I received this complimentary ARC from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

"A feather fallen from a wing is not lost... but free"

Someone mentioned that this book was Hunger Games mixed with Percy Jackson… and while I agree, the book has elements of both, it’s so so so much more than that. It has the life and death elements that were in the Hunger Games, and it has the Greek Mythology elements of Percy Jackson, but this story is so unique and beautifully written, it frankly, puts those books to shame.

Opening Lore is like stepping into a world that has been around for aeons, but instead of feeling overwhelmed with history, you feel comfortable, because all the elements are familiar to you. Those old mythology classes, and even reading Percy Jackson, prepare you to understand this world.

"Sometimes the braver thing is to accept help when you've been made to believe you shouldn't need it."

The characters are real, with real problems and shortcomings. The heroine, Melora, deals with serious issues, on top of her own feelings of guilt, insecurity and fear. She is an incredibly written character that you immediately feel as if you’ve known forever. Something I love about the women in this book is how natural they are, yes they are tough and they fight and scream, but they also regret and love and cry.

There is also an amazing amount of diversity in this book, that didn’t feel forced at all.

Overall, this novel is one that I will definitely be re-reading. The story is incredible, the twists are clever and interesting and the ending, superb. It was moving and memorable and now, very dear to my heart.

I initially had the opportunity to read a 6 chapter excerpt of Lore (coming 01/25/2021) and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the full book! Thankfully, the wonderful folks at Hyperion Publishing gave me a full copy to review, so I’m amending my initial review (which can be found here) and updating it to include my feedback on the full novel.


Admittedly, I’m a Greek mythology fanatic, and I love story lines that incorporate those ancient mythologies. Lore is a modern fantasy with a twist that brings those ancient deities into the modern world. Here’s the blurb:
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.

The first six chapters did not disappoint. It has an excellent pace, hints at mystery, adds some humor, and got right to the tension. It’s a fresh, unique take on Greek mythology and I’m excited to read more.

12/27/2020 update:

I did receive a full copy of Lore for review. And the rest of the book holds out just as well as the preview. It’s a complex and exciting tale about the Greek gods and how their meddling with and amongst mortals leads to endless treachery and power shifts. This Agon is an intense battle between gods who’ve been maneuvering behind the scenes, and outside of the Agon for a long time and everything they’ve aspired to is finally within their reach. The battleground for this year is New York City, which lends a perfect backdrop to the battles among ancient deities (and their more modern counterparts). I can’t imagine a better setting for the epic final battle.
Lore is a strong, fearless character who struggles with self-awareness at first, but becomes more in tune to her own past and possibilities as the Agon progresses. As a character, she stays consistent throughout. She’s tough, but the loss of her her family at the hands of these warring immortals, is something that haunts her. It gives her equal parts anger and fear, both of which are nicely balanced and help make her a well-rounded character.

The cast of supporting characters includes gods and mortals alike, and they provide a nice balance in this storyline. The lies and motivations of some of them are complicated and sometimes not clear, but it all becomes apparent in the end and the ending is a satisfying one.


If you’ve ever struggled with remembering all the gods and how they interacted with or influenced mortals, this won’t be an easy storyline to keep track of. In addition to the original gods and heroes of Greek mythology, there are new gods who’ve replaced those in the ancient bloodlines to keep track of. But Lore remains a great, energetic, and adventure-laden escape.

"An oath was, after all, a curse you placed on yourself..."

In this modern Greek myth, Zeus cast nine gods out of Olympus for overreaching their power after the fall of Rome. Every seven years, there is a competition among the bloodlines of ancient Greek heroes to kill and steal the powers of these gods-made-mortal in a seven day hunt. Lore is the last of her bloodline, trying to carve out a normal life away from the lure of the hunt. However, when the next cycle comes to her home city of New York, she won't be able to stay away. A wounded Athena appears on her doorstep, seeking a bargain that will drag her back into the thrill and the horror of the world she tried to leave behind.

This story keeps up its supersonic pace for all near-500 pages. There are fights, surprises, pivots, and power plays always in motion. Lore is a complex and fierce heroine, twisted up in the conflict between how she was raised and who she wants to be. It's a classic argument about fate and free will. She must struggle with the power of her own choices for better or worse. The story is brutal and sweet in different moments, with both aggressive encounters and fond memories charged with emotion.

I appreciated this new take on Greek myth. The world-building is engrossing while serving as a backdrop for the action and personal journeys rather than as the focus itself. I highly recommend it to readers looking for a unique, high octane fantasy standalone.

This book was absolutely incredible! I was hooked from page one and inhaled this book within just a couple of days. If you're wondering if you should read this book, the answer is YES. This book is a mixture of Percy Jackson and the Hunger Games, filled with the romance and the soft male characters Alexandra writes so beautifully. Lore also features one incredibly powerful and bad-ass female protagonist whose growth throughout the books is beautiful, and a charming male protagonist who you can't help but love. You wouldn't think a goddess would have character growth, but I loved seeing Athena's journey through the book. Even the supporting cast of Van, Miles, and Iro add to the story and you root for each of them. The plot is fast-paced and full of twists that'll have you hooked from page one until the very end.
The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars was the ending of the story. The way the last chapter wrapped up was a bit confusing and too quick. While I understand that this is a stand-alone, I still believe the ending could've been further explored and drawn-out.
Still, I've already ordered a physical copy of this book and will not hesitate to recommend it to everyone. If you love Greek mythology, a fast-paced plot, and complex characters this book is certainly for you!

Anything involving Greek mythology I will gobble up and Lore definitely had me coming back and wanting more! The plot and details were next level. I could fully see the entire world Bracken had created clear as day. The Hunger Games meets Greek for a wild adventure!

I received this e-ARC from NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Long ago, nine Greek gods rebelled against Zeus and lost. The punishment was the Agon, where every 7 years, those gods become mortals for 7 days and are hunted by ancient bloodlines eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and become gods themselves. 17-year-old Lore has left this brutal world after the massacre of her family. Then two visitors, childhood friend Castor and the goddess Athena, find Lore, separately, needing her help. Lore finds herself reluctantly pulled back into the fight she had abandoned. As the deadly week progresses, Lore learns that not everything is as it appears to be.
I can best describe this YA novel as Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games. It is on the longer side (over 500 pages – hard to tell on Kindle) but it is a fast read. It is a different take on Greek mythology but one I quite enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this for grades 7 and up.
#Lore #NetGalley #DisneyHyperion

Lore by Alexandra Bracken is a well thought out story dripping in Greek mythology history, infused with present-day America. It reminds me of a well-blended mixture of American Gods and Hunger Games. If you do not know Greek folklore's classic stories, I recommend watching the docuseries, Great Greek Myths on Amazon Prime. It highlights and breaks down in detail every anecdote the Gods have ever encountered. With that being said, OHHHHMIGODDD! This book is amazing! I've been looking for a good Greek Myth book for a while, and this one hit all expectations.

Bracken has done a fantastic job with this story. She did her research and has a deep love for Greek Mythology. Whether it was drawing out the story plot, entering a bombshell of a plot twist, painting the modern world with a thriving hidden culture of Greek mythology, etc., I couldn't ask for a more perfect book.

This book is so hard to rate and review. If you like Greek mythology (but not enough to be annoyed by inaccuracies), love a friends to lovers trope, and like YA with a side of misogyny and lots of violence then Lore is for you!

Melora Perseous is trying to be a normal 17 year old girl until she walks home and sees Athena, goddess of wisdom and strategy, injured and bleeding out on her stoop. Lore is a descendent of Perseus, the mythological hero who killed Medusa, and the last surviving member of the Persides family - the Persides being one of 9 Greek mythological families that participate in the Agon. Every 7 years, the main Greek gods (i.e. Athena, Artemis, Poseiden, Area, etc.) are forced to walk the world as mortals where the decedents of ancient bloodlines hunt and kill them to steal their powers. Lore is the survivor of a horrific experience, hoping to stay out of the Agon but is drawn back in by Athena and an old friend.

WHEW, it was extremely difficult to write even that summary of the plot. Because this book is CONFUSING y'all. Like 20% in I was like, what is happening?! and that wasn't a good thing. But, I kept going because I was intrigued and ultimately I really liked Lore (for the most part).

Pros
- Lore - a badass, vulnerable, sensitive but hides it behind pure aggression. Really interesting.
- The Greek mythology
- some of the twists and turns
- the ending was super interesting and I liked I easy wrap up that didn't leave a wide open door for future books.
- the little bit where the characters spoke about the erasure of women in Greek myths. I wanted so much more but liked what I got!

Cons
- diversity felt like an unthought out check box. There are a few BIPOC characters and they were either evil, had very few lines, or were extremely one-dimensional and there just for a check mark. It was frustrating because I wanted more from the characters of color and I think that Bracken will be applauded for her diversity when really it seemed lazy.
- the length - this did not have to be over 400 pages. Some of it DRAGGED and I started skimming.
- the absolute misogyny. I understand why, but it was still extremely hard to read about the careless sexual assault and murder of children, the grooming of young girls. There should be a CW for sure.
- some of the relationships were flat (Lore and Castor, looking at you!). I wanted more from L&C - yes they were friends as children but love at 10 and love at 17 is way different - they are different people and that wasn't explored.
- some of the twists were CONFUSING and not needed.

I don't love a book where I have to keep going back to check out earlier parts because I am confused, and that happened a lot here (which is so hard in an ebook!). But, I did enjoy a lot of it. So I'd recommend, but read some of the CW that should be in this book and know that it might take you a bit to get into it.

Huge thank you to Disney Publishing, Hyperion, and Netgalley for providing this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Lore by Alexandra Bracken. I was so excited to receive this arc because I am a big fan of Bracken’s The Darkest Minds series. I also am fascinated by Greek Mythology so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book.

I don’t really know how to review this book because it’s super complex plus half of it was brutally slow and hard to get into, but the other half was fast paced and totally awesome! It took me a couple weeks to read the first 50-60% of the book, but then I literally read the last 40-50% in one afternoon. I’ve been going back and forth between 3-3.5 stars.

Lore is basically the Greek Mythology Hunger Games! The synopsis summarizes the basic concept so well . . . “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.” There is so much more to it, but our story centers around Lore, who is from the line of Perseides. We follow Lore as she is thrust back into this violent world with her heart set on revenge. There are fantastic messages of feminism, deciding your own fate, and the importance of being surrounded by loved ones.

This world is incredibly complex. The first half of the book is basically a massive information dump. There is just so much to remember . . . the original mythology, the new gods (plus the new names they have taken), the families, the powers, etc. etc. etc. It was honestly a lot to keep straight while reading. This is part of the reason why the first half of the book was so hard to get into. I was honestly a little bored because of all the information being thrown at me. I feel like all of the world-building, history, and info should have been more a part of the story and less just the characters reciting off info to each other. Although one exception to that is that I did love how the flashback chapters were woven into the story.

One other random minor dislike is that Lore is written in third person. It’s fine, but third person narrations are not my favorite.

Now all that being said . . . the second half of the book was awesome! Like I said, I literally read the second half in one sitting! The first half was a slow walk, but the second half took off running!! The story picked up and did not let go! The plot was fast paced and action packed! There were some truly great twists, turns, and reveals. I was finally completely pulled into the world of Lore. I couldn’t stop reading because I had to know what happened!

I really like that Lore is a standalone. It’s nice to read standalones sometimes! The story wraps up nicely with a definite end. I do think that there is an opening for Bracken to write some companion novels perhaps featuring Miles? Or maybe the other old gods? I think it would be fascinating to find out what the other gods were up to all this time!

I feel like I may need to reread Lore to fully appreciate it. Now that I have a grasp on the world and all its complexities I think I’d enjoy the first half more. Good news is that several book sub boxes are doing Lore for their January box so I will have a physical copy!!

LORE IS SET TO BE RELEASED JANUARY 5TH, 2021 BY DISNEY-HYPERION BOOKS!

I let myself go into this book mostly blind and I’m so glad I did! It’s a great different take on Greek Mythology in modern times.

The story starts off quick and we learn more about Lore, her past, and being the last of the blood line originating from Perseus and the rivalries and relationships between the other houses.

While intense at times, there’s also some humorous moments. One of my favorite characters is her roommate Miles. It’s also not surprising to me that the people of New York don’t really pay much attention to random people wearing masks around the city. So what a perfect place for strange goings on to happen.

Alexandra created a beautiful story and I loved the mix of Greek within which helped me to get lost in the story even more.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I'm not sure what I expected, but this wasn't it! I really enjoyed The Darkest Minds trilogy, and I was expecting another dystopia/science fiction sort of book. Instead, this book was an interesting combination of tough, super fighter heroine and mythology.

Every seven years, nine Greek Gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, and it's open season on them - somewhat of a Hunger Games for gods. Lore, our heroine, is the last survivor of the Perseus line, and she is trying her best to stay out of the whole thing. Meanwhile, she is using her serious fighting skills to support herself as a fighter. Much to her surprise, one of her childhood friends, Castor, finds her and she is pulled into helping him.

It does take awhile to get a handle on this book. My own memory of the Greek gods was not exactly up to speed, but it helped to do a quick search and refresh myself. You also have to keep straight who is now in the person of each god - once someone kills one of the gods, they assume those powers.

Once you've got a handle on all this, things speed up dramatically. Warfare, treachery, love - it's all there! Just hang on for a wild ride!

- received as an ARC - Oh my GOD. First of all, the cover? STUNNING. Not going to lie, it took me a while to get into this book because of the intricate world building woven throughout the chapters. I really, really thought I would DNF it just because I couldn’t get into it. After I understood what was going on, I became attached to Lore. She’s an amazing female character who is relatable from the very beginning - driven by goals and a need for survival. The Greek mythology is amazing and THE PLOT TWISTS. DEAR GOD. I was originally going to give it 4/5, but the plot twists gained it an extra star as I couldn’t put it down once I got over my initial hump. Ugh. Beautiful.

I would also LOVE to teach this. I think it'd work AMAZING for lit circles.

The first few chapters I was totally confused. I was thrown into this world where characters were popping up left and right and I didnt really have any clue to what was happening. But luckily that was only for a few chapters at the start. Afterwards I was completely enthralled by the world, by the competition, and by the characters. The character development was fantastic during the book and I loved to see how every character had their own internal conflicts to deal with as well. My only complaint I guess was that I kinda needed more answers to having the point of Agon to even begin with.

If Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games had a baby, Lore, would be that baby. And boy she is as amazing of a baby as you would expect. Filled with gods, lethal teenage mortal, power hungry men and the young girls who we love to see defeat them. Action packed with a small side of romance Lore is a book you won’t be able to put down.

The books follows Lore, a 17yr old living in New 6 York. But there is something special about her, she is the last living mortal descendant of Perseus. Her family was one of 7 tied to the immortal punishment of the gods who betrayed Zeus. Every seven years for seven days the descendants of Greek hero’s get to hunt the gods, taking over their power when they kill one.

Lore has spent the last 7 years trying to leave that world behind but when she finds a wounded goddess on her doorstep who offers her vengeance for her family she finds herself pulled back into the world of hunt.to not only find revenge for her family but to save her friends and the world from the power hungry newly made gods.

I loved getting swept up in this fast paced book. The characters are fun and varied and show a small level of diversity (given they are all Greek descendants). I enjoyed reading about tough girls who don't back down and are ready to smash the patriarchy that has defined so much of their lives. I had not read any of Alexandra Brackens other work but after reading Lore I will definitely be looking into her other works.

Lore is my first Alexandra Bracken novel and I was so excited to read such a hyped author plus Greek mythology. To be honest, I haven't read a good Greek mythology inspired book in what feels like forever. I can't even think of one off the top of my head that I loved. And while I enjoyed the Greek mythology aspects of Lore, this one unfortunately didn't make it into my top. Reading the summary, I loved the idea of the Agon and the idea of Greek gods and goddesses coming to life. While I enjoyed this aspect immensely, I felt, especially at the beginning, that I needed to be consulting the reference tables.

Lore brings to life a world of old gods meet new gods and killers. A pack of power hungry families deeply entrenched in traditions and patriarchy. It's a world that seems to be removed from time. Set in modern day NYC, the world of Lore feels starkly contrasted with families ruled by male succession. While Lore stands strictly against the old traditions and sexism, the ways powerful men are never held accountable, she's fighting against a system most wish to uphold. I enjoyed Lore's character, the ways she recognizes the injustices.

However, I found myself finding it difficult to get to know Lore. I found myself wondering what drove her, and when by the time I felt like I did understand her, it was a bit too late. I think if I wasn't reviewing this book, I might not have finished it. I enjoyed the histories of betrayals, schemes and manipulations mounded upon each other. But at the same time, I was missing an emotional pull to keep reading, to need to find out what happened to Lore.

Standalone fantasy novels for the win!

I absolutely loved this. A great introduction to Alexandra Bracken and an even better twist on the tried-and-true Greek Mythology YA tropes.

Highly recommend for people looking for an older and edgier Percy Jackson, a great fantasy standalone, or just a quality fantasy read for the holidays.

4/5 Stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Disney publishing worldwide for sending me this arc in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Greek mythology meets the hunger games in the new standalone ‘Lore’ from author Alexandra Bracken. Long ago, nine gods rebelled and as a result the Agon was made. Every seven years those gods would be stripped of their immortality and forced to fight humans desperate to gain immortality and power from their death. Melora, ‘Lore’ is an outcast from the ‘wiped out’ line of Perseides, teams up with the god Athena who showed up on her doorstep. Together they form a tethered bond and search for an end to the Agon.

The description had me very interested and hooked and the beginning of this book had already lived up to my expectations. Although in the middle the pacing became slow and there was a lot of information dumping which was overwhelming and it felt like I was reading and not absorbing anything at all. I’m glad I kept pushing on because the last part of the story definitely made up for it.

Arc provided by the Disney Publishing worldwide via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Stunning book. Lore was a modernization of myth and it is beautifully written. I have read other things by Alexandra Bracken but believe she really did her best work with Lore. She has improved al to as a writer and this book shows it.

This book follows the adventures of Lore as she navigates through the Agon and tries to survive while also seeking to avenge her family’s brutal murders. I was completely lost initially, as Greek mythology is a fairly unfamiliar topic to me so it took me a little while to understand what was going on. Although I really appreciated how Bracken put in the effort to spell out the history and really explain the details of the world she put us in.
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I really admired Lore and her group and the warm and fuzzy messages we got about friendship and loyalty. Although the dialogue was a little cheesy at times, I really connected to everyone and loved how different people played these surprising roles in the fates of their adversaries.
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I thought the ending wrapped everything up decently, but left a little to be desired. I think having a ‘One Year Later’ section or something along those lines would’ve been helpful as the conclusion came together pretty quickly.
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Overall thorough I was captivated by the storyline and the character development we experienced in Lore. Bracken’s writing is refreshing and exciting, and I’m very interested in picking up more of her books now. If you’re a fan of fantasy and especially if you’re a Greek mythology fan, pick up this book. You won’t be disappointed!

I received an ARC of Lore thanks to the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.

My initial thoughts from the summary (very shortly after finishing Circe and jonesing for more Greek mythology) was this was going to be a must-read. Then I was able to review the sampler and it held up to my expectations.

Now I’m honored to review the whole book and I am screaming!

I absolutely love Lore. She is a mortal trapped in a god-filled world and believes her destiny is to achieve infamy. But her world is upended when her family is murdered outside the bounds of the Agon (think Hunger Games-esque stakes with god powers being transferred to the mortal when they kill the god).

The story contained the perfect amount of plot twists to stay interesting but not completely upend the entire plot. Once the plot twist happened I immediately thought ‘yeah, I should have seen that coming’.

The character development was also spot on. There was never a stagnant spot where I wanted to rip my hair out because the character just couldn’t see reason. Really well written plot too!

I think my only complaint is there were parts that I found the language to either be awkward or not specific enough to really give me the full picture. But it was really only noticeable in a few spots and if you just kept going it made total sense. Like landscape changes would be ignored and the reader would have to assume what was happening (such as water rising but not being told it was rising. It was just suddenly higher). But those are easily mended and honestly might just be my preference for wanting to turn my imagination into a movie rather than actually using it to create the picture on my own.

Overall, very good book and I recommend it!