I thought I had written this and published it…. I didn’t realize I didn’t. It has been long enough since I finished that I am not entirely comfortable giving a detailed review. However, I will say that I enjoyed this tremendously. In fact, I was rather hopeful that this might be the start of some adventures or mystery solving by the main character - since she was pretty fearless and seemed to have a female Indiana Jones feel to her. Hope to see more of the characters, and this author.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC.

Pandora is a very loose retelling of the Pandora myth, set in London in the Georgian era. It is more historical fiction than mythology based. There is intrigue and mystery, a lot of classical references, and an engaging MC.

The pace varies from quick to much slower. The characters held my interest but I would have liked a bit deeper dig into both of them as characters and into their growth as the story progresses. The pacing was not very consistent.

I found it entertaining but the third person present tense was a bit of a stumbling block for me initially. I got somewhat used to it after awhile but it still caught me and pulled me out of the story at times.

Overall a slow paced, slow burn mystery, historical fiction with a whiff of mythology and the classics sprinkled in.

Plenty of intrigue throughout but lacks the characterization the plot would require. The characters are not interesting to hold the plot together and there are times the book lags. The added sexual elements also seem unnecessary and feel uncomfortable.

So this book wasn’t really what I was expecting based on the title. I assumed it would be another Greek myth retelling emphasis on the mythology. Instead I got a historical mystery of sorts, but I’m not mad at all- it was quite a good novel.

This novel was unbelievably beautiful. The prose was evocative and emotional - I connected with Dora almost immediately. The story is filled with rich detail and paced so that you never knew exactly what was around the corner. I chose to read this one because I love the Greek myths...Pandora especially. I expected there to be a bit more emphasis on the myths, or at least more of a supernatural bent, but what I got instead surpassed that. The plot and characters are so good, there was no need for embellishments. Easily one of my favorites of the year. Highly recommend!

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I started this book. I liked the name, loved the cover, and was hoping for Greek Mythology.

I was pleasantly surprised by the historical setting (because it wasn’t what I was imagining) and I loved the mystery plot. The romance was fun as well and I loved the banter between the main characters.

I’d love to see this turn into a series with other artifacts or mysteries to be solved by these characters but am happy with the conclusion. This was my first book by this author but I’d gladly read more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An engaging twist on the myth retelling that has been so of the moment, “Pandora” takes the themes and ideas but instead of retelling the story or making it thoroughly modern, it moves it into historical fiction of the industrial age. It was a bit meandering, but the strong start pulled me through, and that patience was rewarded.

I am a fan of both mythology/fairytale retellings and Historical Fiction so I was excited to receive this book for review in exchange for my honest opinion. I liked the setting in Victorian England and learning about all the antiquities from this time period. The mythology piece is more loose then I thought and I wish there were more tie ins to that. I did wish I could get to know the characters more because some seemed surface level. But overall it was an enjoyable Historical Fiction read.

A great read, really good characters that you really get to know, great description of life in those times, from grandure to squalor. A good story line. This book is not 'heavy' reading and I think it would be a great book to read if someone wanted to try historical fiction, if you already enjoy historical fiction, then this book is an enjoyable light read. I would recommend.

I didn't love this one as much as I'd hoped. I did however love the setting in England in 1799, that was a huge selling point for me. The character development was a little flat and didn't build the way I anticipated. The story also focuses less on mythology than I had imagined, but that wasn't an issue for me I actually enjoyed it.

A good retelling of Pandora set in the late 1700s London. It was a unique take on the myth that I enjoyed! With that said though, it was rather slow paced so keep that in mind.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully written novel that focuses on the mythos of Pandora's Box. The Blake family is renowned for their antiquarian business but when the couple dies on a dig site, their only daughter is raised by her Uncle. Dora, short for Pandora, has never seemed bothered by her simple life, although she strives for so much more - especially in her desire to create jewelry. But her Uncle seems to keep her from doing much on her own and when a mysterious new antiquity arrives in their shop and is locked away in the basement, all the pieces of Dora's life that she thought she understood, starts crumbling away.

A story filled with characters from all walks of life and using the Pandora mythos, Stokes-Chapman weaves together a demonstration of the human condition. Whether myth or simple facts, we as humans can be driven to dire depths to achieve things that are fueled by our own sins. Magically written and presented in a way that brings people together that have similar natures and drives others to madness. A true modern classic that any lover of Greek history or mythological retelling will adore!

A reimagining inspired by the myth of Pandora but set in Georgian London, 1799. This is a slow-moving story but the pacing is just right. It feels gothic and heavy and I could picture every scene clearly. I loved how the author interwove into her story seamlessly. The story itself was well thought.

This book is loosely based on the Greek myth of Pandora, but is set in Georgian England. The story centers around an antiquities shop and a mysterious vase delivered to the basement of the shop. The story focuses less on the mythology, and on the personal history and mysteries of the main characters. I'd recommend this book to those who historically based writing and character driven mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Perennial, and Susan Stokes-Chapman for an e-arc of Pandora in exchange for an honest review.

This was an atmospheric story set in Georgian London. I appreciate that the author wanted to take an entirely different route with this story. I thought it was going to be a mythology retelling, but it was something else entirely. You do get a bit of mythology here, don't get me wrong, but the story is more about Dora and the mystery surrounding both her parents and this strange ancient pithos that her uncle has locked in the basement of his shop.

I really liked Pandora Blake as a character and I thought the mystery element of the story was interesting. However, I wish there was a bit more of the mythology. The focus was more on antiques - buying, selling, and researching. Which, don't get me wrong, was definitely interesting enough to hold my interest and finish the book. There are a lot of really compelling characters in this one too, so while the story was engaging, it just didn't fully work for me enough to give it more than a 3.75 star rating.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. While the premise was interesting I didn’t connect with the characters or the story in a meaningful manner. Some books just aren’t for us, and that’s alright.

Full review to come. Pandora was not what I thought it would be. The premise was so intriguing and I truly appreciated the fact that it was sort of coming of age for an older main character. While I did figure out how it was all going to unfold, I enjoyed how she executed it. The writing was inconsistent and lackluster at certain points which made reading through them a trudge.

I definitely want to read more like this - mythological, well-written, so unique and different. Highly recommend if you are a fan of mythology.

I will be giving this book three stars. I do want to give whoever is going to read this book a heads up that the Greek mythology aspect of this is very light, so do not go in with a very high expectation of it being an extremely intricate retelling with a massive portion of Greek mythology. If you go in with that mindset, I personally feel you would like the book even better.

This novel is a tapestry of greek antiquity and the Georgian era. We follow our orphaned heroine, Dora, as they break away from a hostile uncle and seemingly ambivalent housekeeper following the abrupt arrival of an ancient pithoi. But this pithoi is different. And it may be cursed. But with the help of Edward, a scholar striving for academic validation, and Cornelius, a recognized scholar of inherited wealth, Dora may be able to uncover the truth behind the pithoi and its ties to her family. Thank you Netgalley and Harper Perennial Paperbacks for sending the book for review consideration. All opinions are my own!