Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou is the sequel to Threads That Bind. (which I didn't read which is also why I think I wasn't the biggest fan) It jumps right into the quest to find Edei and the search is exciting and full of intrigue. Unfortunately I felt a bit lost with some of the twists but I think it is because I did not read the first book lmao

The first book was a high three for me and I think this one was done ever better. There were some pacing concerns with the last portion feeling rushed, but I think this follow up built on the first book even better than I could’ve hoped for.

I love this series! The unique and detailed world, and the magic- and god-system that Hatzopoulou builds are, by far, my favorite things about this book. I also liked that I wasn't able to guess the ending, following our FMC on her quest to find the puppeteers pulling the strings and knowing that at any moment she could "end the world" as the prophecy states. Although some of the characters grated on my nerves, Hatzopoulou does a wonderful job of giving the reader the background of each character so that we can follow the lines of how they got to be who they are currently. I also enjoyed the growth of our FMC from someone with little to no confidence in their ability to be loved to someone who builds their own found family and begins to trust herself and thrive.

Thank you so much to NetGalley. Penguin Group, and Kika Hatzopoulou for allowing me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

"Hearts that loved a lot tended to be kinder."
Lucky are those people who can read both books back to back in a month because I had to wait almost a year and then devoured it in several days(because work takes most of my time)
I love everything about these gorgeous books, the cover art style and colors, the titles and the Greek themed world, main character Io and everything she does and says, and I'll be shallow here and also I love her hair. You won't find anything negative in my review about them because I don't have anything negative to say, it was almost perfect! Especially loved the beautiful prose near the end when the prophecy was being dealt with(not a spoiler) I won't say much about those parts, it was horrible and beautiful, and I was on the edge of my seat when it all unraveled and that ending! Okay this might be a tiny spoiler but I loved that happy ending.
"Even if the world works as it is right now, even if it’s nice and comfortable, it doesn’t mean we can’t choose something better, something just and kind and hopeful.”
I have to share some of my favourite quotes because that's my style, and also I hope you'll love these tiny bits as much as I did and will grab these books.
Did I think that first book was better that the second? Sometimes I did, but then Io and her companion wraith(I will not be spoiling that) would say and do something cool and/or funny and the sequel became my favourite really quickly as well.
Modern world with mythical creatures, gods and goddesses that may or may not be still alive, characters with diverse backgrounds and powers - what else could a reader want from two pretty books?
Taking your fate in your own hands, in Io's case literally and figuratively, and saving or ending the world? I didn't expect to enjoy the fate topic this much, maybe I am obsessing because of the covers or because of the way Io is written, but don't blame me for loving a story too much, blame Kika for writing it this way and for the cover designer and artist being this talented.
I do judge a book by it's cover, and this one reflects the inner beauty and intricately woven captivating story perfectly.

Unfortunately I didn’t like this very much. I had read and really enjoyed the first book in this series, but it was difficult for me to get into this one. I know this is a duology, not a trilogy, but this book has severe second book syndrome is and definitely just a filler.

BEST DUOLOGY EVER! I love this story, I love these characters, and I never wanted to leave! I have been thinking about this book for so long- I am currently incapable of picking up another book for fear of being disappointed!

Threads That Bind was one of my favorite reads of last year, and this book continues on by being a fun and exciting read. Hearts That Cut gives more of the same characters, all of whom feel so realistic and interact in such interesting ways, and adds some more along the way. The setting and environment are unique, and the magic system is also very inventive. The mystery elements are in full force, with a looming prophecy hanging over the story adding a lot of tension, and Io and Edei share a relationship I found myself gripped to the page to read on. The ending was a bit like rushed in my opinion, and I know this is a duology but I’d love to come back to this setting and these characters in the future, but overall my enjoyment was so high throughout I have to give this five stars.


Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

** SPOILER ALERT **



I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 3.5

The concept of this duology was really interesting, mythology being's decedents with their powers living in the real world using their gifts in their everyday lives for their jobs or just as a way of life.

Book 1 ended in a reveal that could have made the plot go different directions so going into this i wasn't sure how everything would play out and if it would be successful. I am happy to say it worked out for the most part. Like most series the second book always runs into speed bumps the first never would ( how to stretch the plot, how to get the characters from one area to another, how to develop characters).

Second book syndrome hit this book in the start when the readers were thrown right back into the story with no recap of how we got here to this new location with just one of our other character with the MC and no real explanation of where the others were for a long while. Personally it took me to almost 35% to remember who was who/what and how everyone was connected to each other via family, relationships, friendships, coworkers, etc. There were things i wish got restated like how each persons powers worked in the main group.

Sadly the biggest issued i had that i cant get out of my head is how everyone from the first book (no joke everyone) ended up in the final location a week before the main character. Some how they all knew to be there before she even decided that is the location she needed to go. It just made me question what was the point of the first part of the book if it taught us nothing and everyone was just waiting for her. The plot and story was really dragging on and boring until everyone reunited and the main goal got right on track. I almost DNFed until that moment.

As the plot develops and the characters plan how to accomplish their goal be it revenge, learning the truth, or just getting to the end of what has been happening for almost 12 years there are some events that you could tell were planned by a 18 year old (not fully thought out) and some that were thought out by one of the adult characters who was there 12 years ago and saw how somethings played out making their plans more detailed. I really did like how this wasnt one of those books where all the plans the MC thinks up work perfectly and how everything failed (making it feel more "human" ) until the very end when caution was thrown to the wind and the mindset was " finish this or die trying".

I still dont know how exactly i feel about that ending (not explaining it because i want people to find out for themselves) . Yes it worked and made sense but still was confusing because there was no hinting at it being a thing until it was revealed which confused me even more thinking about how many years this has been going on and how many people were involved. I also didnt fully understand how the key to everything was with the MC all along and technically there was no sacrifice made. It was just a fake risk to get a meh reward (if i understand correctly the reward was life being the same. Thats it) that we dont even find out how things turn out. It just ends with the battle being over and everyone choosing where to go from there on the spot. I really wish we got an epilogue or at least a few chapters of what happened later on, a month, a year anytime frame really just to see if the world we were described has changed any or if nothing has changed at all.

In summary I enjoyed this book enough to read it to the end. Got lost on the plot a bit and is still a bit confused/upset about the ending. Over all i would recommend this book to a friend.

I wanted to love this book soooo bad.

I think I came into this book with such high expectations because Threads that Bind was one of my favorites reads from last year. After such a phenomenal cliffhanger, I was really hoping that Hearts that Cut would give me this epic conclusion. However, it ended up falling a little flat for me.

The first half of the book was filled with many of the amazing elements found in Threads that Bind, like the worldbuilding, character development, and action sequences. I loved Io's and Bianca's friendship/alliance dynamic throughout their journey. I also loved Io and Edei together because they were so adorably shy and sweet with each other.

However, the second half of Hearts that Cut ended up leaving me with a lot more questions and loose ends that weren't tied up. I felt like it was so rushed and I wanted to know more about what was going to happen to all of the characters now, especially with what went down in the climax scene.

With how open ended it was, I feel like KH could and should write a third book for this series because not only would I just eat up everything she writes, but also because it feels like there's so much more that could be expanded on with that ending. Also, I'm kinda sad there wasn't an epilogue because I NEEDED more scenes of Edei and Io just being happy together.

As much as I wasn't satisfied with that ending, I love KH and this series and will definitely be revisiting it in the future. I still highly recommend this series, especially for those looking for a unique read filled with Greek mythology, fated romance, and mysteries!

I was slightly worried as I started reading this book because I enjoyed the first in the series so much that I feared this one wouldn't live up to my expectations, but, after finishing it, I am not disappointed at all. We follow many of the same characters that I loved from Threads That Bind, but we meet a few new ones as well which makes for an entertaining and ecclectic cast. I also enjoyed the relationship growth in this one, not just romantically but friendships and siblings as well. We also get a much broader, expanded view of the world this time. Whereas, in the first book, we were based mostly in one city; in this installment we get to visit many different and unique locations which was an unexpected treat. The best part, though, was the fast-paced plot. The book was action throughout. From fight scenes to run-ins with interesting creatures to extreme weather, this book had it all. My only complaint is that I'm not sure that everything was resolved at the end. Hopefully that means we're getting at least one more book.

I desperately wanted to like this book but I only made it halfway through. The characters just weren't it for me. I enjoyed the first one so I was excited when I saw this one pop up on Netgalley, but it's okay, maybe I'll try again later.

Picking up right where “Threads That Bind” left off, Io and Bianca are searching for the gods. The mystery throughout this story, was absolutely amazing, and the plot didn’t falter. Io’s search for her sisters throughout added to the mystery of the story, and the plot twists throughout kept me guessing. I loved the subplot romance between Edei and Io and the budding friendship between Io and Bianca.
This sequel is a phenomenal ending to the duology, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill for the eARC of this book!

Quick warning! This review might contains spoilers for <i>Threads That Bind</i>, the first book in this series.

I want to start off by saying that I absolutely loved <i>Threads That Bind</i>. Kika Hatzopoulou truly has a talent for creating worlds and characters that feel unique in ways you never would’ve considered.

This story takes place is a dystopian style fantasy world where natural disasters strike seemingly at random and floods consume many of the lower areas of the world. In this world, exist people called “other born” these other born are descendants of gods from different cultures, all wielding powers unique to their birth order.

And as amazing as this world is, I struggled to remember a lot of the details and plot from the first book, so much so, that I had to go read multiple recaps before starting this book for fear that I wouldn’t remember any of our plot before this.

The few things I did remember however, were the main plot twists in the first book, and the romance, so let’s start with the plot twists (spoiler free for <i>Hearts That Cut</i>)

One issue I found with the plot twists in the first book as well as the ones in this book, if the fact that they feel too back and forth. I never know who I’m actually suspecting because everyone is of equal reasoning and motive and it honestly takes away from the plot twist as a whole when everyone is a likely candidate.

The romance however, did not disappoint. The main issue with our romance in the first story was the fate thread, a thread that Io developed at a young age and that tied her to Edei, even though she didn’t know who was at the other end to begin with. Throughout the whole first book, we follow a sweet love story filled with tension and giddy desire and it is so sweet and this book keeps that going in a way that I adored. It also delved deeper into the existence of the fate thread and Io’s relationship with the thread itself which provided a great internal look at her character.

Speaking of Io’s character, we also explore her relationship with her sister’s which is something that I highly resonated with and honestly anyone with siblings will probably feel it too. Io explores forgiveness, self worth, and overcoming betrayal in a beautiful way.

The only other complaint I have about this book is one that I also had for <i>Threads That Bind</i> and that is that the plot just feels rushed. I kind of glazed over it for <i>Threads That Bind</i>, assuming it was just because I read the book so fast, but after reading this book I can confidently say that wasn’t the case.

I feel like this story could use more elaboration on the world and plot itself to make it more memorable. All of the plot events seemingly blended together because there were no breaks, no character building conversations and moments away from the chaos to really break up the go go go path that the plot was taking, and that lead me to a lot of confusion when we hit the end. I’m still kind of confused when it comes to the end because nothing felt described enough for me to come to my own conclusions. I had to just see where the book was taking me to understand anything.

Overall, I truly did enjoy reading this book and think that the series itself is super fun if you’re looking for good character dynamics but willing to look past some minor plot discrepancies and mild confusion. I feel like this book could’ve been perfect with a little more description snd a little more backstory to the world.

Again, thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4 stars
——————

After falling in love with Threads That Bind last year, I was so excited to dive into this one. I was not disappointed.

I reread Threads That Bind to fully prepare, but this novel does a really good job at reestablishing the plot of the first book, so the reread wasn’t needed. We get little hints and reminders of past plot points and are reintroduced to the mythology and world in a really nice way. The plot of this was definitely engaging. I found it a little flat overall. The story was there, the action was well written, I loved the twists and turns, but something about it just didn’t hold my interest like I had hoped. I still finished it in a day, though.

The characters are better fleshed out in this one for sure. Because we’ve been introduced to them already, this book really lets the characters themselves and their relationships grow. I wasn’t totally in love with Io and Edei’s dynamic in book one, but really enjoyed it here. They really grow as people and you see more of them individually to really emphasize them together. I loved seeing the family dynamics of Thais, Ava and Io. I love that these characters are obviously flawed, it makes them seem so much more real.

As expected, I loved this book. I love this world and these characters so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is probably one of the toughest reviews I've written so far, because I can't pinpoint what didn't work for me. I did truly enjoy the first one, which is why I applied for the an early copy of the second, but the sequel just didn't slap for me. The magic of the threads and the quilt just felt like it was missing for me this time around, and the first 1/3 of the book felt so confusing and honestly a slog to get through. I did still enjoy the romance between Io and Edei though, so that's definitely still a positive and something that was well done.

Please take my half-hearted review with a grain of salt, because I'm partially afraid that this book fell into the 'right book, wrong time' phase for me. Also, the eARC that was provided was formatted super wonky, so that might have been a drain on me too.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this early copy!

I really enjoyed Hearts that Cut. A solid 4 out of 5 stars for sure!

Hearts that Cut picks up right where the first book left off and immediately gets into the story, which I personally love. However, it also does a really good job of reminding you of what happened in the first book without it seeming laborious or repetitive, which is super helpful having not reread the first book before cracking open this arc.

I loved getting to revisit the characters from Threads that Bind. I feel in the sequel we get more depth from the characters and a deeper insight into who they are. Io, who I felt a little iffy about in the first book, had more depth in this story and I felt that I got to connect with her more in this book than the first. I also found her relationship with Edei better fleshed out, especially since there wasn't any misunderstanding about his ex in this book, which I truly didn't care for in the first book. I also loved getting to see Io confront her sisters after all the betrayals that occurred in the first book. I also loved Io and Bianca's friendship in this book. It was probably one of my favorite parts of the book and it was really well executed, even though that part at the end really had me questioning things. I also loved all the new characters we were introduced to. Seto was so amazing and his power was incredibly cool. The gods were also cool and the twist at the end was a really good way of explaining everything and tying everything together.

I will say I wish we had gotten more with Hanne just because the way it was all set up I was expecting her to have a bigger part to play, especially with how the beginning of the book sets her up to be a foe against Io. However, the end does leave things open for more to occur with her character if this isn't the end of the story

I also love the different gods and how they are from different regions of the world and different religions. It's one of my favorite things about this series.

I also really enjoyed getting to see more of the world and seeing how it all connected together and worked out. It was cool to see how the different parts of the world were built and how innovative each city was.

One major complaint I have is that I felt while the ending was good and did a good job of bringing the story to a close, it left me wanting more. I wanted more action and more fighting, but I also did enjoy how it was. Especially the twist with the sister gods and the thing that I won't spoil.

Overall, I really loved the book and can't wait for my finished copy to come in the mail! I also can't wait to see what else Kika comes put with!

This book does two things really well: building up the world and unraveling Io's worldview.

The mystery that began in Threads That Bind has lead Io onto an elusive and dangerous path with an unlikely ally. While the setting opens onto the wider world and the mystery leads towards an ever more catastrophic end, Hearts That Cut stays true to the dystopian noir detective and YA self-discovery vibes of the first book. It does not lose itself to the grander plot.

Kika Hatzopolou's writing is so rich and inviting I was easily hooked from the beginning. Io is an incredibly strong character learning to stand on her own two feet and embrace everything that she is - sister, cutter, fated, world ender, and a damn good detective. I love the romantic subplot with Edei and their discussions/views on fate and choice.

An incredible well written sequel and a highly recommended duology for lovers of mythology and mystery.

Threads that Bind was one of my favorite reads last year so I was delighted to be approved for an ARC review of Hearts that Cut.

This second book starts exactly where we left off, with Bianca and Io following a golden thread to find the gods who are reviving the wraiths. This had a slower start than the first book and jumped around to unfamiliar cities and characters with new powers I had trouble remembering. It wasn't until Io and Bianca arrived floating city of Nanzy that I became more invested in the story, because there, Io reunites with Edei and her sisters, and we get more of what made the first book sing. Edei and Io grappling with their feelings for each other (while their fate thread unravels) and Io dealing with her treacherous sisters while trying to solve the mystery of who is creating the wraiths.

I think what I love most about these duology is the intensive world-building. The author really thought about every detail in this world, from its history, to the characters abilities, to the way the cities have adapted to exist in a flooded world with strange monsters. A lot of this comes into play as the story develops with an exciting ending with a twist I did not see coming that all comes down to fate.

This was a complex and epic conclusion to a unique Greek mythology inspired story.

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=3.25 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=3 | ⚔️=4.5 | 14+

summary: sequel to Threads That Bind , a Greek mythology-inspired YA Fantasy about a girl who can see people’s fate threads or something

thoughts: am I losing brain cells or were there too many characters that weren’t well-established enough to distinguish??

this is okay! it’s just okay!! there was a certain character beat I’d predicted from chapter one of book one that happened—thankfully! that’s a good thing—but besides that this was kind of like… chaotic and nothing? but I didn’t hate it?? but I was kind of skimming quite a bit?? but also it was a pretty good conclusion to the duology and the romance was nice?????

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I liked Threads that Bind but I liked Hearts that Cut even more. This one was so action packed and I felt like something was always happening. Using too much action dulls down the book for me, but that wasn’t the case here.

The love, the betrayal, the mystery, the redemption…it was all just so good. I truly, truly love Io and Edei, so when what happened at the end happened; I was like wtf? But then…it was okay because they are end game.

There has got to be a book three and I have got to have it now. With the way this book ended; I just feel like a lot is about to go down and I am here for it.

4.5 stars rounded to 5!