Historical

Pandora

Pandora

  • Downloads：4821
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-01-06 06:51:58
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Susan Stokes-Chapman
  • ISBN：1529114748
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Summary

Steeped in mystery and rich in imagination， an exhilarating historical novel set in Georgian London where the discovery of a mysterious ancient Greek vase sets in motion conspiracies， revelations， and romance。

London， 1799。 Dora Blake， an aspiring jewelry artist， lives with her odious uncle atop her late parents' once-famed shop of antiquities。 After a mysterious Greek vase is delivered， her uncle begins to act suspiciously， keeping the vase locked in the store's basement， away from prying eyes--including Dora's。 Intrigued by her uncle's peculiar behavior， Dora turns to young， ambitious antiquarian scholar Edward Lawrence who eagerly agrees to help。 Edward believes the ancient vase is the key that will unlock his academic future; Dora sees it as a chance to establish her own name。

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 comes to understand that some doors are locked and some mysteries are buried for a reason， while others are closer to the surface than they appear。

A story of myth and mystery， secrets and deception， fate and hope， Pandora is an enchanting work of historical fiction as captivating and evocative as The Song of Achilles， The Essex Serpent， and The Miniaturist。

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Reviews

mike ，

A well written period piece involving Greek antiquities ， London high society and those of a lower nature。 The protagonist Dora is attempting to find her way in life， out from under the thumb of a cruel uncle ， and her love。 Really I want to rate this at 3。5-3。75

Merijn Trip ，

I was initially quite disappointed when realizing this book was not similar to， for example: ‘A Song of Achilles’ or ‘Circe’ （ which was entirely my own fault， for I could’ve easily read the summary better ） Later， when I managed to adjust my expectations， I found that the overlap and cross-references to the actual （ Pandora ） mythology lacked subtlety。 I would’ve been far more satisfied if， for example， Dora’s name had been Shirley and the bird’s name was Bob。 Most correlations didn’t bring any I was initially quite disappointed when realizing this book was not similar to， for example: ‘A Song of Achilles’ or ‘Circe’ （ which was entirely my own fault， for I could’ve easily read the summary better ） Later， when I managed to adjust my expectations， I found that the overlap and cross-references to the actual （ Pandora ） mythology lacked subtlety。 I would’ve been far more satisfied if， for example， Dora’s name had been Shirley and the bird’s name was Bob。 Most correlations didn’t bring anything extra to the story in my opinion; they were mostly frustratingly obvious and “convenient”。 Nevertheless， it was an amusing story to read。 I particularly enjoyed Cornelius Ashmole and Lady Latimer， who were refreshing side characters; subtle in speech and somewhat theatrical in demeanor。 。。。more

Jana Lorencová ，

Let me tell you， I love a good， fresh retelling。。。。 Sadly， this was not it。 You can see where is the story going from the very start。 The characters have no depth， almost every page is utterly predictable （along with the whole plot）。 There is no plot twist。 There is barely any life to it。 Which is a shame。 It sounds promising， it looks beautiful， it's a good setting， and yet is unable to deliver anything。 This might be a great book for a beginner？ If this is the very first retelling you'll pick Let me tell you， I love a good， fresh retelling。。。。 Sadly， this was not it。 You can see where is the story going from the very start。 The characters have no depth， almost every page is utterly predictable （along with the whole plot）。 There is no plot twist。 There is barely any life to it。 Which is a shame。 It sounds promising， it looks beautiful， it's a good setting， and yet is unable to deliver anything。 This might be a great book for a beginner？ If this is the very first retelling you'll pick up （and you don't really read at all）， it might （just might） be a 5 star read。 。。。more

The Book ，

That was fun！ Enjoyed this a lot， ancient Greek myths woven in with historical London。

Yolanda | yolandaannmarie。reads ，

arc provided by Harper Perennial。withholding my review in support of the ongoing union strike for fair wages and diversity。

Moriah ，

*Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers for this free copy*Can we go ahead and applaud the gorgeous cover of this book to begin with？！ I had high expectations going into this book and I think if this book could have been fine tuned a bit more it would have been amazing。 Pandora is a book about the main character Pandora “Dora” Blake who has inherited her parent’s antiquities shop in London 1799。 She lives with her odious uncle and is trying to start her own business so she can get out from under *Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers for this free copy*Can we go ahead and applaud the gorgeous cover of this book to begin with？！ I had high expectations going into this book and I think if this book could have been fine tuned a bit more it would have been amazing。 Pandora is a book about the main character Pandora “Dora” Blake who has inherited her parent’s antiquities shop in London 1799。 She lives with her odious uncle and is trying to start her own business so she can get out from under his rules。 Her uncle brings in a mysterious giant Greek vase to sell but a trail of mysterious events keep occurring。 She finds herself trying to solve the case and piece together her past。 The story drew me in from the very beginning and I loved every bit of the concept of it， but I think this book was too long， and if 1/3 of the book would have been edited out， it would have been much improved。 Too many scenes and conversations that just didn’t add to the main theme of the book。 I loved a couple of the characters and wished they could have been featured even more than they were: Cornelius Ashmole， and the representation character of Hermes。 Cornelius was such a layered character and I loved getting to know him and seeing his and Dora’s relationship unfold。 I greatly disliked the character of her uncle， it reminded me of a cartoon villain in his actions and conversations。 I kept picturing the villain from Frosty the Snowman with his top hat and mustache。 While the whole book felt a bit long， the ending was much too rushed and ended quickly and not with a lot of closure。 I will for sure check out more of this author’s books because her writing was very engrossing， but I think a quick polish of her characters would be needed。 。。。more

Samuel Buelow ，

Amazing！Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman is a lush and vivid novel set in the seedy underbelly of London's antiquities trade at the end of the 1700s。 The story's main protagonist， Dora Blake， is the daughter of English and Greek antiquities dealers and procurers who were killed during an excavation when Pandora was a young girl。 She is now a young woman， minding her parents' shop， which has fallen into ruin in the hands of her vengeful and corrupt uncle， and trying to establish herself as jewelry Amazing！Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman is a lush and vivid novel set in the seedy underbelly of London's antiquities trade at the end of the 1700s。 The story's main protagonist， Dora Blake， is the daughter of English and Greek antiquities dealers and procurers who were killed during an excavation when Pandora was a young girl。 She is now a young woman， minding her parents' shop， which has fallen into ruin in the hands of her vengeful and corrupt uncle， and trying to establish herself as jewelry designer。 Intertwined is the story of Edward Lawrence， a young bookbinder， straddling the world of his low birth and that of the aristocracy of his childhood friend and benefactor。 Edward's life goal is gain admittance to an exclusive antiquarian society and seeks out Dora's advice。 Embroiled in a mystery involving a Greek pithos （giant jar） that may or may not have mythic origins， the two protagonists develop a relationship in the threatening shadows of secrecy and deceit。 Stokes-Chapman weaves a narrative of taut suspense， keeping the tension not only of the mysteries at the core of the story， but also of just how much truth there is to a world of ancient myths and curses。 Her world building is exceptional （historical fiction at its best）， and her characters are engaging。The audiobook is a special treat with Olivia Vinall's narration adding extra dimensions of tension and urgency that grip the listener from the very first words。 This was by far the best audiobook I've listened to in awhile， and I'm a fairly voracious listener！Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more

Ortensia ，

Da molto tempo una storia non mi rapiva così come ha fatto Pandora。 Questa per me è una piccola perla che vorrò sempre incastonata nella mia libreria。La scrittura dettagliata ma per nulla pesante della Stokes-Chapman mi ha rapita fin dalla prima pagina。 Le descrizioni sono pulsanti， vivono di un realismo spietato per le "cose sudice" che si inframmezzano agli ambienti polverosi e suggestivi della bottega e del mondo antico e agli sfarzi delle ville dei personaggi più benestanti， una narrazione v Da molto tempo una storia non mi rapiva così come ha fatto Pandora。 Questa per me è una piccola perla che vorrò sempre incastonata nella mia libreria。La scrittura dettagliata ma per nulla pesante della Stokes-Chapman mi ha rapita fin dalla prima pagina。 Le descrizioni sono pulsanti， vivono di un realismo spietato per le "cose sudice" che si inframmezzano agli ambienti polverosi e suggestivi della bottega e del mondo antico e agli sfarzi delle ville dei personaggi più benestanti， una narrazione varia e oscillante fra lordure e ori， sobborghi puzzolenti e bellissimi gioielli， che mi ha ricordato innegabilmente lo scontro fra i sogni opulenti di Madame Bovary e gli olezzi della campagna che non mancavano di ricordarle la sua reale condizione。Quando ho acquistato questo libro ho temuto fosse la solita storia d'amore banale spacciata per mistery， ma vorrei rassicurare chiunque sia dubbioso come lo ero io al tempo che non è affatto così。Pandora è effettivamente un mistery caratterizzato da una concatenazione di eventi che hanno un che di magico e cupo， un intreccio di personaggi vivi e magistralmente concreti che si evolvono di pagina in pagina， colpi di scena che ti trascinano dentro。 Poi c'è anche la storia d'amore， ma è solo di contorno e personalmente l'ho trovata piacevole perché non è affrettata， bensì costruita su tanti piccoli gesti， sguardi， scontri e complicità。Oltre alla trama sapientemente intrecciata e sempre capace di suscitare la giusta curiosità， nonché alla buona penna dell'autrice， caratterizzata soprattutto da una ricchissima scelta di aggettivi （non lo nego: ho imparato tante parole nuove in queste 300 e passa pagine e ne sono contentissima）， trovo che il punto forte del romanzo siano proprio i personaggi， tutti ricchi di sfaccettature。 Anche quando ricoprono un ruolo negativo non mi sentirei di definirli come i cattivi della storia， perché si scorgono in loro anche delle qualità e soprattutto tante fragilità; così vale anche per chi ricopre un ruolo tutto sommato positivo a cui， però， non rimane sempre vincolato， cedendo a tratti a sentimenti negativi e quindi rivelandosi a volte un po' meschino e irritante （vero Signor Ashmole？）La protagonista non è da meno。 Mi è piaciuto fin da subito il suo desiderio di indipendenza e trovo che rispecchi un'immagine femminile molto forte che non ho mancato di apprezzare sia nelle sue manifestazioni d'ira， sia nelle sue parti più razionali e astute。 Ho poi apprezzato in particolare l'evoluzione del suo rapporto con il Signor Ashmole e Lottie。Ho trovato interessanti anche le note finali dell'autrice， che ha spiegato di essersi presa qualche licenza poetica all'interno del romanzo， mettendo dunque in chiaro che le inattendibilità storiche in esso contenute sono dunque consapevoli。Raramente mi è capitato di avere il magone sfogliando l'ultima pagina di un libro e Pandora è uno dei privilegiati。 Bellissimo， non scherzo se dico che avrei divorato volentieri altre 300 pagine。 E pensare che è un romanzo di esordio！ Non mancherò di seguire l'autrice in attesa di un'altra bella storia avvincente come questa。 。。。more

Andrea Wenger ，

Working at her uncle's antiquities shop， Dora becomes suspicious about a Greek vase that he's hidden in the basement。 She enlists the help of Edward， an antiquities expert struggling to make a name for himself。 Is the vase real or a fake？ Was it acquired legally， or is it contraband？ How far will her uncle go to hide his secrets？This romantic suspense is more suspense than romance。 Still， I loved Dora and Edward together。 The mythology elements added atmosphere without detracting from the story。 Working at her uncle's antiquities shop， Dora becomes suspicious about a Greek vase that he's hidden in the basement。 She enlists the help of Edward， an antiquities expert struggling to make a name for himself。 Is the vase real or a fake？ Was it acquired legally， or is it contraband？ How far will her uncle go to hide his secrets？This romantic suspense is more suspense than romance。 Still， I loved Dora and Edward together。 The mythology elements added atmosphere without detracting from the story。 The book is written in first person， and it took a chapter or so for me to adapt。 Ultimately， I enjoyed the book more than I expected to。Thanks， NetGalley， for the ARC I received。 This is my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more

Stacy ，

I thought this threaded the needle between "inspired by" and "retelling" quite well--it is certainly not a pure rewriting of the Pandora myth， but there is plenty of room to question whether the vase at the center of the story is THE container of legend。 Dora finds inspiration from the artwork depicting her namesake， which also brings opportunities for romance and advancement。 She discovers more about her parents' death along the way。 It works on its own as a historical fiction tale of a woman c I thought this threaded the needle between "inspired by" and "retelling" quite well--it is certainly not a pure rewriting of the Pandora myth， but there is plenty of room to question whether the vase at the center of the story is THE container of legend。 Dora finds inspiration from the artwork depicting her namesake， which also brings opportunities for romance and advancement。 She discovers more about her parents' death along the way。 It works on its own as a historical fiction tale of a woman coming into her own， but having that bit of mythology in the center of the story gives it some added oomph and an instant connection point。I received this ARC from NetGalley。 。。。more

Eve ，

Pandora is an impressive debut set in the midst of the Georgian era in London。 The story predominantly follows two central characters: the heroine， twenty-one year old Pandora Blake， who lives oppressed atop her uncle’s antiquities shop while dreaming of pursuing a career in jewellery artistry。 Inevitably intertwined with her storyline， is the second perspective， Edward Lawrence， a scholar who yearns to join the Society of Antiquities， but has not managed a successful application yet。 Until a Gr Pandora is an impressive debut set in the midst of the Georgian era in London。 The story predominantly follows two central characters: the heroine， twenty-one year old Pandora Blake， who lives oppressed atop her uncle’s antiquities shop while dreaming of pursuing a career in jewellery artistry。 Inevitably intertwined with her storyline， is the second perspective， Edward Lawrence， a scholar who yearns to join the Society of Antiquities， but has not managed a successful application yet。 Until a Grecian Vase is foisted into their lives unexpectedly。 For Dora， the vase could inspire her jewellery designs， whilst for Edward it could inform his studies。 Yet， while the Vase may conjure a brighter future for the pair， it also holds an ancient power that could lead to the ruination of all who are near it。 Pandora was the kind of book that triggered an itch to highlight the words on the page and collate them for myself。 It was crafted beautifully。 Her written style is elegant， but not in an overbearing sense， it is accessible。 Her writing allows for the plot to move quickly in a way that can also be savoured。 Woven in between the lines， I really enjoyed the references to Greek myth throughout， it was very clever。 That said a vast Grecian knowledge is not necessary as Stokes-Chapman offers subtle explanations when there are important references to it。 And on top of that， I thought that the time era was incredibly niche （or maybe I’m just under-read）， and it has encouraged me to read more from this period。 As for characters， I thought the characterisation of the villain in this story was convincing。 Whenever said villain was in a scene I was persistently unnerved and on edge。 This meant that I was rooting for our main characters and ushered an emotional response within me。 I was absorbed in this story and by the end of the book I was disappointed for it to come to a close。 That said， this book was not without weaknesses。 For me， I would have preferred a more fleshed-out plot。 There was not much depth to the story， so that what you read on the synopsis is what you get。 It would have been nice for either a bigger twist or more layers to the plot。 This meant that it was a little predictable。 While I rooted for our main characters， I found that they were both slightly bland and will unfortunately become forgettable in time to me。 Dora is not unlike other heroine’s I read in books these days; she is strong in the face of oppression and not unlikeable but lacks wit and substance。 Really she is just quite glum。 Edward， like Dora， is just a bit dull。 Perhaps they are a perfect pair as they are destined for the romance in the book， even though I’d argue it just kind of came out of nowhere。 The romance just was not very believable。 I really liked the time period， yet I don’t think the extravagance of it was captured。 This might be unfair， as following Dora we are mainly subjected to the poorer side of this era。 Yet， when I think of the Georgian period， I think of lavishness and Grandiose- wigs， jewellery and fancy houses。 I just don’t know if I believed that it was set in this time。 I think it will have to be left on a note of “time-will-tell” as I am not sure whether this book is forgettable （I hope it is not）。 Trigger Warnings: Injury， animal death， death of a parent， domestic abuse， death， emotional abuse， alcoholism， violence 。。。more

Nydia “Cookie” ，

Beautifully researched and written story centered around the antiquities trade in the late 1700's London。 Well developed characters and an intriguing mystery。 Pandora is the daughter of antiquities dealers who mysteriously died at a dig in Greece。 Pandora's uncle inherits their antiquities store in London， but things don't exactly go as planned。 Edward， an aspiring antiquities scholar， meets Pandora and together they investigate an antiquity with surprising results。 The prose is so descriptive t Beautifully researched and written story centered around the antiquities trade in the late 1700's London。 Well developed characters and an intriguing mystery。 Pandora is the daughter of antiquities dealers who mysteriously died at a dig in Greece。 Pandora's uncle inherits their antiquities store in London， but things don't exactly go as planned。 Edward， an aspiring antiquities scholar， meets Pandora and together they investigate an antiquity with surprising results。 The prose is so descriptive that I feel I have visited London in 1799。I received an ARC for this wonderful book。 。。。more

aliah ☆ ，

I thought the writing was beautiful and very descriptive， but I felt like things didn’t pick up until the end。 I would’ve loved to see more action throughout。 I wish there was a bit more to Dora’s character， I didn’t think just being a jewelry artist was enough。 Thank you for the copy！3 Stars

Hannah ，

Totally delightful！ I really loved the mystery/intrigue angle of this story， which developed a bit more smoothly than the romance。 However， I was charmed by all the characters- I did like the central trio of Dora， Edward， and Cornelius a lot。 Justice for Cornelius， I say。Not completely on board for the quasi-supernatural elements， but I found everything else in the plot deeply interesting， well researched， and well paced。 Excellent end of the year read！！ （Thank you to Harper and Susan Stokes-Cha Totally delightful！ I really loved the mystery/intrigue angle of this story， which developed a bit more smoothly than the romance。 However， I was charmed by all the characters- I did like the central trio of Dora， Edward， and Cornelius a lot。 Justice for Cornelius， I say。Not completely on board for the quasi-supernatural elements， but I found everything else in the plot deeply interesting， well researched， and well paced。 Excellent end of the year read！！ （Thank you to Harper and Susan Stokes-Chapman for the advance copy！） 。。。more

Angela ，

I received this as an audio galley to listen to for free in exchange for my honest review。 Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for giving me access。Stokes-Chapman weaves an amazing story that encompasses what was modern day London for 1799 with light touch of Greek Mythology。 While the mythology was really only in the form of artifacts， there is a semblance between the story and that of what we know as Pandora’s boxThis was a little less mythological than what I was hoping for， but was still I received this as an audio galley to listen to for free in exchange for my honest review。 Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for giving me access。Stokes-Chapman weaves an amazing story that encompasses what was modern day London for 1799 with light touch of Greek Mythology。 While the mythology was really only in the form of artifacts， there is a semblance between the story and that of what we know as Pandora’s boxThis was a little less mythological than what I was hoping for， but was still an exceptional read。 After all， what is not to love about a historical fiction novel with a touch of mystery？ 。。。more

Richard ，

I'm not really sure about this book。 I liked the Georgian England setting and the Greek mythology elements of the story。 But this book felt like it was missing something and I can't quite put my finger on what。 I never got that feeling of suspense that I was expecting and the story seemed to drag for me。 Every time I did start to get invested; the story switched POV's and I lost interest。 I think that I may have just set my expectations a little too high。 Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperb I'm not really sure about this book。 I liked the Georgian England setting and the Greek mythology elements of the story。 But this book felt like it was missing something and I can't quite put my finger on what。 I never got that feeling of suspense that I was expecting and the story seemed to drag for me。 Every time I did start to get invested; the story switched POV's and I lost interest。 I think that I may have just set my expectations a little too high。 Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Yaritza Alicea ，

I won Pandora in a giveaway hosted by the author。 I loved this book。 The book somewhat centers around the myth of the first mortal woman Pandora。 I loved the way the author has put more than one interpretation in the book。 Ex。 Generally pandoras myth is Pandora opening a box that brings out all kinds of bad things in the world。 In other I represarían it’s a box， vase， or something else。 The author incorporated this into the story。 It’s sectioned into three parts。 The first part has a brief intro I won Pandora in a giveaway hosted by the author。 I loved this book。 The book somewhat centers around the myth of the first mortal woman Pandora。 I loved the way the author has put more than one interpretation in the book。 Ex。 Generally pandoras myth is Pandora opening a box that brings out all kinds of bad things in the world。 In other I represarían it’s a box， vase， or something else。 The author incorporated this into the story。 It’s sectioned into three parts。 The first part has a brief introduction and point of view switches on three characters that are important to the story。 You get to know about their life， what’s going on， and how they’ll connect to each other in the plot。 The second part and third part includes action。 Problems arise more often and truths are revealed that impact the characters。 The third part was the most thrilling。 Maybe a plot twist （can be considered such） comes up。 I loved the language in this book。 The setting is London in the Georgian era。 The details of jewelry （the main characters passion） was beautifully written。 The romance in this book is tasteful。 Very in tune well its era， and there’s LQBTQ mentions as well。 Overall， I loved this book， was so disappointed when I reached the end。 I wanted more！！ 。。。more

Anastasia ，

I enjoyed the story。 Would read a sequel

Jess ，

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley*In 1799 London， Pandora 'Dora' Blake lives in a once-renowned antiques shop that has fallen into disrepair since being taken over by her uncle after Dora's parents' deaths。Dora dreams of restoring the shop to its former glory， and hopes to make a living from designing jewellery。When Dora's uncle's behaviour starts to become strange after a Greek vase is delivered and then locked away in the *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley*In 1799 London， Pandora 'Dora' Blake lives in a once-renowned antiques shop that has fallen into disrepair since being taken over by her uncle after Dora's parents' deaths。Dora dreams of restoring the shop to its former glory， and hopes to make a living from designing jewellery。When Dora's uncle's behaviour starts to become strange after a Greek vase is delivered and then locked away in the basement， Dora is determined to find out what her uncle is up to。Dora meets Edward Lawrence， a scholar desiring membership to the Society of Antiquities， who agrees to help Dora research the vase。Dora and Edward's quest will lead them to buried secrets and could be more dangerous than either of them had imagined。Is there more to the strange vase than meets the eye？Will Pandora and Edward achieve their dreams？The concept of a strange Greek vase in 1799 London really intrigued me， and I was excited to read this to see what happened。Pandora 'Dora' Blake was a likeable and relatable protagonist。 I empathised with her and hoped she would get away from her horrible uncle。 I also liked Dora's pet magpie， Hermes， and Edward， whose relationship with his best friend Cornelius was interesting， as was Edward's past。The setting was intriguing， and I found it easy to imagine the once-great Blake's Emporium on a dirty， smoky London street。The plot was interesting and held my attention， but I wasn't gripped or particularly surprised by anything that happened。The writing style was easy to follow。Overall， this was an enjoyable read。 。。。more

Drew Teague ，

Pandora is a historical fiction novel set in Georgian （1799） London。 The main character， Dora， is the daughter of antiquarians who uncover the original Greek pottery that is "Pandora's box"。 The novel has a slower pace， and didn't become really interesting to me until over 25% of the way through - if you like historical fiction， you may have a different view on this however。 I requested an ARC of this book because I LOVE Greek mythology， unfortunately it's more historical fiction with a sprinkle Pandora is a historical fiction novel set in Georgian （1799） London。 The main character， Dora， is the daughter of antiquarians who uncover the original Greek pottery that is "Pandora's box"。 The novel has a slower pace， and didn't become really interesting to me until over 25% of the way through - if you like historical fiction， you may have a different view on this however。 I requested an ARC of this book because I LOVE Greek mythology， unfortunately it's more historical fiction with a sprinkle of Greek mythology （NOT a retelling）， so it wasn't quite my cup of tea。 I didn't think the stakes of the novel were high enough - associating with someone dealing in black market antiques is really worth the death penalty？ Was everyone from 1799 England okay？？ But I did really enjoy the implications of opening Pandora's box and the characters grappling with whether the curse was real or not。 Ultimately， if you're a big historical fiction fan， I recommend it！Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perrenial for the ARC。 ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more

Mandy Harris ，

Do you believe in curses？ This book begs the question do curses really exist。 I enjoyed the story behind this book I just feel it could have been executed better than it was。 It felt like the main part of the story occurred within the last 100 pages of the book causing the first 200 pages to be very dull and hard to get through。

Tina ，

I love historical novels set in London and all the more when its heroine is someone who steadfastly holds on to her dreams and ambitions。 I love how this novel weaved Georgian era with the Grecian Pandora’s Box myth and I am totally elated to have read this over the holidays。 This is such a treat

Rachel Martin ，

My goodness！ What an absolute delicious treat to read-- packed with greed， history， and deceit。 The setting of Georgian London was vivid and reminiscent of all the historical novels I've read that are set in London。 This author beautifully wove several elements together that resulted in the most captivating storyline-- a must read。 My goodness！ What an absolute delicious treat to read-- packed with greed， history， and deceit。 The setting of Georgian London was vivid and reminiscent of all the historical novels I've read that are set in London。 This author beautifully wove several elements together that resulted in the most captivating storyline-- a must read。 。。。more

Kelly ，

Pandora is a book that left me on the fence。 On one hand it mixes two of my favorites together: historical fiction and Greek mythology。 On the other， it's entirely too long and lacks the character growth needed to help me feel invested in the characters。 I also really disliked the romance aspect of this book， it wasn't forward enough so by the end it left me feeling empty。 I'd almost use the word cozy mystery to describe the actual mystery plot itself but with a touch of psychopathy。 I also felt Pandora is a book that left me on the fence。 On one hand it mixes two of my favorites together: historical fiction and Greek mythology。 On the other， it's entirely too long and lacks the character growth needed to help me feel invested in the characters。 I also really disliked the romance aspect of this book， it wasn't forward enough so by the end it left me feeling empty。 I'd almost use the word cozy mystery to describe the actual mystery plot itself but with a touch of psychopathy。 I also felt Pandora suffered from having entirely too many characters that were intertwined together but waited too long to explain the connections。 Maybe it would read better on paper or even on a screen， but the audiobooks was difficult to follow。 Thank you Harper Perennial for the ARC to review。 。。。more

Shelley Bell ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This was not what I expected， but not for the right reasons。 I have to say the author takes some serious risks here in the novel， which I appreciated。 The third-person present tense was jarring at first （as it felt like the novel had been written in first person only for the author to decide to change it at the last minute）。 It gives a whole feeling of being TOLD to the audience instead of EXPERIENCED。 It’s weird， but I ended up skimming over the present tense and just pretending like it was in This was not what I expected， but not for the right reasons。 I have to say the author takes some serious risks here in the novel， which I appreciated。 The third-person present tense was jarring at first （as it felt like the novel had been written in first person only for the author to decide to change it at the last minute）。 It gives a whole feeling of being TOLD to the audience instead of EXPERIENCED。 It’s weird， but I ended up skimming over the present tense and just pretending like it was in past tense by the time I reached the middle。 I did like some of the characters， like Hermes （Pandora’s bird） and Mr。 Ashmole。 Lottie was even endearing by the end of the novel， and I think she is the most interesting of the characters by far。 The romance between Edward and Dora is a little contrived， and there’s a wholly unnecessary intimate scene towards the end。 I feel like it should have caused much more scandal than it did， considering there was mention of a chaperone earlier in the novel。 There was an interesting moment between Ashmole and Dora （SPOILERS） where it’s revealed that Ashmole is in love with Edward。 I’ve seen that trope before， but the author handles it in a really interesting way。 I thought he was just being elitist and judge mental， but he was actually jealous of Dora the whole time。 The writing itself （aside from the present tense） is well-done， but I did find myself skipping over larger paragraphs to get to the meat of the moments that really mattered。 The story itself really only started picking up around Chapter 9 or 10， which is way later than I would have expected。 The author has a great mastery of writing dialogue， which came across very well in character interactions。 The rest of the descriptions of the era were fine （I’m not particularly knowledgeable about the time period）， but I found a few scenes to be too vulgar。 This comes around especially with Hezekiah and Lottie。 I mean， if Dora is disgusted， it stands to reason that the reader would also be disgusted。 I’m not sure those are the feelings you want to associate with the novel， as I felt it could’ve been skipped over or otherwise hinted at instead of shown。 In a final note， I appreciated the cover art （it’s gorgeous） and the Greek mythology aspect。 I didn’t expect the main character to be named Pandora （it almost feels Mary Sue？）， but I got over it by the time we unraveled the mystery about Pandora’s parents。 （SPOILERS） Pandora finding the key to open her parents’ safe at the end was rather contrived， as I don’t recall that key being found earlier。 All in all， I may pick up another book from this author， but I hope it doesn’t make the choice of POV as this one did。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Susan Ballard ，

𝑨 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒆𝒃𝒖𝒕！This is the tale of Dora Blake， a young woman who lost her parents and now lives with her foul uncle。Set in 1799 London， Dora’s uncle now runs the antiquities shop her parents once owned。 When a trunk with a vase is delivered one day， Dora is intrigued， but her uncle quickly has it taken to storage in the basement - away from the public and especially Dora。Yet， Dora’s uncle is acting strange and odd events begin to occur。 Dora seeks help from a young scholar， Edward， to get answ 𝑨 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒆𝒃𝒖𝒕！This is the tale of Dora Blake， a young woman who lost her parents and now lives with her foul uncle。Set in 1799 London， Dora’s uncle now runs the antiquities shop her parents once owned。 When a trunk with a vase is delivered one day， Dora is intrigued， but her uncle quickly has it taken to storage in the basement - away from the public and especially Dora。Yet， Dora’s uncle is acting strange and odd events begin to occur。 Dora seeks help from a young scholar， Edward， to get answers。 But as they dig for the truth， Dora discovers things she may not want to know。 I thought that the Greek myth of Pandora would play a much larger part in the narrative。 Instead， it is beautifully woven into this mystery。 I loved the historic setting， the sense of evil that hung in the air， and even the touch of romance。The pace is not rushed， which allows the intrigue to build - so take time to enjoy the details。Thank you @harperperennial for this gifted copy and @harperaudio for the complimentary audiobook。 。。。more

Erin Clemence ，

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free， electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review。 Expected publication date: January 17， 2023 After the tragic death of her parents during an archaeological excavation， Dora Blake is now living with her uncle， Hezekiah， in her parents’ antiquities shop。 But Hezekiah does not have the interest in antiquities her parents had and he is slowly destroying her parents’ once loved business。 Dora is desperate to escap Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free， electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review。 Expected publication date: January 17， 2023 After the tragic death of her parents during an archaeological excavation， Dora Blake is now living with her uncle， Hezekiah， in her parents’ antiquities shop。 But Hezekiah does not have the interest in antiquities her parents had and he is slowly destroying her parents’ once loved business。 Dora is desperate to escape from her uncles’ care， and is hoping to turn her love of drawing and jewelry making into a career， giving her the independence she craves。 When her uncle imports a Grecian vase， one so old that it predates time itself， Dora feels an immediate connection。 While anyone else who touches it or means it harm is instantly cursed， Dora continues to be the only one to open it and she uses its Greek inscriptions and drawings as inspiration for her jewellery。 But Hezekiah has darker plans for the vase， and even darker plans for Dora， and when Dora realizes the true importance of the urn， her life is put at greater risk。 “Pandora” is a historical fiction gem， the debut novel by author Susan Stokes-Chapman。 Set in London in 1799， Chapman’s novel manages to merge Greek mythology and Georgian England in a creative and realistic way。 The story is told from three POV’s; Dora， Edward （a historian with a passion for antiquities and Dora’s love interest） and Hezekiah himself。 I loved how Chapman brought all three characters alternatively into the limelight， as it served to deepen the plot and character development。 Dora is smart， feisty and absolutely fierce， and she instantly became a character to root for。 Her background and history is emotional and heartbreaking， yet she does not ask for pity， and only wants to work hard at what she loves in order to gain independence from her manipulative uncle。 Stokes-Chapman took some liberties with the historical facts in this novel， and she admits to these herself in the authors’ notes， but it is a fiction novel， and anything she chose to omit or alter only made the novel more enjoyable。 I loved the creativity of this novel， and it stands out for its uniqueness。 The fact that this is a debut novel only further highlights the talent that Stokes-Chapman has。 “Pandora” is full of intrigue， and I can’t wait to see what Stokes-Chapman delivers next！ 。。。more

Melissa Temporin ，

Non mi è piaciuto。。。la trama è scontata， l'unica cosa che mi è piaciuta del libro è la copertina！ Non mi è piaciuto。。。la trama è scontata， l'unica cosa che mi è piaciuta del libro è la copertina！ 。。。more

Elisa ，

So disappointed。 That’s why it took me almost 2 weeks to finish。 The characters were one dimensional and dare I say， boring。 The ending was eye-rolling。 Nothing was revealed about the cellar， its contents and any of the characters backstories that salvaged the story。

Lisa ，

This one's on me for not reading the description。 I thought I was getting a Greek Mythology retelling， what I got was slow moving historical fiction set in who knows when England。The blurb tells me there are Greek mythology elements， but I haven't detected a single interesting thing about this book in the first ~40 pages， so going to call it。Thanks NetGalley for the eARC。 This one's on me for not reading the description。 I thought I was getting a Greek Mythology retelling， what I got was slow moving historical fiction set in who knows when England。The blurb tells me there are Greek mythology elements， but I haven't detected a single interesting thing about this book in the first ~40 pages， so going to call it。Thanks NetGalley for the eARC。 。。。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