"JK Rowling meets Georgette Heyer" in this series debut, a scintillating fusion of urban fantasy and court intrigue from the Hugo Award-winning author ( The Guardian ).
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 shows the darkness beneath the glamour of the social Season. Learning to be a young lady has never seemed so dangerous."—Mary Robinette Kowal, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of the Lady Astronaut series
"Emma Newman has built a modern fantasy world with such elan and authority her ideas of why and how the seemingly irrational world of Fairy works should be stolen by every other writer in the field . . . This book of wonders is first rate."—Bill Willingham, Eisner Award-winning author of Fables
Industry Reviews
"Emma Newman has built a modern fantasy world with such elan and authority her ideas of why and how the seemingly irrational world of Fairy works should be stolen by every other writer in the field."-Bill Willingham, Eisner Award-winning creator of FABLES
"With a feather-light touch, Emma Newman has crafted a very English fantasy, one brilliantly realised and quite delightful, weaving magic, mystery and parallel worlds together with ease."-Adam Christopher, author of MADE TO KILL
"BETWEEN TWO THORNS is magical, exciting, and clever. It manages to conjure a world that feels completely natural but also mysterious, sometimes dangerous, sometimes funny, combining several different kinds of urban fantasy into one story, and capturing a lovely sense of modern Britishness that is reminiscent of other fantastic British fantasy. I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel!"-FANTASY FACTION
"An enchanting novel from Emma Newman, an urban fantasy that has no sign of tattooed women in leather pants. A headstrong scion and an investigator discover dark doings in the outwardly genteel world of Bath's secret mirror city."- SF SIGNAL
"This novel draws you in from the very first, tempting you with magical creatures set against present day Bath. I tried only reading one chapter just to test the writing style, etc but found myself, a few hours later, having read a vast amount of the book ... It sits beautifully within my favourite type of fantasy novel, fairy tale within the present day."-SF CROWSNEST
"BETWEEN TWO THORNS really was an unalloyed pleasure to read and it's hard to write a review for it that isn't just gushing ... Newman has created a unique blend of urban, historical, and crime fantasy clothed in a Regency veneer. BETWEEN TWO THORNS is delicious, engrossing, and enchanting and, so far, my debut of the year."-A FANTASTICAL LIBRARIAN
