4.5
THIS BOOK IS GOING TO BE BRILLIANT. I've had an opportunity to read an exclusive extract and I'm so thankful for that because it may be one of my favourite books of 2022. Everything seems perfect here - the writing is outstandingly beautiful and descriptive, you can really FEEL the atmosphere and the tension that's coming. I cannot wait to read the full version, I already miss the characters. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is that I don't want to be disappointed later on and lower my rating because of that. But, MARK THIS NOVEL AS YOUR TBR! You won't regret it for sure!

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this exclusive extract in exchange for an honest review.

When I originally found the opportunity to read an ARC of this title, I was so excited to be transported back in time, however, I was thoroughly disappointed. I received an ARC sampler of this book in return for an honest review.

I found the tone and plot droll. It's a slow burner and I struggled with this pace so much so that I stopped reading by chapter 5. I didn't have a clear understanding of what was going on and fast ran out of patience.

I think there's a lot to be said about the writing style. The language and simplicity of the text coupled with its modernesque parallels to the likes of Dickens and Hardy. This text would be suited to a young adult audience that isn't quite ready for the cannon classics.

Not my cup of tea but an appreciative 3/5 stars. There is promise but the story or characters need to capture the audience's investment sooner than appears to be happening here.

The sample chapters of Pandora are more than enough to get me totally hooked! I love the story line, love the Georgian time setting, love the characters and love the mystery and suspense already building up. Although the book hasn't fully got going in the chapters I read the Ancient Greek aspect is hinted at and is very intriguing.
I can't wait to read the full book when it's released next year.

I enjoyed reading this sampler of Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman and definitely want to know the whole story! Set in Georgian London the main characters are Pandora, (known as Dora), Hezekiah and Edward. Dora's parents collected antiquities from around the world and sold them at their shop in London. They tragically died when Dora was 8 in an accident while on an overseas trip. The shop's ownership passed to Dora's uncle, Hezekiah, who is now pulling the the wool over the eyes of his customers as the items he sells are fakes and forgeries. He is treating Dora poorly and the future is looking uncertain for Dora as the jewellery she is designing on paper is not gaining favour with her jewellery contacts who she hoped would make it.

Edward is from an impoverished background and is struggling to accept favours and help from his rich friend Cornelius. He is desperately trying to become a member of the Society of Antiquities but his background and lack of education and money are working against him. A stranger suggests that Dora can help him and so he visits her.

Meanwhile a mysterious and supposedly cursed item has arrived in a crate which Hezekiah has locked in the shop's basement.. Dora is very curious to know it's contents but will its contents not be all she hopes for?

This extract was the first thirteen chapters which ends on a cliffhanger as Dora is about to gain access to the mysterious crate. With thanks to NetGalley and Harvill Secker for this free extract in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to reading the whole book.

Being able to read an extract before requesting a book is a great idea. I have often been excited about a book only for me to realise I don't like an author's writing style when I receive it. Thankfully, that was not the case with this extract for Pandora. Susan Stokes-Chapman writes beautifully, the characters are engaging and well-drawn, without too much information given about them at once, making us eager to know more.

Pandora (Dora) and Edward are both reliant on the charity of others yet desperate to make their way in the world. Edward wants to join the Society of Antiquities, yet is hampered by his lack of social connections, relevant experience, and apparently having no 'new and original' ideas of his own. Dora longs to be a jeweller but, like Edward, lacks the right tools and materials, and the correct training. She works at her uncle's antique shop in London, but finds it demoralising because the 'antiques' are all fakes. Until one day a mysterious crate arrives, containing a 'cursed' object...

From the extract I read, Pandora seems to be a fabulous historical novel, set in Georgian times with a hint of something else: fantasy? Supernatural? There's definitely a mystery and possibly a romance. I'm not sure how long the complete book is but this extract is a sizeable chunk. It's a slow-burn and obviously ends on a huge cliff-hanger. What is in that container and is Pandora really going to open it?!!

I can't wait to read more!

Hard to rate as I thought I was getting the whole book not just an extract. I look forward to reading it in its entirety. I'd advise making it very clear this is just an extract as it's likely to affect ratings.

'..Dora hears all at once it's siren call, it's darkling plea. It is the hush of wind, the whisper of waves, the music of grief, and she cannot help it, she cannot resist. Dora lifts the lid.'

Stokes-Chapman expertly transports us to bustling Georgian London, where times and tastes are changing, and where Dora Blake lives above the once famed antiquities shop previously owned by her parents. Now run by her greedy and unscrupulous uncle who deals in fakes and forgeries, she discovers hidden in his basement an ancient vase which clearly has more to it than meets the eye. Edward Lawrence who works as a bookbinder but longs to be admitted to the Society of Antiquities meets by chance an interesting stranger who leads him to seek out Dora. The vase opens up opportunities for both Dora and Edward, and yet what they unearth changes everything that Dora thought that she knew, believed and trusted.

There is a fine line between coincidence and fate...

This book is truly beautiful and encapsulates all that I love about historical fiction; Georgian London is richly detailed and we are immersed from the outset in the sounds and smells of the bustling docks, the crackling warmth of coffee houses and dark dampness of the shop. The plot expertly weaves history and mystery with love and adventure, and the links to mythology, discovery and archaeology draw together with ease to allow for a story rich in detail. and expertly paced. The characters are believable, engaging and soulful, and feel authentic throughout. Creative and immersive, this book reads like a classic, and Stokes-Chapman is clearly an author to watch.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

I was really excited for this being a Classicist but for some reason it didn't quite hit the mark. I felt a bit lost from the beginning, like I was trying to catch up with the story. Definitely an interesting concept and I intend to read the full book though.

An intriguing start, making you want to read more. Let's hope Pandora doesn't bring as much trouble as her ancient Greek namesake! Love the descriptive writing, from Samson's early diving suit to Dora's tame magpie Hermes (appropriately named after the messenger for the Greek gods) and her frustration as her carefully-made necklace is refused by the jeweller. Stokes-Chapman has clearly done her research, referencing Sir William Hamilton, the famous Greek vase collector. Can't wait to find out about the mysterious object that Dora's uncle is hiding from her and how Edward's side of the story fits in.

I would have loved to have read more of this story. This was a sample of the book, and the characters and mystery was captivating.

I could not resist getting this extract of the novel, but now I am agog to know what happens next, and the book is not available for many months. Pandora is the main character so far, and she hopes to become a jewellery designer, although she has to work with cheap materials. The extract made me hungry for more, this is writing of real quality, and the historical setting is perfect for me, with a lot of period detail woven in, effortlessly, or so it seemed, although a lot of effort probably went into the writing. I look forward to finishing the book. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advance copy of this extract.

Very intriguing indeed, and am eager to read on. Stopped just at the juicy bit. Very very exciting and highly anticipated.

It is no secret that I love a good historical yarn. So I jumped at the chance to read “Pandora”, even if it was just an excerpt.
So far, so good: an engaging heroine plus pet magpie, a nasty uncle plus nasty...erm...maid, a potential suitor and a mystery man. All mixed with plenty of Georgian London background, antiquities and not-so-antiquities, grimy docklands and two crafts to be learned and excelled in.
The only niggly bit is that the lines between the goodies and the baddies might have already been drawn too distinctly, giving little room for development/surprise.
But, of course, I could be very wrong.
*** bordering on **** for now - intrigued me enough to apply for the whole book.

A tantalising extract that stops just as you’re fully invested! Can’t wait to read to read the full novel. The first thirteen chapters gives you a clear idea of the characters and their personalities. Fantastic opening.

This is an engaging and well written piece of historical fiction and I am keen to read more about Dora, her uncle and Edward the bookbinder.
I have a few doubts about the prologue as I think it highly unlikely that a diving lamp had been invented at that time but it was well written enough to suspend a bit of disbelief.

I am hopeful for the opportunity to read the rest.
The following rating is only preliminary as I can't rate a book on the first few chapters alone.

Fantastic introduction to what is sure to be an engrossing read. Stokes-Chapman quickly established the world of Georgian London and the characters that will permeate the book. The reader can't fail; to be drawn to Pandora and sympathise with her plight as she is left orphaned and in the care of her wicked uncle. I look forward to reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to preview this excerpt from Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman. This promises to be an intriguing and evocative historical mystery set in Georgian London. Worth a look when it is released.

Great intro, quick paced with easy to read and enjoyable writing. I like the 3 POVs and I'm already intrigued by each of those characters. The various mysterious that have already been set up have intrigued me so I'd definitely want to read the rest of the book. So far it seems great for anyone who enjoys historical fiction mysteries, and depending on what happens with the vase it would also be enjoyed by those who like Greek myths

It is a cruel and unusual punishment to offer an extract for a book as good as this. You can see the characters so clearly it is a cinematic experience. You are drawn into the world of Georgian London, embroiled in the forgeries that orphaned Pandora’s disreputable uncle has littered through her parent’s formerly beautiful emporium. You find out her story in cleverly drawn vignettes interspersed with the everyday pattern of her Georgian life and the entwined threads of the life of Lawrence, bookbinder by day and antiquarian seeking academic acceptance by night. You begin to care deeply about them, and follow Pandora as she gradually manipulates her way down to the dark, forbidden basement of the shop - and just as the lid of a mysterious, seemingly cursed artefact is raised, the extract ends..
One thing is certain - I’ll be buying this book as soon as it is published so that I can read the rest of this gripping story!

Oooh, intriguing! Obviously, the extract ends just where you are desperate to read on! However, this looks like it is going to be an immersive historical book - the sense of historical period is gorgeous and Dora seems like a character a reader can properly invest in - this book had me at the pet magpie, to be honest! I cannot wait to read this one.