Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman
An immersive novel based loosely on the myth of Pandora’s Box, Susan Stokes-Chapman’s Pandora is a brilliant Georgian historical fiction read. The novel follows Dora Blake, the orphaned daughter of two classicist collectors who aspires to design jewelry. Throughout the story, she strives to free herself from her tyrannical uncle’s control. Drama and lovely descriptions of ancient artifacts ensue. If you’re a fan of mythological reinterpretations, you’re going to need to order this book immediately!
Release Date: January 17, 2023
Available from Amazon & Bookshop.org
About the Author, Susan Stokes-Chapman
Ever a reader, Susan Stokes-Chapman takes inspiration from her childhood home in the historic Georgian city of Lichfield. Stokes-Chapman also spent time in Aberystwyth, where she earned a BA in Education and English Literature and a MA in Creative Writing. Pandora is her first publication, and was originally released in the UK in January 2022. In 2020, Pandora had been shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Price and long listed for the Bath Novel Award. When the novel was published in the UK, it was a #1 Sunday Times bestseller. Currently, Stokes-Chapman lives in North West Wales with her literary-inspired cats, Byron and Brontë.
About Pandora
As I mentioned above, this novel follows Dora Blake, the orphaned daughter of two classicist collectors who aspires to design jewelry. When the novel opens, Dora is stuck living and working in her family’s antiquities shop, which has been taken over by her uncle since her parents’ deaths. Dora’s uncle has little interest in her, and she detests his below-board ethics when it comes to selling fake antiques. Everything is thrown into outward conflict, though, when her uncle acquires a particularly ancient (and possibly haunted) vase.
Plot Summary
London, 1799. Dora Blake, an aspiring jewelry artist, lives with her odious uncle atop her late parents’ once-famed shop of antiquities. After a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, her uncle begins to act suspiciously, keeping the vase locked in the store’s basement, away from prying eyes—including Dora’s. Intrigued by her uncle’s peculiar behavior, Dora turns to young, ambitious antiquarian scholar Edward Lawrence who eagerly agrees to help. 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.
But what Edward discovers about the vase has Dora questioning everything she has believed about her life, her family, and the world as she knows it. As Dora uncovers the truth, she comes to understand that some doors are locked and some mysteries are buried for a reason, while others are closer to the surface than they appear.
My Thoughts on Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It was clear from the beginning that there were mythological parallels. However, Stokes-Chapman does a great job making it all her own. The characters are vibrant and realistic, with lots of robust relationships described amongst the cast. From love interests to eccentric aristocrats, Pandora really has it all. And, throughout the well-thought out plot, the reader gets a clear glimpse into Georgian society. This makes it a must-read for any historical fiction fan.
Where to Buy Pandora
Susan Stokes-Chapman’s Pandora will be released on January 17, 2023 and is available for pre-sale from both Amazon and Bookshop.org.
If Pandora is your kind of read, I think you’ll really enjoy The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner!
Read my book review and learn more about it here!
*This novel was gifted to me as part of a review program that Cats & Coffee is a part of. I was not required to post about the novel in exchange for getting a copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my honest own.
