The novel Pandora is not only one of the best, more solid debut novels I've read, but it's also among the best books I've ever read of the genre. This historical fiction gem is set in the Georgian era, in London. The main character, Dora (short for Pandora) is a young jewelry designer. She lives with her sinister uncle, Hezekiah in the Antiques shop that belonged to her parents, both of them dead in an archeological excavation site accident. The shop is now run by Hezekiah, who trades mainly forgeries and has a really bad reputation in the business. One day, a precious and mysterious cargo arrives to the shop: a grecian pithos, an enormous vase made in terracotta.
At the same time we meet Edward, a young man with a terrible past, that dreams about being accepted into the Society of Antiquaries and is desperate to find a good story to write his essay about. When Dora and Edward meet, their lives change forever while the true nature of the puzzling vase is revealed.
This book is brilliant. Not only is the plot highly engaging. The pace, the atmosphere, the descriptions, everything is masterfully articulated to create a sublime story that is pure joy for the reader.

3.5/5
ARC provided by Harper Collins and Netgalley.

Pandora has many themes I love in historical fiction: myths and lore, Greek in origin for this book, a determined female main character, a lovely setting in Georgian London and mysterious, otherworldly happenings. The story succeeds in many ways, including the details of the time period, the way the myth of Pandora is woven into the story and Dora is a fine protagonist. I found the details of the jewelry designs really fun and that the Society of Antiquarians is real is so interesting. I kept waiting and wanting a twist or major event to really grab me and take the story to a new level, but it never got there and fell short of the expectations I had at the start of the story. I love some romance, however Edward and Dora never clicked in a big way for me.

I really enjoyed this book! It was pretty refreshing how much I enjoyed it. I LOVE greek mythology and history blended together. I love a book with multiple POVs. Basically, read this book...it was so very good!

This review of this book is currently being postponed in solidarity with the HarperCollins strike. The review will be posted when the workers have received a fair contract.

Stories like this one is a rarity and allow me as a reader to become consumed in the story. Period books are fun to read because the atmosphere invites you into the world. I was excited to receive an arc from NetGalley.

"Steeped in mystery and rich in imagination, an exhilarating historical novel set in Georgian London where the discovery of a mysterious ancient Greek vase sets in motion conspiracies, revelations, and romance.

London, 1799. Dora Blake, an aspiring jewelry artist, lives with her odious uncle atop her late parents' once-famed shop of antiquities. After a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, her uncle begins to act suspiciously, keeping the vase locked in the store's basement, away from prying eyes - including Dora's. Intrigued by her uncle's peculiar behavior, Dora turns to young, ambitious antiquarian scholar Edward Lawrence who eagerly agrees to help. Edward believes the ancient vase is the key that will unlock his academic future; Dora sees it as a chance to establish her own name.

But what Edward discovers about the vase has Dora questioning everything she has believed about her life, her family, and the world as she knows it. As Dora uncovers the truth, she comes to understand that some doors are locked and some mysteries are buried for a reason, while others are closer to the surface than they appear.

A story of myth and mystery, secrets and deception, fate and hope, Pandora is an enchanting work of historical fiction as captivating and evocative as The Song of Achilles, The Essex Serpent, and The Miniaturist."

The time period, the concept, the the, EVERYTHING!

Once again, I’m taken in by a gorgeous cover. After reading the synopsis, I desperately wanted to read Pandora. Greek myths, Georgian London, intrigue, suspense, and romance?! All things that sold me on the book. Unfortunately, I didn’t fall in love with the story. It took me ages to get through the first third of the book. It started off very slow and never seemed to pick up. Every time I found myself sinking in to the story, the point of view switched to another person, and just make it hard for me to follow the plot and connect with the characters like I wanted. After getting halfway through the book, I found myself skimming the rest of it. I didn’t want to quit reading it because I did want to know what happened, but it struggled to hold my attention and made finishing the book difficult.

As for the characters, I did like Dora. She was passionate about her jewelry and was a strong character. Edward was a bit of a disappointment at first, and I never really bought the romance between the two, but I did come to like him eventually. Hezekiah was a complex character and it was interesting to see his POV. A few of the side characters, like Cornelius and Lottie, and even Lady Lattimer, added depth to the story and the main characters’ motivations.

So, while I ultimately didn’t love the book, if you’re a fan of historical fiction, Georgian settings, and Greek myths, it may be worth picking up a copy of Pandora.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It was clear from the beginning that there were mythological parallels. However, Stokes-Chapman does a great job making it all her own. The characters are vibrant and realistic, with lots of robust relationships described amongst the cast. From love interests to eccentric aristocrats, Pandora really has it all. And, throughout the well-thought out plot, the reader gets a clear glimpse into Georgian society. This makes it a must-read for any historical fiction fan.

A fun novel, while not quite the amazing literary experience I had pinned my hopes to. The setting is well realized, but while the characters fit within it well, I never quite latched to any of them fully. I will be checking in on this author in the future, though.
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity with this title.

In London in 1799 there sits a shop full of antiquities. This shop has fallen out of favor in recent years due to a change in ownership. Pandora Blake's uncle now runs the shop that used to belong to her parents. They cared deeply about this shop and selling true antiquities, Dora's uncle doesn't care and would rather sell forgeries to make a quick sale.
When a large delivery arrives Dora starts to question what her uncle is up to in the basement and she untangles the mystery of what happened to her parents 12 years ago.

Myths! History! Curses! Romance! Mystery!

I really enjoyed this read! I liked the characters and was cheering for Pandora and her new friends during the story. There is a quiet love story weaved through the book, well actually two. I had guessed that a character was in love before they even admitted it.
I loved some of the side characters as well. I will definitely be recommending this read to lovers of historical fiction.
Readers of The Lost Apothecary and even Bridgerton will have a great time with this novel!

Pandora
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Set in 1799 London, Pandora is a story filled with mystery and Greek Mythology.

🏺never in my life would I thought that reading a book about a Greek pithos (basically a large vase) would be so interesting!
🏺this story was compelling, and had my interest from the beginning. I found myself so eager to see how all the puzzle pieces would fit together.
🏺Susan Stokes-Chapman’s writing style is beautiful, atmospheric, and descriptive. I could easily picture the sights and smells of the streets of London. Unfortunately, most times it wasn’t the best of smells being described, but shows her talent as a writer.
🏺this book will keep you on your toes, will have you rooting for the main character, Dora, and will have you wishing you could be there alongside to help Dora.

If you like historical fiction, Greek Mythology, suspense, and mystery, treat your shelves to this one when it releases in just a few days on January 17, 2023


Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Perennial for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading Pandora which is both surprising and not. Surprising in a sense that I've gravitated more towards science fiction and not surprising because it was a great story, lovely characters, and I eagerly wanted to find out more about Dora Blake and her jewelry designs. It was a novel that had me googling quite a bit of information and that just made me like it even more.

It had a little bit of everything for me (secrets, action, intelligence, attraction, modern touches, I could go on....) and painted so vividly that I felt transported to London, 1799. I hope there's more to Dora's story and I will be on the lookout for more books by this author.

#Pandora #NetGalley

I feel sort of in-the-middle about this read. I liked the setting well enough, though it felt just like...every other historical novel set in that time period/setting (there are a surprising number of these). It was vividly realized, but overall nothing too crazy. I thought that overall this story was pleasantly average? I never really felt a sense of urgency or forward motion--the story was just sort of dragging for me. I think that while the POV changing added a bit of interesting fodder, it would always switch right when I finally was getting interested, haha. I think if you're a really big fan of Greek myth and historical fiction you'd get a right kick out of this. As it stands, this wasn't horrible but wasn't great (for me personally).

Thank you to Harper Collins for sending me an advanced copy of this my way.

This book seemed interesting at first but i couldn't get passed the writing style and how slow the plot is. the characters just seemed bland and i got really bored. I feel that i probably would like this more if i was a fan of historical fiction but sadly i am not.

I will be posting my review on goodreads as soon as the strike has ended.

Working at her uncle's antiquities shop, Dora becomes suspicious about a Greek vase that he's hidden in the basement. She enlists the help of Edward, an antiquities expert struggling to make a name for himself. Is the vase real or a fake? Was it acquired legally, or is it contraband? How far will her uncle go to hide his secrets?

This romantic suspense is more suspense than romance. Still, I loved Dora and Edward together. The mythology elements added atmosphere without detracting from the story. The book is written in first person, and it took a chapter or so for me to adapt. Ultimately, I enjoyed the book more than I expected to.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I thought this threaded the needle between "inspired by" and "retelling" quite well--it is certainly not a pure rewriting of the Pandora myth, but there is plenty of room to question whether the vase at the center of the story is THE container of legend. Dora finds inspiration from the artwork depicting her namesake, which also brings opportunities for romance and advancement. She discovers more about her parents' death along the way. It works on its own as a historical fiction tale of a woman coming into her own, but having that bit of mythology in the center of the story gives it some added oomph and an instant connection point.

My goodness! What an absolute delicious treat to read-- packed with greed, history, and deceit. The setting of Georgian London was vivid and reminiscent of all the historical novels I've read that are set in London. This author beautifully wove a number of elements together that resulted in the most captivating storyline-- a must read.

Pandora is a historical fiction novel set in Georgian (1799) London. The main character, Dora, is the daughter of antiquarians who uncover the original Greek pottery that is "Pandora's box". The novel has a slower pace, and didn't become really interesting to me until over 25% of the way through - if you like historical fiction, you may have a different view on this however. I requested an ARC of this book because I LOVE Greek mythology, unfortunately it's more historical fiction with a sprinkle of Greek mythology (NOT a retelling), so it wasn't quite my cup of tea. I didn't think the stakes of the novel were high enough - associating with someone dealing in black market antiques is really worth the death penalty? Was everyone from 1799 England okay?? But I did really enjoy the implications of opening Pandora's box and the characters grappling with whether the curse was real or not. Ultimately, if you're a big historical fiction fan, I recommend it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perrenial for the ARC. ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This was not what I expected, but not for the right reasons.

I have to say the author takes some serious risks here in the novel, which I appreciated. The third-person present tense was jarring at first (as it felt like the novel had been written in first person only for the author to decide to change it at the last minute). It gives a whole feeling of being TOLD to the audience instead of EXPERIENCED. It’s weird, but I ended up skimming over the present tense and just pretending like it was in past tense by the time I reached the middle.

I did like some of the characters, like Hermes (Pandora’s bird) and Mr. Ashmole. Lottie was even endearing by the end of the novel, and I think she is the most interesting of the characters by far. The romance between Edward and Dora is a little contrived, and there’s a wholly unnecessary intimate scene towards the end. I feel like it should have caused much more scandal than it did, considering there was mention of a chaperone earlier in the novel. There was an interesting moment between Ashmole and Dora (SPOILERS) where it’s revealed that Ashmole is in love with Edward. I’ve seen that trope before, but the author handles it in a really interesting way. I thought he was just being elitist and judge mental, but he was actually jealous of Dora the whole time.

The writing itself (aside from the present tense) is well-done, but I did find myself skipping over larger paragraphs to get to the meat of the moments that really mattered. The story itself really only started picking up around Chapter 9 or 10, which is way later than I would have expected. The author has a great mastery of writing dialogue, which came across very well in character interactions. The rest of the descriptions of the era were fine (I’m not particularly knowledgeable about the time period), but I found a few scenes to be too vulgar. This comes around especially with Hezekiah and Lottie. I mean, if Dora is disgusted, it stands to reason that the reader would also be disgusted. I’m not sure those are the feelings you want to associate with the novel, as I felt it could’ve been skipped over or otherwise hinted at instead of shown.

In a final note, I appreciated the cover art (it’s gorgeous) and the Greek mythology aspect. I didn’t expect the main character to be named Pandora (it almost feels Mary Sue?), but I got over it by the time we unraveled the mystery about Pandora’s parents. (SPOILERS) Pandora finding the key to open her parents’ safe at the end was rather contrived, as I don’t recall that key being found earlier.

All in all, I may pick up another book from this author, but I hope it doesn’t make the choice of POV as this one did. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: January 17, 2023
After the tragic death of her parents during an archaeological excavation, Dora Blake is now living with her uncle, Hezekiah, in her parents’ antiquities shop. But Hezekiah does not have the interest in antiquities her parents had and he is slowly destroying her parents’ once loved business. Dora is desperate to escape from her uncles’ care, and is hoping to turn her love of drawing and jewelry making into a career, giving her the independence she craves. When her uncle imports a Grecian vase, one so old that it predates time itself, Dora feels an immediate connection. While anyone else who touches it or means it harm is instantly cursed, Dora continues to be the only one to open it and she uses its Greek inscriptions and drawings as inspiration for her jewellery. But Hezekiah has darker plans for the vase, and even darker plans for Dora, and when Dora realizes the true importance of the urn, her life is put at greater risk.
“Pandora” is a historical fiction gem, the debut novel by author Susan Stokes-Chapman. Set in London in 1799, Chapman’s novel manages to merge Greek mythology and Georgian England in a creative and realistic way. The story is told from three POV’s; Dora, Edward (a historian with a passion for antiquities and Dora’s love interest) and Hezekiah himself. I loved how Chapman brought all three characters alternatively into the limelight, as it served to deepen the plot and character development.
Dora is smart, feisty and absolutely fierce, and she instantly became a character to root for. Her background and history is emotional and heartbreaking, yet she does not ask for pity, and only wants to work hard at what she loves in order to gain independence from her manipulative uncle. Stokes-Chapman took some liberties with the historical facts in this novel, and she admits to these herself in the authors’ notes, but it is a fiction novel, and anything she chose to omit or alter only made the novel more enjoyable.
I loved the creativity of this novel, and it stands out for its uniqueness. The fact that this is a debut novel only further highlights the talent that Stokes-Chapman has. “Pandora” is full of intrigue, and I can’t wait to see what Stokes-Chapman delivers next!