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olive_lol's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Abandonment
Minor: Bullying, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Death of parent, and War
ska1224's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
love this book sm the world building. the characters. the narration in the audiobook is some of the best i've heard. lov this sm
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Medical content, and Murder
Minor: Deadnaming and Abortion
manaledi's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
I quite liked this. It was a good twist in being Greek inspired without including any of the traditional pantheon and rather focusing on the fates and the muses and such. The magic was interesting, the post-apocalyptic setting was interesting and the book did a good job addressing the questions of fate and how much we let ourselves be guided by a fate versus free will. I appreciate books with a class divide where we don't just get everyone rich giving out alms but rather a truer look at making ends meet and gang territorial control.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
This was a fun start to this series (unsure if it’ll be a duology or series!), though there are a lot of moving parts and characters to get to know, which if you’re like me, could be disorienting hahaha. However, I really enjoyed getting to know our main character Io, and her fated mate/fate thread sharer, Edei.
Io is a teenage private investigator and an Otherborn, which means she has powers leftover from the Greek gods/Fates who are no longer around. Her powers are related to adjusting folks’ fates, having the power to cut them, while her sisters Thais and Ava weave and draw the threads. She contemplates cutting her own fate thread as well, because “we don’t kiss other people’s boyfriends,” as Io and her sisters say lol! Edei already has a girlfriend when Io learns of him, so she doesn’t seek him out and sort of feels resigned to not ending up with her fate thread.
Io’s sister Thais leaves one day, and now Io is mostly helping disgruntled wives deal with their unfaithful husbands. Then, Io begins investigating a grisly mystery: somebody is abducting women, maiming their life-threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill. She works with Edei to uncover dark secrets and this close proximity gets them both to question if they should simply give in to their fate threads!
Sometimes, the pacing felt a bit frenetic, especially when it came to explaining Io’s relationship with her sisters. I sort of got whiplash with that; I remember thinking, ‘Wait, when did their relationship turn down this road?! What did I miss?!’ So, sometimes I would have to rewind (listened to the audiobook) to try to grasp what happened, but it was mostly due to pacing and a lack of showing (and more telling/exposition).
Something I really appreciated was the queernormative world, with bisexual, trans, and nonbinary side characters!
Overall, I did enjoy listening to this and appreciated an ownvoices take on Greek mythology YA fantasy, so I will continue the series and I think the author does have a lot of promise!
This was a fun start to this series (unsure if it’ll be a duology or series!), though there are a lot of moving parts and characters to get to know, which if you’re like me, could be disorienting hahaha. However, I really enjoyed getting to know our main character Io, and her fated mate/fate thread sharer, Edei.
Io is a teenage private investigator and an Otherborn, which means she has powers leftover from the Greek gods/Fates who are no longer around. Her powers are related to adjusting folks’ fates, having the power to cut them, while her sisters Thais and Ava weave and draw the threads. She contemplates cutting her own fate thread as well, because “we don’t kiss other people’s boyfriends,” as Io and her sisters say lol! Edei already has a girlfriend when Io learns of him, so she doesn’t seek him out and sort of feels resigned to not ending up with her fate thread.
Io’s sister Thais leaves one day, and now Io is mostly helping disgruntled wives deal with their unfaithful husbands. Then, Io begins investigating a grisly mystery: somebody is abducting women, maiming their life-threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill. She works with Edei to uncover dark secrets and this close proximity gets them both to question if they should simply give in to their fate threads!
Sometimes, the pacing felt a bit frenetic, especially when it came to explaining Io’s relationship with her sisters. I sort of got whiplash with that; I remember thinking, ‘Wait, when did their relationship turn down this road?! What did I miss?!’ So, sometimes I would have to rewind (listened to the audiobook) to try to grasp what happened, but it was mostly due to pacing and a lack of showing (and more telling/exposition).
Something I really appreciated was the queernormative world, with bisexual, trans, and nonbinary side characters!
Overall, I did enjoy listening to this and appreciated an ownvoices take on Greek mythology YA fantasy, so I will continue the series and I think the author does have a lot of promise!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Violence, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Genocide, and Transphobia
camiandkitread's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“Threads that Bind” was a mythology-based mystery that delivered on the “Percy Jackson for an Older Audience” vibes that “Lore” was supposed to.
This is Kika Hatzopoulou’s debut novel and I am really blown away. Typically, debut novels are a little clunky—whether in the dialogue, the plot, world building, or some combination—and I try to overlook it because, hey, it’s a debut novel. It’s the author’s first time publishing something and they’re still honing their skills or maybe had a lackluster team. That was not the case with “Threads that Bind.” It was immaculate and executed so well.
Dialogue was sharp and realistic, the magic system was unique and compelling, the world building was sensational, I can keep going but I’ll stop there.
This is Kika Hatzopoulou’s debut novel and I am really blown away. Typically, debut novels are a little clunky—whether in the dialogue, the plot, world building, or some combination—and I try to overlook it because, hey, it’s a debut novel. It’s the author’s first time publishing something and they’re still honing their skills or maybe had a lackluster team. That was not the case with “Threads that Bind.” It was immaculate and executed so well.
Dialogue was sharp and realistic, the magic system was unique and compelling, the world building was sensational, I can keep going but I’ll stop there.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Genocide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
eni_iilorak's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Confinement, Deadnaming, Infidelity, Abortion, and Death of parent
azrah786's review against another edition
4.5
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**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
**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
Content Warnings
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
allyourteetharebelongtous's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Xenophobia
Minor: Genocide, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
ninahuynh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
As a lover of Greek mythology and mystery, this book hit the spot! There was a lot of action and powers and mythological jargon. I personally would have appreciated a glossary ormap or some sort for all the different types of born-powers and born-families. Espciallly with how there are different terms for the same type of born based on the region/nation.
The romance between Io and Edei could use some more development; I hope to see more of that in the next book. Thais urks me in how she manipulates sisterhood; I hope Ava grows more into herself and stands up to Thais. Excited to see how the fight continues in the next book!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
leedolee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
A fun, fast-paced read!
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!
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!
Content Warnings
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