For the first few chapters, I was enjoying this book - the opening with Thomil was intriguing, the coding-style magic system was unique and interesting to learn about, and I was rooting for Sciona as she took the test to become a highmage. Unfortunately, this is where the book started to go downhill for me. Up to 50%, I was still intrigued by the plot and how everything would get resolved, but beyond that point I found myself less engaged with the plot. This was not helped by having most of the chapters follow Sciona, as I often found her insufferable - I think this could have been remedied by more chapters from Thomil's point of view throughout.

Sciona's treatment of the Kwen was baffling to me considering how closely it mirrored the way that the male highmages treated Sciona, and her utter obliviousness to her own prejudice was frustrating to read. Despite closely working with Thomil and him having a huge impact on her research, she doesn't seem to actually consider him a person until at least halfway through the book, and even then, doesn't make an effort to understand any of the issues he's faced since arriving in Tiran. This is reflected in the fact that Sciona names her method 'the Freynan mirror', despite the necessary final step all stemming from Kwen knowledge that she wouldn't have had without Thomil's assistance.

The themes discussed were very overt and often treated as black and white issues, reduced to an argument or two between Thomil & Sciona before one of them completely accepts the other person is right. In addition, there are still some unanswered questions regarding the magic system, such as why Tiran required the Blight if the Kwen witches didn't. Overall, I did not enjoy this (which was disappointing, considering how much potential it had at the beginning), and will not be recommending this book.

AMAZING! The magic system is brilliant, the characters are real, the twists are next level. I raced through this and picked it up at every opportunity, even when I was being tattooed.

I initially thought I knew what this book was. After all, magically assisted industrialisation has been done before, and very well. But the shocking twist at the end took this one to a different place and has certainly seared it in my memory as one of the best reads of 2024. It is a book that takes both protagonists to dark places and suicide comes up – I mention this as a trigger warning, because emotions in this book are dialled high and the ending isn’t a cosy one.

Sciona is a likeable protagonist. Hard-working and clever, she is determined to overcome the limited expectations of Tiranish society and prove that women, too, deserve to achieve the post of Highmage. The tension created by her exam at the beginning of the book is an effective hook and immediately had me firmly in her corner throughout the story. Though I was also struck by the tragedy endured by Thomil in his desperate sprint to make the city, before his family were struck down by the terrible Blight.

What made this one highly readable for me was the similarity between this society and Victorian England. There is the same driving sense that modernisation will make the world a better place, the same unfettered ambition to succeed – and the same inbuilt injustices. While there were enlightened pockets of people fighting for more equality in Victorian England, such as John Stuart Mill for example, well-known figures of the time could get away with announcing outrageously prejudiced beliefs without being challenged. Such comments are mirrored in the sayings at the top of each chapter, which is always a nifty way of giving readers more worldbuilding without hampering the narrative pace.

I’ve seen some criticism of Sciona’s innate racism – but frankly, I’m a little sick of protagonists brought up within the ruling classes in a significantly unequal society who are scaldingly aware of said inequalities. If it isn’t being discussed – and in Tiran it isn’t – it takes a very aware and empathetic personality to find such injustices jarring. And Sciona is so caught up in her own struggle to succeed, she’s oblivious to anything else – including the sacrifices her own family make on her behalf.

Meanwhile Sciona is busy working on the project she’s been given which will give her genius a chance to shine, as she tries to prove herself in amongst a group of hostile male colleagues. The description of the magic involved is nicely technical – no airy wafting of a wand in this story. Energy has to be sourced from a mysterious Otherland with something like an old-fashioned manual typewriter as the gismo used to pinpoint the energy and redirect it into spells, needing attention to detail and a grasp of mathematics.

What sets this one apart from the majority of other books in such a setting is the ending. I found it shocking, but after thinking about it – anything else would have been for the sake of the characters rather than the plot. Nonetheless, it takes a brave soul to follow through such a storyline and it’s bumped up The Sword of Kaigen right to the top of my TBR pile. This outstanding read will stay with me and is highly recommended for fans of the genre. While I obtained an arc of Blood Over Bright Haven from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10

Having heard amazing things about M. L. Wang's novel The Sword of Kaigen, I had pretty high hopes for this book, and I was NOT disappointed. This is easily going to be one of my top reads of the year! It was an all-consuming read, one of those books where when I had to put it down I was left thinking constantly about it until I could pick it back up again. It's a dark and devastating story with a fascinating magic system and complex characters, tackling heavy themes. If you've been thinking about giving this book a try, this is your sign! I will definitely be reading more from this author.

I am in awe of this author’s ability to create a fantasy story that makes me examine my own life. Absolute Perfection

This was such an interesting book, I loved the world and how the magic system worked. I look forward to reading another of Wang's books.

Justice, faith, ambition, morality 🔥

Blood Over Bright Haven packs a punch and explores the complexities and intersecting evils of imperialism and oppression.

In the gaslamp-like, utopian city of Tiran, highmages use machines called spellographs, similar to a typewriter, which are used to map and siphon energy for spells. Sciona, fueled by her passion for magic, becomes the first woman admitted to the high magistry. Here, she is made unwelcome, starting with being given a Kwen janitor as a lab assistant. As she strives for greatness, she is confronted with the dark side of Tiran's utopia.

Sciona is not a perfect - she's fiercely intelligent, selfish and prejudiced. You sympathise with her struggles to be seen as an equal in a patriarchal and sexist society whilst also disapproving of the racist belief system she perpetuates. Despite chafing at the confines of society, she is blinded by prejudice and entrenched beliefs. But meeting Thomil, her Kwen assistant, is a catalyst and her world view begins to shift. Her capacity for change and growth is touching.

My favourite part of the book was the intricate magic system. Often in academic magical settings, the magic happens behind closed doors. Here, though, the magic is complex and a central part of the story. It was almost like coding and fascinating - I became completely engrossed in it.

For those that enjoyed the themes and magic system of Babel, and meaningful dark academia, you'll definitely love this one.

Blood Over Bright Haven is out today. Big thanks to @delreyuk for the eARC!

Since reading Babel, there's been a void left behind. Blood Over Bright Haven has filled that void once again, before ripping a wider void where it once was. I, both, love and loathe this with more passion than I thought I could muster.

Firstly, this book has very heavy themes which may cause some people immense discomfort - racism, sexism and genocide to name the strongest few. The author does not shy away from these matters, even drilling it in as a reminder that despite it being a look, it isn't too far-fetched from the reality that we live in. If you can stomach it, you'll find yourself reading a very well-written dark academia.

The magic system in this book is interesting. With clear influence from programming/coding, it's been twisted in a way to conform it to fit into what M. L. Wang wants. I found myself very taken to the two parts of how magic comes together, needing a source of energy to pull from - a give and take relationship. It fits with the idea that you cannot create something out of nothing. Also, the truth behind this system wasn't unpredictable, especially with all the hints dropped as Sciona and Thomil did their research.

Sciona is extremely flawed for a main character - she is selfish and indoctrinated by religion and education, believing that the Tiranish are superior in every way to their blasphemous counterparts, the Kwen. Yet, her main focus is herself, as made clears by her thoughts and her actions. No matter the consequences, as long as her truth is spoken and revealed, that is all that matters to her. Her work is her life, and her circumstances have allowed her to get as far as she can as a woman, despite being looked down by her peers for letting her "womanly emotions" get hold of her.

Her journey from start to finish has been a massive character development - she reaches milestones no woman before her has ever managed, discarding her "womanly role" for something men dominate, only for the harsh reality of where her magic siphons from comes to light. And to top it off, those she trusts not only betray that, but scorn her for it. Despite this though, she doesn't let anyone deter her from what she's set out to achieve, and she goes out with, quite literally, a bang.

Ultimately, while most books are written to be an escape, I think this is one of those that make people think about the comforts they have and what it may have taken to get them. It's not supposed to be a happy story for our characters, it's supposed to be a reflection of what they have been through and will have to face in their future.

An insanely heavy read, one which I am grateful to have read. Thank you.

I wasn't sure at first if I was going to enjoy this. It started out strong and I thought at first that it was going to be high fantasy but then realised it was more sci-fi fantasy, nothing wrong with that I was enjoying it. What made me think I wasn't going to enjoy it was when Sciona was describing her work as a mage. I struggled a little to keep up with her, clearly I am no Thomil.

I loved their relationship and how despite the odds they kept being drawn to one another. I definitely rooted for them and hoped they'd be able to defy the odds and be able to be together in a world where they were classes apart.

There was a lot of oppression, both for the women of Tiran and the people of the kwen, whose women were treated even worse. It makes me think of the very real issue we face today as white women fighting an uphill battle in a predominately male world, but I'm not so blinded as to realise that I'm lucky. Being a woman and black in this world is a lot harder than being a woman and being white. The same as how Sciona faces difficulties being a Tiranish woman but nothing near as bad as a woman of Kwen origin.

TW's for oppression, sexual assault, mass death, gore and mentions of causing barrenness in women

Brutal twists and devastating revelations. 
😨I.AM.UNWELL😨

I'll be absolutely honest . This took me a little while to get into ( after the first chapter, which was incredibly harrowing), but once we got going, I was all in .( might have been the 3rd person that threw me off)

This book was sooo much more than i expected....this was my first M.L Wang, and it was thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and just so bloody clever. We see such stark parallels to the world we live in that it is easy to draw comparisons between the events described here and real-life scenarios. “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐊𝐰𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞,” 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝. “𝐁𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲, 𝐊𝐰𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐫*𝐩𝐞𝐝, 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝, 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐦*𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚— 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐰𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.”


The scrutiny on imperialism and exploitation were conducted with great skill and were seamlessly woven together with discussions on religion... injustice and the ugly truths that we discover along the way. “𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡.”“𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐭?” 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝. “𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥, 𝐢𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞, 𝐲𝐞𝐬? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡. 𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝?”

I don't want to give too much away. But be warned there are very heavy themes - genocide, persecution, racism, and sexism.

The Blight is possibly one of the most horrific ways to die in a book that I've read in a while. Which only makes the truths uncovered all the more deplorable.

Sciona was a flawed, complex , sometimes frustrating protagonist, but I think her arc is so well done .. if a little unsatisfying ( for me)“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞.”“𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞, 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰.”

Carra was an absolute breath of fresh air and provided much needed lightness in this dark world.
“𝐒𝐨, 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲? 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭?”

This story will stick with me for a while and I can't wait to read more from this author.

A magical world with some horrible conditions. Elegant, immensely readable and engaging. It’s left me thinking and thinking.

Sciona Freynan is a single minded Mage, determined to be the first female Highmage in the city’s history. Her peers, the well bred males do not welcome her. In their mockery they assign her a lowly Kwen (a poor immigrant to the land) rather that a real Mage’s assistant. And that is their big mistake. Through their partnership, Sciona and Thomil discover devastating truths about magic, giving Sciona the choice to look or look away.

I really, really enjoyed this and it’s given me lots to think about. I suppose it is dark academia but the atmosphere in the book isn’t sinister. A lot of the time it’s actually quite joyful, full of emotion. It’s an exciting adventure and where it’s dark it’s just really sad. (Which I mean as a compliment). Also the twist made me gasp out loud. This does not happen often!

The magic system is so sophisticated, so well developed and so well explained. In this world magic is a regulated science. Sciona gave me some serious Elizabeth Zott vibes.

The types of discrimination described are pretty hard to face: sexism, racism, classism. The book is seriously unflinching and it’s uncomfortable which is a credit to the author. Sciona’s complicity is almost unbearable.

I’m not going to go into any spoilers but I want everyone to read this so we can please discuss the ending. Please?!

Thank you so much to #netgalley and @delreyuk for my #arc

I didn't read the author's previous book. I don't think I would have stumbled upon this book without Netgalley either. However, I came across this book on Netgalley, saw Dark Academia, Magic and Limits and I was sold. I didn't even read the rest of the synopsis. Yes, we can all agree that's a terrible habit and also causes disappointment. However, I requested a copy and Del Rey granted me one and this week it was finally time to start reading!

This book starts with a prologue that doesn't make much sense when you read it. However, it did pull me in right away. The danger, the tension, the fear and the panic, it all felt so real and I was curious to learn more about it. However, the book then switches to a more light hearted part. We get to know the magic of this world, in a very scientific way, we meet our determined heroine and we get to see a little more of society.

Once we feel a little more comfortable though, the story really gets going. I of course don't want to give too much away, discovering everything along with the heroine was one of my favorite parts of this book, but it's really intense and at times also sickening. However, it all works so well because all the characters are so realistic. They react like they should react, they feel what they should feel and we can feel for all of them.

I also think this story is a really important mirror. Some fantasies are created to be an escape. This is not one of those. This fantasy is a mirror and it forces us to look at the reflection of our world and it confronts us with the ugliest parts of our world. There were moments I wish I could say that things are not that bad over here, but you only have to check a newspaper and you know that everything happening in this book DOES happen in our world. Just in a less magical way.

I'll for sure also check the author's other book! I'm very curious now!

This book completely blew me away and I don’t even know how to put into words what a marvel it is. The magic system is fascinating and the characters completely drew me in - especially Sciona, Thomil, and his spitfire of a niece. This book brings us dark academia in a professional setting and there are plenty of twists along the way that completely shook me. ML Wang has crafted such a masterpiece here, leading us on a journey filled to the brim with baddies and heartache whilst sprinkling in a little dose of unlikely friendship and inspirational female characters. It’s almost guaranteed to have you gasping out loud and nursing heartbreak at one point or another, but you’ll also be rooting for Sciona as she sticks it to the patriarchy with her determination and talent as a mage.

All that being said, Sciona isn’t always a likeable character and she’s got plenty of flaws to be going on with but she does have redeeming qualities and I couldn’t help but be impressed by her and a little in awe of her audacity.

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this book and know that it’s going to stick with me for some time. It’s also one I’m going to be recommending to anyone who’ll listen because when a book packs that much of a punch, it has to be shared!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Sciona had worked hard to become the first female Highmage at the University of Magics and Industry. Now her work will really begin in a world of men and mystery. The other Mages disapprove of her and do all they can to thwart her, including giving her the janitor as an assistant. Working with Thomil she uncovers the true power source for the city and these findings will be catastrophic for her.

A totally brilliant book. Great characters in a world of where they depend on the lives of others for their power. Fast paced and lots of action, plus twists and turns. Sciona must face the truth and decide the right thing to do, regardless of the consequences.

I'm already a big fan of dark academia, and knowing that this book combines one of my favourite genres with Full Metal Alchemist, I couldn't let it go without trying it. And thankfully I wasn't disappointed.

In a utopian world where magic is everything, Sciona has worked all her life to be the first woman to join the High Magistry. However, being a woman makes her fellows just work harder to make her fail. There is a lot of misogyny going on in this world, but I was glad to read that Sciona doesn't let that get to her. Actually it makes her work even harder, especially when she's assigned a janitor as her lab assistant. Thomil turns out to be more than a janitor and the two will find a somewhat ally with each other.

I enjoyed the world building and the characters development.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for a digital arc.

I loved this book, as it is one of the most unique fantasy books that I have read in a long time.

The inital premise of the book is that of a the first female mage getting admitted into this high society of male mages ( Dark Academia vibes)
At first I was unsure of where the story was going as the set up was very familiar to other dark academia books that I read previously.

However this book develops into much more details in regards to the theme of Opression, whether that be Racism, Sexism, Classism.
This is essentially down to how magic is this world is created, in part physics mixed with religion, and the select few who have the "right" and "power" to use (Siphon) it.

I found the use of Physic and religion to create a magic system really intresting as most people would agree that science and religion don't tent to overlap much in the mordern world socially.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a standout fantasy novel or a total unique take on a dark Academia novel

This is going to be a book that stays with me.

The synopsis doesn't do this story justice and barely scratches the surface of everything this book explores.

Beyond the dark academia vibes and secrets within a magical institution, this book explores the lengths people will go for power, religious corruption and fanaticism, the corruption of patriarchal societies, extreme systemic racism and so much more.

It does this through a character whose world view is completely shattered within the space of a few months, making her realise just how complicate she is when it comes to upholding all of the above even while striving to break the glass ceiling.

On top of all of this, the magic system is detailed and done so incredibly well. I've not read anything like it or anything as intricate as it.

My only small issue with the book is that it is incredibly dialogue heavy, but when you have such a complicated magic system, dialogue is an incredibly helpful tool yo explain it without spending the first half of the book info dumping and making readers heads explode.

This is absolutely going to be a book I read again and I know that I'll pull more out of it when I do.

“Blood over Bright Haven” is a magical sci-fi book by M.L. Wang.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Plot: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Characters: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Suspense: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Romance/spice: ⭐️

What you’ll find in this book:
⭐️ Female strong character
⭐️ Urban sci-fi
⭐️ Forbidden romance
⭐️ Unique magic system
⭐️ Dark Academia

My Review:

M.L. Wang’s "Blood Over Bright Haven" is a masterful standalone dark fantasy that brilliantly explores themes of ambition, inequality, and the transformative power of knowledge. With a rich narrative and well-drawn characters, the novel draws readers into a world where magic is both a privilege and a peril.

At the heart of the story is Sciona, a fiercely determined woman who becomes the first female highmage at the prestigious University of Magics and Industry. Wang does an excellent job of portraying Sciona's relentless ambition, and her struggles against the systemic biases of her male-dominated environment create a compelling backdrop for her journey. As she navigates her new position, the challenges she faces are both poignant and frustrating, effectively highlighting the barriers that women often encounter in traditionally male spaces.

Her relationship with her taciturn assistant, who has his own tragic backstory, adds depth to the narrative. Initially fraught with tension, their partnership evolves as they work together to unravel a conspiracy that threatens the very fabric of magic. The evolution of their dynamic is one of the novel’s strengths, providing not just character development but also a rich exploration of trust and collaboration.

Wang’s world-building is immersive, painting a vivid picture of the University and its surrounding environment. The intricate details of magical practice and the political machinations of the mages add layers to the plot, creating a sense of urgency as Sciona and her assistant uncover the truth behind the conspiracy. The stakes are high, and the suspense keeps you turning the pages.

The pacing is generally strong, although there are moments where the exposition slows the action. However, Wang's ability to weave philosophical themes into the narrative—especially regarding power dynamics and the ethics of magic—makes these moments worthwhile.

Overall, "Blood Over Bright Haven" is an engaging and thought-provoking read that balances dark fantasy with social commentary. Wang’s nuanced characters and intricate plot will resonate with fans of the genre, and Sciona’s journey is both inspiring and deeply relatable. If you’re looking for a story that challenges the norms of magic while delivering an exciting adventure, this book is definitely worth your time!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my early copy. All opinions are mine and sincere.

#BloodOverBrightHaven #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK

Another incredible book by M. L. Wang. This one had me instantly hooked from that mind blowing opening chapter and I couldnt pull my eyes away until the very end.

a fantastic book that it has taken me a while to find the words for.

i was a huge fan of the sword of kaigen, so i had high hopes for this and am pleased that it did not disappoint. it was just as intricately crafted, brutal, and thoughtful as i had hoped. i adore a bit of magical chaos and blood over bright haven has it in spades.

there are certain lil nitpicks that i have, but nothing that is enough to ward anyone off this book. i'll be vehemently recommending to fans of r.f. kuang, samantha shannon, alix e harrow, leigh bardugo... m.l. wang certainly deserves a spot amongst all of the dark fantasy greats