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A review by t0ast_and_t3a
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What I expected is not what I read, and that alone deserves mention.
This book starts out devastating and ends hopeful. The magic system is brutal, as is the not-so-subtle dismantling of the faith/belief in a book written by someone claiming to know the will of higher power. The themes of colonialism, sexism, and classism are held under the microscope, and I’d argue that the main POV—who they were to the story overall, no matter how ugly—was necessary to carry the story and themes as far as they needed to go.
Favorite quote: “All the same rationales over and over, as though, by repetition they would become true.”
How eerily that relates to current climates in our world.
This book starts out devastating and ends hopeful. The magic system is brutal, as is the not-so-subtle dismantling of the faith/belief in a book written by someone claiming to know the will of higher power. The themes of colonialism, sexism, and classism are held under the microscope, and I’d argue that the main POV—who they were to the story overall, no matter how ugly—was necessary to carry the story and themes as far as they needed to go.
Favorite quote: “All the same rationales over and over, as though, by repetition they would become true.”
How eerily that relates to current climates in our world.