You're someone who loves. That's the only part that's yours to give and yours to take.

Wow - what a debut! I have enjoyed this YA fantasy - which mixes Greek mythology with someone entirely original - by Kika Hatzopoulou immensely.

Io is a private investigator with a special power: she can see and touch the threads people have to things and people they love. She's also able to cut those threads, meaning she's viewed as a danger by those without any powers. When she witnesses a murder as part of an investigation into an unfaithful husband, she discovers something that doesn't seem possible: the killer had their life thread cut and yet, they're alive and super strong.

Io is hired by the city of Alante's underworld queen to look into into the matter after one of her employees are killed by a wraith as Io refers to them. What complicates things is that Io is told to pair up with Edei, the boy who is at the end of a fate thread connecting him to Io. He doesn't know about the thread and Io cannot help falling for him.

As Io investigates it becomes clear that someone very powerful is pulling all the strings and that something very sinister is behind the murders. With many red herrings and twists, the mystery is wholly compelling and fascinating. I couldn't help but try and help Io figure out what is really happening.

With complex characters, beautiful world-building and a kickass plot, 'Threads that Bind' enthralled me. I cannot wait for the sequel - ahem - come on Kika!

The Gods of Olympus are long dead but their bloodlines live on. Those with the blood of the gods coursing through their veins weald immense powers like healing, dream manipulation and mind control.
Threads That Bind follows the story of Io, a Moirai-borne, who is a descendant of the Fates, weavers of the tapestry of Life. All her life, Io has been able to see the threads that connect people to the world, connect them to each other and is able to use these to help those in need. Using the Quilt (what the Moria-borne call the network of threads) Io ekes out a living as a private investigator, following threads and do what is necessary to help her clients. When investigating a cheating husband, Io comes face to face with something that should not be possible… a woman with a severed life thread that is still alive. This case changes everything Io knew about the world and inadvertently thrusts her towards someone she has been making a point of avoiding all her life, Edie- the person that has been on the end of Io’s love thread for as long as she could see it.
What follows is a whirlwind adventure across the sinking city of Alante, its sea scraped alleyways and ramshackled buildings surrendering silently to the rising oceans, and into the heat of a revenge which has been brewing for over a decade. Will Io’s love thread threaten the mission to find who is behind the attacks by the wraths or will she be bold enough to severe a tie that has felt like home for all her life?

Kika Hatzopoulou builds such a wonderful world in Threads That Bind that readers are immediately sucked into the lives of the characters and how living in a world where power doesn’t always mean respect is magical. The depth that Kika describes the different types of Borne and how their powers are utilised, exploited or outlawed sets the scene for an intense, thrilling mystery. The story leads you through each chapter with the facts that Io has collected but right at the last minute, everything you believe is ripped away and you feel exposed, before being lead on another thread in the next chapters. I loved how Threads That Bind kept me on my toes guessing who cold be the villain amongst the villains and the twist at the end had my jaw literally drop.
Hopefully, we will be able to join Io on another adventure as she follows the threads to uncover more secrets.

This was a really good, unique YA fantasy book! I will definitely be reading the sequel. Firstly, I enjoyed the setting of the story. The silts was a brilliant setting because it causes another conflict in the story. It's run down, plagued by intense floods, run by gangs and avoided by the police. This makes every story line more difficult to navigate as the peace of the silts is always so precariously balanced, and you really get to see this towards the end of the book. The actual story line of the wraiths murdering people was interesting, but progressed quite slowly in the sense that there weren't a lot of clues to follow.

As for the characters, I loved them! Io was a lovely character, a girl who was born with what everyone sees as a 'dangerous' ability compared to others, she was full of guilt and shame just for existing. This was also really interesting because of how her relationship with her sisters influenced this. I liked Edei, although I feel like we didn't get to learn that much about him so I am looking forward to that in the next book. I loved the idea of a 'fate thread' between them and the concerns around fate impacting the choice that they have. I'd also quite like to see more of some of the side characters in the next book too, especially Rosa and Nico and Chimdi.

Overall, this was a great book with no flaws. The worldbuilding was extremely confusing because there were so many different abilities that came from different gods, I feel like I could've benefited from a graphic at the front of the book explaining the lines from which gods create which abilities! But I would definitely recommend this if you like more of an urban fantasy with quite a lot of political plot and some romance.

I am OBSESSED. I completely devoured this book, I loved it so much I bought the fairy loot version so I have a beautiful copy for my shelves. The plot line was captivating! The world building was rich and beautiful. Cannot express how much I enjoyed reading this!

What to say about this book? I really got sucked right into the story and was heartbroken to learn that it's the start of a series, because now I'll have to wait until I can read more.

Something about the way the world is made, the magic and the history, just got to me. It took me a while to get used to the idea of the magic system, and there was a bit of info-dumping in the first 20% or so, but when I did grasp everything it was easy to get lost in the story and go with the flow. The combination of dystopia and godly powers filled a gap in my life I didn't even know I had. I actually got a similar feeling as I got while reading Six Of Crows, which I think is high praise.

The mysteries kept me hooked. Of course there's the main murder mystery, but there's also the mystery of what the hell happened to these sisters. Diving into the relationship between the Ora sisters was definitely a favourite part of the book for me. Emotions can make what may be straightforward questions overly complicated and I just loved that aspect.

Actually, all the relationships in this book were set up amazingly. I really believed each and every one of them, and felt they were all unique and had their own challenges. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of everyone in the sequel, which I hope doesn't take too long as I'm absolutely invested!

An exciting YA novel with plenty of action, great sibling dynamics and a lots of twists.

Private investigator, Io, can see the threads of fate that bind people to the things they love and, as a cutter, she can also sever them. When Io witnesses a murder committed by someone with a broken life-thread, she's plunged into an investigation that will uncover the dark secrets of her city's past. Throughout, she's aided by Edei, a member of the Rossi mob who Io has spent the past few years avoiding - because the two are connected by a bright fate-thread Edei knows nothing about.

This novel had strong world-building which offered a dark but fresh look at Greek mythology, with characters descending from various powerful sibling groups like the Fates, the Graces and the Muses.

Io's character was complex and compelling. I loved seeing her debate the ethics of her fate-thread with Edei, as she's torn whether to tell him about it or severe it to set him free. Her relationships with her sisters was also endlessly interesting and offered plenty of drama.

After reading a lot of (brilliant) Greek Mythology retellings so far this year, it was fun to read something that offered a completely different take on the genre.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book. When I first saw this book I was umming and r-ing wether to request it but I the end I am glad I did I really enjoyed this book, the characters where easy to get on with, the plot was amazing, the magic system was great and the book just really flowed. 4 stars highly recommend

A twisty, turny, unique tale with some interesting characters and a plot unlike anything I’ve seen before.

Great world-building and I love the mix of fantasy and murder mystery, with just a touch of romance. Feedback from customers we’ve recommended it to has been really positive.

I am very thankful for being able to access this book via Netgalley prior to its release.

I LOVED this book and cannot for the life of me work out why we arent hearing more about it on booktok etc!

Io's narration is gripping, genuine and engaging throughout the book - I love her as a protagonist and cannot wait for the next one. What a gem of a book to stumble across.

Io lives in a dystopian future - a poor shanti town built above the flooded remains of a flooded city. She is a cutter - a decendent of the Moira (three fates) - who uses her abilities to work as a private detective.

When she stumbles across a unique murder - the culprit being a type of powerful being she has never encountered before - she must work with new friends to help save the people in her city.

Be warned - it ends on a cliffhanger that will leave you praying for the next book to get approved, written and published ASAP

I loved this so much, I’m so glad it’s this months fairyloot special edition too, as I can’t wait to own a physical copy for my book shelves. I thought it was lovely to actually read a book based on Greek mythology actually written by someone Greek, there’s been so many in the last few years, not that they’re not good, but it’s just always nicer to read something from someone who is heritage. It actually is. This is extremely well written. I loved the characters. The world building and magic systems are fantastic, it’s full of so much positive representation, it’s also full of my favourite tropes like fated love and chosen one. The Threads That Bind is an intriguing , creative and unique read, when I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone,


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I don't know what I expected from a book dubbed fantasy noir, but what I got, I absolutely loved. With influences of mythology, this dark mystery will captivate you from page 1.

Inventive and smart, thoroughly enjoyed this modern twist on the Fates of Greek mythology. It is an easy read but clever enough to intrigue all the way to the end, with hopefully a sequel coming!

Threads That Bind is a spectacular YA Fantasy inspired by Greek Mythology!

Greek Mythology has been extremely popular for many years now and I have read my fair share of books inspired by it. I was concerned that this book wouldn't add anything new to the ever growing genre. I was absolutely thrilled to descover that Threads That Bind is unique and so beautifully written.
I really liked most of the characters and the romance was exceptionally well done. The pacing was perfect, which lead to me becoming captivated by the story. Overall, I think that anyone who loves mythology or YA Fantasy in general will adore this book!

This is a wonderful Greek mythology inspired YA fantasy story!

The book is set in a world where the Greek gods have vanished but their descendants remain. One of these descendants is our MC, Io, who is descended from the Fates and, like them, she can see and cut the threads of fate that connect people.

The story starts as Io gets caught up in the investigation around a string of murders committed by women with altered life threads. Unable to walk away, Io joins forces with a mob gang to try and solve the murders and stop the killings. One person in particular she works with is Edei, who Io realises is the person she is destined to fall in love with as she can see they are joined by a fate thread. I enjoyed Io's moral battle over whether to tell him and whether to cut the thread that binds them together. I felt like this is something that really compliments Edei and Io as characters as they both have very strong moral compasses and senses of loyalty, even when it works against their relationship with each other. Although on Io's part the romance was very insta-love, I hope we see more of Edei and Io's relationship in book 2.

Io also has two sisters (so there are three of them like the three Fates in Greek mythology) and one of the major themes of the book is the relationships Io has with her sisters. The way emotional abuse was explored really worked with the rest of the story and the way Io thinks about violence and kindness.

rep: multiple sapphic side characters, bi side character, non-binary side character
tropes: found family, fated love, chosen one

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I truly enjoyed this book, I have always been obsessed with ancient history, the Romans, the Greeks and the Egyptians and their mythologies so this book really appealed to me and it did not let me down. It’s got great pace with twists and turns and great referencing the mythology. Ended on a nice cliffhanger meaning I’m already counting down until the next book and seeing lo become even more aware of how awesome she is!

Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read the ARC, I really enjoyed this. It was a sweeping adventure full of rich mythology, suspense and romance. I really hope there’s a sequel because there’s a massive feeling that this is just beginning.

Thankyou the Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK Children's, Penguin for a free e-arc in exchange of an honest review!

I loved this!
-Great characters
-Interesting magic system and world building
-Murder mystery element that kept me guess all along
-Fated mates trope which i love
-Funny loveable side characters
-Setting and back drop that kinda reminded me of a greek Gotham City with all the gangs and territories and the silts area being run down.
-Extreme Weather element really interesting.

easy 5 star!

I loved the unique magic system of this story.
But I found I was struggling to engage with the story as much as I wanted to. I wanted a quicker resolution for the murders / finding out the source of the wraiths (maybe I'm just impatient).
Also found all the many varieties of gods/powers a bit much for me to take in.
But written really well, and I would more. Maybe I'll reread at some point for more clarity.

"Threads That Bind" is a great book that merges Greek mythology with the modern world in a fun and entertaining way. With its unique concept, action-packed plot, and well-constructed world, this book offers a memorable reading experience. While it may start off a bit slow, the story quickly gains momentum, making it a worthwhile read for fans of mythology-infused tales.