Pandora is a historical mystery based around the Greek myth of pandora's jar. Taking place is Georgian England, the book sets out in a very alluring, atmospheric fashion & being told from multi-POVs, the premise held promise but unfortunately I don't feel like it held up. The writing at times made me feel as though the author was uncertain as to what direction she was trying to take the story, and the characters came off as very simplistic and flat. The book seemed to drag on a bit after about 50% of the way through, and I feel as though it could have easily been shortened and maybe that would have help with how bland the story became. While I wouldn't say the book was bad, I was left feeling a bit indifferent by the end of it; a rather cliche ending that all in all felt relatively in line with the medicority of the rest of the book.

For some reason, I thought this was going to be more steeped in Greek mythology than it actually was. Despite my confusion, this was still a nice mix of fantasy, drama, and intrigue. The characters were very well fleshed out and the setting was gripping. The secrets alone make this quite a page-turner.

While the concept of this was absolutely interesting and had a lot of potential I feel like it fell short in a lot of areas. There was a lot of build up for not much coming from it, I felt like the characters also fell a little flat. I didn’t really have a connection to any of them. That being said I did enjoy how well researched this was and some of the lore behind the vase. I think this just may have not been for me but it was all and all a decent book that I would recommend to fans of historical fiction.

I really enjoyed this especially that it was set during the Georgian period which is fast becoming one of my favorite eras.
Set in 1799 Pandora Blake is living with and helping her uncle manage a once prosperous antiquities shop that was run by her parents who were tragically killed in an archaeological dig when she was just a child. The shop once the center of fascinating artifacts her parents collected and sold has become a run down establishment selling cheaply made fakes and forgeries that her shrewd uncle tries to pass off to unsuspecting customers. Knowing this Pandora quietly ekes out her life in the background wishing that one day the custom jewelry pieces she dreams of making for the gentry will one day catch someone's eye and allow her to prosper on her own. During one of her uncle's mysterious shipments to the shop Pandora discovers a beautiful Greek vase locked in the basement that serves as her inspiration to create the elaborate pieces she needs in order to finally gain a commission. But why has her uncle been hiding this spectacular vase if this is what could help put him on the map and be legit? And why is the vase so beautiful yet seems to have a mysterious power to it? Pandora making this discovery in the basement sets off a chain of events that will cause her heartbreak and lead her to unanswered questions surrounding her parents deaths.
This was pretty intriguing for me and nicely finished up the threads of the storyline till the end. I am recommending it.
Thanks to NetGalley and author Susan Stokes-Chapman for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Dora's parents die in a tragic accident, her horrible uncle takes over their antiquities shop and her care. For years she is under his thumb and has nothing but her companion, a magpie, to keep her company. She dreams of being a jewelry designer, which is not a woman's trade in the 1700s. When she stumbles upon a beautiful Grecian urn in the basement depicting Pandora's story, it tips off a chain of events that changes all of their lives forever.

Who knew opening Pandora’s jar could be so boring. I hate to say that because the historical fiction aspects of this novel were written and well researched. But it is sort of billed as a story about releasing a curse. All we really got was a bunch of greedy men fighting over a vase. There was some action in the final third of the book are we see some comeuppance… but it all happened a little bit too late for me. And I think this premise could have been executed a little bit more thrillingly.

Thanks to Netgalley advanced access to this novel. I did purchase a copy before my approval came through. All opinions above are my own.

What a beautiful cover that captures the essence of the narrative in so many ways.
This historical fiction novel with elements of mystery and Greek mythology was fantastic.  After the passing of her parents, Dora, a lovely person with love and a dedication for her jewelry and artwork, moved in with her dreadful uncle. Edward, a man trying to gain attention for his work with antiques but experiencing difficulties.
The reader is compelled to turn the pages, is intrigued, and can't stop thinking about the mystery surrounding the pithos.
A book that covers so many deep intricacies and mythology is destined to have a difficult finish, but it was extremely well done.

While reading this book I had mixed emotions. The concept of the book was really good but it was hard to form a connection with any of the characters. The plot and world forming was well written, but character development was not as well done. Dora was fine, but her relationship with Edward seemed surface level.. I did enjoy the multiple POV's to expand the story and see each side. Overall I just wasn't able to build a strong connection with the book.

Set in Georgian London, 21-year-old Pandora “Dora” Blake lives and works in her late parents' antiquities shop. Her parents were antiquarians specializing in Grecian artifacts, making their living excavating tombs all over the world. When they are mysteriously buried in an accident during a dig twelve years ago Dora is left orphaned, with her immoral uncle Hezekiah Blake to take care of her.

Although Dora doesn't want to see her parents shop in the current state, what she desires most is to be a jewelry designer, wanting to see her designs on ladies of substance. This is how she spends most of her time, sketching new pieces while tending to the shop.

One day her uncle acquires a mysterious crate, Hezekiah is obsessed with the object storing it under a lock in which he is the only bearer of the key. The crate contained a rare Grecian pithos in pristine condition-- despite its age, with images of Greek mythological figures across its surface. Dora is curious about the object. Why does her uncle desire it so, driving himself into oblivion not wanting to sell it for any reason?

To find out more about the pithos Dora tricks her uncle, then enlists the help of a bookbinder and aspiring antiquarian Edward Lawrence, in hopes that his research into this artifact would earn him a place with the Society of Antiquaries, a club in which he has failed 3 times in order to gain membership. It also appears that the pithos have brought with it bad luck to those involved in the acquisition- Dora and Edward must work together to dig deeper into the history of the pithos, and how it connects to Dora and her family.

While I am not often a historical fiction reader this one surprised me. It was captivating and thoughtful, uncovering the secrets of Dora's family right alongside her. The prose is elegant, with the story being well-paced and the setting atmospheric, really setting you into the Georgian time period.

Thank you to @harperperennial for this arc to review

Greek retelling? You know I am there!

What makes Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman than other female-driven Greek myth retellings is the setting. Pandora is set in Georgian England. The story stays true to it's Greek roots, but has a new life. Dora works in her late parents' antiquities shop. After their death, her untrustworthy uncle takes over the shop and becomes obsessed with a crate. Eventually, Dora's curiosity gets the best of her and she launches a quest to learn about about the crates mystical contents.

This is a fantastic read for any lover of historical fantasy or mythology.

Thank you to Harper Perennial for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book. It sounded right up my alley. Secrets, Greek mythology, feminist critique...not to mention a gorgeous cover. It certainly surprised me--just not in the way I would have preferred.

Let me begin by reviewing what I liked. I'm no historian and certainly can't speak to the historical accuracy of this book, but I did appreciate that the book genuinely felt like it was set in the setting of 1799 London. I also simply liked the premise of this book and what it promised. Unfortunately, that leads me to what Pandora didn't deliver on.

The characters all had varying degrees of flatness. I couldn't bring myself to sympathize with most of them or believe in what they wanted to achieve. Dora and Edward frustrated me--I felt like I was always waiting for them to actually do something. The plot plodded constantly and the stakes lacked real tension. The writing style seemed accurate to the historical setting. Unfortunately, I found it long-winded and dull. I found myself struggling to continue this book and when I was done, I didn't feel strongly about it one way or the other. I was just indifferent.

So much more could have been done with the original myth, especially given its role throughout history in stigmatizing femininity and feminism. Pandora had amazing potential. Sadly, I just couldn't connect with it.

Keeping you on the edge of your seats, this Greek Mythology is highly anticipatory, has amazing, well-developed characters, and beautiful writing with numerous POVs. This book has everything I love. Historical Fiction, retellings, alternating first person narratives. plus it takes place in 1799 London. I listened to this as an audiobook and loved every second about it. It took me a moment to get into it, but once I was in it, I couldn't stop listening.

In "Pandora", Stokes-Chapman has a unique take on the well-known story of Pandora - the "first woman" who was responsible for opening the jar that released all the evils into the world.

Set in Georgian London, protagonist Pandora ("Dora") Blake is an orphan living with her uncle, who has taken over her deceased parents' antiquities shop. Dora dreams of being a famed jewelry designer, but her uncle and his "maid" Lottie see her more as a nuisance - until Dora discovers a secret delivery that her uncle tries to conceal from her. Dora is able to find and open the mysterious crate, which holds a Grecian pithos depicting a number of stunning scenes from mythology. While Dora is able to use these scenes to inspire her latest jewelry creations and pivot her into a whole new realm of society, the jar's presence has also uncannily caused misfortune to her Uncle Hezekiah as well as the carriers of the original delivery...

With the help of a bookbinder and scholar, Edward Lawrence, Dora is determined to uncover the truth behind the secret item, but their findings only lead to more questions and reveal things about Dora's family that she never imagined.

I admittedly didn't do enough research about this novel as I immediately assumed this was a Greek mythology retelling, instead of a whole new interpretation on the myth. For the most part, I enjoyed Stokes-Chapman's unique and creative take, and appreciate the headstrong and determined protagonist as well as her relationship with Edward. The writing was descriptive and atmospheric, although I found that the pacing struggled towards the second half of the novel and several events and characters didn't feel necessary to the plotline. I was pulled in at the start of the novel but struggled to finish given the how unbalanced the writing felt.

There are always some books that you get really excited for and just can't make your way through them. I tried to listen to the audiobook and read and it didn't grab my attention like I had hoped. Good idea for a story, could of been more interest grabbing. I would say give it a go, since everyone enjoys things differently.

I will be honest, this book was not what I was expecting but not in a bad way at all! What suspense! What mystery! What cliffhangers and guessing! All rolled up into a novel of Greek mythology and Archaeology. A great read, I am very thankful for the opportunity to have been able to read it.

This book was amazing I loved it so much. The story and writing was so good I couldn't put it down I was hooked from the very first page!

Oozing old-fashioned literary charm, this book pulls readers into the heart of the antiquities industry in Georgian England. With a mysteriously cursed ancient object, a sweet romance and an ambitious heroine who longs to sell her jewelry designs, this book brings myriad delights.

Pandora Blake, named by her archeologist mother for the famous myth, lives with her uncle after the death of her parents. Always the less-talented member of the family, he's resorted to selling fake antiques to unsuspecting customers. But when a mysterious package arrives and is delivered to the basement, Pandora begins to suspect that something more sinister may be going on. Her uncle's associates suspect a curse is haunting them all, while her uncle has his own reasons for the package - a Grecian vase - being the most important thing in his life.

Meanwhile, a chance meeting with Edward Lawrence, a bookbinder trying to build a name for himself in antiquities, may bring Pandora some answers. But letting others into her insular world also brings dangers, as her uncle's ambitions refuse to be thwarted and Edward's wealthy friends aren't as sympathetic to her precarious home life.

The mystery kept me turning pages to find out what the Greek vase was bringing to the characters' lives, and the three-character POV was used perfectly to reveal secrets and motives at the right time. I especially loved the flashbacks to Pandora's early childhood on dig sites with her parents and the description of how she gained inspiration for her jewelry designs.

Perfect for any lover of historical mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own. London is the setting and the year is 1799. Dora is the main character and quite likeable. She lives and works with her Uncle at her deceased parent's antiquities shop. Her dream is designing jewelry and making her own living. She becomes acquaintances with a gentleman that leads down a path of mysteries, black market trading, murder and past secrets. The book is both fast paced and slow. It's atmospheric, exciting and interesting. The details and characters are well flushed out. I enjoyed the book but somehow also was expecting more. I don't know. 4 stars.

This was a lovely story! The writing was beautiful, and the story was captivating. I loved Dora’s character right away and learning about the dark side of antiquities. I wish there was a little more explanation surrounding Dora and the connection to the pithos, but overall this was a very enjoyable and beautiful tale. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy’!

This book is a fun, easy-to-follow mystery with some overall endearing characters and quirky charm. I originally picked up this book because of the combination of an up-and-coming jewelry designer and Greek mythology, and both these elements thread through the book and make it relatively cohesive. In the beginning, I found the writing somewhat stilted and the descriptions overwrought, but I gradually acclimated to the writing style and, towards the end, it only really jumped out to me when there was a particularly heavy-handed description or run-on sentence. The characters, while sometimes woefully misguided, were enjoyable to read about and I was invested in their lives by the end. The ending definitely leaves some questions unanswered, but after thinking about it, that was probably the best route for it to take, leaving the aura of mystery around the pithos.

My main issue with this book is that, for a story almost entirely about the illicit antiquities trade, it doesn't really explore the cultural implications of this practice. In one chapter, they condemn the looting of Napoleon, but this doesn't really extend into thinking about their own actions and whether they are justified. The book is set in 1799, so only two years later Lord Elgin is going to take the Parthenon Marbles back to England, which is still considered one of the most controversial examples of unchecked British excavation and imperialism. If you're going to use the aesthetic of Georgian England, I am of the belief that you also have to examine its ugly side, especially in terms of how archaeology was practiced in this period. To her credit, the author does provide this type of examination for other elements of the story - such as when Edward is forced to confront his privilege despite the hardships in his life - but in this one element, I found it overly simplified.

The challenge this author faced was the richness of the Pandora myth, and the expectations it creates in a reader. I limed the book, and what Ms. Stokes-Chapman achieved with it, but somehow I wanted and expected more.
Perhaps to protect her plot development, she left the telling of the Pandora myth until late in the novel; i somehow wanted and expected that to be developed earlier, even in a preface.

Dora is an attractive character because of her vulnerability, and so is Edward. Perhaps with a more deft editing hand, they could have been even richer characters. The villains somehow seemed more real than the more virtuous characters.

My criticisms are all based more on disappointment “ for what could have been,”/rather than any short omings in this novel. It was an interesting read, but it was such a great idea that I wanted it to be exceptional.

Netgalley provided me a complimentary copy in return for a candid review.