Maryn is a simple working wife until a fire takes her husband, baby, and livelihood. She journeys to the capital city of Milecha to serve as the new prince's wet-nurse. All is well until suspicions arise of a plot by Wonora, Milecha's much larger neighbor, to subsume the kingdom.
Prince Carlich, third in line for the throne, takes drastic action, killing the heir and gravely wounding the king, who manages to magically disinherit Carlich before dying. The Kingship passes to Barilan, Maryn's charge. Carlich captures Maryn and flees, placing her under a magical compulsion to obey his orders.
Tropes found in White Blood are:
- Blood Magic: All human blood has power, whether drawn from living or dead. Anyone can use this power, but the common people are not taught more than the simple spell to cleanse spilled blood of its power.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: Barilan, the infant king. (He does have a regent, though.)
- Doomed Hometown: Not all of Ralo goes down in the fire, but Maryn's home and those of her friends do.
- Feminist Fantasy: Breasts are shown nonsexually, although their use in sex is discussed. Most of the royal family is annoyed that Princess Voerell is not in the line of succession. Queens are allowed in at least one neighboring country. Maryn has no replacement Love Interest for her husband, who dies at the beginning.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Maryn thinks she's doing one, although it's subverted when she wakes up.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Carlich being put under his own compulsion spell, in a very satisfying moment.
- Infraction Distraction: Carlich disguises the earlier parts of his scheme as simple attempts to offend Dolia and Marolan.
- Lima Syndrome: Averted on Carlich's part, though Maryn tries to invoke it.
- Near-Villain Victory: Carlich nearly gets away scot-free, near the beginning. If he'd been a little better of an actor, or if Voerell hadn't paying quite enough attention, Marolan's death would have passed without comment.
- Protective Charm: King Froethych's last spell is one of these taken up to eleven.
- Shown Their Work: The author is a member of La Leche League; everything cited about birth and breastfeeding is accurate, particularly Maryn's struggles with Barilan's latch, a fairly common problem. Her solution is real.
- Stockholm Syndrome: Averted on Maryn's part, though she fakes it at a few points attempting to invoke Lima Syndrome.
