Hearts that cut by Kika Hatzopoulou

 325p

The disembodied prologue makes a compelling teaser for the sequel to “Hearts that Bind”. We plunge into danger, rapidy rewarded by recognition of the horrific crime against a schoolgirl but not the circumstances.

“‘Hush now,’ he crooned. His hand fisted in the back of her shirt, rooting her in place. The girl could just make out the outline of his face: his brow knit in concentration, his eyes twinkling a bright silver. It’s over now,’ he said – then came an aching, world-shattering SNAP!”

The backstory begins with Chapter 1, invoking the controlling idea behind the first book, which was set in Alante where the Ora sisters, descendants of the Greek Fates, weild separate powers to weave, draw or cut the threads of love and life that bind people together.  

The Wastelands we see are still suffering from The Great Tide, soaking the earth and daily driving humans above the tideline.  Our protagonist, Io -youngest of the sisters and a 'cutter' is once again on a quest,  leaping over the rising ooze  between towns, doing odd jobs to survive, ‘cutting’ threads for money when desperate; yet all while looking for clues to curtail a trail of deadly mischief left by the gods.  Somewhere out there, is her soul mate with whom she shares a fraying fate-thread – Edei. Tantalizingly, her quilt of threads shows she is closing the gap to their reunion.

Thankfully for readers, Io now has a permanent side-kick, the ever resourceful Bianca – the furyborn mob queen of Alante. Their relationship is nearly as strained as that of Io and her two sisters, but despite the tension and pranks, Bianca and Io keep showing up for each other through non-stop death-defying escapes as they avoid the authorities to follow the powerful conspirators who are abducting and maiming siblings in every town from Alante  to the Golden City.  Arriving at golden Nanzy, the danger escalates to match Io’s realization that the fate of the world really does depend on her.

Kika Hatzopoulou is at her dangerous and descriptive best in terms of fast-paced action that verges on horror. YA will be submersed by assassin-style events above The Great Tide through the singular skill of this author. Highly recommended.

Themes: Dystopian, Greek Mythology, Action, Fantasy, Horror, Adventure.

Deborah Robins