An incredible fantasy with a unique magic system and flawed yet relatable characters, Blood Over Bright Haven was a gripping read from start to finish.

The themes of colonialism, capitalism, racism and sexism tackled in this book were well handled and hard hitting. This is a book that really made me think and will be one that will stay with me for a long time. I loved the academic setting and the world building as a whole.

The writing was excellent, and I am very much looking forward to reading The Sword of Kaigen so I can enjoy more by this author.

I rated this book 2/5 stars, as it didn't really work for me. I wante this to be a scathing look at class and wealth, and it didn't look at any of these things. The main character didn't realise her privilege and do anything to combat it, or even introspect on it at all. An interesting magic sytem, but I couldn't get past the character.

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang is nothing short of phenomenal—a breathtaking, immersive read that left me utterly captivated. From start to finish, the story is packed with vivid world-building, complex characters, and an intricate plot that keeps you hooked.

Wang’s writing is masterful, weaving together themes of power, sacrifice, and morality in a way that feels both intimate and epic. The characters are incredibly well-drawn, with their struggles and choices pulling at your heartstrings. The twists are perfectly timed, delivering gut-punch moments that had me flipping pages late into the night.

This book doesn’t just entertain—it challenges you to think deeply about its world and our own. For fans of fantasy that’s as thought-provoking as it is thrilling, Blood Over Bright Haven is an absolute must-read. I’ll be raving about this one for a long time!

I absolutely loved this book and looking at reviews online I'm surprised at how many people seem to have read a different book to the one I did - anyone who rates this less than 5 I feel like just didn't read the same text as me.

I loved the ending and it more than made up for some pacing towards the middle section of the book but I can see how that section would be tough to navigate and the pivots needed to feel organic.

The ending felt likely and earned and satisfying with a nice bit of hope mixed in. When are we getting Cara's novel?

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a 4.5 in reality but rounding it up!

Wow! This was not what I was expecting from this book.

This is my first M L Wang book and it won’t be my last. This was such a complex story, with so many layers to unravel, and continually kept me guessing.

I’ve seen this described as a dark academia romance, and while there was a romance subplot- it’s not the main focus of the story at all.

The character work in this book was phenomenal, and proof that an unlikeable character can be just as impactful as the “expected” FMC. The arc of Sciona (fmc) was incredible, but also raw and heartbreaking at the same time.

The pacing, the world building, the writing were all amazing, and the only reason it was not a 5 star is that it was a little slow to get going in the beginning

m.l. wang has done it again! she's an author to watch out for. her books have a way of making me think and feel things i didn't even know i had in me? everything from the writing to the characters to the narrative to the magic system is so well executed, very elaborate but never too dense. i'll read whatever she comes up with next!

Another sensational book from the QUEEN of stand alones. Her narrative power cannot be matched (I've said it !)

This book was absolutely sensation. This is my second 5 star of the year and I only wish I had picked it up sooner! I has the pleasure of listening to some of this book with the audiobook and the narration was just sensational.

From the very first chapter the narrative was explosive and heart wrenching, I felt, hope, fear, anticipation and utter despair in the space of 8 pages. I'm still in awe of how showcased the power of the character familial connections in such a short space of time. I did not expect to start with such a flood of emotions, usually authors bait you until they crush you but not M.L.Wang. She swats your feels straight away.

The writing and world building were executed well throughout the book and there was no point of info dumping even though the book had an academic setting. I also loved the unique magic system that brought together magic / new technologies with old school writing tools.

Sciona, there is nothing they can do to make me like you. From beginning to end she was selfish, all her actions were about gaining notoriety for herself. It feels like in the periphery there was some character development but it was guided by her habit of selfishness.

I am so excited from my Broken Binding Special Edition to arrive!

The most brilliant read from start to finish and in every which way. I was fully engrossed in the story from page 1 and before I knew it, I was turning the final page. Just brilliant!

I still can't put into words a month later exactly what this book means to me. It was an absolute masterpiece.

The world building, the narrative, the 'harsh-truths' story. I just couldn't put this book down the entire time.

This book was outstanding. When you think everything has been done to death when it comes to magic academia, along comes Blood Over Bright Haven with a new and fresh spin on spell casting. The novel feels very much a standalone, but I do hope the author finds a way to return to this magical world. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. 5 out of 5

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Del Rey UK for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

This book sounded absolutely incredible when I first read about it and all the excellent reviews really made me want to like it more than I did. The world building is incredibly elaborate but the magic system is unclear, the main character incredibly biased and there felt like there was little happening. I gave up at 45% because I couldn't read anymore, it was becoming a struggle to keep going.

Blood over Bright Haven had it all, This is dark academia is grim, morally grey and raw -its great. The world building felt realistic with it's politics and corruption of power within modern society
I felt the characters were all created well and in a realistic manner. The development of the storyline progressed well and the pacing was so good that the pages felt like they turned effortlessly. This is definitely a must read

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘦𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊.

It's been a long while since the first chapter of a book had me in such a chokehold. This is Dark Academia at its very best - blood soaked, morally grey, raw and visceral. I'm not often a fan of fiction that feels (at times) so utterly bleak, but this is so reflective of real-world politics and the corrupting nature of power within modern society that I'm want to forgive it.

The magic system feels exciting and dynamic, the FMC feels real (with her own wants, desires, boundaries and tipping points), the world (awash with magic under a protective dome that shields them from a blight) feels grounded, sweat-soaked and lived-in.

One person's comfort can often come at the expense of another's misfortune. As an allegory of modern-day capitalism this is so astute and almost mind-bendingly potent. Do we turn away from consequences so long as they don't impinge upon OUR freedoms and liberties? It's individualism vs collectivism. Ignorant bliss vs waking up. Given recent gains for right-leaning political parities, there seems no greater time to be reminded of the choices we are faced with.

I read this a couple of months ago now, but it has stuck with me and I'll continue to yell about it on social media. It's got its claws in. Incredibly excited for what M. L. Wang has in store for us next.

Wow, I was absolutely surprised by how much I loved Blood Over Bright Haven. I have had my eye on it for a while, aware it would be something I was interested in but when it came time to start my read through I was immediately captivated by the opening scene of a family rushing across a frozen landscape to safety.

Firstly, the world in this book was very well realised. We spent enough time learning and exploring this city to have a solid mental image of how the world and politics work, quite quickly, so there characters were able to flourish and become the center stage. I really liked the way the world was explained in this book as it felt effortless to absorb the details.

I also really loved the characters, and the journey they go on. I think this was an amazing, quite fast paced read that I would highly reccomend and can see myself re-reading.

the hype is real! took me a while to get into but this was a GREAT READ that made me have a lot of FEELINGS.

This book was grim, but it was a really good look at the way society dehumanizes and others people in order to get away with atrocities. I was shocked at how blatant they were in parts of the book, but still incredibly aware of how this actually happens and is happening right now in certain parts of the world.

I would caution that people should think seriously about if they can deal with these themes before reading, but I also want to stress that this is a important read precisely because it goes into these topics. The book did a very good job of handling these sensitive topics, but it is still shocking.

On a lighter note, I loved the magic system in this book. It felt very coding-based and that was really cool to see. I could just imagine the mages sitting there typing out their spells and coding it into the very universe!

This was honestly a really good book and I’m glad I read it.

I was really wantwd to love this one but sadly just wasnt a fan.
First off the good bits, I think the magic system was incredibly interesting with it being a mix of coding and typewriters, truly unique and well thought out.
The world building was also interesting, I wouldve liked to have seen it expanded on some more but that is personal preference.
The first chapter, I thought, was wonderful, it really drew me in and had be invested in Thomil from the get go.

But, the rest didnt hit nearly as well as that first chapter. Sciona was particularly annoying, and I found her character growth to be lacking. She seems to be getting better qhen she asks Thomil for premission as she wants the indigenous people to have a say but when he says no she immediately disregards him and strops and argues until he changes his mind.
She also still sees the Kwen as lower than her by the end and she shows this by saying things to Thomil like "you're smart for a Kwen" (not a word for word qoute but is similar enough).

Honestly I think the book has a good message and I understand what the author was trying to do I just think she missed the mark.

6 STARS! This was a masterpiece. It made me think and I have not stopped thinking about it since I finished reading. I have been recommending this to everyone.

M. L. Wang the author that you are!!!! This book is simply brilliant. The amount of themes it's touching on, and doing them well, is truly impressive/ The characters felt like real, flawed people and I felt their pain acutely. The book spoke to deeper parts of me, echoing a lot of the same debates that rage within me. It was a frank look at exploitation and many -isms. The conclusion felt so right, while at the same time kept me hoping for a happier ending (cause I want my babies to be happy). The prose was brilliant, the world-building intriguing and I have virtually no complaints. This is now the second book from ML Wang I feel took whatever expectations I had and blew them out of the water. I would 100% recommend this book, I will keep thinking about it for a long time and hopefully re-read it at some point. I think it's the kind of novel which gives you more and more on each read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for my e-arc copy of this book!

Words to describe this book: enraging, insane, fast paced, utterly addictive

I loved my time reading this book, I found it fast paced throughout and the writing style was enjoyable and easy to read. I love our characters in this story. Following Sciona throughout was so much fun, seeing her grow as a character and a WOMAN was such a fun time. In the second half of this book you could feel how much anger she felt and as the reader it only made me understand her more as a character and want to fuel her angry further for justice.

I also enjoyed following the plot and found it quite easy to follow which is amazing in comparison to some epic fantasies which can be harder to follow. As well as this book being a standalone I felt that every point was met and nothing was too much or too little. Everything was just right!

M.L Wang perfectly talks about themes of gender injustice, racism and faith. She addresses all these themes amazingly and made me root for our main character even more when she was faced with these challenges in the story. Even when going through these themes the story was still compelling, action packed and an amazing adult epic fantasy which I highly recommend to people who enjoy this genre in general but also to people starting out in this genre.