Threads That Bind

I really like the concept of this book but the execution wasn't my favorite in terms of plot, I love the magic system & the whole idea of the gods but I didn't care much about the actual story

Maybe I'll like the second book better since it's about finding the gods which i'm more interested in rather than the murder mystery that went on in this book

I received this book from NetGalley and Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review.

This book is one of the most interesting stories I've read in a while.

Io was a complex and interesting character I really enjoyed reading about. She felt like a real person who had complicated emotions and relationships. All the other characters as well had enough depth and info in the books that I was invested in their stories and wanted to see more of them. I really liked the main pairing especially for “ships” but I'm also interested in some side pairings and am intrigued to see where things go from here.

I've never read anything like this before. The idea of gods, threads, politics, relationships, everything all together just made for an incredibly interesting and exciting plot that kept my attention the entire time. The way the setting was described worked really well for me and I could always vividly see in my mind where they were. The worldbuilding was also great as I felt like we got information spread out throughout the book and I never felt like I was just drowning in info dumping.

It did a good job of really setting the vibe. Like I said before, I could always vividly picture what was going on and there were multiple moments where there were quotes that really hit hard. I liked the POV. I liked being in Io's head and see things from her perspective and what her thought processes were. It might've been cool to get a second POV but I'm not bothered that I didn't. I thought it did a good job of keeping the pacing interesting? I didn't feel like we were going super fast the whole time but also didn't have many moment where I felt like things were slow. It had a good balance.

The conflict always held my attention and I constantly just wanted to know what was going to happen next. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing. The main conflict at the end was also very exciting and I was holding my breath trying to read as fast as I could to see what was going to happen.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who likes stories about gods, mythologic “powers” and political intrigue. This was a super fun read.

“Threads That Bind” by Kika Hatzopoulou reads like urban fantasy, mixing characters that are descendants of gods, a supernatural detective story, and some sinister vibes. A seemingly winning combination that sometimes stumbles in its execution.

Plot Summary:
The Ora sisters, descendants of the Fates, possess unique gifts that make them both powerful and feared in a society where they are labeled as “Other Born.” These second-class citizens are charged special taxes, routinely paid less, and discriminated against when it comes to citizenship, work permits, and housing. Their plight is bleak, and I felt the injustice of it in my bones.

Io is a private investigator in crime-riddled Alante, a city where bridges between homes are used out of necessity during the flooding of the half-sunken city. But not in the affluent neighborhoods, of course. The differences in the daily lives of the rich and poor are striking and a source of tension in a city used to an ever-widening class divide, crime, and corruption. Additionally, the presence of the Other Born puts the people on edge and their allowed presence is a source of contention.

During Io's PI work, she runs into a murderous murderess wraith with a severed and frayed life thread. She becomes entangled with the Mob Queen of Alanate and her right-hand man, Edei. Edei and Io are connected by a fate thread, created long before they ever met. Together, they unravel the mystery of the impossible wraiths, multiple murders, and a shocking revelation that could up-end the entire world.

The Good:
There are some parts of the book that are gripping and exciting - like the various action sequences. Hatzopoulou is great at crafting moments where I felt Io's fear and dread. For me, the strongest writing was demonstrated in Io's interactions with her sisters, the muses, and a character named Rosa. The relationships between the Ora sisters are nuanced, complex, and often infuriating. I didn't quite understand the relationship between Ava and her older and younger sisters. She took the stereotype of the middle-child peacekeeper too far. Sometimes, her actions just didn't make sense. I couldn't get a good grasp of who she was. Thais was a clearly written character that I just wanted to shake. She was ruthless in her self-righteousness, taking qualities that I usually love and twisting them until the breaking point.

I did fall in love with one character - Rosa! I could read about her all day. I'm a bit obsessed. More Rosa, please. She's smart, tenacious, and a total smokeshow. My kind of woman. Rosa alone is enough to tempt me to read the next book in this series.

The Bad:
It took me some time to become fully immersed in the story, and once I was, occasional info-dumping disrupted the trance-like reading experience that I look for in a good book.

Romance
The romantic aspect between Io and Edei felt lackluster and flat. I can admit that, as someone firmly in my 30s, I'm not the target audience for this novel. I still believe the romance could have been more convincing. There were moments of intimacy during high-stress situations that felt out of place. There were soft caresses during action scenes that made me think, “Get it together, Io, now is not the time! Think about his soft palms later.” The trauma-bonding element, while hinted at, could have been explored in greater depth given the intense situations they face.

Overall Rating:
I would rate “Threads That Bind” a 3.5/5. While it doesn't quite merit a rounded-up 4 stars, the cliffhanger at the end really got me.