Lore is an amazing book were the gods must live among humans. Anyone that kills a god at the Agon will receive their power and immortality. Bloodlines form clans that protect their gods as well as hunt and persecute other gods. Lore is the last among the Perseus clan and seeks to leave the world of the Agon after her family is murdered. Yet she is sought out, not only by her long time friend Caster but a god herself, Athena. Lore must decide what her future will hold with her friends and her ancestry.

Bracken's character development surprised me from the start. The plot twists kept me guessing, and the last 40% of the book kept me entertained and unable to put the book down. With mythology as inspiration, this book brings a new twist to the old gods. Anyone that enjoys a good story will enjoy this book. Already recommending.

My first read of 2021 and it was sooo hyped! I am forever grateful for receiving an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’ve seen this one described as Greek mythology meets the hunger games and I could definitely see that being true. I was so dang excited to read this one; it sounded right up my ally. Unfortunately, I struggled with it. Like, a lot. There are so so many positive reviews for Lore that I would encourage you to read because many people really enjoyed it. It just wasn’t quite for me. That’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable – it just took me a bit longer to get into it than I would have liked.

Let’s start with the plot. Essentially, all the original gods are battling it out in the Agon – a battle that occurs every seven years where they must walk the earth as mortals. The hunters are descendents of ancient bloodlines who are granted immortality and power if they kill a god. Lore is out of the game, and intends to stay that way. But through an interesting turn of events, she gets roped back into the hunt alongside Castor and Athena.

All of this makes perfect sense, right? But the way it’s all explained in the book is so confusing and convoluted. It would be easy to take a chapter or two to really explain the history of the gods and what all goes into the Agon, but it seemed like we only got little pieces of the history and how everything works scattered throughout. I don’t think I fully understood what was happening until about 60% of the way through the book. It felt like once I was starting to get the hang of things something else was thrown in that messed it all up and took me back to square one. There was so much flipping back and forth between pages to try and understand what was happening and how everything tied together. There were so many names, so many histories, so many allies and enemies that it was initially difficult to keep it all straight. Ultimately it all does come together and it’s entirely possible that I am the odd man out here. Something just wasn’t clicking in my brain to make it all work until closer to the end.

Moving on, let’s discuss the characters. Our main character is Lore – a tough fighter with a brilliant mind who wants nothing to do with the hunt. She is fierce and strong and she has to deal with her past trauma – which is dangled in front of the reader for soooo long before being revealed. But I genuinely did like her character for the most part. But the love interest, Castor, fell really flat for me. At the end of the book I didn’t feel like I knew much about him, I didn’t feel the connection between him and Lore, and certainly no personal connection to him. I did, however, really like Miles. Miles is Lore’s human friend who gets roped into assisting throughout the Agon. He was funny, loyal, and brave. He had a little romance that I would have been much more interested in reading about, but he only gets a tiny little portion of the limelight – which is a real shame.

Maybe I shot myself in the foot with this one a little bit. I went in with such high hopes. While it didn’t blow me away, it was still an enjoyable read (once I had sorted everything out). There were moments of intensity, times where I experienced real shock at the turn of events, and I often found myself rooting for them to succeed in their mission. I also think it was wrapped up quite nicely, which is always a bonus in a standalone novel. This is certainly many people’s cup of tea, it just wasn’t everything I had hoped it would be.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for approving me for the e-arc for the book. This book was everything to me. I'm a fan of greek mythology so I was excited to hear about this book especially since it's written by Alexandra bracken. Reading Lore had me feeling so many emotions anger,betrayal,love and so much more. The characters are everything. Athena and Miles have to be my favorites besides lore even when I would get frustrated at some of the choices she made. I would definitely recommend this to all my family and friends heck I have been recommending it them ever since I found out about it last year.

The opening was a little confusing for me, but I was quickly reeled in by Lore’s sense of urgency. This can be violent and triggering at times, so I would recommend it for high school OT very mature older middle grade student.

I really tried to enjoy this one but I just couldn't get into it. I made it to about the halfway point but it just wasn't drawing me in. I loved the concept of the book but it just wasn't enough for me. Maybe I can try it again in another format, rather than an ebook.

I haven't read any of Alexandra Bracken's other books yet, so this is my first book by her.
This book is slow at the beginning, with a good amount info dumping. The plot did pick up towards the end of book, and I couldn't stop because I needed know what was going to happen.
I think major part of the book that turned me off was the violence and cruelty of the Agon. But the plot kept me interested enough to finish this book. My main question was whether Lore and Castor were going to be together at the end???
I would describe this book as Hunger Games meets Greek Mythology. I would also label this book as upper YA.
I did like Lore and was rooting for her the whole time.

Someone said that Lore is a little like Percy Jackson meets the Hunger Games, and that's actually a pretty good description. Zeus has cooked up a powerful punishment for the gods who rebelled against him: Every seven years, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the world as mortals. If they're killed during that time, their killer gets the god's power and immortality, becoming a new god. It's a dark temptation and one that leads to lots of murder, mayhem, and death. Lore's whole family died at the hand of a rival clan during the last godly walkabout, and she's out of the god hunting game for good — until back-to-back visits from her old (and apparently not dead) best friend and the goddess Athena convince her that joining the hunt is the only way to avenge her family.

I mean, that's a pretty thrilling set-up, and I thought the modern take on Greek mythology worked really well. It was maybe a little violent for me (it racked up such a body count that I'm legitimately not sure there are any mortal people still alive in New York City at the end of it), and sometimes action seemed to stand in for character development in ways that I didn't love, which left a lot of my bigger questions about the world and its characters unanswered. But I think a lot of readers will love this urban take on Greek mythology, and if you can handle all the violence, it's a fun read.

Lore is, possibly, one of my favorite books of the year. I'm absolutely in love with it. Lore herself drew me in with her power and strength, along with her fierce loyalty and morals. I'm in love with her. This book is big. It's hard to hold the attention of people with a book this big, and with Bracken's The Darkest Mind, that was the issue. It's the complete opposite with Lore. I grew up with Percy Jackson, so to have another Greek Mythology based book was such an exciting prospect, and I'm so happy it lived up to the hype. The mix of Greek myth set in the backdrop of my home city was just so entertaining and captivating! The character development, the fight scenes, and the new person we see Lore become kept me on my toes the entire time. I won't stop raving about this for a long time!

LORE was featured on my most anticipated reads of 2021, which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qisHqGO77xY

this book is so popular! Its so good and and I hope everyone who reads it loves it. I think the plot was very original and entertaining.

Lore needs a distraction from her memories. So she uses physical pain to numb her mind by fighting. But when a person from her past comes back, he will change everything she thought she knew and draw her back to a dark world she thought she left behind. Lore brings the old Gods of mythology into the 21st century. Bracken weaves a dark adventure through the streets of New York City. The characters are complex, broken, and in need of connection. Lore is a fantastic protagonist who is strong, independent but also wanting a space to be able to break down. Through her narrative, readers will be sucked into a cruel game of cat and mouse. While Lore does have a romantic counter part, Bracken decided to have the action, myth, Gods, and interpersonal connection take center stage. This gave the book a deeper plot and great momentum.

I love everything Alexandra Bracken writes, and this was no exception. Her writing style is engaging and enthralling. This book is so unique and detailed, I didn't want to put it down!

*Huge thank you to Netgalley, Disney Hyperion, and Alexandra Bracken for providing my with a free arc in exchange for an honest review."

Every 7 years nine Greek gods are sent to Earth with their immortality stripped to be hunted by the descendants of Greek heroes in an event called the Agon. To kill a god is to become them lending immense power and financial gain to the family. Lore is the last of her family after a horrific slaying at the end of the last Agon. Despite her years of training and previous desire to win glory for her family Lore now wants nothing to do with the Agon. That is until Athena shows up on her doorstep promising her the vengeance she wants against the house Lore deems responsible. To receive Athena's help Lore must bind her fate to the goddess in this amazing twisty story blending legendary Greek figures with modern New York City.

I was fortunate enough to read the sample Netgalley had of Lore and couldn't stop thinking about it. It quickly became my most anticipated read for January and top 5 for 2021. When Disney finally posted the full arc I slammed the request button so fast I almost broke my mouse. Then the reality set in that my odds of getting approved were not high, after all this is one of the biggest new releases for 2021 written by a well known author. When that email came in saying the book was ready to download I screamed.

I devoured this book. All the descriptions of The Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson are spot on. I loved the twists and turns in this story even though it would have worked just fine without them. By the time I got to the end I was begging for some small fragment of hope it might become a series I loved it that much. Sadly at this time Lore is only a standalone but if Alexandra ever decides to continue in this world I'd be the first one in line at the bookstore for it.

I can't decide if it's the book or me but I just can't seem to get into this. It feels so info-dumpy with mediocre characters and way too much action for my liking. But I love Greek mythology, which in the end was the only reason I kept reading this.

* I was given a copy of this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Wow. Just wow. As someone who has been reading various titles from this author for last 6 or 7 years, I have only seen her work grow and mature. For everything I found missing in previous books, this book made up for it and then some.

For everyone saying that it's a cross between The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson...you're right. But also, that doesn't go far enough to speak to how good it actually is. I'm practically speechless as I try to put into words the ride that this book was.

It's perfect regardless of how much or little you know about mythology. Perfect if you find fantasy hard or even if you're feeling burned out on dystopians. It's so fresh and so cool that I honestly think anyone could find something to love about this title.

Don't let anything hold you back on this title. It's a wild ride. The setup is so action packed that it doesn't feel like setup. The payoff is unbelievable and all I can say is that it really earned it's ending. I don't know if this is a stand alone or the start of a series, but I'll be clamoring for Alexandra's next title, regardless of what it is.

I've never been happier to hand out 5 stars.

I loved this book and I couldn’t stop reading. Though the start was a little slow but once it got going it didn’t stop. At first I didn’t think I would like Lore but as the book went on I fell in love with her. She wasn’t like the typical young adult heroine where they are all about them. She listened to her friends and didn’t really do that much stupid stuff. Though I do have to say Miles and Van were my two favorite characters. Alexandra Bracken wrote the perfect blend of the old Greek myth with a modern day setting. Her writing was easy to follow and get into. I will be recommending this to all my friends. Thank you Netgalley and Hyperion for letting read and review this book.

I am intrigued by Greek mythology and loved the blurb for this one, so I eagerly requested it when it became available and was delighted to be approved.

However, now that I’ve finished it, I’m torn about my feelings about the book. The first quarter is a complete info dump that is very involved about Greek deities being killed and reborn. There are so many different names thrown about, some of which are the “original” deities and some are now different people inhabiting the deities with their power? It confused the heck out of me.

While it was definitely fast paced and kept me reading, I really was shocked that it was Disney Hyperion who published this. The brutal violence and gore presented rather graphically went beyond what I’ve read in YA, especially considering quite a bit of it involved the torture and murder of children. I wish I had seen any warnings about this, as this is something I definitely try to avoid in books.

Interesting premise. Likable/hated characters. Cool plot. I would recommend this story to others. Some spots I found that didn't hold my attention, but overall, I still liked it.

I truly enjoyed this story. I loved the cross between mythology and The Hunger Games. It was really fun and intriguing.

I do think I’d have appreciated a second POV. Castor showed tremendous growth. It would have also helped with world-building.

Still a great, fun story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review! LORE is out January 5th, 2021!

A girl. A goddess. A game of life and death.

Alexandra Bracken’s new book, LORE, is a story packed with bloodlust and politics, love and fear, power and destruction, glory and gore. Just when young Lore thinks she’s managed to make a life outside of her family’s legacy of gods and monsters and competition, a new competition to become immortal begins, and the goddess Athena falls on her doorstep, bleeding and desperate, giving her no choice but to dive back in.

I found LORE to be thrilling, complex, and completely engrossing. Melora (Lore) is a fascinating character, the last of her family, just trying to escape her legacy, and from the first punch she threw, I loved her. Her friends and allies in the competition were also a full cast of fun characters, each contributing to the story in unique ways. The gods were fierce, the humans were conniving, the competition was conniving. Overall, the story was exceptional.

That being said, I found that the book suffered from what I call “New Yorker Syndrome,” which plagues many stories featuring a native New Yorker. Lore loves the City—a fact I know because between fighting and running for her life, she found plenty of time to wax poetically about New York and how the city is in her blood. I can’t speak for the realism of this, but I can say, as someone who does NOT live in New York, I quickly grew exhausted with the aggrandizing. It seemed to hinder the story, making my read drag on and becoming nearly insufferable at times. Alongside this worship of the city, I found that the story contained many super-convenient devices. Without spoiling anything, I felt as if many major plot points, including the ending, were just handed to the characters without their earning or working for them, often for the sake of advancing the story. “Deus ex Machina” takes on a double meaning near the end. And perhaps this was just my interpretation of the events; I tend to like books that reward struggle rather than allow heroes to stumble in the right direction.

Overall, LORE was an exhilarating read, full of action, conniving, and clever characters. I highly recommend it for fans of Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games who may have grown out of those series. LORE is a fantastic, grisly tournament of mythological proportions, and I can’t wait until it’s out in the world.