This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. I would have binged it all in one sitting if I could have.

Every seven years, for a period of seven days, a handful of Greek gods are made mortal and the scions of Greek heroes are allowed to hunt them in an attempt to steal their powers.

Lore's family was murdered at the end of the last hunt by the man who now wields the power of Ares. She tried to escape this deadly world, but when Athena shows up on her doorstep with a near-mortal wound, she'll have to take up arms once more in the hope that she may finally avenge her family.

I loved every second of this roller coaster ride of a novel. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, Bracken would throw in another plot twist. The pacing is perfect, action sequences melding beautifully with flashbacks exquisitely timed to let you catch your breath amd get a bit of back story before throwing you back into the fray. And all this wrapped up in a story teeming with themes of love, family, fate, anger, amd redemption.

This was an absolutely bang up first read of 2021, and I have no doubt I'll be recommending this book all year long.

Every seven years Zeus punishes nine Greek gods by forcing them into the Agon. Warrior families have hunted the gods in every Agon for generations hoping to absorb their powers and receive blessings in the intervening years.

Lore always knew she was destined for greatness and glory in the Agon, meant to restore her family house's honor. That was before Lore's own disastrous mistake brought about the death of her entire family.

Now, seven years later, Lore thinks she’s finally made it out and started a new life. But the return of her childhood friend Castor and the goddess Athena appearing at Lore’s door prove she never escaped the brutality of the Agon. Not really.

After years of hiding and trying to forget, Lore will have to come out of the shadows and embrace her complicated past if she wants to live long enough to have a future in Lore (2020) by Alexandra Bracken.

Lore is a standalone fantasy novel. Although the world building is heavily intertwined with Greeky mythology, the story itself includes enough information to make it approachable to those unfamiliar with the inspiration material. The book also includes a character list broken down by the family houses and lines. Lore and Castor are white although several members of the Agon families (including dark skinned Van and Iro) are from other racial backgrounds.

Lore is a fierce and often reluctant narrator. Most of her past is colored by trauma and regret over events that slowly unfold in flashbacks for readers as the novel builds to its explosive final act. Despite her desire to isolate herself and avoid further losses, Lore is surrounded by a strong group of friends and allies who add drama and levity to this potentially grim story. Lore's best friend Miles Yoon--an outsider to the world of the Agon--is an especially fun addition to the cast and a steadfast friend to Lore.

Set over the course the week-long Agon this fast-paced story plays out against the backdrop of New York City as Lore and her allies search for a way to end the Agon forever. Lore's efforts to find a place for herself as a young woman, both away from the Agon and within it, in a world all too quick to dismiss her is both timely and empowering.

Lore seamlessly blends elements from Greek mythology with a modern fantasy setting for a perfectly paced story of survival and fighting for what we deserve.

Possible Pairings: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake, Starling by Lesley Livingston, The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan, Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Such a good book! An interesting blend of Percy Jackson and the Hunger Games, Lore was a fun and refreshing read.

** 4.5 stars **

Gosh. . . Let me gather my thoughts. This is an epic adventure that will have you seeing the streets of New York New eyes. With it's blend of urban setting and Greek mythological, this story twists the everyday world into the unexpected as A. Bracken reveals the world of the Blooded and the bloodlines who serve the gods and fight for the honor of the Agon (the 7-days when good are mortals and can be slain and replaced by Blooded)

Melora (Lore) is born into the House of Perseus. Though her House is small and a past loss of a great treasure has brought shame to future generations, she still believes that she is meant to be a legion -- no matter if the other House scorn them or laugh.

Everything changes when she finds her family slaughtered by an opposing House. Her only choice is to go into hiding or die. All it takes is a half-dying goddess on her doorstep and Lore is dragged back into a world she thought she left behind.

Who will she trust? In a world where emotions can get you killed and friends are far and few between, can she survive another round? Lies and betrayal, secrets and truths, friends and enemies, all will be revealed; but not all can survive till the end of the Agon

** Thank you NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review the ARC of this book. The opinions are my own and have not been influenced by outside sources **

I was ECSTATIC when I found I was lucky enough to get an arc of this novel. I had been eyeing it ever since I saw the stunning cover and read the summary with Greek mythology in modern times. The main character, Lore, survived a horrifying childhood event and has tried to forget the past and her family's relation to the gods. Unfortunately, others have not forgotten and the time has come for gods and goddesses to return to earth stuck in mortal bodies. When a friend appears with a message, Lore knows that she cannot hide any longer and must face her quest to restore honor to herself and her family while fending off powers far greater than her own.

Secrets and mysteries surround the plot, along with mass amounts of action and some brutal scenes. There was never a lagging moment and the intense and heroic characters pulled me along. The author truly takes an epic concept of gods and mortality and creates intriguing new stakes for the opportunity of mortals to gain immortality and power from the very people they worship. I do wish that this book was a bit longer and less hurried as I felt that some concepts swept by, and I found myself confused and re-reading a few scenes. This was a solid fantasy/action read that I recommend to any myth lover.

Lore is a warrior, born into a long line of warriors. She is also the last of her line, the Persius line. All she wants is to avenge her family’s death and end the Agon. The Agon occurs every seven years when the gods become mortal for a week and hunters (warriors) try to kill them so they can take their place. Lore wants nothing of this. She wants to live her life in peace and not have to look over her shoulder every seventh year.
Opinion
Holy hot tamales Batman! This book was all engrossing. Even though this book was longer than the year 2020, it was well worth the read. I personally loved the live tension between Lore and Castor. There were also so many twists in the book that I’d advise you to keep notes so you can keep up. This author has an awesome mind to have been able to conceive of a book like this. I’d love to reread this story through other perspectives!
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

WOW! This book is everything I could have wanted in an urban fantasy retelling of Greek mythology. It was clear that Alexandra Bracken did her research! So many references to Greek mythos and ideas, like kleos and arité. All of the characters were complex and interesting. Lore and Castor were my favorites and their relationship was fantastic!

★★★

I was given the pleasure of reviewing Lore by Alexandra Bracken by NetGalley. I was so hopeful in the beginning, thinking Lore would be my favorite Bracken book yet. I’ve read the Darkest Minds series, as well as Passenger and enjoyed the former immensely.

There are too many “surprises” and forgotten things. Lore often remembers things from her childhood at the perfect moment, when all other leads have gone dry. And, sure, this happens once and I understand. But several times? Castor serves as a save-all and even he can’t die. He can heal anything, no matter how close to death. There are too many easy ways out.

The beginning, the set up of it all, is what I enjoyed the most. The middle got a bit muddled, especially as I got into the more physical fights and descriptions of places in New York City I’ve never been. It felt like Bracken was relying on these places being real places, forgoing more descriptive language. It was difficult to both picture the fighting, which was confusing at times, as well as trying to situate myself in the setting.

I also felt like Bracken relied on the mythology that she didn’t bother to lay out. I feel like I should have read a primer on mythology before reading this, so I could fully understand the weight behind these gods and their powers. There is a companion bit at the end but it only laid out bare facts. Especially with Athena, who becomes a major player in many ways, I felt it would have been beneficial to know a little bit more. Perhaps a flashback chapter from her point of view would have been appropriate.

Overall, I felt like the story couldn’t fill its own shoes. It was set up to be an amazing epic that fell a little short of what I expected it to be. Lore’s story and her motives are clear but others are not and, while it is in third person from Lore’s point of view, I was missing so much of what was happening. Lore and Castor are fairly well fleshed out but Miles, Van, and even Athena are relatively weak. I don’t get enough substance from any of them to become attached. And, sure, they’re not main characters, but I feel like I should be upset if any of them were to die. Physical movement seemed to serve as a replacement for actual character and story progression. The passage of time, which is very important given that they only have a week to fight and end the Agon, wasn’t urgent enough, either.

Overall, I read this and enjoyed the first third, or so. It got more scattered after that, harder to enjoy as more characters are introduced, but not enough backstory for me to truly immerse myself, or just enough of a hint at the mythology but not enough to imagine it. For all the potential and the description of the aegis itself, I’m giving this book a solid three stars. Thank you again, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book.

4.5 stars! I was fortunate enough to have an ARC of Lore from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me on my toes. There were so many times I said to myself, okay I'll read until the next section then do some cleaning or make dinner etc... And then the end of the section left me flabbergasted and needing to continue reading!

I had a blast buddy reading this with a friend and talking about all of our thoughts and assumptions as we read.

This was a fun ride and a book I didn't want to put down. Cannot wait to get my FairyLoot copy this month!

Unfortunately I will not be able to finish this book before the archive date. However, I was able to get 55% of the way through the book, so I wanted to provide my initial feedback. Once I finish the book later this week, I will be posting a review to my goodreads profile.

In the beginning, I was very confused. We are dropped into the world of Lore, the Agon, and a present day New York City with very little context. Through the course of the story, we learn more and more about the world and what is happening. Overall, it is a very enjoyable story, but I found myself struggling to connect with the characters. I am looking forward to seeing where the last 45% of the book takes me and if I will feel differently. Thank you again for the opportunity to read this novel.

Ahhhhhhh y'all! Lore was one of my absolute favorite reads of 2020 and I cannot wait to tell y'all all about it and why you need to grab it/read it when it comes out tomorrow! Thank you so much to Disney-Hyperion Books and Netgalley for letting me read Lore early. I had been looking forward to Lore for the longest time and I love everything about Greek mythology, so i knew I was going to enjoy it, especially because I love Alex Bracken's writing, but man, I didn't realize just how much I was going to love it!

Lore 5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads: 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.<br>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.<br>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.<br>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. 

First off, I love the concept of the descendants of heros competing every 7 years against each other and the gods to try and 1) survive and 2) take the power of a god. Such a fun/intense concept! I love it so much. Next, I love Lore as a narrator/main character. She's easy to empathize with, especially because of the way she lost her family when she was super young. I also loved Miles and Castor. The new Ares, Wrath, is a great villain and the way that Alex Bracken has the story pan out and the way things happen were definitely unexpected (I'm trying to be as vague as possible so y'all don't see it until it hits you either). I can definitely see myself rereading this book over and over again- this has for sure become my favorite Greek mythology based book (plus, it's set in NYC, and your girl loves NYC). There wasn't a second where I was bored or wanted to put Lore down- and it's not like Lore is a short book- the hardcover is 480 pages! I highly recommend picking this one up ASAP!

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars
Publication Date: 1/5/21

Lore is the new fantasy novel by Alexandra Bracken. When nine Greek gods rebel, their punishment is the Agon. Every seven years, they are forced to walk the earth as mortals and be hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines who hope to take their power and immortality. In present day, Lore Perseous has fled that life following the murder of her family and her choice to not seek revenge against their murderers. As the new hunt begins, Lore is reunited with a friend she thought she lost and with Athena, who offers her a deal - become allies to take revenge and end the Agon forever.

Lore has a very complex plot (a summary is very hard to do it justice) and is such a throwback to the days of Hunger Games and Divergent. I loved Bracken’s The Darkest Minds series and she has created another inventive world full of lovable characters. Lore begins quickly and the world building never slows down the plot. You become interested in the story and the world right away and I enjoyed seeing Bracken’s spin on the famous Greek mythological figures.

Overall, Lore is a cinematic, complex, and fun adventure fantasy that is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Shadowhunters!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

* I received this eARC for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *

For one week every 7 years, the gods of all the old legends become mortal and return to earth. During that week, the descendants of mythology’s greatest heroes must hunt them. If a god is killed, their slayer assumes all their power, bringing honor to their own mortal families. Lore thought she left all this behind her, until an injured Athena arrives on her doorstep and Lore has the chance to stop the cycle once and for all.

First and foremost, this book is incredibly well researched and it is obvious, even in the first few pages, how much care the author brought to reimagining these familiar, old myths. This book has elements of some of my favorite YA Fantasy series, and it is an exciting read.

But, the book is a bit too long, and the story often lags for the sake of smaller details. The end left me wanting so much more, but not in a good way. I felt like the romantic relationship was still underdeveloped, and I still didn’t have a full grip of Lore’s past.

Overall, this book is a great deep dive into the familiar greco-roman mythology with an interesting new twist.

Lore is the kind of YA character we all “hate” because she’s so realistic that we’re mad how she’s representing society. She has given up her life of training for the Agon and wishes to live a normal life after her family’s murder. Until Athena shows up at her doorstep injured at the beginning of the current Agon, begging for help. Lore is revenge driven and accepts her offer in exchange for Athena’s help taking down the man, now god, who killed her parents. She’s a good person, with a good soul, who wants the people who killed her family to pay. But that also means she makes bad decisions that ultimately ends up hurting her and her friends. So, while frustrating, don’t say I didn’t warn ya!

This book is filled with so many twists and turns. Just like Greek mythology, nothing is at it seems, and if you aren’t careful, you will get burned. There were so many moments that I thought to myself “you’re a little too trusting”, “are you sure you want to do that?”, “I KNEW IT!” – all actual things I said or shouted out loud. As a lover of Greek mythology and its retellings, we all know that there are no “good” or “bad” guys in stories. There’s bad and worse guys and you really have to just hope that you don’t end up badly burned or dead by the end of it.

And of course we have some romance thrown in there. I loved how we get to see Lore’s past because it helped me to understand her and Castor’s friendship and how they were as children. Especially now since he’s shown up in Lore’s life again after she thought he was dead. The beginning was a little confusing on this part for me as we are introduced to him in a weird way, but with the flashbacks and more solid information, it makes sense how and why Lore thought he was dead all this time. Through it all, I loved this book, and I read it in a single day.

By the end of this story, I was teary eyed. There is so much that happens to these characters in five days, not even a whole week, five days, that my poor heart couldn’t handle it by the ending. This book is filled with a lot of action, some gruesome imagery (definitely not for the little ones), romance, friendship, and more – I loved it. Besides feeling a little confused in the beginning, Bracken does an amazing job of spoon feeding us the information we need without it feeling like she’s spoon feeding us. And the mix of present day scenes with flashbacks made the book that much more mysterious and interesting. A new favorite of mine that I’ll probably end up rereading soon!

I was definitely intrigued by this book and I went into it with pretty low expectations. I wasn’t looking for it to blow my mind. I just wanted a good time with Greek mythology which is something I love and honestly, that’s what I got with this book. The cover is absolutely gorgeous as well so that also added to my desire to read it.

Characters

Our main character is Lore and she was a pretty fun protagonist to read about. I definitely empathized with her and was always rooting for her to be the one winning. She was a solid character with flaws and strengths. The romance was not my favorite but it was cute. I’m not the biggest fan of childhood friends to lovers but I think in this book it was well done and fun to read about.

My favorite characters though were definitely Van and Miles. I wish they had more page time but I’m glad they were in the book as every time I read about them I was smiling and laughing.

Plot/Story

I was a little confused when I first started the book as I didn’t really get the synopsis and didn’t understand exactly what the hunt entailed but the more I read the more I was intrigued and the pieces all started to come together. One thing I really appreciate about the plot was that it was fast-paced. There weren’t many pauses and that really helped to keep me engaged with the story. I stayed up until midnight to finish as I had to know what happened.

Since this book is set in the modern world, specifically New York City there wasn’t much world-building. I do think that Bracken did a really good job of fleshing out the secret society that exists within the city as well as makes the reader feel like they know what the city is like even if they’ve never been there. I also think choosing NYC as the backdrop for the hunt was a good choice and thinking about Greek Gods running around the city trying to evade one another was fun.

Writing

I enjoyed the writing style. I don’t think it was overly poetic which can sometimes be a real turn-off for me. It was clean, straightforward, and easy to read which is exactly how I like my books.

Conclusion

I think if you’re looking for a new take on Greek Gods this book might be right up your alley. The fact that it’s a standalone is also a plus because everything was neatly wrapped up at the end and it left me feeling really satisfied. I definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for more Greek mythology-inspired books to read about!

This book throws you right into the clutches of action from the very first page! The stage is set, Manhattan, the backdrop, and the curtains rise on a new Agon. Melora (Lore) Perseous, our reluctant heroine, has no intention of fighting for power or immortality until the unexpected arrival of an old friend throws her completely off balance. And readers will be very grateful!

The stakes rise so quickly after that and it's only slightly hard to keep up with. At first. The revelations begin to tumble out, but Lore's wit, her education, and her heritage have all prepared her for every adjustment. Lore's characterization is the epitome of a strong female lead. Imperfect. Capable. Intelligent. Her identity is never once determined by a man, or her insecurities, but by her own beliefs. She has the confidence to continue moving forward in spite of every faltered step, and it's an example we could all use going into 2021.

This is what a contemporary urban YA fantasy is all about! A strong, no-nonsense, bad-ass female protagonist descended from an ancient Greek hero's bloodline who has real friends and makes believable, well-thought out decisions (and mistakes) is what I'm talking about! Throw in a cast of developed supporting characters and I was hooked.

So, this is a wholly unique take on Greek mythology and the various gods and heroes, and where they are in the present. So unique, that although I had a pretty strong grasp of the myths prior to reading, I really had to slow down in the beginning to fully understand the characters and their houses. Pro tip: there is a cast of characters list at the end which is SUPER helpful.

This book is almost 500 pages long, but the pacing was great (once I got a handle on who was who), the action was plentiful and gorey, and the twists were surprising enough that the pages just flew...I stayed up till past 2am reading this one! This book pulls no punches. Actually, with the serious topics brought up, such as child torture and killing, multiple murder, and attempted rape, I think this may be better categorized as new adult vs YA.

There is very little romance, but what there is is sweet, very briefly mentioned and inconsequential to the plot, which was actually perfect for the flavor of this story. I'll definitely be checking out other books by this author.

**Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of Lore by Alexandra Bracken through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to them and the publisher for this opportunity.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken is a young adult fantasy novel set in a world where the Greek gods walk the Earth as humans.  Lore thought she escaped the world she was raised after the murder of her parents, but finds herself sucked back in. It is set to be published on January 5th, 2021.  I rated it five stars on GoodReads.

Here's the summary from Goodreads:

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Minds comes a sweepingly ambitious, high-octane tale of power, destiny, love and redemption.
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 found myself really intrigued by the premise of those book, and ended up requesting it twice because I got approved for the chapter sampler first, and I wanted to read the whole book.  I am SO glad that I did, because I absolutely loved the story and it's officially my first five star read of 2021.

This story was a bit of a slowburn despite the fact that it took place over a few short days.  It was very well paced with good moments of action in between moments of world building.  This was a really cool world.  I liked the roots in mythology while being cemented in a modern world.  I am a sucker for a good urban fantasy, and this one fully didn't disappoint.  I know that Greek mythology is something that has been explored a lot in young adult fiction, but I felt that the way that the gods and their stories were included in the world was really original, and I was very impressed.

I loved Lore as a main character.  She's got a lot of traits that make her a typical hero, but she was still reluctant to get back into it, which is a feature I love.  I also really sympathised with her story and how she felt like she didn't fit in, and how she was blaming herself for various things that happened.  She's not typically likeable, but I honestly really enjoyed her and she's probably one of my new fave female characters.

The story was well constructed.  The action scenes were well paced out so that I wasn't completely stressed out and biting my nails the entire time.  There were moments to recover and recollect but never long enough to get too comfortable.  The story kept me guessing with who could be trusted and who was on the right side of things.  I appreciated that the exposition was well done and I didn't feel overwhelmed or overly confused.  Information was revealed at just the right pace.  I also liked the inclusion of flashbacks to show what things were like for Lore prior to the events of the novel.

The side characters were also quite well developed.  I really enjoyed how the characters came together and split and just overall how all their relationships developed.  They felt real, and the author did a good job at making me fall in love with the characters pretty quickly.

Overall, I had a really good time reading this book, and I highly recommend that you check it out when it releases on January 5th.

Alexandra Bracken has done it again! The world she created was Lush and compelling, and the use of greek mythology has me stopping to grab my computer and searching more on the gods. This is book is definitely one to look out for.

Lore was my most anticipated read of 2021 and it did not disappoint.

Every seven years, the Agon begins. For 7 days, nine Greek gods are hunted by ancient bloodlines who seek their power. Lore has sworn off this life after her family was brutally murdered in the last Agon. However, as the new one begins, she is dragged back into battle by her childhood friend, Castor, and Athena, one of the last original gods.

This book was honestly sooo good. The plot is epic and fast-paced. It's the kind of book that keeps you at the edge of your seat and compels you to stay up late in order to read one more chapter. It's also filled with Greek mythology and so incredibly well-written. I loved each of the characters and the relationships that Lore develops with them.

And Lore's relationship with Castor omggg. I loved how sweet Castor is towards her and the whole "childhood friends to lovers" dynamic.

I had so much fun reading it and I highly recommend picking this book up!