3.5 stars for me. The Greek mythology aspect is what made me love this book alot more than I thought!! The element of historical fiction into Greek myth was superb 👌

A mysterious artifact from Ancient Greece, murder, mystery, romance and Greek myths can be found within the pages of Pandora. Ms Stokes-Chapman’s debut novel introduces us to Pandora "Dora" Blake. After the death of her parents while on an expedition searching for the legendary Pandora's box, Dora now finds herself under the care of her often neglectful and irresponsible uncle. That legendary item would find its way back into Dora's life and turn her world completely upside down. Her own desires to become a jewelry designer and make her own way in the world bring her into direct contact with the mysterious artifact and bring about a chain of events that change her life forever.

A story with Greek myths, legends and forbidden romances that will have you racing to the finish line to find out the secrets of the pythos.

An atmospheric story set in Georgian England that combines elements of Greek mythology, with age old treachery, deceit, and greed. A wonderful story full of suspense and intrigue but also charming and delightful, as we take a trip into the fascinating world of antiques.
Both of three POVs kept my interest intact!
You are in for a treat!

Late 18th century London. A young girl, Pandora, assists her uncle, Hezekiah, in an antique store that sells frauds as authentic. The store belonged to her parents until their tragic death during an excavation; Pandora was pulled from the rubble.

A young man, Edward, desiring to make it into The Society of Antiquaries, fails for the second time and is losing when a chance meeting sends him into the antique store. When a pithos arrives through mysterious circumstances, Dora and Edward desire to use the piece for future possibilities. Instead they find more about their pasts.

I really enjoyed this novel. I’m not normally a historical fiction reader, but this one caught my attention fairly quickly and kept it. I liked the setting, turn of the 18th century in London. I was interested in the characters and their lives. Although the book was rather predictable, it was still fun.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Perennial for this ARC. Definitely one I would suggesting to others.

Very well written, interesting story. Interesting to learn that Pandora’s box was not actually a box but a vase. Very interesting take on that tale. Intriguing read. Content warning for some domestic violence and sex work/acts. Intriguing plot and characters. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!

This is an interesting read! The writing style (third person present tense) makes it feel urgent and tense. I loved the characters and the twisting mystery. The author really put a lot of work into the historical details, and it shows.
However, for me it never fully grabbed me the way I look for in a historical fiction of this caliber. It's an enjoyable book though and I would recommend it.

Star Rating: 3/5

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a eARC of Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman

Set in Georgian London, Pandora Blake helps her uncle run her deceased parent's antiquities shop. The shop was once thriving 12 years ago, but is now disreputable under the care of her uncle and guardian. When Dora's uncle brings home a mysterious Greek vase, he begins act suspiciously.

Curious about the vase, Dora seeks the help of Edward. An aspiring antiquarian. The two soon find themselves wrapped up in the cursed history of the Grecian vase and Dora's own past.

Pandora was a lovely atmospheric read. I love the time period it is set in and the inclusion of Greek myths. This book packs plenty of twists and turns. I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book. I typically don't reach for historical fiction, but I was interested in the greek mythology element of it. I'm definitely glad I picked this up.

Pandora was a good quick read and I recommend it to anyone who loves Greek mythology or Historical Fiction.

Be prepared to be transported into 18th century London, the age of enlightenment, in Pandora. After her parents' tragic death, Pandora (Dora) goes to work for her uncle in his shop of antiquities. One day an unusual vase comes into the shop, and she and her newfound friend, Edward, are determined to uncover its origins, as everyone who comes into contact with it, has suffered an injury of some sort.
This is when the gothic, atmospheric bent of the book is set into motion. First of all, this is an amazing effort for a debut novel. The cover is gorgeous and the references to Greek mythology and history were quite fascinating. It was well paced, if a bit long, but held my interest. I wanted to find out how Pandora would fare in finding out the true history of the vase, as well as what happened to her parents! The potential for romance is also in play with Edward, once their common objectives and interests align. A wonderful first effort, highly recommended!

This book was incredibly engaging and well-written. I breezed through it in about 2 days—I could hardly put it down. Loved Dora's story and her passion for jewelry designing, and the Greek antiquities/archaeology focus. All the characters were well developed, and I especially enjoyed her interactions with Edward. Great book! Thank you so much, NetGalley, for the ARC!

What an immersive story! So beautifully and eloquently written, I loved it. I read the entire thing in two days and wish it hadn’t ended. It was a lovely ode to the mythology, I really enjoyed all of the antique talk. Dora and Edward were fantastic characters (though all were well written)I hope to see more from this author in the future.

I was excited to get the chance to read Pandora. I’ve always been fascinated with the tale. Even with this book beginning in a slow burn style it made me want to keep read and dive into Dora Blake and Edward Lawrence lives and how invested things would become. This was a great weekend read and perfect for a fall night by a fire.

This book was fascinating, it took a hold of me and kept me captive until the end. I loved it. I'm a big fan of mythology, so reading this was enjoyable. The descriptive writing was great, I could imagine more accurately. Romance with a dash of mystery and sprinkled antiques, it was a great book.

Absolutely lovely writing, fantastic character development, and a great setting set this novel apart.

Pandora is set in Georgian London, focused on Dora Blake, a young woman living with her uncle and helping to run a shop of antiquates. She dreams of independence and making her own way via jewelry design. Her uncle Hezekiah brings in a mysterious Greek vase, a pithos, and upon discovering the pithos in the shop basement, Dora enlists the help of Edward, a young man who yearns to be accepting into the Society of Antiquities. Together they research the pithos and other Greek objects found in the basement, all while Hezekiah becomes increasingly unhinged and dangerous to those around him.

As I mentioned, I very much enjoyed the writing, the character development, and the setting, but overall the book felt lacking. The conclusion was rather hurried and didn't feel fully fleshed out, and I was left feeling quite unsatisfied with the ending, with several storylines feeling like they were completely abandoned.

Thank you to Harvill Secker and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

I read Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman. I liked the characters and how they were developed. When I read the description I was really excited. Who can resist a historical romance with Greek mythology, antiquities, and a dangerous mystery? Honestly, I had a hard time understanding what was going on as well as keeping up with the plot. I was confused because the perspective kept changing a lot. While I enjoy reading multiple perspective pieces, I felt like I was missing something. The writing was beautiful, the characters were great, and the plot was great, I just had a really hard time reading it.

Pandora ( Dora) Blake lives with her nefarious uncle, Hezekiah, who deals in fraudulent antiquities. He is her guardian and she must work in his shop to earn her keep. Her renowned parents ( deceased) owned the shop, which her uncle now uses for illicit sales. Dora discovers a Grecian vase in the basement, and seeks help from expert Edward Lawrence to determine its origin. This is an engaging story about righting wrongs, and discovering your own worth. The 1799 time frame enhances this tale of mythology, romance, stolen antiquities and social class.

Pandora Blake was orphaned when her parents were killed in a collapse at an archaeological dig site. Her uncle Hezekiah has turned her parents’ antique shop into a scam of forgeries and in order to make it on her own, Pandora dreams of being a jewelry designer. One day, she discovers a pithos, a large Greek vase, in the shop’s basement and asks Edward, a struggling antiquarian scholar, to help her discover what it is and how it got there. There is something strange about the pithos, was it procured illegally? And is it cursed?

Taking place in the bowels of London in the Georgian era, this is a dark and moody book, slow moving and beautiful. Stokes-Chapman is a master at conjuring up the settings and characters in her book, right down to the smells of London streets and the chill in the air. I rooted for Pandora and Edward and hoped for Hezekiah’s downfall. Other side characters were well-formed and added color to the story and I loved that Stokes-Chapman included Sir Hamilton, a real person alive in that era. In fact, she was inspired by the real-life shipwreck that cost him his collection of Greek antiquities.

This is a slow-moving story but the pacing is just right. It feels gothic and heavy and I could picture every scene clearly. The story is unique and brings in so many elements: antiquities, the black market, the Pandora myth, jewelry making, class divides in Georgian England, and more. I look forward to reading more works by Susan Stokes-Chapman. As a special bonus, the cover is stunning.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book was so fun. I really enjoyed it. This book kept me interested and i enjoyed the book and this genre

A reimagining inspired by the myth of Pandora but set in Georgian London, 1799. The story follows Pandora Blake “Dora” a young woman who’s parents had died and she now lives with her uncle. she is an spiring jewelry artist in her parents’ once famed shop of antiquities. After a mysterious Greek vase is delivered her uncle begins to act suspiciously and Dora decides to investigate with the help of an ambitious antiquarian scholar named Edward Lawrence. Edward thinks the vase will be the key to helping him achieve his academic place and future while Dora thinks it will help her establish her name as a jewelry maker. Yet the more she looks into the vase the more secrets about her own family are being uncovered and soon this vase will unlock a variety of things she never imagined. Mystery, romance, secrets, betrayal and so much more come together in this historical fiction that captures hints of Pandora’s own mythology.Dora just wants to make a living for herself, all she has so far is her precious magpie and a odious uncle, so when she finally starts taking steps into building a future for herself she discovers things are not what they seem and her parents’ death is much more suspicious and her uncle is much more sinister than she initially thought. This was a fun take, albeit a very very loose and light touch on the original mythology, this one was an interesting historical mystery with touches of romance. I enjoyed reading it!

*Thanks Netgalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, Harper Perennial for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I received this book from Netgalley for an exchange of my honest opinion.

Susan Stokes-Chapman created a story that makes you feel immersed into London in the late 1700s. The vibes I kept getting from this story was The Mummy. I kept envisioning Dora as Rachel Weis and Edward as the studly Brendan Fraser. A story with mystery, finding love, found friends, and murder. This was a joy to read and felt like such an adventure of uncovering truths.

Loved this book. I could not put it down.

If you love books like The Silence of the Girls and Circe you are going to love this one!