Blood over Bright Haven

A Novel

By: M. L. Wang

Narrated by: Moira Quirk

The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever, in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen.

“Powerful, thought-provoking. . . . Fans of R.F. Kuang’s Babel will find much to admire here, from the intricate magic system to the unflinching exploration of societal issues.”—Booklist

For twenty years, Sciona 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 at the University of Magics and Industry.

When Sciona finally passes the qualifying exam and becomes a highmage, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome—and, instead of a qualified lab assistant, they give her a janitor.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was not always a janitor. Ten years ago, he was a nomadic hunter who lost his family on their perilous journey from the wild plains to the city. But now he sees the opportunity to understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the privileged in power.

At first, mage and outsider have a fractious relationship. But working together, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first.

©2023 M. L. Wang (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“M. L. Wang continues to deliver the goods. Blood Over Bright Haven is a storytelling masterclass. Deep themes run through this energetic tale of dark academia, and feats of imagination abound.”—Mark Lawrence, author of The Book That Wouldn’t Burn

“A fantastic page-turner—clever, emotional, and thematically rich. . . highly recommended! I was completely engaged the whole way through.”—James Islington, author of The Will of the Many

“Blood Over Bright Haven is, well, bloody brilliant (pun intended). I wish I could craft a character half as well as M. L. Wang, or that I could set a scene with half so rich an atmosphere. Blood Over Bright Haven is the kind of book that knocks you down, kicks you repeatedly, and then makes you thank it for doing so. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”—John Bierce, author of the Mage Errant series

“With one of the most intricate and fascinating magic systems I have ever read, Blood Over Bright Haven masterfully draws you into the brutal web of power, corruption, and complicity at the heart of its society. This book is a merciless reckoning that leaves you reeling long after the last page is turned.”—Sara Hashem, author of The Jasad Heir

Agonizing. I loved it!

1. Authors, please hire Moira Quirk to read your books, I would listen to her read almost anything at this point.
2. This book is incredible. Dark, brutal, unapologetic. It deserves its comparisons to RF Kuang’s Babel, but it is also completely unique. I am going to sneakily recommend this to every conservative fantasy fan I can find.

Excellent

Excellent world building, superb character development and as always the audio is amazing. Highly recommend.

Another good story from M L Wang

Lighter in tone than The Sword of Kaigen, this story is just as dark. This is an entirely new world with a mysterious force/creature/deity that brings death and sorrow. Focused on a small set of characters (like tSoK) in a large city, the story showcases the differences between two cultures. The characters are interesting and engaging with strong conflict scenes. While others stories can be told before or after this book, the story is pretty well completed makes a good standalone story. There is a blend of technology and magic and mythology.

Could not stop

Instantly bingeable, ML Wang has done it again with another one of my favorite books. Emotional, fast paced, deep world, great twists, amazing

Painfully Relevant

I listened to this book in it's entirety in 2 sittings. it really struck a chord with me. beautifully written, fantastic world, building, great magic system and intense characters tackling subjects that are painfully relevant today.

Absolute masterpiece

Henceforth it will be my life’s mission to get everyone I know to read this gem of a book. Hands down the best book I’ve read this year! I adored the sword of Kaigen but this is even better! Truly a once in a lifetime read!

Good not great

As someone who feels like a Kaigen acolyte that tries to convince everyone to read that book, this is definitely a weaker project.

If you have never read Sword of Kaigen and are coming into this blind, this is a very solid book. Wang seems to have a tendency to write about strong women in a man's world, which I think they do very well. The MC in this book is very likable with a decent amount of depth. The main supporting character is also very good and is probably the true linchpin of the story.

I'm unsure if the goal was to write a YA style novel, but this is definitely a competent YA story. The scope is quite narrow and the story basically only follows two people. The world building is OKAY but it is also very narrow in scope. The world is limited to a city and vaguely the surrounding area. There is very little idea of a world beyond.

As someone who held Kaigen in the highest regard this definitely falls short. It's a fairly engaging story and I enjoyed my time with it, but I'd probably give it a 3.5 if audible would let me. I'd like to say the narrator was absolutely fantastic and elevates the story quite a bit. I think I'd like the book less if not for the narrator.

TLDR: Worse than The Sword of Kaigen by a lot, but it's a tighter narrative overall and enjoyable. YA level story with excellent narration.

Awesome story

This might be my favorite book of the year. The world and story and characters are so different and interesting. I was sad when it was over. I keep telling everyone I know to read this book.

Bitter sweet ending

It has and interesting magic system. It also has a unique feeling world. What stands out to me is the characters struggle with the ideals they hold and how they fit into the world.

Incredible

The characters and plot lines were masterfully put together in my opinion, perfect book to get out of a reading slump.