To back it up a little, the books take place in a universe that is split between the human world (Mundanus) and the fae world (Exilium). There is a place between the worlds called the Nether where human families that are sort of contracted to fae lords reside (they're called fae-touched generally). Time doesn't really flow there like it does in Mundanus, so they don't age. I mean, they really don't age. The children's nursery is located in Mundanus so they can grow up. The society in the Nether is stuck in the 19th century, so patriarchy is rampant, women have no rights, and every dresses in Victorian fashion.
I really enjoyed Sam and Max's parts of the novels. Sam is an ordinary human who gets mixed up with the Elemental Court, who live in Mundanus, run global corporations, and have affinities with various metals (Lord Iron, Lady Nickel, Lord Copper, etc...) which grants them both respect and fear from the fae given the dampening effect the metals have on magic, so they aren't really involved with either the fae or the fae-touched.
Max is an arbiter, an agent for a sort of policing group led by sorcerers that protect innocent humans from the fae and the fae-touched. Arbiters have their souls detached from their bodies, which are then stored back at HQ and allows them to act without being impeded by emotional response. Through a series of events, Max's soul gets attached to a gargoyle, which then acts as his partner through the rest of the novels.
I go back and forth about whether I like Cathy or not. By the end of the series, I had ended up liking her, but it was a rough journey. Cathy managed to hide from her family and her fae patron in Mundanus for two years, going to university and pretty much just enjoying the 21st century. She loves sci-fi/fantasy, video games, etc. Sometimes it felt like the author was just name dropping big series titles to prove how much of a nerd Cathy was, which could get a bit annoying.
So Cathy is eventually found and is arranged to marry Will. She is, of course, quite unhappy about it and for a long time, still wishes to escape back into Mundanus. Cathy is interested in social justice and women's rights, yet it takes about midway through the second book, and someone to bring this to her attention, that the other Nether women aren't quite so happy with their situation. So she decides to stay in the Nether to try and change things there instead.
Big spoiler here, but I wanted to let you know what it was that upset me so badly about this book. So, on multiple occasions, Cathy told Will that she didn't want to consummate their marriage. She was pretty clear about not wanting to sleep with him. Will, who was under very-creative-and-very-painful threat of death (or worse) from his fae patron to have a son in his first year of marriage, used a potion to overcome Cathy's inhibitions and have sex with him. So basically, Will date-raped her.
I would have been okay with all of this had he come clean and confessed what he did to her. But Will never tells Cathy that he drugged her! They actually fall in love with each other throughout the third book and he still never says anything about it! I was, and still am, absolutely horrified that this was okay and never resolved in any way. I mean, sure Will was being coerced himself and he felt badly about using the potion, but he never told Cathy about it. I think she probably would have forgiven him, but Cathy wasn't even given the chance! This part nearly ruined the entire series for me, and definitely made me dislike Will even when I was clearly supposed to be liking him later on.
What a disappointment! I can't believe that other reviewers of these books weren't bothered by this! And Sam and Max's parts ended up being so good! What in the world was Emma Newman thinking by not resolving this potion issue! Just awful!
