Scan barcode
wyvernfriend's review against another edition
4.0
When I finished this I breathed a sigh of relief. I really enjoy Emma Newman's Tea and Jeopardy podcast and desperately hoped that I would also like her book, and I did.
The story opens with Sam, trying to find somewhere to relieve his bladder after a night involving too much alcohol, which ends up with him losing some of his memories.
Catherine Rhoeas-Papaver (the Rhoeas Poppy is the common red poppy of remembrance, something that made me smile) is living in the Mundanus, the mundane world, hiding from her family with the help of a charm and is enjoying studying. She knows that her life in the dangerous politics of the Nether will be not what she wants, but she is dragged by the patron of her house the Fae Lord Poppy back into it. He has plans for her and he will not be gainsaid. She resists as best as she can but her family is determined to put her life back on their course, including her advantageous marriage.
Max is an arbiter of the Split Worlds treaty, investigating missing women, out of his normal space, when everything goes wrong, saving his life, but leaving him without his usual supports.
When they all end in Bath, or Aquae Sulis, they will all be important in a complicated plot that includes the Master of Ceremonies of Aquae Sulis and will resonate through the season.
I liked it, it really resonated with me and I enjoyed the read and the politics and the characters. Cathy is constrained by her fear of not having agency which both restricts her and makes her interesting to me.
Really want to read the sequel now.
The story opens with Sam, trying to find somewhere to relieve his bladder after a night involving too much alcohol, which ends up with him losing some of his memories.
Catherine Rhoeas-Papaver (the Rhoeas Poppy is the common red poppy of remembrance, something that made me smile) is living in the Mundanus, the mundane world, hiding from her family with the help of a charm and is enjoying studying. She knows that her life in the dangerous politics of the Nether will be not what she wants, but she is dragged by the patron of her house the Fae Lord Poppy back into it. He has plans for her and he will not be gainsaid. She resists as best as she can but her family is determined to put her life back on their course, including her advantageous marriage.
Max is an arbiter of the Split Worlds treaty, investigating missing women, out of his normal space, when everything goes wrong, saving his life, but leaving him without his usual supports.
When they all end in Bath, or Aquae Sulis, they will all be important in a complicated plot that includes the Master of Ceremonies of Aquae Sulis and will resonate through the season.
I liked it, it really resonated with me and I enjoyed the read and the politics and the characters. Cathy is constrained by her fear of not having agency which both restricts her and makes her interesting to me.
Really want to read the sequel now.
ambydexterous's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fredurix's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
lchma's review against another edition
3.0
I couldn't make up my mind for most of this book - I loved the idea but I found it hard to get a sense of the plot. Once I got tot he end and realised that very little was resolved but that I was gripped I could say for certain that I enjoyed it.
ceena's review
4.0
*I received this book from netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review*
I really enjoyed this book.
There are 4 main characters:
Cathy-- who wishes to live a normal life in the Mundane
Will-- Cathy's arranged fiance who loves the life in the Nether
Max-- An Arbiter who polices Fae & Fae-touched who live in the Nether, making sure they don't hurt humans in the mundane
Sam-- Poor normal guy caught up in all of this just from being in the wrong place at the wrong time
We have some great characters here although, I preferred things when Cathy was involved. I enjoyed her character and spirit.
I did find the beginning a tad slow. It took me a while to understand the world and what was going on. A few things were confusing, but later cleared up. I am still a bit confused on how the Nether works... if structures need to be in the human world to exist in the Nether... do all houses exist in the Nether? What about stores? And how do they still have such older houses?(This last one may be me showing how little I know of England.)
The story was very interesting and with multiple perspectives there is a lot to take in. Sometimes it felt I was a part of juicy gossip and hearing about these exploits of others... it was so exciting.
I hate the ending haha I'm so frustrated!!! It can't end there! I need more! i'll be looking up the second book soon.
I really enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to others. Like I said, starts slow, my % read slowly crawled then suddenly I was over halfway done caught up in the adventure and before I knew it I was at 98% dreaded the last 2 and the coming end.
I so desperately need to read more...
I really enjoyed this book.
There are 4 main characters:
Cathy-- who wishes to live a normal life in the Mundane
Will-- Cathy's arranged fiance who loves the life in the Nether
Max-- An Arbiter who polices Fae & Fae-touched who live in the Nether, making sure they don't hurt humans in the mundane
Sam-- Poor normal guy caught up in all of this just from being in the wrong place at the wrong time
We have some great characters here although, I preferred things when Cathy was involved. I enjoyed her character and spirit.
I did find the beginning a tad slow. It took me a while to understand the world and what was going on. A few things were confusing, but later cleared up. I am still a bit confused on how the Nether works... if structures need to be in the human world to exist in the Nether... do all houses exist in the Nether? What about stores? And how do they still have such older houses?(This last one may be me showing how little I know of England.)
The story was very interesting and with multiple perspectives there is a lot to take in. Sometimes it felt I was a part of juicy gossip and hearing about these exploits of others... it was so exciting.
I hate the ending haha I'm so frustrated!!! It can't end there! I need more! i'll be looking up the second book soon.
I really enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to others. Like I said, starts slow, my % read slowly crawled then suddenly I was over halfway done caught up in the adventure and before I knew it I was at 98% dreaded the last 2 and the coming end.
I so desperately need to read more...
jrenee's review against another edition
No loveable characters. The female protagonist was way too repetitively whiny & I just couldn't take it. The plot wasn't intriguing enough for me to put up with all the whining.
tregina's review against another edition
2.0
I was not surprised when I learned that the author had previously written several short stories in the same world as this novel because that was the part that I found the most interesting: the fundamental worldbuilding underlying the characters, particularly the relationship between the Great Families and their patrons and minus most of the rest of Nether society. The strictures of the society and the the abuse that Cathy suffered are just violently overwrought, and the choices that were made in building those parts of the society didn't necessarily serve the story. Yes, there would obviously be clear differences between the mundane realm and the Nether (without even getting into the fae realm), and it does make sense that in a place where people don't age, they would be stuck in the past, but the way it was portrayed was a caricature of the way it might have been.
The book also ended without wrapping up several of its storylines, which rubbed me the wrong way. It's one thing to set up an ongoing situation for a series, but it's quite another to end what is presented as a complete novel on a cliffhanger regarding one of the main plots affecting its protagonist.
I loved Emma Newman's Planetfall so I was surprised by this. Its on the strength of my admiration of the author's other work that I'm willing to carry on and see where this series goes.
The book also ended without wrapping up several of its storylines, which rubbed me the wrong way. It's one thing to set up an ongoing situation for a series, but it's quite another to end what is presented as a complete novel on a cliffhanger regarding one of the main plots affecting its protagonist.
I loved Emma Newman's Planetfall so I was surprised by this. Its on the strength of my admiration of the author's other work that I'm willing to carry on and see where this series goes.
c_morning's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
marylu412's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
halcyone's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted at The Cozy Armchair.
I don’t often pick up a book dealing with this topic, but I have a soft spot for faeries, and Between Two Thorns promised to be a particularly ambitious story. There are two worlds, our world and its mirror, the Nether, where the Fae-touched live a Victorian-esque life with no electricity and antiquated values.
The story switches POV between three main characters: Max, who is an Arbiter aka Magical Cop; Cathy, the runaway who is dragged back to Aquae Sulis by the Lord Poppy, the fae that is her family’s patron; and Will Iris, Cathy’s reluctant fiancee. These characters live in a complicated, fascinating world, and it’s clear that Newman put a lot of thought into the little details.
The worldbuilding was excellent, and I loved all the fantasy elements. It might be confusing at first, but I could appreciate the way information was subtly provided without obvious exposition. This might push away some readers, which I can also understand. One other thing: although I enjoyed the writing style, the pacing was fairly slow, especially at the start. This is a book that delves into political/social intrigue, so the characters do a lot of talking. A lot.
I liked it, but one criticism I do have is that it wasn’t clear where the plot was going until the 50% mark. So, it takes a fair bit of patience to warm up to Between Two Thorns. I wasn’t discouraged because I was really intrigued by the mystery and this stagnant society in between worlds. Once the plot picked up the pace, it was very compelling. Although some elements are pretty obvious, it didn’t detract from me being interested in how the “villains” would be exposed.
There are a variety of characters in Between Two Thorns and not very many are likeable. Max’s POV was a bit tedious. I was more interested in the people around him than Max himself because of his inability to emotionally connect. This is due to his being an Arbiter; in order to be objective, his soul has been removed and stored. But the story from his side got even better as it converged with Cathy’s. One point of contention: Why do Arbiters have authority? In general, it’s accepted that the fae and the people in the Nether fear Arbiters, but it’s never really clear how they were established as this police force.
Anyway, I was able to relate to Cathy more. I could understand her desire for freedom, her desperate bid to get away from the stifling life in the Nether, and her struggles. Yes, she makes some rash decisions, and she does tend toward self-pity, but overall I did find her a strong character. I don’t completely blame her for refusing to blend in even a little because it would mean giving in. Even though Will (who I had issues with but appreciated his role) made sense with his suggestions, Cathy bending to his advice would negate her prior rebellions.
Honestly, Sam was the most interesting character, probably because he was the most human out of everyone, even Cathy. Unfortunately, he’s a pretty minor character, but I hope he’ll show up in the sequel.
Speaking of sequels, it’s clear that this is the first in a series. The ending was extremely open-ended, which did not work for me here. I wish there had been more of a conclusion rather than being left teetering on the edge of a cliff, knowing something more interesting is just out of reach. But, Between Two Thorns still kept my interest and proved to be an overall enjoyable read despite its shortcomings. I’m definitely interested in book 2 because all those questions need to be answered!
I don’t often pick up a book dealing with this topic, but I have a soft spot for faeries, and Between Two Thorns promised to be a particularly ambitious story. There are two worlds, our world and its mirror, the Nether, where the Fae-touched live a Victorian-esque life with no electricity and antiquated values.
The story switches POV between three main characters: Max, who is an Arbiter aka Magical Cop; Cathy, the runaway who is dragged back to Aquae Sulis by the Lord Poppy, the fae that is her family’s patron; and Will Iris, Cathy’s reluctant fiancee. These characters live in a complicated, fascinating world, and it’s clear that Newman put a lot of thought into the little details.
The worldbuilding was excellent, and I loved all the fantasy elements. It might be confusing at first, but I could appreciate the way information was subtly provided without obvious exposition. This might push away some readers, which I can also understand. One other thing: although I enjoyed the writing style, the pacing was fairly slow, especially at the start. This is a book that delves into political/social intrigue, so the characters do a lot of talking. A lot.
I liked it, but one criticism I do have is that it wasn’t clear where the plot was going until the 50% mark. So, it takes a fair bit of patience to warm up to Between Two Thorns. I wasn’t discouraged because I was really intrigued by the mystery and this stagnant society in between worlds. Once the plot picked up the pace, it was very compelling. Although some elements are pretty obvious, it didn’t detract from me being interested in how the “villains” would be exposed.
There are a variety of characters in Between Two Thorns and not very many are likeable. Max’s POV was a bit tedious. I was more interested in the people around him than Max himself because of his inability to emotionally connect. This is due to his being an Arbiter; in order to be objective, his soul has been removed and stored. But the story from his side got even better as it converged with Cathy’s. One point of contention: Why do Arbiters have authority? In general, it’s accepted that the fae and the people in the Nether fear Arbiters, but it’s never really clear how they were established as this police force.
Anyway, I was able to relate to Cathy more. I could understand her desire for freedom, her desperate bid to get away from the stifling life in the Nether, and her struggles. Yes, she makes some rash decisions, and she does tend toward self-pity, but overall I did find her a strong character. I don’t completely blame her for refusing to blend in even a little because it would mean giving in. Even though Will (who I had issues with but appreciated his role) made sense with his suggestions, Cathy bending to his advice would negate her prior rebellions.
Honestly, Sam was the most interesting character, probably because he was the most human out of everyone, even Cathy. Unfortunately, he’s a pretty minor character, but I hope he’ll show up in the sequel.
Speaking of sequels, it’s clear that this is the first in a series. The ending was extremely open-ended, which did not work for me here. I wish there had been more of a conclusion rather than being left teetering on the edge of a cliff, knowing something more interesting is just out of reach. But, Between Two Thorns still kept my interest and proved to be an overall enjoyable read despite its shortcomings. I’m definitely interested in book 2 because all those questions need to be answered!