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A review by asmallgremlin
Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really enjoyed this book - it was full of mystery, interesting characters and a little splash of Greek mythology!
It follows a jeweller named Dora who lives in her uncle’s antiquarian shop, who discovers her uncle has come into the possession of a Greek pithos from a time before history…
She meets an aspiring writer named Edward, who is trying to get into the Society of Antiquarians and who needs a new subject for a study. When he meets Dora and discovers this pithos, he believes he might be in luck. However the pithos may not be as it seems, it may hold secrets that are not meant to be discovered.
I had a great time reading this book - I loved all of the good characters and empathised with the characters who had gone on the wrong path (e.g. Lottie - I felt very sorry for her). My favourite character was probably Dora, and I also loved Cornelius who I figured out was 🏳️🌈 before it was explicitly said and I felt very pleased with myself - you’ve got to have a token gay in a novel set in Georgian times. It’s the law. I also very much enjoyed the historical details - this novel is set in 1799 during the Regency and Napoleonic Wars and both of those historical events are things I know a little bit about (I did Napoleon as part of my History A-Level). I also very very much enjoyed the inclusion of historical people as characters - including LADY EMMA HAMILTON who is a historical figure I am fascinated by. Stokes-Chapman blended together fiction and history in a very effective way.
I enjoyed the Greek myth elements of the story did not realise that the grey eyed man was Zeus but cool and I was so happy to see the debunking of the box in the Pandora myth - It’s a jar for Gods sake!
This was a highly enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery, history and Greek mythology.
It follows a jeweller named Dora who lives in her uncle’s antiquarian shop, who discovers her uncle has come into the possession of a Greek pithos from a time before history…
She meets an aspiring writer named Edward, who is trying to get into the Society of Antiquarians and who needs a new subject for a study. When he meets Dora and discovers this pithos, he believes he might be in luck. However the pithos may not be as it seems, it may hold secrets that are not meant to be discovered.
I had a great time reading this book - I loved all of the good characters and empathised with the characters who had gone on the wrong path (e.g. Lottie - I felt very sorry for her). My favourite character was probably Dora, and I also loved Cornelius
I enjoyed the Greek myth elements of the story
This was a highly enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery, history and Greek mythology.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Death of parent