Review for Entire Series

Cathy is our protagonist, angsty and rebellious, desperately trying to avoid the magical world (the Nether) she was raised in. This Nether world is like a reflection of modern day England, where cities still retain their Roman names and all citizens are controlled by their family’s fae in exchange for eternal life.

The Split Worlds trilogy is told from four perspectives – that of Cathy, Max, the arbiter, mortal Sam who gets tangled up in the mess by accident, and Cathy’s reluctant husband, William. Vying for power in the Nether cities of Aquae Sulie (Bath) and Londinium (London) are the (banished) Roses and the Irises (William’s family). William is coerced and tricked by the devious Roses into taking the dukedom of Londinium; the sorcerers are at war; and the arbiters are all dead but one (Max)… and his talking gargoyle that holds his soul. Sam’s wife is possibly cheating on him… to protect him? So much happens in the course of such a short amount of time that I cannot even begin to explain it all but Emma Newman weaves her stories together effortlessly.

My only cause for concern is that Cathy never seems to really come into her own. First, she’s rebelling, then she’s the “domesticated housewife,” trying to undo the treachery of the Nether from within, and then she’s the Duchess of Londinium, still trying to figure out her role and deal with William who has no idea why he’s behaving the way he is. And they’re supposed to go through it all together, for eternity, but they just never seem to fit (William’s infidelity with a Rose certainly doesn’t help matters). I read all three books in quick succession without ever feeling like I’d gotten to know Cathy properly. And for that reason, I don’t think I’ll be returning to re-read the trilogy. I loved the plot while reading it, but it may be one that I just leave as it is. ( )

Review based on ARC.

I received this review from NetGalley dot com; thanks to Angry Robot Ltd for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I requested this book because the cover is engaging and reminded me of another book I wanted to read, though I couldn't quite place what it was. It soon became apparent -- I have the first book in this series on my bookshelf. Nevertheless, with early reviewers, time is limited, so I read the third without having read the first (or the second).

Fortunately, it is an interesting enough book, with a background that is not overly complicated, so I was able to read this third without ever really feeling lost in the plot. True, I did not know who Max or his Gargoyle already were; true, I did not know who Cathy was or how William got to his place of power by trickery; true, I did not know who had already died or how, but the information was presented to me, a new reader of the series, without an overly simplistic "here's what's already happened" backdrop or an overly complicated or presumptuous inside-references.

Instead, it was as though I were dropped into the middle of a mystery, and through conversation and memory, was able to piece the rest together. Each of the stories were interesting and, rather than leave me with the sense that I'd already gleaned all from the series that I needed to by reading the third book, it made me want to go back and read the first two, to get that more in depth experience of the events that I now undertand have already occurred. In other words, well done! I liked this third enough to want to read more Newman -- whether something already published, or something yet to be published.

A quick synopsis:
This story takes place in the Nether (a faerie-run world otherwise like ours) and in Mundanus (it's like muggles... the non-magic people or people not in the nether live in the "mundane" world -- i.e., mundanus). William has taken the throne of Londinium (the Nether-London), which makes Cathy the Duchess. What we gleaned from the prior books is that William seems to be a pretty good guy, but controlled by a pretty evil faerie, and that Cathy is a headstrong girl who wants to change the corruption and evil in the Nether. Cathy was attacked in book 2 (presumably), and William is told it is one household who has done so. William therefore wins the seat of Duke in a duel that he wins by murdering someone who had previously believed to be his friend. Cathy attempts to feel nothing romantic toward William, her husband, at the beginning of the book, but begins to realize as the book progresses that she needs his support to accomplish what she wants to accomplish.

Max the arbiter and his gargoyle (where his soul is housed) continue to investigate who or what is behind the murder of a series of wizards and the corruption in London. Max and the gargoyle work with Cathy, who is an insider now given her new position as Duchess to attempt to discover the truth.

Cathy's friend Sam, from Mundanus, has lost his wife and finds himself in the care of Lord Iron, which unsurprisingly puts Sam in the position of accepting an offer from Lord Iron which ends up being more than Sam himself anticipated.

With a quick plot, interesting characters, and an element of mystery, Newman brings the reader fully into her tale, and eager to find out, "what next!"

Recommended for readers looking for a quick urban fantasy read with dark intentions, a touch of insanity, and a subtle love story.
This and other reviews can be found at AllBookReviewer.blogspot.com. ( )

Oooh, this is starting to get really good. (not that it wasn’t before). Things are _happening_! Big things. ( )

Overall good story and good ending but gets quite frustrating and also one aspect (one character's sexual assault of another) was swept under the rug and never addressed ( )

All is Fair takes everything we know - or think we know - about the Split Worlds and muddies the water with new characters and unexpected plot twists. After two and a half books of fairly slow pace it's a sprint finish as all the things happen at once (and I would strongly recommend these three books are read as one story in three volumes for the most satisfying reading experience and plot arc).

Expect further moments of rage as Emma Newman continues to tighten the screws on Socially-acceptable misogyny mixed with the heady delights of a young woman realising her full potential. As Lord Poppy observes, such a thing can destroy the worlds themselves... Be careful what you wish for.

Full review

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )