A Note on the Review: While I do not intend to offer spoilers, it may be for the best if you do not read this review until you have read Blood over Bright Haven.

Returning to stand-alone fantasy after the meteoric success of her self-published fantasy novel The Sword of Kaigen, M.L. Wang’s Blood over Bright Haven is a monumental triumph.

Should you find yourself scrolling “Bookstagram” or “Booktok” or “Booktube”, particularly in fantasy circles, you will almost certainly encounter rapturous praise of M.L. Wang’s initial claim to fame, The Sword of Kaigen. It’s often described in the punchy, algorithm-friendly phrasing that sweeps social media. The necessity of being able to describe (and sell) the book using short-form social media means that the novel and Blood over Bright Haven are described in broad generalities that quickly become almost meaningless. I’m hoping that my review can touch a little bit deeper on why I personally found Blood over Bright Haven to be special.

Blood over Bright Haven features a clever and arrogant protagonist (she is a woman who is well aware how smart she is) named Sciona, the first woman ever to be admitted to the High Magistry, an all-male order of mages in the city of Tiran. Upon being admitted, she soon finds that her colleagues are not welcoming, and they humiliate her by giving her a janitor instead of a qualified lab-mage assistant. Thomil, her newfound helper, is one of the last remaining members of a hunter-gatherer people called the Caldonnae. Sciona will soon discover fundamental secrets about the source of magic itself, and Thomil will finally get the opportunity to unravel the mystery behind the “disappearance” of his people.

The characterization of our two main POV characters is phenomenal. Sciona is a woman in a patriarchal society, who as a result, experiences misogyny and oppression. At the same time, she is a member of the ruling class and benefits from the oppression of the Kwen, of which Thomil, our second POV character, happens to be a member. Both characters have beautifully realized voices, their inner worlds vividly rendered in stunning and captivating prose. Their relationships, with each other and with others, reveal much about themselves, challenge their moral frameworks, and create and further dramatic tension throughout the story. Blood over Bright Haven is a masterclass in character writing.

The world building in Wang’s novel is definitely some of the best that I have seen in recent memory: the creation of an authentic 2nd world fantasy is masterfully realized. The excerpts of in-world texts that open each chapter are brilliantly written, creating a deep glimpse of a world (and a particular worldview) in the span of a few words. The city of Tiran, “an industrial utopia”, partly feels so authentic because of how effectively it mirrors our world. Just like Tiran, many of us in the West are the recipients of the benefits of being a member of the wealthiest society in the history of the planet. The ethical questions that arise from that membership, and the origins of our wealth (and Tiran’s) are something that we need to grapple with.

I have seen some reviewers note that M.L. Wang almost completely dispenses with subtlety or nuance in Blood over Bright Haven. I find this observation fascinating. The political allegories at play are not especially subtle, at all frankly. Yet, none of the readers and reviewers demanding subtlety or nuance are particularly adept at recognizing the real-world equivalents of Tiran happening daily on their social media screens. It is astonishing that nobody can recognize Tiran for what it actually is. While I often agree that media literacy is sadly on the decline, it boggles the mind sometimes that a blunt allegory is immediately dismissed for its bluntness, without any awareness of the actual implications of the text.

This is not an easy read, but a worthwhile one. I am looking forward in great anticipation to reading more of M.L. Wang’s work in the future.