We chat with author Hannah Mathewson about The Age of Blood and Magic, which is set in a world of dark enchantments, glittering wealth, and ruthless appetites—where the high-stakes decadence of Succession and The Menu meets the gothic magic of Leigh Bardugo and V.E. Schwab.
Hi, Hannah! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m Hannah (she/her), and I’m the author of three published fantasy novels including my adult debut The Age of Blood and Magic. My stories tend to centre very knotty, complex relationships and willfull, deeply flawed characters.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always told myself stories and been in my head, but I was a really unmotivated kid and writing felt like work to me. It wasn’t until I was at university and academic life was helping me build that muscle that I started being able to stick to something. I realised that writing these stories down – getting them out of me – was what would scratch the itch in a way that just living with them in my head had never done. Then it felt like something I was meant to do.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson
- The one that made you want to become an author: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: at the moment, it’s There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm
Your latest novel, The Age of Blood and Magic, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Twisty, mysterious, atmospheric, bloody, and satirical.
What can readers expect?
It’s a locked-door mystery with a group of billionaires and vampires shut in a mansion together and behaving atrociously. Underneath all that, it’s about what a world with magic would look like under late-stage capitalism. Think Succession meets Knives Out but with magic.
Where did the inspiration for The Age of Blood and Magic come from?
The original idea was to turn the fairytale princess trope on its head. It started with the idea of the princess character trying to save herself – to solve her own murder by finding out who cursed her – except she has a more modern kind of hereditary power. It came together when I was reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and was inspired to make it a vampire book, because then I could hang the plot on what had brought this family and these vampires together: a business deal. The end result is a kind of corporate fairytale in which magic has lost most of its, well, magic in the process of being commodified.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing Mariah, one of the vampire guests. She was a later edition to the book and she turned out so delightfully unhinged. Her scenes are some of my favourites. I also really enjoyed layering in all the complexities of Valentina and Jude’s relationship as I was editing. Valentina’s an unreliable narrator and never moreso than when it comes to Jude.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Once I’d written an outline for Blood and Magic, I had a serious crisis of confidence about whether I had the skills to realise it. That first draft took me such a long time because I was paralysed with the fear of messing up a great idea in the execution. But my agent understood the vision from the beginning and her feedback and editorial eye really helped me turn the book into what I’d wanted it to be.
What’s next for you?
Nothing I can talk about yet, but I’ve been feeling so creatively inspired this year. It feels like anything could happen. I’m currently working on something I can barely put down.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I can’t wait to read The Scarlet Ball by Nghi Vo, and my next read is The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones by Lex Croucher which I’m so excited for. As for what I’ve loved this year, my favourites have been Heaven’s Graveyard by Grace Curtis, Nemesis Mine by Amy Archer, Six Savage Thrones (the sequel to Six Wild Crowns) by Holly Race, and it’s not out until next year, but I just finished What Makes A Monster by Emily Cooper and it blew me away.
