Year of the Chameleon 2

The story seamlessly blends romantic tension with high-stakes magic battles, but I wonder how much of that was planned from the start or evolved during writing.

There are so many layers to the magic system and the city setting—did the author map out most of it beforehand or develop it as the story progressed?

That power adds such an interesting dynamic, and I’m curious whether it’s based on any particular myth or entirely an invention of the author.