Blood Over Bright Haven
•Fiction, Fantasy, Dark AcademiaFor twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic. When she finally achieves her ambition to become the first woman admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry, she finds herself undermined at every turn. Instead of a lab assistant, she’s paired with a janitor, putting her crucial research at risk. But Thomil wasn’t always a janitor. Together they will uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever – if it doesn’t get them killed first.
Thoughts
Recently, I was at a bookstore with a friend and asked her for a book recommendation. I had just finished reading The Left Hand of Darkness, which took me months… I didn’t think my brain could handle another dense read, so my brief to her was something like “give me a fantasy book that’s easy to read”. I walked back home holding a copy of Blood Over Bright Haven.
This story takes place in an academic setting, in a fantasy world where magic follows hard rules and is studied following the scientific method. However, there is a strong religious element to the study and practice of magic in Blood Over Bright Haven. I found this conflict between the pursuit for the truth and the religious teachings of the founders of this world very interesting.
There is a sense of unease that builds up during the first half, which got me completely hooked. It leads to an incredible discovery that had me gasping out loud and shaking my head in disbelief. It had been a long time since a book had made me stop in my tracks to process what had just happened.
The story deals with some heavy topics, but it remains easy to read and understand, which is exactly what I was looking for. The prose is simple, but it tells a very compelling story that invites readers to reflect on gender and racial inequality, exploitation of natural resources, and religion as a vehicle for manipulation. I also appreciated that the brief romance elements did not distract from the main plot.
All in all, I’m glad I asked my friend for advice!