I was given a sneak peak of Lore, by Alexandra Bracken. This book has started out strong. There is some world building, but the pacing is still good and easy to understand. Even if you are not familiar with Mythology. I am very interested to see how this book ends. I have not finished this yet, but if it continues to proceed like it is, i will be giving it 5 stars.

Thanks to #Netgalley for providing me with an excerpt of this book before publication.

I have always loved reading Greek mythology (I mean, who doesn't) but I just couldn't fall into this one. I decided to wait until I read the whole book once I got my hands on it. When I did, I struggled through most of the book and ended up DNFing it. I love Alexandra Bracken's writing and that was not different in this book but I really do not know why I couldn't make my way through this book (personally I think was just my own fault because the story itself is very intriguing).

Briefly, this book is set in New York and the story takes placed during the Agon, a time when a number of gods who rebelled against Zeus are forced to walk the earth has us mere mortals. During this time, they have to try and stay safe because they are being hunted by children or descendant of powerful and old bloodlines who want to kill the gods and take their power for themselves. We follow Lore Perseus who after the death of her family during that last Agon, refused to take part and is in hiding. That is until she meets Athena and once again her childhood friend Castor.

I read one-third of the book and just had to give it a break. I would probably continue reading later when I am in a mythology craze.

I gave this book 2.3 out of 5 stars which is not a fair rating because I did not finish the book. But if you really love mythology and you want to reunite with the gods of olympus then this would be it.

This sampler was super compelling. The synopsis alone had me hooked, but this little taste definitely had me excited for more. I can't wait to see how the story develops and how the plot threads that have been laid end up developing.

I absolutely loved this book!
Lore is such a powerful and driven character. Her relationships with the people surrounding her were amazing. Miles is such strong but kind individual.
I loved the secondary characters and the plot

Every seven years is an Agon. The Agon is where the gods come back as mortal and are hunted. Whoever slays a god inherits the the gods power and becomes that god. Lore’s family had been slaughtered the last Agon. She has been hiding and during the next Agon two gods seek her out to help them because something is amiss. There is another god slaughtering other gods to try to win the Agon. Lore, her friends, and the gods must try to stop it before destruction happens.
Oh. My. Gosh. Lore was amazing. It’s definitely going to make my favorite books of 2021 once December comes. It had a ton of action in it, friendship, and a slow burn romance. There was a lot of twists and turns. I could not put this down. It was so good. I highly, highly recommend Lore.

This book has such a good premise! A modern telling of the Greek gods? Yes! A strong female protagonist? Yes! Set in New York with magic? Yes! I feel as if this book had a lot of potential, but there were a lot mistakes that were a little too glaring for me. It often became repetitive which made the plot seem to drag out until the end when things were wrapped up too fast. There were a lot of characters, main and side, that could have been fleshed out more and the overarching message was a little weak.
For those who are wanting to scratch their Percy Jackson itch, this is not it.. But it is an adventure that keeps moving and comes to. a definite conclusion.

What an interesting turn that the Gods are sent to earth to become mortal and have to survive or another will take their place. I am interested to see where this book will go

Absolutely loved this book. It was like Hunger Games but with Greek mythology. I loved all the characters, wouldn't have minded a bit more romance. But overall, a great read.

This one hurts me; it hurts me deeply.

As a Classicist, the way in which the gods are written and treated is upsetting -- especially having Zeus as a neutral-good kind of character? Look, interpretations between Classicists can differ...but none of us are putting Zeus anywhere near neutral-good.

Most upsetting, however, is the laziness with which Bracken writes her villain. He's a pedophilic rapist...and that's basically it. There is nothing else to his character. Sure, pedophilia and rape are inexcusable, but they shouldn't be the only things that hallmark your villain as a villain. That's just lazy, and makes the character flat.

So interesting and original. I really enjoyed this new take on Greek mythology. Will definitely recommend to friends and library patrons.

I received a short chapter sampler of Lore, and I was so hooked right away that I had to go out and get the hard copy in my hands immediately! I'm already loving the world Bracken has created here and I can't wait to see how Lore's story pans out.

Thank you, Netgalley, for an eArc chapter sampler of this!

I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed reading Alexandra Bracken stories! The story kicks off immediately. Who is Castor Achilleos? What exactly is the Agon and what are the rules? Why was Lore's family killed? How will Lore navigate these death traps.

The world and its rules are a lot to take in though. If you persevere through to Chapter 7 though you'll be rewarded with info that'll help you get your bearings and enjoy the story more.

It's a classic "I've left the [mob, gang, team, etc.] and I don't want to be part of it again, but something's happened and it looks like I'll have to be part of it one last time." Which is the kind of story I love. Definitely made me want to buy the book, but I settled for putting a hold on it at the library.

Sign me up for anything greek mythology!

I recieved an excerpt for this book only but what I read was very intruiging and I am interested in ready more. The storyline seems compelling and the story well-written.

*disclaimer: I won an arc from YallStayHome*

If The Hunger Games was for Shadowhunters but also Greek Mythology.
Lore is a thrilling new standalone fantasy from the author of The Darkest Minds.

It takes a good 100 pages to gain enough background knowledge needed to understand/enjoy the book, and a great many pages beyond that to understand all of the twists and secrets going on in the Agon. Even at the end, a few things are left unresolved (or at least unknown to the reader). This is the one downside to the book, but the reader is finding out the information at the same time as the characters, so at least we are not the only ones confused, even they don't know what's going on.

Something helpful for keeping track of characters is the lists of hunter houses in the beginning and the lists of gods/characters at the end (at least in the ARC). If you find yourself overwhelmed with names, look to those.

I did enjoy reading Lore though!

Warnings: There is a lot of violence and bloodshed (it is a killing game), mentions of attempted sexual assault

Compulsively readable and interesting twist on the Greek Myths we all think we know, and kudos on a strong female character with common sense. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

I'm intrigued by the premise of this story and loved the scrappiness and determination of the characters. They felt very realistic and the language was gorgeous, especially in the beginning when Lore was describing the fight. There's a level of grittiness to this story, about a girl who keeps getting pulled back into this world where she can't leave well enough alone. I'd definitely consider continuing with the rest of the book. Thanks for the opportunity to read this sample of Lore and I look forward to working with you again soon!

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

Action packed, gritty, high stakes beginning of this Greek mythology inspired tale intrigued me. I followed by reading the entire book and ordering for my college-aged daughter.

This is for older fans of all things Percy Jackson and want a more mature, romantic world to escape to.

LORE
By Alexandra Bracken
Pub date 1/5 /21. 4 out of 5 stars
SYNOPSIS:
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.

I was so excited to get this book as an ARC from #Netgalley and #Disneybooks , The character Lore was vivid and vibrant , I can easily see this becoming a movie for Disney plus, and please cast her with Miley Cyrus! Remember the Don't Call Me Angel video? Well there is super fighting..super hero girl that easily would fit her . The book is non stop action,..and the blood and death would be loved by anyone fond of DC or Marvel Universes. I liked Miles character..and can't help wishing Dan Levy would get this lovable role.

I wish Bracken would have taken a little more time with back stories of some of the characters: Van was a little murky for me. I wanted to be as invested in the side characters as I was Lore and I just wasn't there. I liked that there was LGBTQ representation with Miles and Van, although she could have written more of them into the story, I felt it was a little by the way.. VAN has "feelings" . The cover is gorgeous.. ..and the world building was creative, however it would have been better if the gods and goddesses had a more defined space , " ascending" was that heaven or are we to believe they went back to chariots and Greek columns?

All in all this one of my top five fave books in January and I will be keeping this in mind for my Good Reads faves of 2021!

**I received the first 6 chapters of Lore through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

According to Booktube, Lore is one of the most highly anticipated fantasy books of 2021. Curious, I requested Lore through NetGalley, not realizing I had only requested the first 6 chapters and not the entire book. However, these chapters captivated me. I didn’t like the beginning, as I have read so many books recently where the main character is in the fighting ring. However, once I read past that part, the complicated storyline sucked me in. Lore (from what I could tell in these first chapters), is a sensitive, kindhearted and loyal woman who does not want her friend Miles embroiled in her complicated life. I enjoyed the banter between Miles and Lore, and their easy relationship. Even though I caught only a glimpse of Castor, I was intrigued enough to be curious about how he is involved in Lore’s past.

Athena is well-developed, even in the few scenes in which she appeared. She is fierce, haughty, and comes with a “mortals-owe-me-everything” attitude. I liked her, Miles, and especially Lore and am excited to get my hands on the rest of the book.