Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman

Title: Between Two Thorns
Author: Emma Newman
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Split Worlds # 1

Trade Paperback, 334 Pages
Publication: August 2, 2016 by Division Publishing

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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Beautiful and nuanced as it is dangerous, the manners of Regency and Victorian England blend into a scintillating fusion of urban fantasy and court intrigue.

Between Mundanus, the world of humans, and Exilium, the world of the Fae, lies the Nether, a mirror-world where the social structure of 19th-century England is preserved by Fae-touched families who remain loyal to their ageless masters. Born into this world is Catherine Rhoeas-Papaver, who escapes it all to live a normal life in Mundanus, free from her parents and the strictures of Fae-touched society. But now she s being dragged back to face an arranged marriage, along with all the high society trappings it entails.

Crossing paths with Cathy is Max, an Arbiter of the Split Worlds treaty with a dislocated soul who polices the boundaries between the worlds, keeping innocents safe from the Fae. After a spree of kidnappings and the murder of his fellow Arbiters, Max is forced to enlist Cathy s help in unravelling a high-profile disappearance within the Nether. Getting involved in the machinations of the Fae, however, may prove fatal to all involved.

Between Two Thorns is the first book in The Split Worlds Series by Emma Newman. This series actually came out a couple of years ago under a different publication but was recently republished with a new company and covers. There were two things that initially piqued my interest when I first heard about this series: faeries and magic. You can never go wrong with either. And I'm happt to report that this book did not disappoint! The Split Worlds consisted of 21st Century Mundanis (our world), The Nether world where the fae-touched resides (those with faerie blood somewhere in their family line) and Exilium, where the fae lords and ladies live. This book was very meticulous and multifaceted with a large cast of characters. With so much information, it felt overwhelming at times but Newman is a talented writer and she tied everything together perfectly. The beginning is slow, but once you get to the halfway point and end...it's so worth it!

As I stated before there is a large cast of characters and readers are following multiple characters and thread all simultaneously. First we have Catherine Rhoeas-Papaver. Catherine comes from one of the great families (high society) in the Nether but she hated her life there and has been hiding out and attending college in Mundanis. Then we have Max, an arbiter, like a policeman guarding the separation between the worlds as he investigates a missing person case. And finally we have William, Catherine’s betroth and Sam a mundane who has secrets locked inside his mind; characters whose roles are more secondary but just as important. While I thought Newman did a great job in the character development department, overall I have mix emotions regarding the characters. I thought they were interesting and they kept me engaged but I never felt a real connection to anyone. I hope with the world building and foundation set, Newman will focus more on the characters because for the most part, the characters felt like they were constantly running or moving…readers had very little chance to learn of their background/history. But this little issue doesn't mean I enjoyed the book any less...quite the opposite.

This 384 page book packed a whole lot! If you’re looking for a fresh and fun fantasy and unique take on faeries then I suggest checking out Between Two Thorns. Readers are left with a huge cliffhanger that will have them clamoring for the next book. Between Two Thorns looks to be the start of a promising series and I can’t wait to read the sequel and see what Newman has in store for Catherine, Max and the gang. Like I said Magic and Faeries, you can never go wrong with either.

The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter

Title: The Midnight Queen
Author: Sylvia Izzo Hunter
Genre: Fantasy-Historical Fiction
Series: N/A

Trade Paperback, 432 pages
Publication: September 2, 2014 by Ace Trade

Source: I received a review copy from the publicist in exchange for a honest review.

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Gray’s deep talent for magick has won him a place at Merlin College. But when he accompanies four fellow students on a mysterious midnight errand that ends in disaster and death, he is sent away in disgrace—and without a trace of his power. He must spend the summer under the watchful eye of his domineering professor, Appius Callender, working in the gardens of Callender’s country estate and hoping to recover his abilities. And it is there, toiling away on a summer afternoon, that he meets the professor’s daughter.
 
Even though she has no talent of her own, Sophie Callender longs to be educated in the lore of magick. Her father has kept her isolated at the estate and forbidden her interest; everyone knows that teaching arcane magickal theory to women is the height of impropriety. But against her father’s wishes, Sophie has studied his ancient volumes on the subject. And in the tall, stammering, yet oddly charming Gray, she finally finds someone who encourages her interest and awakens new ideas and feelings.
 
Sophie and Gray’s meeting touches off a series of events that begins to unravel secrets about each of them. And after the king’s closest advisor pays the professor a closed-door visit, they begin to wonder if what Gray witnessed in Oxford might be even more sinister than it seemed. They are determined to find out, no matter the cost…

Once in awhile I like to mix up my reading, since I usually read YA and Urban Fantasy. So when I heard of The Midnight Queen, a Fantasy-Historical Fiction I knew right away I wanted to read it. Who doesn’t love a magical school setting (College! I usually read HS/Boarding school types) in Regency London?

The Midnight Queen had all the right ingredients for a captivating read; conspiracy theories, buried secrets, a lost princess, and a prophecy of the ‘chosen one’ but it wasn’t quite as I expected it to be. Hunter’s did a good job at setting the foundation of her magical world but she never really expanded on it further then the basis. For example, Merlin College is the most prestigious college around teaching magic to only the rich and talented prominent families yet we don’t learn much else of the college or what it looks like. Our main character Graham A.K.A Gray attends the college but within the first chapter he is already temporary sent away to his professor’s home; so we don’t see much of the college till the very end of the book but even then it was brief and not much detailed. As for the magical aspect, it seems that magic is something one must be born with. One can study as much as they want of magic, but that’s all they can do; only those with magic can cast spells and incantations. Again there isn’t much said about the overall magic system. Those with magic also have a main ability that they’re the greatest at like scrying or shape-shifting. I thought the characters’ abilities were all interesting but wished we knew more about it and how the characters got their specialized ability (scrying, shape-shifting, chameleon, siren call etc).

I am really picky when it comes to characters, I mean shouldn’t everyone be? When readers read a book, you want to feel and connect with the characters at all levels because frankly we are investing our time in the characters and their journey. Sadly, I wasn’t able to connect with Gray or Sophie. It isn’t to say that I dislike their characters, far from the fact. Gray was a really sweet and shy guy and Sophie was intelligent as she was headstrong. But I never once felt invested in their story/journey. I’m not sure whether it was because the characters weren’t as fleshed out as I liked or because their dialogue felt forced and monotonous. I think if the author worked a bit more on character development, it would have been made all the difference.

The book started out extremely slow. It isn’t until I got to the middle that I felt the story pick up and the plot put into motion. I love the whole lost princess and prophecy ideas but it played more as a background story to the main plot. Overall The Midnight Queen was a good book, but just one I didn’t personally connect with.

Review: A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey

Title: A Breath of Frost
Author: Alyxandra Harvey
Genre: Young Adult, paranormal
Series: The Lovegrove Legacy #1 

Hardcover, 496 pages

Publication: January 7, 2014 by Walker Childrens 

Source: I received a review copy from the publicist in exchange for a honest review.

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IIn 1814, three cousins-Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope-discover their unknown family lineage of witchcraft. Beyond the familiar manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, a dangerous, alluring new underworld visible only to those with power is now open to the cousins.

But unbeknownst to them, by claiming their power, the three cousins have inadvertently opened the gates to the Underworld. 

Now the dead, ghouls, hellhounds-and the most terrifying of all: the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters-are hunting and killing young debutante witches for their powers.

And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders...because she keeps finding the bodies.

Can the cousins unravel the clues and mystery behind their heritage and power before their gifts are stripped away ...or even worse, another witch is killed?

A Breath of Frost is an enchanting start to a brand new series taking place during the 1800s Regency London full of magic, witches, warlocks and everything in between.

Three cousins Emma, Gretchen and Penelope discovered the truth about their family history and their hidden powers on the night of their debutante ball when Emma accidentally broke her mother’s perfume bottle; undoing the spell that had bind their powers since they were children. The cousins are descended from the Lovegrove line, a very old and powerful witch family. To make matters worse when Emma unlocked their powers, she indirectly opened the gate to the underworld unleashing the dark spirits of the Greymalkin sisters (warlocks). It is up to Emma and her cousins to master their new powers, close the gate to the underworld and figure out who is going around murdering debutantes.

Within the first couple of pages, I knew I was going to love this book. I mean, just in the prologue we have a young witch breaking into a dead witch’s home with her cat familiar(the form/representation of one's magic! Talk about a great hook! A Breath of Frost centers on the three Lovegrove cousins, but this first book focuses mostly on Emma Day; her family’s history (specifically how her mother went mad), and as she navigates the world as a witch and debutante. I adore Emma and her cousins! What I love most about the girls is they’re all head-strong and independent and are hilarious and quirky. Although they’re blood related, they’re also the best of friends. While everyone loves a good strong friendship/family story, the romance between Emma and her crush Lord Blackburn was also a nice touch. It counter-balanced the murder mystery aspect well. We meet Gretchen and Penelope (? don't remember) possible love interests during the course of the book as well but it is barely just scratching the surface. I'm sure it will be further explored later on in the series as each cousin/or character get their own book.

This is my first book by Harvey and it definitely will not be my last. I really enjoyed her writing style and the world she built. The pacing of the book and the length of each chapter was just right as it held my attention all the way through. I kept telling myself just one more chapter, one more chapter…and the next thing I knew I was flying through the book; reading half the book in a mere couple of hours. The characters are so well-written and realistic that you forget you’re reading about fictional characters. A Breath of Frost wrapped up  nicely and answered all the questions that arise at the beginning (the killer...a BIG SURPRISE, I never suspected ---!) and at the same time set the stage for the next books in the series.

A Breath of Frost is a wonderful addition to the Young-Adult genre that has everything one can hope for in a story; magic, adventure, mystery, sweet romance, and kick-butt heroines. I can’t wait to read the next book! I highly recommend this to fans of PR and YA; this is a book you need to read ASAP! I think I just found a new favorite series…A Breath of Frost is unquestionably a shelf-keeper!

*Fans of Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle series might also want to check this series out.