Bookseller Reviews
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Epically catastrophic!
It's rare that I find a book I know will become so absorbing from the first page, but if any book has achieved that this year, then Blood Over Bright Haven... READ MORE
Fantastic Fantasy Standalone!
What a fantastic read! I loved everything about the world and the magic system. I have never read anything quite like it before and I wish it wasn’t a stan... READ MORE
A genuinely gripping, complex steampunk-inspired fantasy
I’ve seen a few reviews call this one of the best fantasy books of the year, and I’m happy to say I agree - I went into this novel not really knowing what ... READ MORE
Masterclass Fantasy
This has been one of my favourite reads of the year! I was hooked from page one and completely obsessed by the end. The world building is immense, probably... READ MORE
Perfect Dark Academia.
This book is a brilliant blend of intricate world-building, complex characters, and a gripping plot that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. This b... READ MORE
My new favourite dark academia!
Blood Over Bright Haven is a fantastic novel that mashes up the dark academia and dystopian genres with addictive results!
The book follows Sciona, an ... READ MORE
AMAZING
All I can say is WOW!
This is easily the best Dark Academia novel I've ever read, and it's one of the best fantasy novels. I'd seen all the hype for The... READ MORE
A Gut Punch of a Novel That Will Haunt You Forevermore
What a book. One of the first books I read this year and it got it off to a brilliant start. Imaginative, dark, suspenseful with just the right amount of i... READ MORE
An original and highly captivating fantasy
Sciona is going to break the mould. She is going to change the world and people are going to notice.
Living a life of relative calm and peace, Sciona has... READ MORE
The Perfect Dark Academia Standalone
This dark academia standalone fantasy was brilliant! Sciona is the first female mage admitted into an all-male scholarly order who must navigate a raw, com... READ MORE
An incredible dark academia read!
This was an absolute joy to read, throughout. It has a really unique and interesting magic system- something of which I have never come across before. Ther... READ MORE
Best dark academia fantasy book of the year
I absolutely loved this book!! The writing grabbed me right from the first paragraph – I was immediately hooked into the world and the characters!
In th... READ MORE
Absolutely brilliant
‘Blood Over Bright Haven’ is one of my favourite novels. This incredible dark academia follows our protagonist as she uncovers a secret about her world, th... READ MORE
Death or Authenticity?
In a world where it is the men who have the real power, will it take Sciona - the first woman to be admitted as Highmage, irrepressible innovator, and Leon... READ MORE
Dark Academia at its finest!
I am left stunned! Blood over Bright Haven has been the best Dark Academia book I’ve read since Babel.
An incredible standalone fantasy that delivers a... READ MORE
My favourite Dark Academia
The Sword of Kaigen is one of my all time favourite books, it’s probably the book i’ve recommended to the most people with the highest success rate of them... READ MORE
A thought-provoking read that packs a punch
Blood Over Bright Haven is the new novel from M. L. Wang; it's a dark academia that confronts social and racial injustices that carries all the emotional i... READ MORE
Thought-provoking, triumphant and devastating
I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished it. This dark academic, urban fantasy was as beautiful as it was brutal. The story ta... READ MORE
A novel that delves deep into the well-known human need for knowledge, power and ambition
A novel that delves deep into the well-known human need for knowledge, power and ambition. Grappling with a true myriad of themes from gender inequality, f... READ MORE
Stunning
M L Wang transported me to a world built with such depth I could have believed it was real and I’ve been blown away.
She deals with racism, genocide an... READ MORE
Dark Academia and Feminine Rage Ignite
I devoured this book. Absolutely incredible, dark academia and feminine rage ignite in this stunning fantasy. I cannot recommend it enough. Utterly grippi... READ MORE
Is it enough to intend to do good?
So full disclosure here I put off reading this book that Del Rey so kindly sent me an advance of because 'By Tiktok sensation' on the back and that strikes... READ MORE
Sciona Freyman, the woman you are
This was like Fullmetal Alchemist turned up to 11 in the best way possible. 100% my favourite of the year
Perfect for fans of Babel
I couldn't put this book down. Part dark academia, part treatise on the dangers of colonialism, part exploration of the sexism women face in higher educati... READ MORE
Prepare to have your world turned upside down.
When Sciona gains entrance to the powerful order of mages, she is the first woman who has ever achieved the feat. She is an excellent magic wielder who is ... READ MORE
I was absorbed from the very beginning!
Absolutely fantastic! I regularly struggle to get a hook into a book, but with this I had no issues at all. If anything, I didn't stop thinking about it! ... READ MORE
Impressive Standalone
I thoroughly enjoyed this, it was a really entertaining and enjoyable read. It’s hard to review this without spoilers, and as I went in knowing very little... READ MORE
Dark, punchy and beautiful, this book was an absolute triumph.
Dark, punchy and beautiful, this book was an absolute triumph. The blending of magic and science, with the dark exploration into how dangerous technologica... READ MORE
Heart-wrenching and subtly terrifying in equal measure.
A brilliant book using a basic scientific concept as a baseline.
The mages in the city of Tiran use magic to help power everything within the dome-protecte... READ MORE
All magic has a price
A world where a city - Bright Haven - is controlled by a patriarchy of Mages who source and use magical energy to power technology, just as their manual la... READ MORE
‘The worthwhile run is never the short one.’
Blood Over Bright Haven ended up being one of my favourite fantasy reads of the year.
M.L. Wang builds a world that feels dark and dangerous but also s... READ MORE
Gripping!
From the first few pages of this book I found myself incapable of putting it down! The world building is thoroughly written and the plot twist had me gaspi... READ MORE
A blightingly good read
Blood over Bright Have a truly unique dark academia fantasy adventure. M.L. Wang's story deals with oppression, colonialism and misogyny.
These themes a... READ MORE
An immense work
This book crafts an incredible fantasy world, with a phenomenal magic system. The characters are loveable and the story is pacy.
Wang’s ability to reflect... READ MORE
Beware The Blight
I have been so excited to read "Blood Over Bright Haven" for so long and it did not disappoint! With a unique "magic" system and a pinch of headstrong char... READ MORE
So much more than just a dark academia book
I picked this up because I'd heard such good things not only about the book itself but because of so many people praising ML Wang's writing, I now count my... READ MORE
Steampunk academic fantasy
I'm not usually a high fantasy girlie but I thought this was really great! It had a unique magic system where spells go into these steam-punk typewriter ma... READ MORE
Synopsis
Discover the gripping dark academia fantasy about the limits of truth and power from the author of The Sword of Kaigen, perfect for fans of Babel by R. F. Kuang, Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House, and V. E. Schwab.
For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic.
When she finally achieves her ambition to become the first woman admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry, she finds herself undermined at every turn. Instead of a lab assistant, she’s paired with a janitor, putting her crucial research at risk.
But Thomil wasn’t always a janitor. Once a nomadic hunter from the wild plains outside the city, he now sees a chance to understand the forces that decimated his tribe and drove him from his homeland.
Together they will uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever – if it doesn’t get them killed first.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Cornerstone
- ISBN: 9781804950760
- Number of pages: 448
- Dimensions: 198 x 130 x 29 mm
- Weight: 296g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allAnother 5 star read
Firstly thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of the book . This is my honest opinion.
I did not think M L Wang could do any ... READ MORE
Fantastic Fantasy Dark Academia Standalone
Wow, a fantastic dark academia standalone from M.L. Wang, great for fans of Sword of Kaigen and will have you eagerly awaiting her next novel. You'll be gr... READ MORE
"Truth over delusion. Growth over comfort."
Blood Over Bright Haven nearly ruined me.
BOBH is a fantasy, academia standalone set in a world where magic takes a mathematical spin that feels a lot ... READ MORE
Dark Acadamia
This is my first time reading a dark academia fantasy novel and I did enjoy it. The world building was executed very nicely and the characters had a lot of... READ MORE
Captivating read
I was thoroughly impressed by this book. Its original concept was executed with finesse, drawing me in from the very beginning. As a reader who appreciates... READ MORE
Thought provoking
Just wow! From the first page, I was hooked. You dive straight into this world and are emotionally connected to the characters.
I found the information... READ MORE
Dark Academia Fantasy
I have read the Self Published edition before it was picked up by Del Rey.
I was extremely fortunate to be approved an early eARC of "Blood Over Bright Ha... READ MORE
Wow!
Pleasantly surprised
was thoroughly impressed by this book. Its original concept was executed with finesse, drawing me in from the very beginning. As a reader who appreciates f... READ MORE
brilliant
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... READ MORE
A wonderfully unique magic system
Blood over bright haven is a compelling stand-alone fantasy. We have dark academia, racism, patriarchy, sexism, and one of the most unique magic systems I ... READ MORE
An experience; one not to be missed!
Blood Over Bright Haven is the new novel from M. L. Wang; it’s a dark academia that confronts social and racial injustices that carries all the emotional i... READ MORE
5 stars
4.8 stars
To say that Blood over Bright Haven is a good book; now that is a vast understatement. Going into this book, I honestly wasn't sure what to expe... READ MORE
A remarkable addition to the fantasy genre
This is a captivating and thought-provoking fantasy novel that masterfully intertwines themes of feminism, racism, and the complexities of egoism. Wang's i... READ MORE
Exceptional new fantasy novel that I highly recommend
I have read this book twice in the last couple of months – something I never do (unless it is a very short children’s book). I usually wait decades before... READ MORE
A Dark Academia Fantasy Standalone That Will Stay With Readers
Thank you to Cornerstone (Random House) for providing an ARC via NetGalley. This is my honest review.
Buzzwords: academia, corrupt system/oppression, co... READ MORE
Loved
Journey into the magical realm of 'Blood Over Bright Haven' penned by M.L. Wang.
Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone Del Rey for my ARC copy of ... READ MORE
Filled the void Babel left
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 wa... READ MORE
A uniquely magic read
“Blood over Bright Haven” is a magical sci-fi book by M.L. Wang.
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Plot: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Characters: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Suspense: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️... READ MORE
Good Story, horrible characters
The story is very simple. Girl makes it in to a male dominated industry and realises that everything she holds dear has a very dark aspect to it.
As a s... READ MORE
a must read
I don't know how to express how well the author told this story ... and what a story it was. I tried reading it and found the start did not grip me.* So I ... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
Explosive
Wow, what an experience. This is a must read book for all adult fantasy readers. Explosive fantasy to enjoy, although unsettling too. I actually left the b... READ MORE
Strong Start
Blood Over Bright Haven starts off really strong with some solid world building and emotional character plots. However, it doesn't continue as effectively ... READ MORE
A unique and thought-provoking fantasy
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.
... READ MORE
Wonderful
It's a masterful work that highlights many problems present within various societies. The author's writing is very effective, the story's unfolds effortles... READ MORE
Magical dark academia
Headlines:
A city of ego
Violated tribes
Magical dark academia
I am so desperate to do this book justice in my review as I am full of feelings on fin... READ MORE
Sciona becomes a Highmage and uncovers a terrible truth.
Sciona has worked hard to become the first female Highmage at the University of Magics and Industry. The other Mages to all to undermine her including givi... READ MORE
Brilliant
I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley.
This book was phenomenal! I fully expect this to be one of my best bo... READ MORE
Searing and outstanding read...
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 ... READ MORE
This book will stay with me for a long time!
M. L. Wang has done it again! Blood Over Bright Haven is another fantastic but shocking fantasy standalone following Sciona, the first woman ever admitted ... READ MORE
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Action-packed fantasy
Blood Over Bright Haven is brilliantly engaging fantasy, full of action and mystery. It is a genuinely satisfying standalone, with a fascinating setting, a... READ MORE
It’s a girl thing
I am fuming at the injustices in this story, I am elated by the acts of redemption and I am heartbroken by the loss.
This story is Absolute perfection.
... READ MORE
Guaranteed to rewrite your brain chemistry!
This is probably the hardest review I’ve ever had to write. Not because I wasn’t sure what to write, but because I struggled to find the right words to con... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
hola review
hola review
Such a good book!
At first I found it a little hard to connect with the story and the characters but as I loved the writing and the premise of the book so much..I wanted to ... READ MORE
Another strong female MC!
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... READ MORE
Be ready for emotions
Wang tackles a bunch of really meaty topics here without it feeling overwrought or preachy, and all expertly interwoven with the lives and stories she's tr... READ MORE
An absolute masterpiece!
I apologise in advance for the incoherent mess of prose this review is likely to be. I will try to compose my thoughts as best I can, but to try to gather ... READ MORE
Phenomenal
Blood Over Bright Haven is an absolutely incredible book - it was recommended to me by a fellow fantasy book club member and I am so glad it was! If you li... READ MORE
A masterpiece
This book is masterfully written, raising some important topics, while also creating such a unique world and magic system!
Boring
Its not often that I don't finish a book, but after 135 pages, and the most interesting thing that happens is an explosion I just couldn't read anymore!
... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
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