<em>How we are remembered is less important than what we do now.</em>

It's safe to say, at this point, that Alexandra Bracken is a phenomenal writer. I was pretty on board with <em>Lore </em>from the start, preordering myself a copy immediately after I read the excerpt. But I did also give a bit of a warning in my review of the first six chapters from the sample, noting that this was a novel <em>filled</em> with violence. Immediately upon starting, you're thrown straight into an incredibly bloody battle. What's striking is that the novel was just so thoroughly gripping you couldn't turn away.

<b>Those Edge of Your Seat Moments</b>

Despite the incredible excess and shock of violence, <em>Lore</em> is the kind of book that really pulls you in. You spend the majority of your time reading with your nose almost touching the pages<em>, that's</em> how <em>engrossed</em> you are. In the span of an instant, you are in this world with the characters. And there's a <em>visceral </em>feeling to it all.

Lore takes place in a modern day arena, that which exists because Zeus cursed a select number of gods as punishment for their greed and anger induced behavior. This punishment forces them to spend seven days fighting for their lives as mortal decedents of famous Greek heroes fight to kill them for their powers. Every seven years, the Aegon begins. Those with the power of the gods lose their immortality for one week and the bloody vying for power is repeated.

<b>The Aegon Arena</b>

Of course, our story really begins with Lore. She's done everything she can to distance herself from her family's legacy and the world that killed them after they were brutally murdered in the previous Ageon. But when her childhood best friend--a boy she believed dead--and one of the original gods forge paths into her life, Lore finds herself once again entrenched in the horrors of the Aegon.

What ensues is a violent and terrifying game in which family houses vie for the powers of the gods, intent on killing the gods of the other houses. One house, that of Kadmos, seeks to destroy all the other gods entirely. In ending the Aegon, he intends to rule over them all. And Lore? She wants revenge upon the one who made her the last of her line.

However, revenge can only get one so far when they have people to protect.

<b><em>Lore</em> is it for me in 2021</b>

<em>Lore</em> is an amazing novel, filled with utterly brilliant characters. Better yet, it has plot twists even I didn't see coming. As an avid reader, I'm very rarely shocked by a plot twist. And this may very well be the second time Bracken has taken me by surprise. I genuinely felt as though I were living through the story with these characters, engaged in the very moments they experienced. I recall, even, shouting out at the novel at various points while reading it. My emotions were in complete turmoil.

There are many ways in which <em>Lore</em> turned out to be an excellent story. Braken wove together a tale of immense power with one of the most amazing feminine heroes I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I really fell in love with these characters, the world, and all the twists and turns they encountered. I'm only one month into the year and already certain this book is it for me in 2021.

If you've not read <em>Lore</em> already, you've done a disservice to yourself. And I suggest you go pick it up as soon as you possibly can.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

Great book I loved the main character and the greek mythology in it. The relationship between Castor and Lore was well developed, the plot was exciting and the ending was amazing. The book was difficult to understand at first and it was a. bit dense but. I enjoyed it.

This book was described to me as Greek mythology meets the Hunger Games. Be forewarned that the story is a very mature YA book containing many scenes of violence and brutality.

One word: Athena. Wow - I love her character so much.

Overall, I really enjoyed this take on the greek mythos. I got a little confused with the new God names and who the original Gods were and of course I didn't see the cheat sheet in the back until I finished the book. It was a fun, compelling story with well built, flawed characters. Hoping there's a sequel!

Lore, by author Alexandra Bracken, was created out of the authors own childhood love of Greek mythology as well as her own Greek heritage and the stories of her immigrant grandparents, to dream up a secret network of ancient families--descendants of Greek heroes--battling for immortality and dominance. This novel turns the misogyny and violence against women running through Greek mythology on its head, reclaiming the hero's journey and reversing our ideas about heroes and monsters. Thousands of years ago, 9 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. “For 7 days every 7 years, the Gods walk the Earth as mortals. If you can kill one, you become a new God and take their power and immortality. But you’ll be hunted again and again until only one remains whole.” Only 4 bloodlines still participate in the Agon. Aphrodite (Heartkeeper), Dionysus (The Reveler), Poseidon (Tidebringer), and Ares (Wrath) are deceased as the current Agon begins and replaced by so called new Gods. Melora (Lore) Perseous is the last of her line from the legendary hero, Perseus and is largely alone in the world after hiding from the Agon and its members for many years once her family was murdered by their opponents.

Lore thinks she has escaped the Agon until one day she returns home and finds the goddess Athena, mortal and open to attack and the theft of her powers by anyone who kills her, bleeding out on her front porch. After binding her fate with Athena, she goes into the hunt to fight a new God to avenge her family and save her home, New York City. With the upcoming hunt, comes the reappearance of her childhood friend Castor. Lore discovers that Castor, the childhood friend she believed was dead, actually ascended as the new Apollo seven years ago.

I am going to actually say that this book is on the dark side. This is, after all, a sort of last person standing war with plenty of blood and death. If you are a lover of Greek Mythology, you are going to really enjoy this YA standalone. As fragile alliances are formed and Lore struggles to keep those she cares about safe until the end of the Agon, she can't help but remember the heinous crimes done to her in the past and the person she used to be. Except for Miles who she took in, Lore has been alone for many years and only survived because she was kept hidden. Until now.

Lore is complex, flawed, has a temper, has lots of baggage, and struggles to process her guilt, past traumas, and grapples with the idea of destiny (or the "Fates") and whether she is truly in control of herself. The entirety of this story takes place over 7 days, so the action is hot and hectic and for a book that is almost 500 pages long, nearly continuous. The ending is both surprising and open ending. Yes, there really could have been a different ending, and yes, there really could have been a sequel had the author and publisher desired.

Rating: 4 Stars

As the first book I picked up and finished this year, I had high hopes and Lore met most of them! Lore reads like a love letter to mythology, but also like a comic book that starts out with fire and anger that makes for some of the most compelling action I’ve ever found in a book. That’s the gist of it, and the easiest way to explain why it was a solid 4 star read for me.

The story follows Melora Perseus, or as we know her— Lore. Struggling with the inner turmoil over the recent loss of a friend, Lore is burdened as expected but the way she channels her anger is unique. Our first glimpse of her is in a fighting ring underneath a New York restaurant, and she only gets more interesting from there

There are so many aspects that make the book exciting but I’ll be splitting them into the main three reasons: the cast of characters (some of who are Ancient Greek gods), the uniqueness of its plot, and lastly the writing.

If you all know me, then you know I enjoy almost any book that is rich in folklore or mythology solely because it makes the book seem more grounded and yet more magical. Bracken takes this very quality and immerses modern-day New York with its environment-friendly university students and its rich city pride, and then engulfs the city underneath a web of Greek mythology. In Lore, Greek gods are nearing extinction at the hands of the very lines of heroes who once sought their blessings because Zeus cast out the Olympians as punishment.

This would be exciting enough for me as a plot point, but it becomes so much more interesting when Lore and her band of close friends interact with these gods. It feels like you’re watching stories of old play out like an action sequence in your favorite comic book movie. Once I picked up the book, I knew I wouldn’t be able to put it down until the very last page because of this pacing. Additionally, the story is filled with plot twists and secrets, and while some are easier to guess than others they always leave me knocked out of breath.

Those are some of my general thoughts, but I’d like to mention some tropes I enjoyed before I jump into why the book isn’t at 5 stars in my book. I loved the flashbacks, the childhood friendship, the “last one standing wins” theme. But I found my main issue to be the pacing of the book. I love action and I love the plot quickening but the buildup wasn’t gradual and almost every scene felt high stakes. Also, the book could have benefitted from being a duology rather than a standalone since it felt like there was too much happening, too quick, at certain points in the story.

But if you’re someone who likes when a story is wrapped up neatly in just one book, then I think you’ll enjoy the pacing more than I did. And if not, the mythology, Athena, Lore, and the other brilliant characters more than make up for it.

Thank you to Disney Publishing Worldwide and Netgalley for a digital advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is is a promising start to a new series. It’s fun, but it’s not tissue paper thin. There is good world building and slow, steady character development. There are mysteries to solve and questions to answer, but they’re embedded into a carefully thought out exposition; sometimes this kind of book has melodramatic, clunky cliffhangers, but this one has a nice build. I’m looking forward to what’s next.

Disclaimer: I received the e-arc from the publisher and then bought my own copy. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Lore

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 1/5

Diversity: one gay side character by the time I DNFed

Recommended For...: Greek Mythology lovers

Publication Date: January 5, 2021

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNFed

Publisher: Hyperion

Pages: 480

Synopsis: 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.

Review: I DNFed this read at 134 pages. I really like the concept of it, but Alexandra Bracken basically drops you into the middle of a story and 134 pages in and I'm still so lost and confused about what's going on. The characters aren't developed, the book expects you to know the backstory and to have read the blurb before you read it, the timeline and world building are disastrous, and the whole thing is just so cluttered. If you didn't have any knowledge of Greek Gods you'd be utterly confused throughout the book and even with my basic knowledge I'm still very lost. The author didn't take the time to set up anything in the book, we hit the ground running from page 1. I feel like I'm reading the rough draft of this book while I'm actually reading the first edition. I think this would have been a good sequel book, but as a first it's bad and underdeveloped.

Verdict: I wish it was just a little bit better in the beginning and helped bring you into the world.

1. Change it so the diamond erring belongs to Tamlin (courtship chapter).

Trigger warnings: rape, sexual assault, torture, violence, child abuse, cancer treatments, death of family.

Queer rep: There's some m/m queer rep and the relationship is portrayed in a positive light.

Every few years the gods and goddesses from the Greek pantheon become mortal and are hunted by the descendants of legendary warriors. Should one of them be lucky enough to kill a god/goddess, they absorb their powers and become the god/goddess they killed. Lore grew up in one of the households that participates in this hunt and was raised to believe the killing of the gods/goddesses was a noble endeavor that brought households glory.

As the story starts, she has broken away from these traditions and now lives a low-key life in a profession I can't quite remember. I guess she boxes? I dunno. That's what she's doing at the start of the book. Either way, she's not involved in the hunt anymore, and I'm not sure if that's because she believes it's immoral or if it's because her entire family was slaughtered.

She's pulled back into that life when an old friend finds her and let's her know that Wrath (new Ares) is looking for her. Then, when she gets back home, there's an injured goddess (Athena) on her doorstep. She and the goddess enter into an agreement to kill New Ares, the god who supposedly killed Lore's family.

I had to take a break from reading due to some family health stuff. For that reason, I'm really struggling with how I want to rate this book. I keep thinking that I might have enjoyed it a lot more had I not been living with my parents to help them out after my mother's heart surgery. As it is, this book didn't help me escape from that, and I didn't find myself enjoying it much. Now I'm back home and trying to decide if my lack of enjoyment was due to the situation or the book itself.

I'm struggling to pin down exactly why I didn't enjoy it. It had all the ingredients of a story I normally love--grumpy big lugs, and high adventure with lots of violence, and a kick ass protagonist haunted by her past and torn in many directions. Though she tries, she can't quite give up the anger that simmers beneath the surface. Lore still wants to fight and a part of her journey is learning how to channel that in constructive ways. But, well, she suffers a lot of setbacks. >-<

For the most part, the characters are well done and interesting. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Athena and Lore and was disappointed when that wasn't the central romance. >-< Lore didn't seem to have much chemistry with the guy she ended up with. I mean, I loved their characters individually, but I couldn’t cheer when they got together.

One thing I really liked about this book was the uniqueness of its plot.

Lore is part of a world where every 7 years 9 greek gods walk the earth as mortals for one week. And if they are killed by a mortal in that time, the mortal gets their powers. Lore, having lost her entire Family in the last hunt - the Agon- has spent the last 7 years trying to stay out of that world. But Athena and an old friend draw her in for one last hunt. I loved this book. I loved Lore because she was such a flawed,imperfect character. Even better Bracken managed to equally write a dark, bloody story that still spoke so much hope.

In addition, this has to be one of my favourite stories that integrated greek mytholgy into a modern world. Greek myths are unique in the humanity of their gods and Bracken
exemplifies that in her story. She also slowly draws out a story of misogyny and rape culture. It's shocking and jarring in such a modern setting, but also shows how much work needs to be done there. Honestly, amazing characters are placed in a phenomenal setting and a story that is absolutely captivating. And it's a stand alone book. Read this book. It earned medusa on the cover.

I loved the combination of Greek mythology with the modern world. The blend of the two with the addition of a hunt of the gods was awesome to read.

This one was unfortunately, very disappointing.

The first 100 pages was amazing, but then quickly went downhill from there.

I lost my connection with Lore and I found the story hard to keep track of.

If this took place in Greece during the time of the Gods, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more. It was hard for me to think of Greek mythology in the streets of NYC.

Overall, this one just wasn’t for me.

“It’s okay to want good things […] and to believe that you deserve a good life”

I absolutely freaking adored this book!! I loved how the author blended Greek Mythology with The Hunger Games and brilliantly weaved it into a modern New York City setting. Everything about this worked; from a complex plot and strategic execution, to the detailed characters and their relationships; all of it was believable. And normally I’m not a fan of the childhood friends to lover's trope, but this one was done so well. I loved that Lore was a strong, independent woman and the boy was soft and lovable and just wanted to help. His transformation was glorious to read. I loved learning all about the different types of magic and all the different artifacts; how they fit with each of the different clans.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I’ve sung its praises to everyone I know and I’ll keep doing so.

First, let me start by saying WOW. This is a beautifully written book with complex and multi-layered characters that transforms something old into something new and exciting.

Lore:
I did feel a bit at a distance from the characters. Even as I wish it wasn’t true this includes Lore. I’m not sure if this is simply because of the number of characters introduced or if it was done on purpose.
Either way, it contributed to the steely, ice-cold character of Lore. She reminded me a little of a UFC fighter. A fallen warrior desperate to prove herself humane.
I appreciated her integrity, strength, strong-will, fighting abilities, soft side, and her greatest weapon and tool, her heart.

The world:
The setting of New York combined with Greek mythology led to a few interesting scenes. As a reader, I felt the descriptions were vivid precise.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

I am very conflicted when it comes to LORE. On one hand, it is a neat concept--the old gods are punished by Zeus to run along and be hunted by mortals every 7 years. Once a mortal kills the original god that mortal then takes over that god's abilities. On the other hand the execution was... so so.

I was not a fan of the entire novel being set in NY--I love NY, for the most part it is a great setting, but in Lore it felt constricting. If it had branched out, maybe to the god's home turf for example, in order to discover the origin of the Agon and make Athena confront her past transgressions in that way, and maybe even get an actual confrontation with Zeus...

Maybe it shouldn't have been a stand alone? Perhaps a duology would have served it well. That way not everything would have been so clustered together, you would have gotten some time to fall in love with the characters,etc. A LOT happens, a lot of characters are at play, and maybe they didn't all get the page time they deserved.

Overall my favorite characters would have to be Lore and Miles--in fact, if this entire novel had been just them facing Lore's past I would have been fine with it. Miles is the regular best friend to Lore. He is funny, he is brave, and a joy to have on the page. Lore is complicated and conflicted. In her heart she wants to fight, but she also knows that is not the right path. She battles her inner demons/desires on a daily basis, but once presented with the opportunity for revenge from Athena she is hooked.

Athena is seriously fun to read about. She is one of the few original gods left, and feels oh so disgusted to have to go to a mortal for help. Her dialogue is fantastic. She gets confronted by Lore about her past, in one of the best chapters of the entire book, and has to tell her side of the story when it comes to her neglect or even her seemed attack on women (aka Medusa).

I really think Lore should have been bigger, longer. It feels like a story that is being chocked by its limitations. It is a lot of fun, and a lot of interesting things happen, but if it could have been expanded it would have been truly great, and those reveals would have punched us a little harder.

I was never much of a Greek Mythology kid growing up but I'm making up for it now and this book was exactly what I was looking for. Lore is not only a story about Greek gods that brings them to life with new and complex depths, but it is also a story about a woman (re)claiming her power. This book is for every woman who has been told they are too much, for those who have heard the word no too many times but never listened, who refuse to listen to the role society tries to create for them. It made my heart sing.
Plus there's swoony romance, lots of bloody fighting, and a true and deep love for NYC, all things I'm a sucker for in a book.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: the book includes mentions of: sexual assault, child death, violence, blood/gore
xxx

I finished this book two weeks ago when it was released and have been having a terribly hard time writing the review... because all I want to do is scream READ IT READ IT READ ITTTTTTT! and end the review there.

Lore was everything I wanted it to be and more.

*WHAT I LIKED*
I obviously can't say everything (but yes, I loved everything), so I'll highlight quite a few things I loved about it:

- CASTOR FREAKING ACHILLEOS! Not only is he a swoon-worthy love interest for anybody to love, but for me, he had a little something extra. I saw myself in him. Which, to be honest, is quite rare for me. While I never had a terminal illness, I know exactly what it's like to live life weak and then feel weak even after you've been healed. So many of his feelings around his weakness and his strength were reflections of things that I've felt and thought. He even loves like I love, and so many of his selfless actions were things that I could see myself doing. He is an amazing character in his own right, but it's so amazing and special to see yourself in a character.

- Lore didn't lie. This might be a weird thing to highlight in a review, but I literally wrote it in my notes because I loved it so much. Lore didn't lie to her unblooded (regular ol' dude) friend when he overheard her talking to a literal Goddess. I feel like so many stories/movies have the protagonist lie to the non-magic, mortal friend and it becomes a thing and they find out the truth and #drama. And it just is so ridiculous. Bracken skipped all the drammmmaaa and Lore didn't beat around the bush. And it was a breath of fresh air to have all the characters know what was going on.

-The plot, the story, the concept, the twists/turns - all PERFECTION. I mean, it's an amazing concept and Bracken is a genius writer who is able to pull it off quite flawlessly. The story continues to build with each chapter and each part. My IG stories and my Goodreads updates kept getting more and more erratic from excitement. I went from "Already through Part 1 and really liking it so far. It's a lot to take in, but I'm excited to see what happens" to "HOW DO THE SURPRISES KEEP COMING?!" AKA: I lost my ever-loving mind reading this book.

*WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE*
Or really, what you might not like. These were things that I noticed that could definitely hinder a reader's enjoyment of the book, or at least things that they might think while reading it.

-Truthfully, what is the point of Miles? Now, I am not a writer. So, I think Miles serves a very important plot function of having a character to explain things to that the reader needs to know. So, if a reader needs to know what the Agon is, well then Miles asks "What is the Agon?" and someone tells him. But, is an entire character needed for that? I honestly don't know, because I'm not a writer and this might be the best way to do this. To me, it makes sense, but I did see fairly early on that he was there to fulfill that role. Bracken at least did try to flesh him out by giving him some action in the scenes and creating a love interest.

-It's a lot to follow. It starts off very information heavy. There are a lot of Gods, a lot of families, and a lot of players all introduced as quickly as possible so that the story can get going. The first part is definitely something many will need to trudge along through. It took me longer to read Part 1 than it did for me to reads Part 2-4 all together. Bracken does provide some nice references in the front and back of the book that help with the information overload.

-Possibly... she doesn't explain the Greek myths as much as some might want. So, this is a hard "flaw" for me, because I know the Greek myths pretty damn well. I also don't believe that the Greek myths play the largest part in this story, which sounds strange with it being a story about the Greek Gods. But, you don't need to know what the Greek heroes did, who the Gods are, or really any of that. All you need to know are the names of the Greek Gods and their powers, which Bracken does provide. But I have heard quite a few complaints from those that aren't well-versed in the Greek myths that they wish she had divulged more information about them. So, it might be something you dislike, but *shrug* I just think Bracken did a great job with this part.

The only thing that I personally truly didn't like was that I wish we had more of Lore's background earlier on. I am not a fan of there being first-person mentions of happenings without actually talking about the happenings. It always frustrates me, so I was 60% through the book and frustrated each time she would think about her past and not complete her thought or the story. But, once it was revealed, it was a really big moment. I just wish it had happened earlier in the story.

*FINAL RECAP*
I mean, I said it at the very beginning of my review....

READ THIS BOOK!
*throws the book at your face with the strength of a Greek God*

I loved this book! There is plenty of action, some twists that will keep you guessing, a few swoons, and Greek gods...I flew through this one just to see what was going to happen.

Every seven years, the Agon begins. This is the time where nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals and are hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines. If someone does, they seize the god's power and immortality.

Enter Lore. She has hidden herself from this world when a rival line murdered her family but now that the hunt is in New York City, she is being contacted by Castor, a childhood friend, and Athena, one of the last original gods. When Lore agrees to an alliance with Athena things become tricky.

As Lore falls back into her old world, she comes to realize she doesn't know who she can trust and believe me when I tell you, the entire time I was reading this book, I was second guessing everyone who was involved right alongside of her.

I enjoyed the flashbacks that Bracken included to not only provide context of Lore's background but it was great to better understand her relationship with Castor as well.

This was a great story and I love that it was a standalone too! If you're looking for a book with plenty of action, well developed characters, and an interesting story...grab this one up!

It takes a hot minute to immerse yourself in the world of Alexandra Bracken's latest, Lore, but once you do, it's quite the ride.

The ancient Greek Gods are not only real, but they also become mortal for 7 days every 7 years while humans try to hunt them to steal their power. Of course, the hunters are the human descendants of the ancient family lines who dedicate their lives to serving their god. It's part mafia, part greek mythology, and part Hunger Games. What's not to love?

I enjoyed this read very much, it wasn't really like anything else I've read recently, and yet it felt familiar and fun.

I don't usually read urban fantasy but this book got my attention from the beginning, after all I studied old Greek for two years. But I was also afraid that the author had somehow romanticized the myths as, let's not forget, Greek mythology is full of rapes and violence against women. To my surprise, she didn't. In fact the book has many strong feminist themes.

The plot is fast and well constructed and honestly, I couldn't stop reading. For some people it may seem a little confusing at the beginning but I loved that there isn't infodump and you make sense of the world as you keep reading.

Lore is a strong character but you can tell she is hurt by the guilt of what happened to her family and she is constantly in conflict within herself: she wants to be free of the Agon but at the same time, she longs for revenge. The rest of the cast: Athena, Castor, Van and Miles were also great and I loved their dynamics and friendship. Finally, the romance is the cutest friends to lovers I have ever read. Castor was really sweet and I loved him for it.