“We have taken so that we may live. 
We have taken so that one day we may give back. 
And now the taking is done.”
~the Caldonnae hunter’s prayer~

One of my new favorite books. The book begins brutally. And the book ends brutally. It follows two characters as they make their way in a city, Tiran, that doesn’t appreciate them: Sciona, a woman, and Thomil the Kwen/“Blighter” janitor. Sciona mistakenly assumes that she would be respected once she passes her exam to become the first ever female highmage. But of course, she lives in a world and profession dominated by men some of whom will go out of their way to make her miserable. Thomil was the janitor of the building that she works in until one of the male highmages makes him Sciona’s (untrained) assistant as a humiliation to them both. As Sciona and Thomil work together and get to know each other, they come to learn the truth of the magic that Tiran is powered by. 

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this book. I’d heard that it was like Kuang’s Babel, and it certainly was. But they are also two very different stories. I feel like I enjoyed this one more! It explores themes of racism, sexism, xenophobia, cultural assimilation, theft of culture and language, and mass slaughter and genocide. I cried a lot throughout this book. Often I’d cry near the end of it, but I was crying in like every other chapter. Anyway, this was an AMAZING book. Be prepared for racist and sexist language though. And for one SA scene. Oh, and gory death scenes too, sprinkled like blood throughout the book. In fact, just look at all the trigger warnings. I’ll add as many as I can think of. 

A very good read, and a really delightful magic system and world—both of which serve the overarching message of the book. Really incisive and well put together, but my only complaint is the dialogue could really stretch on. I tend to prefer a bit more show than tell.

A unique magic system and excellent world-building undergird this dark academia fantasy about colonialism and complicity that follows the first female highmage of Tiran and the Kwen janitor her peers assign her as an assistant as the two uncover the shocking truth behind magic. As brilliant as I found Blood Over Bright Haven, it was also predictable at times and very heavy-handed. I came to think of it as Babel Jr.—a less subtle little sibling to one of my favorite books. I hope older teens will find it!

A complex tale this story takes place under a dome made by the founding mages which protects those in the city from the Blight. 

The blight kills without shame and destroys anything with life that it touches from trees and plants to unravelling a human infront of your eyes. 

We see our main character develop a lot throughout this book, as an academic she questions everything and despite Kwen being frowned upon in their city when she is mocked by her all male peers for being the first female archmage ever she takes the Kwen janitor under her wing as her assistant. 

Its narrative addresses issues such as genocide/ seeing certain groups as lesser beings as well as colonisation in the form of

ignoring the harms of magic and the destruction they reap on the Kwans native land , despite being a product of stolen texts taken from the original female witches under the Kwan who only aimed to help people.

Overall despite being deep and at sometimes saddening I truly loved this book and could not put it down. It’s unique from its magic system, to how it addresses social issues and I think is a vital addition to diversifying the worlds of sci fi and fantasy. 

Welcome to Tiran, the bright haven that stands against the harsh outside world. A thriving metropolis that runs on magic that powers an advanced industrial economy and innovative technology. Sciona is a mage, who has worked her way up through the ranks to become Tiran’s first female highmage, one of the elite overseers of the city that maps and siphons the power used to keep it running. She is proud to be a mage, a follower of her faith, and highly independent. Orphaned since age four and raised by her aunt with her cousin, she’s a force to be reckoned with and takes no shit. Her sponsor believes in her, she believes in herself to be the best, and she will prove it. She and the other new inductees are tasked with creating a spell to siphon enough power to expand the barrier that keeps Tiran protected from the outside, a harsh environment being ravaged by blight, a mysterious occurrence that pulls the lifeforce out the living and decimates the land and its savage people, known as the Kwen. Not taken seriously, she’s assigned an unqualified Kwen janitor as her assistant. Thomil crossed the barrier into Tiran with his niece after his tribe was overtaken by blight, with nothing left to lose and a last hope to survive on the inside. Unfortunately, that comes at the cost of living in Tiran’s slums, taking the low, often dangerous jobs no Tiran resident will, and being treated as not only a lower-class citizen, but despised and mistreated by the Tiranish. As much as Thomil tries to keep to the background, he is assigned to be Sciona’s assistant.

Sciona is often too caught up in her work and self to notice how hard a Kwen’s life in Tiran can be. After all, shouldn’t the Kwen be grateful to be offered sanctuary in their majestic Tiran? Determined to prove herself in a man’s world, Sciona works tirelessly to create a spell to expand the glory that is Tiran. She is pleasantly surprised to find out Thomil is quite smart and helpful in her research. As they delve deeper into the hunt for magic sources and spells to harness the power, they are challenged by their peers who wish them to fail, and secrets are uncovered that will test their morals, their grit and sense of self.

Two unwelcome people find themselves tested at every turn. Taunted, threatened, challenged constantly, the two form a bond and ego-centric and often delusional Sciona finds herself caring for more than just herself for the first time. The character development for both Sciona and Thomil is well-written. They are both rough around the edges, but as we learn more, each evolve in significant ways. I also really enjoyed Carra and what she represented.

The story touches on thoughtfully explored themes of misogyny, prejudice, faith, family, love and sacrifice. What do we do protect those we love? What will we sacrifice, what risks are we willing to take? How do you fight injustice without being the same as those who oppress you?

I thought the dark academia vibes were fantastic. The magic system is unique, with mages using spellographs like typewriters in which a spell is input and then siphons power from mapped sources. The plot was compelling, and I feel like the themes were powerful and even at times rage-inducing. This book packs a punch in a standalone adult fantasy. It was thought-provoking and paced well. The ending brought this book so full circle in the best way, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Spoiler warnings for gore and violence, sexual harassment, suicidal ideation, colonialism, genocide. 

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.