I love Bracken’s new book Lore. I had no problem with visualizing this book. In fact I could see it as a movie in my mind. Lore is actually a person. This book is like the Hunger Games of Greek Mythological Gods set in modern times. Extremely entertaining I look forward to more books of Bracken to come.

"She was here because her father had taught her to hold a blade, because her mother had raised her strong and proud, because her sisters were forever unfinished people."

Solid 3.5 stars.

Greek mythology thrown into modern New York city, with some of the classics still strutting around? Yes please!

What was rad: Athena's snarky ass. Lore learning to accept herself and trust others (and not being stupid about it), the Agon and it's 7 year "kill or be killed" battle for power. Also, a stand alone book! Hallelujah!

What was less rad: Keeping up with who was who. Following who "new {god name}" was and loyal and which house, was challenging, but I kept up. And the ending. It was "meh" in my opinion.

Favorite quote: "Fear is a foreign land I shall never visit and a language that will never cross my tongue.” Good ol' Athena!

This book has major False God by Taylor Swift vibes!!! I love this book so much!

Every seven years, the Agon occurs—Greek gods become mortal and they are hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines. If a Greek god is killed, the hunter takes their place and becomes immortal. The main character, Lore, has tried to distance herself from her bloodline and lead a normal life in New York City. But an injured Greek goddess shows up at Lore’s doorstep at the beginning of the next Agon, and this thrusts her back into the hunt. Will she choose to avenge her family members who were tragically murdered during the last Agon?

THE WORLD

The worldbuilding is incredible and unique. Bracken seamlessly combined Greek mythology with our present day world and technology. I’m blown away by this concept. Personally, I don’t have much experience with Greek mythology. (Now all I want to do is read and learn about it.) For readers who don’t know much about Greek mythology, Bracken is magic. She has this way of integrating exposition within the scenes so you’re learning without a bunch of info-dump. While I didn’t know everything, like each gods’ backstory, I was able to understand the story. Amazing!

THE CHARACTERS

The characters are well thought out, and there’s a lot of plot twists that come with it!

In the beginning, it was a little hard to picture each character distinctly (i.e. the chapters where Peter and Van are introduced). I think it’s because there are a lot of characters at the beginning of the Agon, but this only lasted for a few short chapters. All of the characters are unique and purposeful to the story.

Miles and Athena... Miles and Van... Gosh, Miles was adorable with everyone in every scene. Also, I would’ve liked to have read more about Iro, or maybe Lore’s memories of her sisters. The characters are so compelling that you just want to read more about them. Basically, I’d love it if there was a second book, or even a book from other characters with their POVs and backstories.

PLOT AND PACING

Every chapter is intense; it feels like they could end in tragedy or death at any moment. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. Because of the wide range of characters and their journey not always going as planned, I found myself pausing to think: Why did Lore and her friends go here? Why is it important that they’re meeting/running into this character? This made it a very engaging read!

I can’t wait for January so I can buy a hard copy and underline all of the beautiful passages!! This is a book that I will continue to pick up and read over the years.

Thank you Disney Publishing Worldwide for the opportunity to read and review a digital advance copy!

Mark your calendars! Lore comes out January 5, 2020!

I really liked this book. I have always liked myths and legends and this brought it into todays world. Great Read!

I was originally going to give this book 4/5 stars because I was left a little confused in the beginning with all the names and rules of the Agon being thrown at me, but damn, I ended up loving this book so much, it became a 5 star read for me.

Lore is the last member of her family at the start of the Agon; an event that takes place once every seven years, for seven days, in which time hunters try to kill Greek Gods. If they succeed, they inherit the God’s power as reward. This year’s Agon just so happens to take place in Lore’s current city, New York. Lore had thought she left this life behind, but you can never really escape your destiny.

If you love adventure, fantasy, intense battles and a little romance, then this book is for you. It was truly action packed through it’s entirety with some twists that I did not see coming. Our main character is a strong female character and we can always use more of those in the world.

Wow. I don’t even know what to say. That was fantastic. It’s been a long time since any book sucked me in from the very beginning, but this one did for sure.

It was nice for me to have a genre change and get sucked back into the world of Greek mythology with a modern twist.

I don’t want to go into any spoilers, but I highly recommend this one. It was fun, super character driven, and had the perfect amount of past and present thrown in.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was wonderful! As soon as I picked it up I was pulled into Lore’s world, and all of the characters just were amazing! The pacing was very good, and it was the perfect blend of Greek mythology and almost The Hunger Games!
I have never read anything by Alexandra Bracken, but I am excited to read more from her!
TW- Intense violence, blood, and gore; sexual assault

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mixing the modern world and Greek mythology, Lore is an action-packed, emotional roller coaster from beginning to end. A group of multi-dimensional characters is led by Lore, the last human descendant of the house of Perseus. It’s humans vs. gods, and even gods vs. gods, as the time has come for a long lost prophecy to be fulfilled.

This story was such a great read. I did not want it to end, but when it did it was satisfying. Everything from the world building and character development for these complicated, yet capable, characters was truly well done. As a long-time fan of Alexandra Bracken’s books, this one did not disappoint.

I want to start by thanking NetGalley, Alexandra Bracken, and Disney Books for the chance to review the eARC of this amazing story. Make sure to pick this up when it comes out on January 5th, 2021!

-Characters- (1/1)

Lore's journey is one of fate and revenge, as her past is filled with horrors unspoken and memories left buried by time. Her development over the course of the story is incredible, as she goes from a girl filled with hatred for the person that murdered her family, to a girl who will do anything to save her city and friends. Castor was the only character I wish I'd had more connection with. I feel like Lore mostly saw him as a big-muscled friend, rather than a person she could love and confide in.

-Plot- (1/1)

Love this story! Lore's past is interwoven throughout the novel, building suspense and raising tension. Bracken ensured that no matter what twist came Lore's way in the story, the protagonist would handle it in a way that was true to herself and made even the most surprising decisions understandable. Greek mythology is prevalent through the entirety of the book—definitely for fans of Riordan and all things Greek mythology!

-World-Building-(1/1)

Phenomenal. As I said above, Bracken's take on Greek mythology is outstanding. Many mythological stories involve the end-of-the-gods or something to that effect, but this was completely different. A mix of Greek weaponry, myths, settings, and the overall plot make LORE one of the best mythological fictions I've ever read.

-Romance- (0.5/1)

LORE is an unusual case as far as romance goes. There is nothing exactly *wrong* with the romance at all. I just couldn't feel the chemistry or underlying suspense/tension between Lore and Castor. I think my main issue is that we got a lot of his backstory, which was heartbreaking and powerful, but not a lot of who he was in the present. I would definitely have given this 1 full point if I'd seen more of his true colors in his dialogue with Lore, and if she had tried to look upon him in a more friendly way than how he was heavily muscled.

-Writing- (1/1)

No surprise here, Bracken's writing (especially in those action scenes) is masterful. Pacing? Check. Diction? Double check. Need I go on? Obviously since this is an ARC, revisions for repeated words will be made, but other than that, an outstanding story with even better characters.

Final grade: 4.5/5⭐

This was an action packed take on a retelling about the gods. I really enjoyed the main character, and how relatable her thought process was. I also liked that you didn't have to be super into Greek gods or myths to enjoy the storyline. It felt like an original idea. I would definitely reccomend.

Percy Jackson meets the Hunger Games in this newest story by Alexandra Bracken. Lore is the story of Melora who is drawn back into the Agon— a one week battle that occurs every seven years. During this week the Olympian Gods are made mortal and the descendants of Heroes attempt to kill them and claim their power. At first Lore thinks that she can kill the man who killed her family, but as the week wears on, and as she befriends gods and mortals alike, she realizes that there is much more at stake.

The book is an amazing look into the legacy of our ancestors, the mechanisms of fate, and the strength of one’s own will. I give this book 4/5 stars and highly recommend it to all YA fans when it is released in January.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of the book.

I read the preview of this book and was so excited for the rest. It did not disappoint. There are twists and turns. Most of these are because most of the characters are complex and nuanced, including the gods. Every seven years these gods become human for seven days and can be killed. Whoever kills them gets their power, but becomes human the next cycle. Families descended from Greek heroes are given special tools by Zeus and train to kill the gods while they are in human form during the week known as the Agon.

The story is told in alternating timelines, the current Agon unfolds against the slow reveal of events from the past Agon, when Lore's entire family was killed. Each new revelation about the past influences the current story, sometimes echoing Lore's evolving understanding and other times laying bare backstory that explains current actions or feelings. It's very effective.

I've already preordered the book for my daughter's 22nd birthday on Jan 5. She grew up with Percy Jackson and the Hunger Games. Other reviewers have mentioned this as a mash of the two. There's some truth there, but there is something different that this one leaves you with.

Thank you Alexandra Bracken, Disney, and NetGalley for the advance ebook in exchange for my honest opinion

Are you a god, hunter, blooded-or-mere mortal? In LORE, the Agon strikes every seven years, temporarily turning gods into vulnerable mortals. If a human kills a god in this state, then the human seizes all of their powers. It’s a never-ending, bloody battle that 17-year-old Lore (the last of the Perseides) sets out to finish with her childhood training partner, Castor (a fellow blooded-mortal who killed Apollo and is now a god), Adonis’ son Van, and her enthusiastic human bestie, Miles. In time, it’s revealed that former ally Athena is actually an enemy, guilty of murdering Lore’s family. If Lore doesn’t hand her the Aegis (the mighty shield of Zeus), she’ll destroy Lore’s friends and favorite place: NYC. Fortunately, Athena ultimately redeems herself. Not only does she help Lore defeat Wrath, the original villain, but she also has Lore kill her, thus transferring her abilities. Even though powers are cool, all Lore truly wants is to be released from the Agon. Luckily, Zeus hears her wish and turns Lore and Castor into mortals, now able to lead loving, normal lives. Led by a multilayered, badass teen girl, LORE is a captivating read that takes Greek Mythology and puts a NYC twist on it. It's high stakes and edge-of-your-seat action with comedy, stakes and drama. It's a bit cliche and I would have loved a little bit more world-building (how the Gods' behavior affects the city), but that being said, still worth reading if you're a fan of fantasy adventure.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is a review for the entire book, not the chapter sampler that many received

You know those ancient Greek gods you learned about? Yeah, they're still around. Every 7 years, they become mortals and are hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines during an event called the Agon. If a hunter succeeds at killing a god, they gain their power and immortality. Lore, our main character, left the world of the hunters after her family was brutally murdered during the last hunt 7 years ago. We catch up with Lore as she is shoved back into the world she wants to leave behind, intrigued by the idea of possibly getting revenge on her family's killer - a new god named Wrath, who wants to win the Agon once and for all.

I am not sure what to think of this novel. On one hand, this book was a lot of fun and I can see a ton of people really enjoying it. On the other hand, it was extremely confusing and info-dumpy. I would argue there isn't enough exposition. We need more development of what is happening and how it all came to be, but we are just thrown in and playing catch up the whole time. There were a lot of times during the action scenes where I felt I wasn't on the same page with Lore. She understood the world she was in, but I did not. As a result, many of the actions and reactions that characters had just didn't make much sense to me.

Flaws aside, I did think this was a unique story. Greek gods murdering everyone in NYC? That's definitely something I haven't read before. It is pretty brutal and graphic, so consider this a warning if that isn't your thing.

I recommend brushing up on your knowledge of Greek mythology before diving into this one. I didn't and maybe that's where things went wrong.

Happy reading!

(No Spoilers) I was given a sampler on here, which I loved... but now I read the whole book, and I absolutely loved it!

Alexandra Bracken’s stories are something that I’ve always loved since I read The Darkest Minds and saw the film. It was so good that I read the whole series soon after, and then her other series Passengers. I’ve been anticipating this one because Alexandra was writing a Greek story and I am Greek.

This story was beautiful and fun! I loved the main character, as well as the other characters, and I was immersed in the story from the get-go! This is definitely worth a reread and I’ll be picking up my copy on release day!

This was great, actually. As someone who wasn't exactly, the biggest fan of Miss Bracken's previous works (The Darkest Minds crew is amazing, but the plot was weak), I went into this with low expectations, honestly. But this surprised me. Miss Bracken managed to create a new world (or as much of a new world you can create inside of Greek mythology), and made me feel sympathy for characters I would normally hate. The plot was actually STRONG, and everything connected together and there were no plot holes (except for the ending, which somewhat left things up for grabs). The main character, OHMY, I loved her so much. She was strong, and didn't take no one's stuff, which was refreshing. But, as I said before, the plot was the most strong part of the book. Miss Bracken has shown that she can write a good plot, and for that, I commend her.

I was really excited to receive this book. I had gotten a sneak peak chapter and was really hoping to get the full book. Lore is a action packed nonstop story. There are a lot of characters/families to keep track of. but most of them are fairly familiar from mythology. There are a lot of twists and turns in this one. You never know who you can and can't trust. It was nice to see a solid standalone book for once, but i must say it did leave me wanting more.

I was provided and eARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As an avid consumer of mythology I was thrilled to see Alexandra Bracken write a YA novel based around Greek mythos. This book is almost like The Hunger Games meets Starcrossed or for those that have never read that Percy Jackson.The book can seem a bit muddling at first with the amount of information packed into the first chapters and the fast pace, but it is incredibly engaging. If you aren't knowledgeable about Greek Mythology there is back content you might want to read over before starting the book. All of the characters are well developed and to see Lore grow into herself over the novel from running from her past to embracing it and her future was freeing. Lore is the type of feminist character that embraces other women instead of climbing over them to reach her end goal or feeling like everyone has to be like her to get her support. The love story is well integrated into the plot without overwhelming the focus of the Agon and fate.. The one thing I hated was that because it all ended in one book we did not get time as much time or interaction with the other characters as I would have liked. Maybe in the future there will be spin-offs with the characters developed here which would be warmly welcomed. There is a lot of brutal violence and death in this book as well as sexual assault being mentioned so it will not be for all readers.

Alex Bracken is one of my favorite authors, so I was excited to get a copy of Lore. This is not The Darkest Minds. This is a fresh new take on a YA modern day version of Greek Mythology reborn in NYC. It follows two main characters - Lore and Castor - childhood friends who were separated by tragic and violent means - who are now thrown back together in a fight to save their lives. It's an amazingly original spin on the traditional Greek Mythology and the stories we know and love. LOVED IT!

OMG! I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I was looking forward to a new Alexandra Bracken book and it exceeded all my expectations. It is a book complete with twists and turns and tons of action that had me on the edge of my seat. The main character, Lore, is so badass and capable of anything she sets out to do; she is easily my favorite character that Alexandra Bracken has written. The supporting cast is phenomenal in their own right and their banter is gold. The book is very light on the romance which I think was a good call considering how action packed the book is. Did I mention the twists? Because I didn't see any of them coming and I was properly shook by them. I may even go so far and say that this has become my favorite Alex Bracken book to date. I felt the care and time that she took to research the mythology of the gods and I think that anyone with an iota of interest in Greek mythology will find this book intriguing.

eARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.