What if there are three different versions of our world, each with its own relationship to magic?
And what if travel between those worlds was limited to just two people?
This book by V.E. Schwab sat on my shelf for almost exactly nine years before one of my book clubs elected to discuss it and I FINALLY had to move it to the top of my TBR list.
I’m happy to report that it lives up to all the hype.
If you’re not already familiar with the concept, there are three versions of London in the early 1800s. There’s our version of London, called Gray London, which has no magic.
Next to it is Red London, which has a relatively healthy relationship with magic, and as a result, is thriving.
Next to that is White London, in which magic is currency, but it has a tendency to bleach everything and everyone who uses it. The rulers of White London get to be rulers by killing their predecessors and their competition. They use magic to force people to work for them. White London is an extremely bleak place and life there tends to be nasty, brutish, and short.
Black London let magic run rampant without taking into consideration the fact that magic comes with a price. They lost their sense of balance when it came to magic and the result was that magic burned its way through all of London, possibly even that version of Earth.
To save itself from the chaos spreading from Black London, Red London shut itself off from Black London, White London, and Gray London. This made them no friends in White London, which had to bear the brunt of the downfall of Black London, since they were closest to it.
Gray London appears largely oblivious. Only the rulers know about the existence of the other Londons.
Whereas people used to move freely between the different versions of the city, now only two people — one from Red London and one from White London — have the power to control blood magic and make their way between worlds.
Objects are not allowed to cross the barriers between worlds with the exception of notes between monarchs and whatever the blood magician happens to be wearing at the time.
All objects from Black London were considered too risky to have floating around, so they were all destroyed.
Or were they…?
First, we meet Kell, the “Antari” (i.e. blood magician who can travel between worlds) of Red London. He’s making his way, first through Gray London, then White London before heading home.
Despite the fact that he’s not supposed to leave anything from one London in another London, he’s been breaking the rules … just a little.
Despite all the differences between the three Londons, there’s one tavern that exists in each version in the same location. The inhabitants of Gray London tend to find their way there either because of something they feel but can’t explain, or because this particular location has a reputation for attracting magic and those who like to believe they have some magical talent hang out there in hopes of having their dreams come true.
Instead, the best they get is Kell, who will sell them an object from magical Red London. Because objects aren’t magical in and of themselves, Kell doesn’t see the harm.
Because money in one world is worthless in another, Kell doesn’t sell his objects for money.
Instead, he trades Red London objects for Gray London objects, which he then takes home and hoards in his secret hideaway stash, much like Ariel collecting objects from the human world in her grotto.
Kell’s dirty little secret nips him in the bud when he’s walking through White London and someone convinces him to take an object that supposedly belongs to her family who supposedly got stuck in Red London when the barriers between worlds went up.
You can tell this is a trap, right?
Of course it’s a trap.
Not only is the object in question akin to magic on steroids, but it has a tracker. Someone wanted Kell to get it for them so they could take it from him. If they have to kill him to get it, so be it.
In his flight, Kell runs headlong into Delilah Bard, a young pickpocket living in Gray London, just trying to save up enough to buy her very own pirate ship and sail the open sea!
When Delilah encounters what appears to be just another drunk in an alley, all she thinks is that he’s another mark. He’s well dressed after all, if a little oddly dressed.
So she pulls something out of his pocket and heads home, with no idea how much danger she’s in.
Remember that the object is a kind of magical tracker and whoever’s after it doesn’t care who they have to kill to get to it.
Fortunately for Delilah, Kell finds her before the killers do and manages to convince her to hand over the object.
When Holland (the Antari from White London who is magically compelled to do whatever his brutal rulers say) finds them, he almost kills Kell to get the stone.
Delilah, having run off as soon as she could, overcomes her look-out-for-number-one rule to head back and save Kell. Afterall, he came back to save her when he didn’t have to.
Kell decides the only way to deal with the stone is to get rid of it. To do that he has to return it to Black London.
One problem: that’s a one-way trip.
Kell is prepared to make that sacrifice, but he’s not prepared for Delilah to make it.
Too bad for him that Delilah has decided she’s coming. And once Delilah decides to do something, there’s no stopping her.
So they head to Red London, not even sure Delilah will be able to make the trip. Fortunately, the stone turns out to be powerful enough to let Delilah through, as long as she maintains contact with Kell.
But Red London is already under attack.
The rulers of White London have managed to sneak some more magical objects from their world into Red London, allowing them to take control of the bodies of Red London’s royal family and guards.
Kell manages to stop them, but just barely. And he only succeeds in saving the heir to the throne (who also happens to be his adoptive brother) by tying his life to the prince’s. That means, if the prince dies, so does Kell. If Kell dies, so does the prince.
That spell done, Kell and Delilah head to White London to take down its rulers before they can do any more damage to Red London. They barely escape by the skin of their teeth, but they are our heroes after all, so of course they make it out OK.
Better yet, Kell doesn’t even have to travel to Black London to rid the stone of its magic. Instead, he gets to return safely to the bosom of his adopted family.
Delilah, on the other hand, has no family, adopted or otherwise. We only know of one friend she had in Gray London, and he was killed by Holland in his quest for the stone.
So, she has no reason to return home, she kinda likes Red London, and the Royal Family there owes her a huge debt of gratitude. So she stays in Red London, takes the boat the royal family offers her, and heads out to sea.
That means pirates for the next book, right?