Threads That Bind is a unique and imaginative fantasy with elements of Greek mythology. Io and her sisters are descendants of the Fates and each has their own special power that deals with a person's threads. Io is a cutter and has the ability to cut a person's threads, including their life thread. Io has made a living as a private investigator, using her power to help solve mysteries throughout the Silts. She has settled into a routine until the mob boss of the Silts asks for her help in solving a case of strange murders. Io is forced to partner with the person, unbeknownst to him, with whom she shares a fate thread. While the pacing is slow at parts and there could be more character development, overall, the book is well-written and I enjoyed reading it. Threads That Bind is full of interesting magic, morally gray characters, and quite a bit of intriuge and action. I'll definitely be recommending Threads That Bind to anyone looking for a unique fantasy read this summer.

An imaginative and interesting fantasy weaving in Greek mythology. I had thought this was a standalone but was surprised by the ending - now I’m anxiously awaiting the next book! Io is a descendant of the Fates and struggles with the consequences of using her abilities and the choices that she’s made. Her job leads her to investigating mysterious wraiths and must team up with her soulmate, whom she’s never met. Io’s relationships with her sisters is relatable and you can sympathize with her. Some parts of the plot moved a little slowly, but the last third of the book was very enjoyable and fast-paced. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the arc.

An easy 5 stars for this one! It took me a couple of chapters to get my bearings as it quickly jumps into the action but this story completely sucked me in and immersed me in a unique world unlike any I have read. Mysterious murders, rival gangs, a half submerged city reminiscent of Atlantis, godborn people with magic powers, a fated love, secrets, betrayals, and monsters - it kept me turning the page, hungry to find out the answers to so many questions. The story is fast paced, with many nuances that never leave you bored. I can't wait for book 2 and for everyone to read this so we can talk about it!

Thank you to #netgalley and @penguinteen for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

In a world where the children of the gods inherit their powers, a descendant of the Greek Fates must solve a series of impossible murders to save her sisters, her soulmate, and her city.

Descendants of the Fates are always born in threes: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself. The Ora sisters are no exception. Io, the youngest, uses her Fate-born abilities as a private investigator in the half-sunken city of Alante.

But her latest job leads her to a horrific discovery: somebody is abducting women, maiming their life-threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill. To find the culprit, she must work alongside Edei Rhuna, the right hand of the infamous Mob Queen—and the boy with whom she shares a rare fate-thread linking them as soul mates before they’ve even met.

But the investigation turns personal when Io's estranged oldest sister turns up on the arm of her best suspect. Amid unveiled secrets from her past and her growing feelings for Edei, Io must follow clues through the city’s darkest corners and unearth a conspiracy that involves some of the city’s most powerful players—before destruction comes to her own doorstep.

Thank you to the publisher, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill for this eARC for review!

50000/5 stars!

I absolutely DEVOURED this story!! This was such a refreshing world and plotline, with the perfect mix of retold mythology while also being made completely new by the mixture of climate change issues being a permanent fixture of the world/society, as well as it being a very contemporary/urban setting and associated political intrigue. The magic system!!!! I loved the various skills/powers Kika created to associate with each descended of the gods. It was never too complicated to understand, was vividly fleshed out and visualized during the action for the reader, and there was plenty of mystery/unanswered questions woven in for the reader to wonder about and want answers to in the following installments.
I loved Io as a character so much, and as the youngest sibling I could definitely relate to her experiences in some aspect (obviously the less serious aspects). Each sister had a very distinct personality and motives, as did the side characters throughout the story. The side characters were easily loveable and made me laugh so often! Edei was such a sweet, soft boy while also being serious and strong, and was the perfect balance to Io's impulsiveness and self-consciousness. The "chimerini" or chimeras were a cool and sometimes weird (in a good way) addition to the story and really set the world apart from other things I've read. I was NOT PREPARED for how this story would unfold and what would be revealed at the last 10%, and I'm now waiting on bated breath for book 2!

Thanks for the advanced readers copy, I've been anticipating reading this book. It was a little slow moving for me at first, but when the mystery started to unravel it got more enjoyable for me. Towards the end I was highly invested in io and the characters around her. With the way it ends, I know there is going to be a second book, so I can't wait for the sequel!

I don't think I'm ever going to stop talking about this book now that I've read it, honestly.

Io, the youngest of three sisters who are called moiraborn--descendants of the Fates from Greek mythology--makes a somewhat successful living as a Private Investigator living in the slums of the half-flooded city of Alante. She spends her days catching cheaters, gamblers, and drunks and reporting back to their loved ones who hired her. The catch? Not only can she catch them in the act, but she can also see how attached they are to their vices using her powers, and is the cutter of threads among her sisters, which makes her talents invaluable to some clients. But when Alante is threatened by a vicious string of murders no one can solve and the clock is ticking down to find the pattern between the victims and killers, Io's gifts turn out to be more valuable than ever before. With help from the boy on the other end of her fate-thread--the rare thread linking her to her soulmate--Io must solve the murders and dig to the bottom of the tangled web of threads that has ensnared Alante and the rest of their world--before it's too late.

This book takes off at breakneck speed from chapter one and kept me enthralled from the first page. The pacing was incredible, the characters were fun and interesting and beautifully developed, the world they lived in was fleshed out and well planned and made easy to understand despite it's complexities, and the magic system was *immaculate*. Kika Hatzopoulou came into this book with so much knowledge of the mythology and legends of multiple cultures and built this lush, beautiful, horrific world for her characters to play in, and I am already chomping at the bit for the second in the duology.

If you're looking for an urban fantasy with a killer magic system, ties to multiple different cultures and their mythology, a mystery that you actually get to watch unravel around your main character, action sequences that had me bouncing in my seat, and *loads* of heart, then pick up Threads That Bind. I promise you won't regret it...at least until it's over and you have to decide what to do next with your life.

I have seen this book EVERYWHERE and for good reason. It is so fun and inventive. It is fast paced, but also well rounded characters. Please read this!

The mystery aspect of this was intriguing, but it kept getting sidelined by the romance, which by comparison was very thin (falling for someone mainly because of fate just isn't very interesting!). I also thought the mysterious villain was pretty obvious...

Thank you to Kika Hatzopoulou and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I was really excited for this book just in general and was even more excited to get the chance to read it early.

The author skillfully weaves together elements of mystery, fantasy, and romance, creating a richly layered narrative. Io's partnership with Edei Rhuna, a boy connected to her through a rare fate-thread, adds an intriguing dynamic to the story. I wish that that we got to see more of Edei's personality though, it feel like he is a little 2 dimensional as he stands right now. I really hope that we get to see more of who he is in the next book.

The world-building in this book is exceptional, with the half-sunken city of Alante serving as a captivating backdrop. The author's vivid descriptions bring the city and its dark corners to life, immersing readers in a gritty and atmospheric setting. The authors doesn't just describe the overall environment vidily, they also describe the way the characters feel in those environments down to the boots squishing and sloshing. Which I feel like we don't see that often and it is massively important to get more of the 5 senses involved in these descriptions so that we can get more of an idea of what it feels like to be in these new places.

I was also really impressed with the new take on not only greek mythology but many different cultures mythology as well. I feel like the author did an absolutely fantastic job of still calling back to the OG myths but also using those ideas in a way that I haven't seen done before and that really enhanced the overall story.

The story kept me constantly guessing and second guessing everything that I thought was going to happen as Io navigates through a web of deception and unravels a conspiracy involving powerful individuals. There were a lot of plot developments that I really did not see coming at all. Which I am absolutely obsessed with, I hate being able to see a plot twist coming miles away.

Overall, "The Threads that Bind" is a thrilling and well-crafted novel that seamlessly blends fantasy and suspense. With its compelling characters, intricate plot, and imaginative world, this book is sure to captivate fans of mystery and fantasy genres alike.

That was an interesting read, very creative writing at many places, but loses its pacing a lot of times but i could able to read it anyway

Set in a world where those born with the powers of the gods are known as the other-born. The other-born have to register their power and are frequently treated differently and face discrimination. Io Ora is the youngest of three sisters who all take after different aspects of the Fates. Io is able to see the threads that tie a person to the people and things they love and she's seen as dangerous since she can cut those threads, even their life thread. In her job as a private investigator, she's tasked with finding out who is behind the sudden appearance of a being who is murdering people, even though they have a severed life thread and shouldn't be alive and able to cause harm. Io investigates the different factions of the city Alante and every clue she uncovers leads to more uncertainty as to who is behind it all. While the worldbuilding was well developed to create an interesting setting with a detailed background, the romance aspect was the less interesting part as it felt like Io was quickly enamored with Edei and seemed to attribute that solely to their fated thread. Overall, a great beginning to a series that's part myth, part detective story. Readers of the Percy Jackson series will really like this one.

Oh my goodness! I absolutely loved this book so much!! (I absolutely HAD to get it the moment it hit the shelves- it was published on May 30th and I just got my book in the mail and wowowo) I read some of it while I had it as an ARC from NetGalley so I'm going to continue on with the IRL / Hard copy book and gosh! from the cover to the writing I absolutely love it so far!! ♡ (also special thanks to NetGalley for giving me a chance to experience this wonderful ARC in exchange for an honest review!) #ThreadsThatBind #NetGalley

As a History major specializing in the Ancient Mediterranean, I’m always on the hunt for a good Greek mythology retelling and let me tell you: Threads That Bind and Kika Hatzopoulou absolutely delivered! If this cover alone doesn’t convince you to read this book, allow me to gush for a bit...

This is exactly the kind of unique YA fantasy/mythological retelling I needed in my life. The world is incredibly innovative—a neo-noir, post-apocalyptic city—and the magic system brilliantly subverts common tropes while remaining truly faithful to Greek mythology (the historically-accurate one and not the pop-culture, Westernized mythology). Instead of focusing on the Olympians like most Greek mythology retellings, it focuses on the gods of natural and supernatural forces who, arguably, play as important of a role in the mythological canon as the Olympians. The world is also effortlessly diverse and multicultural, befitting the urban/post-apocalyptic refuge city setting. While I tend to be a bit harsh on single-city settings that advertise themselves as “complex” and “corrupt,” I’m proud to say that Kika truly delivers on this. Alante is gritty and rife with danger, and the juxtaposition of the Silts (the slums) and the Hill (the elite district) felt authentic and bore clear inspiration from Athens. While I wish the complex world outside Alante was explained more clearly (there are a lot of place names and proper nouns to keep track of), I don’t think this harmed the plot in any way.

Io was a fantastic character to follow—she’s driven, fiercely loyal, protective, and wonderfully vulnerable. I need to take a moment to appreciate just how vulnerable she is and how impressively Kika depicts her insecurities through the third-person narration. While I always appreciate a strong, badass character, Io is a much-needed breath of fresh air. She can certainly hold her own in a fight and has arguably the most powerful moira-born ability (cutting threads of emotions), but she also felt like a teenager. She’s afraid of hurting people and relentlessly overthinks everything; while this may annoy some readers, I felt this was true YA and made her a fully-fleshed out character. She makes mistakes more often than not, but she both learns and grows from them without sacrificing her morals. In line with the neo-noir genre and criminal underworld setting, she’s not ignorant or blind to the harsh reality of living in the slums as a magical other-born, but her emotional journey and loss of (emotional) innocence resonated deeply with me.

There is a huge cast of side characters, and while some felt a bit underdeveloped due to the sheer volume, they all shined in their own ways. None felt like plot devices, and their motivations, desires, and fears were all explained and shown rather than told to the reader. The complicated sister dynamics were fascinating, and I thought their relationship was only elevated and complicated by their godly lineage; this was, to me, a hallmark of a good magic system. The love interest Edei and his mob boss Bianca in particular shined for me. Edei is the sweetest boy ever and I just want to hug him and protect him from the world, but he’s also hardened from life as a foreigner and criminal. Like Io, he is kind and perhaps cares a bit too deeply for everyone, but it never felt trivialized or childish. His empathy was so awesome to see portrayed in a male love interest, and the gentle way he navigates his emotions endeared him even more to me. I will admit that Io’s infatuation with him felt heavy-handed and/or over-described at times, but I think it was an authentic way to portray teenage crushing. Bianca, on the other hand, was an excellent foil to Io and Edei—as the mob queen of the Silts, she’s cunning and vicious, but also has a deep loyalty to her gang members. She stole the scene every time she was on the page and I’m so excited to learn more about her in the sequel!

Speaking of the sequel, I had no idea that this book was part of a series so that changed the way I viewed the pacing. I thought Threads was a stand-alone so I had problems with how slow the plot and main mystery moved, but seeing that it’s only book 1, it’s more understandable. The core mystery was intriguing and very complex, but it felt a bit too drawn out at times. I would have appreciated a bit more payoff or foreshadowing since the actual culprit didn’t get nearly enough time on page for me to even consider them as a suspect. But besides that small complaint, I found that Threads was meticulously plotted as the mystery slowly unfurled. The final revelation was fantastic and had me speeding to the climax. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next, especially with all the revelations about the creator(s) of the wraiths and the shifting character dynamics.

In the end, Threads That Bind is a stunning debut and true breath of fresh air in the YA fantasy genre. Kika Hatzopoulou is an author to watch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill (Penguin Young Readers Group) for the e-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5/5 stars

Honestly, that ending was pretty unsatisfying for me. The idea of the threads in this book was interesting but I almost feel like there was too much world building. I struggled with the pacing of the story and I'm still not really sure I understand the plot completely. Also, there wasn't enough character development in this story. I would have loved to see more of the dynamics between Io and her sisters as well as Io and Edei. This book didn't seem very plot-drive or character-driven to me so it felt flat for most of it. Personally, the story picked up way past the halfway mark. I think some ideas in the book could have been developed more, especially pertaining to the gods. For the most part, all the information in the story was quite messy, especially given how many different things were happening at once.

This started out really strong, but quickly started to fall flat for me as the plot became so much like other murder mysteries set in YA fantasy worlds! I did really like a lot of the world building details, but a lot of it was very formulaic and I just couldn't get into it.

I had such high expectations, but sadly this was a DNF. I think I might try it again when I'm more in the mood for a YA fantasy. I DNF'ed at about 30% because I found the story to be very slow. I expect a lot of action in YA fantasy and found that a lot of time was spent on the world building. I don't mind that, but I wasn't super into the world building. That said, I really loved the characters and the concept. I think this book is incredibly unique, and I can totally see why it is so hyped up! I would recommend it to those who love Greek mythology and YA fantasy.

“One soul, three bodies”

That’s the main theme of this book. Yes, it has a great setting and intricate plot. Yes, it is based in Greek mythology. And, yes, it has descendants of minor gods as both its main character as well as supporting characters. Its heart, however, is based on sisterhood and all its love and complications. To quote Dominic Torreto, “It’s about family.”

Threads that Bind is set in the city of Alante, a nice play on Atlantis. Alante is a city that is basically surrounded by water, not quite Waterworld levels of water but enough so that buildings in Atlante’s lower income areas are described as rotting and buildings in the more affluent neighborhoods are built on hills. In the former mentioned part of the city, known as the Silts, Io Ora lives with her older sister Ava and the memories and emotions of her eldest sister Thais. The sisters lived together orphaned after their parents’ untimely passing. That is until 2 years before the opening of the novel when Thais seemingly deserts her family. This leaves a gap in the sisterhood, because as mentioned before, “One soul, three bodies.” Now, Io and Ava have to fill the gap of their absent older sister. This gap proves to be larger than either sister is emotionally able to handle.

The setting and world building of this novel is a mythological retelling done the correct way. It builds on knowledge of the already known and reinvents some aspects of Greek mythology to make it more interesting. One way this is accomplished is the world as a whole and the city of Atlante itself. However, the most creative aspect of this retelling is in the characters, the “other-born.” The “other-born” are the descendants of minor gods from various mythologies and various cultures. There are Slavic, African, and Middle Eastern “other-born” representations as well as Greek representation. There were descendants based on Chernobog, the Dioscuri, Hypnos, etc. The Ora sisters are also “other-born.” They are the descendants of the Moirai, the sisters of fate, with Thais being the weaver, Ava the drawer, and Io the cutter.

The fact that the sisters are moira-born serve to move the main theme and plot of the book forward. To say their relationship is strained is putting it mildly. They each had their strong positive aspects, but they all also had personality traits and characteristics that needed work in order for each of them to be better people. I loved all three of them for different reasons. I especially appreciated Io as a main character. She is only nineteen, and even though she has been through a lot, she is ultimately still a child that had to grow up too soon. Throughout this book, she has to grow up even more in order to become the woman she is meant to be.

This novel was quickly paced. In the beginning of the novel, this did not serve the story well as I felt I couldn’t really get to know the world and Io well enough before we dove into the action. It settled down and everything melded together by the end of the first third of the book though. I am not sure if the pace was also to blame, but in the beginning I didn’t enjoy the introduction of Edei and the fated thread. It felt over the top and thrown in. But, again after the first third of the novel, Edei and Io’s relationship began to grow on me. Edei is a great addition to Io’s world, and they became each other’s missing piece. It almost fell into the “instalove” trope, but it’s hard to argue that fate is instant.

I am fully anticipating the sequel, learning more about the world, and seeing both Io and Edei continue to develop.

Also, Thais is a bitch, and I love to love it.

4.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group for providing me an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be published to my Instagram on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.

https://www.instagram.com/spellsbooksandkrystals/

I must say #TheThreadsThatBind is a fantastic book! It's one of those books that I wish I could have put all of my responsibilities on hold and just hunkered down to read uninterrupted until it was finished. Unfortunately I couldn't do that and so it took me longer to finish. I know it is a great book because most of the time I wasn't reading I was thinking about the book, waiting for a chance to read about the other born. Other Born are those with powers descended from the Gods that have died. Io is a cutter. She can see people's threads that bind them to the things they care about in life. She has the power to cut those threads. The Nine Muses the most powerful and revered of the Other Born have told of a prophecy involving Io. She will cut a thread and the world will burn.
Thank you #Netgalley for allowing me to read #TheThreadsThatBind in return for an honest review.

I really liked this book!
I don’t think it’s perfect, there are some foundation issues I had, but the story was enough to make up for that.
To start, I loved Io and Edei. I look forward to seeing how their relationship develops in the next book.
Bianca was an intriguing character as well. She was fascinating.
But this book does read young. I have no idea how old Io is and at the start, she read almost middle grade. But slowly the writing matured as the story progresses.
I loved the mix of mythology, even if I don’t know it well.
I can’t wait for the next book!

This one was very unique! Right away with the conversations of pulling life threads, I thought of Kaikeyi, so I think fans of that one will definitely enjoy this one.