This was really intriguing and I am excited to see where the full book goes. I really enjoy the spin on the Greek Gods, and am very curious to learn more about the world .

Lore by Alexandra Bracken is sure to make a huge splash when it officially reaches shelves in January, that much is easily understood after just reading the chapter sampler.

Alexandra Bracken's writing style continuously amazes me. Her characters are some of the most realistic and lovable fictional individuals I've ever read about, and it instantly sucks me and begs me to continue the story. Lore is mysterious and secretive, tucking her past in close to her heart (where she can keep it safe), but she can't help but wearing her heart on her self when it comes to those that she loves. We first meet Lore in the midst of a physical fight, a fight she is unwilling to lose. That is to say, we're immediately thrown into action. We're left with questions we're yearning to be answered: Who is Lore? Why is she fighting in a basement for money? What motivates her? Where is her family? We then quickly meet Castor, someone coming back from her past, haunting her memories and well-being. He leaves the scene as quickly as he enters it, and I don't know that I've ever been so intrigued by a character so soon after meeting them. And, again, all of this is coming just from a chapter sampler - I can't even begin to fathom how the full book is going to make me feel.

The chapter sampler of Lore is everything I didn't know I needed and everything I wanted, without me ever being aware of either. I cannot wait to pick up this already beautiful book when it finds it way to shelves. Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for providing me with this chapter sampler, and be sure to preorder Lore or rush to your nearest bookstore on January 5, 2021!

I honestly am so hyped for this book now. I went into this knowing only that it was written by an author I love. I now have a book I am super excited for and can’t wait to read the rest of it. That little snippet wasn’t enough! I need mooooreee!!
Highly recommend getting your hands on this when it comes out. I will be for sure.

DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED! I am so excited about this book and the chapter sampler just quenched my taste for 2021! I am a die-hard Alex B. book fan and so when I found out she was writing a geek myth-inspired book I about lost it! Can 2021 get here faster because I need this In my life, right now!

thank you netgalley for the chapter sampler of this book! i think it was very interesting, from what i read, but it also was very like choppy and the writing wasn’t the best thing in the world by any means. i also think that the story as a whole was very all over the place, and not very put together

This review is for the chapter sampler provide by NetGalley and Disney Publishing.

I must say, I really didn't except this to be quite so intense! I was instantly drawn to this book as a diehard fan of anything mythology based and if this chapter sampler tells me anything, it's that i am INTRIGUED! I feel like this is Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games, every seven years for seven days nine Gods walk the Earth as mortals, slay them and their power becomes yours.

Ummm WHAT!? Aren't you intrigued? The idea of this book is creative, unique, and unlike anything I have come across before. I will definitely be picking this up upon release to see where this story heads!

My only complaint was that, as someone who considers themselves to have a fairly strong understanding of mythology and lore (wink, wink), there are a large number of 'mythological' names, all spelled unusually and I sometimes found that a bit overwhelming to try and keep straight.

This arc left on a hanger and I cannot wait to see where the adventure lands. I devoured this very quickly and already can tell this will be a great story. I don't have the strongest background with Greek mythology , so this alone has me very intrigued.

Thank you for the chapter preview!
5 stars for what I have read.

I can't wait for this book to read all of these contents. I'm a big fan of any mythology books since I read Rick Riordan's book and now Alexandra Bracken, delving into mythology stories is a fresh start especially for someone, like me, who hasn't read her previous works.

Definitely was not expecting this to be so brutal. The premise is intriguing, but I am not sure if I am going to be interested in reading the full book.

LOVED this preview and will be pre-ordering the book! I love the idea of a modern day greek god inspired setting and the main character seems very fun.

This was just the sampler, but it definitely made me want to read the whole book! Unique and captivating, I didn't want the sample to end! I think Bracken weaves such beautifully complex and lush worlds and the characters are ones I definitely need to know more about! Looking forward to getting a full copy of this one!

An interesting start, but not interesting enough for me to want to get the full book. It felt rushed and jumped right into the action of the story without enough background for me to understand what was going on. Maybe the full text is easier to follow but this sampler was enough to know I’m not really interested in figuring it out.

i'm glad i got to read a chapter sampler of lore by alexandra bracken. i will not be picking up the book, whch is why im super glad i read this beforehand. don't waste your time or money please and thank you, bye.

This was a preview of what's to come. Even though it was only six chapters, it was a lot of information. At times it felt a little rushed, but I also really enjoyed it. I'm excited to see what comes next and am also happy to hear this will be a standalone, so there should be no cliffhangers and few loose ends.

"Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths.

Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.

The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees."
—Goodreads

Bracken takes the Greek mythology we know and love and turns it on its heel: showing the depths to which mankind will take to reach immortality. Lore's world is full of cults obsessed with gaining power and gods who will betray one another in the name of preservation. Despite having left this world, Lore finds herself stuck between these cults and gods and making a decision that could ruin her. While I only received a six chapter excerpt of this novel, I can guarantee you that Bracken will keep your attention from the start as you explore the world in which the gods can take on human form. Fans of mythology will find themselves lost in this re-imagining, enjoying the nods to the ancient myths.

While I have yet to read the full novel, I can tell from the chapters that I read that "Lore" will be a must-have-book and I eagerly await getting to read the rest of the story!

I got to read the first six chapters sampler of Lore and I'm loving it so far! I'm intrigued by the concept and I adore the book cover.

There is a lot of backstory and action packed into these first sample chapters. I'm already loving Lore and I'm curious about Athena and how Miles will be involved in the story. There are a lot of houses that I had to pause to wrap my mind around but you'll get it, might take a bit of time or re-reading.

I'm already sad that this is only a stand alone book but am thrilled to read a book with a completed ending. I'm looking forward to seeing how the author executes the story and the ending!

Updated review to come once I read it.

Oh this sampler gave me chills. Alex writes so well to begin with, and this is phenomenal. So excited to get my hands on the book!

“Fans of Suzanne Collins Hunger Games and Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves will devour Alexandra Bracken’s Lore.”

Cecelia Beckman, Sheaf & Ink

In only six chapters, Alexandra Bracken, has captured my full attention and I’m very curious to see how the rest of the novel will play out.

With a fierce female protagonist, Lore Perseous is a survivor. Living with the regret of her past, she is the sole heir to a buried ancient bloodline. If she is found the people responsible for her family’s murder would be all too keen on seeing her join her ancestors in the grave.

From the very beginning the story moves at a fast pace. With an opening that sets the stage of this Hunger Games like hunt between Greek deities and ancient mortal bloodlines. One trying to keep their godhood while the other seeks to annihilate the deities’ existence in order to commandeer their power and divinity.

Lore is an intriguing story. Revolving around Greek mythology and how gods become the hunted all set during the present day in New York City. Where one can only imagine the bloodbath that will ensue over the course of the novel and what major landmarks Bracken will use as a backdrop while painting the city red.

After the sixth chapter I’m left with so many questions. Though, what I crave most is the romance Bracken so artfully crafts into her novels like magic. The clever banter, the all consuming slow-burn, me screaming “kiss already” and giddy when they finally do is what I’m looking forward too.

Although, we only get snippets of who Lore is in these first six chapters, I’m anticipating Bracken will have some surprises. Revealing all the intricate pieces of the full puzzle that is Lore Perseous. I mean the cover alone is revealing! And the few hints like bread crumbs in the first few chapters has me already guessing who she really is.

My hope is that the design team at Disney-Hyperion will include a detailed cast of characters. This would be a helpful guide and reference. Readers would have a better understanding of the hierarchy of the characters. Be it the ancient bloodlines or the nine Greek deities who set this whole gory revenge story into motion.

I’m very excited to read more.



Happy Reading ̴ Cece

Review of Sample – 6 Chapters

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: N/A – so far
Heat/Steam: N/A – so far
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📒
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: 👤👤👤👤

The setting: New York City – Present time.

The Hero: Not sure yet. Probably Castor will be the Hero, he is an old friend to Lore (Malora – last mortal descendant of Perseus). Castor is also from one of the bloodlines, descendants of hero’s that are now hunting the Gods while they’re in mortal form. Though Castor trained as a healer not a hunter.

The heroine: Lore – Her family was murdered by Aristos Kadmou, who hunted and killed Ares during the last Agon (see quote below), taking his place and his immortality. Lore has put it all behind her and is no longer involved in the hunts. She now fights men and women in underground fight clubs for money and to keep her feelings of loss at bay. Though she knows if hunters find her she will be a target (not sure why).

Background:

At the start of the book I was pretty lost, but later things were explained. I don’t feel like this is giving away spoilers since the few reviews I have read so far of this sample seem to be saying the same thing about the storyline being to complicated and confusing especially since we are dropped in to Lore’s life without the background information and the forward as well as the first few chapters use terminology for events that are not explained fully till later. So I am just going to add a few quotes that help.

“They sat in silence for several minutes after Lore had finished giving Miles a ruthlessly pared-down explanation of the Agon, the nine gods it had been created to punish—including the one whose wound she had seared shut in their living room—and the nine bloodlines descended from ancient heroes chosen to hunt them.
She distilled over a thousand years of history into mere minutes, feeling more and more insane as his face remained carefully blank. It wasn’t like Lore could blame him; hearing herself say the words “For seven days, every seven years, the gods walk on earth as mortals. If you can kill one, you become a new god and take their power and immortality, but you’ll be hunted in the next Agon as well”

Like I said above, Lore is the last mortal descendent of Perseus but basically has opted out of the fight for various reasons. She doesn’t want power or immortality. Though she does want her family avenged. But the killer is a god and even though Gods are mortal for seven days, he has a powerful bloodline and they protect him as well as hunt the other Gods.

However, Castor came to warn her that she is being hunted by the new Ares. Also the God Athena comes to her after being wounded badly and wants her help. Athena gives Lore some information she wasn’t aware of.
“The Spartan . . . they called you,” Athena breathed. “Little Gorgon . . . I searched for you . . . chose you . . . knowing that skill . . . knowing that you are no longer one of the hunters. . . . But you have . . . never been weak . . . never powerless.”

I had been wondering where the Medusa hair on the cover came in, until I read that part about her being called “Little Gorgon”. Not that Lore actually has snakes in her hair (at least as far as the sample goes). Also it is said that the Perseides (Descendants of Perseus), were given the Aegis, the shield of Zeus which had belonged to Athena until Zeus created the Agon as punishment for the Gods. The shield was taken when Lore’s family was murdered. The shield has special powers and bore the head of Medusa on the front.

This sample was very good and really just whetted my appetite for the rest of the book. I can’t wait to find out where the story goes. I just love Greek Mythology, add to that a fierce heroine and I am super excited. I definitely will snap this one up the first chance I get and now I really want to dig into my copy of Circe that has been sitting idle on my TBR since I purchased it.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Very Intriguing start. I feel it will succeed very much. It´s missing something I can´t quite say but I can tell you will add it.