I loved The Darkest Minds so I had high expectations for Bracken's new novel. It started out really strong and I will say that it is action packed. The scenes are beautifully described and I could easily see this book being made into a movie. There was a good amount of back story, with flashbacks to the characters' younger years, but the story was so complicated that I often found myself confused. I'm not sure that I even totally understood the ending. I would have liked some more classic mythology in there, too. Bracken referenced the old gods throughout the book but I would to have liked to see their mythology more interwoven. Although this book is long, and I felt like it dragged at the end, I still think a lot of readers will enjoy it.

This book is excellent. It is well written, the story is exciting and interesting, and the characters are well developed. I recommend it for anyone who loves Greek history.

Not bad. Glad it’s a stand alone. Lots of good mythology woven in the storyline. It was somewhat predicted at times , but I still enjoyed the journey. I think the characters lived up to their “destinies”.

I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters, which was a shame. There were many to pick from. Lacking that connection is what kept me distances from the story I think. I always felt like I was outside looking in from a window instead of in the thick of the action.

The pacing was quick overall. It was certainly action packed and the plot was driven by it. There were a few times that it lulled a bit, however. The “preachy” moments were a little to 2020 for me, but I guess that’s just where we are now. I’m all for a strong female lead, but some parts just felt like salt in an open wound. Irritable and too much of a statement. I just want a good story that lets me connect the dots; I don’t need the lines drawn for me.

Overall it was an enjoyable read and any mythology fan would like it. It’s a fresh take on a popular genre.

This new vision of the Greek gods and heroes is an imaginative, pulse-pounding tale for the 21st century. Drawing on a deep knowledge of the old gods and new knowledge of pretty much every action-adventure-quest video game out there, Alexandra Bracken has created a dangerous world where the players breathe loyalty and betrayal. The fact that the protagonist is a young woman who *kicks ass* makes this even more appealing.

The ass-kicking isn’t all that’s special about Lore, though. She’s got very human feelings and morals, believing that doing good for others is far more important than power. Like any good hero, she struggles with the concept of power throughout the story, and nearly perishes while trying to defend the city at the end.

This will appeal to readers who enjoy fast-paced action-adventure blended with mythology. Well done.

So disappointed. The teaser I first received made it seem like this story of mythological gods and goddesses was set in modern NYC, so much so that I thought NYC was going to not only be the setting but almost a character, too. I'm almost 25% through the book, and the city hasn't been mentioned since the beginning of the story. Not only is the interesting juxtaposition between NYC and gods and goddesses missing, but I've become so confused as to whose house is whose that I've lost interest in what's happening to all of them.

I feel like the excerpt teaser was equivalent to a movie trailer, especially one that showed all the good parts already and left the reader/viewer with nothing new to explore. This was a DNF for me at 24%.

Percy Jackson is one of my FAVORITE series so I loved this book. This book is exciting and engaging and I am so excited I got a chance to read it first. That cover is AWESOME!

I was so excited to receive the full ARC of this book after reading the chapter sample. While it did not disappoint as a whole, it was not a perfect book.

The good: the premise was original and the world-building was rich and detailed. There was a sense of urgency and desperation throughout. I loved the twists in the plot and the portrayal of the gods.

The bad: the romance. I mean, I get it and it could have been way worse, but it still felt a little by-the-numbers. Not every book needs a love story!

As a fan of The Darkest Minds, I was very excited to get my hands on this book. It did not disappoint. In particular, I enjoyed that this book is a stand-alone. That's pretty uncommon in YA these days, particularly from more well-known authors like Alexandra Bracken.

The pacing of the book was excellent, and the relationships between the characters felt genuine and not forced. The only criticism that I have is that in some parts the rules and details of the book felt a bit dense and hard to keep track of.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to YA fans.

Percy Jackson + Fight Club!
A action thriller of a story. Lore, the last of the line of Perseus, must kill or be killed in a ritual battle of gods and men-and she must avenge the killing of her family. Long held secrets, and to say the least, family struggles. This is a violent book, and some of the scenes may be disturbing to younger or sensitive readers, or readers who had experienced family violence.

4 stars to Lore!

I really love that this a standalone first off, we don’t get a lot of those and it’s a breath of fresh air.

Okay, so Lore is about a game/competition that occurs every seven years involving greek gods and goddesses. Lore our main character has removed herself and escaped the game after her whole family has been murdered and she is hiding out from them all when her supposedly dead best friend shows up, as the new god Apollo.

When a hunter or player in the game kills a god he gains their power and becomes the new god to be hunted, but you can’t kill your kin and you can only hunt during the game.

The only reason I’m giving this book 4 instead of five is because of the Game, it took me forever to understand it all.

The only original gods left are Athena and Artemis by the time this new one starts and it’s a battle to the death, when Lore is given the chance to avenge her family she joins in and is off to try and kill the new Ares.

Lore was a great character, I understood her and her motivation throughout the book, her pacing and development was great. Her need for revenger and how fighting made her great and terrible at the same time made sense. We watch her struggle with everything that’s happened to her. Her human friend Miles was a good balance for her as well as Castor.

Castor is the new Apollo and while we slowly learn about him it’s easy to see how much he loves Lore from the get go.

Although this takes place in NY it really seems like Alexandra put a lot of thought and study into the Greek Gods and Goddess, I wish we got to see more of them other than the two who were still in the hunt. They were really well written where even though they weren’t main characters they encompassed their personalities well and everything they did made sense.

I want to say I want more, maybe an epilogue but the story is really solid and strong on its own. It’s a good standalone.

I really enjoyed this book, and I'm glad I held out for the full ARC (thanks NetGalley and publisher!). Definitely the next step after Percy Jackson. The body count is probably similar to the Hunger Games, but with more detailed violence, from what I can remember. Entertaining for adult readers as well as YA. Longer review will be posted when our YA librarian makes an ordering decision.

I tried. I reallllly tried. I just wasn't in the right head space for this book. There were just so many stinking details that I had to keep up with that it felt like too much work. I read to about 20% and tapped out. Perhaps another time when I can devote my full undivided attention to this book.

Lore, upcoming release from best-selling author Alexandra Bracken (you may know her fromThe Darkest Minds>) takes advantage of the mythology craze and brings you another tale of the Greek pantheon of gods in our modern world. The trend has ridden the coat-tales of the Percy Jackson phenomenon, but this book is different than the many other pretenders. 

The Greek gods have been cursed, and every seven years their godhood is stripped from them, and for one week, they are forced to walk the mortal world, vulnerable. If one of the mortal hunters kill a god, they take on that god's power. There are few of the original gods left, and the hunters are not merciful. This is the Agon, a bloodthirsty trial of endurance and cunning. The hunters are a few families, descendants of great heroes, each vying for the chance to bring honor to their house, whether through battle or ascension to godhood.

Lore is busy prize-fighting, taking the edge off some grief, when an old friend stumbles into her path, an old friend who should be dead. Warned that her life is in danger, Lore half-heartedly plans to skip town before she and her housemate find a goddess lying in wait for them.

Lore is offered a choice: she can walk away from the world she's been hiding from, or she can get the vengeance she has long desired. She can leave New York, where the battle has already begun, or she can stand her ground. If she can live through the next seven days, she might be able to discover the truth of what happened seven years ago, at the end of the last Agon. But the choice stands before her: will she pursue vengeance, or peace?

<p>Lore is a great character, and her voice is refreshing. She wants to leave a world that has taken everything from her, but she also feels responsible for righting the injustices that have befallen her. She's not a chosen one, she's just trying to survive. She is a unique character the likes of which I haven't seen in a while. Lore isn't just a badass, nor is she firmly in damsel territory. Her moral compass isn't fixed, but she values her humanity above all else. The secondary characters are all well-defined and have their own unique perspectives on the world they have been thrust into. The book is surprisingly romantic, despite the bloodshed, and will leave readers hungry for more. It's an exciting story that can't come out soon enough.

Wow! This book was intense.
What if the Greek Gods are real? And every 7 years they turn mortal and are hunted. Kill them and claim their power. This is the life that Lore is born into.
There are a lot of characters in this book and a lot of greek mythology that I wasn't too familiar with. That made it feel hard to wade through at first...but totally worth it.
The characters in this book have such depth and I loved getting to know them. Lots of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.
Recommend if you have an interest in Greek mythology, but also if you don't 😂
Thanks to Netgalley for an early copy for an honest review.

Ever since the Perseus Jackson books came out, fantasy novels based on Greek mythology have become very popular - and this is one of the most unique interpretations I've seen to date. Descendants of various Greek gods are divided into families, named from the god from whom they are descended. Melora (Lore) is descended from Perseus, a family that has fallen on hard times - and like every other descendant, her goal is to gain glory through combat. Here's the twist: this is happening in modern-day New York City. Every seven years, the Agon occurs - a time when gods walk the streets, but can be slain by those canny enough to do so - who then become the next god, to lead their family into the next cycle. Seven years ago, Lore's family was slain on the last day of the Agon, and her goal is to find their killers and avenge their deaths. As the last remaining member of her family, she is of great interest to several gods, all of whom want to find the aegis, the family shield, which only she can wield properly. Some gods will approach her directly; others through subterfuge; still others through their descendants. Told from Lore's viewpoint, primarily in the present, but with flashbacks to events from before the time frame of the novel (watch the chapter headings for when flashbacks occurred), this is a distinctive interpretation of what might happen if Greek gods still walked among us today.

Words cannot express how in love I am with this book. I love everything Greek mythology, but I have never read an interpretation of the Gods and Goddesses quite like this. Lore might be one of my favorite fictional characters because of how strong she is, yet she recognizes she needs help every now and then. There is A LOT that happens in the first couple of chapters alone, but I found myself unable to put the book down because each chapter felt like a new adventure and plot twist. Props to Alexandra Bracken for an amazing take on the Greek Gods and Goddesses!

Lore checks all the boxes -- a coming of age narrative, loyalty, betrayal, action and heart. Bracken pulls the age of the Greek gods into the modern era, while carefully sidestepping the Demi-god epic retelling. Instead, Bracken creates a new narrative distinct from other like-genre novels. Readers will find themselves enveloped by the sights and sounds of New York City and will thoroughly connect with Lore and her friends. Lore dives headlong into a battle that readers will not want to miss!

Set in modern New York City, Melora, aka Lore, is the last of her family's line. Since her family's murder seven years prior, she renounced who she was born and trained to be -- a hunter of gods. When her past literally meets her on her doorstep, she must make a choice -- turn her back on her family's legacy or fight for freedom from the Fates.

This is Alex Bracken's best book yet! It is a solid standalone, with all the character development needed, a great twist on Greek mythology, twisty af and eminently readable! It launches into the action immediately and never lets up but at no point did I feel like I didn't have enough info or even that I had too much info. The dropping of hints and information were perfectly timed to keep me intrigued and on the edge of my seat without frustrating me. Knowing it is a standalone also helped because I knew I'd get all the answers by 100% on my kindle.

Great read, exciting characters, and if this is a stand alone I will be so disappointed as I need more of all them in my life!

Every seven years, nine of the gods and goddesses of ancient Greek mythology are made mortal for a week to be hunted for their power. Whoever slays a god during the Agon inherits their power and immortality, and ancient bloodlines have long competed for the most power. After the deaths of her family, Lore walked away from the world of hunters and set out to live the rest of her life in hiding. But the Agon has come to New York City again, and the first night brings two grisly surprises.

This book was so good!! I absolutely loved it and flew through the entire thing in one late night. I loved the plot theme and the characters were awesome. I really like this author so I was so excited when I heard about this book. I will be purchasing this book for my library's YA collection.