• The sole curse word is "b*tch".
• British curse word "bloody" is used a few times.
• "Mary, Mother of God" and "Sweet Jesus" are used as exclamatory phrases.

• The plot includes passionate kissing and the main character has a vivid dream about sex.
• The text alludes to child prostitution.
• The text alludes to incest.
• Near the end of the book a main character is revealed as a lesbian, illuminating earlier scenes among two close friends.

• The book opens with rivermen on London's Thames "fishing" for dead bodies and whatever treasures they may reap.
• One main character cuts her arms with scissors when depressed.
• Battles include stabbing, beheading, hanging, strangling, impaling and killing.
• Humans are kidnapped and killed in order for their souls to be sacrifices for increasing the power of the other-worldly villains.

• Cocaine use is mentioned.
• Tobacco use includes pipe smoking and cigars.
• Adult characters drink brandy and wine.
• Teenage girls drink wine.
• A character wastes away from an addiction to opium.

• Gypsies from Romania are mistrusted and maligned by British subjects.
• An Indian boy is reviled by the British.

• The parallel world, called the realms, is ruled by priestesses who guard the powerful magic and protect this world from the evil there.
• When some evil creatures are able to come through to the world, they kidnap and kill humans in the realms where their souls are sacrificed in order to increase the evil magic.
• The British school girls attend morning and evening prayers at the school chapel.
• Crosses, rowan leaves and bowls of milk are used to ward off evil spirits.
• Christmas and Easter church services are mentioned.
• The Bible is mentioned.
• Ghosts appear (who are the aforementioned dead humans used as sacrifice).
• One character prays the rosary aloud during a crisis and may be praying while saying, "Mary, Mother of God" and "Sweet Jesus".
• Hex marks made with chicken blood and ash are used for protection from evil.
• One character asks, "Do you think God will punish us?"
• One character says, "I will worship the power that lives in me."
• The main character says, "I wish I could believe in such comforts." when speaking of belief in God.
• The main character refers to the afterlife as "wherever we go from here" and crossing into that life is depicted as literally crossing a river.
• One scene may allude to communion as a character puts enchanted berries into a chalice and invokes a prayer over the ceremony as her followers take the berries on their tongues and say, "Amen." while she chants, "I am the chosen one."

Politics

• A young blind girl is sacrificed because she is "not fit for the new realm."

• A character explains that the poor and diseased are burdens who must be sacrificed for the good of others.