Blood over Bright Haven Audiobook By M. L. Wang cover art

Blood over Bright Haven

A Novel

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Blood over Bright Haven

By: M. L. Wang
Narrated by: Moira Quirk
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About this listen

The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever, in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen.

“Powerful, thought-provoking. . . . Fans of R.F. Kuang’s Babel will find much to admire here, from the intricate magic system to the unflinching exploration of societal issues.”—Booklist

AN ELLE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry.

When Sciona finally passes the qualifying exam and becomes a highmage, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome—and, instead of a qualified lab assistant, they give her a janitor.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was not always a janitor. Ten years ago, he was a nomadic hunter who lost his family on their perilous journey from the wild plains to the city. But now he sees the opportunity to understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the privileged in power.

At first, mage and outsider have a fractious relationship. But working together, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first.

©2023 M. L. Wang (P)2024 Random House Audio
Fantasy Gaslamp Steampunk Wizardry Magic Users Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

“A scathing but truthful look at the world we live in, and a stunningly powerful story.”—Terry Brooks

“Powerful, passionate, and painful, this book is like a file baked into a birthday cake: a surprise when you first bite down on it, but also a tool that can set you free. Innovative and brilliantly written, this is a glorious jewel added to the crown of dark academia.”—Seanan McGuire

“Wang deftly incorporates elements of science and philosophy into dark academia in this provocative stand-alone novel.”The Washington Post

What listeners say about Blood over Bright Haven

Highly rated for:

Engaging Story Unique World Brilliant Narration Powerful Themes Original Magic System Captivating Voice Acting
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Painfully Relevant

I listened to this book in it's entirety in 2 sittings. it really struck a chord with me. beautifully written, fantastic world, building, great magic system and intense characters tackling subjects that are painfully relevant today.

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The story

The story was great and so was the performance
A nice standalone to listen to

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A tragically lovely story

Story:
Pros- I loved this story. I don’t come across stand alone fantasy often, so I was intrigued. This was a tragically lovely story. The characters were compelling and imperfect in the best of ways.
Cons- I don’t think I have any. Small nitpick is sometimes I think the main protagonist overlooked obvious things that makes it a little unbelievable to the reader.

Narration:
Pros- This was top tier narration. The use of accents, tones, inflection was all masterfully done. It was a pleasure to listen to her read.
Cons - honestly, no cons. The narration was fantastic.

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Absolute masterpiece

Henceforth it will be my life’s mission to get everyone I know to read this gem of a book. Hands down the best book I’ve read this year! I adored the sword of Kaigen but this is even better! Truly a once in a lifetime read!

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Awesome story

This might be my favorite book of the year. The world and story and characters are so different and interesting. I was sad when it was over. I keep telling everyone I know to read this book.

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Good not great

As someone who feels like a Kaigen acolyte that tries to convince everyone to read that book, this is definitely a weaker project.

If you have never read Sword of Kaigen and are coming into this blind, this is a very solid book. Wang seems to have a tendency to write about strong women in a man's world, which I think they do very well. The MC in this book is very likable with a decent amount of depth. The main supporting character is also very good and is probably the true linchpin of the story.

I'm unsure if the goal was to write a YA style novel, but this is definitely a competent YA story. The scope is quite narrow and the story basically only follows two people. The world building is OKAY but it is also very narrow in scope. The world is limited to a city and vaguely the surrounding area. There is very little idea of a world beyond.

As someone who held Kaigen in the highest regard this definitely falls short. It's a fairly engaging story and I enjoyed my time with it, but I'd probably give it a 3.5 if audible would let me. I'd like to say the narrator was absolutely fantastic and elevates the story quite a bit. I think I'd like the book less if not for the narrator.

TLDR: Worse than The Sword of Kaigen by a lot, but it's a tighter narrative overall and enjoyable. YA level story with excellent narration.

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So good

Enraptured! Loved it, devoured it in two days. Narrator was an A plus. Story was an A plus. Magic system was an A plus. Definitely going to add author to my auto buy list!

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Girl power

Loved the themes was a bit heavy but satisfying ending shocking not a wishy washy book and not for the faint of heart

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Could not stop

Instantly bingeable, ML Wang has done it again with another one of my favorite books. Emotional, fast paced, deep world, great twists, amazing

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Another good story from M L Wang

Lighter in tone than The Sword of Kaigen, this story is just as dark. This is an entirely new world with a mysterious force/creature/deity that brings death and sorrow. Focused on a small set of characters (like tSoK) in a large city, the story showcases the differences between two cultures. The characters are interesting and engaging with strong conflict scenes. While others stories can be told before or after this book, the story is pretty well completed makes a good standalone story. There is a blend of technology and magic and mythology.

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