It was extraordinary, perfectly built on the lore of unique gods and goddeses and delivered as much excitement, heartache and freshness as awaited! My mind was blown: i screamed with Io, cried with Eden and raged with Bianca. We could say, MY heart was cut😅

The new cities and landscape we get to know in the sequel are so surreal, yet I saw so many things mentioned there being reflected in our current world.
Io has grown tremendously and found her courage, her fate and that she can be more than just a cutter.
I loved Bianca holding onto dear life and being her spiky, sarcastic, strong mob queen! Edei, well he is Edei and I repeat, protect him at ALL cost!!

Without telling any spoilers my advice is to grab a box of tissues and a pack of ice to calm your nerves and let your tears fall.

After absolutely LOVING Threads That Bind, I had very high hopes for Hearts That Cut. Sadly, this was a DNF at 30% for me. I was so bored and so confused. There was no "mini recap" of book 1 so it took me forever to remember what was even going on. The author then further complicated things by increasing the number of people with different powers and it was all too much to keep track of.

Thanks to Netgalley for my complimentary e-arc. All opinions here are my own.

The description pulled me in and I did think it was written well enough.

It moves along and if you didn’t read the first you will be confused at first but can catch on quickly as there is enough of recap and details which was nice. Some books will take too long to catch a reader up this one doesn’t do that.

I like the pull of mythology but the author had her own take on it as well. Just something with the characters I couldn’t really care for them.

Did I enjoy this one as much as the first one? No, but I still enjoyed it a whole lot. It does suffer a little from the sluggishness of a second book, but other than that, it was a solid book. I do love the Greek mythology embedded in the story, and it brought the conclusion to a good point. Overall, a solid duology.

In this thrilling sequel to *Threads That Bind*, Io's journey becomes even more perilous as she follows the elusive golden thread. Five weeks of constant travel have brought her no closer to finding the god she seeks, while her connection to Edei grows dangerously fragile. Io’s investigation leads her to a dark conspiracy involving sibling disappearances and a powerful plot centered in the golden city of Nanzy. Along the way, she faces powerful enemies and uncovers ancient secrets that suggest the future of the world may rest in her hands. As Io struggles to unravel the mystery, she must confront the question of whether her destiny is shaped by fate or her own choices.

Earlier this year I read ‘Threads That Bind’ and it was one of those books that really captured my attention this year and I finished really quickly. I was so excited to also be able to read the sequel and I have to say I was not disappointed.

In this world the fates are quite literal beings and the Gods while hidden are as corporal as me or you. IO has been fated in a prophecy to cut a thread that will end the world and in this book you see how and why that prophecy unfolds.

From the first book, I felt everything on a smaller scale. There was a sense of tension on a local level, but in this book the stakes are so much higher and the fate of the entire world hangs in the balance.

Yet, my favorite parts of this book had little to do with the larger stakes, but with the relationships between the characters I have come to love. At the end of the day IO’s true fight is for thier fates. Her friendships and her love for her people leading her to a destiny to save so much more than her own people.

IO’s strained relationship wither her sisters and the opposing decisions they make increased the tension ever higher. Yet, IO manages to take the time to look inside herself and decide how she feels about the both of them and if family really does mean that you answer their call regardless of how much pain they have caused.

There is action, betrayal, fate beyond time, and a love that may just persist beyond the constraints of the threads that bind us. This was an action packed read that kept me on my toes all the way into its satisfying end.

This was an amazing following to Threads that Bind! It worked into the world and storyline perfectly. I loved every moment!

STUNNING!! This is the only time I got a book from FairyLoot and became so enamored I had to get the sequel. This story is so well balanced where nothing is overshadowed. I think a lot of books swing very trope-like but this is done so well. To the point and tells the whole story in 2 books. Writing was so well done and the plot was on point. New favorite author!!

I loved that we were given more world building and magic system in this book. It was so hard to put down and I loved the writing.

This was a good sequel/finale to the series. THREADS THAT BIND pulled me in with the world building, magic systems, and a strong mystery that made me not want to put the book down. So I really enjoyed that HEARTS THAT CUT made the world bigger, showed up more magic systems, and continued to have a mystery component.

While I liked it enough and appreciated the satisfaction of seeing how this story concluded (and just how big and far reaching it out) it didn't give me the same rush of excitement as THREADS. Possibly there was just TOO much going on: the gods thread, the sister relationships, the fate thread, the missing people, the weather disasters, the wraiths. And they all did come together but I felt I was pulled in too many directions to feel engaged strongly on any one area. I adore duologies but perhaps there was just so much the author wanted to tackle that a trilogy may have done it more justice.

Still a very good duology that I will recommend to readers looking for fun magic systems and a fantasy mystery.

I really enjoyed this book! It allowed for a deeper continuation of the first title, but introduced more familiarity with certain characters. The beginning felt a bit slow, but by the end the pacing really picked up. I will definitely be recommending this book for fans of the first one.

Threads that Bind introduced me to one of the most unique fantasy worlds I've experienced in a long time. I loved the continuation of the series and enjoyed getting to know more about the world in Hearts That Cut. This was s fantastic conclusion to the duology and I look forward to reading more by the author.

Hearts that Cut Picks up a few weeks after the events of Threads that Bind. We follow Io and Bianca as they chase the golden thread in hopes of solving the mystery behind the murders of the other-born. This was just as fun as the first book with a mix of murder mystery noir and Greek Mythology. However I think this series could have benefited from the expansion to a trilogy. I say this because everything wrapped up too fast in the end and I feel there wasn't enough time given for proper resolution between characters. Also there were some things in terms of world building I felt needed more time and explanation. I still really enjoyed this duology overall and would highly recommend. The magic system is very cool and I liked seeing our characters struggle with the concept of "necessary violence." I like Kika's writing style so will definitely check out more of her work in the future!

4 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the eARC and gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
#PenguinTeenPartner

i have to thank whoever sent that email recommending the duology in netgalley because i don't think i would've discovered it on my own. the best part was that it ended up being a super improvised parabatai buddyread, so double points for that.
now, i have to say a lot of things but hear me out: i really enjoyed it 😭😭😭 the beggining was kind of desperating because my beautiful duo wasn't together but once they were and the banter was back and so was the drama??? i was sold 😱😎 i didn't expect ANY SINGLE PLOT TWIST that came, which i have to hand it to the author because that is something really difficult to do nowadays with the many books being published and read. the side characters were just amazing, i was rooting for every single one of them, the best one being Bianca because that development was just cheff's kiss.
the ending left me in shambles and, once again, with a lot of hope. it developed so much in the sibling's relationship, in change, in hope, in what love really means and choices and so many things. i really think this story deserves more love because it's just so unique with its world-building and magic system. allthough i would prefer a glossary of the many gods and goddesses the next time because there were so many and i kept getting confused 😅
but yeah, please read it. it's really good 😍

Many thanks to Penguin Young Readers Group/Razorbill, the author, and NetGalley, for providing me the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: June 18, 2024

3.5 STARS*

The plot of Hearts That Cut largely deals with the fallout from the end of the first book, Threads That Bind. Yet the author managed to reset the board by once again giving us something of a mythology-infused noir mystery investigation.

I love the new duo of Eo and the salty ex-crime boss Bianca. Other favorite parts also included the personal drama: Eo’s conflict with her sisters and the fated bond between Eo and Edda.

I appreciated the organic feeling character development of Eo. She continues dealing with some of the same struggles she had in the first book but responds to them a little differently—with a shifted perspective as she gains new experiences.

CONS: *I struggled with boredom throughout this book because the plot largely hinged on the mythology and lore. (To clarify, the first book also made lore and mythology central pieces of the story but more heavily showcased the interpersonal relationships and city politics.) Also, there was a lot of repetition of themes and internal conflict thoughts.

I would totally recommend this book to those who loved the first book and/or those who are fascinated with Greek mythology. Kika Hatzopoulou is a solid writer that I will be following in the future.

I have many, many apologies to make to my NetGalley list. Reading and reviewing new releases is one of my favorite parts of having this blog, and yet I've been extremely behind in doing my homework. We'll be making up for that in the next month or two, starting with one of the books I've most been looking forward to this year, Hearts that Cut. (Thanks so much to NetGalley for the early gift copy!)

Kika Hatzoupoulou's Threads that Bind was one of my favorite fantasy-mystery reads in 2023. The story follows Io, the third daughter in a family descended from the Fates, who uses her powers to aid her job as a PI. The book has a fascinating and immersive world and a fascinating plot, and it ends on quite the cliffhanger. Hearts that Cut picks up where the prior story left off, with Io and an ally tracing a golden thread that may lead to a God. Along their path, they encounter more mysterious wraiths - shells of those descended from Gods - and a bevy of natural disasters. Io's world expands beyond the pseudo-Greek city of Alanthe - and so do the stakes of her story.

An expanding world with personal stakes

When we first met Io and her sisters, they were based in the city of Alanthe, focused on the day-to-day of private investigations in the underworld. Io used her view of life-threads in the Quilt to trace people and change their lives on a regular basis, primarily by cutting their connection with potentially unhealthy attachments. While Threads that Bind primarily focused on Greek gods, other characters from other cities hinted at a world beyond Alanthe, with different religions and power sets to explore.

In Hearts that Cut, we finally get to explore that broader world. Our protagonists start outside Alanthe as they follow a golden thread, hoping it will lead them to what seems to be the instigating God. As they explore the broader world, Io and Bianca realize that Godsborn siblings have started to disappear. If that weren't enough, their path seems plagued by natural disasters. Hatzoupoulou does a lot to expand both the world and the stakes this time around.

In some ways, this works well. Certainly we get to explore more settings, learn more about what makes wraiths tick. And Hatzoupoulou goes deeper into many of her mythologies than similar writers and magic systems. Yet at the end of my read, I found myself slightly disappointed that the world hadn't expanded farther. Threads that Bind promised expansive and extensive sets of mythologies all co-existing. Hearts that Cut delivered a fascinating magical dystopia, but one just slightly bigger than before.

Instead of expanding the world, then, Hatzoupoulou tries to scale the stakes. Where previously Io was investigating the intrigue of a city-state, she's now tracing the actions of cross-border Gods. Io's choices impact cities and cultures we haven't yet explored, across both time and space. But ultimately, it's the time and magic-related elements that feel more impactful. Hatzoupoulou's writing shines in smaller-scale, interpersonal interactions and relationships, and it's these elements that land best throughout the story. The scale may be epic, but Io's lens is almost always centered on those she knows and loves. This approach keeps her grounded - but also creates a bit of tonal whiplash given the attempted scale of the story.

Mystery pacing, with an adventurous landing

Threads that Bind was a mystery with a layer of adventure to it. Hearts that Cut wants to move on to more adventurous terrain, but its pacing often feels very mystery-like. Like many a mystery series, the story emphasizes Io's existing relationships, without many impactful new ones. Io consistently picks up clues that lead her towards those she loves. Not only that, she and Bianca are driven primarily by people, with external discoveries feeling almost secondary.

The result is an adventure that's paced like a mystery. As an avid mystery fan, I should be thrilled... But there are some structural differences between the genres that lead to some pacing issues here. Specifically, mysteries thrive on the twist and the payoff. They don't necessarily keep clues hidden - that's not fair play - but a great mystery takes unraveling and thinking. The climax is based on the cleverness of the detective, with any action serving as confirmatory of intelligence rather than mettle.

But Hearts that Cut wants its Big Action Scenes, with Io choosing to take on the Gods themselves. And because of the mystery-like structure, that choice comes almost suddenly, with revelations flying fast and furious right at the end of the novel. For some, it may reflect how quickly Io can think on her feet; for me, it felt a little like tonal whiplash, without the lovely suspense and anticipation that can come from a great showdown. (I'm doing my best to avoid spoilers in this section!)

Reader’s notes and rating (⭐️⭐️⭐️✨)

Hearts that Cut ultimately did a lot of what I was hoping for - it expanded the world and the magic system, and it ended on a bang. I'm certainly inclined to keep reading and am absolutely curious about what happens next. Yet I wish the story knew a bit more certainly what it wanted to be - and I hope future installments will fulfill the promise of a more diverse and expansive world. (To be clear, I will absolutely read those!) Three and a half stars.

Read this if...

You loved the characters and the world from Threads that Bind

You're ok with some genre-shifting

You're in the mood for action and skulduggery

Skip this if...

You're hoping for a dramatic expansion in the diversity of the world

You're looking for pure action or pure mystery

Hearts that Cut was published on June 18, 2024.

*This will meet "published in a Year of the Dragon" for my 52 Book Club challenge this year.

After really liking book one, and that cliffhanger, I just knew I had to dive into book two immediately, and I'm really glad I did because this was yet another banger of a book. This book just pulled me in immediately, and I was sucked in until the very end. It was just a really engaging read, and I had a blast reading it.
I just love the cast of characters. The book started of with the group split up a little, and I did like that part as well but I just completely loved it once the gang got back together again. The cast of side characters just brings this book to live so well. Io is also just an incredible main character. Her journey throughout this book is so good. She goes to a lot of growth, and I adore how her private investigator past keeps getting brought into this. She's just really good at putting these clues together, seeing connections even when other people don't. I just really like it.
I also liked the romance a bit more in this book than I did in book one. To be fair, I do still think it was a bit underdeveloped. However, they just have so many adorable moments together in this book, and I totally found myself rooting for their happiness together. They just fit together so well. Overall, I just wish there was more of them in their developement as they just deserve it.
Plot wise I really liked this one. Just like book one it feels very mystery like. It just works incredibly well, and I do quite like the mystery in this one. I definitely didn't put one and one together as well as I did book one, and was therefore 100% shocked when the reveal came. Overall, I just though this took the story in such an interesting direction, and I LOVE how it wrapped up the story as well. It is a bit open ended, but I kind of like it like that. It feels realistic.

I really thought that this duology wrapped up nicely. There were some drawn out parts in the middle that led to a bit of a rushed feeling at the end. But to pack all that Hatzopoulou did into only two books - I thoroughly enjoyed this whole reading experience.

i'm not sure why but i didn't enjoy this as much as the first book. it's hard for me to grasp the plot, and the conflict felt confusing. overall it's just okay.

4.5 stars rounded up.

The Threads the Bind duology concludes in the Hearts that Cut and it is such a FUN duology. While it is marketed as YA, it follows a private detective with the ability to see (and cut) the threads that bind us to everything we love from our favorite food to our favorite people. The second book does expand and become much more apocalyptic than I was expecting given the smaller murder-mystery style of the first book, but I was just along for the ride. I loved seeing all the people with powers derived from deities from pretty much any mythology you can think of, and the race to solve what a rebel group was doing while the clock was counting down was just such a thrill ride I think more people need to get on.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing a review copy via NetGalley.