I love the world building in this series, but I found this book a little tricky to engage with at times for some reason. There were certain elements that absorbed me, such as the final act, but it wasn’t quite as captivating as book one

Thankyou to netgalley and Penguin Random House UK Children's | Penguin for a free e-arc in exchange of an honest review.

I knew going into this i would really enjoy it as i loved the first one. This duology is extremely fun and the magic system mirroring the Greek mythology is a really nice spin. I did feel that the ending was a little rushed and id have liked to have seen more of the romance element however for a YA novel, this was very strong in my opinion.

Thank you for providing me with an ARC copy of Hearts that Cut. I really enjoyed this book and loved the influences from greek mythology whilst maintaining a really unique story and world. I haven’t read anything like this series before and there are a lot of aspects about it that are unique. I really liked the characters in this book although I wish we got to see their relationships develop a bit more through this second book, especially between Io and Edei with the fate thread. I also would have liked a little bit more at the end to give a bit more closure to the story and provide at least a bit of information about what happens afterwards (I think an epilogue would have worked really well here). I would also say that the beginning and the end of the book seemed a little disjointed because of how fast paced the ending was compared to the beginning which I felt was a bit slower to get into. However it was still really enjoyable overall and is definitely worth reading to find out the conclusion if you have read the first book. Still really unique, still great characters, still a great story.

Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou picks up right after the events of Threads That Bind—and what a big cliffhanger that was! Hearts That Cut is a brilliant blend of crime noir, fantasy elements, a generous helping of Ancient Greek mythology, and a dash of dystopian flair. The world-building is masterful, revealing more and more about the world with each turn of the page. As we journey with Io and Bianca, we discover each city and region, each distinctly different from the last.

Sequels often struggle to live up to their predecessors, but that’s not the case here. In fact, this book raises the action to a new level. The mystery is a masterpiece! The unexpected twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat.

The romance between Edei and Io is beautifully portrayed. Despite the many challenges they face, their growing feelings and love remain tender and sweet. I’ve always loved the trope of fated lovers, and Kika’s unique spin on it might just be my favorite.

Hearts That Cut is a perfect ending to an amazing duology. I highly recommend it to every fan of mythology, intricate world-building, and tender romance!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author herself for providing an early review copy! I had an amazing experience being part of the street team, spreading excitement and love for the series alongside other readers!

Hearts that Cut is an incredible sequel and end to one of the most thrilling and beautifully written duologies I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

HTC picks up right where TTB left of - which means I didn't miss a moment of the drama that unfolds in this book. This book follows Io and Biana as they begin to unravel the threads left off in TTB. We get to see more of the stunning universe that Kika has created as Io and Bianca journey to follow the thread Io grasped in the previous book. One of the most wonderful parts of Kika's writing is her world building and the unique universe she creates.

The friendships and romance in this book were unmatched and I was so engaged with the plot.

I highly highly recommend!

This book is primarily comprised of an epic heist - you cannot image how excited I was about this as I have been obsessed with hiest novels recently. I didnt think it would/could beat TTB, but it did!

I was lucky enough to be apart of Kika's street team and recieved this ARC due to this reason.

I loved the world Hatzopoulou created in Threads that Bind. The magic system felt so unique and inspired, and this definitely continued through Hearts that Cut!

It took me a while to get back into the story. Until the characters all came flooding back together, I felt a little lost and had to read summaries of the first book to understand the world and plot again. I definitely recommend reading the two back to back or rereading the first book before starting the second.

That being said, Edei and Io are my babies, and I love them together. The highlight for me was definitely when they reconnected and watched their love bloom stronger. Their love feels delicate, pure, and gentle. It was sweet and refreshing, watching it blossom in the first book and seeing how it continues to bloom in this one.

The plot didn't progress as I expected, which, after a few predictable sequels this year, it felt great to be surprised! Hearts that Cut definitely felt a bit slower than the first book, but I do see the reasoning for making it a duology rather than a standalone.

The ending concludes this chapter of the characters' lives but leave their future open and unresolved. I would have loved to have some kind of epilogue to show my how they are surviving after the events of The duology. However, I'm also hoping that this means the author has more planned in the same world, possibly following different characters? I can but hope!

Set just weeks after the events of book one, but this book didn’t quite grab my attention in the way I hoped. Io is in a difficult situation, searching for those who are interfering with the threads while trying to reconcile her feelings for Edei. The first part of the book was slow, with not a lot happening. It’s hard to get much interest in a search with little being given away.
I’m glad I stuck with it as things picked up once Io started to trust herself and the decisions she made. The resolution of the book felt like something of an anti-climax given what we had been led to expect.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this.

I was looking forward to reading this book and I must say that it lived up to my expectations! I found the atmosphere of the first book again and the pain, betrayal and conflicting feelings between the two sisters were felt from start to finish on every page.Plus I loved the connection between Io and Edei : I found it beautiful and with the ability to break me and put my heart back together!
In short I devoured Hearts that Cut and found it a worthy conclusion !

It's been five weeks since Io, descendant of the Fates, left the city of Alante to follow the golden thread in search of the god on the other end. Her investigation takes a turn for the worst when her only lead vanishes, but not before she gathers some crucial clues to unlock the truth behind a horrifying plot that goes back centuries. This is the follow up to Threads That Bind, a wholly imaginative, innovative sci-fi/fantasy with really elaborate world building and characters. This continues in that vein but the increasingly thorny plot is hard to pick up again straight away but retains the quality writing and imaginative slant. The elaborate plot and dense, lyrical writing really suit a perseverant older teen readership.

A fantastic book that kept me in suspense until the very end.
The conflict between the sisters presented in this part was definitely one of the most interesting motifs. Pain, suffering and a sense of betrayal is felt on almost every page.
Getting through the beginning of the book was quite difficult for me, but not because something didn't work in the book. It was just that the main character's longing for her lost family and love was so strong.
This book is a great option for people who like urban fantasy and elements of Greek mythology.

"A fated love is the most transcendental longing in the world: across space and time itself."

In this sequel to 'Threads that Bind', Io has left Alante and her loved ones behind to follow the golden thread that connects to a god. She's travelling with an unlikely partner, the mob queen, Bianca. The two traverse a mud-choked world, picking up a trail of breadcrumbs. At the same time, Io's fate threat to Edei is fraying and she's worried that her love for him is too.

But when Io realises they're being misled, the mystery deepens. Trios of siblings are going missing in each city they pass. The more she learns, the more Io might have to confront that she has the power to end, or save the world.

I don't want to say much more about the plot of this book as it's a sequel. It took me a while to get back into this story even after reading summaries of 'Threads that Bind'. The world-building isn't straightforward but that's what I enjoyed about this duology: it's original, combining Greek mythology with a whole new magic system.

I love Io – she is fierce, determined and brave. Her connection with Edei is a beautiful one and your heart breaks for her when her fate thread to him begins to fray. I also enjoyed Bianca as a character: she takes sh*t from no one. Ava and Thais – Io's sisters – can go jump off a cliff. They annoyed me so much!

I felt a bit like the plot lagged a little in places. Initially, the book was hovering between a three and 3.5 star but the ending was excellent so I bumped it up. A satisfying conclusion to a very interesting fantasy duology.

I loved this duology so much, Io and Edei have my whole heart and I would devour more books if they happened! (this is a completed duology as far as I know)
I loved Threads That Bind but I actually thought Hearts That Cut was even better, it had sweet romance, more world building, tension and character development. It deals really well with themes of fate, choice and hope.

I adore the romance. It's a bit more subtle but I just love the intimacy and gentleness. I would have loved to have gotten Edei's POV! I liked the way we see how they might be connected by the fate thread initially but they still choose each other and their feelings for each other are authentic not just shaped by destiny. And I loved that they were friends first, they're just so cute!

The whole cast of characters are really great. They were all well developed and stood out individually and I loved the sort of found family that start to develop I would have loved to see more of that. The sister relationships were complicated and felt so real, I was glad that there were still some conflicting feelings in the end and everything wasn't forgiven but things were hopeful because Io deserved to stand her ground but also be happy. Bianca and Nico were great characters and I was so happy that we got to see more of them and that their individual stories were developed too!

Hearts That Cut is just such a great book and I felt so connected to the characters, I was torn between wanting to read it all the time and wanting to savour it a bit. These books are definitely being added to my favourites list🩷

Kika did such an amazing job with this sequel. I won't go too into what this book is about to save spoilers for anyone that has stumbled upon this book not knowing it was a part of a series, but I will say that a lot of the time a second book either doesn't meet the standards that are set in the first book but Kika does not have that problem. In this series we follow the daughters of fate of Greek mythology. It is a beautiful retelling about sisterhood and the bonds of family. There is also a romantic subplot that will make you question a beloved trope that we see quite a lot, especially in fantasy. Fated mates is such a beautiful trope in a lot of ways, but Kika makes you question the morality of it. Does being fated take away the ability to make your own choices? The world that Kika created is both beautiful and terrifying. She managed to blend about four different genres into two books and it works! On one hand we have a murder mystery, in another we have an urban fantasy setting, and on the another we have a thriller aspect.

✨Hearts That Cut✨

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just like threads that bind, book 2 was filled with lots of action. The last 30% is jam packed with big ending scenes.

It was lovely to see more of Io and Edei’s relationship. However I wanted more! I’m a sucker for a romance so would love a novella of their romance.

The idea behind the threads is brilliant and I was left wanting to find out more.

Thank you netgally for an ARC in return for an honest review✨

Book 2 has not dissapointed! Full of action and investigation it had me curious throughout the book.

I loved getting to see the characters back in action even though the romance took a back seat for some of it.

A really well rounded conclusion and the covers of both books are so so beautiful!!

This duology was so intricate that there was always something new to discover. There were always more powers to learn about and more ways that they could be used. It felt like a real world, full of real people touched by the gods and ready to bring their powers to help or to hinder the main characters.

I was really satisfied with the ending of this book. There was a whole bunch of surprises that I couldn’t have guessed which made the book really fun to read. It all felt right too. There was nothing that seemed out of place. It just all added up to make a thrilling read.

I really hope there are more books set in this world. I want to learn more about the different countries and the different powers. I’d also be interested in what happens after the end of the book. At the same time though, I don’t feel like I was left wanting.

I really hope to see more from this author in the future.

3.5 ⭐️

Let's talk plot first because there's a lot to unpack here. There are so many betrayals, natural disasters, and stealth missions. It keeps an even pace from start to finish but ends quite abruptly. The story is technically over but opens up into a what will they do now situation which was an interesting choice.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Io and Bianca in this one. The begrudging friendship is something I'm a huge fan of in fantasy books, and theirs is well done.

I'm a little sad that we didn't get to see much of her relationship with Ava and that Rosa is only mentioned but doesn't actually appear since I liked her in book 1. But Nico is here and he is just the sweetest, I love him.

There's a little more of the romance here, but it's definitely a minor plot point compared to everything else. If you're looking for something that's heavy on romantic tension, this one isn't for you. I think the mentioning of the fate thread made me think that we would get a lot more of it, and that's partly my fault.

Overall, it was okay, i enjoyed it, but i doubt I'll reread the series. In the duology as a whole, its mythology and magic system is the shining point, and if that's your thing, I think you'll love this.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, Kika Hatzopoulou, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

A barn storming, twisty, action packed finale to this wonderful Greek inspired duology. So captivating on every level - I can't wait to see what this author does next!

I've absolutely loved this duology and with this second installment Kika Hatzopoulou has become an autobuy author for me. This book, as with the first, was perfectly paced, the plot is excellent, the settings feel real, the character depictions are wonderful and the overall arc of the book is a chefs kiss.

I think a lot of authors would have been tempted to pull this out to a trilogy and this book really showcases how much better the reading experience is when an author is telling an efficient story without sacrificing character development or an interesting plot.

Io and Edei, you live happily ever after running a fairer world together in my head.

Hearts That Cut was a stellar sequel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Hatzopoulou has created a stunning duology that explores family, fate and the ways we can carve out our own path in both.

I absolutely adored Threads That Bind when I read it last year and wanted to snatch up the sequel instantly. This was excellent, taking the stakes up to dizzy heights and expanding this imaginative, rich world even more. The worldbuilding in this was great as we got to explore new places and meet new faces along the way. I liked learning more about this creative world and hope that we maybe might get more books in the same world again. It gave it this sense of scale and scope that made it even more epic, but also served as a reminder of just how much was truly at stake. Also, it deepened the sense of political conspiracy kickstarted in the first book. It leans into that sense of mystery and noir, expanding it to new territory. There were a few moments where my heart sank because everything was suddenly clarified in a new and horrifying way.

At the centre of it all stands Io. She is still a fantastic protagonist, forever changed by the events of Threads That Bind, but loyal, courageous and doggedly determined to follow the threads and her heart. I still think the magic system and corresponding powers are some of the most inventive I’ve read in recent YA fantasy and we go deeper here again. Io has such fascinating powers and we get to explore her capabilities in different settings. Her dynamic is also very different as she is paired up with Bianca for much of the book. Their snippy, sarcastic and bickering bond has a underlying tinge of respect and love for one another – something previously unimaginable.

Hearts That Cut is a worthy successor to a powerful debut that wraps up an enthralling, epic tale that will echo onwards.