Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the extract to this book which leaves you wanting more so I'm looking forward to reading the full book when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for allowing me to read an extract of Pandora.

I really enjoyed this, and honestly cannot wait to read this on it's release on the 27th January.

Dora's parents have passed away so she living in the antiquity shop that they owned with her uncle. I am already super invested in what happens to Dora and her connection with Edward.

I highly recommend this for people who love a good adventure.

This book has a lush writing style and weaves its mysteries so intricately that I’m already left wanting to read more! The characters are compelling and the lingering touch of magic threaded through the world is to die for.

It’s an interesting premise for a book and I love that the excerpt I read ended in a cliff hanger. Perfect for fans of historical fiction and Greek Mythology.

Having read a few books based on Greek myths recently, I wasn't sure if this was going to be a retelling of Pandora's box or something else. Yes there is a bit of Greek mythology in there but it is so much more than that. A mystery of what happened to Dora's parents, her uncle and the pithos that pre-dates time in the basement. A fantastic romp through Georgian London paired with Pandora's box. What else could you ask for?

London, 1799. Dora Blake is an aspiring jewellery artist who lives with her uncle in what used to be her parents' famed shop of antiquities. When a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, Dora is intrigued by her uncle's suspicious behaviour and enlists the help of Edward Lawrence, a young man seeking acceptance into the Society of Antiquaries.

An eighteenth century historical mystery centred around the discovery of Pandora's box was always going to be intriguing, and this extract definitely made me want to read the full story from the minute I entered Blakes Emporium and met Pandora, her uncle Hezekiah and housekeeper Lottie, masterfully drawn characters in a world swirling in mystery and mayhem.

I really enjoyed this book!!

This book is set in Georgian London, where Pandora “Dora” Blake is an aspiring jewellery designer who currently lives with her Uncle, Hezekiah, in what use to be her parents famous shop of antiquities. Since her parents deaths 12 years ago, Dora has seen the shop turn from fame and genuine artefacts, to the crooked and more questionable ways of her Uncle.

When a highly anticipated Greek pithos is delivered to the shop, Dora wonders why her Uncles behaviour is so suspicious and wants to find out the mystery for herself. Dora enlists the help of Edward Lawrence, a bookbinder looking for acceptance into the Society of Antiquities, for help on information of the pithos. Dora sees the pithos as a chance to escape her life and restore her parents shop to its former glory.
What she was not expecting was the number of revelations and questions that the pithos and its discovery brings up.

Review:

This book was a beautiful book of historical fiction. I loved the setting of 1799 London as it was so interesting to read of street names I currently walk over and what it could’ve been like in that period of history. Also the author holds nothing back and created a realistic picture (the squalor and the scent of shit which seems to be left out of historical- drama tv) of London.
She also captured the class system and the different varied characters of London in a realistic way- you could easily imagine the setting and the people.

I really liked the 3 character POV in this book. Each character additionally has their own mysteries and secrets to them and I was turning the pages to discover more!

Dora was such a great character and even has a magpie as a pet called Hermes, which was a great accurate name for the bird (and my favourite “being” in the book!). I really enjoyed reading her and Edwards ambition, intellect and dedication to their own dreams and not giving up despite their set-backs.
The author does well to capture the villainy of some of the characters too: I definitely saw one of the characters as a Vernon Dursley type from HP and it was so easy to despise him!

I obviously especially LOVED all of the Greek myth and Greek history references throughout this book. This book satisfied my un-dying love for them.

I could keep going on but this book just had everything: it had the mystery, the atmosphere, the intrigue and just the right amount of romance. I enjoyed the history and myth telling, and the talk of “curses”.

One thing I will say is that the author has left me with some interesting questions that I need answering!

<i>Thank you so much to the author, Susan Stokes-Chapman, for gifting me with this physical ARC copy. This is out 27th January 2022.</i>

This is an extremely evocative story so far. I'm on the edge waiting for the next section. Already quite invested in the fates of Dora and Edward...

A great introduction to what I’m sure will be a great book. I love the premise, the intrigue, and the writing style and I can’t wait to read the whole thing.

This was a great preview extract and I cant wait to read the full story.

Thanks to Netgalley the publishers and the author for this extract and for an early read copy of the full book
I am reading this next month and will post a full review then.

I don't think it was such a good idea to sign up to read this extract because I've been left wanting more and there's no way of having more until this novel it's publish!

Of what I've read, Pandora seems to be a nice little page turner mystery that I cannot wait to discover. The writing is gripping and atmospheric, immediately immersing the reader in the universe of the antique shop and the Blakes' story. Pandora is a young, inquisitive woman that doesn't shy away from fighting for what she want - the type of female character that I really enjoy. There's seems to be a touch of magic too, or at least of things happening without a logical reason that hopefully it's nicely integrated in the overall story - but that remains to be seen as the extract was way too short.

I am super intrigued by this! I wish I had the full book so I could see where the story goes! i loved Dora and Edward Lawrence. I can’t believe this was only 13 chapters

I cannot wait for this book! This excerpt has done nothing but made me even more desperate to get my hands on this book!

I have always found myself fascinated by the concept of Pandora’s box, not in the least due to the statue my parents had of the woman herself in their garden when I grew up. Thus a book named Pandora had to be read, especially for one with such an interesting description.

Pandora follows Dora Blake and Edward Lawrence in unearthing the secrets of the eponymous box—a jar in this iteration—in conjunction to their own efforts in trying to move their own lives forward as strange happenings start occurring around the city of London. I find myself charmed by Dora, be it her magpie Hermes, her passion for her jewelled creations or her unerring will. Her strained relationship with her uncle bring something timeless to the book, ringing true of any familial argument of the sort. Then with Edward—who cannot relate to the struggle of your lives passion being rejected and the difficulties of attempting to find a new way in life.

The story takes a while to kick off, lingering on the apparently doomed shop, though when we first meet the vase it already comes with a warning of curses and an enactment of some bad luck shortly thereafter. Both Dora and Edward find themselves in need of Grecian works for their respective paths, colliding into the whirlwind of the vase. The box it is laid into appears impossible to open and it is further locked behind a barrier set by Dora's uncle, no less.

Unfortunately I found the language rather clunky in places, stopping and starting in ways that were hard to follow. Some sentences were drawn on for an age whilst others fell nonsensically short, tagged along by another of the same kind and the paragraphs can run away for miles before concluding. The story is also slow, concentrating on banal areas without any fast strides to compensate. It made for a difficult read and not one I can say I am particularly keen on continuing. Though the concept is great the execution, it would seem, is not. Therefore it is a disheartening two stars for Pandora.

This is a solid start to what I am sure will be a great retelling and I cannot wait to get started on the full version

Wow. This is a fantastically written opening, with alternating POVs and a huge sense of anticipation building, and building, and building... and I can't wait to read the whole of the novel!

I was able to read this through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

From what I could tell of this book, it seems to have a solid mystery in an intriguing and somewhat atmospheric setting. The sampler was not very long so I'm not sure how well I was able to judge this book in regards to the plot, tone and mystery.

In my opinion, the tone and writing of this book felt like it was trying too hard. This is an adult, historical fiction, but sadly, the impression I got of the writing was that it wasn't that mature and polished enough to well-execute what it was trying to.

But that can be a good thing for some as it will make the reading experience quick and somewhat light-hearted despite the grim themes this books (I think) was hoping to tackle. I might pick up the full book once its released to satisfy my curiosity about the mystery.

I enjoyed reading this extract for Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman. For me it seems like a perfect blend of historical fiction and mythology. Both genres that I love.

I can't wait to read the rest of the story as the extract ended at an exciting moment. I would have happily read on.

This was a substantial extract of the book and finished at a crucial point in the plot. The idea of cursed relic seemed a little absurd and slightly gothic but I found myself captivated by Dora and Lawrence. I suspect the plot will get a little crazier but I loved the set-up and the period details