This, to me, shows just how much thought she put into creating this system, and emphasises the intricacy of it. Schwab also created words for each specific command, such as As Asthera meaning To Grow, and As Steno meaning To Break.

But the ability that comes with blood magic is unlike anything I have ever read before, and along with being able to travel between worlds, there are a variety of commands that one can make with blood magic. I’ve seen a few people say it’s quite simplistic, and I guess concerning the elemental aspect, it is. To begin with the magic system, I thought it was truly wonderful. From there a whirlwind of chaos and epic fight scenes emerge, for the twins want the stone to open the door between worlds in order to rule them all. Lila then steals it, and this is ultimately where the story begins to unfold, because the artefact is a magic stone, so powerful that when an object made from it falls into the wrong hands, slowly the dark magic spreads from person to person, turning their eyes and veins pitch black. One day Kell smuggles an artefact that originated from Black London, being completely oblivious to its power. This is how he meets our other main character, Lila, a thief from Grey London.

On the side, Kell is also a smuggler, secretly moving artefacts between London’s for those who are willing to pay the right price for a glimpse of a world that they will never be able to see for themselves. The other is Holland, who is the property of the twin rulers of White London, Astrid and Athos. One of them is Kell, who was adopted into the royal family in Red London and acts as a messenger between the rulers of each London. Defined by having one black eye, there are only two Antari’s, and with this blood magic comes the ability for them travel between London’s. There are also Antari’s, rare magicians who can perform blood magic. In this world there is an elemental magic system, where people can manipulate certain elements. And Grey London, that has no magic at all. White London, in which magic is sparse and dangerous. Black London, which has been taken over by dark magic.

The Shades of Magic series begins with A Darker Shade of Magic, set in a world where there are 4 London’s.

Shades of magic