Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

185 reviews

adventurous challenging emotional 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

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dark reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Incredibly impressive how flushed out this book is for a standalone high fantasy! 

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dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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challenging dark inspiring sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book WRECKED ME. I was bawling by page 10. I said to my friends, "I didn't cry that much, only at the beginning, middle, and end." Incredible. I was in the worst reading slump after finishing. This was my 9th book in January... I finished only one book in February! Devastation of the highest degree AND I'D DO IT AGAIN.

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous dark fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I feel like the author decided to try and explore many different real social issues in a fantasy setting, but since it's a standalone and so many issues were involved, none were really explored well.
Cool magic system? Yes. Entertaining? Sure. 
a good commentary on the patriarchy/colonialism/industrialism/etc? Hell no

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was excellent, such an intriguing and horrifying magic system, but you can also see parallels with our world reflected in it. I liked the ending
having sciona die but be ambiguous for carra and thomil was excellent


Wanted to absolutely hit someone with their sexism and racism, and I loved her rants to
the doctor for example


Kind of sad
that her aunt and cousin abandoned her but also realistic...


Would recommend to people 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

5 stars in the most devastating way.

I think everyone should read this book. It is excellent commentary on so many real-world issues told through a riveting story of flawed, raw characters that you want to root for. Wang tackles racism—specifically against indigenous people—, colonization, collective liberation, hypocrisy in religion, corruption in government, "benevolent" complicity, white guilt/tears, and so much more with such finesse. She asks us all to grapple with the questions: what is the cost of our comforts, and what is the effect on our humanity of the denial of those costs?

The story is a page-turner the whole way through, and hooked me within the first chapter. The magic system is extremely unique and interesting, and the world-building is so well-done. Both are intricate without being hard to understand (plus a handy pocket guide is included in the back!). The series of events is realistic as it pertains to the world/characters and the IRL issues the story seeks to tackle.
There is a hopeful ending, but not a happy ending
, and I am equal parts satisfied as a reader and devastated as a human because of it. I will be processing this book for a long time. Its questions and themes feel baked into life in inextricable ways.

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