Book Review : Blood Over Bright Haven

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
Published by Del Rey on October 29, 2024
Pages: 448
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Magic has made the city of Tiran an industrial utopia, but magic has a cost—and the collectors have come calling.
An orphan since the age of four, Sciona has always had more to prove than her fellow students. For twenty years, she has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry. When she finally claws her way up the ranks to become a highmage, however, she finds that her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues will stop at nothing to let her know she is unwelcome, beginning with giving her a janitor instead of a qualified lab assistant.
What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was once more than a janitor; before he mopped floors for the mages, Thomil was a nomadic hunter from beyond Tiran’s magical barrier. Ten years have passed since he survived the perilous crossing that killed his family. But working for a highmage, he sees the opportunity to finally understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the Tiranish in power.
Through their fractious relationship, mage and outsider uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first. Sciona has defined her life by the pursuit of truth, but how much is one truth worth with the fate of civilization in the balance?
A standalone dark academia brimming with mystery, tragedy, and the damning echoes of the past. For fans of Leigh Bardugo, V. E. Schwab, and Fullmetal Alchemist.
(Content warnings for gore, sexual assault, and suicidal ideation)

At one of my last visits to Barnes and Noble, I peeped a copy of Blood Over Bright Haven, which had an employee notecard under it proclaiming that it was perfect for fans of Fullmetal Alchemist. Well, as someone who watched both the original anime and the Brotherhood version, I was intrigued. So, I added Blood Over Bright Haven to my TBR and finally got around to reading it lately. 

 

I found myself in a bit of a slump recently with the book I was previously reading, enjoying the novel, but never quite wanting to pick it up, and then my Blood Over Bright Haven hold at the library became available. So naturally, I dropped everything to read it. And I was hooked from the very first page of the novel, which features survivors of the plains trying to cross into a city named Tiran, which has a magical barrier.  This barrier serves as protection from the Blight, a mysterious force that cuts down all living creatures in its path, including people. With few animals and humans left in the plains, survivors have to face the very real realities of starving, turning to cannibalism, dying to the blight, or attempting to enter the city and most likely die trying.

 

“That’s what Blight does to a person, you know?” Thomil’s face twisted. “It strips them down in a spiral, skin first, then the rest.”

 

I ripped through the opening of Blood Over Bright Haven, just as the Blight ripped through the poor people trying to find sanctuary in Tiran. Out of all of them, only two survive, including male main character Thomil, and I was immediately desperate to know everything about this Blight—where it originated, how it came to be, and why it couldn’t be stopped. I am not the only person with these questions. Female main character Sciona, is determined to be the first and only archmage in history. Beating out tons of other male candidates with her intelligence and skill, she succeeds at becoming the first female archmage, but finds her battle is only just beginning. She is assigned to the project of expanding the barrier of Tiran, but finds that all is not what it appears.

 

By her side is Thomil, who formerly worked as a janitor, but is assigned to Sciona as her lab assistant as a slight to her gender, which makes her unworthy as an archmage to the eyes of her male peers. Luckily for her, even though Thomil is a part of the disparaged and perpetually mistreated Kwen, what the Tirans call people who made the crossing into the city and weren’t born there, he is an incredibly intelligent and intuitive man, picking up the basics of magic in practically no time at all. He not only keeps up with Sciona, but also asking her the right questions to make her think harder about not only her beliefs, but also the system she is part of. 

 

“Are you serious?” 

“You need to stop asking me that. I’m not much of a joker.”

 “Understood, ma’am. I just thought you might not want to be seen out with a Kwen.”

 “Well, you’re the only person in this place who hasn’t spat in my face today. Why would I want to drink with anyone else?”

 

I was absolutely invested in both characters’ journey. Both Sciona and Thomil are perfectly poised to show both parts of this supposedly blessed city of God, with Thomil living in essentially the slums and indentured servitude, and Sciona growing up in the working class part of the city. Author M.L. Wang does a great job of showing that Sciona is different from the other archmages, but that she is only human, and falls prey to the same prejudiced version of thinking at times due to the society and religion in which she was raised. But unlike the others, Sciona is willing to listen, open to change, and even more importantly, has the guts to challenge everything she knows, no matter what the consequences.

 

And if the juxtaposition between their two lives weren’t interesting enough, I really enjoyed that they still were able to find common ground in the discrimination they both face with Sciona as a woman and Thomil as a Kwen. As the two get to the bottom of the dark secrets of the city, they grow closer and closer, learning to appreciate what the other offers that no one else does. This is the kind of slow burn relationship that I love, one that isn’t the main focus of the story, but adds so much to it. I really enjoyed that the focus was on trust, friendship, and mutual respect before the attraction between the two. And though the romance is there, it’s slight, and any actions upon feelings does take place off page. Though I normally like off page romance scenes, I did find it a little disappointing in Blood Over Bright Haven after so much time was spent working towards this culmination and how much I loved both of the characters.

 

I was also completely floored by the magic system in Blood Over Bright Haven, which features spellographs, machines that source magic from coordinates. It feels distinctly scientific and realistic, despite being magical. It’s no surprise that I also enjoyed exploring the price of magic and the people who are willing to pay it—I can definitely see where the comparisons to Fullmetal Alchemist come into play, as there’s definitely the flavor of equivalent exchange mixed in here. Just like in Fullmetal Alchemist though, in Blood Over Bright Haven the exchange is usually anything but equivalent. 

 

One of my favorite things about Blood Over Bright Haven is that in the vein of dark academia, Sciona’s research asks the question about the ultimate cost of the pursuit of this knowledge and power. The novel pokes holes in the religions of the peoples in its world, but it does so slowly, over time, as Sciona herself discovers it. This makes readers feel like they too, are uncovering the secrets of Tiran and the life beyond the barrier. It also shows the readers how easy it is for people to use religion as an one-size-fits-all excuse for their actions. I can see some readers feeling uncomfortable with this commentary on religion, but I thought it was masterfully depicted by Author Wang. 

 

“Highmage,” Sciona snapped. “Yes?” “I meant—it’s not Miss Freynan. It’s Highmage Freynan.” 

Renthorn’s smile soured slightly. “You know, arrogance never made a woman more attractive.” 

“When I care how attractive you find me, I’ll let you know.”

 

Despite this reveal being piecemeal over the course of the novel, Blood Over Bright Haven feels anything but slow. I was hooked from the very first page and never wanted to put the novel down. Consequently, the slow build of the horror of the truth creates a palpable sense of tension and suspense. When the truth is finally revealed, it feels earned.

 

Sciona’s position as archmage also feels incredibly hard fought and deserved. The patriarchal society felt all too frustratingly real as well. I felt for Sciona with not only her working environment, but also the city in general. Her grit, determination, and drive to succeed, even with these stereotypes and attitudes toward her, were truly something to behold. I also really admired her fortitude as she navigated so many emotional difficulties. She achieved her lifelong dream, but no one wants her there, no matter what she does. At one point, a male colleague even bemoans that she’s thinking “too logically,” instead of the stereotype of emotional and hysterical women. Making matters worse is that everything Sciona believed, both spiritually and practically, is not the truth. On top of this emotional strain, she still draws the connection of her treatment as inferior to the far worse treatment of the Kwen and actively takes strides to do better herself. I found her incredibly compelling.

 

The one thing I did struggle with in Blood Over Bright Haven was the ending. Even though I’m a proponent of not all stories needing happy endings, the bittersweet finale of this novel was a bit of a tough pill to swallow. However, I do think the ending was fitting for such a dark story, and it was satisfying in the sense that all of the characters got what they wanted, in a way. Though I could find some readers being very upset with this conclusion. And this goes for the rest of the novel, it is definitely a darker one, complete with violence and consistently harsh looks at the reality of the uglier parts of society, magic, and religion, which might make it a triggering read for some readers.

 

I’d highly recommend Blood Over Bright Haven to fans of Fullmetal Alchemist, of course, but also to those who enjoy dark academia, such as Babel, The Atlas Six, or The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door, and the exploration of darker themes. After finishing Blood Over Bright Haven, I can honestly say it’s one of the standout novels I’ve read so far this year. I have already bought my own physical copy of  Blood Over Bright Haven and plan to read more of the author’s works. I hope to pick up Sword of Kaigen in the near future. 

 

 

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