Getting a notification that I had been approved to get a ARC of this book was for sure the highlight of my day. I absolutely adored Threads That Bind, it was one of my top reads of 2023 hands down. It had Gods, romance, a power infused main character and an action packed storyline.
Book 2 picks up soon after book 1 ended with Io and Bianca on the search for answers behind all the chaos that has erupted across their world. Who are the masterminds behind all the destruction and death that continues to happen?
I can honestly say that I love Bianca for some reason. I honestly feel like she stole the show a couple times with her FB/W( using only the first letters to not spoil anything) powers and her snarky as heck attitude. She was just a loose cannon that you couldn’t help but root for. Io and her romance with Edei finally begins in earnest to heat up and it’s cute to behold. I had hearts in my eyes when they were reunited and chose each other.
The storyline of this book kind of had its moments where it was sluggish, but hearing more about this world and the creatures that resided in it for sure, made up for it. I’ve always been interested in any god mythology, and this book for sure, fed that sweet tooth. The action scenes were as nail baiting as the first book.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was a solid sequel to one of my favorite reads of 2023.
If you like God Mythology, nail biting action scenes and excellent world building. This book is for you.
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I am super honored to be able to read this book early. I loved the first book so much. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings of this book.

This book was a great completion to this duology. With such a unique magic system we got to dive even deeper into it in this book. I do wish we were getting just one more book because we got a lot of new information that similar to the first book, the first 3/4 was a lot of new information and having to make sense of it and the plot finally picks up in the last 1/4.

I loved this story enough to look over that and with such a unique world it makes sense but I wish we were getting one book of just plot for all the back story we got in these two books.

There is so much character growth for every single main and side character and it’s amazing for no one to be left behind or forgotten.

I found this book just a little bit slower than the first one. However, it still had all the aspects I loved about the previous book. 3 ⭐️!

What I liked:
I loved getting to see Io and Bianca’s relationship grow. They might not be friends but I think they grew to respect one another and i think that’s a huge improvement.

We saw a new type of power: the Erotes-born! I think this new power is so cool and I’d love to see what else they can do.

What I didn’t like:
It was unclear whether this is the final book. I’m hoping it’s not because the ending felt a little rushed and I feel as though there’s still so much to say about the world and characters. Either a new book or short epilogues for a few characters is needed, in my opinion. Docked 1 ⭐️

I didn’t really connect with the wastelands or nanzy as much as I did with Alante. It’s a scummy city with little to no redeeming qualities. Docked 0.5 ⭐️

The gods plot line didn’t go where I thought it was going to… I was expecting more of an impact on the characters than it actually did. Docked 0.5 ⭐️

Favorite quotes 🩷

“How was it possible that the mob queen of the Silts was in fact a child in a trench coat?”

“Please allow me to examine your rivers of love and resolve the issue, so that we may all succeed in our impossible mission.”

“We are ruled by the shape of our longing,” he said. “By threads that bind and hearts that cut, through tender flesh and deep into the bone.”

“Albi, albi, albi,” he kept murmuring into her hair. And Io was certain now that it would be all right, because she’d heard enough Sumazi in her life to know his words meant my heart, my heart, my heart.”

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hearts That Cut is the amazing follow up to Threads That Bind, and I've gotta say, I loved both of these books so much. In Threads That Bind, Io is unsure, uncertain, but ultimately, despite her unrelenting fear, convinced she must do the right thing to save not just her city, but all the people within it. In Hearts That Cut, she is brave and strong and embraces her fears, embraces what has scared her her whole life, and continues to fight for what is right, not just for herself, but for her friends, her family, and all the other-born around her.

I don't want to give too much way, but this is a stunning conclusion to the Threads That Bind story, and I highly recommend you read both books. I will be reading anything Kika Hatzopoulou puts out for the rest of time.

3.5 stars

I read threads that bind and was absolutely obsessed with the fast paced murder mystery plot with a great back story on greek mythology, hearts that cuts was a bit slower start for me and found it a little hard to keep up with all the new gods that were born, as well as the plot picks up much more after the 50% mark, i believe the book is still in editing so a lot could change till we have the final result, i think its a good book needs small changes, the ending was good just a little cheesy over all an easy enjoyable read

As an avid fan of the first book, I couldn't wait to dive into "Hearts That Cut," and let me tell you, Kika Hatzopoulou did not disappoint! This sequel is an absolute gem, and I'm already declaring my love for it with my whole entire heart!

Picking up right where "Threads That Bind" left off, we follow the beloved characters, Io and Bianca, on a thrilling adventure as they trace the golden thread of the gods to unravel the aftermath of the first book's events. The reunion with Edei and Nico sets the stage for a mystery that transcends centuries, weaving a tale so intricate and captivating that I couldn't put the book down.

The mystery in "Hearts That Cut" is a masterpiece. Hatzopoulou skillfully adds unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the author threw a curveball that left me in awe. The suspenseful atmosphere created throughout the novel had me eagerly turning each page, hungry for more.

The worldbuilding in this duology is nothing short of fantastic. The author's ability to blend magic and mythology is captivating. I found myself completely absorbed in the rich tapestry of this world. The seamless integration of myths into the narrative added layers of depth, showcasing the author's skill in building captivating settings.

The romance between Edei and Io is beautifully portrayed. Despite the challenges of being apart and the uncertainty of their feelings, their love remains tender and sweet. The exploration of their doubts, intertwined with the concept of fate threads, adds depth to their relationship.

"Hearts That Cut" also shines in its exploration of other mythological descendants' powers. This added a refreshing layer to the narrative, offering a glimpse into the diversity of abilities and drawing intriguing comparisons with the familiar Greek mythology.

"Hearts That Cut" is a perfect ending to an amazing duology. Kika Hatzopoulou has crafted a tale that not only pays homage to mythology but also delivers a riveting mystery and a heartwarming romance. This book is a must-read for anyone who appreciates masterful storytelling, intricate worldbuilding, and characters that steal your heart.

I got the first book in this series "Threads that Bind" from my Fairyloot monthly box and was floored. I knew I needed to finish this series as soon as possible because I was hooked.

Just like TTB, Hearts that Cut had me enraptured. I was already so invested in Io's journey that it was easy to jump back into the narrative. Hatzopoulou does a great job of weaving together the story with also giving subtle reminders of events from TTB. This story also takes a strong step forward in character development and really forces the reader to alter previous perspectives.

Hatzopoulou is also able to continue with depicting new lands and interweaving new characters into the story in a way that makes you question who you can trust. She is able to drive forward the narrative in a way that maintains suspense and follows through with the right curveballs and heart dropping moments.

Do not sleep on this series. Hearts that Cut was an epic conclusion to not only Io's story, but this duology itself.

Reviewed on goodreads and storygraph

Thank you Netgalley for the early copy to review!

I really enjoyed the first novel of this series, but unfortunately this one fell short for me. I read the unfinished version but this felt very rushed and underdeveloped. I felt like there wasn't enough emphasis on Io's relationships at all. More specifically, her relationship with her sisters felt like it was missing a lot. She was very quick to forgive Ava despite the betrayal, and yet couldn't do the same for Thais who made just as big of a mistake. I wish there had been more character development among the sisters individually and together, since it seemed like it was supposed to be such a large part of the story. I also felt like the climax and ending came on way too fast and there could have been more action added to make those final scenes more emotionally impactful. I still enjoyed reading this book but not as much as the first, but anyone who loved the first one should absolutely continue with the series!

Threads that Bund was in my favorite reads of last year. It’s sequel Hearts that Cut solidified these two books as some of my favorites. This book was intense and kept me on the edge of my seat. The magic and mythology left me feeling so empty after finishing it. It was liked being sucked in a world only for it to end. I can say I mourned the world Kika built. The characters were flawed and real. Such a brilliant read.

I honestly needed a day to fully process this book, this book was all action and I was fully invested in it. Following Io and Bianca as they go through so many different cities, following the gold thread she grabbed ahold of and braving the odd weather across the wastelands I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. As someone who has always had such a strong love for greek mythology Kika really writes it so very perfectly I will never get tired of reading her writing.

Thank you penguin teen for sending me an e-arc all opinions are my own!

2.5 stars, rounded to 3 on Goodreads
If I read "smooch" in this book one more time, I will scream.

This was wildly disappointing after giving Threads That Bind 4.5 stars. I absolutely loved the first book except for the underdeveloped romance that I had zero feelings for. It was just a thing that existed. Unfortunately, this entire book fell into the category of "this just exists." It was so hard to get through for such a short book.

The first book had such an interesting world, amazing sister dynamics that were complicated and messy, and a really cool plot that was like trying to solve a really strange mystery. There was nothing of that for about 60% of this book. The Gods storyline was the thing I was most worried about and it did turn out to be the wrong path for this book to go down. It just wasn't fun at all to read and seemed irrelevant for most of the book. It really seemed like the author didn't know what to do with Io and Bianca for the first 150 pages. Only when the Scooby gang was back together (with some random additions) did the book try to do something (not well).

New powers and Gods were thrown at us throughout the book, which was something that was already hard to keep track of in the first book. The fury-born storyline didn't really make sense for most of the book either.

I did like the ending, but it all felt so rushed with almost nothing happening at the beginning. The major flaw of this book was the pacing. So much more needed to be explored and elaborated on earlier in the book instead of leaving all the important bits and revelations to the last 10%. I'm basically just super disappointed because this had so much potential to be more.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

FINAL RATING: 4.75/5

i was so nervous coming into this because not only is this my most anticipated book of 2024, but this is a sequel and there are so many duologies out there that fall off in the sequel. this book did not disappoint though and it was a great read. this book expanded wonderfully on the world and magic system the first book left me wondering so much about. we revisited a lot of the characters and while i'm sad some of them were only mentioned in this book, we did get to meet a lot of new ones i became really invested in. and ioedei… i never knew it was possible for a romance that was already established in book 1 to go through even more yearning in book 2 but wow i loved it, they were almost slowburning.

i was hesitant about the rating for a long time bc the pacing is weird: first part felt a little slow (nothing rly happened), the middle was perfect, then the last part was rushed. i would've loved to see more resolution but that's probably preferential since i didn't exactly have any problems with the ending it was still satisfying and heartwarming. and while i would've loved to see more of the aftermath to the point that i thought the end wasn't enough, the journey from start to finish made me so emotional and the way everything tied together was so great that i just couldn't not give this higher than 4 stars.

This is a sequel so there will be spoilers from book one below.

Io and Bianca left the group and have been traveling through the wastelands. There are threats along the way including deadly creatures. They do quick work for a bit of money and keep moving on. Io can't feel Edei coming to find her like she promised. Their fate thread looks to be fraying and she thinks that he doesn't care that way for her anymore. Io is also dealing with the feeling of her sisters screwing her over. Bianca becomes a good ally, but she is struggling to just stay alive and to not lose herself. They find out that sibling groups are missing all over and think that it has to be connected. They slowly make their way to the city of Nanzy where all the mayors are gathering. Io is sure that they will find the gods there. She just isn't sure what they'll do once they find them. Luckily they find people along the way that are willing to help. But most people still believe the gods are dead and Io knows that it will be difficult to kill someone immortal.

I gave this book 4 1/2 stars. I'm not sure if it's the final book or if there will be a third. There were no cliffhangers, but it felt like the ending wrapped up a bit quickly.

Thank you to Netgalley for my earc.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou is the sequel to an urban fantasy brimming with Greek mythology, fated mates, and dark conspiracies that are sure to shake the foundation of this fantastical world.

The author does an incredible job of expanding on her unique plot and conflicted characters. I loved seeing those relationships evolve, which kept the story fresh and exciting. This book is so distinct and vivid, and it really lived up to the bar she set in book one.

Overall, I gave this book five stars because it not only beat the sequel curse, but I enjoyed it even more than the first book because I was already endeared to the characters and plot and was desperate for more, which the author delivered. She did such a wonderful job of flushing everything out without being predictable or stale. I highly, highly recommend this series, you won't be disappointed!

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Razorbill, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up Hearts That Cut on June 18, 2024.

Wow! What a thrilling sequel to an already high-stakes story. I love how Kika Hatzopoulou expanded this world and magic system so much more, introducing us to a world truly on the verge of Collapse. I could viscerally see this world in my head, played out like a movie, and it was so exciting to witness more magic in the city-nations (city-states?) outside of Alante.

Hearts also masterfully expanded on the character arcs we saw in Threads That Bind. I BELIEVED in Io's doubts, her waning optimism, and her struggles with her sisterly relationships and her romantic bond with Edei. All of the characters felt so believable on the page that it felt like I was hiding out with them in Nanzy, trying to hunt down the gods while evading capture.

We meet and fall in love with new characters while also seeing old characters grow into stronger, hardened versions of themselves. The ending had me TRULY gagged, from the betrayals to the action to the climactic final moment. I'm honestly shocked by what played out, and I absolutely can't WAIT for the third installment (hopefully) to come.

If you're in your mythology era -- Greek or otherwise -- and you want murder mystery vibes fraught with sisterly conflict and fated/doomed relationships, this is your book!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou is the second book in her Threads That Bind series and it wraps up this duology. I think you definitely have to have read the first book before this one. I had read Threads That Bind last summer and I actually had to look it over again to remember everything I needed to know for going into this one. If the first book stuck with you more I think you'll be fine just to start this second one right away.

For me the first half of the book (or honestly first sixty percent or so) was a little slow. I'm not sure exactly what could've been cut to make it shorter or drag less, but I want to say probably something could've been. Just to help the flow a little more early on. This book definitely picks up as you go on and I did find it pretty engaging over all! The first one just had more action the whole time whereas this one takes more time to set things up. I think just keep in mind that this is a complex world and there are important relationships and plot lines to develop. It all pays off well, so it's really just a matter of staying with the story as it gets to where it needs to be.

As I said, the world is a little complex which is again why I think it's important to really remember the first book. That complexity though is what makes this story so interesting and unique for me. I love a rich setting with well-done world building and a well-explained magic system and Hearts That Cut continued the excellent work done by Threads That Bind in this regard.

The mystery in this book was also so well done. There is a really great twist I did not see coming at all. I was completely shocked but it still definitely made sense. Which just speaks to Kika Hatzopoulou's talent when it comes to story telling. Big plot twists are hard to do well and she absolutely succeeds!

I still really enjoy Io. I think I liked her more in this book than the first. Her romance with Edei was sweet, though didn't exactly wow me. But if you enjoyed them in the first book, you'll definitely love them now. I just never fully bought into their relationship, but that's just my opinion. I think Bianca was an enjoyable character and I liked seeing her friendship with Io develop! I wish more side characters got more time, but I enjoyed what they did get.

If you loved the first book I think you'll probably love this one too. Kika Hatzopoulou is a gifted author and I'd love to read more books from her in the future. I did like the first book in this duology more, but Hearts That Cut was a well-done conclusion to the Threads That Bind series.

3.5 stars
Although I really enjoyed this story it wasn’t as exciting as the first one. It was a little repetitive at times, going over their mission to take down the gods more than was probably necessary. With that being said I really likes seeing the relationship build between Io and Bianca, going from Io being scared of the mob queen in the first book to being more comfortable/commanding in this one. I also enjoyed seeing the love grow between Io and Edei even with their fraying fate thread. The world building was exceptional and the detail given made it easy to picture where the characters were and what was happening.

Once again, I cannot get over the world weaved in this story. Such an original take on the mythology inspired urban fantasy genre, weaved with themes of family, love, morality, and more. I love Kika Hatzopoulou's ability to deliver a tale full of adventure but also of one that examines the nuances between loved ones. I feel like sometimes the takeaways for Io's realizations were a little on the nose, as in they were literally spelled out, and my general preference is more that the author leaves it open to interpretation. However, in this case, I think I appreciated the messages being spelled out, as they served to further highlight Io's growth in a concrete manner. I also loved the occasional descriptions of the Greek dishes the characters were eating, could've used more of them! I feel like out of all the Greek mythology inspired fantasies I've read, only this one has really mentioned the cuisine so vividly and I love a dish detailed out on the pages. Amazing story, definitely one of the best books I've read since this year has begun, I hope this author revisits this world in her future stories!

Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars

While this was still the most unique and creative take on mythology as a concept I've ever come across, this book did not captivate me as much as the first in the duology did. The writing was still well done, and the characters were still relatable and relatively fleshed out, but it was something of about the execution and pacing of the plot. It felt like just a lot of talk and nothing happening for the first 60% of the book.

I absolutely adored this series. After reading the first book I was so very excited and eager for the conclusion and what a crazy, amazing conclusion it was.

This otherworldly mystery had such great depth with looming prophecies, threads of interlocking complexity, and characters who were so well rounded it was hard to say goodbye. The author did an amazing job, I will definitely be watching out for more of her work!