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celina246's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I judge a good book to me personally if it entertains me, teaches me something and/or makes me feel something significant - and this book made me feel ALOT.
I was NOT expecting it to be this dark or the characters to be so flawed, but it was an excellent read. although the themes were a tad on the nose and in your face.
I was NOT expecting it to be this dark or the characters to be so flawed, but it was an excellent read. although the themes were a tad on the nose and in your face.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Sexism, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Bullying and Vomit
iellv's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
4.25
Ack. I’m devastated. There are so many things to process. But let me just say that this book achieved what Babel couldn’t. It's a thematically dense book, but it was handled expertly when it could easily be bungled by a less skilled writer. ML Wang's craft is precise, and most of the time her writing style is practical and straight to the point, considering we spend most of the time in Sciona's head, but when the time is right (and in every single Thomil chapter), she goes for the neck. The magic system is great, btw. I'll add a spoiler tag to my notes because I can't be bothered to edit the word vomit below.
There are so many things to love about this book, but I have to applaud ML Wang for portraying rebellion with enough nuance and lingering in that discomfort. Blood Over Bright Haven shows you the fallout and the loss of Kwen lives. And forces you to look at the damage. Yes, what Sciona did was necessary, but her actions caused so much destruction. And that is the terrifying truth. It takes great violence to shake the foundations of a nation that was built on violence and continued to thrive through violence. It takes an even greater devastation to destroy those foundations. And even then the aftermath might not yield the desired effect. It might be worse. But you can trust that at the very, very least, the destruction will usher in light and if I think about Thomil and the Caldonnae for too long I might actually lose it.
I do have one question though: did the Kwen not organize? Were there not underground groups or something? If not resistance groups then support groups? I find that hard to believe, but I'll give this the benefit of the doubt because Sciona didn't get to see much during the fallout. And unfortunately, we didn't get a Thomil chapter during that time. I can see why so I'm not docking points for that
Lastly, I wanna say that I do have some notes? Thomil was too much of a background character for my taste. Although, to be honest, I did have low expectations of his involvement (I'm still annoyed about Griffin, aka RF Kuang's mouthpiece, just... dying after he said his piece), but ML Wang edged toward making Thomil the marginalized character who serves to educate main character. I'm glad we got to see his anger and his grief but that also ultimately served to further Sciona's character development.
We absolutely could have had two Thomil chapters before they executed the plan, because who really is he outside of his work? Outside of his relationship with Carra? How does he interact with other Kwen? What's the Kwen community at the Kwen Quarter like? And again, did the Kwen not organize? lmao. A broken person can still have a life... The man is pretty friendly, charming, honest, and kind. I'm sure those qualities would have shone if he had been given the chance to interact with people from other tribes before the last crossing. Can you tell that Thomil is everything to me? Man, even his hunting skills were mentioned to supplement Sciona's work. Tell me more about his relationship to his gods!!! To nature!!!
I also have some notes about the middle and how Sciona reacted to the truth. I wish we could have sat with her emotions a bit more before the suicide attempt because that felt kinda drastic for someone who didn't really care much about the people in her own neighborhood let alone Kwen lives. Better yet, just do away with the suicide attempt, because I think that detracted from the weight and truth of the assessments leveled at her in the final arc.
Actually, I'm not done. I think the sexual assault scene was handled a little bit weirdly. ML Wang could have written in Renthorn's true nature in a more convincing way than sexual assault, just as the misogyny could have had more layers to it. I agree with the critiques about the misogyny being mostly limited to underestimating Sciona's abilities and staring. It was infuriating, yeah, but it was so flat as to be relatively benign that I forgot that 1.) They only let women take the test every 10 years and 2.) Sciona is the first woman highmage, full stop. It's funny that it didn't even break the immersion too much because I genuinely forgot about those two facts for much of the book.
I do have one question though: did the Kwen not organize? Were there not underground groups or something? If not resistance groups then support groups? I find that hard to believe, but I'll give this the benefit of the doubt because Sciona didn't get to see much during the fallout. And unfortunately, we didn't get a Thomil chapter during that time. I can see why so I'm not docking points for that
Lastly, I wanna say that I do have some notes? Thomil was too much of a background character for my taste. Although, to be honest, I did have low expectations of his involvement (I'm still annoyed about Griffin, aka RF Kuang's mouthpiece, just... dying after he said his piece), but ML Wang edged toward making Thomil the marginalized character who serves to educate main character. I'm glad we got to see his anger and his grief but that also ultimately served to further Sciona's character development.
We absolutely could have had two Thomil chapters before they executed the plan, because who really is he outside of his work? Outside of his relationship with Carra? How does he interact with other Kwen? What's the Kwen community at the Kwen Quarter like? And again, did the Kwen not organize? lmao. A broken person can still have a life... The man is pretty friendly, charming, honest, and kind. I'm sure those qualities would have shone if he had been given the chance to interact with people from other tribes before the last crossing. Can you tell that Thomil is everything to me? Man, even his hunting skills were mentioned to supplement Sciona's work. Tell me more about his relationship to his gods!!! To nature!!!
I also have some notes about the middle and how Sciona reacted to the truth. I wish we could have sat with her emotions a bit more before the suicide attempt because that felt kinda drastic for someone who didn't really care much about the people in her own neighborhood let alone Kwen lives. Better yet, just do away with the suicide attempt, because I think that detracted from the weight and truth of the assessments leveled at her in the final arc.
Actually, I'm not done. I think the sexual assault scene was handled a little bit weirdly. ML Wang could have written in Renthorn's true nature in a more convincing way than sexual assault, just as the misogyny could have had more layers to it. I agree with the critiques about the misogyny being mostly limited to underestimating Sciona's abilities and staring. It was infuriating, yeah, but it was so flat as to be relatively benign that I forgot that 1.) They only let women take the test every 10 years and 2.) Sciona is the first woman highmage, full stop. It's funny that it didn't even break the immersion too much because I genuinely forgot about those two facts for much of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Genocide and Vomit
Minor: Cannibalism
b0rn_2_read's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Violence
soapsoapsoap's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Cultural appropriation, War, Classism, and Deportation
deannareadsandsleeps's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, and Murder
annmeyer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
a very violent, very strong, and very well-written story with phenomenal world-building and a powerful ending. i was not expecting this book to be what it was (it truly puts the dark in dark academia), but i was genuinely impressed by it — and had a hard time not devouring it all in one sitting.
m. l. wang uses fantasy, specifically through a corrupt magic system in an urban setting, to explore colonization and the tools used to establish and uphold it, including misogyny (especially in terms of limiting educational access, reproductive control, and the weaponization of white femininity), racism, fascism, classism, environmental destruction, religious extremism, and so on.
i think that in many ways this novel speaks to the real world we live in, particularly in terms of the violent oppression of indigenous peoples (such as in the case of Palestinians, now and ongoing for nearly a century), which is partly what makes it so impactful. it also poignantly explores the power of protests and how the machinations of society often feed on flesh and blood — as well as the mixed reactions of "common civilians" to those harsh realities. i also think there's something to be said about the role that violent uprisings and (the cycle of) martyrdom play in creating hope for change for future generations in this book.
[anyways, i'm always in favor of a guillotine renaissance]
i highlighted so many passages and took so many notes while reading, so i'm saving some that stuck out here:
- After all, the true nature of Blight fit with everything he already knew of Tiran: that the city was a monster built by takers for takers. ... Somewhere in his time playing mage’s assistant, he had forgotten what he was: not a citizen of this city, just flesh that it fed on.
- The path to God wasn’t laid for women like her. It was laid on their backs.
- “That’s your idea of a nice day out with your mother? Plotting the destruction of a government?” “Why? You have a more fun idea?”
- "Hell, if more men were like you, I might not be so…” “So what?” “Vehemently opposed to them.”
- But the Kwen didn’t stop coming. Why should they? Their ancestral land was ravaged, their kin Blighted, their future stolen. What did they have to lose? And who in the wide world could tell them to stand down?
- “I didn’t want the innocent people of Tiran to suffer. But that collapse out there”—she gestured to the rising sounds of chaos from beyond the gates—“That was the inevitable fate of a rotten city built on lies.”
- Each gear turned tidily into its neighbor in a soul-grinding system designed to sustain the men who had named the pieces and made them so: damsel, devil, servant, wife.
- “It’s what she wants,” Carra said softly but with certainty beyond her years. “You understand that, right? She wants to die sticking it to those men.” “How do you know?” “Trust me, Uncle. It’s a girl thing.”
m. l. wang uses fantasy, specifically through a corrupt magic system in an urban setting, to explore colonization and the tools used to establish and uphold it, including misogyny (especially in terms of limiting educational access, reproductive control, and the weaponization of white femininity), racism, fascism, classism, environmental destruction, religious extremism, and so on.
i think that in many ways this novel speaks to the real world we live in, particularly in terms of the violent oppression of indigenous peoples (such as in the case of Palestinians, now and ongoing for nearly a century), which is partly what makes it so impactful. it also poignantly explores the power of protests and how the machinations of society often feed on flesh and blood — as well as the mixed reactions of "common civilians" to those harsh realities. i also think there's something to be said about the role that violent uprisings and (the cycle of) martyrdom play in creating hope for change for future generations in this book.
[anyways, i'm always in favor of a guillotine renaissance]
i highlighted so many passages and took so many notes while reading, so i'm saving some that stuck out here:
- After all, the true nature of Blight fit with everything he already knew of Tiran: that the city was a monster built by takers for takers. ... Somewhere in his time playing mage’s assistant, he had forgotten what he was: not a citizen of this city, just flesh that it fed on.
- The path to God wasn’t laid for women like her. It was laid on their backs.
- “That’s your idea of a nice day out with your mother? Plotting the destruction of a government?” “Why? You have a more fun idea?”
- "Hell, if more men were like you, I might not be so…” “So what?” “Vehemently opposed to them.”
- But the Kwen didn’t stop coming. Why should they? Their ancestral land was ravaged, their kin Blighted, their future stolen. What did they have to lose? And who in the wide world could tell them to stand down?
- “I didn’t want the innocent people of Tiran to suffer. But that collapse out there”—she gestured to the rising sounds of chaos from beyond the gates—“That was the inevitable fate of a rotten city built on lies.”
- Each gear turned tidily into its neighbor in a soul-grinding system designed to sustain the men who had named the pieces and made them so: damsel, devil, servant, wife.
- “It’s what she wants,” Carra said softly but with certainty beyond her years. “You understand that, right? She wants to die sticking it to those men.” “How do you know?” “Trust me, Uncle. It’s a girl thing.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual violence and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Infertility
pretty graphic portrayals of death immediately in the first chaptersarahbooger's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism
kinnisha's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
kestrellady's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book gets pretty dark, but I really loved the academic magic system and the exploration of the cost of magic, especially when that cost is high, but hidden. Definitely check the content warnings if you're at all squeamish about violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Murder
Minor: Suicide attempt
odunayo_y's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment