Thanks so NetGalley and Razorbill for the ARC of Hearts that Cut!

I was very excited to get my hands on this early. I absolutely loved Threads that Bind and was excited to see what was going to be next for Io. Unfortunately, the second book felt somewhat rushed, and didn’t give me quite the same level of connection to the characters as the first book. I found myself having to go back and re-read sections because something dramatic happened very quickly and I missed it. It is possibly this series could have benefited from being a trilogy.

I’m still obsessed with the premise of this series and love these characters. Kika Hatzopoulou does an amazing job of creating a world that simultaneously feels other worldly and familiar with a cast of characters you want to root for. Im very excited to see what she works up next!

3.5/5: I’m rating this book slightly higher than the previous book because I think it wraps up in a very nice way. The package isn’t perfect, but the result is a solid conclusion and a sense of resolve.

The story picks right up where we left off, but a bit into the future. However, the intense world-building that happened in the previous book is overshadowed by the even MORE intense world-building that is to come. We see far too many places and get far too much information about people and their lineage to gods that it distracts from the big picture. The detective angle was lost and almost forced back into play in this book. It was nothing anyone couldn’t do with having very little investigative background.

I did enjoy this book in its essence and would recommend it for younger audiences. Io is very relatable for a YA audience, but not so much an adult reader. However, Bianca makes up for this multiple times. She really shined in this book! I missed the relationship with Io and her sisters as it takes a backseat here. Same with the other characters we had grown to love. It’s very Io-centric and we don’t have the connections we built in book 1.

I love Edei and Io. Their romance is so tender and sweet. Anytime they have a moment alone together I was just overjoyed! I enjoyed the progression of their relationship but still find their interactions lacking in frequency to build the connection they have.

Edei was a character I wanted more from. He’s been through so much up to this point and we only get a glimpse of the tole it takes on him. I would have loved to see him talk to Io about it more. Because, as I mentioned previously, their interactions are few and relatively short when we get them.

There are so many details thrown in that it prevents you from being able to read it without JUST reading the dialog. Which, when you got to it, wasn’t all that exciting. Although, if you want as many descriptions as your heart could ever desire, it’s got plenty of that.

The ending is paced well and finally comes to the grand finale we’ve waited for. However, it came more out of nowhere than I could have anticipated and there were aspects that left me feeling like we’ve been led on this wild goose chase. It could have been better eluded to.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this upcoming book by Kika Hatzopoulou

I was so excited to receive an ARC of Hearts That Cut after loving the first book and it certainly did not disappoint! It picks up shortly after the events of Threads That Bind. Io and team begin the hunt for the goddess behind the golden thread and are taken on adventure that keeps you engaged the entire time.

While the beginning started a bit slow, I can’t think of a single thing to change based on how the story played out. The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat and the mystery element was as strong here as it was in book one. Just when I thought I had it figured out, Kika threw in a curveball that had me reeling.

Overall, I think if you enjoyed the first book then this will be a hit for you too!

Thank you NetGalley and Razorbill for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, this sequel was AMAZING! Kika Hatzopoulou really knocks it out of the park with this second book in the duology!
It really picks up from where it left off from “Threads That Bind”.. We follow Io and Bianca on a crazy adventure as they trace the “golden thread” of the gods to help solve the mystery on the aftermath of the first book’s events. They also meet up with the other characters, as they all set to figure out what the gods have planned!! It was very hard to stop reading this book!!

The “mystery” element in “Hearts That Cut” is amazing and unique, unlike anything I’ve read before! Kika Hatzopoulou adds unexpected turns, twists and edge on your seat action!! The suspense really kept me going, not knowing what will happen next!

The love interest between Io and Edei was very wonderful! Even when they were apart during times and the uncertainty of their feelings- the love between felt very real and sweet as they worked together in this fight!

The author did an amazing job with character development in this duology! Each character had their own unique personality, quirks and moments! The mythology aspect was very very interesting and added such a depth to the story that made it very enjoyable to read! I definitely learned a lot! “Hearts That Cut” is a must read for anyone who loves mystery, romance, and mythology!

I want to say a big THANK YOU to Razorbill and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this as my first arc! Very grateful and I really enjoyed it very much!!

"Hearts that Cut" picks us 5 weeks after "Threads that Bind" left off, following Io and Bianca as they traverse the wastelands in hopes of finding the god who is behind the creation of the wraiths.

Unfortunately for me, this book had none of the intriguing mystery or intricate world building that the first novel had, and accentuated the issues I had in book 1.

We get to see 2 new settings in this novel; the wastelands and Nanzy. Unfortunately I had a hard time understanding the layout of Nanzy, and the wastelands seemed so different from the previous book it was kind of jarring to be dropped somewhere completely different with no prior knowledge of it.

The book starts off slow, and for the first 33% the characters are traveling in the wastelands and not much happens. We do get to see a bit of friendship bloom between Io and Bianca, however Bianca seemed like a completely different person in this book. In the first book she was a murderous gang leader, and here she's more of a sassy sidekick. Her murderous gang leader side comes back for a brief moment near the end of the book, but otherwise it's like she was a completely different character.

Luckily the plot picks up after the first 3rd of the book. I had high hopes of this being a 4 star book for me after seeing the characters from book 1 reunite, and for a while, I was really invested. However, Io keeps talking obsessively about how her and Edei "used to be" and I'm just sitting there being like...you never had a relationship. They knew each other for a total of 3 days before they got separated, there is no "how you used to be". There wasn't time for that to even develop yet! It just reiterated that this "love" between them was more of an insta love due to their fate thread.

Another thing that was just a mess was the was new types of gods were introduced. There are just too many different types to keep track of, and to only type I understand are the morai (the ones that Io and her sisters are). Everyone else seemed to be added just to move the plot along. I felt like the author was like "What's the one power that could stop the main characters, let me introduce a person that has that power and use it right away".

The most confusing part of the book was the ending (SPOILERS! DO NOT KEEP READING IF YOU DONT WANT TO BE SPOILED FOR THE END)

We finally get to meet the gods that have been creating the wraiths, and they can manipulate time. So Io keeps getting caught in time loops. Somehow, they have been using this power to prevent the end of the world from coming, but they just keep looping different disasters. To prevent Io from killing them, they have somehow been able to loop only certain places and use previous disasters to destroy any attempts at her getting to them. Bianca shockingly betrays them (going back to her murderous gang leader persona for a hot second) but after she gets what she wants from the gods she helps Io to conveniently use her fate thread to defeat them and everyone forgives her.

The book's end is super anticlimactic (especially since killing the gods means they have brought upon "the end of the world"). All the otherborn come together and are like, "we can use the knowledge the gods left us to weather through the calamities", and Io's like, "even though I broke my fate thread, Edei and I are still in instalova" (despite the fact that they have had interactions with each other for a total of 5 days?)

I wish the author had figured out a way to wrap up the story in book 1, because that novel was awesome, but this one just left me underwhelmed. I also can't figure out if this is supposed to be a duology or not. The ending was so underwhelming but it did technically wrap up all plot points. However, I could definitely have used a "5 months later" epilogue to see how Io and Edei's relationship had grown, to see if Ava and Bianca were able to work out their relationship, and to see more of how the calamities are affecting the world and what the otherborn are doing to stop this. I also could see this having a third novel to explain all that. But it definitely needed something more at the end.

Overall, I still enjoyed the plot, but there were too many plot holes and such that the overall book was a miss for me. I still think the world with otherborn having the power of certain gods was quite interesting and think people who are interested in books with superpowers, or mythology might be interested.

3/5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the folks over at NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Kida Hatsopoulou is an expert at magic and mystery, blending perfectly other worldly intrigue and the desperation of humanity. Hearts that Cut is as dystopian as it is fantasy, as exhilarating as heartbreaking, and everything I'd ever want from a fantasy Noir. This epic sequel is perfect for fans of Alexandra Bracken's Lore or Marie Lu's Legend.

We are introduced to the wastelands between Alante and Nanzy, and all the stilted towns in between. Every conversation is perfectly crafted to explore the complicated paths of each character. Io has come a long way, and has a long way to go throughout this novel; every cog is churning against her and, gods, she could never catch a break!

The only struggle I had with traversing new terrain was the amount of bare bone exposition I was fed to understand it-- honestly, in a situation this crazy, I was okay not knowing until it was relevant. And with all these new other-born lines to keep track of, I almost needed an index reference (something to keep in mind!). I unfortunately weened between bored of exposition and gripped by action-packed mystery; I recommend reading the duology close together or revisiting the first.

On a positive note: Edei! The conversations and tensions between these two characters-- it pulled at every damn heart string in my chest, in that melancholy, bitter-sweet, loving kind of way. It's so hard for me to explain, but the author really delivers on a new definition of fated-love-- it's fresh, it's complicated, it's crafted perfectly. There is respect, consent, gentle affection, and he is just the sweetest 'bad-boy' ever. XOXO

"The cutter, the unseen blade, the reaper of fates. She watches silver like a sign, she weeps silver like a mourning song, she holds silver like a blade. She cuts the thread and the world ends."

Assassinations, fraying Fate threads, riots, disappearences. The Great Tide. This sequel is certainly living up to it's predecessor, if not more intriguing of a tale.

So much happened - Alante, the golden thread, Edei. The Wasteland, Nanzy, the Golden City. The night beast, the Mob Queen. So much just to meet the God she's searching for.

Io, "cutter", rushing to save her tied Thread of Fate, to save the connection that binds her to Edei. Bianca. Hanne, the Quilt. Acid rain.

Chimineri, the Great Tide. Order of the Furies. The wraiths. The Fury-born.

La Cauchemar. Nightmare. The spined wall. House of Nine. Moonset riots. Silts. This world is an intrigue of politics and magic and Gods and Threads.

"We are ruled by the shape of our longing. By threads that bind and hearts that cut, through tender flesh and deep into the bone."

This writing is beautiful, lyrical like that of a ballad. For the adventure and the magic and the politics and the love story, read this book 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

After reading the first book, I was so excited to dive into this sequel! While the pacing was a little slower at parts, I think Io and the rest of the teams’ story was beautifully completed. This world is so incredibly unique and keeps you on your toes with all the new magic and creatures it introduces. Will absolutely be coming back for more of Hatzopoulou’s work!

Getting a notification that I had been approved to get a ARC of this book was for sure the highlight of my day. I absolutely adored Threads That Bind, it was one of my top reads of 2023 hands down. It had Gods, romance, a power infused main character and an action packed storyline.
Book 2 picks up soon after book 1 ended with Io and Bianca on the search for answers behind all the chaos that has erupted across their world. Who are the masterminds behind all the destruction and death that continues to happen?
I can honestly say that I love Bianca for some reason. I honestly feel like she stole the show a couple times with her FB/W( using only the first letters to not spoil anything) powers and her snarky as heck attitude. She was just a loose cannon that you couldn’t help but root for. Io and her romance with Edei finally begins in earnest to heat up and it’s cute to behold. I had hearts in my eyes when they were reunited and chose each other.
The storyline of this book kind of had its moments where it was sluggish, but hearing more about this world and the creatures that resided in it for sure, made up for it. I’ve always been interested in any god mythology, and this book for sure, fed that sweet tooth. The action scenes were as nail baiting as the first book.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was a solid sequel to one of my favorite reads of 2023.
If you like God Mythology, nail biting action scenes and excellent world building. This book is for you.
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I am super honored to be able to read this book early. I loved the first book so much. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings of this book.

This book was a great completion to this duology. With such a unique magic system we got to dive even deeper into it in this book. I do wish we were getting just one more book because we got a lot of new information that similar to the first book, the first 3/4 was a lot of new information and having to make sense of it and the plot finally picks up in the last 1/4.

I loved this story enough to look over that and with such a unique world it makes sense but I wish we were getting one book of just plot for all the back story we got in these two books.

There is so much character growth for every single main and side character and it’s amazing for no one to be left behind or forgotten.

I found this book just a little bit slower than the first one. However, it still had all the aspects I loved about the previous book. 3 ⭐️!

What I liked:
I loved getting to see Io and Bianca’s relationship grow. They might not be friends but I think they grew to respect one another and i think that’s a huge improvement.

We saw a new type of power: the Erotes-born! I think this new power is so cool and I’d love to see what else they can do.

What I didn’t like:
It was unclear whether this is the final book. I’m hoping it’s not because the ending felt a little rushed and I feel as though there’s still so much to say about the world and characters. Either a new book or short epilogues for a few characters is needed, in my opinion. Docked 1 ⭐️

I didn’t really connect with the wastelands or nanzy as much as I did with Alante. It’s a scummy city with little to no redeeming qualities. Docked 0.5 ⭐️

The gods plot line didn’t go where I thought it was going to… I was expecting more of an impact on the characters than it actually did. Docked 0.5 ⭐️

Favorite quotes 🩷

“How was it possible that the mob queen of the Silts was in fact a child in a trench coat?”

“Please allow me to examine your rivers of love and resolve the issue, so that we may all succeed in our impossible mission.”

“We are ruled by the shape of our longing,” he said. “By threads that bind and hearts that cut, through tender flesh and deep into the bone.”

“Albi, albi, albi,” he kept murmuring into her hair. And Io was certain now that it would be all right, because she’d heard enough Sumazi in her life to know his words meant my heart, my heart, my heart.”

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hearts That Cut is the amazing follow up to Threads That Bind, and I've gotta say, I loved both of these books so much. In Threads That Bind, Io is unsure, uncertain, but ultimately, despite her unrelenting fear, convinced she must do the right thing to save not just her city, but all the people within it. In Hearts That Cut, she is brave and strong and embraces her fears, embraces what has scared her her whole life, and continues to fight for what is right, not just for herself, but for her friends, her family, and all the other-born around her.

I don't want to give too much way, but this is a stunning conclusion to the Threads That Bind story, and I highly recommend you read both books. I will be reading anything Kika Hatzopoulou puts out for the rest of time.

3.5 stars

I read threads that bind and was absolutely obsessed with the fast paced murder mystery plot with a great back story on greek mythology, hearts that cuts was a bit slower start for me and found it a little hard to keep up with all the new gods that were born, as well as the plot picks up much more after the 50% mark, i believe the book is still in editing so a lot could change till we have the final result, i think its a good book needs small changes, the ending was good just a little cheesy over all an easy enjoyable read

As an avid fan of the first book, I couldn't wait to dive into "Hearts That Cut," and let me tell you, Kika Hatzopoulou did not disappoint! This sequel is an absolute gem, and I'm already declaring my love for it with my whole entire heart!

Picking up right where "Threads That Bind" left off, we follow the beloved characters, Io and Bianca, on a thrilling adventure as they trace the golden thread of the gods to unravel the aftermath of the first book's events. The reunion with Edei and Nico sets the stage for a mystery that transcends centuries, weaving a tale so intricate and captivating that I couldn't put the book down.

The mystery in "Hearts That Cut" is a masterpiece. Hatzopoulou skillfully adds unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the author threw a curveball that left me in awe. The suspenseful atmosphere created throughout the novel had me eagerly turning each page, hungry for more.

The worldbuilding in this duology is nothing short of fantastic. The author's ability to blend magic and mythology is captivating. I found myself completely absorbed in the rich tapestry of this world. The seamless integration of myths into the narrative added layers of depth, showcasing the author's skill in building captivating settings.

The romance between Edei and Io is beautifully portrayed. Despite the challenges of being apart and the uncertainty of their feelings, their love remains tender and sweet. The exploration of their doubts, intertwined with the concept of fate threads, adds depth to their relationship.

"Hearts That Cut" also shines in its exploration of other mythological descendants' powers. This added a refreshing layer to the narrative, offering a glimpse into the diversity of abilities and drawing intriguing comparisons with the familiar Greek mythology.

"Hearts That Cut" is a perfect ending to an amazing duology. Kika Hatzopoulou has crafted a tale that not only pays homage to mythology but also delivers a riveting mystery and a heartwarming romance. This book is a must-read for anyone who appreciates masterful storytelling, intricate worldbuilding, and characters that steal your heart.

I got the first book in this series "Threads that Bind" from my Fairyloot monthly box and was floored. I knew I needed to finish this series as soon as possible because I was hooked.

Just like TTB, Hearts that Cut had me enraptured. I was already so invested in Io's journey that it was easy to jump back into the narrative. Hatzopoulou does a great job of weaving together the story with also giving subtle reminders of events from TTB. This story also takes a strong step forward in character development and really forces the reader to alter previous perspectives.

Hatzopoulou is also able to continue with depicting new lands and interweaving new characters into the story in a way that makes you question who you can trust. She is able to drive forward the narrative in a way that maintains suspense and follows through with the right curveballs and heart dropping moments.

Do not sleep on this series. Hearts that Cut was an epic conclusion to not only Io's story, but this duology itself.

Reviewed on goodreads and storygraph

Thank you Netgalley for the early copy to review!

I really enjoyed the first novel of this series, but unfortunately this one fell short for me. I read the unfinished version but this felt very rushed and underdeveloped. I felt like there wasn't enough emphasis on Io's relationships at all. More specifically, her relationship with her sisters felt like it was missing a lot. She was very quick to forgive Ava despite the betrayal, and yet couldn't do the same for Thais who made just as big of a mistake. I wish there had been more character development among the sisters individually and together, since it seemed like it was supposed to be such a large part of the story. I also felt like the climax and ending came on way too fast and there could have been more action added to make those final scenes more emotionally impactful. I still enjoyed reading this book but not as much as the first, but anyone who loved the first one should absolutely continue with the series!

Threads that Bund was in my favorite reads of last year. It’s sequel Hearts that Cut solidified these two books as some of my favorites. This book was intense and kept me on the edge of my seat. The magic and mythology left me feeling so empty after finishing it. It was liked being sucked in a world only for it to end. I can say I mourned the world Kika built. The characters were flawed and real. Such a brilliant read.

I honestly needed a day to fully process this book, this book was all action and I was fully invested in it. Following Io and Bianca as they go through so many different cities, following the gold thread she grabbed ahold of and braving the odd weather across the wastelands I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. As someone who has always had such a strong love for greek mythology Kika really writes it so very perfectly I will never get tired of reading her writing.

Thank you penguin teen for sending me an e-arc all opinions are my own!

2.5 stars, rounded to 3 on Goodreads
If I read "smooch" in this book one more time, I will scream.

This was wildly disappointing after giving Threads That Bind 4.5 stars. I absolutely loved the first book except for the underdeveloped romance that I had zero feelings for. It was just a thing that existed. Unfortunately, this entire book fell into the category of "this just exists." It was so hard to get through for such a short book.

The first book had such an interesting world, amazing sister dynamics that were complicated and messy, and a really cool plot that was like trying to solve a really strange mystery. There was nothing of that for about 60% of this book. The Gods storyline was the thing I was most worried about and it did turn out to be the wrong path for this book to go down. It just wasn't fun at all to read and seemed irrelevant for most of the book. It really seemed like the author didn't know what to do with Io and Bianca for the first 150 pages. Only when the Scooby gang was back together (with some random additions) did the book try to do something (not well).

New powers and Gods were thrown at us throughout the book, which was something that was already hard to keep track of in the first book. The fury-born storyline didn't really make sense for most of the book either.

I did like the ending, but it all felt so rushed with almost nothing happening at the beginning. The major flaw of this book was the pacing. So much more needed to be explored and elaborated on earlier in the book instead of leaving all the important bits and revelations to the last 10%. I'm basically just super disappointed because this had so much potential to be more.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

FINAL RATING: 4.75/5

i was so nervous coming into this because not only is this my most anticipated book of 2024, but this is a sequel and there are so many duologies out there that fall off in the sequel. this book did not disappoint though and it was a great read. this book expanded wonderfully on the world and magic system the first book left me wondering so much about. we revisited a lot of the characters and while i'm sad some of them were only mentioned in this book, we did get to meet a lot of new ones i became really invested in. and ioedei… i never knew it was possible for a romance that was already established in book 1 to go through even more yearning in book 2 but wow i loved it, they were almost slowburning.

i was hesitant about the rating for a long time bc the pacing is weird: first part felt a little slow (nothing rly happened), the middle was perfect, then the last part was rushed. i would've loved to see more resolution but that's probably preferential since i didn't exactly have any problems with the ending it was still satisfying and heartwarming. and while i would've loved to see more of the aftermath to the point that i thought the end wasn't enough, the journey from start to finish made me so emotional and the way everything tied together was so great that i just couldn't not give this higher than 4 stars.