Cover Image: Lore

Lore

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Member Reviews

Chapter Sampler was provided by NetGalley, Disney Publishing Worldwide, and Disney-Hyperion in exchanged for an honest review.

This chapter sampler review is being published before the release date (January 5th, 2021)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Death, murder, graphic injuries, loss of a loved one, grief

“A new age was in reach, waiting to be seized by one strong enough to dare.”

Friends and fellow readers… Wow. This was only a six chapter teaser of this upcoming book and it stole my breath away. I lost count of how many times my breath hitched, how often I was clutching my fists in anticipation of the next page, and just really impressed that I’m now hooked. And now begins the long, long wait of waiting till 2021 to actually get a finished copy of Lore. My retelling-loving soul needs this book now! I have to know what’s going to happen next! I have no doubt that this is going to make my top books for 2021.

Thousands of years ago, nine gods—Athena, Artemis, Poseidon, Dionysus, Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Ares—staged a failed revolution against Zeus. As punishment, they are doomed to face the Agon every seven years: they will walk the earth as mortals, and if they’re killed by a hunter, they forfeit their immortality.

In present day Manhattan; we follow Lore, a young woman who fights as an underground fighter to cope after the loss of Iris, a woman who was like a grandmother to her. With the past slaughter of her family and the being the last mortal living member of The House of Perseus, she carries a great deal on her shoulders. But when a ghost of a familiar face brings her a warning during one of her fights and she comes home to one of the nine gods waiting for her, Lore will be thrust back into a ruthless world she longed to escape and has no desire to return to. That is… until an offer is made that she can’t resist.

“I will kill the false Ares in you name… If you swear you will aid me… If you vow to bind your fate to mine…”

Let’s just get this out of the way. The intense screeching that took place while reading this chapter sampler. I love mythology and I love it even more when, it’s not only a retelling, but actually done well! Just from the little bit that we receive in this chapter sampler, I’m excited and head of heels. Also, when I say this is a retelling, I’m not kidding when I say this is a Medusa retelling. Yes, that’s right, Medusa retelling! Medusa is such an underrated monster of Greek mythology. She may be one of the most famous monsters from Greek mythology, but we don’t see enough of her in fantasy novels. So I’m really excited to see more authors giving her some spotlight especially with the way the author is choosing to retell Medusa’s story.

This is only a six chapter sampler and it’s such a fast paced read. You can tell that this book is going to be fast paced from all the action, the little details that can really make a scene unforgettable, and the way the mythological tidbits come into play. I’m incredibly excited to get a finished copy of this book, to read my first work by Alexandra Bracken, and to see how this Medusa retelling is spun. And before I forget, so far we have several BIPOC characters that have been introduced, one of whom is gay and of South Korean descent. Miles is Lore’s best friend, a pure cinnamon roll, has such a contrast in personality compared to Lore’s intense personality, and is probably going to play a much larger role in this story.

“You can gain immortality by becoming a god, but you can also gain it through glory. Kleos is the honor that comes from becoming a legend—someone others keep alive through stories and songs. Your body can die, but your name will live forever.”

Overall, I’m truly excited for this release and I can’t wait to explore this story further, to watch it unfold. And I’m excited to see how Miles will bloom and grow in this story, as well. As a novice to Bracken’s work, I can’t wait to experience her writing style and knowledge of Greek mythology to deliver us a captivating tale. My soul is ready for 2021 to be here to deliver this release. And if you have the opportunity to read the chapter sampler, definitely give it a chance because it hooked me from the very first page! My biggest prediction, this is going to be my top book for 2021. There, I said it and it’s out in the universe now! Now the wait begins!

The quotes above were taken from a chapter sampler and are subject to change upon publication.

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A strong sample! The writing and worldbuilding looks so strong right off the bat. I'm excited to read more about it when it comes out!

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After seeing that Alexandra Bracken was writing a new mythological book, I couldn’t resist requesting to read Lore! I enjoyed this sneak peak and can’t wait to read more! :)

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Thank you netgalley for sending me the sampler. The chapters were really intriguing and I enjoyed every bit of it. I can't wait to read the whole book!!!

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This is my first Alexandra Bracken story and the couple of chapters already intrigued me so much! I adore Greek mythology, being part of the generation that grew up with Percy Jackson, and this one explores one of my personal favorite stories. I can't wait to see what the full story will hold!

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I really enjoyed this chapter sampler! The prologue was so visceral, it just grabbed me and didn't let go until I'd finished the entire sample. I'll absolutely be reading the rest of the book and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

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Many things drew me to this book; the gorgeous cover, the thrilling synopsis and in particular, greek mythology themes. I'm a sucker for stories having greek mythology in it, and the story is just as enchanting as I wanted to be. Call me biased, but I have a good feeling the book will knock the breath out of me. The chapter sample leave you hungry for more, with enough information and plot and set up to make you curious to follow Lore whenever she takes us.

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An interesting start and just enough to whet the appetite. From the sampler, it looks to be a mash-up of Hunger Games and Percy Jackson--two things I find myself intrigued by. I look forward to reading the full book.

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I really wanted to read this book, but the file formatting made the book illegible. I'll have to wait until the release. As this is no fault of the book's content, I'll rate a neutral 3 stars.

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Well well well NetGalley... way to get my tastebuds salivating only to take away the sweet goodness.

This book is now on my highly anticipated list. Cannot wait to be able to request the full book.

Ahhhhh!!!

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This was great it gives just enough of a taste to decide if you want to get the rest.

I enjoyed chapter sampler and look forward to the book!

I received this sample from NetGalley for an honest review.

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This was an excellent sampler. I really enjoy Bracken's writing, and her world building. These are incredible characters already. I can't wait to hopefully read the full galley. Reserving more opinions/a full review until I have finished the novel.

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This chapter sampler was so good! I loved how action-packed it was and how you were thrown into the story right away. I love the concept for this story and I can’t wait to read the whole book.

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Interesting and intriguing. I like the beginning because it has some Percy Jackson vibes but for a slightly older audience. I am not sure I will purchase a finished copy but it's definitely a book to keep in mind for those who like mythology and those kinds of stories. Characters are also well built in this opening and the world is clearly established,

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**Full disclosure when I requested this title I believed it was the full book only to find upon being accepted that it was in fact a sample so my review is based on only what I’ve read and not the full book.**

“Lore” brings us to New York where a girl of the same name as the title works in the underground as a fighter and when her last enters the ring she finds herself thrown back into a world of gods and monsters and must make an unlikely ally in order to bring justice to her family.

This book is heavy on the exposition and we are given it in large amounts in the very beginning with a prologue that details the events of the first day when the gods fell to become mortals and we get it again scattered throughout as Lore reflects on her history before having to tell her story to the token best friend who stumbled into the room and witnessed the aftermath of her return and despite this I’m not quite sure what is going on. It seems to be a reincarnation type story along with a Greek Gods themed Hunger Games but I might be way off.

Lore herself is your typical ya protagonist where she is feisty and haunted trying to keep her head down when she is sought out by someone much more powerful and is brought back into the fold, her best friend is the cardboard cutout version of this archetype where we are given just enough of him to set him up as her weakness being the only innocent and then finally the one God we meet is stone faced and tight lipped about what is needed before the games begin offering just enough riddles to let you know that the bad guys are hunting for something more than her and with a slight wink of foreshadowing I’m going to guess our heroines love of poetry is going to be the key to unlocking it all. Basically it’s all rather boring and played out despite being centered around mythology that could be a lot of fun to explore and with characters already established where an author could build on or break the mold to show them in a new light and I don’t see that happening here and despite the promise of bloodshed I feel like this is going to play things rather safe.

I don’t know I don’t ever request samples because it’s hard to review a work from a single snapshot but knowing how badly I wanted to read this title and then getting this taste of it I hate to say that I’m not in any real rush anymore. Maybe I’ll give it a go when it comes out but it’s no longer at the top of my tbr.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing a sample in exchange for a review**

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I was given a digital chapter sampler of the arc from the publisher.

At the point that I requested this sampler, I didn't actually realise it was a sampler as I had gotten so excited that I overlooked the words 'sampler'. However, despite that, I was quite enraptured by this world and I've certainly been given a taste of a delicious, rich, enjoyable book. I cannot wait until this book is released

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Was looking at netgalley on my phone and didn't realize this was a chapter sampler....will not read the sampler so will wait until I can purchase the full story. No review at this time.

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This is a sneak peek and it has done the job. I am well and truly excited about this book and to dive into this world and mythology. I love getting to interact with characters I am familiar with but that have a twist. I've been a fan of Alexandra Bracken for years and I'm truly looking forward to this one!

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A huge thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for sending me this Chapter Sampler!

I cannot wait to read this book. This is already one of my most anticipated reads of 2021, but after reading this chapter sampler, I am even more excited! I always love reading books centered around Greek Mythology, and from what I read, Alex Bracken has created such an interesting new world with a really cool cast of characters.

I can't wait to read more!

Thanks for reading!
Caden

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I"m super excited for this! I absolutely loved that chapter sampler and cannot wait to request the full book!

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