THE CATCH NEWSLETTER
Fall 2026
Introduction
Our fish of the season is the redfish, which are common to Florida and easily found in the fall.
Included in this fall issue is a poem by Christopher Savickis and a book review by Mia Wilson.
Upcoming Events
On Thursday, November 12th, we will be having our second armchair open mic of the semester in the Creative Writing Publishing Lab on campus.
Submissions for our upcoming issue are closed. The release date will be December 3rd. We will have our release party in the UNF English Commons.
Poem by Christopher Savickis
Talon Review’s Event Coordinator
Book Review by Mia Wilson
Talon Review Reader
Photo from Goodreads
M.L. Wang’s Blood Over Bright Haven: A Hidden Gem Amongst Fantasy Novels
M.L. Wang’s ‘Blood Over Bright Haven’ is a captivating dark fantasy standalone set in an industrial, steampunk-inspired world, featuring an intricate magic system, morally gray characters, and a female lead who challenges everything she has ever known to make a difference in her world.
The novel follows Sciona, a young woman who has spent her entire life studying magic in hopes of becoming the first female mage admitted to her city's High Magistry. When she succeeds, she faces sexism and bigotry from her fellow mages and is given the short end of the stick. Believing they have put her at a disadvantage, her male colleagues assign Sciona a Kwen janitor, named Thomil, as an assistant. Thomil once lived beyond the walls of Tiran with his tribe, whose people are now treated like slaves. Together, they uncover devastating secrets about how Tiran obtains magic and set out to expose the truth.
“Because good people can turn desperate when the horrors are upon them—especially people whose culture of plenty has left them with no systems to cope with scarcity or cataclysm. Good people will turn monstrous when it’s down to their survival or someone else’s.”
― M.L. Wang, Blood Over Bright Haven
My favorite aspect of this novel is how serious it is; Wang does a brilliant job exploring several difficult themes in her novel, such as religious faith, classism, sexism, and prejudice. Although it’s a standalone fantasy, I feel she does each theme justice with her gorgeous prose and treats each topic with respect. Every character is flawed, especially our female lead. Sciona is privileged without acknowledging it; she refuses to believe she isn’t the victim, especially when she meets Thomil. For me, Wang’s character choices make the world and consequences of this novel more realistic and more interesting.
The ending of this novel will most likely stick with me forever. I read a lot of fantasy, but no ending has ever been as unique and devastating as the one in Blood Over Bright Haven. No spoilers, but it is gut-wrenching and so realistic. Wang has done a marvelous job of creating a story that will haunt you; it was poetic, gorgeous, and chaotic all wrapped in a lovely bow.