Threads That Bind, written by Kika Hatzopoulou, is a captivating romance filled with action-packed sequences. Set against an intriguing plot riddled with political corruption and conspiracy, the story builds to a dynamic pace.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
This book was too YA for me unfortunately. Just read a bit too juvenile to enjoy. The worldbuilding had potential but got a bit too confusing and convoluted to enjoy too.

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou is an interesting book with vivid imagery and cool worldbuilding. I love Greek mythology so the idea of the gods having blessed their progeny with life and death gifts is fascinating. The world of gangs and hired hands reminded me a bit of The Fifth Element with the futuristic cityscapes and underhanded minions. I was drawn in by the Fantasy elements of the possessed assassins and Io's unique gifts. The characters did start out a bit flat at the beginning but by the twisted end I was definitely invested. I'm starting book two today and I'm excited to see what happens!

I read this book back when it came out in hardcover and unfortunately greatly disliked it. While it is a very interesting concept, the execution was dull, boring, slow, and tedious, leading to an overall terrible experience. The main character is unlikeable and standoffish, the supporting cast are also unlikeable, the romance is very trite and overdone "forbidden" type trope. The plot was twisty and windy not in a good way, full of hard stops and halts and detours that made me groan every time. The magic system felt VERY YA, to the point where even though I felt like the concept was fresh, the work itself was stale. I didn't enjoy anything about it, sadly, but I love seeing more diverse books come out so I gave it two stars.

The premise is what originally drew me to the story, but it missed the mark for me. I didn’t really connect with the characters and really struggled to root for them while I was reading.

This had some really cool worldbuilding but didn't keep my attention. The plot became very convoluted, and I just had no idea what was going on.

I can't believe I didn't pick up this book earlier! I was involved in what was happing that I was not ready for the ending. The world building is great, the magic systems(s) are complex but understandable, and the characters...ughhhhh, I need more and why is it done? Book two I am counting down the days!

This book was very entertaining and I really enjoyed the story line. It was unlike anything I had read before and I'm impressed by Hatzopoulou's writing. I look forward to reading the second one, and any future books she writes.

Threads That Bind was one of my most anticipated reads and it did not disappoint!!

This book is full of detailed world building, which made it feel slow at times, but was so worth it. It allows you to understand the world around these characters and how they fit into it. The mythology and politics within this story were very interesting to read.

The characters were so incredibly well written. They were complex and realistic. I really loved Io, so it was easy to love this book. The plot was well developed and I can’t wait to see how this story continues! I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book!

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

This is one of the best YA books I've read in quite a long time. Somehow, Hatzopoulou took something as ubiquitous as Greek mythology and made it feel fresh and exciting. I never felt like I knew what was going to happen next, and the characters were so much fun to follow. I would honestly recommend this to anyone, but especially readers who have a soft spot for mythology reimaginings and more contemporary settings.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I read this book when it was a new release from Barnes & Noble and had a great time with it! This is a unique story with some very interesting characters that stuck with me.

Threads That Bind will dazzle you with its action and the secrets that become more and more untethered as the story goes on. Everyone has an agenda and people they wish to save and a cause they wish to fight for. As IO goes on an investigation to discover who is behind creating the murderous wraiths who are killing in the city she finds herself deep into a situation that is way bigger then herself.

IO teams up with Edei the person who shares her fate thread and together they uncover secrets that are ingrained in the society as a whole and will upend all of how it functions by the end of things. IO makes a lot of mistakes and she is navigating an overwhelming situation and she still manages to do the best she can to do what’s right.

I was sucked into this story from beginning to end and I got more and more excited and invested as everything started to come together in the ending. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. I cannot wait to read the sequel and discover what will come from how this story ends.

I want to say so much about this book, but it’s one of those times where the journey is so important to your experience with this book. You need to be present with the characters discovering what they’re discovering and feeling what they’re feeling. There’s something so cool that happens when things start to make sense and things get turned on their head more then once and you feel the emotions the characters are feeling when they realize the truth. That feeling was so good. I can’t wait for what’s in store in the future for IO and Edei.

This is such a cool blend of urban fantasy and mythology. I loved that while the setting mostly focused on Greek Mythology there were references to how in other lands people with these powers were seen as manifestations of other gods and reflected Egyptian, Norse, and other mythology as well it added an interesting depth to the magic system and glimpse into the larger world. The magic system is really cool and I particularly enjoyed the different ways those with magic saw the threads and manifestation of their magic. Its a great touch that helped give all these different powers a commonality and tie to the other mythologies as well. The plot was well paced and twisty, I did predict quite a few things but I was also really second guessing myself. The characters are well written and I am so looking forward to more of their story.

Threads That Bind is one of my favorite reads from 2023. Kika Hatzopoulou crafted a fantastic story with a great mystery and interesting characters. If you love Greek mythology and want to read it woven into a new and imaginative book, check out Threads That Bind ASAP.

I truly adored this book. This was a fabulous debut, and felt like a breath of fresh air I the fantasy genre. A fix of mythology and dystopia and an intriguing take on magic, THREADS THAT BIND was, simply put, amazing. I was not bored for a single moment—I had to find out what was happening next. Hatzopoulou's writing is authentic and engaging; her characters are authentic and raw. The emotional arc for Io made this book all the more enjoyable for me. I am eager for book two, and future works from this author!

I liked this one - not a favorite fantasy ever, but probably my favorite so far for YA 2023 fantasies. I liked the mystery through line & I found the twists and turns easy to follow, but hard to predict. The pacing was good, the fantasy elements were unique, and the writing was decent. I am intrigued about where it is going next.

Calling all Greek Mythology lovers, this book is for you!

I love a book that is full of action and can keep you guessing along the way. I loved the idea of following the a descendant of The Fates! I also loved the unique magic system and the way the story was crafted. This is for sure one of my favorite Greek Mythology inspired books!

Thread that Bind is a first in the series with a very interesting world-building. The story follows Lo, the youngest of the three Ora sisters who works as a private investigator. Descendants of the Fates are always born in threes, one weave, one draw, and one cuts.

Lo and her sisters can see life threads that come out and attach people to objects, other people, etc. A job that goes wrong brings Lo to the person who is on the other end of her fate thread. Edie Rhuna works for the mob queen. Lo is now supposed to work with Edie to find the person who is abducting women, maiming their life threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill.

Thread That Bind has a very unique magic system with some hints of a potential romance in the sequel. Lo is quite young for someone who is supposed to fight something that isn’t making sense to her especially when the majority of the time fantasy is an immortal character with centuries behind them, so I am excited to see how this plays out.

The last few chapters have some pretty big reveals and plot twists I didn’t see coming. The writing is easy to follow and the characters have a lot of layers to them, there is no easy way to put them in protagonist and antagonist categories. There is not much in terms of romance but the book still has moments between Lo and Edie and those were nicely done.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I absolutely LOVED this book and I can't believe that more people are not talking about it. Like, this was such a fun and unique system of mystery and powers, and the second one comes out soon and I know that it will be one of my top preorders.