In a world where women are never allowed to become Archmages, Sciona is desperate to be first to pass the exam and follow her dreams of being a top magic user for a living. When she achieves that dream she comes to understand the consequences of what she does and her pursuit of knowledge. This book had a very dark tone to it which I really enjoyed immensely and was not expecting.
Then there is the Blight. The opening chapter is such an intense introduction to the story that had me immediately sucked into the story with the action, and the questions of what was really going on and what exactly the Blight is, something not immediately answered which leaves many questions going forward in the book. It also introduces a character who becomes significant in the rest of the book as part of Sciona’s story as well which was fantastically done.
M. L. Wang is phenomenal at world-building and I cannot get enough of the places and people she creates which are rife with detail and so in depth. It is impossible to tear away from the universe created and it presents so many questions that keep the reader desperately wanting to find the answers for which had me flying through this book.
Blood Over Bright Haven was such a fantastical book, very focused on the more academic side of magic which was so interesting, and so fitting for a magic system based more on academic prowess over natural born ability. It was unique and intriguing and had me wanting to learn the finer points of how it worked, which does get answered and becomes something Sciona has to deal with as someone who has only ever wanted to be a successful Archmage and is forced to deal with the potential consequences of using such power and what it means. What I also really liked about this book is that it was actually quite dark, which becomes more apparent as more is revealed, and this opened up so many questions and made me enjoy the story that much more.
I very much recommend this book to fantasy lovers who enjoy a unique world with a fascinating take on magic systems as this was a great read and definitely worth picking up.
