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The Split Worlds #4
A Little Knowledge
The long-awaited return to Emma Newman’s popular fantasy series, A Little Knowledge takes us back to the Split Worlds, where dynastic families feud across the ages, furthering the agendas of their cruel supernatural patrons.
“Emma Newman is an extraordinary new voice in SF/F.” ―Paul Cornell, Hugo Award winner, and author of London Falling and Saucer Country
Cathy and Will are now the Duchess and Duke of Londinium, the biggest Fae-touched Nether city, but they have different ideas of what their authority offers. Pressured by his Fae patron, Lord Iris, Will struggles to maintain total control whilst knowing he must have a child with his difficult wife. Cathy wants to muscle the Court through two hundred years of social change and free it from its old-fashioned moral strictures. But Cathy learns just how dangerous it can be for a woman who dares to speak out…
Meanwhile, as Sam learns more about the Elemental Court it becomes clear that the Fae are not the only threat to humanity. Sam realises that he has to make enemies of the most powerful people on the planet, or risk becoming the antithesis of all he believes in.
Threatened by secret societies, hidden power networks and Fae machinations, can Sam and Cathy survive long enough to make the changes they want to see in the world?
“Emma Newman is an extraordinary new voice in SF/F.” ―Paul Cornell, Hugo Award winner, and author of London Falling and Saucer Country
Cathy and Will are now the Duchess and Duke of Londinium, the biggest Fae-touched Nether city, but they have different ideas of what their authority offers. Pressured by his Fae patron, Lord Iris, Will struggles to maintain total control whilst knowing he must have a child with his difficult wife. Cathy wants to muscle the Court through two hundred years of social change and free it from its old-fashioned moral strictures. But Cathy learns just how dangerous it can be for a woman who dares to speak out…
Meanwhile, as Sam learns more about the Elemental Court it becomes clear that the Fae are not the only threat to humanity. Sam realises that he has to make enemies of the most powerful people on the planet, or risk becoming the antithesis of all he believes in.
Threatened by secret societies, hidden power networks and Fae machinations, can Sam and Cathy survive long enough to make the changes they want to see in the world?
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2016
36 people are currently reading
605 people want to read
About the author
Emma Newman
97 books1,772 followersEmma Newman writes short stories, novels and novellas in multiple speculative fiction genres. She is also a Hugo Award-winning podcaster and an audiobook narrator.
She won the British Fantasy Society Best Short Story Award 2015 for “A Woman’s Place” in the 221 Baker Streets anthology. 'Between Two Thorns', the first book in Emma's Split Worlds urban fantasy series, was shortlisted for the BFS Best Novel and Best Newcomer 2014 awards. Her science-fiction novel, After Atlas, was shortlisted for the 2017 Arthur C. Clarke award and the third novel in the Planetfall series, Before Mars, has been shortlisted for a BSFA Best Novel award. The Planetfall series was shortlisted for the 2020 Best Series Hugo Award.
Emma currently creates a podcast called 'Imagining Tomorrow' for Friends of the Earth. Her hobbies include dressmaking, LARP and tabletop role playing. www.enewman.co.uk.
She won the British Fantasy Society Best Short Story Award 2015 for “A Woman’s Place” in the 221 Baker Streets anthology. 'Between Two Thorns', the first book in Emma's Split Worlds urban fantasy series, was shortlisted for the BFS Best Novel and Best Newcomer 2014 awards. Her science-fiction novel, After Atlas, was shortlisted for the 2017 Arthur C. Clarke award and the third novel in the Planetfall series, Before Mars, has been shortlisted for a BSFA Best Novel award. The Planetfall series was shortlisted for the 2020 Best Series Hugo Award.
Emma currently creates a podcast called 'Imagining Tomorrow' for Friends of the Earth. Her hobbies include dressmaking, LARP and tabletop role playing. www.enewman.co.uk.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
September 5, 2016
"Society is not going to change under your sledgehammer, Cathy."I genuinely can't explain what this book did or how it did it, but the day I finished A Little Knowledge, I purchased the first book in the series and promptly started reading it. And when I finished the first book, I bought the second. And then the third. I finished the entire series in sequence, one after the other. For those of you who don't know me, it's hard to explain just how out-of-character this is for me: I basically never buy books, and I have absolutely terrible series staying power. Yet without doubt, Emma Newman has gotten more of my money than any other author this year. And I don't really know why.
Because here's the thing about the Split Worlds series: it's insidious. When I read A Little Knowledge, I thought I felt lukewarm about it. As an inveterate and unashamed out-of-order series reader, when I tell you that this is not a good book to start the series with, please take my word for it. Newman may have a gift for worldbuilding and characters, but she has not yet mastered the gentle art of the recap. The Split Worlds is pretty complex and I had no idea what was going on most of the time. Yet I think that was part of the series' appeal. Basically, a long time ago, a cadre of sorcerers split the magic part of the world from the mundane. The fey were banished to Exilium, but they subvert and steal mortals and bring them into the Nether, an intermediate zone between the two worlds where time does not exist. These fey-touched act as puppets for their faerie lords, and their actions are patrolled by the Arbiters, mortals whose souls were dislocated from their bodies to prevent subversion by the fey. The world of the Nether is frozen in semi-Victorian English state, an endless stream of parties and dances and dinners, with women given no more agency than a pet dog.
Into this grim situation blunders Cathy, a child of the fey-touched who ran away to the mundane world and started going to college before she was dragged back to the Nether. As even she realizes:
"Cathy had the delicacy and insight of a cat with its head stuck in a box moving backwards to try and escape it, and she knew it."Cathy may not have chosen her circumstances, but she's determined to make the best of them, and, more importantly, to change them, both for herself and the other women of the Nether. Even as her efforts heighten tensions between herself and everyone she loves, Cathy remains steadfast:
"But how will things ever change if I don't force them to?"When I first read the book, I found the circumstances unpleasant and in some ways pointlessly unpleasant, much in the manner of YA dystopians: the setup is so extreme that it doesn't correlate with the world that its readers would inhabit. It's about feminism and agency and self-determinism, but the level of inequality the characters experience is so utterly extreme that I see it as rather a waste of the reader's outrage and disgust. The women of the Nether are constantly prey to rape and violence, and if they don't obey their masters, they can be magically "Dolled, cursed, and Charmed into obedience."
Suffice it to say that A Little Knowledge is a difficult read, and much of the moral outrage it generated felt anything but constructive. But perhaps the goal is to use extremes to highlight the problems found in a more nuanced way in our world. Apart from sexism, the book also confronts racism and rampant consumerism. Even leavened with Newman's sly wit, it wasn't precisely an easy or pleasant read, yet I was sucked in all the same. I was so driven to understand how the world worked and how the characters got to where they were that I promptly turned around and binge-read the previous three books. In some sense, A Little Knowledge is also a game-changer for the series, putting events into motion that are sure to have serious impact on the Split Worlds. I may still be perplexed as to why I found these books so compulsively readable, but definitely count me in for the next one.
~~I received this book through Netgalley from the publisher, Diversion Publishing, in exchange for my honest review. Quotes were taken from an advanced reader copy and while they may not reflect the final phrasing, I believe they speak to the spirit of the book as a whole.~~
Cross-posted on BookLikes.
February 7, 2017
THIS BOOK! :O
I am SO happy this series was continued becuase this was by far my favourite one (and I read them all back-to-back). What I felt this book had over the others was more experience and depth. Emma Newman took a break from this to write Planetfall and After Atlas and so when she returned it was as though there was so much passion and fire coming out of the page. So many scenes within this book (despite it being fantasy) resonated with me, made me smile, laugh and RAGE along with her characters. I really, really think this is her best book (that I have so far read - I'm yet to read After Atlas still!) I genuinely loved every page of this, and I would so, so highly recommend this one!
In this book we return to the characters of Cathy and Will and Sam and Max. This is set just after the ending of book #3 and although some things do resolve in that book, this one tied up and opened up some of the bigger, wider-world things I still wondered about.
I LOVE seeing Cathy's development over the course of the books, in book 1 I liked her, but by this point I am so thoroughly on her team and rooting for all she believes in that it's horrible when things get in her way.
Will...........My goodness, he is a super hard character for me becuase I want to like him (much like Cathy) but he has so, so many problems and does things that I could just never condone. He's a complicated character as he's backed into many tricky spots by more influential people and Fae, but although he does try to do his best, he also gives in...AND THAT MADE ME MAD.
Max's story and Sam's story got a lot more personal and interesting to me in this book. I really feel like they are both thier own characters and have their own big parts to add to the plot now. I think seeing the way that Cathy and Will's story fits with Max and Sam's makes them a lot more likeable and exciting, and I cannot wait to find out what will happen next for them all.
Genuinely, the most impressive thing for me about this book is the links to suffragettes and feminism which I truly connected to. I don't often see feminism represented in fantasy books, and when I do sometimes I don't agree with it or it feels forced. This book had it all and made me feel all riled up and ready for action. I just LOVE the themes Newman discusses here, be they feminist, independence, power, corruption, manipulation, rape, abuse, or LGBTQ+. It's as if every topic is beautifully handled and also really captivating. She just wow-ed me :)
Overall I think this was a brilliant continuation and I hope the fifth book isn't the final one (is it? Please let there be more). In the meantime, whilst I wait for the next one to come out I plan on reading/listening to all the short fiction Newman has written in the Split Worlds as she has recorded many short stories as podcast episodes. Can't wait for the next book, but this one is my first 5* read of the year and still hugely deserved. She may even be my number #2 female author now, right behind Robin Hobb...mainly becuase she makes me both love and hate her character as if they are real. Fantastic!
I am SO happy this series was continued becuase this was by far my favourite one (and I read them all back-to-back). What I felt this book had over the others was more experience and depth. Emma Newman took a break from this to write Planetfall and After Atlas and so when she returned it was as though there was so much passion and fire coming out of the page. So many scenes within this book (despite it being fantasy) resonated with me, made me smile, laugh and RAGE along with her characters. I really, really think this is her best book (that I have so far read - I'm yet to read After Atlas still!) I genuinely loved every page of this, and I would so, so highly recommend this one!
In this book we return to the characters of Cathy and Will and Sam and Max. This is set just after the ending of book #3 and although some things do resolve in that book, this one tied up and opened up some of the bigger, wider-world things I still wondered about.
I LOVE seeing Cathy's development over the course of the books, in book 1 I liked her, but by this point I am so thoroughly on her team and rooting for all she believes in that it's horrible when things get in her way.
Will...........My goodness, he is a super hard character for me becuase I want to like him (much like Cathy) but he has so, so many problems and does things that I could just never condone. He's a complicated character as he's backed into many tricky spots by more influential people and Fae, but although he does try to do his best, he also gives in...AND THAT MADE ME MAD.
Max's story and Sam's story got a lot more personal and interesting to me in this book. I really feel like they are both thier own characters and have their own big parts to add to the plot now. I think seeing the way that Cathy and Will's story fits with Max and Sam's makes them a lot more likeable and exciting, and I cannot wait to find out what will happen next for them all.
Genuinely, the most impressive thing for me about this book is the links to suffragettes and feminism which I truly connected to. I don't often see feminism represented in fantasy books, and when I do sometimes I don't agree with it or it feels forced. This book had it all and made me feel all riled up and ready for action. I just LOVE the themes Newman discusses here, be they feminist, independence, power, corruption, manipulation, rape, abuse, or LGBTQ+. It's as if every topic is beautifully handled and also really captivating. She just wow-ed me :)
Overall I think this was a brilliant continuation and I hope the fifth book isn't the final one (is it? Please let there be more). In the meantime, whilst I wait for the next one to come out I plan on reading/listening to all the short fiction Newman has written in the Split Worlds as she has recorded many short stories as podcast episodes. Can't wait for the next book, but this one is my first 5* read of the year and still hugely deserved. She may even be my number #2 female author now, right behind Robin Hobb...mainly becuase she makes me both love and hate her character as if they are real. Fantastic!
November 11, 2022
Readers can tell this book had a different editor and style. The point of view shifts much more often and the scope of the plot is more pronounced because of it. Because of this change, the story feels even more political intrigue plot focused than character focused, but it still works.
August 20, 2016
This is the fourth book in the Split Worlds series from Emma Newman, coming after a gap of nearly three years. If you haven't read the other books, this isn't a good place to start: not because it's inaccessible - she makes sure, without info dumping, to remind the reader what's been going on - it's more that this inevitably, reveals things which happened in the earlier books. You will want to spend more time in the Split Worlds so it's much better to go back and read the others (Between Two Thorns, Any Other Name and All is Fair) in order. I've written this review on the assumption that you have done that, so there are spoilers here for them, and I'm not going to explain who the Fae are, or the Elemental Court or the Arbiters.
The publication gap was unfortunate for several reasons. First, this is a cracking series and it was frustrating to have to wait for more. Also, the action in this book picks up only a few days after All is Fair ended, so the flow especially broken. Also, rereading online reviews, it seems to have led some readers - fantasy trilogies being so common - to believe that the first three books were a self-contained trilogy and so to complain that things were left unresolved. While I'd defend the right of any author to leave things unresolved if they want, that's unfair. The three strands in these books - Cathy and her forced marriage to horrible rapist husband Will, Sam (Lord Iron's) exploration of his inheritance and newly gained powers, and the adventures of Arbiter Max - have been running in parallel through all the books and only gradually coming together, but that did accelerate in All is Fair giving a degree of closure, but making it clear that there was much more to come.
A Little Knowledge takes this forward but with an even stronger unifying theme.
Cathy has stuck with Will, it becomes clear, not only because of the Charm he used on her (without her knowing) but because she thinks she can use his new role as Duke of Londinium to bring about social progress and especially to improve the position of women in the strange world of the Fae-touched. There is a great deal of impassioned, even angry feminism in this book (which is a GOOD thing) showing how the claustrophobic, archaic world of the Fae-touched, with its brokered marriages, male power and stultifying conventions, bears down on women. In point of fact, everyone here - not just the women - is a puppet, with the so-called patroons, the male heads of the various families, answering in turn to the Fae. No-one has much say over their own lives. But the men at least have the illusion of some control - and they have the women to bully and sneer at - so they're resistant to change. (It could be mistaken for a very deft and biting social commentary, except that, thankfully, our world isn't like that at all is it?)
However, no progress is being made. In reality, change never comes from above and both Cathy and even Will are powerless to actually do anything from within the system that controls them.
Cathy is magnificently angry, frustrated and sweary.
And Will? What can you say about Will? Basically he's an appealing slimeball with a few feeble good intentions.
As the books have progressed, Newman's handling of her characters has developed in subtlety and power and Will is its culmination. He is, I think, at bottom a weak man. In the earlier books there was a moment when it looked as though he might act to help Cathy escape from the political designs of her father, and he was certainly appalled that her father was violent to her. However in the Split Worlds there are no white knights. Will eventually used the magical equivalent of Rohypnol - a Charm spell - on Cathy, and he has even worse in store for her in this book, while all the time telling himself that he's "protecting" her. So he could be a hateful, despicable figure and on one level he is" but instead - the way that Newman writes him - he remains complex and human, almost a tragic hero. (almost). If only he'd learn to cut the puppet strings and stop dancing to another's tune!
At the same time, Sam - now Lord Iron, inheritor of a vast mining empire and also gifted with his own magic, strong against the Fae - is learning the same lesson as Cathy. The other members of the Elemental Court are not going to listen to him, reform, and begin respecting the environment and their workers. Power will not reform itself just because you have good intentions.
Whatever is to be done - both in the Elemental Court and in the Nether, the world of the Fae - isn't going to come till those puppet strings are cut.
I felt this was easily the best book in the series so far, not simply because the pace has picked up - though it has - but because of the confidence of the writing, and the way the central dilemma is faced up to rather than being fudged. Fantasy is often thought of as an inherently conservative genre: all you have to do to put things right is follow the Prophecy, restore the True King or find the Chosen One (who is often the True King disguise) and accompany him (usually him) on his quest. The Split Worlds emphatically turns all that upside down - nobody really knows what's going on, not in the mess of Nether politics, not in the spreadsheet fuelled Elemental Court, not in Aqua Sulis where Max the Arbiter tries to rein in the Fae touched. There is no quest, no sense of destiny, and it doesn't offer any easy answers to how things might be made better.
The books deal in big themes and Newman's writing is well matched to them.
Frankly I've no idea what's going to happen and I await the fifth and final book with impatience!
The publication gap was unfortunate for several reasons. First, this is a cracking series and it was frustrating to have to wait for more. Also, the action in this book picks up only a few days after All is Fair ended, so the flow especially broken. Also, rereading online reviews, it seems to have led some readers - fantasy trilogies being so common - to believe that the first three books were a self-contained trilogy and so to complain that things were left unresolved. While I'd defend the right of any author to leave things unresolved if they want, that's unfair. The three strands in these books - Cathy and her forced marriage to horrible rapist husband Will, Sam (Lord Iron's) exploration of his inheritance and newly gained powers, and the adventures of Arbiter Max - have been running in parallel through all the books and only gradually coming together, but that did accelerate in All is Fair giving a degree of closure, but making it clear that there was much more to come.
A Little Knowledge takes this forward but with an even stronger unifying theme.
Cathy has stuck with Will, it becomes clear, not only because of the Charm he used on her (without her knowing) but because she thinks she can use his new role as Duke of Londinium to bring about social progress and especially to improve the position of women in the strange world of the Fae-touched. There is a great deal of impassioned, even angry feminism in this book (which is a GOOD thing) showing how the claustrophobic, archaic world of the Fae-touched, with its brokered marriages, male power and stultifying conventions, bears down on women. In point of fact, everyone here - not just the women - is a puppet, with the so-called patroons, the male heads of the various families, answering in turn to the Fae. No-one has much say over their own lives. But the men at least have the illusion of some control - and they have the women to bully and sneer at - so they're resistant to change. (It could be mistaken for a very deft and biting social commentary, except that, thankfully, our world isn't like that at all is it?)
However, no progress is being made. In reality, change never comes from above and both Cathy and even Will are powerless to actually do anything from within the system that controls them.
Cathy is magnificently angry, frustrated and sweary.
And Will? What can you say about Will? Basically he's an appealing slimeball with a few feeble good intentions.
As the books have progressed, Newman's handling of her characters has developed in subtlety and power and Will is its culmination. He is, I think, at bottom a weak man. In the earlier books there was a moment when it looked as though he might act to help Cathy escape from the political designs of her father, and he was certainly appalled that her father was violent to her. However in the Split Worlds there are no white knights. Will eventually used the magical equivalent of Rohypnol - a Charm spell - on Cathy, and he has even worse in store for her in this book, while all the time telling himself that he's "protecting" her. So he could be a hateful, despicable figure and on one level he is" but instead - the way that Newman writes him - he remains complex and human, almost a tragic hero. (almost). If only he'd learn to cut the puppet strings and stop dancing to another's tune!
At the same time, Sam - now Lord Iron, inheritor of a vast mining empire and also gifted with his own magic, strong against the Fae - is learning the same lesson as Cathy. The other members of the Elemental Court are not going to listen to him, reform, and begin respecting the environment and their workers. Power will not reform itself just because you have good intentions.
Whatever is to be done - both in the Elemental Court and in the Nether, the world of the Fae - isn't going to come till those puppet strings are cut.
I felt this was easily the best book in the series so far, not simply because the pace has picked up - though it has - but because of the confidence of the writing, and the way the central dilemma is faced up to rather than being fudged. Fantasy is often thought of as an inherently conservative genre: all you have to do to put things right is follow the Prophecy, restore the True King or find the Chosen One (who is often the True King disguise) and accompany him (usually him) on his quest. The Split Worlds emphatically turns all that upside down - nobody really knows what's going on, not in the mess of Nether politics, not in the spreadsheet fuelled Elemental Court, not in Aqua Sulis where Max the Arbiter tries to rein in the Fae touched. There is no quest, no sense of destiny, and it doesn't offer any easy answers to how things might be made better.
The books deal in big themes and Newman's writing is well matched to them.
Frankly I've no idea what's going to happen and I await the fifth and final book with impatience!
February 27, 2019
TW/CW : rape, violence toward women
FUCKING FINALLY \o/
Worst nice-guy™ I've seen in a while, urgh
I was a bit bored during the first half, but man did the second half deliver!
I hope we will get more in the last book from the Indian woman and in general we need to talk more about people of color in this book, we can see Newman is adding more things in this tome to have more intersectionality, but we are not really there yet.
FUCKING FINALLY \o/
Worst nice-guy™ I've seen in a while, urgh
I was a bit bored during the first half, but man did the second half deliver!
I hope we will get more in the last book from the Indian woman and in general we need to talk more about people of color in this book, we can see Newman is adding more things in this tome to have more intersectionality, but we are not really there yet.
August 2, 2016
A Little Knowledge is my favorite yet in Emma Newman’s Split Worlds series. The series follows a large cast of characters to present a picture of the Split Worlds – the mundane human world, the fey world, and the Nether, the in between space filled with a fey controlled society reminiscent of a bygone age. Each book in the series is a chapter in a greater ongoing story and cannot be read independently. If you are unfamiliar with the series, you need to start with the first book, Between Two Thorns. Spoilers for the preceding three books will follow.
Max is trying to protect the innocents without the backup of a chapter. He’s also come across some information relating to his own past. Cathy is trying to live out her dreams of changing society for the better, but she feels like she’s having no effect at all. Will is thinking that Cathy’s causing too much of a stir and wondering how best to manage her. Sam continues to grow into his role as Lord Iron and to try and make changes to the ethics of his newfound business empire.
I really loved the insight into Max’s backstory, and I think his character arc may be my favorite. He and the gargoyle have really grown on me, and I’m still hoping that Max will be reunited with his soul before the end of the series.
The thing I’ve been most worried about this series is that Will’s actions – particularly using a potion on Cathy to get her to have sex with him – would be ignored or excused. Especially with last book’s assertions that he completely supported Cathy, I was worried that this apparent change of heart would cause everything he’s done to be overlooked. As it turns out, I shouldn’t have worried. Within the very beginning of A Little Knowledge it becomes clear (to the reader at least) just how genuine Will’s change was, and it’s clear that he and Cathy’s relationship isn’t being romanticized.
I’m still not a huge fan of Sam or his plot line. Besides the fact that it’s based off of his wife being frideged, I’m tired of his constant desire to rescue Cathy. It’s like he’s constructed this narrative where he’s the hero rescuing Cathy, the damsel in distress, from Will, the evil villain. To give him some credit, he will remind himself that Cathy’s capable of making her own decisions. I just really hope this isn’t turning into a love triangle.
It was fairly obvious that All Is Fair‘s ending of optimism would face some serious impediments in A Little Knowledge. And, boy, does that come true. There’s so many plot pieces whirling that I’ve got no idea how Emma Newman’s going to wrap everything up in just one book. I can’t wait to find out.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC of A Little Knowledge from the Diversion Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Max is trying to protect the innocents without the backup of a chapter. He’s also come across some information relating to his own past. Cathy is trying to live out her dreams of changing society for the better, but she feels like she’s having no effect at all. Will is thinking that Cathy’s causing too much of a stir and wondering how best to manage her. Sam continues to grow into his role as Lord Iron and to try and make changes to the ethics of his newfound business empire.
I really loved the insight into Max’s backstory, and I think his character arc may be my favorite. He and the gargoyle have really grown on me, and I’m still hoping that Max will be reunited with his soul before the end of the series.
The thing I’ve been most worried about this series is that Will’s actions – particularly using a potion on Cathy to get her to have sex with him – would be ignored or excused. Especially with last book’s assertions that he completely supported Cathy, I was worried that this apparent change of heart would cause everything he’s done to be overlooked. As it turns out, I shouldn’t have worried. Within the very beginning of A Little Knowledge it becomes clear (to the reader at least) just how genuine Will’s change was, and it’s clear that he and Cathy’s relationship isn’t being romanticized.
I’m still not a huge fan of Sam or his plot line. Besides the fact that it’s based off of his wife being frideged, I’m tired of his constant desire to rescue Cathy. It’s like he’s constructed this narrative where he’s the hero rescuing Cathy, the damsel in distress, from Will, the evil villain. To give him some credit, he will remind himself that Cathy’s capable of making her own decisions. I just really hope this isn’t turning into a love triangle.
It was fairly obvious that All Is Fair‘s ending of optimism would face some serious impediments in A Little Knowledge. And, boy, does that come true. There’s so many plot pieces whirling that I’ve got no idea how Emma Newman’s going to wrap everything up in just one book. I can’t wait to find out.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC of A Little Knowledge from the Diversion Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 23, 2016
https://lynns-books.com/2016/08/22/a-...
A Little Knowledge is the fourth instalment in the Split World series by Emma Newman which brings to us three worlds. Firstly a little background to the world created by Ms Newman. Exilium is the world of the fae, Mundanus is the world of regular humans living in the modern era and the Nether is a completely different world which sits in between the two and keeps them blissfully unaware of each other. The Nether is a world stuck in time, it feels a little like a regency period world. The people there are each aligned to a fae Lord and Lady, they’re known as puppets because their actions are dictated by the whims of the fae. The worlds are ‘policed’ by arbiters, each belonging to their own chapters and each one with it’s own sorcerer. So, that out of the way lets move on and catch up with the story for No.4 – with a customary spoiler alert that if you’re planning on reading this series then spoilers may be lurking below.
At the start of ALK Cathy is once again experiencing the frustration of dealing with life in the Nether. At the end of the last book she’d made a stand and the ending felt like a great leap forward but, from the beginning, we can see that life in the Nether is pretty much going on as it was before, stuck in time with the women in society treated as property to be bartered for position and wealth. Meanwhile we have the alternate threads developing – Sam is floundering in his world, he knows little about the elementals and is already making enemies. Max and his gargoyle are still taking measures to protect innocent people from being tampered with by the fae and are uncovering mysteries from the past and the sorcerer Rupert is trying to re-establish his chapter.
The one thing that all of these books have in common is that they’re quite difficult to review without cutting to the chase and giving away massive plot points! In a way, these books are like little soap operas, similar to the world of the Nether, progress feels slow and yet, like a good soap opera, the storyline is addictive and makes you want to read more.
These stories are very much character driven and that’s what I’m going to focus on here. Cathy is still desperately trying to help the ladies of society and to empower them to have a voice, Will, meanwhile, makes all the right noises in that direction but behind the scenes is not quite the charmer we would like him to be. I’ve never really trusted Will and after this instalment I frankly wanted to slap him very hard or just hit him with a heavy object! I won’t elaborate further but OMG he really did make me so angry! And, as if the actions of the men from the Nether wasn’t bad enough we have those women who, in their own fight for power, enable the men to be so utterly chauvanistic I thought there was a fascinating development with Max’s story in which we start to learn a little about his past and how he came to be an arbiter. I really enjoyed his story arc and hope for more in that respect. Sam, well, like I mentioned, and actually almost similarly to Cathy, he’s finding his new status difficult to adapt to until he makes the acquaintance of a character who approaches him from one of the Chapters to seek a commission. This is also an intriguing storyline – one that I’m not sure whether or not I feel worried about yet!
This is certainly my favourite of the books so far. There were a number of revelations and the ending really does set the stall out for the next book which I’m really looking forward to reading. At the end of the book Cathy has taken a very firm decision and definitely one that will cause ructions – it’s going to be very interesting to see how everything pans out.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher through Netgalley for which my thanks - the above is my own opinion.
A Little Knowledge is the fourth instalment in the Split World series by Emma Newman which brings to us three worlds. Firstly a little background to the world created by Ms Newman. Exilium is the world of the fae, Mundanus is the world of regular humans living in the modern era and the Nether is a completely different world which sits in between the two and keeps them blissfully unaware of each other. The Nether is a world stuck in time, it feels a little like a regency period world. The people there are each aligned to a fae Lord and Lady, they’re known as puppets because their actions are dictated by the whims of the fae. The worlds are ‘policed’ by arbiters, each belonging to their own chapters and each one with it’s own sorcerer. So, that out of the way lets move on and catch up with the story for No.4 – with a customary spoiler alert that if you’re planning on reading this series then spoilers may be lurking below.
At the start of ALK Cathy is once again experiencing the frustration of dealing with life in the Nether. At the end of the last book she’d made a stand and the ending felt like a great leap forward but, from the beginning, we can see that life in the Nether is pretty much going on as it was before, stuck in time with the women in society treated as property to be bartered for position and wealth. Meanwhile we have the alternate threads developing – Sam is floundering in his world, he knows little about the elementals and is already making enemies. Max and his gargoyle are still taking measures to protect innocent people from being tampered with by the fae and are uncovering mysteries from the past and the sorcerer Rupert is trying to re-establish his chapter.
The one thing that all of these books have in common is that they’re quite difficult to review without cutting to the chase and giving away massive plot points! In a way, these books are like little soap operas, similar to the world of the Nether, progress feels slow and yet, like a good soap opera, the storyline is addictive and makes you want to read more.
These stories are very much character driven and that’s what I’m going to focus on here. Cathy is still desperately trying to help the ladies of society and to empower them to have a voice, Will, meanwhile, makes all the right noises in that direction but behind the scenes is not quite the charmer we would like him to be. I’ve never really trusted Will and after this instalment I frankly wanted to slap him very hard or just hit him with a heavy object! I won’t elaborate further but OMG he really did make me so angry! And, as if the actions of the men from the Nether wasn’t bad enough we have those women who, in their own fight for power, enable the men to be so utterly chauvanistic I thought there was a fascinating development with Max’s story in which we start to learn a little about his past and how he came to be an arbiter. I really enjoyed his story arc and hope for more in that respect. Sam, well, like I mentioned, and actually almost similarly to Cathy, he’s finding his new status difficult to adapt to until he makes the acquaintance of a character who approaches him from one of the Chapters to seek a commission. This is also an intriguing storyline – one that I’m not sure whether or not I feel worried about yet!
This is certainly my favourite of the books so far. There were a number of revelations and the ending really does set the stall out for the next book which I’m really looking forward to reading. At the end of the book Cathy has taken a very firm decision and definitely one that will cause ructions – it’s going to be very interesting to see how everything pans out.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher through Netgalley for which my thanks - the above is my own opinion.
August 21, 2016
My favourite Split Worlds novel to date, as the action barrels along and the characters begin to face the consequences of their actions. I still want to up-end a barrel of cold water over Will Iris, but I'm finally seeing some positive development in Sam and I want to hug Max and Cathy. Well-played, Emma Newman. Well-played.
Full review
I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Full review
I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 28, 2017
I have so many conflicting feelings on this book! I never loved this series, like I do with Newman's sci-fi, but I enjoyed it enough to feel invested.
At points, this series feels impossible; Cathy is beating her head against the wall, trying to make a difference, but rarely making any progress. I realize that conflict is important to stories, but when everything a character stands for feels futile, it's not as compelling. Middle books are always difficult, and although it's obvious that this book is ramping up to the conclusion, it still felt like a bit of a struggle.
One thing that I really appreciate about this book is how it delves deeper into why the worlds were split, and how the Elemental Court and the Fae work and are connected. Emma Newman really shines in world building. I am fully immersed in the Split Worlds, despite any frustrations related to the progress of the story.
Nevertheless! I really enjoy these characters, particularly Sam. I'm still rooting for Cathy, and I hope that she succeeds. Looking forward to the final book in the series, and finally finding out how on earth any of this could be resolved.
At points, this series feels impossible; Cathy is beating her head against the wall, trying to make a difference, but rarely making any progress. I realize that conflict is important to stories, but when everything a character stands for feels futile, it's not as compelling. Middle books are always difficult, and although it's obvious that this book is ramping up to the conclusion, it still felt like a bit of a struggle.
One thing that I really appreciate about this book is how it delves deeper into why the worlds were split, and how the Elemental Court and the Fae work and are connected. Emma Newman really shines in world building. I am fully immersed in the Split Worlds, despite any frustrations related to the progress of the story.
Nevertheless! I really enjoy these characters, particularly Sam. I'm still rooting for Cathy, and I hope that she succeeds. Looking forward to the final book in the series, and finally finding out how on earth any of this could be resolved.
January 29, 2020
Oh gosh, I love these characters - even if some of them do make me want to take them by the lapels and shake sense into them (Will knows what he's done). I love the world, the magic; I even love the deliciously creepy Fae. Sort of. In a hate-to-love-them, love-to-hate-them way. Read the books, you'll see what I mean.
Newman continues to serve up political chicanery and personal drama on a bed of deft characterisation, accompanied by sparkling dialogue and more tea and cake than you could possibly imagine. This is a very British urban fantasy: utterly charming, but with a deeply sinister heart and I can't praise it enough.
Newman continues to serve up political chicanery and personal drama on a bed of deft characterisation, accompanied by sparkling dialogue and more tea and cake than you could possibly imagine. This is a very British urban fantasy: utterly charming, but with a deeply sinister heart and I can't praise it enough.
January 6, 2020
Fjerdeboka i Split Worlds-serien. Newman kan virkelig det å skape karakterer! Parallelle verdener, feer, puppets og mennesker i skjønn forening. Fantasy-serie lagt til Bath/London/Manchester England. Absolutt leseverdig! Har nå ei bok igjen i serien. Here I come :-)
August 15, 2016
Originally posted on Desert Island Book Reviews
This is book four in The Split Worlds series. If you haven't read the first three, don't read this review!
I've been anxiously waiting to read this book since I read the first one last month. I'm so glad I didn't have to wait very long between books because of my good timing, but I have to say that I was a little disappointed. This series has been pulling me along with good momentum and with interesting characters and plot, but for me, this installment didn't measure up.
For starters, not much happened to advance the story. Yes, there's Cathy's ongoing battle for women's rights in the Nether, but not much came of it, aside from angry men. This book had quite a lot of angry men in it, as well as women who were victimized in one way or another. The gender dynamics in the Nether have been this way since the first book, but they've never been as obviously displayed as they were here. Even characters that had seemed like they might be decent are misogynistic, and women who had seemed to be very meek are suddenly all about standing up for themselves. It was frustrating to read.
And Will — ugh! He really has turned into the villain for me. Most of the things that he'd done weren't great before, but there were glimmers of hope for him. I'd thought that maybe he was redeemable, but nope. This book really showed Will for who he really is, and that's not someone I can support in any way. I'm sad that he didn't turn out to be a revolutionary, and I hope Cathy manages to change things in spite of his dedication to the status quo.
The Elemental Court is weird and I'm not sure I can see how it plays into the larger story anymore. I can definitely see how Sam is relevant, and there were a few inklings of how he's going to continue to play a big role in the evolution of the Nether, but the rest of them just seem like corporate bullies. I'm not sure they're necessary at all. I still like Sam, and aside from Max, I think he's the only male character that doesn't drive me totally crazy.
This book was still enjoyable, but I wish a lot more had happened, or at least that something big with a real impact had happened. I think that the end of this book foreshadows something very interesting, but the earlier bits were uncharacteristically dull. It was a lot of men doing something stupid, or Cathy doing something reckless, and that just isn't interesting enough for a full book. I'm excited to read the next book (whenever it comes out), but for me, this one just wasn't up to scratch. I gave it three stars.
*ARC from NetGalley
This is book four in The Split Worlds series. If you haven't read the first three, don't read this review!
I've been anxiously waiting to read this book since I read the first one last month. I'm so glad I didn't have to wait very long between books because of my good timing, but I have to say that I was a little disappointed. This series has been pulling me along with good momentum and with interesting characters and plot, but for me, this installment didn't measure up.
For starters, not much happened to advance the story. Yes, there's Cathy's ongoing battle for women's rights in the Nether, but not much came of it, aside from angry men. This book had quite a lot of angry men in it, as well as women who were victimized in one way or another. The gender dynamics in the Nether have been this way since the first book, but they've never been as obviously displayed as they were here. Even characters that had seemed like they might be decent are misogynistic, and women who had seemed to be very meek are suddenly all about standing up for themselves. It was frustrating to read.
And Will — ugh! He really has turned into the villain for me. Most of the things that he'd done weren't great before, but there were glimmers of hope for him. I'd thought that maybe he was redeemable, but nope. This book really showed Will for who he really is, and that's not someone I can support in any way. I'm sad that he didn't turn out to be a revolutionary, and I hope Cathy manages to change things in spite of his dedication to the status quo.
The Elemental Court is weird and I'm not sure I can see how it plays into the larger story anymore. I can definitely see how Sam is relevant, and there were a few inklings of how he's going to continue to play a big role in the evolution of the Nether, but the rest of them just seem like corporate bullies. I'm not sure they're necessary at all. I still like Sam, and aside from Max, I think he's the only male character that doesn't drive me totally crazy.
This book was still enjoyable, but I wish a lot more had happened, or at least that something big with a real impact had happened. I think that the end of this book foreshadows something very interesting, but the earlier bits were uncharacteristically dull. It was a lot of men doing something stupid, or Cathy doing something reckless, and that just isn't interesting enough for a full book. I'm excited to read the next book (whenever it comes out), but for me, this one just wasn't up to scratch. I gave it three stars.
*ARC from NetGalley
November 20, 2017
I enjoy this series far too much.
March 23, 2021
One of the best book series I've read in a very long time.
Emma Newman is an awesome writer and her audiobook narration of this series is perfect too!
Emma Newman is an awesome writer and her audiobook narration of this series is perfect too!
October 23, 2016
A key premise of the later books is the oppression of women in the Nether and Cathy's fight to bring them feminism. There’s loads of fantastic threads but Cathy’s unending desire to fix society is forefront in A Little Knowledge.
I am getting into Sam's story a lot more. He is now Lord Iron and in charge of a massive, unethical, corporation which he very much wants to change. He’s getting as much resistance as Cathy in his desire for change. The Elemental Court is full of people who care more about money than caring for the environment, but maybe there’s more to it than meets the eye.
I wish more time was given to Max and the Gargoyle. It’s starting to come across that maybe what was done to Max wasn’t right and there’s something intrinsically wrong with removing a soul to make an arbiter. The Gargoyle’s been starting to act a bit oddly, with a lot of interest in Max’s past.
One thing I've found with this series is that each instalment takes a long time to get going. I get to a point where it suddenly becomes amazing but then it's over all too soon. It has been a while since the last book was published but if you were reading the series back to back there would be a lot of re-treading of old ground.
Cathy's plans for social change are not moving quickly, in fact at times they seem to be going backwards. She doesn't want to do things by halves but often she's in a situation where a compromise would be the best option. Compromise doesn't seem to be in her vocabulary though. Previously Will had come across as supportive of Cathy but he's starting to see how Cathy's beliefs are making things awkward for him. I think he genuinely cares for Cathy but their wellbeing is more important to him than the rest of the female fae.
I love this series but I am getting to the point where I crave some sort of conclusions. Some of the threads appear to have gone full circle and sometimes I feel as frustrated as Cathy. I’m looking forward to some closure in the next book.
Review copy provided by publisher.
I am getting into Sam's story a lot more. He is now Lord Iron and in charge of a massive, unethical, corporation which he very much wants to change. He’s getting as much resistance as Cathy in his desire for change. The Elemental Court is full of people who care more about money than caring for the environment, but maybe there’s more to it than meets the eye.
I wish more time was given to Max and the Gargoyle. It’s starting to come across that maybe what was done to Max wasn’t right and there’s something intrinsically wrong with removing a soul to make an arbiter. The Gargoyle’s been starting to act a bit oddly, with a lot of interest in Max’s past.
One thing I've found with this series is that each instalment takes a long time to get going. I get to a point where it suddenly becomes amazing but then it's over all too soon. It has been a while since the last book was published but if you were reading the series back to back there would be a lot of re-treading of old ground.
Cathy's plans for social change are not moving quickly, in fact at times they seem to be going backwards. She doesn't want to do things by halves but often she's in a situation where a compromise would be the best option. Compromise doesn't seem to be in her vocabulary though. Previously Will had come across as supportive of Cathy but he's starting to see how Cathy's beliefs are making things awkward for him. I think he genuinely cares for Cathy but their wellbeing is more important to him than the rest of the female fae.
I love this series but I am getting to the point where I crave some sort of conclusions. Some of the threads appear to have gone full circle and sometimes I feel as frustrated as Cathy. I’m looking forward to some closure in the next book.
Review copy provided by publisher.
July 26, 2016
Cathy is as determined as ever to reach her full potential, and that means tearing down the Nether Society patriarchy. She's just a little frustrated over how slowly it's going. She's found her old governess, and now she has allies on her side, but she's got more enemies than ever who may think that killing her is a reasonable solution.
Will is trying to balance everything and figure out if there some way--any way--to outmaneuver everyone's plans for him.
Max and the gargoyle are dealing with the sorcerer they have left to them, and what that means for their responsibilities of keeping the innocents safe from the Fae and the Fae puppets of the Nether. Added to that, they have to worry about what one rogue hybrid sorcerer is up to, and whether she still seems bent on killing them all.
Sam is figuring out what it means to be Lord Iron, and just how many enemies that may make him. He's also learning that he's far from powerless in all this. He also finds a potential ally in someone very strange.
My earlier questions over whether Will becomes less of a tool? Answered. He doesn't. It seems he's determined to become worse instead of better. Cathy on the other hand, is growing a spine and learning how to take advantage of everything she learns rather than simply being outraged by everything that happens to her.
The most interesting character in this book is Sam. He didn't seem to know what to do with himself from one book to the next, but he certainly does now.
It's interesting to watch all of the disparate plot lines converging, and I'll be waiting eagerly to see what happens in book 5.
Will is trying to balance everything and figure out if there some way--any way--to outmaneuver everyone's plans for him.
Max and the gargoyle are dealing with the sorcerer they have left to them, and what that means for their responsibilities of keeping the innocents safe from the Fae and the Fae puppets of the Nether. Added to that, they have to worry about what one rogue hybrid sorcerer is up to, and whether she still seems bent on killing them all.
Sam is figuring out what it means to be Lord Iron, and just how many enemies that may make him. He's also learning that he's far from powerless in all this. He also finds a potential ally in someone very strange.
My earlier questions over whether Will becomes less of a tool? Answered. He doesn't. It seems he's determined to become worse instead of better. Cathy on the other hand, is growing a spine and learning how to take advantage of everything she learns rather than simply being outraged by everything that happens to her.
The most interesting character in this book is Sam. He didn't seem to know what to do with himself from one book to the next, but he certainly does now.
It's interesting to watch all of the disparate plot lines converging, and I'll be waiting eagerly to see what happens in book 5.
August 9, 2016
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm rating this one middle of the road because I don't think I can judge it fairly. I've read many series that allowed me to jump into the latest book and hit the ground running. This book is not like that, so probably the most useful advice I can give is that these books should be read in order, since there is a lot of backstory and relationship complexity that just isn't explained all that well.
So, while I don't think I can really comment too much on the book, I will say that I was hoping for more lush descriptions of nineteenth century-ish settings, gowns, people. I didn't have a picture of the background in my head and so everything felt very flat and barren. I didn't attach to any of the characters in the 20% of the book that I read, nor did I find reason to care about what their goals were. Even Cathy, whose attempt to better the position of women in her society I should have found laudable, I found overly dramatic and expecting too much too soon. I'm not interested in going back to the beginning to get into the series. I have read "Planetfall" by the same author and really liked it, so I think I'll try more her books that aren't in this series.
I'm rating this one middle of the road because I don't think I can judge it fairly. I've read many series that allowed me to jump into the latest book and hit the ground running. This book is not like that, so probably the most useful advice I can give is that these books should be read in order, since there is a lot of backstory and relationship complexity that just isn't explained all that well.
So, while I don't think I can really comment too much on the book, I will say that I was hoping for more lush descriptions of nineteenth century-ish settings, gowns, people. I didn't have a picture of the background in my head and so everything felt very flat and barren. I didn't attach to any of the characters in the 20% of the book that I read, nor did I find reason to care about what their goals were. Even Cathy, whose attempt to better the position of women in her society I should have found laudable, I found overly dramatic and expecting too much too soon. I'm not interested in going back to the beginning to get into the series. I have read "Planetfall" by the same author and really liked it, so I think I'll try more her books that aren't in this series.
October 22, 2018
When we finished All is Fair, we left Cathy as the new Duchess of Londinium, having rescued a house full of women and servants inconvenient to the political aspirations of the powerful Aquae Sulis ruling class. She is secure in the love and respect of her husband, Will Iris, believing that he will back her as she challenges the Victorian-era status quo.
The trouble with ruling classes is that they don’t often like to have their status mitigated, as it feels like oppression to their privilege. Will also has several secrets that he hopes Cathy never uncovers, and he is pushed by his Fae patron and their (male) subjects to control his wife. The answer to his problems, he believes, is in acquiescing to his patron’s requests and impregnating Cathy, a situation she is working hard to avoid.
Back in Munandus, Max, the arbiter (policeman preventing the Nether influencing Mundanus) is working to find the mysterious sorcerer who managed to wipe out all the guardians. His investigations drag in Sam, the unwilling Lord of Iron, who faces his own uphill battles with the assorted Lords and Ladies of the Elemental Council.
When I predicted that this series wasn’t quite done, I didn’t know that A little knowledge would layer the Split Worlds with more intrigue and further threads of a widespread conspiracy across all those worlds. And my reluctant hopes for peaceful change within Cathy’s home and Aquae Sulis were dashed—though I admit it makes a more compelling plot that they were.
The strength of this book is in its accurate depiction of how the worlds and systems of oppression work—no one just gives people what they ask for. These existing systems do their very best to maintain what they believe is the best way of life, and their dismantling is won only with suffering, heartbreak and hard work, sometimes even death. That Emma Newman weaves in sub-plot after sub-plot with seemingly unrelated aims demonstrates her understanding of multi-faceted societal problems.
It’s no coincidence that it mirrors the perfect storm of industrial relations and rising feminist movement of the 19th Century. Newman even manages to allude to the stirring of the separation of India from British rule, which occurred post-Queen Victoria’s reign, a nice historical nod.
For people picking up this book naively, without having read the rest of the series, it may be hard to follow some of the characters or what their roles are. The extensive world building of the previous books lends much of the context to some of the sub-plots that occur. People without a passing interest in the history of feminism or industrial relations in Britain may similarly lose some of the nuances of the book.
A little knowledge does not move at the same rapid gallop as some of the previous in the Split Worlds series, but it is not meant to. It has more shadowy intrigue, more back room plots. Also, some of the sympathetic views of other characters, particularly Will Iris, fall away, which has its strengths and detractions.
A little knowledge offers the reader a little bit of everything: gritty crime, historical intrigue, Fae and lost family, lost loves. I can strongly recommend it for fantasy fans, particularly those who love historical settings. But my strongest recommendation is start at the beginning with Between Two Thorns, and the free stories available on the Split Worlds website. These novels are suitable for young adult readers but have some infrequent adult themes.
The trouble with ruling classes is that they don’t often like to have their status mitigated, as it feels like oppression to their privilege. Will also has several secrets that he hopes Cathy never uncovers, and he is pushed by his Fae patron and their (male) subjects to control his wife. The answer to his problems, he believes, is in acquiescing to his patron’s requests and impregnating Cathy, a situation she is working hard to avoid.
Back in Munandus, Max, the arbiter (policeman preventing the Nether influencing Mundanus) is working to find the mysterious sorcerer who managed to wipe out all the guardians. His investigations drag in Sam, the unwilling Lord of Iron, who faces his own uphill battles with the assorted Lords and Ladies of the Elemental Council.
When I predicted that this series wasn’t quite done, I didn’t know that A little knowledge would layer the Split Worlds with more intrigue and further threads of a widespread conspiracy across all those worlds. And my reluctant hopes for peaceful change within Cathy’s home and Aquae Sulis were dashed—though I admit it makes a more compelling plot that they were.
The strength of this book is in its accurate depiction of how the worlds and systems of oppression work—no one just gives people what they ask for. These existing systems do their very best to maintain what they believe is the best way of life, and their dismantling is won only with suffering, heartbreak and hard work, sometimes even death. That Emma Newman weaves in sub-plot after sub-plot with seemingly unrelated aims demonstrates her understanding of multi-faceted societal problems.
It’s no coincidence that it mirrors the perfect storm of industrial relations and rising feminist movement of the 19th Century. Newman even manages to allude to the stirring of the separation of India from British rule, which occurred post-Queen Victoria’s reign, a nice historical nod.
For people picking up this book naively, without having read the rest of the series, it may be hard to follow some of the characters or what their roles are. The extensive world building of the previous books lends much of the context to some of the sub-plots that occur. People without a passing interest in the history of feminism or industrial relations in Britain may similarly lose some of the nuances of the book.
A little knowledge does not move at the same rapid gallop as some of the previous in the Split Worlds series, but it is not meant to. It has more shadowy intrigue, more back room plots. Also, some of the sympathetic views of other characters, particularly Will Iris, fall away, which has its strengths and detractions.
A little knowledge offers the reader a little bit of everything: gritty crime, historical intrigue, Fae and lost family, lost loves. I can strongly recommend it for fantasy fans, particularly those who love historical settings. But my strongest recommendation is start at the beginning with Between Two Thorns, and the free stories available on the Split Worlds website. These novels are suitable for young adult readers but have some infrequent adult themes.
January 26, 2019
This series should have been 3 books not 5. I am very interested in this strange vaguely urban fantasy world, and still invested in the outcome, but holy slow meander, Batman! By the time some characters and plotlines pop back up again I've nearly forgotten them. And I'm fine with the multiple POVs but some are so infrequent it feels more like a ruse to wedge key information in rather than a necessary part of the story. And I'm kind of losing track of the story. This is more just world and characters rather than any compelling plot. Halfway through book 4 and I still feel I'm trying to figure out what's going rather than being carried forward by the story. It does have dramatic tension, and enough interesting questions to keep me going on, but the longer it goes on the less I like a lot of these characters. Like I enjoy seeing characters righteousness in their own POV and really going along with them and believing their goodness, only to discover them blinded by their own ambition and maybe not as nice as I thought. There's a believability and a lot of layers to many of these characters. But as they are revealed over time to be unreliable narrators, and often unlikable, I'm not sure who I'm supposed to be rooting for at this point. Even the obvious choice of Cathy is getting harder as she's repeatedly shown herself incapable of thinking ahead, of truly understanding her situation, and of making really stupid choices that she should be smart enough to think through first. And the whole thing has tension but a lot of of it is around how major things keep happening to characters, then are left in a cliffhanger, and we don't deal with them until 5 or 8 scenes later because we're still dealing with the results of the last round of cliffhangers from 10 scenes ago. And there's so much new stuff being introduced at 4/5ths of the way through a story. I *do* like this world, but it's a lot and I'm starting to worry the payoff can't possibly live up to this meandering, stretched out plot that keeps getting more and more packed into it. The plot wheels seemingly have started spinning again toward the end of this book, but I do hate a cliffhanger in a book long enough it should have it's own internal resolution for part of the plot. And I really feel like 75% of this book and all of the previous book were unnecessary to the story being told. But I've made it this far. Sticking it out to the end!
July 13, 2018
"I rather die than eat this sh*t and pretend like it taste good."
That's a rebel. SO proud of Cathy and her preserved fighting spirit. The men in the Nether are so naive and condescending believing what's good for a women is always keeping her 'safe'. Because only a little fear is better than living in terror.
What messed up mindsets. Smh
William, William, William.
I am so disappointed in you.
I truly am undecided on what kind of ending I want you to have. You are so far from redeemable now. You don’t deserve Cathy at all. You cowardly twat.
I hope that Gargoyle does punch him in the face! William has become the very enemy both him and Cathy swore to fight. The lack of resistance and rebellion from him is turning him into a disgusting sissy just like every sexist ‘gentleman’ from the Albion society.
I am scared for Sam and this ‘Beatrice’ that he has no idea who she truly is, which is not good for him and his vow to her but who knows, it may turn out good actually.
Now I wonder what Cathy will do. Whatever it is, it’s going to be good and final. Ready for the last book. I want this series to release me from this obsession to know what happens to everyone!!!
That's a rebel. SO proud of Cathy and her preserved fighting spirit. The men in the Nether are so naive and condescending believing what's good for a women is always keeping her 'safe'. Because only a little fear is better than living in terror.
What messed up mindsets. Smh
William, William, William.
I am so disappointed in you.
I truly am undecided on what kind of ending I want you to have. You are so far from redeemable now. You don’t deserve Cathy at all. You cowardly twat.
I hope that Gargoyle does punch him in the face! William has become the very enemy both him and Cathy swore to fight. The lack of resistance and rebellion from him is turning him into a disgusting sissy just like every sexist ‘gentleman’ from the Albion society.
I am scared for Sam and this ‘Beatrice’ that he has no idea who she truly is, which is not good for him and his vow to her but who knows, it may turn out good actually.
Now I wonder what Cathy will do. Whatever it is, it’s going to be good and final. Ready for the last book. I want this series to release me from this obsession to know what happens to everyone!!!
October 6, 2018
Book four in the series, and the plot continues to develop new twists: the heros and villians may not be who we thought they were, and the entire Split Worlds Universe may be something entirely different from what most of the characters (and readers) thought!
The feminist theme that has been present throughout the series (inevitably, considering the nature of the characters and the social parameters of the worlds they live in) is further developed, as Cathy finds out how hard it is to bring about the change she seeks. But it is joined by an increasingly strong environmental element, as Sam tries to force change on the Elemental Council - and comes across similar problems. The books can be as all about this - the struggle to bring about change for the better against vested interests and ignorance.
Can that battle be won? There is some hope, but there are hints that it will need a massive and fundamental change to the structure of the Split Worlds. In the meantime, the characters are finding other matters to keep them busy!
As well paced, well written and engrossing as the previous books. Looking forward to the final one!
The feminist theme that has been present throughout the series (inevitably, considering the nature of the characters and the social parameters of the worlds they live in) is further developed, as Cathy finds out how hard it is to bring about the change she seeks. But it is joined by an increasingly strong environmental element, as Sam tries to force change on the Elemental Council - and comes across similar problems. The books can be as all about this - the struggle to bring about change for the better against vested interests and ignorance.
Can that battle be won? There is some hope, but there are hints that it will need a massive and fundamental change to the structure of the Split Worlds. In the meantime, the characters are finding other matters to keep them busy!
As well paced, well written and engrossing as the previous books. Looking forward to the final one!
April 18, 2022
I can't believe how much I didn't like the first half of this book and how much I loved the second half.
Cathy is a great main character. I love her passion and everything she's fighting for. I want her to succeed. Sometimes she can be a little reckless (she threatens people without thinking of what the repercussions might be. Not just for her but for others too), but it's understandable.
Will... I like his character, but only because he makes me so angry. He has good intentions, but every single thing he does is wrong. I just want him to do the right thing once.
Max is a good character, with so much potential, but I feel like it's wasted most of the time. He's just there to fix things in the end.
Sam. I don't like Sam. I just don't. He's boring and his pov is boring. He trusts random people and he's just as reckless as Cathy. It really bothers me how much I'm supposed to believe he's changed in this book; in book 1 I imagined him as a plain man, maybe with e beer belly, who doesn't take care of himself. Now I'm supposed to believe he's super handsome with muscles and power. I just can't see it.
One issue: I hate love triangles. I hope this is not where the series will go.
Cathy is a great main character. I love her passion and everything she's fighting for. I want her to succeed. Sometimes she can be a little reckless (she threatens people without thinking of what the repercussions might be. Not just for her but for others too), but it's understandable.
Will... I like his character, but only because he makes me so angry. He has good intentions, but every single thing he does is wrong. I just want him to do the right thing once.
Max is a good character, with so much potential, but I feel like it's wasted most of the time. He's just there to fix things in the end.
Sam. I don't like Sam. I just don't. He's boring and his pov is boring. He trusts random people and he's just as reckless as Cathy. It really bothers me how much I'm supposed to believe he's changed in this book; in book 1 I imagined him as a plain man, maybe with e beer belly, who doesn't take care of himself. Now I'm supposed to believe he's super handsome with muscles and power. I just can't see it.
One issue: I hate love triangles. I hope this is not where the series will go.
May 21, 2017
This author needs more attention.
The writing style is absolutely, unbelievably addictive. I couldn't get enough of it! I mean. Really. I couldn't. I forgot my mom at the grocery store because I got caught up reading this book.
There is not one character I hated. Even those that are villains, designed to be hated!! Everyone has some underlining reason why they behave the way they do, and I can't bring myself to pit my feelings against them for that reason. Because, I'm not sure I would act differently if our situations were somehow reversed.
There's a quote in Dragon Age that is so relevant in this book and of others and the world we live in reality as well.
"Change is coming to the world. Many fear change and will fight it with every fiber of their being. But sometimes, change is what they need most. Sometimes, change is what sets them free."
People claim they can be spontaneous and go with the flow of the world. But when something drastic descends to shake up routine, even they falter.
Max is my favorite, though. Since the beginning, man *pounds chest*
The writing style is absolutely, unbelievably addictive. I couldn't get enough of it! I mean. Really. I couldn't. I forgot my mom at the grocery store because I got caught up reading this book.
There is not one character I hated. Even those that are villains, designed to be hated!! Everyone has some underlining reason why they behave the way they do, and I can't bring myself to pit my feelings against them for that reason. Because, I'm not sure I would act differently if our situations were somehow reversed.
There's a quote in Dragon Age that is so relevant in this book and of others and the world we live in reality as well.
"Change is coming to the world. Many fear change and will fight it with every fiber of their being. But sometimes, change is what they need most. Sometimes, change is what sets them free."
People claim they can be spontaneous and go with the flow of the world. But when something drastic descends to shake up routine, even they falter.
Max is my favorite, though. Since the beginning, man *pounds chest*
October 16, 2020
A Work of Art
The Split Worlds series is a fascinating and brilliant work of fiction. The fact that it is a fantasy is trivial when compared to the extraordinary insight that it brings to bear on human nature, relationships between men and women, among families and in society—to say nothing of the profound understanding of the mysterious workings of human society. It is original and it was written with a deft confidence and a skill that are rarely found today and which harken back to the nineteenth century heyday of such authors as Dickens, Thackeray and even Tolstoy. I predict that it will survive as an important piece of literature when so much ‘fantasy’ fiction will have fallen by the wayside.
The Split Worlds series is a fascinating and brilliant work of fiction. The fact that it is a fantasy is trivial when compared to the extraordinary insight that it brings to bear on human nature, relationships between men and women, among families and in society—to say nothing of the profound understanding of the mysterious workings of human society. It is original and it was written with a deft confidence and a skill that are rarely found today and which harken back to the nineteenth century heyday of such authors as Dickens, Thackeray and even Tolstoy. I predict that it will survive as an important piece of literature when so much ‘fantasy’ fiction will have fallen by the wayside.
April 22, 2018
So much happens here! The Irises really tick me off. Yay for Gujerat and Lucy for telling Tom the truth about how backwards they are. Yay for Sam for telling the truth. Boy, people really don’t like the truth. They can’t _handle_ the truth. I so feel for Cathy. Boo to Will. Yay to Oliver. ???? Beatrice. Boo to Eleanor, too. Cathy saved her. I am so, so glad I am reading these when they are all out. I would be going bonkers otherwise. It’s a great gift to find an awesome series that’s already completed.
August 10, 2021
A most excellent fantasy series based in the worlds of the mortals, the Fae, and the Fae’s human minions in between worlds. Cathy and Will, now married and Duke & Duchess of Londium, are finding their way through a new marriage, sudden elevation to power, and dealing with the Fae. Cathy continues, in her own bulldozer manner, to fight for the rights of women in the Nether. Meanwhile, all but one of the sorcerers keeping the Fae in check have been killed. The split worlds are coming together on a collision course. Great pacing, intriguing characters, super storylines.
June 6, 2017
Pivot! The thing that so annoyed/enraged me in the last volume was totally addressed in this one! It got worse first, but in this volume you could tell that judgement day was coming, rather than resignation. There was also a very interesting plot twist related to the name of the series. I wish I had read this right after vol 3, because I was quite down on this series after it. Now I am excited for the next installment.
June 8, 2017
The story still centres on Cathy – one of the “fae-touched” humans, whose life is controlled by the Fae – and Max, whose job is to protect innocent humans from magical misdeeds, such as being disappeared. Cathy must now live in the Nether, a magical reflection of the human world, known as Mundanus. Though she theoretically inhabits a powerful position in fae-touched society, she is frustrated by the confines of an extremely patriarchal system. Her experience in Mundanus exposed her to feminism and women’s rights – thoroughly foreign concepts in the Nether. But the resistance to her proposed changes is so extreme that she wonders if something else is going on.
Cathy’s trust in her husband is tested over and over again. He pays lip service to supporting her, but he is under pressure from Lord Iris to have a child and that is where his efforts really lie. Meanwhile, Sam is learning what his new job entails, and – like Cathy – that having money and power does not necessarily make it easier to make the world a better place. At least not while there are other people with money and power who think things are fine as they are. Max and the Gargoyle continue to provide light relief, but they too have depth and history woven into their story.
Read my full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/2017/06/...
Cathy’s trust in her husband is tested over and over again. He pays lip service to supporting her, but he is under pressure from Lord Iris to have a child and that is where his efforts really lie. Meanwhile, Sam is learning what his new job entails, and – like Cathy – that having money and power does not necessarily make it easier to make the world a better place. At least not while there are other people with money and power who think things are fine as they are. Max and the Gargoyle continue to provide light relief, but they too have depth and history woven into their story.
Read my full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/2017/06/...
July 10, 2018
Absolutely gripping novel in the Split Worlds series. I hated everyone at some point in the book, but up is down and down is up - I am surprised by who I ended up rooting for!
Also, Princess Rani’s speech? BEST SPEECH.
I rarely jump straight into the next book of a series but I am going to do that right now. I need to know how it ends!
Also, Princess Rani’s speech? BEST SPEECH.
I rarely jump straight into the next book of a series but I am going to do that right now. I need to know how it ends!
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