patchworkbunny reviewed Any Other Name by Emma Newman (The Split Worlds, #2)
Review of 'Any Other Name' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Cathy has plans to escape out the window the night before her wedding to William but her family have other ideas. She wakes up trying to remember what it was she was meant to do. Meanwhile, Sam is trying to get back to normal life and patch up his marriage but he’s not even sure he’s married to the same woman any more. There’s definitely something strange about her new employer.
It did take me a while to get into the first book, so it was great to just dive into the story, picking up the threads that were left hanging from Between Two Thorns. The gargoyle has less of a part to play this time, but he’s there alongside Max who is still trying to work out who is to blame for the destruction of his chapter. Again, there is a lot going on, but this works as part …
Cathy has plans to escape out the window the night before her wedding to William but her family have other ideas. She wakes up trying to remember what it was she was meant to do. Meanwhile, Sam is trying to get back to normal life and patch up his marriage but he’s not even sure he’s married to the same woman any more. There’s definitely something strange about her new employer.
It did take me a while to get into the first book, so it was great to just dive into the story, picking up the threads that were left hanging from Between Two Thorns. The gargoyle has less of a part to play this time, but he’s there alongside Max who is still trying to work out who is to blame for the destruction of his chapter. Again, there is a lot going on, but this works as part of a series.
Again, there’s a lot about the oppression of women in the Nether Society. If it were as simple as Cathy marrying her parents’ choice and having her own life, it would be easier to swallow. But her every action is monitored and controlled. The Iris family make Lord Poppy seem like a puppy (I wish there was more of Lord Poppy) and the tension rises as you can’t see how Cathy can win. However Cathy reluctantly sets up house and I loved the insight into the customs and goings on behind doors. Of course, Cathy plans to shake things up a bit.
She’d said with such bitterness that women didn’t have any choices, but she didn’t realise that so few of the men did either.
This line stuck out for me because I was feeling a little bit sorry for William. He doesn’t have a choice in the marriage either and is in love with another woman. He brings forward the date to rescue Cathy from the abuse at the hands of her father and she throws it in his face. He is kind, and OK he has a bit on the side, but I found Cathy to be blinded by her own anger and couldn’t see that he was trying to make the most of a bad situation. He doesn’t even mind her reading books! I hope she is kinder to him in the next instalment as she seems to become aware of her selfishness.
I love the world and I love the little bits of humour. The best part is, I don’t have to wait another year for the final instalment which is due out in October. You can also read weekly shorts stories set in the same world for free at Split Worlds.