M.L. Wang

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-08-24

M.L. Wang is an American fantasy author known for character-driven science fiction and fantasy. She first drew wide attention after self-publishing The Sword of Kaigen, a Japanese-inspired martial arts epic, which won Mark Lawrence's Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) in 2019 and received a Blue Ink starred review. She has also written the young adult series The Volta Academy Chronicles and the sapphic martial arts fantasy Destiny's Edge. In 2024 she moved from self-publishing to traditional publication with Blood Over Bright Haven, a dark academia standalone novel released by Del Rey, an imprint of Penguin Random House, which became a New York Times bestseller. Wang continues to write and illustrate her own book covers and artwork, and maintains an active newsletter and social media presence for readers of her work. Her fiction is generally grouped within contemporary epic and dark fantasy, often blending martial arts traditions, academic settings, and found-family themes.

Universe(s)

Books

• The Sword of Kaigen (2019) · The Sword of Kaigen Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 1 book
• Award recognitions across all universes: 0 (None recorded)

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