Book Review: Blood Over Bright Haven, a Must-Read Fantasy Standalone with the Highest Stakes
The hype is real on this one. I’ve had Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang on my TBR since several of my Booktok mutuals started raving about the indie version before it was picked up by Del Rey. And I wasn’t fast enough, so I had to wait for the trad published version to finally read it. And I was blown away. This was my first read of 2025, and my first five star read of the year. Two things I’d recommend: One, if you’re in a dark place mentally, maybe wait to pick up this book, and check trigger warnings. Two, aside from TW, I do believe it’s best going into this book blind. Learning about this world and how the plot unfolds is honestly one of the best reading journeys I’ve had in a long, long time. The writing is incredible, and while the themes are very dark, it’s written with such care. If you love a unique magic system, dark academia vibes, a female main character looking to prove herself, a male main character determined to leave the world a better place than he found it, you might love this book. It’s honestly so rare to find a fantastic fantasy standalone that doesn’t feel like it was rushed or doesn’t have enough meat to the story. This book has it all. Tragedy, morality, and some of the most difficult decisions. Welcome to Tiran. I was both satisfied and devastated by the ending. You’re not ready for it.
Things to Know:
Standalone high fantasy
First edition has sprayed edges and endpaper artwork
Industrial, dark academia setting
Unique magic system
Religious philosophy and morality
Vengeance
TW: death, sexual assault, misogyny
I’m going to try to be somewhat light on the details here, because, as I said above, going into this story blind makes it that much more impactful. I will say there are two main characters, Sciona and Thomil. Sciona is, for all intents and purposes, an orphan who definitely has a chip on her shoulder. She’s determined to become the first female mage admitted to Tiran’s High Magistry, and has dedicated her entire life to making this happen. She’s truly also brilliant. And her male colleagues want to thwart her every step of the way. Having worked in male dominated industries for over a decade, I completely identified with a lot of her journey.
Thinking they’re putting her at a disadvantage, they give her Thomil, a Kwen janitor who’s never done magic in his life. His people lived beyond the barrier and safety of the city of Tiran, as nomadic tribes and hunters. And they’re basically treated like slaves in Tiran. Thomil proves a quick learner, and although they make an unlikely team, they’re both after the truth.
Something I really loved about the way the characters are written is they’re all flawed. Sciona is so far from perfect, and you get to watch her struggle with the culture and society that raised her and the discoveries she’s making. There are so many different and difficult themes touched on in this book, and even though this isn’t a super long book (for fantasy), Wang somehow manages to delve pretty deep into each of them. Family, faith, vengeance, justice, classism, deeply ingrained prejudice. Like I said, it’s heavy.
And when you’re searching for the truth, how far would you be willing to go? I can tell you, this book goes all the way. If you’re a philosophical thinker, you will love the quandaries posed: Do your intentions matter most? Or the results of your actions taken? Who is worthy of being saved and protected? It’s messy. And the character development payoff in this book is truly magnificent. Wang somehow makes us deeply feel what the characters are feeling. It truly feels like a mastery of show, don’t tell.
Again, I don’t want to give any spoilers, but the magic system in this book was amazing. It’s so unique, and I was blown away by the complexities. Some may find it hard to understand at first, but I absolutely loved it, and she does a great job explaining it as the story unfolds. It gives a very industrial age vibe because you have essentially magical typewriters that map to an Otherrealm, where energy is derived from to power their entire city. This magic is paired with a religious component, and as we know, every bit of magic always comes at a price.
I honestly cannot wait to read Wang’s other book, The Sword of Kaigen, and anything she writes in the future. I was immersed from the first page (it truly starts off with a bang that’s so visually visceral that I couldn’t put it down. Also highly recommend the audiobook—you know me: I love an immersive read with the audiobook and physical book at the same time. This will be a book I’ll continue thinking about long after finishing.
Many thanks to Del Rey for a PR copy, all opinions are my own.
Favorite Quotes:
“All those jobs involve people, and I’m terrible with people. Magic is the one area where I can shut myself in a room with my books and my thoughts and come out more powerful than I went in. It doesn’t matter how big, or strong, or pretty you are in magic. It doesn’t matter how much people like you. With my fingers on the keys of a Spellograph, if I can just think hard enough, I’m the most powerful person in the world.”
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“The Caldonnae and most peoples beyond the barrier weigh a person by their actions and the effect they have on the world. It’s not enough to have meant to do good in the world; if you don’t do good, most gods—those of rivers, the hunt, and the fields—don’t care for your motivations. Why should they?”
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“Because good people can turn desperate when the horrors are upon them—especially people whose culture of plenty has left them with no systems to cope with scarcity or cataclysm. Good people will turn monstrous when it’s down to their survival or someone else’s.”
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