Pandora: The instant no.1 Sunday Times bestseller

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But Hezekiah does not have the interest in antiquities her parents had and he is slowly destroying her parents’ once loved business. All the ingredients were there to create a cracking Gothic yarn, but it ended up feeling somewhat flat to me. Broadcaster and classicist Natalie Haynes brilliantly retells the story of the Trojan war from an all-female perspective. I won’t ruin it by explaining what they are but I’ll just mention that I’m a deeply rational reader. 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.

Pandora – HarperCollins Pandora – HarperCollins

All of it is written in the third person, focusing on the three separate perspectives of Dora, Edward, and Hezekiah.

There were some good twists and revelations along the way, but one or two others did not feel quite right in the context of the story. Dora aspires to be a jewelry designer and spends time honing her craft with her faithful pet magpie Hermes by her side, despite the constant beratement and ridicule of her uncle who would rather be rid of her. I loved how Chapman brought all three characters alternatively into the limelight, as it served to deepen the plot and character development. I received an audio copy of this novel from the publisher, Harper Audio, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does mean that some sections involve telling rather than showing, but that felt appropriate as an extra timeline would have made things over-complicated - indeed the pacing felt just right all the way through.

Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman | Waterstones Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman | Waterstones

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.When Dora meets Edward Lawrence, a young antiquarian scholar, he agrees to help Dora reveal the vase’s secrets. As an adult her love of reading has only increased and she can always be found with her head in a book. 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!

Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman Review | MMB Book Blog Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman Review | MMB Book Blog

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. It is the hush of wind, the whisper of waves, the music of grief, and she cannot help it, she cannot resist. The descriptions in the book just scream 'stunning' and I am certain my imagination comes nowhere near its beauty.This is a story set in Georgian era London, where the discovery of a mysterious ancient Greek Vase sets in motion conspiracies and revelations. There’s a sense that Pandora holds the moral high ground in this novel, not because she does good things but because she is suffering under her uncle’s tyranny. Virtue via suffering is apt for this time period, but it’s also a device that sometimes makes her bland. I got intrigued by each of the characters’ own secrets and the big mysteries which made me turn the pages a little faster. When Edward approaches her in the hope that she might help him with his fourth application to the Society of Antiquaries, an alliance is forged between these two young people, both thwarted in their ambitions, which will lead them into the gravest danger, resulting in shocking revelations.