Wow, this was such an enjoyable read; I couldn’t put it down. I really liked the unique magic system and the world-building as a whole. I loved the idea of the fate-thread as well, tying Io and Edei together. It gave off soulmate vibes and I wasn’t even mad about it because of the way their relationship developed. It really pulled at my heartstrings and I really hope we get another book in this world because I desperately need Io and Edei to have peace and fall in love. I want them in their quiet moments and their desperate moments.

I liked the relationship that Io has with her sisters, Thais and Ava although it becomes very apparent that it’s toxic. While they were doing what they could in a world that labeled them as “other-born” it became more than just surviving and it took a little bit for Io to see this. I thought it was interesting how Io and Bianca, the mob queen, end up being brought together in the end. Io really wanted to have a lot of faith in her sisters but I felt their relationships really start to crumble and I don’t know who would be there to catch Io when it all comes to a head.

This book is chaos right down to the end, when shit really hits the fan. There were some parts that were kind of confusing. Regular normal humans obviously exist in this world but we’re so entrenched in the world of Io and the other-born that they get slushed off to the side. I also felt the world was a good mix of dystopian, post-apocalyptic due to the treatment of the other-born and the world outside of Alanta. I hope the finished copy has a map and an index. I think that would be incredibly helpful.

If this is the author’s debut work it certainly doesn’t read like it. It’s so well done, and the mixing of not only Greek mythology but also what I believe is Egyptian mythology was excellent.

I received this book from NetGalley and Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review.

This book is one of the most interesting stories I've read in a while.

Io was a complex and interesting character I really enjoyed reading about. She felt like a real person who had complicated emotions and relationships. All the other characters as well had enough depth and info in the books that I was invested in their stories and wanted to see more of them. I really liked the main pairing especially for "ships" but I’m also interested in some side pairings and am intrigued to see where things go from here.

I’ve never read anything like this before. The idea of gods, threads, politics, relationships, everything all together just made for an incredibly interesting and exciting plot that kept my attention the entire time. The way the setting was described worked really well for me and I could always vividly see in my mind where they were. The worldbuilding was also great as I felt like we got information spread out throughout the book and I never felt like I was just drowning in info dumping.

It did a good job of really setting the vibe. Like I said before, I could always vividly picture what was going on and there were multiple moments where there were quotes that really hit hard. I liked the POV. I liked being in Io’s head and see things from her perspective and what her thought processes were. It might’ve been cool to get a second POV but I’m not bothered that I didn’t. I thought it did a good job of keeping the pacing interesting? I didn’t feel like we were going super fast the whole time but also didn’t have many moment where I felt like things were slow. It had a good balance.

The conflict always held my attention and I constantly just wanted to know what was going to happen next. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing. The main conflict at the end was also very exciting and I was holding my breath trying to read as fast as I could to see what was going to happen.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who likes stories about gods, mythologic "powers" and political intrigue. This was a super fun read.

This book will take your breath away with its whirlwind action scenes, detailed world-building, and incorporation of Greek mythology, politics, underground gangs, and an apocalyptic city atmosphere. It’s the perfect combination of fate, romance, gods, murder, mystery, sleuthing, humor, and magic. Kika Hatzopoulous is a brilliant writer, and her world feels post-apocalyptical and exciting. Her plot is well-paced, full of so many twists and turns I was positively dizzy at the end. The ending wraps up nicely but does still leave some new unanswered questions that prepare us for the future sequels.
Overall I think this is a great YA story and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

An enthralling fantasy following Lo, a fae, as she realises that women are being kidnapped and that their life threads are being messed with, reeking havoc throughout the city. She must set out with the boy she is fated to and Edie Arjuna who works for the Mob Queen to try save the day.
An extremely fast paced and interesting fantasy that I couldn't put down. I would highly recommend this for any fantasy readers.

3.5 Stars rounded up

Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

I want to say, first and foremost, that I think my enjoyment of this book was affected because the formatting of my e-galley was incredibly messed up. There were parts of the book that were fine, but when the formatting would get messed up it would really take me out of the story, and then I struggled to understand what was going on, and the sentences did not flow smoothly.

That said, I did think this story was interesting. I was pulled in by the idea of the Greek Gods of fate, and I love the magic system in this book. There is a lot of nuances to the magic system ,and I hope that book two will have a chart detailing the different magics of the different groups. I definitely highlighted these sections so I could go back and reference, but the author also does a good job of "refreshing" the reader on the different magics throughout the book.

I like that the main character felt complex - she was trying to find her way in the world, and trying to help others find theirs, all while grappling with an internal issue of right or wrong. This book grapples the idea of immigrants and people having no true home due to being pushed out, and even genocide of an entire people because one small group was afraid of them.

Speaking of characters - there is a lot of rep in this book! Trans and nonbinary characters get good screen time, and there is even fluid sexuality mentioned as well. This is not a straight, cis-gendered world the author created. And I love that detail about the story!

The book does get political at times, and I will admit that I kind of zoned out at those points. I am not sure I fully understand the Initiative idea, or even why the Riots happened. But, I enjoyed the action bits and seeing the fated romance bloom in the two characters.

There is a lot going on with this book - enough that if you look away or zone out you'll likely miss something important. This is definitely a book you want to give your full attention to, so that you don't miss out on anything. I look forward to a sequel, which I will definitely read.

This book also reminded me a bit of These Violent Delights, in some of the action and maybe the romance-y bits. Definitely in the violence, but also in the gangs and the semi-political subplot as well. So, you know, if you liked TVD then you should probably read this one too.

Overall, I love the mythology woven throughout this story, and the author did a fantastic job detailing out the magic system. I never felt like the story dragged, but the formatting of my e-arc definitely cut into my enjoyment. When the sequel comes out I'll likely read this one again (in physical format that time), and I hope to enjoy it more then. There is a lot to like about this story, and I look forward to seeing what comes next!

Content warnings: animal death, xenophobia, genocide, violence, murder, body horror, death, blood, confinement, transphobia, loss of a parent, toxic relationships, gaslighting

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC!

Let me tell you, I’m a sucker for pretty covers(and not fully reading descriptions)! But a pretty cover with a soulmate au and a surprise GANG background, this story is RIGHT up my alley! I loved every second of reading this book and I can easily say that I will be on the look out for book two because jeez what an ending!

If you are like me and high fantasy with lots of background description and new words to keep track of, this book may be a little hard to be submersed in. I definitely would have benefitted from a dictionary of all the different words, but I was able to use enough context clues/parse it together from the next scene to understand!

Threads That Bind is a definite read and a series that one should keep their eyes on!

"Three bodies, one soul," she repeated. "No questions asked."
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🌌Rating:2.5/5⭐
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Unfortunately, this book failed to live up to the expectations which I had. Initially, this book proved to have a rather promising premise about gods and mythology as well as death. I'm an avid reader of fantasy and mystery but unfortunately, this reminds me of a poorly patched together piece of mystery. Before I dive right into it, I would like to thank NetGallery for this arc.

Anyways, the beginning of the story was quite mediocre with a bit of jazz here and there. Even though it wasn't up there in my standard, I gave it a shot since it was only the beginning. But no, it got worse. The plot was as predictable as the rising temperature of the earth, where everything gets more and more frustrating.

Now moving on to the characters, they lacked depth and they fell into the good and bad archetype which I hated. It was clearly a pity that this book didn't bother to explore the morality of the characters. It was as if the author was somehow afraid of pushing an intellectual discussion in fear that the audience wouldn't be able to understand it as it's ya. It had so much potential to be darker and more sinister since this was supposedly set in a normal setting. Like I want more blood, more characters betraying each other and pointing their guns at each other. Io was clearly written as the 'good' person and was presented in that manner, but I sometimes find her words and actions contradictory which was frustrating. Also, she's supposed to be a private investigator but she somehow can't solve this mystery because she's too entangled in her feelings and Edei.

Speaking of Edei, Io and him have no whatsoever chemistry. It was the equivalent of placing copper into acid. I was constantly exhausted by their jokes and I constantly longing and longing for him. If Io had channelled that energy towards solving the mystery and used her brain, maybe she wouldn't be entangled up in this mess. I had my money fully bet on the 'grand villain' behind this whole shenanigan. It was clearly obvious right from the get go as to who was the murder and it could have been much more interesting if it was totally someone unexpected like maybe her fate thread. Maybe I should take over Io's investigator job instead.

Overall, the writing style wasn't too bad but it was pretty mediocre enough for me to give it a two star. This book could have gone through a few more rounds of editing and inquiry to improve the plot and the non-existent paper flat chemistry between the characters.

"Tolerating wickedness seems to me just a slow kind of death."

I’m a sucker for a thought-provoking murder mystery, especially when it takes place in apocalyptic setting with a unique magic system—one based off the Greek Fates.

Io Ora is a descendant of these Fates—a feared cutter that can see and sever the threads that link others to everything they love. As other-born, she and her two sisters were forced to grow up in the slums of a water-logged city prone to flash floods and waves of crime from the myriad of gangs.

When the mob boss hires her to investigate a murder, Io is forced to work with the boy at the other end of her rare fate thread. But when their clues begin to point to her estranged sister’s new fiancé, Io uncovers a truth more heinous than she imagined.

This story was brimming with action, stuffed with tropes, and seasoned with the sweetness of a budding romance. The world building was fascinating (albeit a little convoluted at times), and I enjoyed the glimpses of different powers. I wish I had been wrong about the ultimate twist but am still caught off guard by that ending!!

IThere were a few modern colloquialisms used that sometimes took me out of the story. I also thought the romance could’ve been developed a little earlier, especially because the main characters are linked by fate. But this story explored important themes, such as: the effects of oppression and corruption, freeing oneself from regret, and the importance of standing up for what’s right.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Teen/Razorbill for granting my request for an advanced reader copy of Threads That Bind in exchange for an honest review.

What an incredible story! I loved the fresh take on gods-inspired fantasy and magic. The many tangled mysteries through kept me frantically reading for more, and the varied relationships gave me so many feels. This debut author is already a favorite of mine, and I can’t wait for the next book.

Threads that Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
4.75 stars
I was gifted an ARC by the Penguin group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was an absolutely amazing debut novel by Kika Hatzopoulou! For some background I have little to no knowledge of mythology in general so I was very curious how that would play into my rating of this book. Fortunately for me it wasn't a problem. This book did an incredible job weaving elements of fantasy and murder mystery into one fantastical world where no one is exactly who they seem. I really enjoyed how the author played out the fated lovers trope as well as each faction of other-born is explained in some way, so even if the reader doesn't have previous knowledge they can still enjoy the story. By the end I was truly invested in the characters and their individual stories and hopefully the story will continue with another book!

Was very intrigued to check this out as it’s featured in some special book boxes all. It was an excellent start to this series! I loved the intrigue the politics the romance of it all. Can’t wait to read more about Io and Edei and the rest.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill for sharing this amazing book's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

4.25/5

This book was amazing. It's great for character-driven AND plot-driven readers.

I loved all the characters as they all felt very real and relatable during innumerous times. Their relationships are mostly intricate and I especially loved to read about the sisters who, even though are supposed to be "three bodies one soul", still have many differences. Reading about how they deal with those differences while still showing the love they have for each other was so interesting. This book has great world-building inspired by Greek mythology. From all the lore to the descriptions of the city, it all helps creates a great vivid imagery that adds to the reading experience. Besides that, there's a plot twist that I actually did not see coming and that doesn't happen a lot.

One thing I think should've been worked on better was the pacing, mostly in two situations: the evolution of Edei and Io's relationship since the story in the book happens in a couple of days and, although I did not see the plot twist coming, everything that happened after the big revelations felt very rushed to me making the ending a bit anticlimactic.

If you like an action packed book inspired by Greek mythology, I definitely recommend this book!
Can't wait to read the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! And thank you to Kika Hatzopoulou for taking me out of a major reading slump <3

This book was EVERYTHING I had been looking for in a novel recently. It’s got really atmospheric world building paired with an interesting magic system that, rather than focusing only on the actual magic, also explores the anthropology and sociopolitical consequences of those powers.

While the pacing of the book initially took some time to get used to, once you allow yourself to get into the headspace of “Threads that bind” it is such a page turner that continues to surprise and never really slows down. From the way the complexities of sisterhood was explored to the fate versus truth of Io and Edei’s relationship, the book covers a lot of really interesting themes without any of them feeling unnecessary.

Furthermore this book is such a healthy example of subtle yet positive representation where queer and POC characters are incorporated into the plot line without being reduced to just those aspects of their identities. Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the novel from beginning to end (not to mention how gorgeous the cover page is) and for the first time (in a really long time) I’m actually interested in reading the next book of the series.

What initially intrigued me about this book was the stunning cover but oh boy, was I in for a treat with this one! ✨

Io Ora is the youngest of her three sisters, who are descendants of the greek Fates. You heard that right, GREEK MYTHOLOGY! Her oldest sister Thais is born to weave threads, her middle sister Ava has the ability to spin them and Io has the most controversial job of them all because she is a cutter and thus has the ability to cut threads. Each person can have multiple threads that connect them to the things they love and last but not least ... life *ehem*. The Ora sisters have the ability to see those threads and use their gift to work as private investigators. When Io takes on a high stakes job, with undead wraiths on the lose, things start to go awry and Io gets pulled into a scheme that is both political and deadly.

There is so much that drew me into the book, so lets start listing the things I loved:

1. The mythology and magic system
With people being descendants of Greek Gods, this book opens up a very interesting magic system. I really liked how well thought out it is and how every little detail contributed to the plot.

2. The different nuances of social topics
This book is categorized as YA and features tons of topics that made me really happy. There is a lot of subtle and not so subtle discourse about climate change, gender & identity as well as class issues. The characters are super diverse, which I also really appreciated.

3. THE MYSTERY
Gods, I did not see that plot twist coming. The plot was so, so interesting and I was on the edge of my seat for the third part of this book.

4. The characters
There is a character for literally anybody. We have a very sweet love story in this, that does not take from the mystery elects at all. We also have a gang with a literal mob queen, which will probably interest the mafia romance girlies on TikTok lol.

Now onto what I didn't like and why I rated this book four stars rather than five:

1. It's really only one thing: I thought the narration and the pacing was a little bit jumpy. The world-building in this book is amazing but in my humble opinion happened a little bit to late into the book. This lead to me imaging wild things, especially for the urban setting, which in turn took me right out of the story. I am also very excited to explore the characters a little bit more because there are a lot of loose threads that I would like a backstory on.

I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who likes Greek mythology and is looking for a YA fix that is not Percy Jackson. This book is a little bit graphic when it comes to (gang) violence, so keep that in mind if you are reading this.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing me with the advances readers copy.

A super unique and gripping story! While this is YA, there are a lot of complex ideas and things to keep track of such as the Gods and the different powers they pass down and the politics of the world. Our MC Io has the Fates’ power to see and cut the threads which tie people to their lives and the things they love, and she puts her skills to use as a private investigator. When a job goes awry, she becomes involved in a big murder mystery conspiracy.

I thought Io was a really interesting character - she’s a little morally grey and has a complicated relationship with her sisters who are equally powerful, as well as a soulmate thread to a boy she’s never met. While the romance wasn’t the main focus, her interactions with Edei were my favorite part. I loved the mystery aspect and how it keeps throwing you off and bringing up more questions. Although I’m honestly not sure if I followed 100% of what was going on, I’m really intrigued to find out what happens next.

Thank you to Penguin Group for the ARC!

How interesting everything I read in this story. The characters, the plot twist, the way to develop, everything!

Threads That Bind introduces us to a completely different world from the one we are used to living in and also reading about (at least for me) and it did so in such a gradual, interesting and light way that this book got out of hand.

The book is divided into three parts, three very interesting and key moments. In each one of them we can see how the relationships and the truth that surrounds the protagonist are changing and transforming, for better or for worse.

Although it has romance, this is totally secondary and this "predestined" love thing got along so, so well that I LOVED IT. Because generally you don't like that "Insta love" of predestined love, and here we see that it develops in an excellent way, and that it brings us great reflections.

The different characters that we can see here, although they are very well developed, I think that in the continuation they are going to be a bomb, and yes, I am already looking forward to the second part because MADRE SANTA: THE ENDING.

Without much more... a great read, captivating, interesting, fantastic.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved reading this book so much. I just finished it and I need to read the second book already. “Threads that bind” is a wonderful story that pulls you right in. Hatzopoulou’s writing is amazing and pulls you straight into the book. Her magic system was unique, special, and intriguing. The mystery was well planned and perfectly executed.
Io was a wonderful main character and was extremely interesting. She was by no means perfect, but she was a complex character that made you want to dive deep into her brain. I loved how her personality shifted and evolved as she experienced different challenges throughout the book.
Usually, I am not a fan of the “fated to love each other” trope but with Edei and Io it was extremely well executed and adorable. You couldn’t help but root for them.
The one problem I had with the story is confusing the other-born and their names. For example, sometimes I couldn’t remember what the Moria-born did or who the keres-born was. Although this problem is simple and could be solved if there is a glossary with the different powers added.

I need this to be a serie
pls im begging you

let me start by saying that Io is the coolest name character ever !

i've never read a story like this. you would think that "children of god" would be pretty boring because it's been done before but this was done in a way i've never seen.

i loved Io's character so much. like how complex she was. the internal struggle - her anxiety, shame, guilt, grief and not knowing what to do in such a complicated situation made her such an interesting character !

also - the discussion about race through the 'other-born' was absolutely stunning

and omg Edei and Io's relationship had me giggling and kicking my feet !!!
i need more of them

the cover is also absolutely stunning !

i can't wait for everyone to read this book because i need to talk about it to more people !!!

Oh my, this book was everything. The characters, the universe, all of it! Miss Hatzopoulou wrote it in such unique way I'm unable to put in words. I'm so excited for her next works!!

A Five Star Review!
First of all, this book is probably my most anticipated book of the year. Period.
It had everything that I love in a great book. Amazing character development, action scenes that were breath taking and an extraordinary storyline that had you on the edge of your seat the whole time. With just a perfect splash of romance tossed in that had me aching to see what the main characters would do.
I honestly loved everything about this book. I can’t praise it enough.
If you are looking for an amazing book, look no further. Kika Hatzopoulo created a knockout of a book!