Yeah, getting to grips with lore makes sense, but be aware that Blades has pretty amorphous lore. Stuff like how the spirit world, cults or spirit wardens work, is left extremely open to interpretion so that tables can decide. I think the most important thing is to get a sense of the vibe of the world (as you see it).

Beyond that, preparing some interesting but open ended antagonists/allies is the best call. If you’ve got some memorable characters, with some intresting motivations they can interact with characters, and each other, in intresting ways depending on how things progress. That makes the world feel alive and still responsive to their actions.