Pandora
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-01-18 08:51:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Susan Stokes-Chapman
- ISBN：178730289X
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Summary
'Weaves together Ancient Greek myth with suspenseful mystery and beguiling romance。。。utterly irresistible' Jennifer Saint， author of Ariadne
A pure pleasure of a novel set in Georgian London， where the discovery of a mysterious ancient Greek vase sets in motion conspiracies， revelations and romance。
Perfect for readers who loved The Binding and The Essex Serpent。
London， 1799。 Dora Blake is an aspiring jewellery artist who lives with her uncle in what used to be her parents' famed shop of antiquities。 When a mysterious Greek vase is delivered， Dora is intrigued by her uncle's suspicious behaviour and enlists the help of Edward Lawrence， a young antiquarian scholar。 Edward sees the ancient vase as key to unlocking his academic future。 Dora sees it as a chance to restore the shop to its former glory， and to escape her nefarious uncle。
But what Edward discovers about the vase has Dora questioning everything she has believed about her life， her family， and the world as she knows it。 As Dora uncovers the truth she starts to realise that some mysteries are buried， and some doors are locked， for a reason。
Gorgeously atmospheric and deliciously page-turning， Pandora is a story of secrets and deception， love and fulfilment， fate and hope。
'A richly evocative and hugely enjoyable read， bubbling with mysteries， secrets and pleasures' Joseph O'Connor
Readers love Pandora:
'So addictive。。。 the perfect mix of historical fiction， mystery， fantasy and romance'
'Wonderfully atmospheric'
'A beautifully written piece of historical fiction'
'Mysterious and stylish'
'I just loved it！ Highly recommended'
A pure pleasure of a novel set in Georgian London， where the discovery of a mysterious ancient Greek vase sets in motion conspiracies， revelations and romance。
Perfect for readers who loved The Binding and The Essex Serpent。
London， 1799。 Dora Blake is an aspiring jewellery artist who lives with her uncle in what used to be her parents' famed shop of antiquities。 When a mysterious Greek vase is delivered， Dora is intrigued by her uncle's suspicious behaviour and enlists the help of Edward Lawrence， a young antiquarian scholar。 Edward sees the ancient vase as key to unlocking his academic future。 Dora sees it as a chance to restore the shop to its former glory， and to escape her nefarious uncle。
But what Edward discovers about the vase has Dora questioning everything she has believed about her life， her family， and the world as she knows it。 As Dora uncovers the truth she starts to realise that some mysteries are buried， and some doors are locked， for a reason。
Gorgeously atmospheric and deliciously page-turning， Pandora is a story of secrets and deception， love and fulfilment， fate and hope。
'A richly evocative and hugely enjoyable read， bubbling with mysteries， secrets and pleasures' Joseph O'Connor
Readers love Pandora:
'So addictive。。。 the perfect mix of historical fiction， mystery， fantasy and romance'
'Wonderfully atmospheric'
'A beautifully written piece of historical fiction'
'Mysterious and stylish'
'I just loved it！ Highly recommended'
Reviews
Jane Meredith
，
This has been on my TBR NetGalley shelf forever and I’ve almost been putting it off because I’ve been waiting to savour it。 I couldn’t pass up the chance to review another book based on Greek mythology， especially Pandora。 This is definitely worthy of being in the coveted ranks of Haynes， Saint and Fry when it comes to this genre。 This is a fast paced read and the narrative flows well。 It doesn’t throw Greek mythology right in your face and will probably be a good introduction for those who don’ This has been on my TBR NetGalley shelf forever and I’ve almost been putting it off because I’ve been waiting to savour it。 I couldn’t pass up the chance to review another book based on Greek mythology， especially Pandora。 This is definitely worthy of being in the coveted ranks of Haynes， Saint and Fry when it comes to this genre。 This is a fast paced read and the narrative flows well。 It doesn’t throw Greek mythology right in your face and will probably be a good introduction for those who don’t know a great deal about it or are interested in this craze and feel overwhelmed about where to start。 Overall， an enjoyable good overcoming evil tale。 。。。more
Yvonne
，
Set in 1799 London， Pandora Blake， known as Dora does not have the happiest of lives。 She lives above her parents' antiquities shop， once a place that was frequented by wealthy customers。 After the death of her parents， the shop belongs to her Uncle。 He is an odious man and one that is devious。This is a mystery that I absolutely adored。 Using some facts from history the author has taken some liberties with dates for the benefit of the story。 All of this is explained at the end of the book and ma Set in 1799 London， Pandora Blake， known as Dora does not have the happiest of lives。 She lives above her parents' antiquities shop， once a place that was frequented by wealthy customers。 After the death of her parents， the shop belongs to her Uncle。 He is an odious man and one that is devious。This is a mystery that I absolutely adored。 Using some facts from history the author has taken some liberties with dates for the benefit of the story。 All of this is explained at the end of the book and makes for interesting reading in itself。Dora is the main focus of the story， she is a budding designer and she has her mothers talent for her artistic flair。 Her parents sourced items to sell in their shop from their own excavations， legitimate and above board。 When her Uncle suddenly brings in an object that he hides away from Dora， she knows he is up to something， but quite what it is will take time to discover。This is a fabulous blend of history， fiction， fantasy and with a strong mystery to it。 The setting was great as society at the time still travelled the world on their "tours"， adventures and exotic destinations that took weeks to get to are something for the upper echelons of the society of the day。 This was balanced with the ordinary， working folk or those that have no homes， very little clothing and with little in the way of life。 These different sides of society and the contrasts were a great part of the story and I think the author used them to great effect。This is a mystery though， a mystery about Dora， her Uncle， a large vase and the death of her parents。 Chance and fortune bring Dora into contact with several people， some helpful， some unsavoury and some just plain rude。 They do however play their parts well and give a broader picture of life in London a the turn of the century as well as adding valuable details as part of the story。I thoroughly enjoyed this story and although some of the smells and sights might have been unpleasant to read， the author does a cracking job of describing them。 This does have the feel that this is something that could be part of a series as I do think it has the potential to be expanded upon。 I do hope this is the case as I would definitely be looking to read another book that features Dora。 A wonderful mystery， historical fiction and crime that I would definitely recommend。 。。。more
Jesika
，
The premise of this book is something akin to Stacey Halls meets the Da Vinci Code - a young woman in Georgian England aims to live a life free from her horrendous uncle， is pulled into the world of antiquities that her deceased parents made their living from and。。。has a pet magpie。I enjoyed the first half of this book a lot。 Dora is a sympathetic main character with intellectual interests and career ambitions who I genuinely wanted to see succeed。 The mystery of the pithos， an ancient Greek vas The premise of this book is something akin to Stacey Halls meets the Da Vinci Code - a young woman in Georgian England aims to live a life free from her horrendous uncle， is pulled into the world of antiquities that her deceased parents made their living from and。。。has a pet magpie。I enjoyed the first half of this book a lot。 Dora is a sympathetic main character with intellectual interests and career ambitions who I genuinely wanted to see succeed。 The mystery of the pithos， an ancient Greek vase， is compelling as are the characters that circle around it - tlfrom the shippers， the uncle and through to the Antiquaries Society and Lord Hamilton。 I was sold on the mystery of this vase。The second half moves much more towards the personal mysteries of the legacy left to Dora by her parents， to uncovering the past of Edward， the man courting her and trying to gain admittance into the Antiquaries Society。 As much as this was good historical fiction， I wanted to delve into the mystery of the pithos really being Pandora's Jar。 At several points it felt like the book was going to make this jump， delve into that history and possibility and leave the reader believing in Myth come to life and it just。。。。didn't。 Which left a few threads hanging in this novel， really。This is a enjoyable historical fiction read， but for those looking for a fantasy of Pandora existing， of the work if the gods being uncovered on an archaeological dig in the Peloponnese， this book teases more than it ultimately delivers。 Perfect for some readers who do enjoy purely historical fiction from this period。 。。。more
Emma
，
Sometimes a book comes along that leaves you powerless to do anything other than gobble it up， Pandora is one of those books。 I could not put it down， I was thoroughly immersed in Dora’s Georgian London and I loved every moment。 Dora is a superb character， determined to make her way in the world as a jewellery designer and return her parents shop to it’s former glory。 I adored the descriptions of her intricate designs， they made me want my own Dora Blake creation。 Watching her relationship devel Sometimes a book comes along that leaves you powerless to do anything other than gobble it up， Pandora is one of those books。 I could not put it down， I was thoroughly immersed in Dora’s Georgian London and I loved every moment。 Dora is a superb character， determined to make her way in the world as a jewellery designer and return her parents shop to it’s former glory。 I adored the descriptions of her intricate designs， they made me want my own Dora Blake creation。 Watching her relationship develop with Edward was wonderful， yes he has slightly selfish purposes for joining forces with Dora， but I still had a soft spot for him。 I also fell completely in love with Hermes， a magpie that Dora saved and nursed back to health。 A character that is just as wonderful as his human counter parts。Dora’s parents were experts in Greek artefacts and frequently took her on excavations as a child， what an amazing experience！ Sadly one of those digs comes to a horrific， tragic ending leaving Dora with her Uncle。 I loved how Greek history and myths were weaved into this story， it’s effortlessly divine。 Although this isn’t a Greek retelling， fans of that genre will definitely enjoy this book。Susan Stokes-Chapman has delivered a flawless debut novel。 Pandora is a sumptuous delight that instantly transports you to a murky Georgian London and it’s characters come alive as you read。 I cannot wait to see what’s next 。。。more
Daren Kearl
，
A Georgian historical drama with a hint of the supernatural。 Followed her parents accidental deaths at an archaeological dig， Dora is brought up by her sleazy， underhand Uncle。 He deals in fake antiquities at Dora’s parents former shop。 A shipment containing a mysterious vase arrives and Dora’s uncle is secretive about its origins but illness strikes those who handle it。 There is a love triangle with Dora， Edward， a similarly orphaned man who was brought up by a wealthy benefactor， and Cornelius A Georgian historical drama with a hint of the supernatural。 Followed her parents accidental deaths at an archaeological dig， Dora is brought up by her sleazy， underhand Uncle。 He deals in fake antiquities at Dora’s parents former shop。 A shipment containing a mysterious vase arrives and Dora’s uncle is secretive about its origins but illness strikes those who handle it。 There is a love triangle with Dora， Edward， a similarly orphaned man who was brought up by a wealthy benefactor， and Cornelius， his benefactor with unrequited and unspoken love for Edward。 It works quite nicely as a driver for character interaction。 Sometimes the Uncle， Hezekiah， and his deeds， teeter on gothic melodrama but it is a rewarding read with a satisfying ending。 。。。more
Chris Cairns
，
This is a debut novel and I’m excited about what Susan will come out with next。 This book was so well written and although it was slow-paced in the beginning I feel this was needed to draw you into the story。 I feel it set the scene up until about halfway and then I couldn’t put it down。 I feel the main plot was the story about the vase but I was much more invested in the characters， their back story and where they ended up。 Altogether I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people This is a debut novel and I’m excited about what Susan will come out with next。 This book was so well written and although it was slow-paced in the beginning I feel this was needed to draw you into the story。 I feel it set the scene up until about halfway and then I couldn’t put it down。 I feel the main plot was the story about the vase but I was much more invested in the characters， their back story and where they ended up。 Altogether I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people who are interesting in slow-paced historical fiction。 。。。more
Lauren
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3。5 starsThank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。This book was beautifully written and transported me to Georgian England through the pages。 I enjoyed how the book followed three characters stories and how the storylines weaved together throughout the book。That being said， I feel as though there may have been too much going on in this book that it fell short of my expectations。 I wasn’t captivated by the characters and this may have also 3。5 starsThank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。This book was beautifully written and transported me to Georgian England through the pages。 I enjoyed how the book followed three characters stories and how the storylines weaved together throughout the book。That being said， I feel as though there may have been too much going on in this book that it fell short of my expectations。 I wasn’t captivated by the characters and this may have also contributed to why I found the book slow and kept putting it down。Some descriptions were quite graphic， they made my stomach turn but it did make the story seem more authentic with the circumstances in that time period。If you enjoy historical fiction， Greek mythology and archaeology， I would recommend picking this up as I haven’t read anything like this。 。。。more
Alex Shade
，
I hope this Dora doesnt ask me for the sea。
Mike Slocombe
，
I was lucky to obtain an advance copy of the book as it was one that I was already interested in reading。 The book hooked me from the start with its atmospheric opening which set the scene for a beautifully written story and an intriguing mystery。This was one of my favourite reads of the year and I highly recommend it。
Rachelle
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Wonderful debut！！ This one is going to my top 10 list for 2022， for sure！
Hanlie
，
What a fascinating and unique read！ I've always been fascinated by Greek mythology and also the story of Pandora's Box。 This is such a clever play on that myth。 A box that can unleash the worst evil; a box that can divide people; a box that can destroy people's lives。 Pandora （Dora） Blake's parents died when she was younger and she was taken in by her uncle who is now running the business。 Or more accurately running it into the ground。 A business dealing in antiques that her parents built up。 Sh What a fascinating and unique read！ I've always been fascinated by Greek mythology and also the story of Pandora's Box。 This is such a clever play on that myth。 A box that can unleash the worst evil; a box that can divide people; a box that can destroy people's lives。 Pandora （Dora） Blake's parents died when she was younger and she was taken in by her uncle who is now running the business。 Or more accurately running it into the ground。 A business dealing in antiques that her parents built up。 She realises her uncle is up to something and her curiosity leads to the discovery of an ancient vase called a pithos （a large earthenware storage jar）Together with the help of a bookbinder Edward Lawrence， they try to figure out the origin and authenticity of the vase but what will this unleash？ Is this vase cursed as some people believe because people start to die。。。。。。 A beautifully written story set in 1799 in London with such an authentic feel of that era。 Highly recommend！ "The mind is its own place， and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell， a Hell of Heaven" John Milton Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK， Vintage for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion 。。。more
AtomicBooks
，
This is a really good historical novel set in Georgian London but made even more interesting by having a historical root to the protagonists story as they uncover Ancient Greek artefacts and myths。 There is also a supernatural theme threaded through the story。 I loved the writing as it was so easy to get lost in the story and it made the characters and story come alive， I would happily have carried on reading， as I wasn’t quite ready for the story to end。 All the characters in the story added so This is a really good historical novel set in Georgian London but made even more interesting by having a historical root to the protagonists story as they uncover Ancient Greek artefacts and myths。 There is also a supernatural theme threaded through the story。 I loved the writing as it was so easy to get lost in the story and it made the characters and story come alive， I would happily have carried on reading， as I wasn’t quite ready for the story to end。 All the characters in the story added something， with some larger than life characters too which helped make the story feel even more alive。 History， supernatural goings on and fabulous characters what’s not to love。 This is a really impressive debut novel。 。。。more
Gemma
，
Set in Georgian London， this book follows Dora， the protagonist of the title， who lives and works in her late parents' antiquities shop now run by her shady uncle Hezekiah。 Dora discovers a mysterious Greek vase in her uncle's possession and conducts her own investigation into its origins。 I really liked the writing in Pandora which is rich with atmosphere and detail to set the scene and enabled me to immerse myself in the historical world of the story。 I also liked the supernatural elements to Set in Georgian London， this book follows Dora， the protagonist of the title， who lives and works in her late parents' antiquities shop now run by her shady uncle Hezekiah。 Dora discovers a mysterious Greek vase in her uncle's possession and conducts her own investigation into its origins。 I really liked the writing in Pandora which is rich with atmosphere and detail to set the scene and enabled me to immerse myself in the historical world of the story。 I also liked the supernatural elements to the story which added to the central mystery of the plot。 For me， the issue with the book was the pacing and that the subject matter was not compelling enough to keep me hooked through the slower moments in the story。 There were a few scenes that were brilliantly written but the moments between them felt very slow without much really happening that added to the story。 I found my interest in this mysterious vase waning by the half way point and felt like there needed to be more to keep the tension and retain my engagement throughout the book。 I am impressed with Pandora as a debut novel though and there is a lot of promise in Susan Stokes-Chapman's writing so I would like to read any future books from her。 Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC of this book。 。。。more
Karen
，
I love a Greek myth， so a historical late-18th century mystery centred around Pandora's Box was always going to be intriguing， and after reading the sampler， I coudn't wait to read this book。 Evil already stalks orphaned young Pandora Blake's life in the shape of her uncle Hezekiah， who has taken over her parents' antiquary shop and run it into disrepute with his collection of forgeries。 Now Hezekiah is hiding something in the basement - an ancient artefact that itself hides secrets， and he's pr I love a Greek myth， so a historical late-18th century mystery centred around Pandora's Box was always going to be intriguing， and after reading the sampler， I coudn't wait to read this book。 Evil already stalks orphaned young Pandora Blake's life in the shape of her uncle Hezekiah， who has taken over her parents' antiquary shop and run it into disrepute with his collection of forgeries。 Now Hezekiah is hiding something in the basement - an ancient artefact that itself hides secrets， and he's prepared to do anything to uncover them。Pandora， an aspring jewellery designer， and her new acquaintance， young book binder Edward Lawrence， are determined to discover her uncle's plans - Pandora so she can free herself from his influence， Edward so that he can write a paper on Hezekiah's treasure and fulfill his ambition of entering the Society of Antiquaries。 But Hezekiah will stop at nothing to keep his secret safe。I really enjoyed this story。 The promise of myth and mystery permeates every single page as we are guided through late 18th century London life in all its superficial splendour and underlying dangerous， dank dirtiness。 Pandora is an immediately sympathetic character and her battle for independence will resonate with readers。 Edward is very complex， with his own dark hidden secrets。 Why is he in thrall to his friend Cornelius Ashmole？ And why does Cornelius hate Pandora so？The narrative has an almost Dickensian feel - though I found it a lot easier to read than Dickens！ - with its atmospheric and colourful evocation of life a couple of centuries ago， and its variety of characters like evil uncle Hezekiah， blowsy housekeeper Lottie， the salty Coombe brothers who work covertly for Hezekiah， and snobby entitled Lady Latimer。 But it cleverly avoids caricature。Rich descriptive prose， a plot that crackles with danger and mystery that may or may not have its roots in the supernatural， and a colourful cast of characters all make this a joy to read。 。。。more
Louise Marley
，
Fabulous historical mystery with a hint of gothic。 Full review to come。
Thebooktrail
，
Discover the locations in the novel PandoraTake care of this book as you would the antique vase it contains within。 Just look at that cover for starters。 When something is this well packaged， you hope what you find inside is going to be magic。 Do not fear – it is。This a novel about a mysterious Greek vase which Dora’s uncle seems very taken by。 Dora is a lady and this is Georgian London。 She wants a life that women of her time do not really have。 She wants to be an artist but her uncle watches Discover the locations in the novel PandoraTake care of this book as you would the antique vase it contains within。 Just look at that cover for starters。 When something is this well packaged， you hope what you find inside is going to be magic。 Do not fear – it is。This a novel about a mysterious Greek vase which Dora’s uncle seems very taken by。 Dora is a lady and this is Georgian London。 She wants a life that women of her time do not really have。 She wants to be an artist but her uncle watches her。 Since taking over her parent’s shop of antiques， he has also taken over much of Dora’s freedom， hopes and everything in between。A mysterious vase appears in the shop one day and well， the atmosphere ramps up brilliantly。 There’s lots of description of antiques， valuables， the art world and a world hidden from public view。 Dora’s uncle starts to act weird and so Dora is keen to find out why and what this vase has to do with it。 She enlists the help of Edward Lawrence who is involved in the Society of Antiquities and the two take on the mystery of this vase。Well， suffice to say what they find is going to change everything。 Pandora’s Box in vase form。 Sometimes， I struggle with novels that reimagine Greek myths and stories but this was welcoming and accessible。 It explored things I had never thought about before and it opened my eyes on many of the hidden meanings in Greek mythology，Georgian London comes alive in rich and exquisite detail。 From the bustling docks to the cobbled streets， the cosy warmth of the coffee houses to the old aroma of the Antiquities store， this is a novel for the senses。 。。。more
Jules
，
Set in London in 1799， Pandora tells the story of Dora Blake who lives with her uncle in an antique shop formerly owned by her parents。 Dora knows that her uncle doesn’t exactly sell genuine items & is longing for a route out of the life she’s living。 She is an aspiring jewellery artist but is continually knocked back by a jeweller due to being a woman （although he won’t admit it！）。Dora discovers that her uncle is hiding a mysterious Greek vase in the basement of the shop & sets out to find out Set in London in 1799， Pandora tells the story of Dora Blake who lives with her uncle in an antique shop formerly owned by her parents。 Dora knows that her uncle doesn’t exactly sell genuine items & is longing for a route out of the life she’s living。 She is an aspiring jewellery artist but is continually knocked back by a jeweller due to being a woman （although he won’t admit it！）。Dora discovers that her uncle is hiding a mysterious Greek vase in the basement of the shop & sets out to find out why he is keeping it a secret。 The vase appears to have many hidden secrets & it’s discovery by Dora leads her to unravel more about her past & what happened to her parents。 I’m a huge fan of historical fiction & Pandora did not disappoint in that regard。 It is a wonderfully descriptive novel in terms of the settings， characters， their mannerisms & costume （particularly Lady Latimer who is a small character with a big personality！）。 I also love books with a central female character who doesn’t bow down to men & stays focused on bettering herself against the odds， especially in a time when women were expected to do as they were told！ Again， Pandora lives up to my expectations in this regard。 I was hugely invested in Dora’s story & was intrigued to discover the truth behind her uncle’s underhand dealings。 Beautifully written， wonderful story， highly recommend！ 。。。more
Udisha Jain （bookstacks_literature）
，
Book - PandoraAuthor- Susan Stokes ChapmanSuggested reading age according to me- 13+My review- The author gives us her sunlight warm， lightning ⚡ strong， breeze cool， utterly fascinating Greek mythology+ Historical fiction Debut， Pandora。 Now， Now， Have i successfully assembled all my fellow Greek Mythology enthusiasts。 Come！ Let me take you to a short trip to this Olympus shaking book。Let me break it down for you all， Pandora is of course as the name suggests a Greek Mythology book but it has t Book - PandoraAuthor- Susan Stokes ChapmanSuggested reading age according to me- 13+My review- The author gives us her sunlight warm， lightning ⚡ strong， breeze cool， utterly fascinating Greek mythology+ Historical fiction Debut， Pandora。 Now， Now， Have i successfully assembled all my fellow Greek Mythology enthusiasts。 Come！ Let me take you to a short trip to this Olympus shaking book。Let me break it down for you all， Pandora is of course as the name suggests a Greek Mythology book but it has the pure ratio of historical fiction plus also social message。 Historical fiction at its finest and supremely filled with wit and brain。 We enter the world of antiquities， Archaeological artefacts， Chase to Mystery， Love at its most begining to ending stage， The Rich and poor hierarchy。The author inserts Greek Mythology right into the core of the book。 From our protagonist to almost all characters names have a meaning behind them。 Meaning inside meaning。 If you even know a bit about Greek Mythology or nothing at all don't worry， the author has done an amazing job giving us bits and pieces， hints to full blown surprises and of course explained in an even more intriguing manner。PANDORA is our Protagonist her story is not sad， it will wake your inner soul。 Who's Edward though？ Who's the evil uncle？ Wait what's that about excavations and History。 Well i know the Answers。 It's for you to go read the book and find out the answer for yourselves。 I Absolutely loved each and every letter of the book Pandora and I truly want my audience to go and buy the book， treat yourselves！Wait， did i tell you about the big ending？ Hopefully， i didn't。 GO PRE-ORDER YOUR COPIES OF PANDORA。 I am tremendously grateful to @sstokeschapman for sending me an UNCORRECTED PROOF of the book。 It was my honour to read， review， publicise Pandora and clicking pictures of my Advanced readers copy。 。。。more
Lucy
，
4。5****I really enjoyed this book！！ The plot:This book is set in Georgian London， where Pandora “Dora” Blake is an aspiring jewellery designer who currently lives with her Uncle， Hezekiah， in what use to be her parents famous shop of antiquities。 Since her parents deaths 12 years ago， Dora has seen the shop turn from fame and genuine artefacts， to the crooked and more questionable ways of her Uncle。 When a highly anticipated Greek pithos is delivered to the shop， Dora wonders why her Uncles beha 4。5****I really enjoyed this book！！ The plot:This book is set in Georgian London， where Pandora “Dora” Blake is an aspiring jewellery designer who currently lives with her Uncle， Hezekiah， in what use to be her parents famous shop of antiquities。 Since her parents deaths 12 years ago， Dora has seen the shop turn from fame and genuine artefacts， to the crooked and more questionable ways of her Uncle。 When a highly anticipated Greek pithos is delivered to the shop， Dora wonders why her Uncles behaviour is so suspicious and wants to find out the mystery for herself。 Dora enlists the help of Edward Lawrence， a bookbinder looking for acceptance into the Society of Antiquities， for help on information of the pithos。 Dora sees the pithos as a chance to escape her life and restore her parents shop to its former glory。 What she was not expecting was the number of revelations and questions that the pithos and its discovery brings up。 Review:This book was a beautiful book of historical fiction。 I loved the setting of 1799 London as it was so interesting to read of street names I currently walk over and what it could’ve been like in that period of history。 Also the author holds nothing back and created a realistic picture （the squalor and the scent of shit which seems to be left out of historical- drama tv） of London。 She also captured the class system and the different varied characters of London in a realistic way- you could easily imagine the setting and the people。I really liked the 3 character POV in this book。 Each character additionally has their own mysteries and secrets to them and I was turning the pages to discover more！Dora was such a great character and even has a magpie as a pet called Hermes， which was a great accurate name for the bird （and my favourite “being” in the book！）。 I really enjoyed reading her and Edwards ambition， intellect and dedication to their own dreams and not giving up despite their set-backs。 The author does well to capture the villainy of some of the characters too: I definitely saw one of the characters as a Vernon Dursley type from HP and it was so easy to despise him！I obviously especially LOVED all of the Greek myth and Greek history references throughout this book。 This book satisfied my un-dying love for them。I could keep going on but this book just had everything: it had the mystery， the atmosphere， the intrigue and just the right amount of romance。 I enjoyed the history and myth telling， and the talk of “curses”。 One thing I will say is that the author has left me with some interesting questions that I need answering！ Thank you so much to the author， Susan Stokes-Chapman， for gifting me with this physical ARC copy。 This is out 27th January 2022。 。。。more
Kat
，
I really enjoyed this book it was different and an excellently written story。 Set in Georgian London you can really feel the atmosphere of a very different time and place and I think the author did a great job of transporting the reader to that time。The story is based loosely on the the Pandora’s box myth with a lot more going on as the the main character of Pandora or Dora as she is known living unhappily with her very dislikable uncle in what was once her deceased parents antique shop。 I loved I really enjoyed this book it was different and an excellently written story。 Set in Georgian London you can really feel the atmosphere of a very different time and place and I think the author did a great job of transporting the reader to that time。The story is based loosely on the the Pandora’s box myth with a lot more going on as the the main character of Pandora or Dora as she is known living unhappily with her very dislikable uncle in what was once her deceased parents antique shop。 I loved the pet bird a magpie named Hermes he was just wonderful and the book also has a wide range of characters that are all brilliantly described。 I flew through the book I wanted to know the outcome and my only disappointment was I felt the book ended rather too quickly but overall it was a read that as I said was thoroughly enjoyable。My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Uk， Vintage， Harvill Secker for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Rachael Mills
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{AD|GIFTED} This delicious book was just my cup of tea。 Set in Georgian London in 1799， the story revolves around orphan Dora Blake who is under the care of her unpleasant uncle Hezekiah。 Dora longs to become a jewellery designer and earn her independence to live the life she wants。 The reader is also introduced to twenty-six-year-old Edward who is an antiquarian/bookbinder and a dreamer like Dora。When Dora's uncle comes into possession of a Greek pithos seemingly inspired by Pandora's Box， Dora {AD|GIFTED} This delicious book was just my cup of tea。 Set in Georgian London in 1799， the story revolves around orphan Dora Blake who is under the care of her unpleasant uncle Hezekiah。 Dora longs to become a jewellery designer and earn her independence to live the life she wants。 The reader is also introduced to twenty-six-year-old Edward who is an antiquarian/bookbinder and a dreamer like Dora。When Dora's uncle comes into possession of a Greek pithos seemingly inspired by Pandora's Box， Dora and Edward find their worlds colliding against a backdrop of curses， jealousy， murder， and mystery。 There is an air of foreboding throughout the novel and the evocative language draws the reader deeper and deeper into the story。 The plot grips you from the first page and keeps you engaged for over 400 pages。Where is the line between fate and coincidence？ Is it chance or destiny that drives our actions？ This book explores the question beautifully and I absolutely devoured every page。 A new favourite。 。。。more
Jade
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Pandora is a historical mystery novel with a focus on Greek mythology and Pandora’s box。 Set in Victorian London， Dora is a young aspiring jewellery maker that is looking for that break that will take her away from her unhappy life with her scheming Uncle。 Dora has been in the care of her uncle since the day her parents died in a tragic accident on an archaeological site in Greece。 The arrival of a mysterious ancient Greek vase sets a chain of events that will change Dora’s life forever and unco Pandora is a historical mystery novel with a focus on Greek mythology and Pandora’s box。 Set in Victorian London， Dora is a young aspiring jewellery maker that is looking for that break that will take her away from her unhappy life with her scheming Uncle。 Dora has been in the care of her uncle since the day her parents died in a tragic accident on an archaeological site in Greece。 The arrival of a mysterious ancient Greek vase sets a chain of events that will change Dora’s life forever and uncover the truth of her parents’ deaths。 I always enjoy a historical fiction and this one did not disappoint。 。。。more
Christina Sweeney-Baird
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One of the best historical novels I’ve ever read。 I absolutely loved it。
Moray Teale
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In Georgian London the arrival of an ancient discovery blurs the boundaries between myth and reality。Pandora Blake， ambitious and talented， is hemmed in by her status as an orphan woman dependent on the good-will of her dishonest uncle。 Edward Lawrence is also trying to make something of himself， desperate to follow his passion and join the Society of Antiquities。 Both are drawn into the fate of an ancient Greek relic that may have an astonishing link to the past as well as a place in Pandora's In Georgian London the arrival of an ancient discovery blurs the boundaries between myth and reality。Pandora Blake， ambitious and talented， is hemmed in by her status as an orphan woman dependent on the good-will of her dishonest uncle。 Edward Lawrence is also trying to make something of himself， desperate to follow his passion and join the Society of Antiquities。 Both are drawn into the fate of an ancient Greek relic that may have an astonishing link to the past as well as a place in Pandora's tragic personal history and may also have a power far beyond its monetary and historical value。。。This was a fun and mysterious tale in a well- Georgian setting。 There's a real sense of London from the dock-side squalor to the faded gentility of the Blakes' antiquities store and the opulence and excess of the higher classes。 It's pacy and dynamic with dark overtones of criminality， mystery and the supernatural。 Unfortunately， it doesn't quite all come together。 Pandora is likable enough in her intelligence and determination to better herself but she's a fairly standard heroine。 Edward is very under-developed and is more of a plot-device than a character， with a back-story designed to give him something in common with Pandora。 The rest ticked off a number of historical fiction tropes。 Villainous uncle ✅"Woman of the night" ✅Deceased parents ✅✅✅✅Wealthy patrons ✅✅The supernatural element added an intriguing flavour but was never resolved in a satisfactory way。 Ambiguity is fine but it needs to be a deliberate choice。 All in all， a quick easy read that kept me turning the pages but didn't offer much that was fresh in style or substance 。。。more
Jewels
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As usual in my reviews， I will not rehash the plot （there are other reviews like that out there if that's what you are looking for）。I really enjoyed this novel - it suite me， being a fan of historical fiction， fantasy， and "Dickensian-style" characters。 There are several layers to the plot， and various mysteries - apart from the obvious one concerning the vase。There are some really well-observed characters - I particularly liked Dora and the eccentric lady-patron - goodies， baddies， gloomy setti As usual in my reviews， I will not rehash the plot （there are other reviews like that out there if that's what you are looking for）。I really enjoyed this novel - it suite me， being a fan of historical fiction， fantasy， and "Dickensian-style" characters。 There are several layers to the plot， and various mysteries - apart from the obvious one concerning the vase。There are some really well-observed characters - I particularly liked Dora and the eccentric lady-patron - goodies， baddies， gloomy settings and a supporting cast that you'd not be surprised to find in a Dickens nocel （yes I know it's set in Georgian times， but the vibe felt that way to me）。I think that the author probably had more to write about Dora's adventures than would fit into this novel - maybe the tale could have been expanded and made into two books？ or maybe a sequel will follow？ In any case， I'll happily read more by this author。My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC。 All opinions my own。 。。。more
Sarah
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review to follow
Clarisa Butler
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A thoroughly enjoyable adventure around ancient artifacts， beautiful jewels， fakes。。。 set in a well conjured 1799 London （from shops and grand houses in town， to the least salubrious dockland areas） at the centre of which is Pandora Blake， young， orphan， artistic， living with her odious uncle and housekeeper in the "antiques" shop once belonging to her parents。。。 We enter the adventure through an intriguing subaquatic operation。。。 and from that moment the action takes you on a （obviously！） voyag A thoroughly enjoyable adventure around ancient artifacts， beautiful jewels， fakes。。。 set in a well conjured 1799 London （from shops and grand houses in town， to the least salubrious dockland areas） at the centre of which is Pandora Blake， young， orphan， artistic， living with her odious uncle and housekeeper in the "antiques" shop once belonging to her parents。。。 We enter the adventure through an intriguing subaquatic operation。。。 and from that moment the action takes you on a （obviously！） voyage of discovery which is highly entertaining as the characters are vivid and engaging， the plot mysterious， and the discoveries judiciously paced。 At the same time one gets glimpses of how the commercial and antiquarian world worked at the time and even the very historically real Sir William Hamilton （husband of Emma， Lady Hamilton） has a part to play。。。 I liked the writing too， which is very good at description of place and action， and although it is not the primary objective of the novel， makes motivations of all parties plausible which add to the pleasures of reading。 The end is perhaps a bit of predictable and leaves a number of loose ends but perhaps there is going to be a sequel！！ I would read it。 With many thanks to the author， the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this most promising and entertaining first novel。 。。。more
Michelle
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Set in Georgian London， Dora Blake lives and works in her parents’ antiquities shop with her uncle。 Her parents died when she was younger when they were travelling and excavating a burial site when there was an accident and they parents died。 But her relationship with her uncle is a strained one。 There is no love between them。 Dora is an inspiring jewellery artist。 So， when a mysterious Greek vase turns up at the shop and her uncle acting strangely。 Dora wants to find out what’s going on。 She ma Set in Georgian London， Dora Blake lives and works in her parents’ antiquities shop with her uncle。 Her parents died when she was younger when they were travelling and excavating a burial site when there was an accident and they parents died。 But her relationship with her uncle is a strained one。 There is no love between them。 Dora is an inspiring jewellery artist。 So， when a mysterious Greek vase turns up at the shop and her uncle acting strangely。 Dora wants to find out what’s going on。 She manages to break into the cellar where the vase is kept， and she decides to sketch the patterns on vase so she can make them into Jewellery designs。 But also， the vase seems similar to her from years ago when she was with her parents。 Not only that since the vase arrived strange things start to happen。Thank you， Random House Vintage UK， for a copy of Pandora by Susan Stoke-Chapman。 This has been quite a while on my NetGalley shelf and apologies it took me long to read it。This is a well-crafted historical tale set In London 1799。 Dealing with the sale of Antiquities and Greek Mythology。 It at first started rather slow but as I read on it has me engrossed in the story。 I did enjoy this story， but I thought it was going to have a more supernatural element to it， as Dora and her friend Edward discovered that the vase may be Pandora’s box。 4 stars from me。 。。。more
Shannon
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Pandora Blake lives in the attic of what used to be her parents antique shop dreaming up jewellery designs that will make her name and set her free。 Both Dora and the shop are now under the dubious care of her shifty uncle who has run the business into the ground selling dodgy forgeries and junk to a dwindling clientele。 When Dora’s uncle takes possession of an Ancient Greek Urn locking it away in the basement and allowing no one near it， history that has long been buried begins to surface as Do Pandora Blake lives in the attic of what used to be her parents antique shop dreaming up jewellery designs that will make her name and set her free。 Both Dora and the shop are now under the dubious care of her shifty uncle who has run the business into the ground selling dodgy forgeries and junk to a dwindling clientele。 When Dora’s uncle takes possession of an Ancient Greek Urn locking it away in the basement and allowing no one near it， history that has long been buried begins to surface as Dora sets out to discover the truth of the Urn with the help of a budding academic。 I really enjoyed this， it was an absolute treat。 Dastardly uncles， mysterious mythical and magical pots， rich old ladies with brilliant taste， unrequited gay love， magpie friends， hot pint sized scholars， murder and ill fortune it’s all there。 It’s a bit gothic and a bit romantic and all historical。 I loved it。 。。。more
Ann Dewar
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3。5 ⭐️I was so looking forward to reading this book， I mean a combination of Georgian period and Greek mythology， what’s not to like？ Unfortunately， for me it just didn’t quite live up to its premise。Part of the problem is that it attempts to be both an historical novel and a thriller and， for me， ends up doing neither that well。 Although there are lots of references to sounds， smells and dress， the feel of the novel is somehow more of a Victorian melodrama than Regency。 The same is true of the 3。5 ⭐️I was so looking forward to reading this book， I mean a combination of Georgian period and Greek mythology， what’s not to like？ Unfortunately， for me it just didn’t quite live up to its premise。Part of the problem is that it attempts to be both an historical novel and a thriller and， for me， ends up doing neither that well。 Although there are lots of references to sounds， smells and dress， the feel of the novel is somehow more of a Victorian melodrama than Regency。 The same is true of the villainous uncle - surely second only to wicked stepmothers in the canon。 Similarly I didn’t find the pay-off， either with the pithos or with Edward， to be surprising or truly satisfying。 There were also some strange anomalies。 For example， why are we to accept that Edward is too innocent to recognise Cornelius’s inclinations but Dora isn’t？Not a bad book， it just didn’t grab me。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Pandora
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Pandora&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Pandora&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0