I am always worried about second books, especially when I loved the first. I am here to say that Hearts That Cut does not disappoint! It was worth the wait. This picks up right where we left off in Threads That Bind. However, I did feel like I needed a recap since it had been so long. But, you're quickly thrown back in Io's world, trying to keep up and figure it all out with her. I did not see the twists happening and more than once let out an audible gasp. I look forward to recommending this to my students because just like the first, the story is so original and something that we don't often see.

In HEARTS THAT CUT, the sequel to THREADS THAT BIND, Io contends with the gods and her fate-thread, knowing she’s prophesied to end the world.

The sequel follows through on everything the first instalments sets up, with the kind of satisfying end I didn’t see coming but had been building all along! My favourite thing from the first book was Io's fate-thread (shared with loveable book boyfriend Edei) and the follow-up did not disappoint! The fate-thread becomes even more important, in ways I could not have imagined.

Greek mythology is everywhere these days, but this universe has made it completely fresh. I'm so excited to see what comes next in this author's career!

Hearts That Cut is the sequel for Threads That Bind and I think it was a bit better than the first one! I’m pleasantly surprised by the story progression and major twist at the climax. I found Threads That Bind too slow paced for my liking, and unfortunately, Hearts That Cut had the same problem. I started skimming through the filler and non-dialogue parts that I didn’t think added much to the story. I can tell it didn’t because I didn’t miss any important info and was able to follow along with no issues once I decided to skim a little. I’m desperate for Io and Edei content and this book fell super flat in that regard. I do like the direction the story is going in, so I’ll most likely pick up the next one as well.

Synopsis:
After the events of Threads That Bind, Io and Bianca travel through the wastelands while following the thread that’s attached to a god. During her travels, Io must avoid monster infestations and freak weather incidents that seem to target her various destinations. Io also spends her days worrying over the fraying thread of fate she shares with Edei, who she’s unsure is even alive.

Thank you to Razorbill, NetGalley, and the author for the early copy!

I absolutely LOVED "Threads that Bind," the first in this series, and I've been eager to read the sequel ever since!

This book was just as much a delight as the first in the series, though there were a few aspects that I felt could have been improved.

As with the first, the strongest aspect of this novel was the sharp writing and tight prose of the author. The characters were also phenomenal, and I loved the realistic relationships between Io and her sisters as well as the healthy and sweet romance of her relationship with Edei.

I do think the book could have benefited from more screen-time for Edei, as the romance was a selling point of the first book, and it added delightful tension to the plot of the first. Also, certain parts felt rushed, and I thought that the ending, in particular, could have been more fleshed out.

That said, I will certainly be recommending this title/series to my students, and I look forward to seeing what the author creates in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Dystopian steampunk fever dream

That's how I might describe this book to my students. And they would beg to read it.

Io is such a well-crafted character. Readers want and need more. I think it's her inner monologue, her struggle with herself that's just as difficult as the battle raging in her world, that really makes this story a stand-out.

"Her oldest sister's advice was a house pet, uninvited and unwelcome yet always there, parasitizing Io's thoughts and feelings."

Don't misunderstand. The world-building and action-packed plot are top tier. It's a whole package.

"The world had malfunctioned, like a scratch on a record player. Io couldn't comprehend what had just happened, couldn't find a rational explanation, but she knew power when she saw it."

Fans of the Midst podcast will love this book.

Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou is a work of epic thematic scope, set in an intricately imagined world. The novel is both enticing and original, captivating readers with its unique storyline and vivid imagery.

I just reviewed Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou. #HeartsThatCut #NetGalley

This book was everything!! The world building was beautiful , and as I read I could picture the scenes perfectly. The story was weaved perfectly and it was a slow burn with a surprise twist that I didn’t see coming. I loved the relationship between Edei and Io and how it evolved from the first book. When it got to the middle of the book and the action began I couldn’t put the book down.

Summary: Picking up a little while after the first book, Io is on a quest to find the god at the end of the golden thread, partnering with none other than Bianca. However, their journey isn’t as successful as Io hoped—and more is at play!

Spoiler free review:
Overall, this was a solid sequel! I think I would’ve enjoyed it more had I picked it up right after reading Threads That Bind, as I found myself struggling to remember what happened in the first book for the first part of this one.

Thoughts with spoilers below
- I thought the magic and world was really interesting and unique
- There was a little more info dumping in this book than the first, and while it took me out of the flow of reading a little, I still enjoyed learning more about the world and characters
- I did feel like the story lost a little bit of the excitement that had been building in book 1, although perhaps part of that is because the romance isn’t as much of a main focus with Io and Edei being apart for much of the book.
- Overall, I enjoyed this sequel and would love to see more of the world that Hatzopoulou built!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Kika Hatzopoulou for the ARC!

A solid follow up to the first book. I recommend this series to people who enjoy urban fantasy, sci-fi thrillers, apocalyptic settings, and unique magical systems.

❤️ Interesting worldbuilding and lore
❤️ Fast paced and action-packed
❤️ Smooth combination of genres
❤️ Sweet, unproblematic love
❤️ Skillful depiction of internal conflict
❌ Overwhelming magic system
❌ Some confusing phraseology
❌ Surface-level characters and relationships
❌ Rushed ending and loose ends

Trigger Warnings: violence (including guns), blood and injury detail, kidnapping, emotional abuse, panic attacks, assault, non-graphic murder, animal death, classism, genocide, gaslighting and bullying, toxic family relationships, abandonment.

Plot:
Io and Bianca have been following the gods’ golden trail for weeks when they start to think they’re on a wild goose chase. Io is still reeling from her sisters’ betrayal and from her fraying fate thread with Edei. And while political leaders and influential individuals are getting murdered in various cities, random people also start disappearing. Io and Bianca follow the signs all the way to Nanzy, the golden city, and uncover a terrible plot that could destroy humankind.

The first 25% of the book was a little slower than the first installment, but just as riveting. I loved discovering more of the world Hatzopoulou built and exploring Io and Bianca’s relationship. Then, the twists and turns and the action picked up and never stopped. The stakes were much higher and there were interesting new characters and intrigues. However, I still thought the magic system was too complex (I still don’t really understand what norn-born and sabazios-born and aesir-born and kurbantes-born people actually DO) and felt that the ending was rushed. There were so many loose ends I had to look up if it was really a duology, or rather an ongoing series. I’m satisfied with the ending, but I feel it didn’t live up to its full potential.

Characters:
I loved Bianca! And I also loved how Io’s love interest, Edei, was a walking green flag. Their love was so pure and sweet—in a world where red flags and toxic relationships are glamourized, this was very refreshing. However, I feel like the character-to-plot balance leaned way more on the plot side. The only characters we got to know in depth were Io and, perhaps, Bianca and Thais. Even Edei remains surface-level until the end. I also had mixed feelings about the primary relationships. Io/Edei as well as Io/Thais/Ava were discussed so much and remained stagnant for most of the two books, but then both resolutions were rushed in the end. I would have liked to know more about life after the events, about forgiveness and rebuilding of relationships (or the opposite).

Writing:
I enjoyed Hatzopoulou’s sharp and evocative writing style. Her depiction of internal conflicts was particularly on point. However, there were many sentences I had to read a couple of times to fully understand what was going on. In some instances, I simply gave up. This didn’t happen once in the first book, so I’m blaming it on editing and hoping this was fixed in the final version of the book (I read an advance reader copy).

An excellent heart-pounding sequel of my dreams! Absolutely loved this gorgeously crafted story and all its twists, and I can’t wait to see what Kika writes next.

The follow-up to "Threads That Bind" really turns up the heat, tossing Io into even wilder adventures and deeper mysteries. As she treks through dangerous terrains toward the golden city of Nanzy, the twists just keep coming. The book does a great job of making you feel her struggles with destiny and choice, all while fleshing out a world that's vast and full of intrigue. It's a rich, thought-provoking ride that digs deeper into the big questions the first book set up, making it a super satisfying sequel.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm going to keep this review spoiler-free. This was a wonderful follow-up to the Threads That Bind. As a woman in her late twenties who loves to read YA fantasy, I truly enjoyed this. Sometimes YA fantasy is written where I feel like I am too old to be reading it, but this one was a book that anyone can read. It had the perfect balance of plot and romance for a YA fantasy romance book.

This has honestly become one of my favourite current YA fantasy series, giving a unique spin to Greek mythology (with other mythos as well) and keeping the stakes high for basically the entire time. And even though I had forgotten some details from the first book, I think that Hatzopoulou does a good job of recapping its events without being repetitive. Where the first book is about establishing Io’s world and the politics of it, I think this book looks at the magic and the consequences, and it ends up being way bigger than I would have guessed from THREADS THAT BIND. I genuinely don’t think I could have guessed exactly what would happen in this book even if I tried, but it was fun to see how things would turn out, and watch the characters and their relationships grow along the way.

It’s a little bit hard to talk about the second book in a series where the plot twist from the first book is so crucial to its storyline, so it’s kind of nice to just enjoy the vibes. This book is a little bit rougher thematically, but it has an interesting dive into the more of the lore of the conflict that Io and her allies are facing. It’s the same world and lore but a completely different side of it, which is good in some ways but a little disappointing in others depending on what you liked about the first book. I’m also still a little unsure if this series is going to continue after this book, but I honestly would be interested in seeing more of this world.

I don’t know what I expected out of this sequel, but I definitely enjoyed seeing where it took the story, and the ways in which it expanded the world of the series. It was a good second book and I hope that it won’t be the last we see of Io and friends!

I was very excited to receive this ARC! Threads That Bind left me eager for the sequel, so I definitely wanted to get my hands on it as soon as possible. I love the relationship between Io and Edei, and the complicated relationships she has with her sisters. Kika Hatzopoulou does climactic scenes so well and the world building is so unique--I can't wait to see what she writes in the future.

thank you to penguin for the ARC!

as a f̶o̶r̶m̶e̶r̶ greek/roman mythology kid, i've read my fair share of retellings, and i can easily say that this duology is one of my favorites. the premise!! the world!! all so incredibly unique. sometimes i find that the more exciting the premise, the more half-baked the actual book is, but that isn't the case at all here. in fact, i have so many things to gush about, so let me break my ramblings down a bit:

1) the SETTING
it's been a few months since i read this book, but i still feel like i can perfectly picture the setting. the word that springs to my mind to describe it for some reason is "visceral": maybe because the setting is so intrinsically a part of the story that it feels effortlessly real? i get this gritty, futuristic, neon-lit cityscape vibe and it is the best. getting to explore more of this world in 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘵 was wonderful.

2) the PLOT
given the fact that i was a little confused after i finished the first book, i knew i could not jump into this one without first revisiting the plot intricacies of 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘥 that i had forgotten. i reread the first book right before beginning this, and i would definitely recommend doing the same, as it was incredibly helpful for reorienting myself. as for the actual plot of 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘵, it kept me completely on my toes. i had no idea where anything was heading and was definitely a bit lost at times... and i loved it. the book did sometimes go in random directions that didn't seem especially relevant to the book as a whole, but i generally found everything well-plotted, and always incredibly intriguing. the ending was a bit rushed and confusing, but to me it was the perfect culmination of everything that had been built up over the entire series, and i honestly didn't mind.

3) the ROMANCE
even though they are apart for a good chunk of the story, io and edei's relationship was one of the high points of the book for me. it balanced perfectly with the rest of the plot and i loved seeing the development of the fate thread. i don't want to spoil the book, so i'll just say this: the ENDING!!!

obviously, i love this book. it is without a doubt one of the most unique things i've read, especially in the ya category. if you like greek mythology, read it! if you like fantasy, read it! and finally, if you like beautiful covers, judge this book by its cover and READ IT! i promise you will not regret it.

I had listened to book 1 as an audiobook and greatly enjoyed it, so I was very excited to be able to read book 2 as an arc!

Hearts That Cut was a lot of fun to read and I greatly enjoyed watching the storylines from book 1 continue to unfold and conclude. I love all of the Greek mythology aspects of the duology.

The main aspect that I didn’t like was that there were scenes that did feel a bit rushed and juvenile at times and seemed like they could have been fleshed out more. But at the same time, there were also storylines that seemed far too long winded and unnecessary.

All in all, I did really like this duology and am excited to see what else the author comes out with in the future.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. all opinions are my own.

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed it! I'd recommend it. This picked up right where book one left off and I was enthralled the entire time. What an incredible story!

I was so excited for this one as I really enjoyed Threads That Bind when I read it last year. However, I was disappointed in this one. I felt like not much happened in this one for the first half like the author lost where she wanted the story to go. Io and Bianca were kind of boring to follow until more people got together. I didn’t really like the gods story line that this book took as it was kind of confusing at times try to keep track of everything and the ending as well felt a bit rushed. Overall, I was really looking forward to this sequel but it really let me down.

A prophesied destiny brings a girl in conflict with the gods themselves.

The sequel to the spellbinding page-turner of a fantasy, Threads That Bind, this book takes the reader deeper into the fantasy world build out of the bones of mythology. After the havoc wreaked in the last book, the survivors have scattered.

In this world, every person has a life thread plus threads connecting them to the things and people they love the most. Threads can connect you to your fated match or simply to your favorite coffee shop. Io is a cutter, who can cut those threads, while her sisters Thais is a weaver and Ava can elongate and fray threads.

The sisters find themselves on opposite ends of the conflict, as Thais and Ava disappear into the night after their failure in the last book. Io and Bianca, the former mob queen, are on the run, tracing a golden thread that can only belong to a god. Edei and Nico are following them with one of the surviving muses. This book is at its best once fate brings all the characters back together.

I loved watching Edei and Io struggle with what it means that they are connected by a fate thread. Each one wonders what it means to be fated instead of choosing each other with free will, and what would happen if the thread were severed. Would they still choose each other?

This book delved deeper into the world, with more characters with new powers adding twists. The floating slums over a sewer was interesting, as were some of the terrible weather phenomenon's haunting this world. The deeper Io gets in tracing who engineered the slaughter, the more intriguing the world becomes. This conspiracy has layers and double-crossings galore, and the ending is both breathtaking and unexpected.

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

This was a fun read. I loved getting to watch Io and Bianca interact more.. I also liked learning more about the wraiths. I liked going on the adventure with them and figuring out the prophecy. I wish the ending wasn't so rushed. But that happens a lot in sequels I think - trying to get to the end of the next story.