Pandora audiobook

This book presents a great mash up: Greek mythology and history blended in 1799’s London setting perfectly! Storytelling via three different perspectives was quite fascinating as well. I got intrigued by each of the characters’ own secrets and the big mysteries which made me turn the pages a little faster. Both of three POVs kept my interest intact! At the opening we get introduced to aspiring jewel artist Dora Blake, working at her late parents’ once-famed shop of antiques with her uncle. She works hard to bring the business back to the shop as like old days her parents brilliantly ran the place. When a valuable Greek vase is sent to the shop, Dora’s uncle starts acting suspiciously and locking the valuable piece at store’s basement. Dora decides to team up with extra ambitious, pretentious Edward Lawrence who can risk anything to unlock his academic future. But when they discover the secrets about the case, Dora’s entire life turns upside down. Anything she knows about her life, her past, her family is questionable! It seems like some things should be buried forever! Overall: I loved the historical setting, the intriguing mystery, lovely romance, riveting pacing! One of the greatest historical functions I’ve read lately!Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

I was lucky enough to read an early draft of this, and let me be very clear: you are in for a treat. Mark this as TBR ASAP. An absolute knockout.

Pandora è stata decisamente una bella sorpresa, è una lettura molto scorrevole con una prosa elegante e mai sopra le righe.Ho particolarmente apprezzato le atmosfere della storia, i personaggi e tutti i riferimenti al mito di Pandora.Nonostante il finale molto frettoloso e scontato ho finito la lettura con una certa soddisfazione.Sono molto curioso di leggere altro dell’autrice in futuro.

What a stunning cover, perfectly portraying so many aspects of the story. I loved this book, historical fiction woven with mystery and Greek mythology? What's not to love?! Dora was a gorgeous character, with heart and a passion for her art and jewellery, but who was living with her awful uncle after the death of her parents. And Edward, lovely Edward. A man who wanted recognition for his work on antiques, but was struggling to get it.Then the pithos comes into play, and I am desperate to see this in a film. The descriptions in the book just scream 'stunning' and I am certain my imagination comes nowhere near its beauty.The mystery surrounding the pithos keeps the reader turning the pages, and I definitely saw similarities between my favourite historical mystery 'The Lost Apothecary' and this one in terms of the gripping plot, keeping the reader engaged and thinking about it all day. The ending was rather complex, but a book that tackles so many intricate details and myths is bound to be, and it was achieved very well.This book is incredible for a debut!

This is not a Greek retelling but an intriguing historical fiction novel set in late 1790s London. However, the myth of Pandora's box (which should hereby be renamed Pandora's Jar) is central to the plot. Elements I enjoyed:The Georgian setting. Dora's pet bird, a magpie named Hermes.The redemption of the "bad" woman, which leads to solidarity among the female characters.Edward, the love interest is a morally grey.Dora's deepest desire is to make a living as a jewelry designer. Reading about her designs was fascinating.This was a quick read and enjoyable as a whole, but the ending felt very rushed and a little unpolished. Overall, I really liked the novel and plan to read the author's next work. Thanks to Harper Perennial for my gifted copy.

I really enjoyed this especially that it was set during the Georgian period which is fast becoming one of my favorite eras.Set in 1799 Pandora Blake is living with and helping her uncle manage a once prosperous antiquities shop that was run by her parents who were tragically killed in an archaeological dig when she was just a child. The shop once the center of fascinating artifacts her parents collected and sold has become a run down establishment selling cheaply made fakes and forgeries that her shrewd uncle tries to pass off to unsuspecting customers. Knowing this Pandora quietly ekes out her life in the background wishing that one day the custom jewelry pieces she dreams of making for the gentry will one day catch someone's eye and allow her to prosper on her own. During one of her uncle's mysterious shipments to the shop Pandora discovers a beautiful Greek vase locked in the basement that serves as her inspiration to create the elaborate pieces she needs in order to finally gain a commission. But why has her uncle been hiding this spectacular vase if this is what could help put him on the map and be legit? And why is the vase so beautiful yet seems to have a mysterious power to it? Pandora making this discovery in the basement sets off a chain of events that will cause her heartbreak and lead her to unanswered questions surrounding her parents deaths.This was pretty intriguing for me and nicely finished up the threads of the storyline till the end. I am recommending it.Thanks to Edelweiss and NetGalley and for simultaneously granting me copies of this copy in exchange for my review.

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!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up.I received an audio copy of this novel from the publisher, Harper Audio, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but that’s what initially drew me to Pandora. While not yet officially available in the US, it’s been out in the UK since January of 2022, and I had read some mixed reviews about it. But something about it still called to me, and when the audio became available to request on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance. I’m incredibly glad that I did, because this story was incredible, and I actually don’t know that I would have enjoyed it quite so much in any other format.Our setting is London, 1799. Pandora “Dora” Blake is the orphaned daughter of noted antiquarians who specialized in Grecian artifacts and who died tragically on a dig site when Dora was just a girl. Dora’s uncle, Hezekiah, gained custody of both Dora and her parents’ London shop. There is no love lost between them. Hezekiah has always resented Dora, and Dora despises Hezekiah for running her birthright into the ground and slowly ruining the reputation her parents had built during their lifetime. Dora dreams of designing high-end jewelry and buying herself a life free from Hezekiah’s control. Along the way, Dora meets Edward Lawrence, an aspiring antiquarian, and they determine to help one another. When a Greek pithos of indeterminable age and in pristine condition makes its way to the shop, family secrets and buried trauma slowly, and almost sinisterly, comes to a head. Even though I went into this novel hopeful, I have to confess that I didn’t have very high expectations. I have a serious weakness for anything inspired by Greek mythology, but I also can’t seem to help but judge said inspired stories a bit harshly, as well. And I’m just starting to get into historical fiction, which has always been a very hit-or-miss genre for me. But Pandora was recommended for fans of The Essex Serpent, which made me even more hopeful. My expectations were not only met, but exceeded. I can’t definitely see why it was compared to Sarah Perry’s work, and I can’t wait to get a physical copy to shelf next to The Essex Serpent. While not quite as philosophically profound, Pandora definitely scratched the same itch.I loved the fact that I couldn’t decide whether or not there was a touch of magical realism to this book. Much like The Essex Serpent, it straddles that divide in such a way that you’re never entirely certain. Though, in this case, I’m leaning strongly in the direction of there being just a touch of the supernatural housed within the story. Especially when it comes to the pithos itself. It’s beautiful and somehow disturbing in its perfection, magnetic and repellant. I loved the undercurrent of similarities between Dora and her Grecian namesake. And the identity hinted at for one particular side character near the end of novel was a very fun touch.While Pandora got off to a bit of a slow start, the tension and the atmosphere in this book were absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed my reading of it. I highly recommend this audio version, as Olivia Vinall did an excellent job. This is one of those stories that I’m not sure I would have enjoyed to quite this extent had I read it with only my eyes instead of my ears. Listening to Pandora gave me strong Dickensian vibes, but with less meandering in the storytelling itself. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, or a good mystery. It’s a book that I can see myself reading again, and one that I look forward to adding to my physical collection someday.You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.

London, 1799. Dora Blake has aspirations far out reaching what society deems fit for a lady such as herself; jewellery that befits those of high society and elegance that will be talked about by everyone and Dora wants nothing more than to be an artist to make this happen but sadly she must be under the constant scrutiny of her uncle who has taken ownership of her parents’ once famed shop of the rarest antiques.One day a mysterious Greek vase which is bigger than Dora herself is delivered and her uncles odd and suspicious behaviour does nothing to dampen her intrigue of what this item is or why it is now locked in the basement out of view from prying eyes.Edward Lawrence is a young man also seeking acceptance but of a different kind as he strives to be a part of the Society of Antiquities even though those in charge don’t share his views or vision and when Dora enlists him to help her unlock whatever secrets this vase holds, both of them may very well have wish they had left this ancient relic alone….Upon a shocking discovery by Edward, Dora questions everything she has ever known about her life, her family and her very being. But some things are better left buried as her uncle is privy with his fair share of dark secrets and should Dora discover it, her very world could break apart more quickly than the most precious antique.Mysterious, enthralling, emotional and original, Pandora is a triumph of a debut.

4.5THIS BOOK IS GOING TO BE BRILLIANT. I've had an opportunity to read an exclusive extract and I'm so thankful for that because it may be one of my favourite books of 2022. Everything seems perfect here - the writing is outstandingly beautiful and descriptive, you can really FEEL the atmosphere and the tension that's coming. I cannot wait to read the full version, I already miss the characters. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is that I don't want to be disappointed later on and lower my rating because of that. But, MARK THIS NOVEL AS YOUR TBR! You won't regret it for sure!Thank you NetGalley for sending me this exclusive extract in exchange for an honest review.

Fine historical fiction... :)Kupljena prava za prevod na srpski (ne znam ko će biti izdavač)

I read Pandora and thought, "This author wrote this book for me." It was like Susan Stokes-Chapman put all the things I adore in one book and wrapped a bow on it: history; antiquities; fussy British people; a smart female main character; Ancient Greek; London; and romance. Pandora takes place in 179

Thank you so much to Penguin book SA for a copy of this book for a honest review.This was one of my most anticipated reads since seeing it in stores and it absolutely lived up to everything I was Greek Mythologically dreaming of. Set in a Georgian Era, you will open up a box of combined Greek elements and an age old beautiful and tragic story of greed, love, betrayal and the sheer madness of losing your mind to one of the renowned artifacts.✨Greek Mythology fact I didn’t know✨“Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology, taken from the myth of Pandora's creation in Hesiod's works and days. The "box" was actually a large jar given to Pandora, which contained all the evils in the world.” So as I now know thanks to this book- it was never a “box”, but a vase/jar! This was really fascinating to me🤩Book SummaryYou will be transported through time and placed in the Georgian era, where you first encounter Pandora Blake. Pandora lives with her uncle Hezekiah in an antique shop her parents use to run before they tragically died in a freak accident while digging at an archeology site. Dora has a love for creating jewelry, and draws inspiration from antiques for her designs. When a mysterious vase arrives at the shop and her uncle hides it immediately, her interest is immediately heighten. Never did she release this vase will be the beginning of chaos, beauty, greed and doors closing and opening. Everything she believed about her life and parents, flipped completely upside down…I must say I was blown away with how this was written. Its not a genre I usually go for, but it exceeded every high expectation! I would definitely recommend this if you love :✨Books written in the Georgian Era✨Characters that are beautifully creative✨Greek Mysteries ✨Plot twists✨If you liked books like The Binding or The Essex Serpent