Summary

The year is 1819. Kell is a blood magician (aka an “Antari”) who travels through different worlds to visit different versions of London (23). He wears a shape-shifting coat that changes its appearance each time it is folded, and he moves from one world to the next with the magic of his own blood by cutting his palm and placing it against the wall. He must also wear a coin around his neck for passage. There are four distinct Londons with different levels of magic to each, and Kell is visiting George III, the king of Grey London, with a message from the Emira, queen of Red London. There is also a White and Black London. King George is nearly blind and a bit mad. The message smells like flowers to him.

In Chapter 2, Kell visits George III's son, the Prince Regent, who holds...