Blood Over Bright Haven

No other book had me crying as fast as Blood Over Bright Haven and no other book had me crying for a longer period. God, these last 50 pages destroyed me.

I loved the scholarly setting, I loved Sciona's defiance, her need for greater achievements and the truth. And I love that, above all, Highmage Sciona Freynan was a good person.

There were so many important topics in this book; feminism, racism, political/state oppression and so much more.

I expected the end of this story but gods, it ripped my heart out.

I loved Sciona's development, I loved Thomil's quiet rebellion by arguing and discussing with a Highmage, I'm so impressed with M.L. Wang that I cried for so many people in this story even if they weren't always "good" (or good to Sciona). Aunt Winny, Alba, Carra... I cried for all of them.

The first half was really good, but once the story reaches the inevitable twist that everyone saw coming from miles away, it turns into an endless repetition of the same dialogue which boils down to something like this:

“Doing the evil thing is evil! Why is everyone doing the evil thing?!”
“Because religion/money/tradition/racism. you don't understand because you're too full of yourself/a woman/of an inferior race.”

A lot of this could have been cut, along with the unnecessary romance. There are good ideas about the interplay of tradition, responsibility and guilt in a scenario like this, but the author doesn't trust readers to understand them without having characters say them out loud over and over again.

Me ha gustado mucho muchísimo!! Me lo he pasado genial leyéndolo y marcándolo, ha sido muy muy disfrutón tanto para lo bueno como para lo malo. Creo que está muy bien escrito respecto a explicar cómo es el mundo y el desarrollo de los personajes y tal. Sciona y Thomil os quiero un montóooon, sois los mejores. Y Carra también es la mejor (aunque me pareció un poco raro su personaje para tener sólo 10 años). El sistema de magia también me ha parecido curioso y chulo, como si fuera programar! y bueno, el plot twist del Otro Mundo es una locura y ese final... a mí las cosas tan poéticas me ganan mucho aunque sea muy triste. Pero jope, qué triste (pero bonito). Sciona me encanta como protagonista, me parece genial. Pero sin Thomil la historia perdería muchísimo, creo que es el verdadero maquinón del libro.

Yet another "down with the patriarchy" girl-boss novel. Dialogue and narrative is so forced it's laughable.

"I can be civil, ma'am, or I can be honest. You can't have both in their entirety."

This book had all the subtlety of a hammer to the face. While not a bad book exactly, there's the bones of some really good ideas here, I think the author fell into the trap of trying to tackle too many ideas in too few pages, and didn't do any of them any justice.

Sciona is the first female high mage in Tiran and has something to prove to her male counterparts. On her first day, through some juvenile bullying from her equals, she's saddled with a janitor, a Kwen named Tommy (or, more correctly, Thomil) as her assistant. Kwen are seen as being lesser than everyone else as they come from outside Tiran and are assumed to be lazy, dangerous, cannibalistic, stupid, and a whole host of other unpleasant things. Rather than sending him away, Sciona makes Thomil her assistant, and together they set about her project of expanding Tiran's magical net that sustains the city. But as they look more closely into the magic's inner workings, they both realize the horrible truth behind everything that has been covered up the entire time.

I thought the basic ideas of this book were actually pretty good, if handled clumsily. I liked the idea of the magic system, and liked the incorporation of some moral ideas around classism and racism in keeping a city like Tiran running. What I didn't like was that the author tried to do too much, cram too many social injustices in, making everything feel muddled by the end. Sciona has strong feelings about a women's lot in life, and while I agree with the feminist sentiments she has in large part, I don't like the author's tendency to make every guy in the book an idiot, a sociopath, a rapist, a drunk, or otherwise bring down the entire male gender to make Sciona look better than the rest.

The entire first 30% of the book or so is nothing but infodumping of this carefully crafted magic system the author created, which made it a bit of a drag to get through. It's almost too fleshed out for a book, and many of the intricacies don't really matter for the ending to land. I didn't like the author's use of Thomil to be the infodump character; Sciona spends long chapters explaining magic to this "uneducated" Kwen in her midst, leaving the actual plot to hang. And by the end of the book, many of the plot points are rehashed so often that all of their impact has drained away by the time you get to the part of the book where it's supposed to matter.

I also didn't like Sciona as a character in general. She's unpleasant, just as racist/classist as her male counterparts, and even late in the book (ending spoilers here) doesn't seem like she really absorbs what Thomil's telling her and what she's seeing around her. She's written like she's supposed to come around on her beliefs about Kwen, but it feels so abrupt and insincere that I'm not sure I'm sold on it, particularly after some of the things she says to Thomil in anger. "Your people died because they deserved it" doesn't seem like something you should be able to easily come back from.

Just....overly complicated, entirely lacking in nuance and discussion, and really ham fisted in its execution in my opinion.

You main character does not have to be likeable. Getting that out of the way because where you end up there I don't think is vitally important on how you overall feel about this book.

Oh, and sucker for a magic system that plays fundamentally into the story. Coding for magic isn't new, I think Foundryside did a wonderful rendition on it. But all the mechanics in place here make it function precisely as needed. This book isn't what I would call "a blast" but Wang dives headfirst and doesn't let up.

Enraging, powerful and beautifully devastating. I love every moment; even the ones with tears.

This is my second M.L. Wang book, and I put it to the top of my reading list as The Sword of Kaigen was one of my favorite books in recent memory.

The main twist behind the magic system was largely predictable... but it was still a great reveal, not for the the shock of the protagonist realizing the price of magic, but rather for the insight into the mechanics of the magic that exploits and ravages the rest of the world.

It frustrating to ride behind the eyes of Sciona, as her nativity is insufferable... but it's also realistic of a sheltered academic who hasn't ever had a connection with the Krell. Sciona isn't a hero, there isn't a magical ending where everyone survives and her legacy is pristine. I do like how the naivety of Sciona allows the unmasking of her mentor, a supposedly kindly benefactor, and to a lesser extent, the council. Maybe sans the racism and mass murder she'd be likable, but that really isn't the point. You know this as you read, but it doesn't help with the frustration as you read the first portion of the book. She doesn't get much less naive, but there is some character growth, mostly via Thomil's labor.

This is my first M.L. Wang book and oh boy was it a journey. It was such a thought provoking story that kept me glued to the words the whole way throughout.

Easily ranks high on the list of books I’ve read that I’ll now be heavily recommending to everyone who hasn’t read it!

Very good read!

Honestly, I went into this not knowing what to expect and I'm happy to say I came out on the other side pleasantly surprised! After reading SJM and other popular modern-day Fantasy authors, M.L. Wang has given me hope again that good reads (ha) are floating around out there.

The first chapter hooked me instantly. Sciona hooked me instantly. Sciona and Thomil's slow burn romance hooked me instantly. The world and its magic systems hooked me instantly. The only part that didn't hook me was Thomil's niece and how she acted, but can you really blame her? Maybe her snarkiness didn't sit well with me.

I also felt that the Renthorn plot-line where he assaulted Sciona in the library was a bit out of the blue. Like I get it, there are evil men in this world. But this felt thrown in to force him into being one of the big baddies. Leaving him as obsessed with seeing Blight's effects on humans and animals would have secured him, and the other Highmages, as insane and deserving of the climax enough.

I enjoyed that M.L. Wang had the gumption to throw Alba disavowing Sciona during the climax as well. It provided a real reaction that brainwashed citizens of a dystopia such as Tiran would have when the dark side of their society was forcefully presented to them.

Overall, 4/5. Very high recommend that I've already sent to a few co-workers and reading buddies.

Such a fun read!

Why is nobody talking about this book! I devoured it one night and wish there was more.

It's a fascinating and complex magic system based on principles of mathematics and software engineering. The plot artfully explores dynamics of oppression, inequality, and religious doctrines through the POV of the main characters as they struggle to understand each others' experiences and world views.

Other reviews describe the main character as unlikeable, but I personally found her to be beautifully flawed and relatable. She is an accurate depiction of an intellectual, driven, obsessive woman trying to make it in a male dominated field while balancing work politics, morals and her own identity struggles. I think career-oriented women will find her quandaries strike a chord.

The relationships are beautiful and unfold slowly and sweetly. It's imperfect and both characters hurt each other at times, but genuinely seek to understand each other, respect each other, and grow through their relationship. Their difference in class and belief systems offers the requisite relationship tension needed to carry the plot. So refreshing in a fantasy novel!

This will definitely be one of my most loved books of the year. Can't wait to see more from this author.

Non-spoiler review:

This was a fine book but it did a few things that bugged me.

FULL SPOILERS:

I feel strange with how I ended up feeling about this one. It’s definitely not a bad book by any means and I could see this being a favorite for some. Not for me.

I think generally books with an emphasis on anything academic kind of lose me right away, but I don’t really think that was what bugged me with this. I even thought it was pretty cool how the magic was kind of controlled by writing lines of code. As a software engineer I thought that was a pretty fun touch! And most of the academics were done before we really got into the meat of the story anyway so I don’t think this was too big of a deal.

I also think the romance was unnecessary, but to be completely fair, generally speaking, I’m not really into romance in my books. It’s pretty much always hit or miss for me. Knowing that, I don’t usually find that it bothers me all that much beyond not really holding my interest and I generally don’t let it factor too heavily into my rating unless I think the romance was truly handled poorly. I think it seemed fine to me here for the most part but I didn’t care about it and I’m not 100% sure the story would have e suffered from taking it out. But by the end I didn’t hold the romance against the book either.

I think that my main issue with this book, above all else’s, was that I just didn’t find it to be believable. Of course I don’t mean that I need the fantasy elements to be believable. I don’t care if magic is realistic. And honestly in that regard this isn’t the least believable magic system. I mean more that the human elements weren’t believable. I can’t get past the fact that only one person ever has taken issue with the fact that they’re killing people (or other things) every time the want to boil some water. Surely SOMEONE else must have thought that was wrong, right? Apparently not. Or at least there was no one who acted on it. No one who felt strongly enough to do something or at the very least say something about it to someone. And you’re kind of almost made to believe that they were all okay with it because they were men too?

I’m not at ALL saying that sexism is not a very real and serious issue, but I also don’t think that men are just always okay with genocide.

The themes were heavy handed but again the author is trying to start conversations on very real topics and much of it I think landed, but this part was asking a little much of the reader in my opinion.

I do think I’ll still recommend this book to some, but only if I really know the person and feel that it will be something they like. It definitely doesn’t get a sweeping recommendation from me. I am an outlier here for sure.

it was unfortunately kinda ass

4.5 stars

Audio: Probably a 5-star book, but considering my enjoyment rating it 4. A high magic, standalone fantasy about a prospective mage and janitor who learn a secret that can break the world. Thematically probably one of the strongest books I’ve read about feminism, colonialism, classism and the cost of modernity while being original without being heavy handed.

I very much enjoyed the magic system in the one. Very emotional. Solid writing. Yes, the twist was a bit predictable and the conclusion felt a bit obvious, but at this point I was so absorbed by the book that it did not affect my enjoyment. Our main character kind of sucks, but that's the whole point. Immensely frustrating to read, but served the story well.

Blood Over Bright Haven is a well written and highly regarded book. The story follows Thomil and Sciona working together to solve a vile problem that nobody seems to care about. They team up and have to work through their differences with each other in order to succeed. Sciona is the first woman in a decade to be tested and allowed into the high magistry. She is a strong, motivated woman, who will not let any man stop her from achieving her goals. Thomil is a man trying to recover and build a new life in a city who does want him there. He is determined to be the best man for his niece and Tribe.

I really enjoyed taking my time with this read, slowly learning about Sciona and Thomil. This is a heavily feminist and female focused book. The quote “a woman in a man's world” kept running through my head so much while reading this. There were times though where the characters would constantly bring up that she is “a woman in a man's world”.. It felt repetitive and unnecessary because as the reader you know and understand the hardship Sciona is going through. I was starting to get annoyed because it seemed like half way through the story focused in on her having to constantly remind us that she is better than the men. I wish it was just a bit more subtle and not the main focus of the plot.

I felt like this also suffered from not being long enough. I could read a prequel novel about Thomil and his Tribe before they decided to endure the crossing. I could read a sequel novel about what happened after the ending of Blood Over Bright Haven. I just wanted so much more than this book gave, but I still appreciate everything that M.L. Wang was able to create in just one book. This is the second book I've read from M.L. Wang and I think that her stories are so strong and gripping. Her ability to create such unique and intriguing plots is truly remarkable.

I recommend this book to just about anyone who is looking for a standalone fantasy that is slightly grim dark but still heartwarming. The setting is dark academia and perfect for a chilly fall day.

Final rating: 3.5 stars ✨

Gets very dark right from the beginning, but it's appropriate. It explores sexism, classism, racism, with well-written main characters. Especially as a standalone, it's amazing. I'd recommend it to anyone who can handle heavy reads.

Overall, I can’t say this book is anything more than fine. Much like the author’s other book, Sword of Kaigen, this one is severely overhyped. The pacing is poor, the stakes aren’t real, the plot’s relatively predictable, and the ending isn’t all that satisfying. Certainly not something I regret reading, but not one I’d actively recommend.

"Sciona didn't answer until she had downed that first glass. Then she perhaps answered a bit too much and too truthfully."

Can't we all relate? 😅

I liked this book almost as much as I liked "Sword of Kaigen", Wang's previous standalone novel, and at this point anything she writes goes on TBR.

I don't really know how to review this - on one hand, I feel like I've been reading it for about 10 years and have some issues with it, but on the other hand it's amazing and I was in tears by the end.

So freaking good!

Gasoline.

A condemnation of Racial Oppression, the Patriarchy, and the Religious State wrapped up tightly in 500 pages that I blew through quicker than any book I've read with my eyeballs in probably 10 years. And that's to say nothing of the world building, the characters, or the unique and awesome magic system!

I didn't cry at any point tho so no 5 stars I'm sorry.

A very predictable book. The characters act how you expect, the plot unfolds how you expect. However it's all bundled into such a neat package that introduces and tackles its themes so well it's hard to do anything but love it - even if the main character's a little bit grating. The Patriarchial, Racist, Classist, Zealot society manages to feel quite real due to how it's developed which really helps the impact of the themes in the book.