Despite my love for Greek mythology, I found this one not to my liking. I thought I would love Lore, but it didn't pull me in the way I hoped. I know my opinion is an outlier, and many will / have enjoyed this book but it wasn't for me. I do plan to reread some time in the future as it could just not be what I'm currently wanting out of a book at this time.

TW: Violence/Torture in general
Violence/Torture against small children
4 Stars
I am all about some Greek mythology. I love it. So I was really excited to start this one and I
I really loved the concept:

Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals. They are 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, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory after her family was murdered by a rival line. 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 her out: Castor, a childhood friend Lore believed to be dead, and Athena, one of the last of the original gods, now gravely wounded.
The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and a way to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to rejoin the hunt, binding her fate to Athena's, will come at a deadly cost—and it may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.</i>

I am a fan of high stakes 'games' or tournaments," and pitting gods against the decedents of famous heroes was super intriguing.

I loved Lore. She is tough and flawed. Taking into consideration Lore is the descendent of a Greek hero, and this world where fierce loyalty, a determination for greatness at all costs, to be strong and not show weakness is ingrained at a young age, Bracken did an amazing job developing and showcasing Lore's inner struggle. Her desire to get out; her disenfranchisement with the rules of the Agon, her grief, but also still feeling the pull of the games and desire to obtain glory and avenge her House. I loved her complexity and I could feel her struggle.

I got a little "found family" vibe with Miles (who I love) and I'm all about found family. I couldn't help but root for this rag tag group pulling together and going after this next Agon. There was a lot of action and so I wasn't struggling to stay engaged.

I do wish there was a richer history for the Agon and how they started. I would have loved excerpts from Athena's point of view as flashbacks from when it all started maybe, or a prologue from her point of view.

Overall I really enjoyed it!

I received an eArc of this title via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no effects my opinion of the book. Thank you Disney-Hyperion for the review copy!

Really love the atmosphere of this book, and the ideas were really great. I always enjoy reading books inspired by or about Greek mythology. But the start was really jarring and hard to follow for a while. It was difficult to keep track of what was happening at times. Overall, fun read!

Oof. So the best analogy I can come up with here is that this is the equivalent of watching one of those big, flashy, action movies - something by Michael Bay, or maybe a superhero movies. But the DC ones, not MCU. As in, there are explosions, and dramatic chases, and lots of really well-staged fight scenes, and it's totally fun to watch with some popcorn, or if you're on a plane. And the explosions distract you from the fact that the plot makes no sense, and the characters are barely two-dimensional, and their motivation is "I am double-crossing you because it will make a cool surprise and let us move to the next big fight scene."

Was it mildly entertaining? Sure. Can I recall anything about this book, other than it involved Greek mythology? No. As best as I can make out, centuries ago, a bunch of the Greek gods rebelled against Zeus, and he sentenced them to be mortal for one week every seven years. And then he charged the descendants of Greek heroes to hunt them down. How the rules of all of this works are utterly confusing, and the logic doesn't even hold together during the book - Athena says the rebel gods did this because everyone stopped believing in them (and there's a random scene where she's pissed at Jesus for taking away her followers). But apparently there are still thousands of people sworn to uphold the glory of the house of Achilles, and Odysseus, and Perseus, etc. who do still believe in the gods. The hunters hate the old gods for having powers, but also want their powers, and want to become them? Bracken keeps revealing parts of in flashbacks, and offers up multiple motivations for her main character, Melora Perseous, who is doing her best Michael Corleone as she's reluctantly pulled back into the fight. And like the action films, there's a surfeit of anonymous henchman willing to fight and die for no obvious gain, and who have an unlimited supply of weapons and ammo; with plenty of gratuitous violence, innocent bystanders being stabbed, burned alive, drowned and beheaded and the gods and hunters wreak their through New York City.

I give the book 4 1/2 stars. I thought story was original. I enjoyed the characters. I liked that the book was a stand alone but I felt there could of been another book because I felt the end was a little rushed and there were other side characters that I would I love to read more on their background stories.

By Alexandra Bracken. Pub Date: January 5th, 2021

Four and a Half Stars! Best enjoyed when you’re in the mood for some serious vengeance!

The Agon takes, an ancient practice that involves the hunting of old gods, takes place every seven years. During these hunts, differing factions of Hunters track down and kill the gods, the strongest member of their faction absorbing the powers and immortality of the god and becoming a new god who can rule over and bless the members of their faction.


Lore Perseous was only a child during that last Agon, but it changed her life when a rival faction brutality murdered her parents and younger sisters in cold blood in order to wipe out the line of Perseus. Running from her old life, she has learned to live in a world that is a far cry from the one she used to be a part of. She has pushed any notion of revenge from her mind and has developed friendships, like the one with her roommate turned best friend Milo. However, although she is done with the brutal world she left behind, it is not done with her. When her former training partner Castor turns up at one of her underground fights, he drags with him not only the realization that he is not in the grave, but also the pain of the past. Although it’s still not enough for her to consider going back into the family business, the bleeding body of a barely alive and brought-to-mortality Athena shows up on her doorstep and forces her back into a place she wanted to forget forever. With Castor alive and the threat of a new god bent on destroying the entire world and remaking it in his image, Lore must stop the turning tide before it destroys not only the history she hates but the people she has come to care for.


Lore is a driving adventure from page one. The brutal life that Lore Perseous lived in the past is interwoven with the current time, helping readers further understand what the culture of the cult-like groups that make up her family legacy are all about, and why she chose to turn away from it. Although Lore seems to be a hard person, her characterization is well rounded and the revelations of her past shed light on why she feels as she does. It’s an origin story wrapped up in an almost superhero-like tale of a group of people having to use what they can to save the world from an evil god bent on destroying everything they hold dear.


This book has everything. Betrayal, love, ambition, power, mystery, forgiveness, vengeance, redemption, and explosive adventure. Bracken brings us a true feast of the imagination with this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for the advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

4.5/5
Urban fantasy meets Greek Mythology? Yes, please!

As punishment for a failed rebellion, nine gods—Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Poseidon - Zeus created the Agon. Every seven years: the nine are fated to walk the earth as mortals, and if a hunter kills them, they forfeit their power and immortality.

I loved the fresh take Alexandra Bracken brings to the Greek Mythology scene with Lore. It is a fun, action-packed read that I really enjoyed. The story is a bit hard to follow at first, especially if the reader has no prior knowledge of Greek Mythology, but overall this book was a win for me.

Thank you to Disney-Hyperion and Net Galley for giving me an arc to review!

Get ready to be transported into a world where Ancient Greece meets modern day! I gave this book a four out of five stars.

I typically don’t get attached to characters in most books but this one was different. Alexandra Bracken brought back some of my favorite gods and goddesses from Greece mythology but her own characters really were the stars. Lore is such a strong individual who despite her traumatic past, rises to avenge her family. Then you have Miles, the sweetest, logical side kick you’ll ever meet. I really enjoyed the friendship between these two.

My only concern reading this was that my knowledge of Greek Mythology is very sparse. However, the author did a wonderful job giving us enough context without giving a history lesson.

I feel this is probably more of a personal preference but i didn’t enjoy the action scenes that much. Doing a little more research I understand now why there were so much action but it still seems excessive to me.

I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in Greek Mythology. Even if you’re not, you should still give this book a go!

This was not all I'd hoped it would be. The first two-thirds had me assuming it would be a 3 star read but the last third picked up and got it an extra star. I found it difficult to relate to the characters and wanted more face time with the gods.

When I heard the pitch that this was an urban fantasy novel about Greek mythology, that this was Percy Jackson meets the Hunger Games, I knew I was gonna love this. I loved Lore as our main character, and I loved the main group and the way their friendship developed, from being hesitant allies to truly caring for one another. (And of course I have to mention that this employed one of my favorite tropes of all time, childhood best friends to lovers!!) Athena was such a complex character, and I truly did not expect the direction that Alexandra Bracken took her. I honestly wish this wasn't a standalone because I want to keep following this cast of characters. While I liked what development we did get with the side characters, there's so much more we could delve into.

The plot also had me hooked right from the beginning, there was a seamless blend between flashbacks and present day that always kept me intrigued, and there were so many gosh darn good plot twists. The story really delves with processing trauma, wanting revenge for injustice, and the inherent sexism in the institutions of the Greek bloodlines that victimizes so many women. It interrogates a lot of Greek myths through a feminist lens which I really enjoyed seeing.

I just really loved this and thought it was a fantastic fantasy standalone!

Lore takes elements of Greek mythology (especially the gods and goddesses) and introduces a fight to the death element ala Hunger Games. In this story, there is the Agon, a week long period every 7 years where nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals. During that time, they hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.

Lore is the last of her family from one of the ancient bloodlines. She thought she was out of the Agon, but ends up drawn back into it when the goddess Athena shows up seeking her help. Plus there is the mysterious reappearance of her childhood friend, Castor.

This young adult title should appeal to many as it pulls together things that are enjoyed by many readers. It took me a while to get into the story. And it wasn't so compelling of a story to keep me up to the wee hours of the morning reading. But, it was still a neat idea brought to life on the pages.

This was a fun book that I know my patrons will love. Bracken is a great storyteller and Lore does not disappoint. The lush mythology in this story is captivating and really keeps you enthralled till the very end.

LORE is the kind of book that seems so hyped up, then when you finally read it, you understand the hype. I was already excited about the book and loved the extended excerpt I read, but LORE is such a well-written, enthralling adventure that terrifies me at times, but reminds me why YA Fantasy is my first love. Lore Perseous is a complex, realistic character who doesn’t shy away from violence, and she struggles with retaining her humanity at times. That’s the hallmark of the Agon: losing your humanity (quite literally) at a shot of glory. Lore’s journey is satisfying, even if it made me literally scream at times.

I can't say enough how much I enjoyed Lore. I loved that it was a stand alone novel and that I would know the ending when I was finished. The world building was done very nicely. I didn't feel that there was a big word dump in the beginning. I liked how we were able to get glimpses of the past through Lore's flashbacks. There is action, mythology, and a smidge of romance. It gave me Percy Jackson meets Hunger Games vibes. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes those types of books.

DNF 58%. While a fast-paced, action-based book, those aren't my jam without emotional investment, which I couldn't find in this book. I had trouble distinguishing the bad guys and the main character gives you very little to work with. Add in a ton of mythology that even my knowledgeable self couldn't keep up with (so, Aphrodite gets killed and becomes which one again? no, I know the name, but who IS it, when did it happen, and which family, and which families are they aligned with?) and I knew I needed to give up.

This was definitely a reader/book mismatch because there were things I liked about it and it was well-written. It just wasn't for me.

An amazing and fun read, fast paced and intense storytelling at it’s best. Lore pulled me in and took me on a ride. I couldn’t put this book down. I highly recommend that you read this one!

**i received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

Overall great young adult read! Cross between Percy Jackson and Hunger Games. Loved how the mythology was woven within the story effortlessly. Some twists I didn’t expect. Would recommend.

Lore is a young woman living in NYC, having created a life for herself after leaving her old life in the gods world. But every seven years, a hunt begins - the Agon. A hunt to find one of the gods and kill them, claiming that gods power for themselves. Being the only member left a part of the line of Perseus, Lore has a special part to play in this years Agon. She will have to jump back into this world that she hates, that caused her so much pain, and try her best to save it and the world she lives in now.

Lore is joined by Athena (one of the few original nine gods left), Apollo (whose powers have been claimed by her childhood best friend and love), and so many other characters of the #greekmythology world to fight for the future of this world. In their own way, with their own end goal...

I really, really enjoyed this book. I haven’t been able to stop reaching for my kindle!! It’s a like a good Marvel movie with some Hunger Games vibes, all centered around Greek mythology.

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After finishing Lore, I can say honestly say that it was such a fun read. So glad that it was my first finish of 2021! The characters were so vivid, the storyline was amazing with the Greek mythology woven into present day NYC, and the girl power was my fave!

Only negative I’d give, is that I wanted more! More of the love stories, more of the action... all of it! It was too, too good.

This is a story about the old gods vs the new.

I’m not sure what didn’t work about this for me- I liked the concept, and Lore was an interesting character... but I struggled to remained engaged for the first 70% and the characters didn’t feel real the way I wanted them to. It’s by no means a bad book! But it wasn’t a great fit for me.

3/5- will still pick up a sequel!

This book was such an amazing blend of Greek myth and modern storytelling. I could not put it down. And the feminist themes were surprising in a genre where that is usually dominated by male heroes and female monsters. This will definitely be a book I reread often.