The Split Worlds series is a series of novels by Emma Newman an author of dark urban fantasy novels, science fiction, and short stories. The Splits Worlds series is one of her most popular series of fantasy fiction novels with a dash of evil fairies, fantastical magic, and noir. Newman published the first novel in the series Between Two Thorns in 2013, which spawned several more titles in the series. An avid gamer herself, Newman portrays incredible world building skills in the novels. The novels are set in the fictional world of Exilium, Nether, and Mundanus. Exilium is the land of magic separated from Mundanus by the Nether where society is frozen in a mirror like state of Mundanus. However before anyone can go live in magical Exilium they
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Cathy the lead character is deemed by most an ugly duckling particularly in the Nether where everyone is obsessed by beauty. She finds her fantasyland in Mundanus where beauty is not so much celebrated, where she can live as she wants. Engaged to the well-meaning but obviously culturally compromised William Reticulate-Iris, Cathy depicts the backwardness of Nether society. On his part, William is honorable and even as he is betrothed to Catherine without her consent, he does not fit the definition of a cookie cutter misogynist. In fact, he believes that by marrying her he would be saving her from the emotional and physical abuse meted out to her by her father. Cathy sees herself as having a bigger mission and by rebelling against her father’s wishes; she believes that it would make men like Will acknowledge the need for change in their society. Over the course of the series, the characters grow a lot as they reach the high points of their careers, lives, and ambitions. All the characters experience pathos, tragedy, triumph, change, and real growth as the narratives progress. Max, William, and Sam go through lot together and experience firsthand how the decisions made by others and by themselves have the power to change the life of others. Catherine grows from the young woman seeking a fantasy life to a champion of woman rights, as she changes her …show more content…
The noble that rule the Nether each have a patron in Fae as reflected in the surnames they take such as Rhoeas-Papaver family that is under the protection of Lord Poppy. Between the worlds are the Arbiters and Sorcerers that keep the peace and balance of things to ensure that the Mundanes and the Fae do not interact. The Nether is a world set in the Victorian era which is a perfect fit given that it is mostly set in the Nether reflection of Bath – Aquae Sulis. The story starts with Catherine’s rebellion against her life and family and subsequent flight to freedom in the Nether. She does not have any powers but has a strong will she intends to use to air her perspective against the suppressive patriarchal society back
Cathy the lead character is deemed by most an ugly duckling particularly in the Nether where everyone is obsessed by beauty. She finds her fantasyland in Mundanus where beauty is not so much celebrated, where she can live as she wants. Engaged to the well-meaning but obviously culturally compromised William Reticulate-Iris, Cathy depicts the backwardness of Nether society. On his part, William is honorable and even as he is betrothed to Catherine without her consent, he does not fit the definition of a cookie cutter misogynist. In fact, he believes that by marrying her he would be saving her from the emotional and physical abuse meted out to her by her father. Cathy sees herself as having a bigger mission and by rebelling against her father’s wishes; she believes that it would make men like Will acknowledge the need for change in their society. Over the course of the series, the characters grow a lot as they reach the high points of their careers, lives, and ambitions. All the characters experience pathos, tragedy, triumph, change, and real growth as the narratives progress. Max, William, and Sam go through lot together and experience firsthand how the decisions made by others and by themselves have the power to change the life of others. Catherine grows from the young woman seeking a fantasy life to a champion of woman rights, as she changes her …show more content…
The noble that rule the Nether each have a patron in Fae as reflected in the surnames they take such as Rhoeas-Papaver family that is under the protection of Lord Poppy. Between the worlds are the Arbiters and Sorcerers that keep the peace and balance of things to ensure that the Mundanes and the Fae do not interact. The Nether is a world set in the Victorian era which is a perfect fit given that it is mostly set in the Nether reflection of Bath – Aquae Sulis. The story starts with Catherine’s rebellion against her life and family and subsequent flight to freedom in the Nether. She does not have any powers but has a strong will she intends to use to air her perspective against the suppressive patriarchal society back