“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.”

OOF. Talk about a wild ride.

This book was dense. Thicker than a snicker. It piqued my interest with the Greek mythology, lured me in with the promise of a brutal competition amongst gods and mortals, and won me over with the sheer pettiness and backstabbing. The plot twists gave me whiplash, and I loved it. Kept me on my toes and needing to know how it would all end.

Here are all the things I loved;
- The world building and actual, well, lore. There was a lot to learn right off the bat, but I never felt overwhelmed by it, which can often happen in YA fantasies. There were helpful little charts in the front and back of the book, if you forgot someones name and origin. We love a chart.
- Lore, the human, is a badass. Her emotional growth in terms of her anger issues had me feeling real soft. I identify with her so hard. One of my favorite quotes from the entire book was, “Lore hated her temper more than she hated any other part of herself -- how quick she moved from spark to flash, incinerating everyone around her.” These words slapped me across the face. She was easy to root for because she seemed so, human. She made mistakes and lost control, but it was always evident she had a heart of gold.
- Miles is a peach ring and I want to protect him at all costs.
- Athena made me scream several dozen times. The sheer disdain that drips from her mouth whenever she talks to literally anyone. Honey.
- The backstabbing! The twists! Perhaps I’m just obtuse, but I never saw them coming!

Here are some things I did not love;
- I was having a hard time connecting with the characters, especially Castor, during the first third of the book. This may be because it was so plot\action heavy. Something was just falling flat for me.
- The relationship between Lore and Castor never got me going. I couldn’t fully buy into it. There were all of these descriptions about how potent the tension was, how there was this insane chemistry between them, but I never actually felt it? I couldn’t sense the yearning. Where is the yearning!?

Overall, I really enjoyed it. If you’re a fan of Greek mythology and teens murdering gods, pick this up. You’ll be delighted.

A huge thank you kindly to Hyperion Books and Netgalley for sending this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Pub day to this amazing book! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for Lore by Alexandra Bracken (thank you very much to @disneybooks and @netgalley). It was my first book of 2021 and it was the perfect way to kick off the new year! I enjoyed it so much I ended up purchasing a physical copy to always have on my shelves.

Centuries ago, after nine Greek gods rebel against Zeus, their punishment is the Agon. Every seven years, the gods are forced into mortal bodies where they are hunted for seven days by the bloodlines descending of the famous Greek heroes. Anyone who slays one of the gods will thereby inherit their powers and be reborn immortal. Present day, Lore Perseous has fled this world after the tragic murder of her family. When someone from her past reenters her life, and one of the nine gods shows up on her doorstep wounded, Lore is propelled back into the violence of the Agon where she will try to end it once and for all.

This book is Percy Jackson meets Hunger Games and I am so here for it! The story focuses on overcoming grief and trauma, forgiving others and yourself, and underdogs defying the odds. While the ending may have been a tad too convenient, it was still a beautiful and satisfying end to a great book. I will definitely be thinking about this one for a while! @disneyplus can we get an adaptation of this ASAP?!

Head’s up, there’s a little hidden note from the author at the very end that was SUCH a joy to read, especially if you are a writer yourself.

Trigger warnings: violence, family death, sexual assault

Read if you like:
-Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths 🎶
-Percy Jackson and the Olympians 📚
-Herbal tea ☕️
-Lamb gyros with extra tzatziki 🥙

Lore is a contemporary fantasy novel based on Greek mythology. I really enjoyed it, and appreciated the frank engagement with the violence/misogyny classical mythology is steeped in. Lore joins some of my favorite modern engagements with Greek mythology that honestly address the less savory aspects of the myths we love, and I’m glad for it. There have been some great storytellers reframing mythology out of the traditional patriarchal lens and it’s wonderful.

The original Greek myths -- especially as told by Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripedes, and the Roman poet Ovid (among many others) -- are pretty dark when you think about it. The gods are cruel, savage, and petty. The stories abound in violence, curses, and misogyny. Yet they're a bedrock cultural touchstone. Lore is a book that reflects a love for the tales of Greek mythology while addressing head-on the problems with it, and all through the lens of a really fun (and brutal!) story.

There's a lot of attention to detail, from references to the myths to a ton of attention paid to Ancient Greek spelling. For example, each of the key family lines in the story uses a patronymic based on an ancient Greek hero, using the rules of ancient Greek grammar (with some adjustments in transliteration to make some names more familiar, like Achilles instead of Akhilleus).

The cast of characters from Lore (the eponymous heroine) onwards is great, and there's a strong found family vibe. And the gods -- I won't spoil it, but the characterization of the gods is spot-on. They're both ancient, primeval entities with all too human cruelty, just like in the myths.

This book was so good. Absolutely unique and creative. I wish there was more.

Writing: Great storytelling. Once the story kicks off, it really ramps up. Obviously there had to be some exposition at the beginning but once the reader gets through all the gritty details, I think the story flows pretty well.

Characters: We have a good mix of distinct characters. Some shined more than others. The standouts being Athena, Miles, and Van. Athena in particular was such a complex character and kudos to the author for attempting to write for one of the most iconic literary characters, an actual goddess. I could never. Even if I didn't agree with all her actions, I felt sooo much for her. Lore, our main character, has gone through so much trauma. I felt bad for her but she is your typical tortured hero and didn't feel much intrigue from her. Castor was our love interest and most of his story and characterization revolved around Lore so I was the most indifferent towards him.

World/Worldbuilding: I do want MORE. This is a standalone so we get what we get. If there was some way this could have been expanded to a trilogy I would have loved that. I think the concept of the Agon was so interesting I want to know all the little details that revolve around this hunt. The beginning was a little rough I felt moments of confusion especially up until ch5 or 6 where we got a proper exposition chapter to clear up any questions.

Relationships: We saw some relationships built here. Some romances too. I loved the progression of one of the lgbt romances here. The relationship and conclusion between Athena and Lore was...so gripping. Chapter 33 was my favorite because of the intense scene we had between them. SO good. The main romance of the book was fine if a little dull.

Ending: I haven't quite made up my mind about the ending. What is the point? Is it completely over? I'm not saying its bad, there's definitely people that will like it. But I think there are people that won't feel satisfied. It feels bittersweet to me. I also don't really know what the future of these characters looks like.

Wow!

Bracken has intricately woven a phenomenal, powerful story centered around Greek mythology. There are “aha!”moments at the conclusion of each chapter. This is story will tackle your heart and refuse to let it go long after the final pages. Her latest endeavor will resonate with her devoted fans and win over new readers.

Lore, is a ferocious female lead with a tragic past and a legendary future she has not chosen. Her history is revealed gradually and it perpetuates her need for answers and above all revenge. Nothing and everything is as it appears and each chapter is more shocking than the next. This incredible fantasy kept me up at night and was my first thought in the morning. I could not read this fast enough but was saddened to see it end. I hope this isn’t the last we will see if Lore and her fascinating friends and family. I couldn’t be happier this book was my first read of 2021!

I was given an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this page turner! I am always eager to read anything associated with the gods and was pleasantly surprised with this book.

Starting with the magnificent cover art that basically begs you to grab it and read it and then display it proudly on your shelf, this book was fantastic! My main concern is that I felt that the ending was a little bit of a let down. It was a HEA, but just still pretty flat for me, or maybe I just needed more! I hope that there will be a book 2!!

The twists that you didn't expect were so exciting and the ones that you did expect and they didn't happen made this book even more interesting.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this book, I appreciate it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney for this eARC of Lore! I enjoyed this book so much! This was the perfect modern answer to all the epic Greek myths and Heroes. Not only was it action packed, with just the perfect sprinkle of romance, but our Hero Lore was so sarcastic and imperfect in all the best ways. She went on a full journey not only physically, but emotionally as well, in a perfect character arc. I also really enjoyed all the feminist undertones and questions of morality. The only think holding this back from being 5 stars for me were some parts that were a little confusing or abrupt. But what epic Greek myth isn’t a little confusing at times?

Give me a book about Greek Mythology in modern life with Athena as the main character and I can promise you I will devour that book bit by bit until there is nothing left. This is exactly what I did for Lore. This book takes the reader from 0 to 100 in the first few pages and continues full speed ahead until the very end. Combine The Hunger Games with Greek Mythology and you have a slight understanding of how good this book is to read.

Lore follows the story of Melora, AKA Lore, as she tries to avoid the looming Agon, a brutal punishment inflicted by Zeus where for seven days every seven years, nine gods must wander the Earth as mortals while descendants of Greek heroes try and gain the power of the gods by murdering them. This is not your friendly Greek myth; this is a violent blood bath of epic proportions. And Lore, for good reason, wants nothing to do with it. However, a visit from a friend she once thought dead, and the half-dead goddess, Athena, sitting on her doorstep drags her back into the world she wished to leave.

Let’s start with the cast of characters first. There was such a large cast for this book which can sometimes be iffy as some characters are left underdeveloped or just nonexistent. However, I mostly didn’t feel that way about this group; there was an exception or two but I’ll touch on that later.

First, there’s Lore, the main character, who is an absolute delight. I knew from the first page I was going to love this character. She has such a mouth on her and her comebacks were the best. I marked so many of them because they all made me laugh. Her development throughout the story was interesting to see and I liked being able to note the growth when she realized she didn’t have to do everything alone anymore.

Next, is Athena, the goddess of Wisdom (as if she needs an introduction). Oh man, I loved this depiction of the goddess so much! Athena is my favorite of the Greek pantheon and if you know me then you know how hardcore I am about people portraying her right. I will throw down in a heartbeat if someone misrepresents her. Luckily, we don’t have to worry about that with this version. I loved how Bracken took the various myths surrounding Athena and chose to make her her own creation while still maintaining the integrity of the goddess.

Next up are Castor, the thought-to-be-dead best friend, Miles, the current roommate/best friend and resident cinnamon roll, and Van, Castor’s best friend and grumpy face. I loved learning about their relationship with Lore and how each one was different in their own way. And that each character wasn’t the stereotypical hot boi, Korean dude, and grumpy friend (okay, he was grumpy but he wasn’t 24/7 grumpy and actually had more to his character than just that one trait). They were all done so well and I loved getting to know more about them.

Now the exception to the rule: Iro. The first time she showed up I was so excited because it meant we were going to get more into Lore’s past in addition to a new ally. And then it didn’t go anywhere from there. It went from 0 to 100 to 0 without getting anything further from her. I really wanted to like this character as much as the others; I really did. And I mean, I don’t dislike her; she was an interesting character. I just wish we were able to get more of her. Her only purpose appeared to be purely plot-driven and I hated that. However, despite all that, Bracken did an amazing job with the rest of the cast and I absolutely loved every one of them, unless I hated them (looking at you, Wrath).

Now we’re getting to the really fun part. It’s worldbuilding time! The mix of Ancient Greece and urban New York was done so seamlessly. There’s this whole underground world that just resides in these giant cities and, due to the power of the new gods within the families, they can just pay the important people off so anyone outside of the world is none the wiser. It’s a really cool premise. I’m a giant sucker for family genealogy and I loved seeing how that all played out in how they interacted with each other, especially Lore’s family line when we get to learn more about that. And the misogyny that existed within these families made me so mad at times. So, only the male heads of the family are allowed to kill a god and take over their power because they believed it couldn’t happen. Then when it did happen, they shunned the new god because she was a woman. Despite the fact that half the pantheon is made up of goddesses but yeah, okay. It made me so mad and that’s how you know it was so good to read.

Last, but not least, the plot. A story earns five stars from me when I start connecting dots and threads like some sort of conspiracy theorist. From the first page or two, I was already coming up with theory after theory. And then, when one question was solved, two more were opened up. It just kept building one after the other until the climax, which, to be honest, I did not see coming. Even after all of my theories, I had no idea where it was leading. Although looking back now, the setup for the climax was always there, I just got thrown by the other theories and by what Lore was thinking of as well. It was so well done. A plot twist that makes you go, “WHAT??? Oh, yeah. I see that now,” is a great one. My brain is still trying to sort through everything that happened. That’s how good it was.

Really, the only big complaint I had was how fast everything wrapped up after the climax. I was expecting a bit more explanation like we were given at earlier points in the story, but nope. The thing happened, the thing ended, and then we get the closing scene. There was just too much, for me, that was crammed into the last two or chapters of the book. I honestly would have been fine with a few more chapters if it meant we received a little bit more explanation and more of the aftermath. But it wasn’t a deal-breaker.

Overall, Lore was exceptionally well done and I will still be reeling from it months from now. Five out of five stars.

🐍REVIEW: Lore by Alexandra Bracken🌬
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What it’s about: The Agon takes place every seven years. It is the punishment administered upon nine Greek gods for their roles in a rebellion by Zeus. During Agon, the nine gods must walk Earth as mortals while being hunted by the descendants of chosen ancient heroes. The hunter who kills a god gains their power and immorality, but in turn, join the never-ending cycle and become hunted too. After the brutal murder of her entire family, and the only other remaining survivors of her bloodline, Lore Perseous escaped her world, defying the only destiny she ever knew, trying to forget the man, now a new god, who took her family from her. At the start of the new Agon, Lore is asked to help the last two people she ever expected, Castor, Lore’s childhood best friend who should be dead, and the dying Athena, one of the last remaining original gods. United with a common enemy and a shared goal, Lore rejoins the hunt by binding her fate to the goddess to try to maintain the only thing she craves more than power: Freedom.
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My thoughts: If you have seen anything about this book, you have probably heard the tagline: The Hunger Games meets Greek Mythology, which at the most simple level, is accurate. Alexandra Bracken crafted a sweeping story full of morally questionable actions, betrayal, love, and the power of a single choice. The writing was stunning, with beautifully descriptive imagery. So many lines had me stopping to reread them in awe. Lore, as a character, was extremely inspiring as she learned to turn her anger into a tool she could wield. The feminist undertones in challenging the blatant sexism and horrors that take place in mythology were also refreshing and needed. The romance in the novel, at first bordered on rushed, but in the end I found myself on board. I really liked all the characters that came together to help Lore, especially after unlikely circumstances kept the story twisting with surprises and heart-stoppping action scenes. I felt at one with Lore, rooting for her strength, and angered by the injustices she faced. Also, every story needs a Miles. This was a great way to start my reading year, and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves urban fantasy and greek mythology. (Please see end section for CW’s!)
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RATING: ★★★★.5/5
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*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
**CWs: violence, murder, murder involving children and parents, terminal illness, mention of rape, sexual assault, and arranged marriage.

5/5 stars

Lore by Alexandra Bracken is an exceptional novel about power, love, redemption, family, and trusting oneself. The novel follows Lore, a 17-year-old, who lives in New York City who inherited a house from a man who she was a caregiver for. The novel spans over 7 days and is very fast paced. It is third person perspective. It takes place in modern day and based in Greek Mythology.

As the synopsis says, “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.” In the last Agon, Lore’s family was brutally murdered and Lore left hoping to escape the world she was born into and brought death to her family. When the next Agon begins, Lore is brought back into the world she had spent seven years trying to forget.

A new God, Castor, who was a friend she believed was dead seeks her out to give her a warning. Even with the warning she is having second guesses about whether to join the hunt or not until one of the last original goddesses, Athena, finds her and offers her deal she cannot refuse.

Now, back in the hunt, Lore spends the next 7 days helping her own friend, assisting the goddess, and fighting for the revenge of her family.

I loved this book so much. It was hard to put down. The writing style was perfect for the story, the characters were incredibly detailed, and the pacing was fantastic allowing for a fast paced but still believable plot. As someone who loved mythology but has not studied it, I was still able to follow this novel—it also helped that Bracken provides a list of the houses and gods and goddesses so you can easily keep track of them throughout the story.

I loved all of the characters, but Lore is a powerhouse and there if a focus on female empowerment, and female power in this book that was very thrilling. Also, since Lore is trying to escape this world, she is constantly challenging the beliefs that she grew up being told and the way that world works. Seeing this unlearning and conviction and just growth is important and enjoyable.

The plot is really fun, and we get glimpses of the Agon before the current one (the one Lore’s family was murdered during) and it was a smart way to see the world and the way it worked as well as getting important backstory for the characters.

If you love female empowerment, Greek Mythology, love stories, fast-pace, badass fantasy novels this is the book for you.

*I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.*

Every seven years, the Agon begins. Essentially a punishment, during the Agon, nine Greek Gods are forced to walk the Earth as mortals, all the while being hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines. If a God is killed during the Agon, the hunter responsible for their death gets to seize their powers and immortality, thus becoming a New God.

Melora, known as Lore, is a part of the Perseous line. She is no longer participating in the Agon. Lore has left that whole world behind and kept herself hidden since the last hunt left her entire family dead in their home, including her two little sisters, murdered by a rival clan. Living in New York City, Lore has done a good job blending in and has successfully flown under the radar of anyone related to the hunt. At least that's what she thinks.

One night a blast from her past, her childhood best friend, Castor, ends up tracking her down. Their brief conversation intrigues Lore enough to make her question whether she really can leave that life behind. Their interaction really rattles her. She has suspected that Castor was dead, so to have him just show up like that, it was a lot. Little does she know, things are about to get a lot more interesting.

Arriving home, she discovers the Greek Goddess Athena, one of the few remaining original Gods, injured on the steps of her brownstone, pleading for her help. Before she knows it, Lore has rejoined the hunt, pairing with Athena and hoping to finally get revenge on the man she blames for the murder of her family.

Y'all, I loved this book from the start. I was so intrigued about this whole concept and absolutely loved the characters. I think Bracken did a great job of building this out and keeping the pace steady throughout. There was always plenty of action and intrigue to keep me wanting more.

Lore is a very strong character, but you can tell that she is hurting a lot. As her past is slowly revealed, through chapters focusing on her childhood and the end of the last Agon, my heart absolutely ached for her. This girl has been through it. Over the course of the story, you really watch her character evolve from a damaged soul to a true force to be reckoned with.

I loved the relationships within this story. The friend group, made up of Lore, Castor, Van, Miles and Iro, was so great to read. I loved their dynamic and the way their personalities played off of one another; particularly Miles, the only one not from an ancient bloodline.

The Agon, at its heart, really is a competition; one of my favorite tropes. There was a lot of danger. I mean really, the entire time, Lore and her friends are on the move. They're constantly in fear for their lives, which makes you constantly in fear for their lives!

This felt like a superhero story to me and I was living for it. Towards the end, there are all sorts of surprising twists and reveals. Lore is a blast to read! Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Book Group and NetGalley, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I truly appreciate it.

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. I would have binged it all in one sitting if I could have.

Every seven years, for a period of seven days, a handful of Greek gods are made mortal and the scions of Greek heroes are allowed to hunt them in an attempt to steal their powers.

Lore's family was murdered at the end of the last hunt by the man who now wields the power of Ares. She tried to escape this deadly world, but when Athena shows up on her doorstep with a near-mortal wound, she'll have to take up arms once more in the hope that she may finally avenge her family.

I loved every second of this roller coaster ride of a novel. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, Bracken would throw in another plot twist. The pacing is perfect, action sequences melding beautifully with flashbacks exquisitely timed to let you catch your breath amd get a bit of back story before throwing you back into the fray. And all this wrapped up in a story teeming with themes of love, family, fate, anger, amd redemption.

This was an absolutely bang up first read of 2021, and I have no doubt I'll be recommending this book all year long.

Every seven years Zeus punishes nine Greek gods by forcing them into the Agon. Warrior families have hunted the gods in every Agon for generations hoping to absorb their powers and receive blessings in the intervening years.

Lore always knew she was destined for greatness and glory in the Agon, meant to restore her family house's honor. That was before Lore's own disastrous mistake brought about the death of her entire family.

Now, seven years later, Lore thinks she’s finally made it out and started a new life. But the return of her childhood friend Castor and the goddess Athena appearing at Lore’s door prove she never escaped the brutality of the Agon. Not really.

After years of hiding and trying to forget, Lore will have to come out of the shadows and embrace her complicated past if she wants to live long enough to have a future in Lore (2020) by Alexandra Bracken.

Lore is a standalone fantasy novel. Although the world building is heavily intertwined with Greeky mythology, the story itself includes enough information to make it approachable to those unfamiliar with the inspiration material. The book also includes a character list broken down by the family houses and lines. Lore and Castor are white although several members of the Agon families (including dark skinned Van and Iro) are from other racial backgrounds.

Lore is a fierce and often reluctant narrator. Most of her past is colored by trauma and regret over events that slowly unfold in flashbacks for readers as the novel builds to its explosive final act. Despite her desire to isolate herself and avoid further losses, Lore is surrounded by a strong group of friends and allies who add drama and levity to this potentially grim story. Lore's best friend Miles Yoon--an outsider to the world of the Agon--is an especially fun addition to the cast and a steadfast friend to Lore.

Set over the course the week-long Agon this fast-paced story plays out against the backdrop of New York City as Lore and her allies search for a way to end the Agon forever. Lore's efforts to find a place for herself as a young woman, both away from the Agon and within it, in a world all too quick to dismiss her is both timely and empowering.

Lore seamlessly blends elements from Greek mythology with a modern fantasy setting for a perfectly paced story of survival and fighting for what we deserve.

Possible Pairings: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake, Starling by Lesley Livingston, The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan, Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Such a good book! An interesting blend of Percy Jackson and the Hunger Games, Lore was a fun and refreshing read.

** 4.5 stars **

Gosh. . . Let me gather my thoughts. This is an epic adventure that will have you seeing the streets of New York New eyes. With it's blend of urban setting and Greek mythological, this story twists the everyday world into the unexpected as A. Bracken reveals the world of the Blooded and the bloodlines who serve the gods and fight for the honor of the Agon (the 7-days when good are mortals and can be slain and replaced by Blooded)

Melora (Lore) is born into the House of Perseus. Though her House is small and a past loss of a great treasure has brought shame to future generations, she still believes that she is meant to be a legion -- no matter if the other House scorn them or laugh.

Everything changes when she finds her family slaughtered by an opposing House. Her only choice is to go into hiding or die. All it takes is a half-dying goddess on her doorstep and Lore is dragged back into a world she thought she left behind.

Who will she trust? In a world where emotions can get you killed and friends are far and few between, can she survive another round? Lies and betrayal, secrets and truths, friends and enemies, all will be revealed; but not all can survive till the end of the Agon

** Thank you NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review the ARC of this book. The opinions are my own and have not been influenced by outside sources **

I was ECSTATIC when I found I was lucky enough to get an arc of this novel. I had been eyeing it ever since I saw the stunning cover and read the summary with Greek mythology in modern times. The main character, Lore, survived a horrifying childhood event and has tried to forget the past and her family's relation to the gods. Unfortunately, others have not forgotten and the time has come for gods and goddesses to return to earth stuck in mortal bodies. When a friend appears with a message, Lore knows that she cannot hide any longer and must face her quest to restore honor to herself and her family while fending off powers far greater than her own.

Secrets and mysteries surround the plot, along with mass amounts of action and some brutal scenes. There was never a lagging moment and the intense and heroic characters pulled me along. The author truly takes an epic concept of gods and mortality and creates intriguing new stakes for the opportunity of mortals to gain immortality and power from the very people they worship. I do wish that this book was a bit longer and less hurried as I felt that some concepts swept by, and I found myself confused and re-reading a few scenes. This was a solid fantasy/action read that I recommend to any myth lover.

Lore is a warrior, born into a long line of warriors. She is also the last of her line, the Persius line. All she wants is to avenge her family’s death and end the Agon. The Agon occurs every seven years when the gods become mortal for a week and hunters (warriors) try to kill them so they can take their place. Lore wants nothing of this. She wants to live her life in peace and not have to look over her shoulder every seventh year.
Opinion
Holy hot tamales Batman! This book was all engrossing. Even though this book was longer than the year 2020, it was well worth the read. I personally loved the live tension between Lore and Castor. There were also so many twists in the book that I’d advise you to keep notes so you can keep up. This author has an awesome mind to have been able to conceive of a book like this. I’d love to reread this story through other perspectives!
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

WOW! This book is everything I could have wanted in an urban fantasy retelling of Greek mythology. It was clear that Alexandra Bracken did her research! So many references to Greek mythos and ideas, like kleos and arité. All of the characters were complex and interesting. Lore and Castor were my favorites and their relationship was fantastic!

★★★

I was given the pleasure of reviewing Lore by Alexandra Bracken by NetGalley. I was so hopeful in the beginning, thinking Lore would be my favorite Bracken book yet. I’ve read the Darkest Minds series, as well as Passenger and enjoyed the former immensely.

There are too many “surprises” and forgotten things. Lore often remembers things from her childhood at the perfect moment, when all other leads have gone dry. And, sure, this happens once and I understand. But several times? Castor serves as a save-all and even he can’t die. He can heal anything, no matter how close to death. There are too many easy ways out.

The beginning, the set up of it all, is what I enjoyed the most. The middle got a bit muddled, especially as I got into the more physical fights and descriptions of places in New York City I’ve never been. It felt like Bracken was relying on these places being real places, forgoing more descriptive language. It was difficult to both picture the fighting, which was confusing at times, as well as trying to situate myself in the setting.

I also felt like Bracken relied on the mythology that she didn’t bother to lay out. I feel like I should have read a primer on mythology before reading this, so I could fully understand the weight behind these gods and their powers. There is a companion bit at the end but it only laid out bare facts. Especially with Athena, who becomes a major player in many ways, I felt it would have been beneficial to know a little bit more. Perhaps a flashback chapter from her point of view would have been appropriate.

Overall, I felt like the story couldn’t fill its own shoes. It was set up to be an amazing epic that fell a little short of what I expected it to be. Lore’s story and her motives are clear but others are not and, while it is in third person from Lore’s point of view, I was missing so much of what was happening. Lore and Castor are fairly well fleshed out but Miles, Van, and even Athena are relatively weak. I don’t get enough substance from any of them to become attached. And, sure, they’re not main characters, but I feel like I should be upset if any of them were to die. Physical movement seemed to serve as a replacement for actual character and story progression. The passage of time, which is very important given that they only have a week to fight and end the Agon, wasn’t urgent enough, either.

Overall, I read this and enjoyed the first third, or so. It got more scattered after that, harder to enjoy as more characters are introduced, but not enough backstory for me to truly immerse myself, or just enough of a hint at the mythology but not enough to imagine it. For all the potential and the description of the aegis itself, I’m giving this book a solid three stars. Thank you again, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book.

4.5 stars! I was fortunate enough to have an ARC of Lore from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me on my toes. There were so many times I said to myself, okay I'll read until the next section then do some cleaning or make dinner etc... And then the end of the section left me flabbergasted and needing to continue reading!

I had a blast buddy reading this with a friend and talking about all of our thoughts and assumptions as we read.

This was a fun ride and a book I didn't want to put down. Cannot wait to get my FairyLoot copy this month!