3.75 stars rounded up. Book 2 of the Threads that Bind series was as good as the first. This is a really creative and intricate magic system. There is some romance thrown in although there is much more adventure than romance. It had me quite fascinated. I thought this was a duology but it left things open for another book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for a honest review.

3.5 ★

The scream I scrumpt when I found out I got approved for the e-ARC…
I fell in love with “Threads that Bind” – the world, characters, plot, basically everything.
It’s always a fear of mine that sequels of books I adored will fall victim to second book syndrome, something that I’ve noticed occurs in a lot of YA books unfortunately. While the issues I had with “Hearts that Cut” were on the bigger side, I still think it served its purpose as a sequel.

It starts right after the ending of the first book, with Io and Bianca traveling the Wastelands. I actually thought that the pacing in the beginning was smoother and even, while the last 30-35% felt incredibly rushed. I was getting slightly concerned when I realized there were only 40 or so pages left and I had no idea how Hatzopoulou was going to wrap it up, and I can’t say that I was quite satisfied with the ending. Sometimes stories don’t need an epilogue, but “Hearts That Cut” definitely did :(

My other gripe was the relationships between Io and her sisters, and Io and Edei. For the amount of times Io mentioned the pain her sisters caused her in the first half, I figured there would be more of a development. Not that there had to be forgiveness, but I wish we got some sort of conclusion. I also felt like there could’ve been more significant moments between Io and Edei, considering the literal thread of fate they share.

Okay I promise I’m not a complete hater, there were things that I liked. For one thing, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this world. I would give Hatzopoulou all my money just to have a spin off based in the same world. The fact that she managed to include so many different gods and cultures is so interesting and unique to me. I also love, love, love Io. All she wants is to be loved (she’s basically me).

Overall, I didn’t hate it, but it didn’t live up to the first book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“But perhaps, these hearts were supposed to be broken. Perhaps this faith was undeserved. Perhaps what came after heartbreak was just as important: when you rose on one knee, then the other, and stood. When you realized that you could piece yourself back together, little by little, slowly and painfully. You might not be whole ever again, but you would survive, and that was-that was salvation, in its true form.”
Hearts That Cut

Ok this book slayed! I binged it from the moment I started to when I looked up & realised I’d been ignoring the world for the entirety of it. This was such a great twist on Greek mythology inspired books. Full of intrigue, mysteries, a quest, fates, magic & characters that will have your heart flip flopping. The Worldbuilding was fantastic, the characters well developed, the found family on point, and just an all round fantastic tale. I’m a bit sad that this is only a duology. Also it was so hard to choose just one quote because frankly it’s one of the most quotable books I’ve read in a long time, which is saying something, so here’s two more for you. Thank you so much to netgalley for granting my request for the digital arc, I’m so thankful I didn’t have to wait until August to read it lol!
🏺
“She had cursed the coming of change, blamed it for her myriad of hurts. But she had been wrong. Change was uncomfortable, sometimes filled with growing pains, but without it, there was no way forward. No way to keep going, to shed the scabs of your past and heal yourself in the present.”
🏺
“Io didn't have the indulgence of
forgiveness, the luxury of safety. Io knew, with absolute clarity, that tolerating violence was a violence in itself.”

This was a well done continuation and conclusion to the Threads That Bind duology. The revelations that were dropped over the course of the last half of the book were not only surprising, but it also helped spurred on the plot and made me race to the end. 😦

The story picks up a few weeks after the events of the first book, with Io and Bianca tracking down the god thread. I found the bond between Io and the newly made fury-born to be a begrudging respect and that neither of them could shake the forms of friendship despite Bianca not being able to hold any new threads. The ending between these two was explosive and I honestly was worried that their friendship was beyond mending, but I’m glad to see that they might have something in which to continue bonding over in the future. 🤯

I do wish we could have gotten a bit more time for Io and Edei to be together. Their bond, much to my happiness, was able to withstand their situation and even that crazy ending, but I did find myself missing their earlier banter from the first book. But as Io and Edei agree: bonds change over time, and that’s okay as long as they’re willing to work on it. 🧡

The moment of reunion for the three sisters was heated, but in a way that I can only guess that loving sisters can reconcile. I was kind of hoping for a bit more drama between Thais and Io, but honestly, I liked the way the book ended with these two. 🧵

The ending . . . Man, the last 20% of the book was just nonstop reveals and punches that I honestly didn’t realize I had finished the book in less than 24 hours. I won’t go into any details in case of spoiling the whole thing but hot damn, I was so scared for all the characters. 😰

All in all, I thought the book nicely tied up the story, but I do wish we could have gotten a chapter or scene a few years in the future to see how the characters are fairing in their new circumstances. I think it would have just tied it up a bit nicer for me as the reader. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Big thank you goes to Penguin Young Readers and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review, and to the author for making me fall in love with dystopian YA books again. ❤️

Publication date: June 18!

Overall: I’m back and forth between a 4.25 and a 4.5/5 ⭐️
Overall series: 4.75/5 ⭐️

Kika's writing style is truly captivating. I really enjoy her prose, and her ability to make such an intriguing world. However, I do struggle to connect with these characters and their relationships. I will DEFINITELY read other books by this author, but I don't think this particular series is for me. Io isn't a female lead that I connect with, or her relationship with Edei.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for giving me early access to this book! All opinions are my own.

I was absolutely enthralled by Threads That Bind, and couldn’t wait to start Hearts That Cut. It was so nice immersing myself in this world again, especially since I felt like I had a better grasp on the world. My biggest complaint about the first book was the lack of a map or a glossary of terms, and while I still felt the absence in this book it wasn’t near as dominating. I would still love to have a map/glossary though to better grasp the world!

This book is such a beautiful conclusion Threads That Bind. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves ancient myths, fated lovers, and of course the hero’s journey. It’s such a wonderful series that now has a permanent thread to my heart!

First book was amazing, and second didn’t disappointed, this was everything i was expecting, the story flowed perfectly, i was immersed right away into this world again. This was great . Top read so far

Hearts that Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou is a wonderful follow-up to Threads that Bind.

What I loved

-Revisiting the magic of this world was absolutely wonderful
-The tension continued to build to an almost unbearable degree and that made the catharsis of it all hit most sweetly.
-A lot of set up from book one really found its pay off within these pages

!as a direct sequel this title is best read and enjoyed by those readers who have already read and loved threads that bind!

first: AHHHHH!!! i can’t believe i got accepted for this arc! i was a MASSIVE fan of the first book so to be able to read the second book early?!?! OHMYGOD! i will forever be happy!
second: this story has me in a chokehold! i was not disappointed and i want to read it over and over again! this author is *chefs kiss* perfect!

I can't believe that I was given an ARC of this book! I truly can't thank enough Penguin and Razorbill for sending me a copy. I was absolutely in love with the first book, threads that bind, and was anxious awaiting the sequel. When I saw a chance for the ARC I applied thinking I wouldn't get it.

On the note of the book itself- I had a blast! It took me about 70 pages to be truly a part of the story. However once I was in- it was gripping.

This was a great follow up and had fantastic closure. I definitely think that Kika is now an instant buy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Really enjoy the world building in this series and this installment is no exception. Really action packed plot this time too. An enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the arc of this book.

Hearts That Cut picks up just after the events of Threads That Bind without missing a beat. Io and Bianca are traveling through the Wastelands, following a God's gold thread and uncertain where that will lead them.

Just like in the first book, Hearts That Cut felt like a beautiful combination of crime noir movies with fantasy elements borrowed from Ancient Greek mythology with a sprinkle of dystopian. As the reader gets to know the world beyond Alante, it becomes clear that the worldbuilding is very well thought through. Each city-state/region reads like a different place with different societal rules that can be similar but are very much attached to that area.

I would say book two raises the action level, as it felt like something was always happening and we were constantly on our feet in a never-ending investigation. The love story between Io and Edei takes the back seat but you still get that same angst from book one without any of the usual tropes (i.e. amnesia). And the conclusion to this story felt right and well-earned.

The only thing I felt was missing was a map at the beginning of the book. As a cartography stan, I very much appreciate being able to visualize fantasy worlds as it helps me navigate the pages better. This was an ARC so I will await the publication of the book to verify if this vacuum is kept in the second book or not.

Hearts That Cut comes out on June 18, 2024!

Hearts That Cut was a fantastic sequel to Threads That Bind and was just as fast paced and action packed! So freaking good!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

My favorite thing about Io is that she is a professional bullshitter, just throwing herself at a wall over and over until she gets through it with her pointed questions and lies. She’s an icon. That’s why the gods are so afraid of her, honestly. You can’t keep the truth away from the detective for very long.

And her and Edei’s relationship? The love and support between them, along with the silly jokes and banter, ugh they are so cute. I will protect Io and Edei with my life.

A nice little subversion of an expectation in this story that I really liked was the fact that the prophecy was haunting the villains and they were doing their absolute best to avoid it. This made Io the force of nature coming for them, she was the danger. In a lot of stories with prophecies, it’s the hero trying to avoid it, but Io was leaning into it and I loved that.

An unexpected highlight from this book was Io and Bianca’s dynamic, it was very messy but very genuine and it was very sweet to see a friendship bloom between them.

The themes of this book of learning to embrace change as a way to continue to grow and improve upon the past along with having CHOICE and choosing your happiness felt well-written for Io’s character arc and development

Thank you NetGalley and Razorbill for the chance to read this E-Arc. This is my honest opinion.
Chaotic fun! So much packed into one book to find out about the gods of the world.wnd chaos it had ensued for Io and her group. The pacing was more off at the beginning then the ending seemed rushed. The second part I enjoyed quite a bit and learning more about this diverse world with god powers. The found family and slight romance is wonderfully written. The ending is a little hard, in my opinion, to grasp since so much is shoved into the last part which isn't very long. I want to say this is a duology with how it ended but I'm not sure. Overall great story and can't wait to see more from Hatzopoulou!

I love, love, love "Hearts That Cut". Going into this book, I was already excited because "Threads That Bind" is one of my favorite books, and a top of 2023. I expected this story to be more of the same, but it consists of more adventure, and a lot more dystopian-esque scenes, and the ending - I was blown away, and could never have predicted where this story ended!

“Hearts That Cut” is well-paced with both action and meaningful character and relationship growth. Not only will readers recognize many characters from the first book of the duology (Edei and the sisters of course, but also Nico, St. Yves, Aris, and more) but you see more depth in many of them, as well. You are also introduced more to the Fury born, and those leading the continent. Without giving spoilers, you are also introduced to some heavy hitters with significant powers that can change the world!

This book picks up where “Threads That Bind” leaves off - with Io and Bianca having left Alante in search for answers to the wraiths, who is behind them, and why. Family dynamics, forgiveness and moving on, trust, love, and fate are strong themes in this book. Author Kika Hatzopoulou does a fabulous job including bits of review throughout the story, so for readers who don’t remember “Threads that Bind” or didn’t read it are able to read this story on it’s own, picking up those recaps (I suggest reading Threads that Bind though if you haven’t, it is one of my favorite books of all time - absolutely wonderful storytelling). I cannot wait to get my hands on a hardcopy of this book to reread and annotate, there are so many excellent quotes and new mythos I was introduced to and want to read more on!

I want to start by saying that I was a fan of Threads That Bind and I loved the originality of the story and how romance and fantasy were so well balanced. So when I saw Hearts That Cut on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance for an ARC. Unfortunately, I hate that my review isn't all positive before the book even has a chance to make it to the shelves.

This book starts out very different from TTB. The book starts with Io and Bianca in a new territory, meeting all new people, and for the first 20ish% of the book, there really isn't much happening. It's all descriptions of setting and everything that is happening in the world as everything changes. This information dump makes the story seem like a different story. A related story, but a different story than TTB, and I wasn't a fan.

Overall, there is some action and I like the way the plot unfolded. The story kept to it's purpose and did a good job of staying on track. I do think the execution was a little off though. Unnecessary things were described and there were SO many different powers and new people that came into play that an index of some sort was definitely needed to keep everything straight. And maybe it's just me, but I had a hard time comprehending everything that was being described. And the ending, ugh, I felt there could definitely have been more for the ending. This book is definitely more fantasy based than romantic. So if you are looking for romance, there really isn't much in this book.

Overall, this story was a letdown for me. I wanted to love it, but kept finding myself not wanting to pick the story back up. I wouldn't suggest anyone from not reading it though. If you loved Threads That Bind, definitely give this one a go as maybe it was just me!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who could not stop gushing about Threads That Bind, I am shocked to say that I don't love Hearts That Cut as much as its predecessor. Don't get me wrong, this book is entertaining and I still highly recommend this series. However, I don't have the same unconditional love for Hearts That Cut.

For starters, this book needs a map. In Hearts That Cut, the characters are constantly traveling and referencing the cities they pass on the way. Without a map, I could not wrap my head around what this world looks like, and that negatively affected my enjoyment. I was so confused.

Also, I would have loved to have a list of all the gods and the powers that they bestow. I have a general knowledge of the Greek gods thanks to my childhood obsession with a certain book series, but I could not remember the other gods. Again, I was confused while reading.

These two things negatively affected my reading experience, but since this is an advanced reader copy, it is possible that these two issues will be resolved in the final version. I do have plans to purchase a copy of the book when it is released. If this context is provided, I will edit my review accordingly.

Despite these issues, I still loved this book. Seeing all my favorite characters again made me so happy. I got attached to Io and her friends after reading Threads That Bind. Seeing their journey through was super satisfying.

Every character has been hardened by this situation with the wraiths, but there's still hope. A lot of this hope comes from the relationships, both romantic and platonic. I know that this isn't strictly a romance novel, but I would pay money for more chapters focused on these romantic relationships.

Also, thank you to the author for having Io set boundaries with her sisters. Her relationship with them, especially Thais, is a huge red flag. There's a necessary balance between valuing family and realizing that toxic relationships of any kind should not be tolerated.

All in all, Hearts That cut is complex and captivating with its morally gray scenarios. This series is thought-provoking and perfect for older Greek mythology fans.

Bottom line: I cannot wait for what Kika Hatzopoulou writes next.

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

I was very excited to get this one because Threads That Bind was one of my favorite reads from last year. This series is a Duology so everything mostly gets finished up in this sequel.

Io is with Bianca the Mob Queen in her Wraith (alive/not quite alive) Keres-Born State, trying to chase Io's golden God thread to its source. Bianca wants revenge for what was done to her, and Io wants to understand why her sister was involved in making wraiths/ triggering the Fury -Born blood turning them into Keres-Born after cutting their threads, and her involvement the assassination of the Nine Muses. Not to mention their prophecy on Io being responsible for destroying the world.

For someone born with the ability to cut the threads of life, people already have a reason to fear the power of a Cutter. But Io also has a fate thread, tying her to Edei and grappling with the ideas does the thread bind them in love, or does the love bind their thread even more tightly together? She doesn't want to force their tie, she wants them to choose each other.
But Edei was badly wounded, and Io left him behind to heal, and chase that golden thread.

As Bianca and Io follow that thread, it becomes clear that there are other players in this conspiracy. And someone is cutting off all stories of the assassination of the 9 from getting out, otherwise Io and Bianca would be wanted No. 1. Yet other leaders in other cities are dying as well. Who else is controlling this narrative?

Io really has to decide for herself what her threads mean. And figure out if she is more than their supposed worth or if there are some threads that can never go away.