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A review by halcyone
Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman
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!