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A review by bibi_reads_writes
Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou
4.0
Contains spoilers for Threads That Bind
A solid follow up to the first book. I recommend this series to people who enjoy urban fantasy, sci-fi thrillers, apocalyptic settings, and unique magical systems.
Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback. Thank you to the Penguin Group | Razorbill for this opportunity.
❤️ Interesting worldbuilding and lore
❤️ Fast paced and action-packed
❤️ Smooth combination of genres
❤️ Sweet, unproblematic love
❤️ Skillful depiction of internal conflict
❌ Overwhelming magic system
❌ Some confusing phraseology
❌ Surface-level characters and relationships
❌ Rushed ending and loose ends
Trigger Warnings: violence (including guns), blood and injury detail, kidnapping, emotional abuse, panic attacks, assault, non-graphic murder, animal death, classism, genocide, gaslighting and bullying, toxic family relationships, abandonment.
Plot:
Io and Bianca have been following the gods’ golden trail for weeks when they start to think they’re on a wild goose chase. Io is still reeling from her sisters’ betrayal and from her fraying fate thread with Edei. And while political leaders and influential individuals are getting murdered in various cities, random people also start disappearing. Io and Bianca follow the signs all the way to Nanzy, the golden city, and uncover a terrible plot that could destroy humankind.
The first 25% of the book was a little slower than the first installment, but just as riveting. I loved discovering more of the world Hatzopoulou built and exploring Io and Bianca’s relationship. Then, the twists and turns and the action picked up and never stopped. The stakes were much higher and there were interesting new characters and intrigues. However, I still thought the magic system was too complex (I still don’t really understand what norn-born and sabazios-born and aesir-born and kurbantes-born people actually DO) and felt that the ending was rushed. There were so many loose ends I had to look up if it was really a duology, or rather an ongoing series. I’m satisfied with the ending, but I feel it didn’t live up to its full potential.
Characters:
I loved Bianca! And I also loved how Io’s love interest, Edei, was a walking green flag. Their love was so pure and sweet—in a world where red flags and toxic relationships are glamourized, this was very refreshing. However, I feel like the character-to-plot balance leaned way more on the plot side. The only characters we got to know in depth were Io and, perhaps, Bianca and Thais. Even Edei remains surface-level until the end. I also had mixed feelings about the primary relationships. Io/Edei as well as Io/Thais/Ava were discussed so much and remained stagnant for most of the two books, but then both resolutions were rushed in the end. I would have liked to know more about life after the events, about forgiveness and rebuilding of relationships (or the opposite).
Writing:
I enjoyed Hatzopoulou’s sharp and evocative writing style. Her depiction of internal conflicts was particularly on point. However, there were many sentences I had to read a couple of times to fully understand what was going on. In some instances, I simply gave up. This didn’t happen once in the first book, so I’m blaming it on editing and hoping this was fixed in the final version of the book (I read an advance reader copy).
Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes
A solid follow up to the first book. I recommend this series to people who enjoy urban fantasy, sci-fi thrillers, apocalyptic settings, and unique magical systems.
Note: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback. Thank you to the Penguin Group | Razorbill for this opportunity.
❤️ Interesting worldbuilding and lore
❤️ Fast paced and action-packed
❤️ Smooth combination of genres
❤️ Sweet, unproblematic love
❤️ Skillful depiction of internal conflict
❌ Overwhelming magic system
❌ Some confusing phraseology
❌ Surface-level characters and relationships
❌ Rushed ending and loose ends
Trigger Warnings: violence (including guns), blood and injury detail, kidnapping, emotional abuse, panic attacks, assault, non-graphic murder, animal death, classism, genocide, gaslighting and bullying, toxic family relationships, abandonment.
Plot:
Io and Bianca have been following the gods’ golden trail for weeks when they start to think they’re on a wild goose chase. Io is still reeling from her sisters’ betrayal and from her fraying fate thread with Edei. And while political leaders and influential individuals are getting murdered in various cities, random people also start disappearing. Io and Bianca follow the signs all the way to Nanzy, the golden city, and uncover a terrible plot that could destroy humankind.
The first 25% of the book was a little slower than the first installment, but just as riveting. I loved discovering more of the world Hatzopoulou built and exploring Io and Bianca’s relationship. Then, the twists and turns and the action picked up and never stopped. The stakes were much higher and there were interesting new characters and intrigues. However, I still thought the magic system was too complex (I still don’t really understand what norn-born and sabazios-born and aesir-born and kurbantes-born people actually DO) and felt that the ending was rushed. There were so many loose ends I had to look up if it was really a duology, or rather an ongoing series. I’m satisfied with the ending, but I feel it didn’t live up to its full potential.
Characters:
I loved Bianca! And I also loved how Io’s love interest, Edei, was a walking green flag. Their love was so pure and sweet—in a world where red flags and toxic relationships are glamourized, this was very refreshing. However, I feel like the character-to-plot balance leaned way more on the plot side. The only characters we got to know in depth were Io and, perhaps, Bianca and Thais. Even Edei remains surface-level until the end. I also had mixed feelings about the primary relationships. Io/Edei as well as Io/Thais/Ava were discussed so much and remained stagnant for most of the two books, but then both resolutions were rushed in the end. I would have liked to know more about life after the events, about forgiveness and rebuilding of relationships (or the opposite).
Writing:
I enjoyed Hatzopoulou’s sharp and evocative writing style. Her depiction of internal conflicts was particularly on point. However, there were many sentences I had to read a couple of times to fully understand what was going on. In some instances, I simply gave up. This didn’t happen once in the first book, so I’m blaming it on editing and hoping this was fixed in the final version of the book (I read an advance reader copy).
Follow me on Instagram: @bibi.reads.writes