THREADS THAT BIND is a great debut, full of twisted and deadly magic in a world where no one can be trusted.

The book reminded me a bit of superhero novel, albeit one where the superheroes are mistrusted by the public. It's set a city with a dirty, seedy underbelly of poverty and gangs, with a glittering rich part way off that held the power but no understanding of the lives of people. Then there are the various godly descendants with their powers who have to fend for their own. It's a really fun mix.

The world is a post-apocalyptic earth. A collapse has happened, leading to flooded cities and people with godly powers. I love how it's the less well known on the Greek gods used here, the ones who came in groups. It's a really fun detail that creates tight-knit groups - three fates, nine muses. There's a lot of Greek mythology-inspired books out there but this one feels so different!

It's also an urban fantasy, set entirely within one city. I really enjoyed getting to know different parts of it. I loved the way the water plays a part in the world, the flooded cities and the night tides. There are some very pretty passages about it too.

The story is a murder mystery - find out why these people are dying and how their murderers are being created. It's sneaky and twisty and I loved how it ended - the reveal was so satisfying!

I think this is a duology - at any rate, I am excited for the second book to discover how it resolves after the action-packed ending.

This book had the most unique worldbuilding I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a long time, and it had me hooked right from the start. Drawing inspiration from both classical mythology and post-apocalyptic sci-fi, its imaginative magic system and perfectly neo-noir vibes were the highlight of the story for me. Although there were one or two natural lulls, the pacing mostly remained at a breakneck speed, constantly making the reader second guess their suspects and sometimes even the protagonist herself. One thing I didn’t love was the soulmates trope, but I knew what I was getting into and resolved to give it a try anyway. And after wading through Io’s initial insta-love, I actually ended up massively warming up to the romantic subplot by the end. Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, and I’m definitely intrigued about the direction the series will be taking from here.

“she watches silver like a sign
she weeps silver like a
mourning song
she holds silver like a blade
she cuts the thread
and the world ends”

This was an interesting concept building on Greek mythology in a world where fantasy meets the realism of gangs and fighting rings, with the main character having to solve a murder mystery. Atlante is a broken city with its citizens split into those that are trying their best to survive in the slums and the elite that live on the Hill, far above the tides that envelope the lower city daily. Other-born are tracked for being born with powers that they receive from the Gods that they descended from. Io, the youngest of the Ora sisters is a cutter – the moira-born who are descendants of the Fates are always born in threes: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself.
Io works as a detective but is drawn into solving a series of murders committed by women who have had their life-threads cut, and in doing so has to work closely with Edei with whom she shares a soulmate thread with. Io is torn between wanting to cut the thread and savouring the closeness with Edei but doesn’t want to rob him of his choice since he is unaware of the bond between them.
This was an interesting tale that took some time to get into, particularly with the explanation of what had caused the floods and why the tides were so high in Atlante. However, once you got into the story, you are drawn into why the women were being manipulated into committing these murders and the story is so well written that you don’t see the jaw-dropping twists coming.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Io and Edei, as well as the intricacy of the Io sisters emotions in relation to each other and that cliffhanger demands that I pick up the sequel as soon as it releases.

Threads That Bind offers the reader a unique concept. Drawing from Greek mythology, Kika Hatzopoulou has created an imaginative world where there exists a community of people called the 'other-born' who inherit their gifts from the Gods they are associated with. Io, our protagonist, is descended from the Fates and has the ability to see the threads that connect people, places and objects. It's quite a fascinating and intriguing skill that quickly hooks the reader. In this story, she is investigating stranger murders committed by women with their life threads severed. Io dives into the investigation, which leads her into the criminal underground where she will encounter the complexities of politics, love, family and friendship.

The book explores many topics: discrimination against other-born, the ties that bind families together, and even the concept of fate and its link with love. Whilst set in a fantasy world, there are themes that are directly applicable to day-to-day life, which ensures that it remains relatable. It's fairly evenly paced, focusing on world building for what looks like it could be a riveting series, whilst also driving the plot forward when it needs to accelerate. There are some good twists and turns that keep the reader hooked.

All in all, Threads That Bind successfully weaves (pun intended) a part-fantasy, part-crime mystery together and Hatzopoulou should be applauded for this. It's the kind of opening book in a series that ensures the reader is desperate for more. I therefore I eagerly await the next installment.

4.5 🌟

Oooooh this was good!!! Incredible, detailed world building. A really unique concept. Great storytelling. The only reason this wasn’t 5 stars for me was because it felt a little slow right at the start. Everything else was perfection! Can’t wait to read the next instalment!!!

I really enjoyed this book! It is a tried and tested formula; but that didn’t in anyway affect my enjoyment of the story or the characters.

I was entranced by the concept of the book, which didn’t disappoint, but ended up really enjoying the characters of the story; especially Edei and Rosa. I already cannot wait for the next installment to find out what happens!

Thanks to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be posted on Goodreads, StoryGraph and Amazon

I absolutely loved this book. I was immediately hooked on the plot, and loved the Greek myth that had been intricately woven into this story. I cannot wait to read more by the author.

In the city of Alante, Io is a private investigator with a special skill - she is a cutter, descended from the Fates and able to see the threads that bind people to the things they care about as well as the thread that represents their lifespan. She's also able to sever the threads. But when one of her clients is attacked by a women who's life-thread appears to have already been cut, Io must partner with a boy called Edei to investigate - but what she hasn't told Edei is that she can see a thread of fate already connecting the two of them.

Though there have been plenty of recent retellings and books inspired by Greek mythology, 'Threads That Bind' feels particularly fresh and vivid. I loved the rich and detailed fantasy world the author has created around the threads, the simmering tension between the mortals and the descendants of the gods, and the heartbreaking dilemma Io faces as someone with the power to sever the threads of fate and life.

This book blends fantasy, romance, mystery and thriller to create a dazzling, immersive read. Brilliantly done - I can't wait for the next book!

Oh, where to begin when attempting to write a review on this book? There's so much to say and simply not enough words for it!

In this novel we follow our protagonist Io, a descendant of the gods with the ability to see people's threads, those that bind us to fate, people we love and even life itself. She also has the ability to cut those threads and end your life completely. Io works as an investigator and when murders start happening she finds herself in deeper than she expected.

The modern play on Greek mythology throughout this book was so fun and inventive, making this book so ridiculously unique - I don't think I've ever read anything like it! There are many various types of other-born (ones descended from the gods) characters throughout the novel and it was enjoyable learning which aspects of which gods they had inherited.

The story was intriguing, full of twists and turns in a whodunnit fashion and everytime I thought I had it worked out, a new piece of information would be thrown into the midst and have me rethinking it all over again.

Something I really appreciated throughout this book was the beautiful addition of LGBTQ+ characters in such a casual way. There are lesbian, gay, trans and non-binary characters in this book which are introduced naturally without any flair or judgement just as you would introduce anyone else. It was lovely to see, as usually queer characters appear to aid the plot or tick a box for the author, but here it felt as if the character was just always intended to be this way and they were just unapologetically themselves.

This book isn't without slight faults, sometimes the world building fell a bit short and there was a lot of information to take in all at once, making me forget a lot of the other-born terms and leaving me a little confused in places. Some characters weren't fully fleshed out and I felt a bit of a disconnect at times. However, this didn't have a huge impact on the story and it was still a great read!

This is aimed at a YA audience and it shows, but it still felt very accessible for an older audience and I enjoyed it nonetheless! I can't believe it ended on such a cliffhanger and I will be grabbing the sequel at the first opportunity.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Possible Spoilers?

Rating: 3.5

This was definitely not what I expected when going into this book. From the blurb is sounded like an urban fantasy filled with greek mythology as the main character was descendants of one of the fates, however I found it definitely did a lot of info dumping trying to explain the world mechanics which made the world building felt very clunky at times.

One of the books main themes is fate and specifically fated love, but takes a different route as there’s a possible conflict with this fated love and the main character also has the ability/option to cut the fate away from her and the other person, which leads to an interesting line about whether feelings that come from a fated bond are truly real, which was a refreshing take.

The big plot line for the book surrounds a mystery as the lead needs to solve, whilst I enjoyed the element of the book it, the possible culprit changed a bunch of times which just felt confusion.

Overall whilst I enjoyed the book it was quite fair from sweeping me off my feet. I’d definitely read the sequel to give the series another chance. Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for a honest review.

An enjoyable book with a good plot. I found it very interesting.

Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

A great debut story! I love the mythology behind the threads. What a cliffhanger too, hello?? Can't wait for the next installment

I was really excited to read this book as I thought the premise was extremely interesting. It gave me a similar feel to the crescent city series by Sarah J. Maas.

There were some great concepts in this book, however, it all seemed to fall flat. As a reader, I didn’t feel I could keep up with all the characters and lore that was being introduced. With the book being only 300 pages I didn’t have enough time to grasp all the characters and history being thrown at me and still stay invested in the main plot. I did enjoy the relation to real world themes and the connection of the Greek gods to the characters but it wasn’t enough to keep my attention.

Threads That Bind is a YA fantasy thriller. During a routine investigation, teenage detective Io finds herself caught up in an otherworldly murder mystery. What follows is a fast-paced story of fate and secrets, vengeance and betrayal, packed with twists and heart-racing action.

I loved the magic system based on Greek myth: it felt like a really unique concept, embellished with just the right amount of complexity and some vivid worldbuilding.

I found some of the plot points overly contrived and the final twist was a little too predictable. Because the world and concept feel original, it was almost jarring when the structure got a bit tropey.

Overall, Threads That Bind is a gripping, action-packed read and a wonderfully original fantasy.

Threads that Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou is a thrilling murder mystery, modern fantasy adventure saturated in Greek mythology and bursting with fate. What a debut!

Io and her sisters are descended from the fates and thus other-born, people with special abilities related to their god/goddess ancestors. Io is a moira-born and a cutter, she can see the threads of fate and love that connect us to the world around us, and can cut them. One of her investigations goes sour and she finds herself drawn into a string of murders happening in the city. Fate is bigger than she ever could have imagined.

Hatzopoulou uses the murder mystery at the heart of the plot to examine social justice, privilege, race and the way hope and power exert force over not just our societies, but our everyday relationships. Threads that Bind examines all the threads that tie us; not just to the love of our life, but friends, family, our home, our favorite foods, social causes, everything. We are all connected and inter connected to the world. We don’t exist in a vacuum, every thread we pull or mend changes the shape of the wider tapestry.

TTB has a diverse cast and incredibly dynamic world building. Alante is a post-apocalyptic, modern, Venetian style city with gangs and crooked politicians stalking the flooded city on bridges and cat walks. Marginalized other-borns descended from the gods with special abilities and desperate to be treated as equals by the wealthy, normal people who have seized power and blame the other-born for the wrath of the gods.

Fans of fated love, awkward banter, and a friends first, slow burn romance will love the relationship between Io and Edei. No steamy romance scenes in this one, though I suspect a closed door relationship will flourish in subsequent instalments.

A deeper plot line revolves around the relationship between the three sisters. Hatzopoulou examines the complicated relationship of family as NAME (the youngest) struggles to throw off the role assigned her by her older sisters and learn define and love herself for who she really is.

This is a well written and engaging story, but there were some things to note. TTB has a lot of moving parts and it did feel saturated in places. I would have loved it if they’d written more and really let these ideas be a part of the world rather than just declaring them in passing sentences. Which leads me to my second critique, it reads a little like a long prolog. When I finished it, I felt very much as if I’d been told a story, not gotten lost in one. I think this is a series that will improve with each installment as the story flourishes.

I would describe this one as if Rivers of London were a YA novel and set in a Legend of Korra type world. If you like a murder mystery, political intrigue, Greek mythology, and fated love, then this one is for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

A mystery set in a post apocalyptic world with magic based on Greek Gods/Goddesses and Muses..... sign me up!

Io is the youngest of three, they are descended from the fates and as the youngest she is a "cutter" of threads. When wraiths show up with their life threads cut and attacking people in the Silts, Io has to find out whats going on.

I think this is a great fantasy, the world building of the Silts which is a poorer neighbourhood that immigrants and "other borns" (those who are the magical descendants) are residing in. The city is a flooded city which was an exciting difference from most urban fantasies. The mythology and magic system felt well developed. Each "other born" has different powers based on the gods or muses they are descended from. We get to interact with quite a few and learn lots of different types of magic. This book can appear complex because soo much is going in at once.

Alongside the murder mystery storyline, we have romance with Io's fate thread and there is family dramas. To me that felt well balanced and perfectly sets up for this to continue as a series. I found the writing to be engaging and I did not want it to end. I will be pre-ordering any book this author writes, It is simply fantastic.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK Children's for my ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've always been intrigued by the Chinese mythology of the red fate threads. I always saw it in anime but never got a chance to read about them and this book changed that! This story has everything - fantasy, family drama, action, crime, mystery, myths, dystopia, friendship and romance. I was entranced by it as soon as I began reading.

This sort of ended on a cliff hanger and I'll probably be one of the firsts who'll be grabbing the upcoming books in this series. The characters are woven into complex creatures with intricacy that will make you love them or hate them. Some character arcs were insanely impressive! It did take me a little time to actually dive into the story, only because of the fantasy names and origins.

Io Ora is the youngest amongst the Ora sisters. She can see AND cut threads that tie people to their fate. They live in troubled times in a kind of apocalyptic world where people with powers have to strive to survive. Io works as a private investigator and on one of her investigations, she witnesses a murder but she isn't the only one. A young boy, Edei also witnesses it and to make things even more interesting, Io can see a strong red thread connecting her to this boy. She is fated to love him but will they end up together while solving murders plaguing their city? Read to find out!

I CANNOT wait for the other books in this story. I am eager to find out more about all the character's and their past.

I’m totally here for anything related to Greek mythology and I thought this was a really interesting approach to incorporating a little bit of myth but in a whole new, creative way. In this story, there are the ‘other-born’ who have powers of the Gods and are said to have one soul shared between multiple siblings. In Io’s case, her soul is shared with her sisters Eva and Thais and they have the powers of the fates, each one able to manipulate people’s threads in different ways. In a world that’s prejudiced and suspicious of the other-born, Io has fought to have a home and her business as a private detective and I found it really unexpected to see that the people born with magic are not the ones with the power in this story. Io is hired to unravel a mystery in town, a dangerous one that has already nearly cost her her own life when she witnesses a murder. She wasn’t expected to run into the man on the other end of her very rare fate thread, who she has managed to avoid since it appeared years before, and now they’re working together. I loved watching Edei and Io work together and they drew closer the more time they spent on the case, and it’s easy to see some kind of bond growing between them even if there are some complicating factors to contend with.

Edei’s character is gentle and kind and despite those brass knuckles he carries, he doesn’t seek violence and definitely doesn’t seem like the kind of man who’d be in the role he is. His friends are fun and I wish we’d seen more of them in the story but we were more a part of Io’s world and she didn’t encounter them as much as I’d hoped. I sussed out who the ‘baddy’ was around half way through, but not the reason for it, so it was still intriguing watching Io work through the case until all her clues came together and she got to the bottom of it.

I definitely enjoyed this book and will be picking up the next one. If you like magic, murder mystery and a bit of slow burn romance then grab this book, for sure.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

A descendant of the Greek fates, Io Ora is the youngest of three sisters all of whom have inherited powers. Io uses hers to work as a private detective in a world where other-borns such as her are either feared, exiled or exploited because of their powers.
Io is working on a case when she comes across a mysterious wraith compelled by murderous revenge to seek out specific victims. Her investigation leads her to mob queen Bianca and she is asked to work with Bianca’s right-hand man Edei to solve the mystery.
Kika Hatzopoulou builds a complex and original dystopian fantasy world with references to Greek mythology. The plot includes a post-apocalyptic setting, a criminal underworld, politics and a budding romance. The dynamics between the three sisters adds another layer to an intricate plot of twists and turns, leaving the reader on a cliffhanger.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

“In a world where the descendants of the gods inherit their powers, a descendant of the Greek Fates must solve a series of impossible murders to save her sisters, her soulmate, and her city.”

I saw this described as a ‘fantasy noir’ and was immediately intrigued. I absolutely loved the combination of the fantasy setting and the private-detective mystery to solve!

The worldbuilding and magic system were fantastic, I was entranced by the intricacy of it all and the consideration that must have gone into building it. Every aspect was so cleverly explored in a way that added to the plot, it was very much ‘show don’t tell’.

I loved Io and Edei and their whole storyline. I can’t wait to see where it goes in the next book! The entire cast of characters was so well thought out and complex, which I adore.

Overall, Threads that Bind is a twisty, mysterious fantasy noir which you are sure to be swept away by.