A review by takarakei
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Ok I have mixed feelings about this. Preface: I finally read an arc I had from the self-published version, so I don't know how much/if any editing was done since it's now being trad published. I hope they did, because I think there is a lot of potential here! Also, I have read this author's other book Sword of Kaigen and was in the minority of people who didn't like it, so I went in with some heavy skepticism.

What I liked:
  • As one of THE biggest Babel fans out there, this had similar vibes. They are still VERY different books (and this doesn't even touch Babel on many levels), but yes I've seen the comparison and I do think it's generally appropriate.
  • This is a good dark academia book, and those elements were done really well. I liked that the magical school setting was more like a graduate/research setting. Definitely set this apart from many university set dark academias I've read.
  • The world building was interesting and unique. Wanting to learn more about it kept me reading. Related to that there's a mysterious nature to the first half of the book as Sciona and Thomil unravel things. And when those things start to come to light it's definitely a page turner.
  • I think the commentary this book is making on real-world-issues is very apt and important, and is also done well.

Neutral:
  • There is quite a bit of brutal, gruesome and disturbing things that happen right from the get-go (and even more later on in the book) so just be aware.

What I think could've been improved:
  • Once the main 'reveal' happens I think we spent too much time with Sciona's hand-wringing and reckoning with what to do. Like yes, it's shocking and world changing, but at a certain point I just needed her to get on with it. I felt myself just wanting the ending to come.
  • But then the actual climax/ending of the book happens super fast, and also very late in the book (like at 90% in I checked to make sure this was a standalone) and that didn't leave enough time for any resolution. After I finished I still had a LOT of logistical questions about how this world goes forward. This unfortunately was also my issue with Sword of Kaigen...
  • So generally there were some pacing issues.

In the end I do think this book is worth a read if you're a dark academia fan. I just don't think it's the best thing I've ever read.
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