Review ~ “Pandora” by Susan Stokes Chapman

Star Rating ~ 4/5

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Synopsis

Dora Blake lives with her uncle who took over her parents antique shop after they died. For years he has sold forgeries but when an apparently genuine Grecian pithos depicting the story of Pandora arrives, Dora sees the piece as the key to her future and freedom.

Edward Lawrence dreams of a position in a prestigious historical society. When he gets the opportunity to study the mysterious pithos in secret, he sees the path to his dream before him.

Trigger Warning: Child abuse, Animal abuse, Alcoholism

What I liked about “Pandora”

This has nothing to do with the actual story but this has one of the most beautiful covers and inside covers I’ve ever seen. The story itself is well paced and I liked the slight air of mysticism to it but I do wish there was a bit more. I liked that the romance wasn’t a case of insta-love and it wasn’t the main focus of the story. I also really like Matthew Combe as a character. Although he is only in the story three or four times, he’s a well written and believable character.

What I didn’t like about “Pandora”

So I said above that I wish there was more of the mystic theme. There was a sense of “Oh the vase is cursed” but nothing to say it was or wasn’t Pandora’s legendary “box”. I’m also not a massive fan of Dora. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a good character but she also has an heir of “I’m better than you” about her, which I don’t like. There were other characters I wasn’t keen on because they didn’t really add anything to the story. The same with Edwards “tragic backstory”, it felt a bit like it was there just to make him seem a bit more of a main character which he didn’t really need.

Overall Thoughts on “Pandora”

Despite all that, I did enjoy “Pandora” and I would absolutely recommend it. It’s great if you like historical fiction, romance and a but of mystery. With a strong female main character trying to find her independence and fascinating Greek myth, what more could you possibly need?

You can grab a copy of “Pandora” here

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