book review (non-spoiler)
blood over bright haven by m. l. wang
this book is straight up magnificent. i’ve found my first 5/5 star read for this year and i’m so fucking thrilled about it. m. l. wang’s writing is astonishingly clear, crisp, evocative. her storytelling is well-honed and tight and her pacing never lags or goes awry. the dialogue is meaningfully threaded every single time. the magic system is utterly captivating and its relevance to the plot and the themes of the book cannot be overstated.
i’ll be honest, i saw the plot twist coming a mile away but this is one of those rare stories where the shock of the twist matters less than the anticipation and experience of the characters going through said twist.
speaking of—the characterisations make this book as surely as none of its other elements (which are impeccable in their own right). the main character, sciona freynan, has immediately shot to the top of my favourite characters list. she’s so vibrantly written, thrumming with her own perspective and dreams and ideas and thoughts. her flaws are devastating—and there are many many flaws and yet the self-awareness is refreshing and though sciona is meant to be a little dislikeable, i was rooting for her the moment she was introduced. her arc makes complete sense and the growth is gratifying to behold.
to stand in contrast to her is the other main character, thomil sierness-caldonn who is equally as compelling and the essential voice of opposition to sciona’s world view. his grief is beautifully rendered and his story is touching in the most heartwrenching way possible.
the other side characters are their own people and exist outside the orbit of sciona or thomil. they enrich the story wonderfully and the more one-note antagonists are juxtaposed sufficiently against the more complicated of sciona’s detractors.
but i cannot conclude this review without touching upon the themes integral to blood over bright haven. in my opinion, the way the author handled sexism, classism, racism and religious dogma is relatively much subtler than you’d find in most fantasy books—i preferred the execution here significantly more than books like wheel of time or stormlight archives, for various reasons too tedious to list here. in particular, the depiction of casual racism and the teeny tiny microaggressions is handled with great deftness. the insight into the interconnectedness of these oppressive systems is also well-done. and these are not passive moving parts of the story, they are at the foreground without ever overpowering the narrative or getting too on-the-nose.
all in all, this is a very solid read and an entertaining one to boot! i’d recommend it to everyone. great plot, great writing, great characters. what more could you ever want?
rating: 5/5 stars. wholeheartedly.
blurb can be found here and the author’s website can be found here.
