Books reading recommendations Five SFF Stories Featuring Blood Magic Blood is a primal source of both light and dark magic, protection and destruction… By Ratika Deshpande | Published on October 17, 2025 Photo by Calwyn Ace [via Unsplash] Comment 0 Share New Share Photo by Calwyn Ace [via Unsplash] Before there were wands and crystals, charms and mirrors, talismans and potions, or any other tool for magic, there was blood, both a resource and—if someone doesn’t particularly like you—a curse. It is perhaps the most primal form of sorcery, using lifeblood to weave spells of protection or to bring about death destruction, as we see in the following stories… “Blood, Ash, Braids” by Genevieve Valentine  Our narrator is one of the Night Witches, the nickname the Germans gave to the squadron of Russian women piloting the planes and carrying out bombing missions during WWII. Except, our narrator really is a witch, although the others don’t know it. Water (which needs tears), ash (which needs blood), and air (which needs breath) are the only kinds of magic that exist, gifts which are “designed to be spent.” Which also means that these are finite resources. When every flight is a risk, each mission a possible death for her and her comrades, how can our narrator make the best use of her limited gifts? “The Blood Portal” by Mary E. Lowd Hanna is using as much of her spatial magic as she can, to get herself and her son Owen away from her husband. Brison, who can work blood magic, has been using a leech to harvest their son’s blood—their genetic connection makes Owen a precious resource he can draw on. But it’s impossible to keep running forever without adequate gravity fields around—especially since Brison can track them down easily because of their blood. As her options run out, Hanna will have to think quickly, without making things difficult for her little son. “Season of Blood” by Brant Danay Every year, as a battle wages in Heaven, it rains blood for weeks in New Babel. Our narrator used to be an Avatar, one of the city’s superheroes. His expulsion, however, doesn’t prevent him from going out to stop some crime (mostly to save stupid teenagers who think the blood-filled streets would be fun to explore).  When he comes out of a heroin-induced coma—being an ex-superhero takes a toll—he finds that the Season of Blood has been going on for weeks longer than usual. Using his superpowers, he tries to investigate the situation, only to find the archangel Gabriel in mortal peril from morae spiders. In this he sees two things: the opportunity to save an archangel to regain his superhero status–and more importantly, his luxurious Tower suite, and the chance to find out why it hasn’t stopped raining blood. “Blood and Desert Dreams” by Y.M. Pang Kahna’s blood, she discovers as a child, can kill at a touch. Her Lady Darya uses this to further her own goals, and Kahna grows into a teenage assassin. Then one day, someone from her homeland finds her and tells her he’s like her. But the truth of Kahna’s blood must remain a secret. Despite her longing for connection and love—for the life of an assassin is lonely, and touching another is only a dream when her blood is so deadly—Kahna gets rid of the man. But the knowledge he shared with her lodges a dream in her head, and Kahna is forced to consider her identity and her place in the world. “Virgin Blood” by Ahmed A. Khan Stories about blood are usually dark and disturbing. If there’s humor, it’s often rather grim, and accompanied by plenty of gore. This story, on the other hand, was a refreshing change after all the disturbing tales of blood magic I’d been reading, ending on a nice little twist and a question that I hope will fuel a lot of retellings—saying anything more will spoil this short, sweet tale.[end-mark] The post Five SFF Stories Featuring Blood Magic appeared first on Reactor.