Wow! This new spin on the gods of Greek Mythology makes them human for one week every seven years. Whoever kills a god, claims all their powers but will be hunted in the next cycle. Lore was trained as a hunter for years and sought to earn glory and bring honor back to her family. When it turned deadly in the last cycle and her family was murdered over an ancient, powerful relic they had hidden, Lore escaped to hide in New York City. Now an old friend, a dangerous alliance with Athena and the newly minted god, Wrath, focused on her destruction have brought Lore back into the current hunt that threatens to destroy her and her friends. But trust is tricky because everyone is playing a strategy and all of them involve Lore. Full of surprises and unexpected twists, this wildly propulsive read packs a tremendous amount of world building in the first fifty pages. With the pace of the hunt and revelations of secrets old and new, the story moves quickly but leaves enough room for well built characters. A great pick for fans of Rick Riordan looking for new stories. Likeable and complex characters struggle with fate and work to make choices to free themselves from the violence and others’ expectations. Tension and action propel readers in this high stakes, intense read. Recommended for grade 9-12 readers. References to a past sexual assault and some of the violent fight sequences may be too much for younger readers.

LORE
Alexandra Bracken
YA novel

Alexandra Bracken’s LORE boasts a killer premise. Every seven years, as punishment for an ancient rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of Greek heroes. The seven days of hunting is known as the Agon, and whoever kills a god will seize their divine power and immortality — at least until the next Agon begins, and they in turn are hunted.

Long ago, Lore Perseous turned her back on the Agon. This teenage girl is the last of her line, her family having been murdered by a rival faction. She hides out in New York City, wanting nothing to do with the world of gods and heroes, although she does keep her warrior skills sharp in underground fight clubs. But as the next hunt dawns over the city, her past comes to find her.

First, a long-lost childhood friend named Castor, shows up at the fight club to warn her that Wrath is looking for her. Wrath, the hunter who killed the god Ares and assumed his powers, may have been the one who ordered her parents killed. Lore rejects Castor’s help, only to return home and find the wounded goddess Athena on her doorstep.

Athena tells Lore that Wrath is seeking the Aegis, or shield of Zeus. It contains a new version of the origin poem that established the Agon, and if Wrath finds it, he will learn how to kill the other gods and claim ultimate power for himself. Binding herself to Athena, Lore sets out to find the poem before Wrath can.

LORE delights in backstabbing gods and heroes full of hubris. But above all, this book is a love letter to the New York City that Lore calls her home. In passages like the following, the reader can sense Bracken’s own love for the Big Apple:

“Even when the streets were empty save for a handful of early morning cabs, she knew they still had a pulse. That there was water rushing through the pipes below. That trains were pulling their empty cars from station to station. Buried power lines hummed a song that only the cement could hear.”

The novel’s premise is a strong one, and Bracken does a terrific job populating her tale with Lore’s friends, enemies, and temporary allies, often dipping into past wounds that influence the present. The writing is occasionally choppy, as in the in medias res opening, but the storytelling is strong enough to carry the reader through. Lore is a resourceful, though flawed, protagonist, and the reader roots for her to succeed.

Recommended for any fans of Greek myths and female-driven action movies.

Thank you NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm a fan of Greek Mythology so I was super glad when I got the chance to purchase this book. It's a refreshing YA take of Greek Mythology in a modern setting. I loved the twist on how the gods can turn mortal and face mortality just like any humans. This was an action-packed book with so many twist and turns. Highly recommend!

I'm in the minority with my opinion, but this YA urban fantasy did not do it for me. I wanted to like it more than I did, but I just don't connect to Ms Bracken's characters, as the same sort of separation happened when I read her book The Darkest Minds. Though I didn't feel invested in the characters, I did continue with it and the revealed twists were unexpected.

If you like books like this, urban fantasies and mythology, I recommend The Immortals series by Joanna Max Brodsky, which is an adult fantasy also set in contemporary New York.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

<i>The imagined her hideous because they feared to meet the true gaze of a woman, to witness the powerful storm that lives inside, waiting.</i>

I loved this tale. I honestly wasn’t sure if the concept would work. I read another book that had mythical gods within a more modern tale that was just an “okay” book for me. I was afraid I might have a similar response to this one. I was pleasantly surprised.

I loved all the characters, along with the twists and turns the story took. The story was full of adventure and even had some laugh out loud moments. The pacing of the story never slowed down, but it wasn’t rushed either. I will say it did take me a few chapters to figure out how this world worked. So if you start it and find yourself a little confused, just keep going. It’s worth it!

Lore is a great character. She is strong, brave, and flawed. Her character arc is well done. She is a character that has really experienced a lot of trauma in her life that leaves her angry and full of guilt. She is her own obstacle in many ways. She comes a long way through the course of the novel. I enjoyed how her relationship with a certain character develops as well. Their relationship was incredibly sweet. I loved how they supported and cared for each other.

The rest of the characters are really great too. There is a character that is your classic “bad guy” that is obsessed with power, but the rest of the characters (even those that do terrible things) are well-developed.

I also liked how the gods were depicted in this story. They were powerful and sometimes cruel, but they still struggled with many of the things that humans struggles with (envy, hatred, anger, pride, etc). I felt like Bracken did well with making them inhuman while retaining their very human characteristics.

I almost wish this wasn’t a stand alone, but it is. It as such a fun book to read!

My only real criticism is that I didn’t really see why only men could be victors of the Agon. It was explained, but it seems really strange considering there were female deities. It didn’t quite make sense to me.

This story does include some things that some readers might find disturbing - murder/violence (involving children) and rape/sexual assault.

This book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review. Thank-you NetGalley, Disney-Hyperion, and Alexandra Bracken for allowing me to read this book!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53375824-lore

I received and ARC of Lore through Netgalley and since it has not yet been released, I will just say that it was delightful and a must-read for any Greek mythology fans.

What qualities and elements do you like to see in ancient Greek myth retellings?

Generally, I prefer modern settings that explore ancient themes and ideas to books that try to “reimagine” the ancient world. The latter can be extraordinarily difficult to pull off, as it requires a willingness to enter into the ancient world seeking understanding rather than judgment.

Lore, which I received from NetGalley for review, is a kind of middle ground between the two. It’s set in the modern world, complete with modern technology, but features ancient Greek gods as characters. As punishment for rebelling against him, Zeus strips nine gods of their immortality and sends them back to earth as mortals to be hunted in an Agon, from the Greek word for contest or struggle. The mortal who manages to kill that god assumes his or her power, and the cycle of hunting repeats seven years later, with the new god now being the one who is hunted. Old gods who manage to stay alive return to the Agon every seven years. There is a fragment of poetry that may hold the clue to what it will take to end the Agon for good. Main character Melora was raised to be a hunter but walked away from that life after a personal tragedy. A new cycle, an old friend, and an ancient god draw her back in, and the story sets off from there.

What was the nature of the rebellion, and why was this punishment deemed appropriate? Who penned the poetry fragment, and what answers does it hold? At the end of the book, we still do not know the answers to these questions. The novel as a whole suffers from these sorts of convoluted inconsistencies and lack of internal logic. It circles around interesting ideas and questions but fails to substantively grapple with and develop them, changing direction or throwing in a new plot twist, seemingly out of nowhere and without resolving the preceding one. This was especially frustrating with a subplot involving Athena that devolves into caricature and is resolved too abruptly to be convincing. The level of graphic violence also felt a bit gratuitous for my taste.

For the positives, I enjoyed Bracken’s prose. It was also interesting to see and debate how she incorporates ancient Greek ideas and figures. This kept me turning the pages to the end with interest.

This was an action-packed adventure!
I love YA Fantasy and Lore really delivers.
It was a bit slow to start because I'm not well-versed on Greek mythology. I had a hard time keeping track of all of the gods, goddesses, and the different houses in the story. However, once I was able to keep everything straight I flew through this story.
I love the characters and the new mythology the story takes on. It was a really great first fantasy read of the year!

Thank you so much to Disney-Hyperion & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This was such a fun read. I don't know my mythology that well, so I can't speak to how this story departs or stays true to the original Greek characters, but I did appreciate the list of the houses at the beginning of the book.

Melora, or Lore, is a flawed badass main character. I loved her, even when she was ridiculous (see: flawed). I loved her friend Miles and really, we all want more Miles in this story, but I'm not downgrading for that. I didn't think any of the romance was necessary, but it wasn't too overdone. I didn't really connect with most of the other characters, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of this fast-paced story.

There's an interesting feminism chapter that is really kind of a highlight in this story, but as I considered that feminist touch with the overall story, I realized that this is not a feminist book. Lore is primarily relying on her group of guys; the female support characters are not adding to the "Lore is a badass with great badass girlfriends" vibe. But I love Lore and Miles and this is YA, so I don't even care. It was fun to read.

Absolutely fascinating! I loved reading this and devoured it immediately! The cover is stunning. I've long loved Alex Bracken, but this book quickly became my clear favorite of hers. I wish it was a series rather than a standalone. Lore's character is so unique and intimidating. She's so sure of herself and yet insecure simultaniously. But I loved her, and the relationships surrounding her.

Lore is part Hunger Games, part Fight Club, part D’Aulaire’s Greek Myths and all a love letter to New York City and found families. Come for the fight scenes, stay for the laugh out loud snark. It’s like this book was written for my kid. I loved it.

A very intriguing interpretation of Greek myths and gods. I was hesitant at first but Bracken convinced me quickly enough. The gods were given a sort of humanity from their inhumanity and cold cruelty. Highly recommend to those who are interested in complex characters and twists.

I had such high hopes but this one just didn't hook me. It was good but not great. I've been told that I need to give it longer because it gets better. Who knows I might go back and finish it but I might no.

Sadly I struggled to connect with most of this book, as I was quite looking forward to it. However, I have felt this way with a lot of this author's work, so I think it's more me than anything. The writing was well enough, the mythology aspect is woven well, but my biggest issue with the protagonist, and how flat I felt she was compared to what I wanted. Overall, this is not a bad book, but I wish that the character & motivation had been pushed a little further to enrich the overall arc more.

Lore's family was killed when she was a child, leaving her wanting absolutely nothing to do with the family legacy - protecting the House of Athena from the houses of the other gods and goddesses. Of course, this doesn't stop a gravely injured Athena from showing up on her doorstep, forcing her to create an alliance with an old friend she thought long dead, and step back into a world that she thought she had left behind forever.

My notes: I really wanted to love this. I mean, "Greek Mythology meets the Hunger Games?" Sign me up! Unfortunately, for some reason I was incredibly bored by this story. I would finish a few paragraphs and go check Twitter; read a page and go see what was on tv. It absolutely refused to hold my attention.

Every 7 years the Agon begins and lasts for 7 days. The Agon is a punishment for the gods from Zeus for betraying him. During the Agon all gods are turned into mortal beings. They may be hunted and murdered and the one that kills the god will ascend in their place and gain the god's powers. If a god murders another god their powers are lost forever.

In an attempt to attain the power and status of gods families train their children from young ages to be hunters. They are trained in physical as well as mental battle. Their ultimate dream is to attain, kleos (fame and glory). These families have leaders of their bloodlines who also hold much power and guide their "house" between, as well as during, the Agon.

From the start this Agon is different, from the beginning this one is darker.

Lore is a young woman who has lived through immense tragedy and wants to put her past, and the Agon behind her. An injured goddess has other plans for Lore and so she is drawn back in for, what she hopes is one last time.

And that is about as simplistic as I can summarize the whole concept. It takes time to build this complex world and as such it took me some time to fully get into this book. Once I did however I was hooked. The story has twists and turns, action and adventure. There are a lot of names and families to keep track of, overall there is just a lot of information to keep track of (old gods, new gods, bloodlines, connections, powers, etc). All of this contributes to a book that can truly immerse yourself in.

After finally escaping the Agon, a deadly contest in which 9 households compete to gain the power of the exiled Greek gods, Lore is living the closest thing to a normal life she knows how. That all changes when her old friend Castor, who she thought to be dead, finds her to deliver a grim warning: “He’s looking for something, and I don’t know if it’s you”. Days later, after the Goddess Athena appears wounded on her doorstep, Lore must make a choice: be pulled back into the game that took her family from her, or abandon any chance of avenging them.

As soon as I saw this was written by Alexandra Bracken, I was 1000x more intrigued. I really liked the Darkest Minds, and was eager to see what she could do with my all-time favorite genre (Greek Mythology). I have to say, I was completely taken off guard. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked her other books, but Bracken’s writing style has progressed SO much.

My complaints from her other works were slow plot, unnecessary filler, and a slightly unlikable main character, none of which were present in Lore. Absolutely every second of this was action-packed, and the buildup was so, so entertaining.

And I fell head-over-heels in love with all of the characters. Miles, the kind optimist (I wanted to be friends with him so bad). Van, the guarded tech master and protector of the group. Castor, the underdog and long lost love. And Lore, the fierce, determined, and ultimate embodiment of female power. I loved her arc, and the way Bracken showed her reclamation of power throughout the story.

We get to watch Lore on an amazing journey from anger, to healing, to destiny. I loved the idea of kleos (glory), and the way Lore redefines it for herself throughout the book. I’m a sucker for a good message, and there were about fifteen of them packed into one very well-executed story.

The only thing that keeps this from being a five-star read was that I felt a little bit confused in spots, and wish some things had been addressed earlier. I won’t give anything away, but the ending left me wondering a lot of technical details as well. I also missed that connection to Olympus we frequently get to see in these kinds of stories, but, on the other hand, understood why it was necessary. And I hope it will be remedied with a sequel!

I really enjoyed this, and think it will be perfect for all of us Percy Jackson kids who are all grown up.

Rating: 4.5/5
Content warnings: sexual assault, violence, death of family members

I loved this story! This was a Hunger Games mashed with Greek mythology, with a badass female lead and it had me hooked from the beginning. The author did an amazing job creating the New York Lore lived in. You felt like you were with her every step good or bad, and don’t worry if you don’t know much about the Greek god’s, there is enough history telling throughout the story that even if you didn’t know anything about them you would still throughly enjoy this book.

The premise of this book is intriguing. For one week every seven years, rebellious Greek gods are forced into mortality, and the descendants of ancient bloodlines have the opportunity to kill them and take their power – and become the hunted seven years later. (Although if I think about that real hard, if the mortals who seize power and become gods are then the hunted, is it still the original rebellious gods who are on the hot seat? Maybe not….)

Modern day New York City and ancient Greek gods and goddesses. It’s an interesting juxtaposition. I’ve seen it described as Greek mythology meets the Hunger Games, and I can kind of see that. Lore is the last of her line, as her family was brutally killed in the last Agon. She is a hot mess of conflict, y’all. She wants out of the fight entirely. But she wants revenge on the man who killed her family. She doesn’t really know what she wants. But when a seriously wounded Athena, last of the original gods to survive, shows up on her doorstep and asks for Lore’s help in going after her family’s killer, Lore takes the opportunity.

The early part of the story was almost enough to make me give up on it. It was a lot of information without a real framework in which to fit it. The glossary helped, though, at least with keeping the families and the characters straight.

And once you got past that first bit, it got better. Sure, Lore was conflicted, but she’s also a teenage girl. How many of us really knew our own minds when we were teenagers?

There’s a little bit of romance with her childhood friend Castor, but it isn’t the main focus of the story. Had it been left out and had they stayed friends, the storyline wouldn’t have suffered. There are some entertaining fight sequences, but it was a little bit of a stretch to me to think that all of that devastation would take place in New York City and there would be no real comment on it.

Lots of action, plot twists, and a main character for whom you can’t help but feel a little sympathy make for a very readable story – once you slog through the setup. A good choice if you’re a fan of YA fantasy and into mythology.

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the advance reader copy. All opinions here are my own, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t really like.

4.5

my expectations weren't high for this book — despite being written by one of my all time favorite authors — just because i'm not a big greek mythology person and i know very little about it all. well let me say, alexandra bracken i am so sorry and i will never doubt you again my queen.

the prologue to this book had me kind of ??? but by two chapters in, i was hooked. something about bracken's writing style just CLICKS with me and always pulls me in. while it did take a little before the plot concept clicked in my head, i found this really digestible for someone that knows next to nothing about greek mythology, though i'm sure that there are connections others could make that went over my head. at the heart of this book, like most of bracken's novels, are great characters with excellent dynamics, a swoony romance, and the best found family vibes, all while the plot is NONSTOP. literally, i was concerned for my new babies. when were they sleeping?!

two things that brought this a little down for me: one, the ending felt really rushed. like, i was reading, seeing how few pages i had left, and thinking, HUH?? this book is already almost 500 pages, i don't see why it couldn't have spared some more for the end or at least given an epilogue!! the second is that i LOVED the romance, but god i wanted MOREEEEEEE. i know the characters had a lot going on, but pls miss bracken i am lonely and desperate. this was some childhood friends to lovers excellence but i need moreeeeee.

otherwise, i really, really loved it. i haven't finished a book this quickly, let alone not falling asleep while reading and reading 200+ pages in ONE DAY in sooooooo long. alexandra bracken did THAT. go read this bad boy. or should i say bad bitch, because lore is indeed one bad bitch!