MARCH 2023 - AudioFile
Olivia Vinall delivers a propulsive performance of this debut, a captivating mix of mystery and magic set in 1799 London. After her parents died while searching for antiquities, Dora Blake was taken in by her uncle Hezekiah, who runs a shady antiquities shop. When Dora happens across a beautiful but unsettling Greek vase in the basement, she senses that her uncle's dealings may be more nefarious than she thought. Vinall's portentous tone conveys the disquieting atmosphere of the shop and its environs, which hum with curses, plagues, and unsavory characters. At the same time, she gives voice to Dora's cautious feelings of hope as she recognizes her own talents and desirability. An engrossing audio is enhanced by Vinall's top-notch, perfectly attuned narration. S.A.H. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
OCTOBER 2022 - AudioFile
After a slow start, narrator Olivia Vinall's pleasing voice makes PANDORA an engaging listening experience. When a sealed box is retrieved from deep below the sea, Dora, an aspiring jewelry designer, opens it and becomes fascinated with the ancient Greek vase within, covered with images from the Pandora myth. Her unscrupulous Uncle Hezekiah’s antiquities shop is filled with fakes, so Dora turns to Edward, an antiquities scholar, to verify the authenticity of the vase. What they discover comes at a great cost. Susan Stokes-Chapman’s writing works too hard to transform a classic myth into an eighteenth-century mystery, but Vinall stretches her range to encompass the numerous characters and abundance of subplots. She provides a serviceable narration for a novel that never quite lives up to its promise. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
11/14/2022
Stokes-Chapman’s debut transports readers to late-18th-century England for a story laced with Greek mythology and superstition. Pandora “Dora” Blake should have inherited her parents’ Emporium for Exotic Antiquities when they died, but because she was only a child, her uncle took over instead. He destroys the good name of the Blake shop along with any hope that Dora will follow in her parents’ highly educated and accomplished footsteps. As a young woman, Dora dreams of becoming a jewelry designer, and the designs within a suspicious shipment of Greek antiquities for her uncle provide her with just the inspiration she needs. Her quest to know more about the objects puts her in the path of Edward Lawrence, a young antiquarian artist from a difficult background with equally ambitious desires. For a time, they help each other, but as Dora learns that her uncle may be selling antiquities on the black market, she also begins to doubt that Edward has her best interests as heart as he battles demons of his own. Immersive period details and a steadily simmering mystery combine with just a hint of myth and magic to keep the pages flying. Fans of Madeleine Miller’s Circe and Natasha Pulley’s The Watchmaker of Filigree Street will find plenty to enjoy here. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Literary. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
"With a nod to Pandora’s mythical box, Stokes-Chapman artfully imagines a world where greed, violence and hatred have run rampant, and envisions their ramifications for a disadvantaged young woman trying to find her way." — Washington Post
"Pandora weaves together Ancient Greek myth with suspenseful mystery and beguiling romance, set against the brilliantly rendered background of Georgian London. This novel is lush, evocative and utterly irresistible. Susan Stokes-Chapman's prose is exquisite and the story effortlessly intriguing." — Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne
"Prepare to lift the lid on a lush reimagination of the mythological Pandora. . . . Susan Stokes-Chapman’s atmospheric debut, Pandora, immerses the reader in the dangerous, mysterious world of ancient antiquities with prose that is elegant and teeming with visceral sensory detail. A marvelous debut—imaginative, ambitious, and begging to be savored." — Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Apothecary.
"A gripping narrative in which secrets from the past are slowly and ingeniously revealed" — Sunday Times, *Historical Fiction Book of the Month*
"Stokes-Chapman immerses the reader in late-eighteenth-century London, and Dora is a character to root for as she seeks independence from her uncle. This moody debut will appeal to fans of The Essex Serpent and The Miniaturist." — Booklist
“Chapman’s debut transports readers to late-18th-century England for a story laced with Greek mythology and superstition. . . . Immersive period details and a steadily simmering mystery combine with just a hint of myth and magic to keep the pages flying. Fans of Madeleine Miller’s Circe and Natasha Pulley’s The Watchmaker of Filigree Street will find plenty to enjoy here." — Publishers Weekly
“Susan Stokes-Chapman’s debut is just gorgeous. . . . Romantic, suspenseful and beautifully written, this is a glorious treat.” — Daily Mail
"A richly evocative and hugely enjoyable read, bubbling with mysteries, secrets and pleasures" — Joseph O'Connor
"Brimming with authentic Georgian detail and richly imagined characters, Pandora is a dazzling page-turner of a debut! Enticing, surprising and full of mystery, if you're a fan of The Binding or Daughters of Night, then you'll love Pandora." — Joanne Burn, author of The Hemlock Cure
"An utterly compelling, convincing piece of historical fiction, threaded through with a dash of mythology. Readers will be rooting for Dora from the start, and spellbound as the story unfolds. I loved it." — Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women
"Sumptuous, hypnotic and unforgettable. This beautifully told story of Gothic Georgian London is filled with mesmeric wonder, compelling mysteries and fascinating characters. I loved every page of it." — B. P. Walter, author of The Dinner Guest
"If you like a novel steeped in great characters, a Gothic Georgian London, a world of antiquities and myth - this is an absolute winner. I loved it!" — Essie Fox
"Delicious, intriguing and original...unfolds beautifully into a cracking finale." — Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts
"This novel is a work of genius. Beautifully written and perfectly plotted with a heroine you'll fall in love with. It richly describes Georgian London and weaves character study and gorgeous setting and Greek mythology into a perfect book. One of the best historical novels I've ever read." — Christina Sweeney-Baird
"A complete and utter joy of a book. I adored the characters and it was an incredibly atmospheric read. The evocation of eighteenth century London was beautifully done, the mystery kept me turning the pages and the love story captured my heart. My only complaint was I didn't want it to end!" — Elodie Harper, bestselling author of The Wolf Den
"A gleaming and brilliant novel of history, mystery and mythology set in Georgian London...a real gem of a debut." — Anna Mazzola
"Pandora is such an immersive debut - an intriguing mystery, lavish with Georgian detail and tantalizing hints of another world." — Kate Mascarenhas, author of The Psychology of Time
“Stokes-Chapman can write fascinating, three-dimensional characters. . . . Extensive research brings the period so much to life you can taste it. . . . Pandora is a readable, solid debut.” — The Guardian
"This delightful debut mixes adventure, romance, and mythology, immersing readers in the sights, sounds—and smells—of Georgian London." — Library Journal, Best Popular Fiction of 2023
Christina Sweeney-Baird
"This novel is a work of genius. Beautifully written and perfectly plotted with a heroine you'll fall in love with. It richly describes Georgian London and weaves character study and gorgeous setting and Greek mythology into a perfect book. One of the best historical novels I've ever read."
Essie Fox
"If you like a novel steeped in great characters, a Gothic Georgian London, a world of antiquities and myth - this is an absolute winner. I loved it!"
Elizabeth Lee
An utterly compelling, convincing piece of historical fiction, threaded through with a dash of mythology. Readers will be rooting for Dora from the start, and spellbound as the story unfolds. I loved it."
Jennifer Saint
"Pandora weaves together Ancient Greek myth with suspenseful mystery and beguiling romance, set against the brilliantly rendered background of Georgian London. This novel is lush, evocative and utterly irresistible. Susan Stokes-Chapman's prose is exquisite and the story effortlessly intriguing. This is an absolute treasure trove of a book. Perfect for fans of Laura Purcell and Elizabeth Macneal."
Joanne Burn
Brimming with authentic Georgian detail and richly imagined characters, Pandora is a dazzling page-turner of a debut! Enticing, surprising and full of mystery, if you're a fan of The Binding or Daughters of Night, then you'll love Pandora.
Liz Hyder
"Delicious, intriguing and original...unfolds beautifully into a cracking finale."
Daily Mail
Susan Stokes-Chapman’s debut is just gorgeous. . . . Romantic, suspenseful and beautifully written, this is a glorious treat.”
Sunday Times
"A gripping narrative in which secrets from the past are slowly and ingeniously revealed"
Joseph O'Connor
"A richly evocative and hugely enjoyable read, bubbling with mysteries, secrets and pleasures"
B. P. Walter
"Sumptuous, hypnotic and unforgettable. This beautifully told story of Gothic Georgian London is filled with mesmeric wonder, compelling mysteries and fascinating characters. I loved every page of it."
Library Journal
★ 12/01/2022
DEBUT After her parents' death in a cave-in while searching for antiquities, Dora Blake becomes her uncle's ward and employee at Blake's Emporium, where they sell trinkets of all sorts (some true antiquities, and some blatant forgeries). When Dora discovers she has a talent for creating unique and lovely pieces of jewelry, she catches the eye of a socialite and is launched into the realm of the upper crust of 1799 London. But her uncle is a cruel man and determined to keep her under his thumb and reap the benefit of her talent. Curiously, the only real treasure in the emporium is a vase that her parents had unearthed before their untimely death—a vase that appears to have supernatural powers. Is it possible that her parents were correct, and this ancient hidden article was the original Pandora's Box? VERDICT Twisted characters, plots and counterplots, a magpie that seems to be more than a mere bird—all of these elements comprise a novel that will draw in readers and, quite possibly, keep them up late into the night to see what the next chapter brings.—Jane Henriksen Baird
OCTOBER 2022 - AudioFile
After a slow start, narrator Olivia Vinall's pleasing voice makes PANDORA an engaging listening experience. When a sealed box is retrieved from deep below the sea, Dora, an aspiring jewelry designer, opens it and becomes fascinated with the ancient Greek vase within, covered with images from the Pandora myth. Her unscrupulous Uncle Hezekiah’s antiquities shop is filled with fakes, so Dora turns to Edward, an antiquities scholar, to verify the authenticity of the vase. What they discover comes at a great cost. Susan Stokes-Chapman’s writing works too hard to transform a classic myth into an eighteenth-century mystery, but Vinall stretches her range to encompass the numerous characters and abundance of subplots. She provides a serviceable narration for a novel that never quite lives up to its promise. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
