Cover Image: Lore

Lore

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Member Reviews

Story line is a mix of YA Fantasy and ancient Greek mythology. Not my typical genre but Disney Publishing caught my eye!
I did read "Passenger" and I liked it.
The setting is present day. Lore Perseous is our protagonist and lives in New York City, her entire family died in the last Agon.
Agon: As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals; this takes place for seven days every seven years. If you can kill one YOU become a god and take their power and immortality"
Lore has pushed away any revenge against the man now a god who is responsible for killed her parents.
Hmmm
On the author’s web site
http://www.alexandrabracken.com/lore
she states
(Please Note: ”Given the darkness of the source material, this book contains more mature content than my past work in the form of more graphic depictions of violence and discussion/mention of sexual assaults and therefore may not be the right fit for all readers.)

Not sure how to describe this I do believe Ms. Bracken had ‘me’ in mind when she gave her warning!

I wanted to like this but it really did not work for me.
I am still giving it 3 stars as I liked the info at the end of the book. The descriptions of the Cast of Characters and I love the “Author’s Acknowledgments“ it is an inside story to the story!

Want to thank NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for this early release. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes only.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 5, 2021

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This one is not my typical genre but I found it to be a worthwhile read. LOTS of action and adventure. Great if you're a fan of Percy Jackson and the Hunger Games and don't mind a bit of gore.

Thank you to Disney Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a pre-release of this novel. My feedback is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

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This was a fun book to read. It was fast-paced, easy to read and full of snarky one-liners that made you feel as if you were there fighting along with all the Gods of Mythology. My earlier review here on GoodReads indicated I received an advanced sampler from Disney Hyperion in late July & not realizing this and I was crestfallen when it abruptly ended. I knew this was going to be a book I was going to get because I had to know how it ended.

A few weeks ago I received a package with an ARC and a personalized note from the author. After work I spent all my free time in the evening finishing this book and LOVED it. I loved it so much that this coming Winter I am pulling out my Edith Hamilton book of mythologies and re-reading it. Thank you Alexandra for reminding me how beautiful the mythology stories are and for following your muse to write this wonderful story.

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I was really excited to have the opportunity to read this ARC, however, it just didn't deliver for me. The writing itself was fine, but I found it extremely boring. I don't typically find many books that boring, I enjoy plenty of books that drag on for others, such as The Grapes of Wrath. Yet, I just couldn't get into this one. I love dystopian and I love mythology, but I did not love this. I kept reading then stopping and trying to come back to it until I decided I wasn't going to waste my reading time on a book I didn't enjoy at all. It just did not get better for me. I'm not sure if it was situational, the constant starting and stopping or just general incompatibility with characters and/or plot, but it didn't work for me. Two stars because the actual writing itself was not bad.

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“You have to start thinking about your future, otherwise, your past is always going to hold you back.”

DNF @ 15% (75 pages)

This was my very first experience with a teen novel written by Bracken. I’ve tried her middle-grade series and it was okay. Nothing that I would brag about. I just thought this one would be a great place to start because I love mythology stories being twisted into modern-day life.

I hate to say this but I wasn’t impressed. Bored is more like it. I tried to push through to read more of the book but I felt myself backsliding into a reading slump. That’s a place I don’t want to go to right now. So I stopped.

This was my third attempt at trying to read this one and I have to admit that this book just wasn’t for me. I was expecting action-packed scenes from page one with crazy twists but none of that was there.

Here’s the thing, I know other readers are going to say that I should have held out longer but if a story doesn’t grab me in within the first seventy-five pages, I’m not going to waste any more of my time reading a book that may potentially put me into a slump.

Lore had the potential to be powerful but it just wasn’t there for me. I felt as if I was watching multiple tennis matches at once and I wasn’t here for it. I hope other readers have a better experience with this book but it just wasn’t for me. Life is too short to waste on books you don’t like.

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Definitely going to recommend this to my students that enjoy reading. I am constantly on the search for strong female characters for my students to read about, and this book fit the bill!!

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What a epic ride. I enjoyed the gripping story and places this book took me. I will be adding this to my favorites. Well-done.

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A fantastic, epic tale that weaves Greek mythology into our modern world, with New York City as the star of this story. The characters are fully realized, with distinct and traceable arcs as the book progresses. The pacing is quick and the plotting is superb; there is truly never a dull moment in Lore. You will cry, laugh, and be filled with a righteous fury that once belonged to all of our ancestors. It is truly a masterpiece, and I am grateful to have read this novel. Pure storytelling, pure enjoyment.

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Every seven years 9 Greek Gods participate in a unit called The Agon, where they can be killed by mortals who wish to claim their power and immortality. Lore Perseous walked away from that life after her entire family was brutally murdered. But when the next Agon begins and a childhood friend and a wounded God both show up asking for help, Lore is pulled back into the hunt seeking revenge for her family.

I absolutely love this book!! It gives me a modern day Hunger Games vibe with Greek Gods as participants. The world building, character development, betrayals, twists, and relationships between this cast of characters drew me in from the beginning and kept me hooked throughout the story.

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ARC Provided by NetGalley and Publishers in exchange for an honest review and opinion.

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“Lore” is a novel written by #1 NYT bestselling author Alexandra Bracken.
It follows the story of Lore - our main character - as she tries to survive a deadly hunt, in which ancient deities are targeted in the hopes of gaining their immense power.

This book had such promise - it’s not that I believe it failed to live up entirely, but I do think it failed to hit the mark in some places.

The story starts off really great, it’s interesting, and there’s enough intrigue to hold your attention. It’s a fresh take on old stories, and knowing the author has Greek heritage herself - I appreciated the amount of research and history that was woven into this tale.
However, I felt the conflict in the story lapsed at times as it carried on or became very circular.

One other thing I was not a fan of - was the romance.
I enjoyed seeing flashbacks between the two characters, and the way they interacted as kids, however I didn’t necessarily feel as much romantic chemistry between them as I would have liked.

Overall I did enjoy the characters and the way they interacted with one another; they felt life-like and the conflict within the story, for the most part, felt organic and aligned with the character goals - even if I felt it stumbled at times.

So small issues aside I did find this an enjoyable read.
I liked our cast of characters and the idea is an interesting take on a subject that is frequently overused.

It’s a fun read and does have moments that are really enjoyable.

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For readers who grew up on Percy Jackson, this is a great upper YA and almost NA foray into mythology, with a new perspective. Every 7 years the agon occurs for 7 days, a time where the old and new gods are mortal, able to be killed and their powers stolen. The agon began to change horrifically 7 years ago when Melora, Lore, was a young child. She saw the aftermath of her dead family, brutally slaughtered in a hunt for her. The old gods continue to be murdered, vengeful and savage new ones replacing them. She disappeared after the last agon, trying to escape the life she was born into. When this agon rolls around and an old friend is seemingly back from the dead, Lore is drawn back into the life she swore to forget and discovers her role in the agon is much larger than she'd ever thought. In a sweeping tale of Greek mythology like you've never heard it before, the gods, both new, old, and false, take the stage in New York City to avoid death in this year's agon. Despite their wishes, this book is filled with death upon death upon death, filling the underworld up with plenty of souls.

Lore was a refreshing read, something we just don't get enough from in young adult literature. Post Percy Jackson, the world left Greek mythology behind and, rightfully, made the push towards diverse cultures and myths that are just as exciting, if not more. However, there was a void in Greek mythology, of people seeking something different than Percy Jackson, much like the void of vampire novels since Twilight. Lore sought to fill that void and made a valiant entry into the world of mythology novels. Aligning more towards new adults rather than young adults, Lore describes the old gods more like feuding families, with all the intricacies, layers, and patriarchal dictatorships we love to see. She introduces the idea of new gods or false gods, the hunters who slay the old gods and take their powers when the old gods are mortal each agon. This allows for personality, but not power, changes. While we know Ares was a brutal god, seeing his new god (mortal turned into a god) makes Ares seem like a child. This sort of savagery builds into a book that is much more brutal than anyone would ever expect. I constantly texted my best friend every time there was a death and it felt like hundreds of text messages. While I did not expect that going in, it was refreshing to read.

The only, absolutely only, reason I gave this a 4 and not a 5 (truthfully, it's a 4.5), is the sheer number of times the terms old god, new god, and false god are used. It has to be well over 1,000 in this 480 page novel. There are a lot of names and terms repeated way more frequently than they should be when simple pronouns like she/her, he/him, and they/them would have been fine. Outside of that, it truly was an enjoyable read and I devoured most of it in two days despite what my dates read says. I would highly recommend picking it up and giving it a try as it is a refreshing entry into the lost world of Greek mythology.

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LORE by Alexandra Bracken is a powerful tale that combines mythology and a bold young woman and it contains an original air about it that is as refreshing as it is adventuresome. High on details, human passions, gods who have forgotten their own mortal emotions and weaknesses all wrapped into a tale of personal resolve to seek vengeance on those she cared about.

I admit that the beginning was a little confusing. I had a little trouble differentiating all the families and understanding how exactly the Agon works (who can take the power of the god, who is hunting which god, etc.), but it became clearer in the 4th and 5th chapters.

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“A deadly hunt in a modern day setting where Greek mythological goddesses and gods are hunted, Alexandra Bracken’s Lore delivers in this action packed novel that never lets up until the very end.”

Lore Perseous is a survivor.

She has to be; she’s the sole heir to an ancient bloodline of the house of Perseus. Just like Suzanne Collin’s Katniss Everdeen, in The Hunger Games, Lore is drawn into a game, a battle for her life in order to save her city, her family, and herself. Although Collin’s novel is a dystopia, Bracken’s thrilling action and Greek mythology infused tale has a modern day backdrop of New York City.

And if you’re a Greek mythology enthusiast like me you’ll enjoy the way Bracken pulls from the legends of past and weaves them together in this newly imagined action packed narrative as though she were Arachne herself. Each of the goddesses and gods brought low by being mortal, Bracken blends the deities pasts into her very own story to magnify the sheer brutality and hubris of the gods along with the underlining message of greed and power (felt by both divine and mortal alike).

Bracken also writes about some touchy and heavy topics that may be overshadowed by the hunt itself. Poverty, murder, rape, and sexism are all touched on in Lore’s story, but some of these topics seem to get lost or become confusing in the overarching story. As though we are given glimpses of an image, but not given the proper lighting. It does not detour from the overall story, however it makes it difficult to follow if not fully addressed.

Let’s not forget the romance! I think Bracken’s Passenger duology is brilliant and the romance is the biggest aspect of the novel that I absolutely loved. And she does not disappoint in Lore. This is no enemies to lovers trope, but one built on a lifetime of friendship.

Lore and Castor’s bond is very clear. As the reader you become fully immersed into their friendship. The way they fight for each other and keep each other safe. How Bracken builds their relationship over the course of the novel will keep readers wondering when these two are going to act (kiss already moments) and see if they both can survive the hunt, and each other.

Unforeseen plot twists, murderous goddesses and gods, and some clear societal concerns, Bracken’s Lore isa multifaceted story that will have fans of Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games and Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves ready to dive into this book.

Happy Reading ̴ Cece

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Lore is very much Shadowhunters meets The Hunger Games but — ten times better. Alex Bracken proves again how her writing style is head and shoulders above the rest with her deep dive into Greek mythology and history. I finished this book wanting so much more and wishing it wasn’t just a standalone but also I feel like I learned so much about ancient Greek culture. I loved the characters and I will most certainly be purchasing the hard copy to keep with me amongst my favorite books.

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The idea of this book is so interesting, but I feel like it could have been written better. Personally, I believed that the first half of the book was a little better than the second half. In the first half, I enjoyed the characters, especially Lore, because she always stood up for herself and she wasn't necessarily the "chosen one", which I think was an interesting way to frame a young adult novel centered around greek mythology, since mythology is always riddled with "chosen ones." As far as having this be a greek mythology "retelling", I found the modernity of it to be interesting, and I liked the way in which is was Hunger Games-esque, but there were some phrases that the characters said that were incredibly cringy, like "For the love of Cerberus!" and things like that.

As far as the plot, I got confused about the histories of the different bloodlines because there were several info-dumps with a lot of characters, and even doubles of some characters because of the old and new god thing. Also, there were so many things happening behind the scenes, or hidden from the direct narrative, that when things did get revealed, it felt out-of-the-blue, forced and confusing. The pacing of the plot was very weird because it seemed like it was non-stop action the entire time, but I couldn't find myself caring about any of it. Something that really bothered me, and bothers me in a lot of books, is when a character will suddenly realize the most important piece of information, the thing that will save the day, right at the last moment possible, like before or during a battle, and this happened twice in Lore.

I know I heavily critiqued this book. I did have some problems with it, but I did not hate it, or even dislike it. I found it to be okay, so that is why I am giving it a 3 star rating instead of a 1 or 2 star rating. This book wasn't anything special, but I am still happy that I read it. So, I do recommend this book, but only if you're in the mood for greek mythology.

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Every seven years, the hunt begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to participate in the Agon, where they must walk the earth as mortals for a week. If losing their powers wasn't enough, all the while, the gods are being hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, who are eager to kill the gods to take over their powers. Lore Perseous used to have high hopes of becoming a hunter, but those dreams were dashed when her family was brutally murdered. Afterward, she turned her back on everything she knew, and for years has tried to silence the part of herself which longs to take revenge on the one she believes to be responsible.

As the next hunt gets ready to wreak havoc through New York City, Lore is approached by two unlikely participants: her childhood friend, Castor, who Lore believed was dead, and the goddess Athena, who shows up on her doorstep gravely injured. The goddess offers Lore a bargain she can't refuse: if Lore will bind her fate to Athena, then she will get the revenge she desires and a way to end the Agon forever. But Lore quickly discovers her choice to return to the hunt isn't that simple, and there are even bigger forces at play with deadly consequences that could bring all of humanity to its knees.

I grew up obsessed with Greek mythology, so I was sold on this book right from the get-go, and boy did it deliver! It was non-stop action from the very first page and didn't let up one bit. It was relentless in the best possible way. I loved how the characters and gods were depicted, especially Lore. She was so headstrong and defiant and had such a chip on her shoulder, but was willing to sacrifice all she had to protect the ones she loves. She really felt like one of those heroes from the stories. My only slight issue with this was I did get confused at times because some characters go by a few different names, so it made it a bit hard to keep track of. Other than that, I thought this was stellar.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I have to be honest, it took me a bit to get into this. The beginning is by no means bad, it just lulled a few times. About 40% in, it started to kick up and really get going. But the last 45%? I’m pretty sure my jaw was open the whole time. Now? I’m sitting here, just having finished, a few tears running down my cheeks. That was a FANTASTIC ending.

My true rating is a 4.5/5.

This book follows Lore, a young woman who’s family was deceased. When an old friend enters back into her life, she’s thrust into a world she thought she could leave behind. When both worlds collide, she’s fated to make decision that could not only affect her old world but her new world too.

I love Greek Mythology, so when I heard about this I got so excited. While it took me a minute to get into, I actually enjoyed the content. The world/family building was so well done. It took a little bit to keep them all separate and figure out The Who’s who, but once you did this flowed beautifully. The pacing, for the most part, is great. I enjoyed the arc of each main character. It felt like genuine growth and learning. Each one understood what they needed to do and it helped them grow as people. The romance? Perfection. That slow burn friends to lovers is one of my favorites. Alexandra did a fantastic job with this. It’s beautifully woven throughout the story and action.

While I warn there’s a few TWs for mentions of rape and death, all and all this is a great book.

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Lore follows the story of Melora Perseus, the last of the descendants of the hero Perseus (I recommend reading the synopsis above, it’s a bit hard to explain the premise). It’s filled to the brim with fight scenes, romance, and good old Greek god drama. It is definitely a unique take that I was excited to jump into–I went in with expectations of something in the vein of Percy Jackson.

Unfortunately, Lore was written with the same simplistic style of Percy Jackson without the lovable characters or gripping plot. From the start, I was quite disappointed by the way things progressed; it followed the formula of a typical YA–all action, no substance. The story moved at a non-stop pace, but I was never brought to the edge of my seat and it was almost a chore to keep reading. The writing lacked subtlety and the “plot twists”, while somewhat unexpected, felt inconsequential.

I never felt connected to the characters or invested in their story. I feel like Bracken tried to create an anti-hero complex within Lore, but it was shallow and a bit confusing. Lore and the lover boy had zero chemistry and the friendships were absolutely lackluster. The side characters were basically cardboard and the antagonists are out-villained by Doctor Doofenshmirtz. There were violent scenes that were horrible to read and didn’t contribute much beyond shock factor.

I feel like I don’t have much beyond complaints for this one. It was a long book that I didn’t enjoy very much. I can’t tell if it’s because I’ve outgrown YA or because this one was particularly bad. Based on my past experiences with Alexandra Bracken (which weren’t great), I’m hoping it’s the latter.

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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. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost.
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Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Alexandra Bracken for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Welcome to the world of gods and goddesses and mortals and mythology and madness. It is such a wild ride from end to end.

Lore is an appearingly average 17-year-old just trying to figure out the next step in life when mayhem falls into her lap. She has a house, a “job”, and a friend that cares deeply for her. When life is a mess, this truly is all you can ask for.

Castor, a blast from her past, is such a mess of a boy. He disappeared years ago after being the one true constant in Lore’s life, and reappears now with all of his baggage in tow.

The relationship between these two characters is so dynamic. It rocks a massive friends to lovers situation, and is so slow burn while exploding off the page all at the same time. I found myself digging for more just to see where these two would go.

The cast of side characters was massive, but never confusing. Miles, the dorky roommate, Van, the kind of aggressive assistant, Athena, the..... something, Iro, the long lost friend, and all of the other named and nameless people shuffle around the plot, really building up the storyline. While there were a lot of characters, each one felt dramatically important.

The plot itself is a whirlwind adventure through New York in a Hunger Games meets Greek mythology storyline. While I felt each of these other stories within Lore, I never felt like I wasn’t reading something unique. I was drawn into Lore’s completely real struggles of living up to your family, missing those you have lost, and figuring out what to do in life, with just a fantastical twist.

While the book was very character-focused, I did love all of the action. It never slowed down or lagged, but just kept getting more and more intense and fantastic. This book was the perfect fantasy adventure and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to live in its pages.

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After reading the sampler, I could not WAIT for the full book. Lore is set in modern-day New York where Greek gods and the descendants of heroes like Perseus and Achilles still exist. Every 7 years, the Agon happens--a Hunger Games-esque battle between gods and hunters--the descendants of Greek heroes. Gods take on mortal form (with their powers still intact) and must escape being killed by rival hunters. If you kill a god, you take their powers, thus leaving only a few original gods at the beginning of the book. We follow one of the last of the Perseus bloodline--Lore--as she enters into another Agon. She's tried her best to leave the world of hunters and gods behind her, but a wounded god showing up on her doorstep pulls her right back in.

It's no surprise to anyone that knows me that I'm a sucker for mythology of any kind, especially Greek. This incredibly unique and fresh take on modern mythology is exactly what we need--both in quarantine and for the mythology world. Darker than Percy Jackson, Lore takes on questions of what humanity and morality mean and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It's quite confusing at first to keep track of all of the bloodlines, new and old gods, and what the Agon actually is. Don't be disheartened, it gets easier the further along you get.

This is a great book for young adults and adults alike who want to scratch that mythology itch and want a fresh new take on the world of modern gods.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley.

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