There isn't much I can say about Blood Over Bright Haven that hasn't already been said. The story is phenomenal, the writing kept me engaged, the two main characters are incredibly well fleshed out, the magic system is unique and imaginative, and the themes will hit you like a gut-punch.  I truly enjoyed experiencing what this book had to offer, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who loves both fantasy and stories with rich commentary on real-world oppression, colonization, and marginalization.

However, I have a handful of minor gripes with this novel. I felt that Wang leaned a bit heavily on dialogue, especially to exposit details of the world of Tiran. I wish that the author did more showing than telling, especially

when it came to the experiences of the Kwen. We hear about their mistreatment a lot

, but rarely is it shown, which I feel would have a bigger impact on the reader. Secondly, I didn't enjoy the scene where

Renthorn tries to sexually assault Sciona. I don't believe that scenes like this should be completely avoided in literature - to the contrary, they can be an excellent tool to build character and set the stakes. It just felt like it came out of nowhere, and I really really detest when a love interest just happens to stumble across the FMC in danger of "losing her honor" and saves her with one punch.

It's tropey and unnecessary.

While not a perfect book, it still was an entertaining and thought-provoking read.