thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

⭐️=3.75 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=2 | ⚔️=4.5 | 14+

Threads That Bind follows Io, a girl descended from the Fates, giving her the power to see fate threads and cut people off from the things they love––or save them. there’s a string of murders happening and she has to solve the mystery with her soulmate (except he doesn’t know he’s her soulmate) and there’s gangs and family drama and stuff!!

my favorite thing about this was the world building! super creative and different from any other Greek mythology-inspired book I’ve read, and there were a lot of cool side characters.

that’s kind of the problem, though. I wanted to see more of the side characters than the main character; like, Io had a lot of drama with her sisters, but I was almost more invested in her sisters’ side of the story than hers?? however, this was engaging and fun and there were some really great twists. I’ll definitely read book two for the twists and the side characters alone. if we’re lucky, Io will get a personality trait or two by then.

I absolutely loved this book! Honestly I don’t even know what to compare it to, but it did give me Crescent City vibes. It was a reading experience unlike any I’ve had before. If you would like to see a Fate (the Greek Mythology kind) try to solve a series of murders while her life as she knows it unravels around her in a Venice-esque setting then this book is for you!

I’d categorize this book as urban fantasy meets dystopian world, with a unique magic system and mythology I can’t wait to learn more about in the next book. I love a series that doesn’t spell everything out for you right off the bat and makes you work for it. The characters have interesting and complex relationships. And I especially enjoyed the sister relationship between the three fates.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review.
Tropes: Greek myth fantasy, detective/conspiracy, slow burn romance, girl falls first, fated mates
The book had a little bit of info-dumping, but great sweet romance and plot.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book!

I have scheduled promotional posts around release day for this book and I will provide a full review on my Instagram once I am able to get to this read.

Rating 5 stars on Netgalley as a placeholder for me to update later once the review is complete.

Will also complete a review on Goodreads once read.

Thanks again!

This title wasn't something I could get into, so I won't be finishing it. I really hope that others enjoy it.

4.5 Stars

THERE BETTER BE A SEQUEL TO THIS BOOK BECAUSE I NEED MORE. This book was inventive and intriguing and kept me turning the page throughout the whole story which is not an easy feat. This book had everything from greek mythology to murder to potential love. I think this is a book that everyone needs to add to their tbr's immediately. Granted, the characters drove me insane a little bit and I got confused with some of the terminology along the way, but overall this story was compelling and fascinating.

I know I will have to wait for a potential sequel, but the wait is going to be painfully slow and I need to know where this story is going to go next. Why did Ava leave with Thais? Are the old gods really not dead? I can't wait to find out.

Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I really loved this! Every aspect of it was engaging to me--I loved the characters (some of them, but they were all compelling!), the setting, the powers, the LORE?!!?!??! The world in this book was so unbelievably cool. It felt like it went so deep but this story barely scratched the surface of it and I'm desperate for more information!

The powers and the magic system were so INTERESTING, and I loved that it included more than just Greek mythology. I loved that it included other cultures and mythologies and I definitely would have EATEN this up as a teenager. I ate it up now, as an adult, but the concept of there being so many different varieties of other-born abilities appeals directly to me and my overactive tween brain. I'm imagining myself painstakingly choosing what kind of ability I would have.

I really liked Io and Edei as a main pair, and the supporting cast was also so good! Rosa! Nico! Amos! So good. Angels.

I absolutely need more from this world and I'm on my knees praying that I get it! Highly recommend this one!!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars, rounded up

I really enjoyed this book! I was immediately hooked, and the magic system was introduced in a very satisfying way. I particularly enjoyed how the atmosphere was so vividly described. The mystery at the heart of it was captivating and unpredictable.

Threads That Bind is a unique fantasy story primarily based on Greek mythology. We follow Io, a private detective and descendent of the Fates, who is hired to investigate a series of murders. The story takes place in a fantasy world, namely the semi-submerged city of Alante, but it has a definite urban fantasy feel.

The magic system is unique and well defined - certain people are descended from gods and goddesses of Greek mythology (and other mythologies) and are imbued with an ability corresponding to that god or goddess. The characters were distinct and imperfect. There is also a touch of insta-love, although it arises due to fairly unique circumstances (at least as far as I’ve seen).

Io herself is a cutter - she can cut a person’s threads, severing (for example) their love for a particular person, place or thing, or their life. In society, her ability is feared, even among the other-born. Throughout the story, Io questions the ethical aspects of her ability.

I haven’t seen any confirmation of this, but I hope that this is the start of a series. Whilst elements of the story do get some resolution, there are some loose threads (pun intended) that I hope we explore in a subsequent book.

This story also has vibes of a criminal underworld, political manoeuvring, and family drama. It touches on themes of inequality, oppression and corruption, and has casual representation of LGBTQIA+ (including nonbinary characters) and mental health.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love this streak of really unique young adult fantasy novels I’m finding this year. I love a book with magic in a way I haven’t seen and this book definitely had that. The characters were great and complex. My biggest frustration as I put this book down was how long I will probably have to wait for the next part. Io and her sisters is a descendant of the Greek Fates and she has the ability to cut the threads of anyone. When she is on a routine private detective job she witnesses a murder that shouldn’t have been possible as the murderer’s life threat was severed but she wasn’t dead. The world building in this story was really good. It did make the story move a little slowly at times, but I appreciate the time to really make a realistic post-apocalyptic world where magic and the gods are woven into a world with gangs, prejudice, and now murder. I gave this one 4.5 stars rounded up for the creative magic system.

oh my gosh, this book like swung me back into my Greek mythology/fantasy phase (no joke I bought 3 Greek mythology books) this was just such a fun book, I absolutely loved all the characters and I especially loved Io and Edei's bond and love story just warmed my heart. this was such a fun blend of mystery and mythology and I need the second book now omg that ending requires it asap.

Book Overview- 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. The investigation turns personal when Io's estranged oldest sister shows 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.

My review-
It took a bit of time for me to get hooked but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. This is a great, and new, retelling of the fates within Greek mythology and does a fantastic job at weaving in mystery, thrill and romance all under the umbrella of a YA novel.

Pros- world building, character development (um… hello Io is AMaZING!), the dialogue between characters was real and felt authentic, multi-dimensional characters and if you are into the retellings of mythology (like Circe) you’d love this book.

Cons- took me some time to get into it, filler at times and (while excited for the next installment) probably could have been a stand alone novel.

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.

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

Io is moira-born, one of three sisters descended from The Fates- the Moirae, three goddesses who controlled the fate of every person. Three sisters Io, Ava and Thais. "One soul, split into three bodies.". You could also be Other-born descended from a myriad of gods and goddesses thought to long have disappeared.

Io and her sisters would access The Quilt, a jumble of threads laid over the physical world, they could see silver lines that sprouted from every person, connecting them to the things they most loved in the world, only those descended from The Fates could access The Quilt of life.
Io, is the cutter- able to sever the thread of both life and to the things people loved, Thais the spinner- who could weave new threads, Ava the Drawer- she can elongate or shorten a thread and alter the corresponding feeling.

Other-born always came in a package: in two or three or more siblings descended from a sibling god. Even with the powers they're considered second class citizens, regulated, their powers, ages, and descended gods, public knowledge.

Now that I've gotten the general explanations out of the way,
Let me firstly say I really liked this one. Although there is a lot going on, the info isn't handed to you all at once, but in bits, that I'm not kidding- weave nicely together. This has one of the better plot pull throughs I've come across from the beginning to the end. And while there is a lot of players, and you understand maybe the motives, you still won't see the whole until it's revealed.

I liked Io as a character, she runs a small detective agency in the slums of The Stilts. The world is set in dystopian times, post climate destruction, its done a nice job of combining old world and new world and how its altered and changed over time and the appearance of those with Other-born powers and how they effect society and how its changing.

This is really a tale of sisters. Of everyone just trying to do what they can to live, to carve space for themselves, to maybe change things. But how they do it, isn't always right. And maybe there's some larger players in gods that might not be so completely dead after all or maybe they're something completely new.

There's lots of action, fights, romance, investigating, family trauma, a fated thread, corruption, revealed past, and The Mob Queen of The Silts.
This was a fun read, and I'm dying to know where this takes Io next.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group for an ARC of this novel it was one of my most anticipated reads for this year.
This book is beautiful inside and out. If you’re going to judge a book by it’s cover, choose this one because the cover truely reflects the story and all it’s beauty. This book is one of the best YA fantasies I have read, i loved the magic system and the way mythology was incorporated into the story. The characters in this book were all so deep, so very 3D and I felt like I could connect to them all. Io was a gorgeous main character, the way she navigated all her challenges was insanely riveting and I was kept on my toes the whole way through, i just couldn’t put this book down. This book was paced perfectly, with little clues being placed in the perfect spots. The mystery element in this book fit perfectly and I loved the way that the mystery led to character backstories being shared. The queer representation in this was also beautiful because it was just there, with all the characters being so so accepting of each other, it felt like reading the Grishaverse where being queer was never a crime, it was just something natural that happens. I loved the sister dynamic and the way they were three bodies one soul, i thought in the end that made the story so much more emotional. I am in love with Io and Edei, i think their relationship was told beautifully and oh how the ending of this novel has me wanting more because that fate thread was giving me anxiety and hope and made me feel every other emotion over them. I cannot recommend this book more, it is written beautifully, with beautiful characters, and an engaging story. If you’re a fan of the Grishaverse or The Secret Shanghai series i think you would enjoy this book immensely. I cannot wait to get my hands on the final copy of this and I cannot wait for a sequel (which I hope is happening).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Threads that bind is a beautifully woven story, exploring our connections and love for each other.

Like many other readers, I love books inspired by mythology, and there have been a lot of great Greek mythology-inspired books lately. Although Greek mythology informed the main characters’ environment, in this world, descendants of different gods from all regions of the world inherit some of their powers. I don’t think I’ve come across many stories that combine global mythologies in this way, so I was very intrigued by the worldbuilding, though its intricacy occasionally confused me. It was a bit difficult for me to remember various elements of their world’s history, which then made it more difficult to fully understand the characters’ motivations.

I liked the characters, and I liked that powers are inherited only by siblings—it opens up a lot of opportunities for dynamic relationships between powerful characters. Io, for instance, has a strong moral compass, which complicates her relationship with her oldest sister Thais, who left the city two years ago but suddenly reappears as a link to the case Io is investigating.

The pacing is where I think this debut fell short. At times, the info-dumping was heavy, which slowed the plot to the point where I started to lose interest. I would still read the sequel, though I didn’t initially expect there to be one, and I think the exciting ending could have come sooner.

The idea of descendants of gods living in the world with their powers is a story I can always get behind. I was genuinely surprised many times as Io figured out the mysteries set up around her. I am excited to see what will come next in this world as there is no way we're leaving it here

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an advance copy! I absolutely loved this myth-inspired mystery!

The gods are dead and only their descendants, the Other-born, with magical gifts walk the earth. Io and her sisters are the descendants of the Fates, well known in Greek mythology. Io can cut the threads that bind people to their loves and desires. It makes her dangerous, feared even by other descendants of the gods. It is currently how she makes her living, hired on as a PI to investigate crimes like adultery, thefts, or gambling. That is until she witnesses the impossible. A woman with a severed life thread, by all rights she should be dead, but she's alive and she is murderous.

The world-building was unique, though it was an info-dump to start. There is more than one pantheon on display in this book. I loved seeing the different aspects of how their powers related in regards to their daily lives. These Other-born are looked at with suspicion, they are sequestered in the poorest parts of the city, given unequal opportunities, and basically spat upon. It's a perspective that was once rare to get a glimpse of and I'm glad that so many are writing their stories, even in fantasy novels.

I truly enjoyed trying to solve this mystery with Io and with the MMC Edei. Now, now don't get too excited. This is very much a YA romance, so please everyone, behave. I thought of it like the Percy Jackson series but instead of an epic journey it's written as a who-dun-it? sleuth type of book. (Ok, look I've only read the first Percy Jackson book so don't come at me!) I was invested all the way through, had my own theories where I was sort of right, but loved the twists that kept on coming.

Mainly this is a book about overcoming your fears and anything else that holds you back. It is a book about power, corruption, and social issues. It is a book about love, fate, and about choice. This is a really good book.

I have been waiting for a book like this with this background in a long time. I will definitely buy this book when it comes out. I loved every inch of it. Every single inch!
Highly would recommend 💛

mild spoilers ahead !

"Fate and death tangled in a web of threads, and neither of them in control"

Well this was a ride.
I really enjoyed this, and the love and like i feel for this book built itseld, like a thread.
I tend to make all this theories when it comes to mystery solving in books so i was really invested in the crime solving thing, making all my silly little comparisons and theories and guessing who is it,it kept me entertained.
I'll be honest and the first third lost me a bit, i was having a hard time with the info dumping, but then, after it was all explained, the writing became very smooth and i flew through it.
I like the worldbuilding still a few things about the design of this sunken city and the magic system weren't quite clear, but i'm dumb, i see greek myth references and i jumo right in, so that's in me, i'll have to read it again :)
I liked the characters and the relationship of the main couple bloomed beautifully, if i may say so. I still felt very very heavy the middle sibling syndrome respecting Ava, i hoped she would be a little bit more important, but another good thing is that i didn't know this was a series, so when i reached 90% and noTHING was solved i started panicking (in a good way). I hope we see more of Ava and her issues in the next book.
I liked the plot and the pacing, and the goes-and-comes of the mystery, the drama (ohmygoood) and the mythology inspired magic system.
Also hot Morpheus, give them a spin off, NOW
Cannot wait to see what's to come !
Recommended for everyone who likes greek mythology and mystery solving plots !!

Io is a Cutter - she can see and sever the threads that link a person to what and who they love. When she starts to investigate a series of murders she is drawn into a mystery twelve years in the making.

The world building in this book is so interesting - I absolutely loved learning about the collapse and the different abilities, and I could read whole books on both even without the rest of the action and excitement! There were plenty of twists in the plot and I was still guessing even at the end. An excellent read!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review