Emma Newman’s conclusion to her Split Worlds sequence is full of surprises as Cathy and Sam receive a shocking proposal from Bea, Lucy reveals her true purpose in Albion, the Gargoyle forces Max to confront his loyalties and Will finds new and deplorable ways to make me shout NO WILL NO. Inevitably, spoilers for previous instalments.
split worlds
I was recently burrowing deep down a rabbit hole as I attempted to write a review, and I found myself discussing characters in terms of their Hogwarts houses. I wasn’t meant to be writing about Harry Potter, but (no surprises) it was far too much fun not to. How would you sort your favourite characters from other worlds?
Cathy and Sam have more influence than they would ever have dreamed of (or asked for), but they face violent opposition with unreliable allies. Can they reshape the Split Worlds, or are their self-imposed missions doomed to fail?
As the new Duchess of Londinium recovers from the Rosa attack, she is faced with a fresh threat from the Agency. Working with Max the Arbiter, she realises just how dangerous an enemy she has made. But Max has bigger fish to fry – the Sorcerers of Albion are going to war…
And I thought last week was tricky to summarise without spoilers. Much is resolved in this action-packed finale. But are we on the edge of exciting new developments or will the powers behind the status quo crush all hope of a freer future?
It’s all go this week – all the simmering plots boil over at once as Cathy persuades Max to hunt down the missing members of the book club; Margritte realises she may not have the stomach to take revenge; and Sam gets the biggest surprise of anyone. Over half way through the third book it seems a little redundant to say this, but: expect spoilers.
Just when you think you’ve got the hang of the game, the curtains are flung open and you realise the players aren’t even sat at the same board. This week is full of surprises as Oxenford takes centre stage, the Sorcerers go to war, and Sam finally finds out Leanne’s secrets…
The Duchy of Londinium is back in the hands of an Iris. The Tulipas fan the flames of an ancient enmity. Cathy finds herself at a new disadvantage with a Curse, her own emotions and the outrageous suggestions of a gung-ho Gargoyle to contend with. And the Agency get creepier and creepier by the moment…
Cathy has been outmanoeuvred by her family and pushed into a marriage with Will Reticulata-Iris. He’s hardly enthusiastic about the idea, but his healthy fear of Lord Iris means he must win her over – in spite the allure of the seductive Amelia Alba-Rosa White – and make a play for the Dukedom of London…
It’s the final chapters of Any Other Name, and there’s conflict on the horizon as deep-laid plans begin to bear fruit. Can Sam get Leanne out of harm’s way? Can Cathy abandon Miss Rainer and the ladies of the Nether to the Agency? Will Cathy survive the Alba-Rosas plans? And will we ever find out what the Agency and Lord Iron are up to?
Cathy is caught between Iris expectations and her desire for freedom, but she’s given a rude call to arms by her sister-in-law Lucy. Is she brave enough to fight for women’s rights in the Nether? Meanwhile, Will is a Very Bad Man Who Shall Not Be Forgiven, and Marcus Neugent appears to be Very Bad News. And across Londinium, Cornelius is intent on proving the old adage right: never trust a Rosa…
All eyes on the Agency as Cathy takes them to task for over-servicing and the Sorcerer notices their business is conveniently unregulated. But Max has other concerns, as evidence gathers that Leanne’s employer may not be entirely Mundane. Across town, Will makes an uneasy peace with Cathy and gets cosy with the Alba-Rosas, but can his ambition to become Duke survive dinner with his main rival?
Catherine Rhoeas-Papaver ran away from home and went into hiding, studying at a university in Mundanus where her family will never find her. At least, that was the idea. But when the Fae Lord Poppy strips her of her concealment Charm, she is dragged kicking and screaming back into the Nether to be married. Welcome to the Society nightmare of the Split Worlds.
The Master of Ceremonies is back in Aquae Sulis. The Rose is being torn up by the roots. And the Poppy is to be united with the Iris – regardless of Cathy’s opinions. Can she find a reason to make peace with Will? Or will she get drawn back into the Sorcerer’s schemes, as well-meaning Sam lurches from one disaster to the next?
Matters come to a head as Max investigates what happened to his fellow Arbiters, and Cathy uncovers a clue linking the Rosas to the disappearance of the Master of Ceremonies. Can she and Will forge an alliance to uncover Horatio’s treachery?
onemore.org 