This book wrecked me.
It took me a long while to finish it, because I kept picking it up and immediately putting it down, not in the mood for something so heavy, so infuriating, so painful.
M.L. Wang knows like no other how to invoke emotions.

This is the first book of M.L. Wang's that I have read and now I'm excited to read The Sword of Kaigen, which I've heard is phenomenal as well.  I had heard good things about this book, but nothing more than a few details here and there. The way everything is laid in the story is well thought out and you find yourself drawn into the world instantly. Sciona is our main character and we experience her journey to become the first female mage in a society that uses magic to basically provide power to the city. Her and her peers have been charged with expanding a barricade that protects the city from The Blight, a mysterious anomaly that utterly destroys anything it touches. M.L. Wang's writing style pulls you in from the beginning. The magic system was easy to understand and plays in a major part in the plot. The FMC is amazing, even with her flaws and shortcomings and she finds a colleague from an unexpected source. I could write more in detail, but I'd be venturing into spoiler territory, and this is the type of book that you should experience yourself with minimal insight to the experience. I highly recommend reading for yourself. It's a great read, with no slow parts at all, even in the exposition and explanation of the world and it's structure. 

ML Wang, un nome una certezza: dopo questa lettura e The Sword of Kaigen, si conferma come autrice di cui leggerò i libri senza pensarci due volte.

La mia lettura è iniziata al quanto alla cieca, senza eccessive ricerche riguardo ai grossi temi affrontati dalla storia. Le alte aspettative e il mio eterno cinismo mi hanno reso un po' scettica sullo sviluppo adeguato della storia, soprattutto visti i ritmi del primo arco narrativo molto frettolosi e densi. 
Sono estasiata nel dire avevo completamente torto.

Tiran, città emblema dell'innovazione e cuore pulsante della civiltà, dimostra come il progresso avrà sempre un costo, che inevitabilmente viene pagato con il sangue. La grossa ferita che traspare nel corso della storia non viene sminuita con un misero cerotto di eccessivo eroismo e ingenua positività:

Sciona non diventa magicamente l'emblema dell'altruismo e amata dal popolo, Carra non cresce come bimba indifesa e innocente, e Thomil è chiaramente eroso da un decennio di maltrattamenti.

I personaggi appaiono così vivi e autentici, rispecchiando la realtà in cui vivono attraverso i loro difetti e le loro azioni non sempre sagge. 

Ho apprezzato particolarmente la fine di Sciona: fino all'ultimo ho temuto che il suo sacrificio sarebbe andato a cancellare il peso delle conseguenze delle sue azioni perdonando il fatto che per tutta la sua vita fosse parte del sistema oppressivo, a prescindere dalle difficoltà che ha dovuto affrontare lei stessa.

Si nota come l'autrice rispetti il lettore, in quanto non usa il banale elemento shock rivelando informazioni senza fondamento, e preferisce far fiorire i temi trattati attraverso le esperienze dei personaggi e conversazioni organiche tra di loro(looking at you Babel). 

Mi trattengo dal dare il punteggio pieno per il ritmo troppo veloce iniziale: trovo che alcuni momenti emotivi molto intensi abbiano perso parte del loro impatto per l'eccessivo susseguirsi di avvenimenti. 

Detto questo, blood over bright haven mi ha dato nuova speranza con la ricerca di fantasy di mio gusto in grado di trattare tematiche serie in modo realistico e rispettoso, e per questo devo molto alla Wang. Non vedo l'ora di leggere altro dalla sua brillante mente.   

 Wow, this was probably the most intelligent, extensive, most immersive and overall most interesting book I've read, ever. And I've read quite a lot in my time. Probably saved me from an incoming reading slump, too.

I don't even know how to start this review because I don't want to take away the joy of discovering the story, so I will just drop some arguments why you should read it without goint into greater detail:
-intricate worldbuilding
-an unique, science- and religion-based magic system
-criticism on probably everything (e.g. said "religious" system)
-fascinating female MC with strong (strong) academic drive in a male-dominated world
-political but not in a politics-way but in a soul-crushing, system changing way
-beautiful academic-y writing which my professors should take inspiration from
-character development with some not so nice parts
-no focus on a love story (you decide if this is good or bad, i thought it was fitting)

You should not read this book if you are looking for a light, fun story or if you are triggered by rascism, sexism, xenophobia, murder, sexual assault or generally injustices against more or less everybody involved.
Whereas this book is in no way light or topic-wise super easy, I found myself sprinting through the book like there was no tomorrow. These hefty kinds of books tend to be a bit intimidating (at least for me, looking at Babel on my shelf), but just give it a go, it honestely is so intruiging that you probably just get sucked right in the story. So don't be intimidated, just give it a go!

Some further thoughts for people who might need more convincing or for those who've read it and just want to ramble about it like I do:
Gosh this book was it. In the beginning, I honestely did not want to start this. I had just read a lot of fantasy-heavy books which where just overall not that deep sometimes so startig a complex book seemed daunting. Still, it was on kindle unlimited and I probably saw someone speaking about it, so I gave it a go, expecting it to drag quite a bit. After 3 pages I turned off the page numbers on my kindle because they distracted me from the story (never happened before). After like 10 minutes I checked my progress and was on page 70, reaching page 250 the same evening. By then, I already knew this was going to be exceptional. Still, as the last quarter approached, I became really worried about the ending and if it would be cut short or would not be satisfying or if it would just be a convenient, easy way out - because honestely, I was way more anxious about everything than our mc. So count me surprised when the ending actually made sense?? and was consequent to all of the prior world-and character building? She really did that.

I now have to decide what to do with my life. Maybe read a thriller to calm down. Maybe read the sword of kaigan, because even though it doesn't really intruige me right now and it is quite a chonky book, I now trust M.L. Wangs brilliance and expect this one to be mind-blowingly executed, too. The only thing I know for sure is that I will force my friends to read this right now - for they know I have great taste and with maybe some emotional pressure the likes of trust me bro 

This book came highly recommended and it didn't disappoint. I hadn't read any books by M.L. Wang before though I know of her and Sword of Kaigen. It's been in my TBR for a while now. This one on the other hand came out of the blue as far as I am concerned. 

Sciona and Thomil are the two protagonists. Sciona has been a prodigy, a genius and she has spent her life oblivious to everything and being as self absorbed and selfish as a person can be in her pursuit of magic. Magic is what makes the city of Tiran where she lives go around, and it is a gift from their god who embodies truth and a spirit of enquiry. In a world where women are expected to be the lesser citizens and denied opportunities for higher research, she is determined to succeed. But her entry into the High Magistry doesn't open doors as she expected it to. Her male colleagues are determined to think she didn't get in on her merit and shows their disdain by giving her a Kwen Janitor as an assistant instead of a qualified university graduate.

Kwen are the outcasts, the ones who comes from the wild lands beyond the barrier that keeps Tiran safe. The lands beyond are subject to the Blight, a bright light that strikes from above and kills instantly, by unravelling flesh and muscle till only blood is remaining of the victim. The Tirannish hold that it's a punishment from God for the ungodly ways of the Kwen. Tiran, under her magical barrier, is protected from the Blight. 

The janitor, Thomil is a hunter who had seen his entire family except his niece die from the blight before his eyes. He and his niece, Carra who he raises, are the last of the Caldonnae who once numbered in the thousands. The lands outside are rendered inhospitable since the Blight takes animals, plants and men alike. 

Sciona and Thomil form an unlikely friendship as they delve into Sciona's project: the expansion of the barrier. If she can come up with a viable method that's better than that of her peers, she can prove beyond doubt that she is worthy of being in the High Magistry, that a woman is capable of doing as well, if not better, than men in her chosen field. But her attempt to come up with a better way leads to her discovering the buried truth behind Tiran's magic and prosperity. It's a truth that destroys everything she believes in, and alienates everyone around her.

There were places in the book where I wanted to kick Sciona and places where I wanted to shake her. But thankfully, it all changed soon. I was so anxious for her that I had to stop reading and breathe for a bit. 

To say this book ripped the heart right out of my chest from chapter one is not an understatement. It was so intense, and I had so many emotions. The ending was strangely cathartic, and despite how sad I was, realistically, no other ending would have worked. 

This book deals with a lot of themes. Feminism, sexism, misogyny, colonialism, bigotry, racism, and the ills of all these are brought out in one way or another. Some of the characters are almost like caricatures, but even then, they remain representative of the evils they embody. 

I loved Sciona's character development as well as Thomil's. Even though she makes her appearance only after the mid way point, Carra is also a memorable character who grows in the space given to her. 

I needed two days to settle down enough to write this review. This book impacted me that much. Even now, I am not sure I'm doing justice to it. 

I would recommend it to anyone who loves epic fantasy, high fantasy, complex and well defined magical systems, character driven stories, and anyone who loves M.L. Wang's books. There's nothing about this book I didn't love. 

Just go and read it. You won't regret it!

Pesado, emocionante e levou o fuck white people bem a sério (é sobre). Se você gostou de Babel você vai gostar desse também.

“In this city, girls like that get themselves killed.”

Positives

This book is definitely the best one I have read this year. It was well written, fast paced and ingenious. It had me in the chokehold from the very first chapter. I saw Emily fox on bookTube recommending it so I decided to check it out and the book did not disappoint. M.L Wang has become my new favorite author and I am interested in checking out more his book soon.

I shedded a few tears around 40-45% mark. There was some painfully beautiful writing there.


The book starts with the last 40 survivors of a tribe that once numbered in tens of thousands, migrating towards a city where powerful and wealthy people have created a barrier to shield themselves from blight, using magical technology.

In the city, we follow a 27 year old girl, Sciona, who is about to face the greatest test of her life that will determine if she is worthy to be a Highmage. If she succeeds she will become the first female highmage in history. On her journey to prove herself to a magistry dominated by men, she befriends a person of an "inferior race", Tommy, and together they discover the ugly truth about the magistry, the values her city is built upon, her past, and the cost of magic. She is confronted with a big question: Is having good intention at heart enough in the grand scheme of things, or does one need to consider the consequences of their actions as well?

"Is it better to be safe and broken or dead?"

The book is thought provoking. It clearly draws inspiration from the real world where privileged people, in general, have a history of exploiting and oppressing the poor, people of color and women.

The ending was the most amazing part of the book. I was on pins and needles during the last 20-30% of the book. Most books disappoint me at the ending, but the author did a superb job with the ending. It was so masterfully knitted into the fabric of story. It didn't seem like an after thought where author tries to make everyone happy by writing an ending that doesn't go with the vibe of the book.

"When you said ‘symbolism,’ I thought you were going to say it was a penis thing"

The book is fast paced, easy to read and cleverly conceived. The magic system is one of the best I have read in a while. In this world magic isn't something you inherit, it something that can be learned. Mages draw energy from other realm that is used, after coding magic formulas into a spellograph, to do magic. Drawing energy from other realm is complicated as both drawing too much or too little enegery can have negative  consequences. Sciona is an expert in mapping energy sources in the other realm. Mapping is crucial because energy is a limited resource, but mapping is hard since no one can see the other realm clearly.

The author has created a rich and  complex world, inspired by steampunk, that is both fascinating and horrifying. There is bit of info dumping but it is done in a very classy and interesting way. I had a great time learning about the magic system. I wish we had more books set in this world, but for the sake of the people in this book, I am glad it’s a stand-alone.

Her only distinction among these mages was that she was a more honest monster than any of them

Critiques
My only critique is the feminist message in the book. The problem is not the message but the explicity of it. I am not giving it 5 stars because at times the author was being too preachy and pushing his believes on the reader.  We also kept hearing about the absent father but that story arc didn't go nowhere. I'd have liked more explanation on that.

Favorite Quote

“Because good people can turn desperate when the horrors are upon them—especially people whose culture of plenty has left them with no systems to cope with scarcity or cataclysm. Good people will turn monstrous when it’s down to their survival or someone else’s.

This is such a powerful statement. I wish more people could understand this. The world would be so much more peaceful and harmonious if we did.

Trigger Warning
Sexual violence, suicidal thoughts, racism.

4.75
Writing:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ 
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ 
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
World Building: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐