DNF at 15%.

I could not find myself wanting to dive back into this plot yet. I may revisit in the future when I'm in a more YA frame of mind. I would like to see where this story goes.

Dnf at 10% wasn’t invested in the story or the characters. Didn’t like some of the content. I found myself not interested in continuing with the story

Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill for the free eARC. I struggled with the beginning of the book as I forgot most of the smaller details from the first book. It took me until around 40% in for it to feel like the book pace picked up. Overall, I felt it was a decent end to the duology. My only complaint was it seemed like it ended very abruptly - I would have enjoyed an epilogue set in the future to see how some elements were resolved.

Unfortunately, this book/series was not for me. It's a cool idea, but I feel it could have been better executed.

Reasons it's not for me, in no particular order:

The narrative tells readers things they've known since the beginning. Repeatedly. I'm not dumb and I haven't forgotten during the last few chapters. Lol!

There's a lot of telling instead of showing.

Words, phrases, and metaphors are often repeated in close proximity.

There are info dumps, but somehow the worldbuilding still doesn't make sense. It feels like the story often breaks its own rules.

I didn't feel the love between Io and Edei. This is supposed to be the heart (pardon the pun) of the story, but it felt like another thing I was told instead of shown.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers for the ARC.

Hearts That Cut is an adventurous sequel that, after having read the first so recently, was satisfying to pick right back up into where I last left Io and Bianca. As Io and Bianca search for the owner of the golden thread, Io worrying all the while about the state of her fate thread tying back to Edei, they dive deeper into a further tangling web of mysteries, with her sisters and the gods at the center.
This book fell flatter for me than the first, as I had a hard and incredibly slow time getting into the book and being invested rather than confused and muddied in the pacing. I was also put off by the way Edei and Io reunited, as if they'd returned to their dynamic at the beginning of the first book. Overall, I really love the concept of this series and I think the magic is very unique and excellently described. The action and adventure is also thrilling when in the heat of it.

I am so glad I got to read the ARC of this one! As the first book was one of my favorites, I enjoyed the dynamic between Io and Bianca, the angst between her and Eden and most importantly, the adventure that unfolded and THAT ENDING OMG

I really enjoyed the first book and had high hopes for the second. However it took me months to be able and finish it. Something just fell flat for me. I couldn't relate to the characters like I did in the first.

This was so much better than the first book. I just think some of the story gets bogged down with the political aspect. I got so lost in what the actual purpose of them traveling around was, what the different other Borns were for, who each person was, and why the world was even ending. And then when we finally get to the ending, it felt rushed and a bit too HEA with very little explanation. I also wanted more romance. The fate thread is heavily emphasized but that plot barely gets attention. I’m gaslight into liking Io’s sisters again, which is crazy because they’re both horrible. I just feel like there 2as so much going on, and it didn’t need to all be going on.

Kika Hatzopoulou's Hearts That Cut is a compelling follow-up to Threads That Bind. This book's plot will keep you interested all the way to the very end. It is an exciting trip through a mythological and magical universe.

The protagonist of the tale is Io Ora, who must rely on Bianca—a former mob queen and now dying wraith—to assist her in locating the hidden gods and putting a stop to them once and for all1. The two navigate perilous terrain, coming across lethal chimerini and erratic tides, all while coping with the fallout from a world rocked by the Collapse.

A distinct twist to the story is introduced by Io's capacity to perceive the strands that control all human fate. One powerful aspect of sacrifice is introduced by the price she pays for her power—severing one of her own life threads every time she ends another's.

The interactions between the characters and their growth are what make the book so strong. The story is expertly interwoven with Io's development. The sisters' past experiences with betrayal, grief, loss, and longing serve as the story's primary emotional catalyst. The story is made more complex by the characters' diversity in terms of looks, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

The world-building is elaborate, unique, and has a broad, epic theme. The plot is intricate, involving a terrifying conspiracy that dates back many generations. Suspense is increased by the murders in Alante and the mystery surrounding the disappearances of siblings throughout the Wastelands.

But for those who haven't read the first installment of the duology, the book could be a little difficult. Acclimating oneself to the setting and characters takes some time.

In conclusion, anyone who like fantasy and Greek mythology should read Hearts That Cut. It's a story of adventure, selflessness, and the fight against destiny. It's a strong 4-star read with some minor setbacks that makes you want more from Kika Hatzopoulou.

In the second book of this series we follow our beloved FMC as she continues to investigate and fight for her future. This book had all the same charm as the first one and continued to develop the world and the characters. The magic system in this world is really unique and I highly recommend checking it out.

I finished this a few hours ago and I’m still like?? Confused?

This book was incredibly confusing with MAYBE a little too many plot lines and characters for even an adult brain. But at the same time it was also like….intricate and amazing? Like I genuinely don’t know how to feel

This one felt like a completely different story than book one, that’s for sure. Like I can see the way the fate thread and gods plot connected, but there was a conflict and resolution in each book.

This one really had my heart going. Despite being confused literally the ENTIRE BOOK I was stressed the heck out!!! So I am giving it four starts because it was objectively good.

One less star because I wanted a better resolution on the romance at the end. Like yes, I see what was done but I wanted like a real confession of feelings/love/A FINAL KISS??? We got ONE KISS?

But yeah. This is definitely an underrated YA series that 100% deserves the attention and love and hype.

*This book was gifted by netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*
In this book we get the continuation of what went down in ‘Threads the Bind’. We left off with Io being betrayed by her sisters as they ran off to do the bidding of the gods. They Leave Io with the mess of the murder of the nine and Bianca as a lifeless wraith. The book starts out with Bianca and Io following the thread of a god on a search for answers to what the hell is being planned by the Immortals. The rest of this will contain spoilers to the story. I will say here that I fully recommend this duology. It's such a unique take on the gods.
❃ SPOILER ALERT ❃
I didn't really like this one until Io and Bianca reached Nanzy. Once they got to Nanzy it started to pick up. It just kind of felt a little slow until they were reunited with Edei and everyone else. Not knowing what was happening with Edei and Io’s Fate thread was driving me crazy! They both seemed so in love with one another and having their fate thread start to fray was stressing me out. When Edei and Io started investigating and the lead they followed ended up with Io staring straight at her sister my stomach dropped. I was instantly like “LETS GOOOO ITS ABOUT TO GO DOWN” I could not wait for Io to face her sisters. I needed to know what the hell Thais was up to and why Ava would turn her back on both Bianca and Io. My heart broke for Io that her whole world and all her support was ripped out from underneath her. To have this crazy prophecy thrown at you and all your family and friends nowhere to be found I felt so bad for her. If anyone was going to get to the bottom of what was going on it was always gonna be Io, the best detective around. To the bottom of it she sure did get. The twist I never ever saw coming.
ONCE AGAIN ❃ SPOILER ALERT ❃
I did not see it being the end of the world this whole time. I really did not think that this whole time these people had been living in the end times on an endless loop. The cruelty of gods is unmatched.

Thank you NetGalley and Razorbill for this advanced copy of Hearts that Cut. When I initially requested it, I didn't realize that it was part two in a sequel, I just really liked the cover...so now I definitely have to go back and read the first book!
I really liked this book! The author did an amazing job world building and having a diverse cast of characters. This kind of adventure fantasy is my absolute favorite. It starts with two people on a quest, there is danger, romance and reunions. The author also did a great job building up suspense and keeping you guessing about who could be a traitor and which characters you can trust. The main character, Io, was so well written. Her courage and doubt made it so easy to get invested in her story. I really couldn't put this book down.

I loved the first book, but I just wasn't invested in this story until the last chapters. The reveals and world building done at the end of the book were INCREDIBLE. However, everything up until then was unsatisfying or convoluted to me. I wasn't invested in the sister or romantic relationships like in the last book, and the mystery plot throughout the book had too many threads (ha) and characters, and I lost the plot. Hatzopoulou is clearly a wonderfully creative writer and builder of complex fantasy worlds, but this was just not as neatly tied together (again ha) as the first book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this slow burn book. This is sequel to Threads That Bind and it was the perfect ending to the story. I really enjoyed this book.

Hearts that Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. It immediately landed near the top of things I wanted to read in 2024 after the Phenomenal preceding book in the series, Threads that Bind. I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to read both books as ARCs.

Hearts that Cut picks up after the explosive conclusion to Threads that Bind, with Io, mira born cutter who posses the ability to slice the threads that connect people to the things and people the love along with their life, and Bianca Rossi, Mob Queen and now wraith with no threads tying her to life, doing there best to hunt down the origin of a golden god thread. After losing the trail Io and Bianca discover a string of abductions that link together and hit towards the same people that Io has been chasing.

This book was great. I enjoyed getting to see more of Bianca and getting to know and understand her better. I loved getting to see more of the different settlements and the rest of the world outside Alante. My one complaint would be the first part of the book up until we get to Nanzy and Io reconnects with Edei does drag a bit. Finally getting to see the big bad who’s been pulling the strings was super interesting and was a really powerful and interesting reveal, along with getting to see Io reuniting with both of her sisters after their betrayal in the last book and seeing how she chose to handle that. Overall this was a really conclusion to an interesting and unique duology. I’m super excited to see what Kika Hatzopoulou has in store for us in the future

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Oh I LOVED this book. I devoured the first one but this one was, dare I say, the perfect second book. I love when a duology stays consistent and engaging, and this one did not disappoint. Absolutely pick this series up — it’ll be your new favorite.

This is an interesting book, I think.

The concepts of both books are so deeply intriguing; and some are very well done (like Io’s powers; which is possibly my favorite part about this duology.)

But that’s where this book goes wrong with everything else. While Threads was a solid debut, with interesting ideas and concepts, Hearts fails to really develop on those themes like it should, and instead gives you an incredibly mid book up until the ending in which everything essentially falls apart because it is rushed and done awfully quick.

The development between Io and Edei isn’t given enough attention, and instead feels slightly rushed; Bianca’s actions towards the end feel slightly less thought out and simply something that needed to happen to move the plot forward.

This book definitely suffers from Second Book Syndrome lol, and it could’ve definitely had an epilogue or a third to actually deal with the actions of the ending.

Greek mythology updated into a gloriously action-packed urban setting. The second installment follows the first with more mysterious questions, much more danger, and a story weaved with fantastical elements. I could not put it down. I would highly recommend reading the first book, and then immediately going into the second. With some time between the two, there were elements of the plot and characters I had forgotten, but as fate has taught us, things will happen as they will, and this story was no exception to that rule. This series is a uniquely fresh twist on mythology, and I didn't want the story to end.

Thank you Netgalley, author Kika Hazopoulou, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this second book in an unforgettable series.

3.5 ⭐

I think this series is so unique in the magic system and I truly love a good YA fantasy book. Book 2 picked up right where book 1 left off but then I felt like it slowed right down. I enjoyed seeing Io and Bianca's relationship evolve, and there were a ton of plot twists that I didn't see coming. I felt like the end was kind of rushed, and the abruptness of the ending definitely left me wanting more. I was honestly confused if the series was concluded or if there was going to be a third until I came to write this review. Maybe an epilogue would have solidified things more and gave me the closure I would have wanted.

Either way, I definitely recommend this series if you like unique YA fantasy books with Greek mythology tied in. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!