Threads That Bind (Threads That Bind, #1)

by Kika Hatzopoulou

“Dripping with atmosphere and edged with danger, Threads That Bind weaves together a gorgeous dark tapestry of mystery, fated romance, and modern myth. You won’t be able to put this one down.” —Alexandra Bracken, New York Times bestselling author of Lore

In a world where the children of the gods inherit their powers, a descendant of the Greek Fates must solve a series of impossible murders to save her sisters, her soulmate, and her city, for fans of Song of Achilles.

Descendants of the Fates are always born in threes: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself. The Ora sisters are no exception. Io, the youngest, uses her Fate-born abilities as a private investigator in the half-sunken city of Alante.

But her latest job leads her to a horrific discovery: somebody is abducting women, maiming their life-threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill. To find the culprit, she must work alongside Edei Rhuna, the right hand of the infamous Mob Queen—and the boy with whom she shares a rare fate-thread linking them as soul mates before they’ve even met.

The investigation turns personal when Io's estranged oldest sister shows up on the arm of her best suspect. Amid unveiled secrets from her past and her growing feelings for Edei, Io must follow clues through the city’s darkest corners and unearth a conspiracy that involves some of the city’s most powerful players before destruction comes to her own doorstep.

• ISBN10: 0593528735
• ISBN13: 9780593528730
• Publish Date: 14 May 2024 (first published 30 May 2023)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: G.P.Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers'
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593528730

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Io is the youngest daughter in her family. She, like her sisters, is a descendant of Fate. As such, they can see the threads of Fate. Unlike her sisters, Io can do more with the threads she was born to sense.

As an adult, Io is working hard to make it as a private eye. Mostly, that means following threads and breaking the bad news to her clients. But recently, it put her neck deep in trouble. Worse, it put her in the path of the Mob Queen.

My Review:

Let me preface this review by saying that I've needed a break from Greek mythology and retellings. Yet I couldn't deny the pull of Threads That Bind, and I am SO GLAD I listened. This novel may be a Greek retelling, but it is very much its own tale, too.

Okay, I'll admit that part of my love probably has to do with a lifelong fascination with threads of fate. That primed me to love this story; there's no point in denying that fact. Still, Threads That Bind held up to the promise it made.

Io's story is intriguing and complex. We have her ability to see (and alter) fates. We have her career (which utilizes said ability). But there's more – her family dynamics (complex would be the kindest way to describe that), her fate thread, and (of course) the overall politics of the city. It's a lot to take in. Frankly, I couldn't get enough of it.

The finale of Threads That Bind is a bit of a cliffhanger, so you better believe I'm counting down the days for the next novel to release (no information that I could find on that, sadly).

Highlights:
Greek Mythology
Young Adult Fantasy
Romantic Subplot
Fates that Tie and Bind
Private Detective Protagonist

Trigger Warnings:
Death, Gore, Violence
Death of a Parent
Abuse (largely emotional/verbal)