This was such a perfect ending and I’m so sad that it’s over! There was just the right amount of twists and turns, adventure, romance, I loved everything about it!

Thank you forever to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this brilliant book!

I am still shaking and overjoyed to have been given the opportunity to read this incredible book.

The characters evolved so much and the story line was incredible.

I can not say enough good or praise this book enough. It is just a must, must read!

Highly, highly recommend!

I loved this. Wonderful sequel. Kept me reading it til the end. There were lots of twists and unexpected turns but it all made sense at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group/ Razorbill for this earc

Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first one. First part had a lot of “moving” but wasn’t really interesting.

The story was mostly moved by plot which usually I don’t mind but because of that we didn’t get as such interaction between the characters as we needed to feel connected to them.
Even in part two, when all the players were on the board again, we didn’t get the conversations we needed. Not between the sisters barely any between Edei and Io.
We kept being told about correction between Nico and Urania but they maybe have a half a page given to their story.

It felt like the whole book something was missing.

Part three was simply too short so the story felt were rushed. All of a sudden we had the reason, the lie and the solution.

Overall, this book needed more writing time and more character development. The ending needed more time too.

I would give Hearts That Cut 3.5 stars out of 5.

Hearts That Cut picks up where we left off in the first book, Threads That Bind, with Io and Bianca traveling together through the Wastelands and while following the golden God thread. There’s no synopsis at the beginning of the book to remind you of what happened in book one, but there are plenty of recaps along the way.

I will say, Threads That Bind kept my attention better than Hearts That Cut. The first couple of chapters that follow Io and Bianca’s adventure almost feel drawn out and forced. The slow burn romance that was built up between Io and Edei in the first book is sadly not a main focus of this book and almost takes a step backwards. I wanted more from them! I want to feel that their relationship is growing and that they’re not just buddies hanging out. I would have also enjoyed more development in Io’s relationships with her sisters.

The ending was pretty good. I was not expecting it to end that way. It leaves room for another book down the line or a spin off story, but gives the feeling that this story is concluded.

One suggestion I have that would make this book better: a map. The characters travel through several areas and cities in the book, but I couldn’t envision how it would be laid out.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love this duology and I feel so honored to have the opportunity to review the second book.
My favorite part is the visual of seeing the strings. I’ve loved the fates in greek mythology forever, and getting to read a book (two books!) that use that imagery is amazing.
I don’t want to give anything away, but if you’re looking for a beautifully written series to read, go for this one. You’ll love it.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review)

3.75 stars rounded up. Book 2 of the Threads that Bind series was as good as the first. This is a really creative and intricate magic system. There is some romance thrown in although there is much more adventure than romance. It had me quite fascinated. I thought this was a duology but it left things open for another book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for a honest review.

3.5 ★

The scream I scrumpt when I found out I got approved for the e-ARC…
I fell in love with “Threads that Bind” – the world, characters, plot, basically everything.
It’s always a fear of mine that sequels of books I adored will fall victim to second book syndrome, something that I’ve noticed occurs in a lot of YA books unfortunately. While the issues I had with “Hearts that Cut” were on the bigger side, I still think it served its purpose as a sequel.

It starts right after the ending of the first book, with Io and Bianca traveling the Wastelands. I actually thought that the pacing in the beginning was smoother and even, while the last 30-35% felt incredibly rushed. I was getting slightly concerned when I realized there were only 40 or so pages left and I had no idea how Hatzopoulou was going to wrap it up, and I can’t say that I was quite satisfied with the ending. Sometimes stories don’t need an epilogue, but “Hearts That Cut” definitely did :(

My other gripe was the relationships between Io and her sisters, and Io and Edei. For the amount of times Io mentioned the pain her sisters caused her in the first half, I figured there would be more of a development. Not that there had to be forgiveness, but I wish we got some sort of conclusion. I also felt like there could’ve been more significant moments between Io and Edei, considering the literal thread of fate they share.

Okay I promise I’m not a complete hater, there were things that I liked. For one thing, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this world. I would give Hatzopoulou all my money just to have a spin off based in the same world. The fact that she managed to include so many different gods and cultures is so interesting and unique to me. I also love, love, love Io. All she wants is to be loved (she’s basically me).

Overall, I didn’t hate it, but it didn’t live up to the first book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“But perhaps, these hearts were supposed to be broken. Perhaps this faith was undeserved. Perhaps what came after heartbreak was just as important: when you rose on one knee, then the other, and stood. When you realized that you could piece yourself back together, little by little, slowly and painfully. You might not be whole ever again, but you would survive, and that was-that was salvation, in its true form.”
Hearts That Cut

Ok this book slayed! I binged it from the moment I started to when I looked up & realised I’d been ignoring the world for the entirety of it. This was such a great twist on Greek mythology inspired books. Full of intrigue, mysteries, a quest, fates, magic & characters that will have your heart flip flopping. The Worldbuilding was fantastic, the characters well developed, the found family on point, and just an all round fantastic tale. I’m a bit sad that this is only a duology. Also it was so hard to choose just one quote because frankly it’s one of the most quotable books I’ve read in a long time, which is saying something, so here’s two more for you. Thank you so much to netgalley for granting my request for the digital arc, I’m so thankful I didn’t have to wait until August to read it lol!
🏺
“She had cursed the coming of change, blamed it for her myriad of hurts. But she had been wrong. Change was uncomfortable, sometimes filled with growing pains, but without it, there was no way forward. No way to keep going, to shed the scabs of your past and heal yourself in the present.”
🏺
“Io didn't have the indulgence of
forgiveness, the luxury of safety. Io knew, with absolute clarity, that tolerating violence was a violence in itself.”

This was a well done continuation and conclusion to the Threads That Bind duology. The revelations that were dropped over the course of the last half of the book were not only surprising, but it also helped spurred on the plot and made me race to the end. 😦

The story picks up a few weeks after the events of the first book, with Io and Bianca tracking down the god thread. I found the bond between Io and the newly made fury-born to be a begrudging respect and that neither of them could shake the forms of friendship despite Bianca not being able to hold any new threads. The ending between these two was explosive and I honestly was worried that their friendship was beyond mending, but I’m glad to see that they might have something in which to continue bonding over in the future. 🤯

I do wish we could have gotten a bit more time for Io and Edei to be together. Their bond, much to my happiness, was able to withstand their situation and even that crazy ending, but I did find myself missing their earlier banter from the first book. But as Io and Edei agree: bonds change over time, and that’s okay as long as they’re willing to work on it. 🧡

The moment of reunion for the three sisters was heated, but in a way that I can only guess that loving sisters can reconcile. I was kind of hoping for a bit more drama between Thais and Io, but honestly, I liked the way the book ended with these two. 🧵

The ending . . . Man, the last 20% of the book was just nonstop reveals and punches that I honestly didn’t realize I had finished the book in less than 24 hours. I won’t go into any details in case of spoiling the whole thing but hot damn, I was so scared for all the characters. 😰

All in all, I thought the book nicely tied up the story, but I do wish we could have gotten a chapter or scene a few years in the future to see how the characters are fairing in their new circumstances. I think it would have just tied it up a bit nicer for me as the reader. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Big thank you goes to Penguin Young Readers and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review, and to the author for making me fall in love with dystopian YA books again. ❤️

Publication date: June 18!

Overall: I’m back and forth between a 4.25 and a 4.5/5 ⭐️
Overall series: 4.75/5 ⭐️

Kika's writing style is truly captivating. I really enjoy her prose, and her ability to make such an intriguing world. However, I do struggle to connect with these characters and their relationships. I will DEFINITELY read other books by this author, but I don't think this particular series is for me. Io isn't a female lead that I connect with, or her relationship with Edei.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for giving me early access to this book! All opinions are my own.

I was absolutely enthralled by Threads That Bind, and couldn’t wait to start Hearts That Cut. It was so nice immersing myself in this world again, especially since I felt like I had a better grasp on the world. My biggest complaint about the first book was the lack of a map or a glossary of terms, and while I still felt the absence in this book it wasn’t near as dominating. I would still love to have a map/glossary though to better grasp the world!

This book is such a beautiful conclusion Threads That Bind. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves ancient myths, fated lovers, and of course the hero’s journey. It’s such a wonderful series that now has a permanent thread to my heart!

First book was amazing, and second didn’t disappointed, this was everything i was expecting, the story flowed perfectly, i was immersed right away into this world again. This was great . Top read so far

Hearts that Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou is a wonderful follow-up to Threads that Bind.

What I loved

-Revisiting the magic of this world was absolutely wonderful
-The tension continued to build to an almost unbearable degree and that made the catharsis of it all hit most sweetly.
-A lot of set up from book one really found its pay off within these pages

!as a direct sequel this title is best read and enjoyed by those readers who have already read and loved threads that bind!

first: AHHHHH!!! i can’t believe i got accepted for this arc! i was a MASSIVE fan of the first book so to be able to read the second book early?!?! OHMYGOD! i will forever be happy!
second: this story has me in a chokehold! i was not disappointed and i want to read it over and over again! this author is *chefs kiss* perfect!

I can't believe that I was given an ARC of this book! I truly can't thank enough Penguin and Razorbill for sending me a copy. I was absolutely in love with the first book, threads that bind, and was anxious awaiting the sequel. When I saw a chance for the ARC I applied thinking I wouldn't get it.

On the note of the book itself- I had a blast! It took me about 70 pages to be truly a part of the story. However once I was in- it was gripping.

This was a great follow up and had fantastic closure. I definitely think that Kika is now an instant buy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Really enjoy the world building in this series and this installment is no exception. Really action packed plot this time too. An enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the arc of this book.

Hearts That Cut picks up just after the events of Threads That Bind without missing a beat. Io and Bianca are traveling through the Wastelands, following a God's gold thread and uncertain where that will lead them.

Just like in the first book, Hearts That Cut felt like a beautiful combination of crime noir movies with fantasy elements borrowed from Ancient Greek mythology with a sprinkle of dystopian. As the reader gets to know the world beyond Alante, it becomes clear that the worldbuilding is very well thought through. Each city-state/region reads like a different place with different societal rules that can be similar but are very much attached to that area.

I would say book two raises the action level, as it felt like something was always happening and we were constantly on our feet in a never-ending investigation. The love story between Io and Edei takes the back seat but you still get that same angst from book one without any of the usual tropes (i.e. amnesia). And the conclusion to this story felt right and well-earned.

The only thing I felt was missing was a map at the beginning of the book. As a cartography stan, I very much appreciate being able to visualize fantasy worlds as it helps me navigate the pages better. This was an ARC so I will await the publication of the book to verify if this vacuum is kept in the second book or not.

Hearts That Cut comes out on June 18, 2024!

Hearts That Cut was a fantastic sequel to Threads That Bind and was just as fast paced and action packed! So freaking good!