From the tangled threads of fate to the sharp edges of justice, Kika Hatzopoulou has carved a space for herself in the world of YA fantasy with her spellbinding novel Threads That Bind and its gripping sequel Hearts That Cut. Our new Limited Edition Threads That Bind Book Set was created in collaboration with Kika herself, and we were lucky enough to ask her some of our most sought after questions.
Juniper: Elevator pitch! How would you describe Threads That Bind to those just discovering your duology?
Kika: Threads That Bind is a noir fantasy where a descendant of the Greek Fates—who can see and cut the threads of fate—works as a detective in a gritty, noir city and gets embroiled in solving a series of uncanny murders by partnering up with the boy she is destined to love.
Juniper: Io is such a complex protagonist, what was your process in creating her voice and motivations?
Kika: With this duology, I wanted to explore the Greek Fates, which in mythology are three sisters, so I knew that sisterhood was going to be an integral part of Io's story. Her complex relationship with her sisters informed Io's character, as did her realization at an early age that she has a fate-thread, a thread that connects her to someone she is destined to love. Very quickly, she became the character she is on the page, someone who loves fiercely but also doubts herself, someone who has lots of hope but is also shaped by the dark, dangerous world around her.
Juniper: Which side character has a story you wish you could tell in a full-length novel?
Kika: There are so many side characters I love, like Bianca, Chimdi, Nico and Urania! But there is a young character in book 2, Hearts That Cut, who I would love to see what she grows into—Torr, the young fury-born Io and her sisters encounter.
Juniper: What led to your decision to integrate Greek mythology into your original storytelling?
Kika: I was born and raised in Greece, where mythology isn't just in textbooks but in ruins scattered throughout our cities, in everyday sayings, deeply ingrained in our culture. I was always fascinated by the Fates and how they're always mentors or adversaries in heroes' tales—and I often wondered what a story where they are the protagonists would look like. After I came up with the idea for Threads That Bind, and the characters of Io and her sisters, I realized I could populate this world with similar sideline mythological figures, aka sibling deities from world mythology. It was a lightbulb moment, that perfectly tied in with the themes and character growth I wanted to depict, and creating the rest of the other-born in this world was a very fun, creative process!
Juniper: In what ways does the Juniper Books Threads That Bind Special Edition Book Set reflect the story within?
Kika: As a huge lover of setting in books, I particularly love how the cover design of the Juniper Books edition integrates Alante, the noir city where the story takes place. In Io's world, an ancient catastrophe has altered the ebb and flow of the tides, sinking the city every night—this element is perfectly depicted in the blues and ceruleans of the covers. I'm also very fond of Io's determined look and Edei's thoughtful face, which sum up their personalities very truthfully. And of course, the silver foil is fantastic, because the threads of fate that Io can see in the book are silver!
Juniper: What’s next for you as a writer? Any new projects you can tease?
Kika: I have a new YA fantasy coming out in October, and I'm so excited for readers to discover the new world I've created! Moth Dark is a contemporary romantic fantasy about a girl fascinated by the dangerous creatures that emerge from the darkness—and the elf heir of this new world who is inexplicably hellbent on killing her. It is my strange reimagining of the myth of Ariadne and the labyrinth, and features some of my favorite characters I've ever written: Sascia, the protagonist, a girl in love with the extraordinary and recklessly curious about the unknown; Nugau, the genderqueer elf prince of the Dark; and Mooch, the magical moth that beats at the heart of this story. It is a standalone and it comes out on October 28th from Penguin!
