I was so excited to hop back into Io’s world and I was not disappointed! This book picks back up shortly after the end of the first one and immediately throws you back into the story. It dives into the powers of other families and has so many twists that I did not see coming. The ending left me wanting to know what would happens after and really wanting to see where the characters go from there. If you loved the first book you will not be disappointed.

Positives: Amazing story that will keep you on edge, does not require a lot of attention
Negatives: Can feel very slow at times

A wonderful sequel that maintains steam all the way through. Hatzopulou has a talent for making the hardest questions of life into tangible quandaries through her compelling, well-rounded characters,

Threads That Bind was one of my favorite reads last year, so I was, admittedly, really excited to start this read.

While the initial start was slow, I did eventually find footing in reading it as I love Io and Bianca so much and they helped carry me through the remaining novel. I seen in other reviews that the ending was dissatisfying, but I don't entirely agree. I didnt feel as strongly about this book as I did the last one (mainly because that was a buddy read for me and this was an ARC) but I enjoyed the story for the most part: enough to buy a copy when it officially comes out.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for an ARC of this book!

Screeching and sobbing and crying and bawling

omgggggggg

THIS IS HOW YOU END A SERIES

HOLY SMOKES

Edei and Io

Bianca and Ava

Thais

This is a happily ever after.

I have no words

I was waiting for the sequel ever since the first book cliffhanger. There was so much that happened within the last chapters that I just need the answers. And thankfully, I was able to read the advance cover of Hearts That Cut. I have so much to say regarding this book.
First, let’s talk about how this sequel picks up right after the cliffhanger. And I love it so much. You can’t possibly fast forward when there is so much happening on the cliffhanger. You got to pick it up where it left off. 
Second, the subplot regarding Lo and Edei's fate-thread had me over the edge throughout the entire book. There was so much that was unsaid between them in the previous book that was translated into this book. Their reunion was so much to unpack. And it couldn’t be unpacked at that moment since they were still trying to figure out the larger plot regarding the gods in their universe. All I have to say regarding their relationship is to communicate, not hint at each other. Goodness, I felt so over-edged regarding their feelings, but I know it fits within the story plot, so I can’t be mad about it.
Last, the plot regarding the gods within their universe is so twisted and tippy that I need more. It needs to be expanded, especially what Lo does towards the end. There are so many threads involved that it needs to be explored more.
Overall, this book gave me more than I expected. It left me feeling on the edge while trying to catch up on what’s going to happen next. So many threads in between to unraveled.

4.5/5

I absolutely adored this! I devoured Threads That Bind as soon as it was released last year, and Hearts was just as good, if not better than the first one. I feel that, with this sequel, Kika Hatzopoulou took all the already great elements from Threads and had them honed to perfection. The worldbuilding, the magic system, the characters, everything is simply better!

I loved the world building introduced in Threads, and I was glad that in Hearts we got to explore more of this beyond Alante. Kika Hatzopoulou is a master in worldbuilding and I fell in love with the way she constructs and describes the world.

The magic system is, as well, more developed, and it was great to see the influences of more mythologies than just Greek.

There are new and returning characters, and we get to explore more character dynamics. Bianca and Io were the highlight of the first 1/3 of the book, as they make such a strange duo. Io and Edei’s romance, however, felt very flat compared to the first book. I felt like they went back to square one in the sequel and most of their interactions relied heavily on the miscommunication trope.

There are also some pacing issues, as the first 200 pages felt very slow only for the last 100 to be extremely rushed. Every thread is tied up nicely in the end, but I wish this series would have been expanded into a trilogy instead, as I feel too many plot points and characters were introduced and not given enough time in the limelight.

Overall, I recommend this to any fantasy lover. It’s a beautiful, unique read, with great characters and worldbuilding, and I’ll be sure to read anything Kika Hatzopulou might write in the future

My sincerest thanks to Razorbill and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I found the ARC very hard to read and was very difficult to tell which chapter is which. I do plan on getting the physical copy when it does come out, but I DNF'd the book due to this.

I did not find myself enjoying this one as much as the first one. I feel like it did not keep my attention throughout the story and I found that I had to force myself to pick it up each time.

I also did not enjoy the Io/Bianca dynamic and wished that the whole first part of the story did not take place as a journey with the two of them.

Also, a lot of the premises felt weak and not fully explained. I did not find myself enjoying the conclusion either and hope the Author will add an Epilogue before the book gets published to show what happened to the characters and society in general. Felt like the story just abruptly cut off and wasn't satisfying.

3.5 Stars

What an interesting sequel to Threads That Bind! After the ending of the first book, I was so eager to jump into the sequel! The plot was just as interesting and quick paced as the first book, and I loved that the mystery kept you on your toes until the very end.

My major issue with this sequel was the repetition of information from the first book. I understand the need to remind the reader of some of the world building and plot, but it seemed to repeat information numerous times unnecessarily. I also found the ending to be a bit of a let down. Similar to the first book, I wanted more time with the characters. I’d actually love another book in the series!


Review Posted on: Goodreads, StoryGraph, TikTok, Instagram, etc.

First of all, thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for letting me read this ARC!! I really adored the first book and I was so excited to read the sequel!

The thing that made me love this series so much was how original and complex the world-building was. Especially in this book, we get to see outside of Alante and how other cities were being run (La Cauchemar was so interesting and absolutely brilliant). The found family and soulmate trope were everything. Although, I wish Io and Edei’s relationship was developed a bit more, same with Ava and Bianca’s (I just need more content because I love them so much…).

However, I was a little confused at times, since it had been a while since I read the first book. Some things seemed to be explained all at once really quickly, and never came back to. And I had trouble remembering all of the other-borns' powers, but I appreciated some of the recaps here and there.

It was so fun to investigate this mystery with Io, the betrayals were so gut-wrenching and the characters really lovable (though I missed Amos and Rosa). Altogether, this book was a fast-paced and entertaining read, and I need more people to read it !!

This book was the perfect follow up to Threads that Bind. I enjoyed every single word from beginning to end. In this story we follow Io as she travels to the golden city, and the journey she has is freaking crazy! The character development for the main characters was superb, I absolutely loved that Kika turned Io into the bad ass that we all knew she was destined to be.

And the ending?! MIND BLOWN

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I read Threads That Bind as my last book of 2023 and I was so excited to hear that the sequel would be out in 2024! I absolutely loved the world-building and character dynamics that were introduced in TTB and Hearts That Cut definitely did not disappoint in continuing to expand on them. Io is a sweet but tough heroine and she interacts so well with every character that Hatzopoulou puts forward in a way that you can tell was intentional and well-thought out. My gripe with this book unfortunately was the pacing. Where TTB felt like the pacing took me right through the book even with the introduction to the world and characters, Hearts That Cut had me kind of slogging through the first 1/3 of the book - there was a lot of detailed description and world-building still happening around that time and I think it just made it difficult to get through especially when I was waiting for some characters to make their appearance. At around 40% I think is where I started to get the feel of the first book again and the action quickly unfolded from there for a really dynamic middle section. And then the ending unfortunately felt rushed; I just wanted a little more after everything they had been working for came to fruition. However, I don't think the pacing worked against the book in any major ways that it impacted my enjoyment. I was still really loving everything that was happening, and I think it has a fitting ending for Io's story even though I really wish this was a trilogy so I could have her for one more book. Definitely worth your time to pick up both Threads That Bind and Hearts That Cut! Especially if you're interested in a fresh take on Greek mythology in an entirely original world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

This was a great sequel and I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and how the book wrapped up. I loved many of the same things as I did in the first book: the world is unique and so is the magic system. The magic system is inspired by Greek mythology, but it has its own spins. Io is a fantastic FMC who has faults and doubts about herself, but is never weak. It is so easy to love Edei and Nico, and I had a great time learning more about Bianca as well. The LGBTQ+ representation in this book was great too (although it was mostly side characters) - it was so casual and normal to be queer, non-binary, trans, etc. in this book, and I loved that! While there may be many other reasons to not want to live in this world, it would be a dream to have a world where these identities are accepted without thought. I would recommend this series to any fantasy reader, especially those who enjoy Greek mythology.

4.5/5 ★
i reread threads that bind all in one day before starting heart that cuts, and that book is still soo soo good filled me with adrenaline (also because i forgot some bits and pieces so almost felt like reading it for the first time). i highly recommend those that can to read the 2 books together if they can.

the first 1/3 was so slow for me. Bianca and Io was an interesting duo on their own, (for some reason Biana wasn’t as badass as she was in book 1, but i guess did remove her from her homeground and she also went through all that). But once we reunited with the other characters from book oh we were sooo back so ready to go. I love Io and Edei relationship from the first book and seeing how they are now after reunion, and also their fated thread. The rest of the book felt so quick pace and sooo good!!

i try not to put in reviews “what i wished happened”, but i really wished we could gone in depth with everything, plot, characters, their relationship with one and another. Like Io relationship with Ava and Thai. We did see more of Io and Edei but I want more. Even Ava and Bianca broken relationship. The plot was fast but felt skimming on the surface. I almost wish this was a trilogy.

Still a really really good read, absolutely love the world and characters Kika created with this duology drawing in greek mythology.

thank you netgalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill for the e-arc

All of the things that were incredible in the first book of this series tended to fall flat with this one. The ending felt a bit rushed and I would have really enjoyed that being more detailed. This would have benefitted from being a trilogy as opposed to a duology, in my opinion.

Overall 3.75⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Kika Hatzopoulou for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good follow up to the first book, Threads that Bind and it picked up right where it left off. It wasn't as good as the first book but it was close! It just didn't give me the same feeling that I had when reading the first book in the duology and I really wish it did. It started out slower than the first book and took a little while before the pace picked up. I feel like the ending was a bit abrupt and I wish there was an epilogue to tie up things more. Overall though, I did enjoy it and I think it was a good follow up to the first book.

I didn't read the first book and I didn't realize there even WAS a first book until about halfway through with references to people that weren't in this book at all. Everything else I was able to piece together easily and follow the story, bc the author is good at keeping forward momentum while letting you know what came before.

However I do wish I read that one, bc I really enjoyed this and I liked the MC, Io. I would've liked to have spent more time in this world but given what happens in this book and knowing what I do, it wouldnt be a fulfilling read.

The magic system and world building is top notch and the complicated relationships give a lot of depth to the story. I hadn't predicted the ending, which was great (and gave me The Magicians vibes) and a really satisfying conclusion.

<strong>Early Release Provided By NetGalley/Loved This!</strong>

Absolutely loved this follow up. Glad I had the opportunity to offer my support and opinion on an early release.

Picks up where the first leaves off. Hatzopoulou provides just enough backstory to remind the reader of the previous dealings in the first of this duology/series.

Not sure if this will be the last, or if there will be a 3rd to follow. Either way, the ends are neatly tied up, where the reader is not left disappointed with this particular ending, and it works as it stands.

Has a very unique and original story to a mythological tale as old as time. Plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing as to how it will all come to a conclusion.

Highly recommend to any reader who enjoys a good story, whether fantasy is their genre or not. Just be sure to read the 1st one in the series prior to this one.

Let me start by saying that I absolutely loved Threads That Bind. It was a 5 star read for me and I thought, and still think, that this is one of the most original series I have read in a long time. The author borrows from Mythology, but she has managed to create a world that is all her own.

Unfortunately, in book two, this same originality initially left me feeling a little lost. It had not been long since I read book one, but I was in desperate need of a recap that the author really did not provide. It took me until about 35% in to feel like I had a grasp of the world (characters, magic system, locations, etc.) and how it worked. Because of this, it was difficult for me to really get into the story and the first 1/3 of the book moved along sluggishly.

After this point and once our characters began to reunite, the story picked up and I remembered again all the things that I loved about this series. My favorite aspect of this book is undeniably Io and Edei’s relationship. Their love is timid, but pure and sweet and I loved watching it develop.

I was a little dissatisfied by the ending. I felt like there was more story to tell and I would have at least liked an epilogue to see where our characters end up. The actions they took seemed risky and I would have liked to know that they had found happiness or at least to have been given some indication that they made the right choice.

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

I loved Threads That Bind, so getting the email that I was approved for this eARC was the greatest start to my weekend.

Hearts That Cut picks up a few weeks after the end of the first book. Io and Bianca journey from Alante through the wastelands, along the way uncovering a string of disappearances that seem to relate to the fall of the Nine. And while Io and Bianca are driven by their quest to find the owner of the gold thread that Io picked up in Alante, still Io grapples with Edei, the boy she left behind, and Thais and Ava, the sisters who left *her* behind: her fate thread with Edei is fraying, and she still feels hurt and betrayed by Ava choosing to leave with Thais.

Kika Hatzopoulou introduces us to more mystery, more world-building, more other-born, and more lyricism in this very dazzling finale. I loved the growing relationship between Io and Bianca, the introduction of more other-born powers, the expansion of the lore of the Furies/fury-born and the Moonset Riots, and the twist at the end. No spoilers, but it felt perfect to me.

That being said, although the story itself met a satisfying conclusion, the ending felt a *tad* rushed. There was a lot of information being thrown my way at the end, and I often had to re-read some sections to get a sense of what was going on. An epilogue or another chapter might have allowed some of the final threads some room to breathe. For example, I wish we’d seen more of the reunion between Ava and Bianca and that Bianca and Io had a final speaking scene.

Still, this is such a lovely conclusion, and I love what Kika Hatzopoulou did here with fate and choice. Even though this has been described as a duology, I hope we can somehow see more of these characters again.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, & Razorbill for the ARC!