Meanwhile, sorceress Bea is also housed with Sam at his mansion and she has not only convinced Sam to help her in her grand plan, but she soon convinces Cathy to get on board, as well, in exchange for teaching her sorcery. Cathy is unsure that Bea's plan to merge the Split Worlds back again is a solid one, but she knows she is destined to bring about change to The Nether, and maybe this is how she does it. Unfortunately, she and Bea forge a magic-based pact not to betray one another or the other will immediately become aware of it, and aligning oneself with a murdering sorceress is never the best of ideas.
Max and the Gargoyle are on the hunt for Bea, with the help of the last remaining sorcerer, Rupert, and his techie gadgets, but what Max and the Gargoyle soon come to realize is that Rupert is only out for himself and will even resort to murdering one of their own team to accomplish his will.
Back in Exilium, during a celebration of the Fae, the painting that Cathy did way back when for Lord Poppy is placed on display before the Princess of the Fae, and she becomes intrigued by the secret in which it holds - young Sophia, William's secret little sister, peering out from a window. When Lord Iris realizes William's mother has defied him, the true secret of the child's heritage will be revealed and the ramifications will be severe.
Cathy's father, distraught and humiliated by his wife leaving him for another woman, decides to take his own life, and Will's father takes advantage of the situation to attempt to wrestle control of all of the family properties that have been left to Cathy's older brother, Tom, and subsequently, take control of Aquae Sulis. Cathy, Tom, and Tom's wife, Lucy must use their wiles, magic, and political connections if they are to set things straight, but Lucy has her own plot going on for her American family's political gain.
In the meantime, Will gets drawn into Exilium by the Fae Princess's desire to know the secret of the painting, but in going there, Will ends up with far more than he ever bargained for - a royal title. Perhaps now, he can finally get Cathy back! Cathy couldn't be less interested in being royalty, though, as she is working first with Bea and Sam, then against her, once Bea betrays her. What will happen if the Split Worlds are merged once again? Will the humans be safer from the Fae or more at risk? What's more, what will become of all of the Fae-touched who haven't aged in hundreds of years? Let's just say that change is never easy for anyone.
It is always difficult to wrap up a series, especially one as deep and interwoven as The Split Worlds. That said, I did find All Good Things to be the weakest of the series, simply because it just seemed to wrap up too rapidly and without a lot of fanfare around the storylines that I thought deserved a bit more teasing out. Still, though, I enjoyed seeing the story conclude and anyone reading the series will want to see how things play out, as well. I'll be sorry to see the happenings in the Nether, Exilium, and Mundanus go, as well as all of the characters developed over these five books. I'll have to solace myself with Emma Newman's other remarkable series, Planetfall.
