Book Review: Blood Over Bright Haven

I don’t know why it took me so long to read this one, but I’ll get straight to the point: I’m glad I finally did!

What’s it about?

Sciona has built her entire life around mastering the magic of her world, becoming the first female highmage, but everything changes when she’s admitted to the University of Magistry and Industry, uncovering long-buried secrets about where their magic comes from, and the cost of using it. She faces ruthless discrimination based on her sex, and even as she discovers horrible things about their world, she is dismissed and written off. But with the help of her assistant, Thomil, she begins to make real changes, not only in herself, but in their world.

What I Didn’t Love

I’m switching it up and starting with this part first, and that’s because the thing I don’t love is simultaneously the thing I love most. It’ll make sense in a minute, but bare with me for now.

I did not love the main character, Sciona.

I really struggled to connect with her throughout the story. Every time I started to feel like she was making progress, she’d do or say something that totally threw it out the window, and I had to start over with my feelings about her. Her obsession with achievement and recognition is obviously what she’s needed in order to fight her way into a system designed to keep her out. And that’s admirable in many ways.

But there’s so much to not like about her. I spent the majority of the book wishing she’d get over herself, and my jaw dropped more than once at her complete lack of awareness and empathy. She’s rigid. She’s obsessive. And it’s exhausting how much she’s willing to do to prove herself and become the best. It’s super uncomfortable to read at many points. I fully understand that my discomfort is in large part due to how realistic the character portrayal is to many of the people in my own life. Hell, if I’m being especially honest about it, I’ve been like her myself, striving for approval and doing whatever it takes to come out on top. Especially as a woman, I’ve felt that drive to outperform and prove I deserve to be in certain spaces.

But the outright bigotry and naivete was frustrating to read, particularly when it led her to mistreat other characters I cared about—namely Thomil. Her drive blinds her to the cruelty of their world she’s trying so hard to be a part of, and makes her an active part of it.

What I Loved

You know those books that sneak up on you? I thought I was reading this for the worldbuilding and magic system because (as a fantasy writer myself) I’m always fascinated by these elements, and I’d heard this one did a great job with both. So yes, this book absolutely has noteworthy worldbuilding, and the magic system is incredible, but it ended up surprising me with just how willing it was to dive headfirst into some uncomfortable commentary on beliefs about power, privilege, and who gets to shape history itself. I love when an author goes all in and uses their fun fantasy elements to have a deeper conversation, and M. L. Wang strikes this balance beautifully.

Since I went into this one with few expectations by intentionally avoiding in-depth reviews on it entirely, so I was able to really enjoy it and just go for the ride. I think that really enhanced my overall experience.

So, what I loved most is also what I didn’t love—The characters!

First, Sciona. Sciona the person? Not a fan. Sciona as a character? GOLD. She’s complicated and infuriating and real, which makes for a read I couldn’t put down, even when I couldn’t stand her. That’s not an easy thing to do, and I give full credit to M. L. Wang for managing to pull that off.

I also love Thomil, but with him, it’s in every way. My heart broke for him at every turn, and I felt his anger as viscerally as if it was my own. Displaced from his home (by the empire Sciona wants so desperately to be a part of), he barely survived and made it to their city. He’s the quiet moral weight of the entire story, and watching his restrained presence push back against Sciona’s naive and willfully ignorant assumptions about their world, was so satisfying. It’s not a romance, by any means… at least, not in the traditional sense… but there’s something about the way they’re forced to really see each other, even though they come from totally different worlds, that just does it for me. It’s slow burn, and their feelings feel totally earned.

I guess I love that I went in for the world building and magic system and left feeling like I wanted to fight against the same systemic classism, racism, and generational theft of land and culture in our own world even more.

I did figure out the plot twist before it was revealed, as I’m sure many others have as well, but it didn’t take away from the gravity of its implications. If anything, it makes the build up to the reveal even more tense, as we’re waiting for the characters to see the truth for what it is. So when it all falls apart, and we see what they choose to do, it makes everything hit even harder.

Bigger Picture Stuff

In the same way orogeny is used in N. K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season to explore oppression and fear, Blood Over Bright Haven is just as pointed with its exploration of the tools empires use to oppress others and maintain power. Wang is not subtle about the political threads throughout this book. While it’s the story of one woman and her unlikely relationship with a man from a different background, as she seeks to earn respect in a society that rejects women from the high magistry and leadership in general, it’s definitely more about the world around them. It’s about the systems. It’s about empire, colonialism, who records history, and who defines progress and authority. I think M. L. Wang did a wonderful job demonstrating how academia itself can be used as a tool of oppression (particularly lack of access), and about how knowledge can liberate or enslave, depending on who controls it.

I haven’t talked about the magic system nearly as much as I would have thought, given that it’s one of my favorite elements in this book, so I’ll touch on it here, now, because I think it’s relevant to this part of my review. The magic system is really rooted in earth science and industry, and Wang was able to use it to reflect her themes perfectly. It felt heavy-handed at times, I suppose, but I don’t blame her for painting the picture so clearly, especially now, as our country is facing similar attempts at limiting access and controlling the content of our information. It’s happening through media censorship, but it’s also happening in our very academic institutions. Perhaps we need it to be spelled out this clearly for people to understand how detrimental it is to ban books, scrub entire histories from our libraries and institutions, and censor media and art in any form.

Speaking of banned books… I’m pretty sure this one will end up on a list at some point, if it hasn’t already. This is absolutely the kind of book that gets quietly removed from a conservative school district’s library shelf for “inappropriate themes”. Wang speaks frankly about genocide, cultural erasure, gender roles, class oppression, and plenty of other topics certain people don’t want us thinking too deeply about. It refuses to give any answers or make us feel comfortable, which I truly appreciate. Again, my mind draws parallels to N. K. Jemisin and The Broken Earth trilogy.

I won’t give away the plot twist about where this magic comes from, and its cost for use, but damn. It’s like a sledge hammer, and should really make us all stop and think about what we’re doing here in the real world.

Final Thoughts

Blood Over Bright Haven isn’t cozy or escapist. It asks hard questions about oppression, sacrifice, and the price of both living within a system and daring to change it. The ending of this book isn’t satisfying, in that much is left unresolved. But that’s why I think it’s the exact right ending. I can’t imagine having every bow tied up at the end with a story like this, and I’m glad Wang didn’t take that path. I do wish we could explore this world further, and know more about the consequences of everything that transpired, but all-in-all I really love this one. It’s a hard read at many times, but it’s important, and even a little hopeful. I’m glad it didn’t wrap up neatly, and that it’s still stuck with me since finishing.

I give this book 4.5/5 stars.

If you’ve read this book, and finished it feeling uncomfortable and sad, but also maybe a little angry and empowered? Good. I think that’s the point.

Happy reading!