brainwashed themselves and rationalized it as all being a part of "God's plan."

As someone raised in an oppressive religious community, this book resonated with me, and I think the author did an amazing job at addressing the tough issues in the book, like sexism, bullying, and SA.

Content Warnings