If you’re looking for a dark academia fantasy with strong, compelling characters, look no further than Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang.
This was my #1 read of 2025. It follows Sciona, the first female ever admitted to the High Magistry of Tiran. Since she’s the only female, she faces a lot of discrimination, including being assigned the janitor as her lab assistant.
What they don’t know is that the janitor, Thomil, didn’t always live in Tiran. Before, he was a nomadic hunter from beyond the barrier. His family died in the border crossing to Tiran, and he sees his connection to Sciona as an opportunity to better understand the circumstances surrounding his family’s death.
Together, they uncover the dark history of Tiran, and Sciona must ask herself – is the truth more important than maintaining the very fabric of civilization itself?
What I Liked About Blood Over Bright Haven
The Magic System
It was complex and complicated, yes, but that made it feel very REAL. It had a strong basis in science and computer programming, with Sciona almost having to “code” the spells that that Spellograph would then cast. Not only did this tickle my little neurons, but it also helped show me just how smart Sciona was. She wasn’t only just memorizing lines of code – she was creating a brand new product using her own understanding of what was essentially a computer programming language.
The Worldbuilding
The worldbuilding was incredible. There were very rich conversations around the religions that Tiran was based on, and the web of history being slowly unraveled through the story was *chef’s kiss*. At the end, you really understand the meaning of the title, Blood Over Bright Haven.
Sciona, our headstrong FMC
You know those people who are so smart and passionate that their own intelligence and drive lead them to madness? Causes them to stay up for hours on end working on a project? That’s Sciona. She was fiercely competitive and hardworking, and SO smart. To her own detriment. But I loved every second of her character. But while she was headstrong, she was open-minded and had real FEELINGS. When her entire life comes into question, she reacts exactly like anyone else would – a menty B.
Sciona & Thomil
Wow wow! What a great working pair these two were. They were able to have adult conversations without fighting. Thomil pushed Sciona to think about things from a different angle, and Sciona welcomed the open discourse. I truly believe they brought out each other’s best qualities.
The Real-World Parallels
Religious persecution, colonization, racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and patriarchy were just a handful of themes woven throughout this story. Despite it being a fantasy, it all felt so applicable to current times and touched on so many issues without being ham-fisted about it.
What I Didn't Like
The fact that it wasn’t longer! I could’ve continued to read about Sciona and Thomil forever.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a fantasy that does not shy away from difficult topics and weaves a gripping story of a fight against oppression, look no further. You can find a copy of Blood Over Bright Haven at bookshop.org here.
Have you read the book? What did you think about it? Let me know in the comments below!
You can check out my other book reviews here!
