Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

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

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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 

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

As the wheels of innovation turned, power stayed the same.

I honestly don't have much to say about this book that's not effusing praise. I have no reason to be giving this a 4.5 stars instead of 5 other than it just didn't give me that 5-star feeling. It's nothing to do with the quality of the book—the characters, setting, worldbuilding, prose, and plot are all top notch. I really enjoyed that this book leaned heavily into the academia part of dark academia and didn't just use it as an aesthetic. The magic system was so interesting and unique; I've never seen anything like it. Be warned: the ending was incredibly sad, but also hopeful. I also loved the romance
but you should be ready to cry your eyes out
. The plot twist was done well too—just enough telegraphing to let most of us figure it out, but still heartwrenching all the same. 

If you like morally grey characters, dark academia and incredibly unique magic systems, this should be your next read. I'm mostly surprised you haven't read it already, given the hype. I think it lives up to it. I highly recommend!

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

I. Loved. This. Book.

Go read it!!

I still cannot put into words the way this book affected me. The premise sounds so simple, but it is interwoven with such complex issues and thoughts that are so brilliantly handled and discussed. The characters are so amazingly fleshed out and morally gray. They are understandable while also being frustrating. The magic system is unique and the world reflects so many different places and times we are familiar with.

It is amazing. Probably my top read of the year.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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

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