Scan barcode
nikki_flowers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Racism, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Deadnaming, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, and Death of parent
takarakei's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
- Descendants of lost gods
- Mythology elements
- Fated mates
- A prophecy
- Mystery
- Sister dynamics
- Non-binary & queer side characters
The I guess you’d call it “magic system” is cool, there are “other-born” people who are descendants of the Greek Fates (gods) who have special powers. Io and her sisters are Moira-born, descendants of Moirae the goddess of Fate, and can see/manipulate threads that tie every person to the things/people/places they love.
I found the world building beyond the descriptions of the other-born powers to be a little confusing or incomplete. I didn’t really get a sense for time period and there was no map or great description of the city this story takes place in. There were other cities or countries(?) that were mentioned, but it was had to understand how they all related in the larger world. And as there are some political things going on, it would’ve been helpful to understand that context. I think that’s the main struggle I had with this book.
It’s not necessarily slow to start, but I didn’t really get fully engaged in the story until the second half. It did have a strong ending and I will likely listen to the sequel.
I did do combination audio and physical. The audio was fine - nothing spectacular but not bad.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abortion and Death of parent
Animal cruelty/death: there is an animal fighting ring of some world specific character called chimerini. It’s about 1-2 pages and I just skipped over itfrantically's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
There is so much obvious love and history poured into this book and I'm so glad to read a book about Greek mythology that is written by an actual Greek author, totally changed the game for me.
The magic system is so fascinating and with the ending, it seems like we're just going to get even more of it in the next book.
Love, love, LOVE Edei and Io's relationship so so much 😭 truly my babies
So excited for the next book already 🫶🏻
Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Genocide, Police brutality, Grief, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, and Death of parent
azrah786's review against another edition
4.5
**I was provided with a digital copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, murder, gore, body horror, death, animal death, death of parent, emotional abuse, bullying, xenophobia, grief, abandonment, panic attacks, genocide, police brutality, infidelity, classism
--
If you know me then you know that I love anything along the line of a retelling and Threads That Bind is right up there with This Poison Heart for being a super clever and unique YA reimaging of Greek Mythology/Lore in a modern setting
The book centres on a girl who along with her 2 older sisters is a descendant of the 3 Fates. In this universe those who are descendants of deities harness some of their powers. Io our protagonist is able to see the threads of fate that span between people and the things that they love, as do her sisters, but her unique ability is that she is able to cut these threads.
Io uses her powers to work as a private investigator (honestly how cool is that?!!) and one day on a job she stumbles upon a woman who is walking around alive with her life thread cut, something which shouldn’t be possible..
This pulls Io into a wider mystery where she is made to work alongside Edei, the right hand man of the mob queen of the city who just so happens to be the person on the other side of her soulmate thread that she has been avoiding for years.
I absolutely loved this book and sped through it in 24 hours.
I was blown away by pretty much everything about the worldbuilding, from the gritty dystopian backdrop of the city and the various political tensions and underground gangs that pieced it together to the multifaceted magic/power side of things. It was fascinating that this whole deity element wasn’t just limited to Greek mythology but rather branched out to include other cultures and locations as well. Every new detail and addition just absorbed me more and more and there was some pretty great social commentary on class systems and identity there too.
The characters and their relationships were also a massive highlight. When books have complex and well written family dynamics you can expect me to be well and fully engaged and Hatzopoulou explored the relationships between the sisters at the heart of this story and how it shaped each of them, especially Io, so well! The romance also was so so sweet!! I find the soulmate trope can often feel cliché but the connection between Io and Edei felt so wholesome and right!
The leading mystery plot really keeps you guessing and on your toes and though there are some predictable bits it is all pieced together so well, particularly with how the various secrets and threads of history were unfolded. And following that ending I am itching to get my hands on the sequel!!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Genocide, and Police brutality
Minor: Infidelity
sarenac's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
leedolee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The world found within this novel was an amazing and unique one that immediately drew me in as I started reading. A tale about sisters always manages to keep me intrigued and the idea of Fate Threads also helped to keep the storyline going.
Many twists and turns in this book and all of them kept me on my toes. I would definitely recommend this book!
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Abortion
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The world building in this is so intricate and fascinating to me, built on Greek myths with different families populating the city. You always run the risk when you have a really interesting world that the characters might get lost, but that definitely didn't happen here, either. Io has a complex background with her sisters, which all gets unraveled throughout the novel. Plus, she gets paired with the boy, Edei, who is supposed to be her soulmate.
Of course, we end on a bit of a cliffhanger, so hopefully it isn't too long before the next book comes out!
Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Confinement, Transphobia, and Death of parent
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, and Murder
Minor: Confinement, Transphobia, and Death of parent