3.5 stars

Threads That Bind has been on my radar since the beginning. So, when I got approved the ARC I was very excited to read it. Kika Hatzopoulou's debut novel was well written, with a solid and complex worldbuilding steeped in Greek mythology. The author really did a good job. The weak points, though, were the characters and their relationships. They weren't fully fleshed out and their interactions (especially the romance) haven't been developed enough. But in the end it was a good, interesting story and I'm curious to see where the sequel will lead us.

Well woven story that'll cut you deep in the feels.

Summary: Hatzopoulou threads together mythology, a unique magic system, a sunken city, adorable love story, commentary on familial loyalty and tension, and mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes. I devoured this in two sittings, only putting it down when I was too exhausted to keep reading. So why not five stars? One too many moving pieces nearly clicked but didn't.

First, I can't say enough about this magic system. While powers transferring from the gods to their mortal bloodline isn't new, Hatzopoulou takes a new spin with labeling them "other-born" and dividing their powers. And using the life-thread as a whip...just wow.

The romance is truly YA, with a kiss being as spicy as it gets, and I loved their banter. The addition of the fate-thread connecting them was a great way to incorporate in commentary on free will.

Definitely be prepared to have a notebook out to record all the different "other-born" or you will be confused as to the LARGE cast of characters, their affiliations, their history, and their motivations. This is extensive world-building squished into less than 400 pages meaning so many characters we meet are skimmed over and fall a bit flat. The setting is fantastic, with a city sunken by magical climate change, and interwoven commentary on systemic discrimination.

I took the star off because the mystery and sleuthing just felt a tiny bit...off. Io is supposed to be a seasoned private investigator but she's a bit rash with her conclusions, pointing the finger at almost everyone except who (I thought) was slightly obvious. I think another round of developmental edits would've cut a few secondary characters and tightened this up. And I'm still confused about the final wraith.

Yes, I recommend this to anyone looking for a high-fantasy, fast paced mystery with mythology based magic. And yes I will be reading the sequel when it comes out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Razorbill for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Threads That Bind has ruined me for all other books.

The entire book is so so well-written. The world-building is spellbinding, the relationship between the Ora sisters is complicated family dynamics at its finest, the slow burn romantic relationship is thrilling. Technically, my rating scale is out of 5 but this book deserves unlimited stars. I loved everything.

🦇 Threads That Bind Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❝ The firstborn was the spinner, who could weave new threads. The second was the drawer; she could elongate or shorten a thread, intensifying or weakening the corresponding feeling. And the youngest was the cutter, able to cut whatever thread she desired, even life threads. ❞

❝ There is violence in kindness, and kindness in violence. ❞

❝ "I think the people we love can be cruel. Our love doesn't absolve them. Nor should it. ❞

❓ #QOTD Do you believe in fate? What Greek deity is your favorite? ❓

🦇 Io Ora is the youngest of three sisters, each a descendant of the Fates: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself. When she learns someone is abducting women, cleaving their life threads, and setting them loose as wraiths to exact revenge, Io puts her skills as a private investigator to work. The half-sunken city of Alante is filled with descendants of the Greek gods, leaving Io with a long list of powerful suspects. Can she work alongside Edei Rhuna, the boy she shares a fate-thread with, to unveil secrets in the darkest corners of Alante?

💜 Oh. My. Goddess. I've struggled for two days to put my thoughts to page. This book hangover is going to haunt me for a MONTH. Kika Hatzopoulou wove a spell-binding world inspired by Greek mythology, lore, and above all else, sisterhood. Every thin thread (pun intended) Io follows connects to another; no page is wasted, no detail unnecessary. This captivating tale of family betrayal, fate, political power, and societal inequality snares readers from Io's first page and keeps them enthralled to the bitter end. Hatzopoulou uses her well-developed characters, vivid world-building, and carefully plotted murder to give us so much more than a mythology retelling or mystery. This fast-paced YA novel features an innovative culture and history unlike anything we've seen in mythology-inspired masterpieces before it. As someone who wrote her own mystery and mythology retelling in the past, I can only hope to reach Hatzopoulou's level. Io is a real, raw protagonist with faults and scars, making her all more realistic even in such a magical setting.

🦇 Despite having annotated this book more than any other in the past year, I do think there's room for growth in Hatzopoulou's prose. A certain amount of poetic prose would contribute to the mythical magic of Hatzopoulou's world, captivating readers even more. I know I'm nitpicking, but a few word choice changes could have made all the difference. This is a stunning debut, though, and a fantasy novel you CAN'T miss this year. My only other issue was the antagonist's reveal. We're given the mastermind's name, but when they walk into the room, Io skims them from the floor up, then names them again. Removing the antagonist's name and focusing on the description (showing, rather than telling) would have made for a stronger reveal. There are a few pages where Io's narration runs in circles, repeating details as she works to solve the mystery. Repeating certain details ensures readers are on track, piecing together the clues as Io does, but there's more than one occurrence when it's unnecessary. Beyond that, this is a powerful debut with the potential for a wow-worthy sequel or series.

🦇 Recommended to fans of Lore, Song of Achilles, or any mythology retelling. An engaging read for fans of Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew who love unraveling a good mystery.

🧵 Greek Mythology
🪡 Soulmates
✂️ Murder Mystery
🪡 Sisterhood
🧵 Prejudice / Equality / Social Change

🦇 Major thanks to the author @kikahatzopoulou and publisher @razorbillbooks / @penguinrandomhouse / @penguinplatform / @penguinteen for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #ThreadsThatBind

In a world where other-born (descendants of the Gods) exist, a descendant of the Moirai (aka the Greek version of Fates) must solve a series of murders in order to save herself, her soulmate, her sisters and the whole city.

This is one of the books that I was so happy to read for numerous reasons. Firstly, it was an english-written book by a Greek writer. Greek authors who write in english aren't usually promoted that much, for reasons that I don't know, but that unfortunately happens. Apart from that, it was a book with many parts of Greek mythology, although a whole new world was created in simple artistry. But, it didn't include only Greek mythology, but also
Norse and Egyptian mythology. I even learned one part of my own mythology which I didn;t know, and as a Greek I feel more knowledgeable.

I found the world-building quite unique while respecting the Greek culure. It also contained a lot of "jabs" at the government, about police brutality, about how the immigrants are suffering from the natives. I also liked how the sisters Thais, Ava and Io had the powers of the Moirai, but Io (the youngest) and Thais (the oldest) had their powers in reverse according to the original Fates., which I loved. Another important factor of the book was that the dialogue and the plot weren't rushed and the thread could be untangled easily and naturally. On that note, I didn't anticipate the plot of some characters of the book, but it pleasantly surprised me.

Character-wise I could go on for hours, sinve I liked a lot of them for different reasons.Io was my favorite character, because even though she didn't trust herself, she was afraid and sensitive, she evolved throuout the book and I was cheering for her like a friend. She had to decide for some vey difficult scenarios, and I didn;t blame her in the least; I tried to understand her. At the end of the day, I think that's why she was my favorite character; she was humane. On the other hand. Thais was one of the characters I love to hate. Even though she did what she had to do in order to survive, she was judgemental towards Io, manipulative and caring only for her own good; and that's what made her reckless. I think that's how I justify Io having Atropos' (the oldest sister of the Fates) powers, because she was wiser than her oldest sister. Lastly, Edei was someone who Io could count on, even though he was fiercely loyal to Bianca, he was always there for her and taking her side without question.

I enjoyed the book, and I wish I had it in a physical copy to annotate the totality of it, especially Io and Edei's sarcastic conversations. Read the book if you want to see a creative world and characters with the origins of mythologies of the world.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review! The book comes out on May 30, don't miss it!

Threads That Bind, my god this book was amazing. I couldn’t put it down, definitely a read in one sitting type of book.

Extreme slow burn, which is kind of disappointing, but hoping it will pick up in the next book.

I honestly cannot wait to see how this story will continue, being left on a massive cliffhanger was killer. Not knowing what’s going to happen to some of the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Kiki Hatzopoulou for this ARC.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a chance at reading this book.

Whatever it was, this book confused me straight out the gate. There was just a lot in the beginning chapter. Then, as soon as we got to the main character and the world... that was even more confusing.

I think that this book was not a good one to dive into and because of that I didn't make it very far. I'd like to give it another try, but perhaps when there is more of a fluid / enough reviews where someone can describe to me the world and how greek mythological characters can exist but have modern-day utilities and attitudes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

This book is a mesmerizing tapestry of mythology, murder mystery, political intrigue, and commentary on the idea of fate. The author balances deeper, heavier topics and ideas such as how our love for others shifts and changes (even in ways we don’t expect or don’t want), with lighter moments of witty banter and cozy coffee shops.

I couldn’t put it down, and when I had to, I felt anxious to pick it back up again. While it ended on quite the cliffhanger, and I have so many questions from that cliffhanger, I’m willing to forgive it due to the rich, immense world-building and beautiful prose.

I loved this book! The plot is perfeclty paced and the mythology elements that are included are very interesting to read about. I'm also a big fan of how many mythologies and cultures were included, not just Greek ones.
Very interesting and creative magic system! People with powers - aka other-borns - have the powers of the acient mythology god they descend from. It was nothing like what I'd seen before!
I loved the LGBT+ representation in this book. It shows that labels aren't always needed, if you fall for someone, it shouldn't matter their gender. The only aspect I thought wasn't good was the fact that Rosa, Io's trans best friend, fell in love with a guy who used to bully her for being trans. I don't like that trop where it turns out that the bully is only bullying you because they're in love.
The writing style is very immersive and there are several unpridictabale plot twists!
Io and Edei are great protagonists. They feel very real, especially Io, who was raised in a very complicated environment and what to do what she could to survive.
The relationship between the sisters is so complicated. Thais broke Io's heart. She was abusive and Io tried her best to make her happy, but it was never enough. Thais went through very complicated things, but it's also true that she had a lot of whims and wished for Io to comply to everything she asked even if it was bad. Ava tried to keep the peace but it wasn't enougn. Io kept blaming herself for what happened for years, it's sad how the people you love the most end up hurting you the most.
I saw Thais relationship with Luc coming, but not how they would be involved with the case. It was still very interesting to watch everything unfold.
The Initiative is a complite mess. They claim they want to help police other-born by having other-born in the police force. They literally stated that "only 1 out of 10 other-borns are found guilty of crimes". Maybe it's because only 1 out of 10 commit them??? It's claiming to be helpfull and inclusive, while being discriminatory. The other-born have lived in poverty and being judged their whole lives, and this is just another example of lowly the rest of society thinks of them.
The Moonset riots were a very important occurence in this book. They were essentially a gang war where the fury-born, who used to police other-born, were decimated. This event is very complex and it really shows that sometimes violence is a way of survival.
The connection between the real world and this world is interesting. It's sort of a dystopian future Earth, where our civilization evolved differently. Our moon also split in 3, which is kinda cool, but it makes me wonder how small those 3 moons are, considering that in astonomic measures, our moon isn't that big.
I'm super excited for the next book. This one ended up being a complete surprise. I was not expecting to love it this much!

TW:cheating, death, violence, torture, abuse, racism, murder, gangs, gang wars.

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. The unusual magic system inspired by Greek goddesses and muses is also fascinating. You'll get lost in the story as the mystery lures you in, and the heart-throbbing thriller plot with threatening wraiths lurking around the city keeps you on your toes. The blooming soulmate love story between Io and Edei will warm your heart. This book is not for everyone as it's extremely smart, complex, and challenging, but it's definitely worth the read, combining different genres like sci-fi, magical realism, fantasy, thriller, romance, and mythology for an unforgettable experience. I'm so glad to have been introduced to Kika Harzopoulou's brilliant writing.

The plot revolves around Io Ora, the youngest of three sisters who are descendants of Fates. Her eldest sister Thais is born to weave the threads, the middle sister Ava is destined to draw them, and Io is born to cut them, which is the hardest and harshest part of the job. Two years ago, Thais left without a word, and Io focused on her investigation skills to help betrayed wives whose husbands cheated on them.

One day, Io's stakeout job ends with the assault of a mysterious wraith in her eighties without a life thread (which is normally impossible) and a murder case. Her path crosses with infamous Mob Queen Bianca's right-hand man, Edei Rhuna, who also shares a fate-thread with her, meaning he's her soulmate.

Bianca summons Io to inform her that there are more wraiths around the town hunting people, and she forces her to team up with Edei to uncover the mystery. Io reluctantly starts working with Edei, barely restraining her attraction, but their investigation leads them to underground fight dungeons, the manipulate Nines House, a congregation of very powerful politicians who are about to take over the entire city with their dangerous scheme.

Io slowly realizes that the things she learned about her past and her destiny couldn't be so wrong. As harsh truths keep hitting her face like a slap, she needs to confront her guilt, secret feelings, and biggest fears not only to save her city but also her loved ones and survive.
Overall, when I reached the final chapter, I just screamed when I read the big twist and cliffhanger. Pros: I'm absolutely ready for more books to spend more time with Io and Edei. Cons: I cannot wait to read the next installment; waiting for it is like torture!

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.

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

"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, for fans of Song of Achilles.

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."

I love modern Greek myths, Greek myths themselves? Not so much.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but the execution fell flat for me. I would have appreciated the world-building/concepts to be more fleshed out, and at times the main character’s internal dialogue felt incredibly juvenile. for her age. The themes were far from subtle and felt a bit on the nose. I did like Io, and the Greek-inspired setting. I’m sure many people will love this book; I’m just not one of them.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

As someone who is always game for reading a book that was elements of Greek mythology, this book was such a great read. Love how there were classic elements but they were twisted into a new idea. The idea of The Fates also is something that is not really explored enough and I love how Kika wrote about the idea. The characters were great; they all had something that they were struggling with but you still want them to succeed. They case that was taking place throughout the whole book was laid out really well and I was not excepting that ending. Can't wait to see where the rest of this story goes.

Fate, Gods, and politics. What a vivid story, and it went hard.

IO is my new favorite character with such relatable feelings and motives- her love for her sisters, wondering if she’s worth the fated love fell upon her, and needing to help her city from the terror of murdering wraiths with split life threads.

I was on edge the entire way, filled with happiness, anger, and pure adrenaline. Oh my Gods I swallowed book completely. Thank you Penguin Teen and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

This was surprisingly well done. I thought that the magic and being decendants of the fates was a unique concept and storyline. This has some great banter and I liked the characters.

This book was so so so freaking good. I read this in one sitting and was completely sucked into the story. I LOVED the magic system-it was so unique and the world building was exceptional. This book has everything you could ask for: magic, likable and well developed characters, sisterly love, slow burn/budding romance, mystery, and some gang wars. I literally cannot wait for the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Summary of the plot:
Io and her two sisters, Thais and Ava, are descendants of the Three Fates. Io has the ability to sever one’s thread (their life), but she only does so out of necessity. She works as a private investigator until she’s hired by Bianca, the mob queen, to determine what’s going on with these Wraiths, beings that have their threads severed but are still alive. She works with Edei, her fated lover who she’s been avoiding for years, to figure out why these Wraiths are murdering people.


Thoughts:
I quite enjoyed this book! I feel like the plot moved along at an appropriate speed. There were set backs and twists and turns and it all kept me engaged. I kept having to change my guess on who was behind creating the Wraiths. The main reason I picked up this book was because it sounded like a Fates retelling of sorts, but it was much more than that. You learn about different gods and their descendants’ power. It’s set in a urban era, so it doesn’t feel too wacky. The author also weaves in current, real life political issues into the story without making it sound out of place. Overall, it was a fantastic read.

This book sort of ends on a cliffhanger, but I will definitely be intrigued when the next book(s) comes out!

Would I recommend this book? Yes!

The plot twists in this book were awesome!True twists and turns that were unpredictable! The magic was different and uniques as well! The relayionships between the main characrters wea well planned. Every detail made the most sense.Interesting and intruguing as the world was new and thought out! Though not obsessed with the story very well written.

This is surprisingly good and I'm excited for more of what's to happen.

The exact combination of revamped Greek myth, a mystery, and fated love captured my mind and I finished an ARC of this in less than 24 hours!

I'm excited to see if the finished copy will have a map because I want to have a reference for the places mentioned in the book.

Overall, a highly recommended upcoming fantasy that I want to read more of.

RATING: 4.5stars