Hello Gods, Goddesses, and Mortals,

How’d you been? I’ve been a little quiet on here due to grad school, but I’m doing okay, or at least as okay as I can be for someone with so much to do! Anywho, today I have another book review for ya!

This time I read Lore by Alexandra Bracken.

I’ve always had a soft spot for mythology, maybe due to the class I took in middle school. I did enjoy The Darkest Minds from Bracken in the past (my review here), and when I saw I could read this as part of my grad school coursework I just couldn’t say no!

On to the review!

Blurb

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.

GoodReads

Amazon

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The Review

For years, Lore has tried to forget her troubled past and the Greek gods that took her family’s lives. But a new Agon has started where mortals can claim the gods’ powers for their own, and as much as she wants to forget her troubles in shady underground boxing rings, a chance encounter with someone from her past thrusts her back into the arena.

Desperate for vengeance and honor, Lore takes what allies she can against the coming blood soaked days to come. But something is different this time. It appears someone is killing gods and finding a way to eliminate them forever. How might that impact the hunt Lore has dedicated herself to? Will she be able to find victory against her now mortal enemies, or will she just be another victim?

This novel was filled with mythology, Gods, and magic, and was very enjoyable.

The narrator of this audiobook was an expert linguist. They had a pleasing voice and portrayed many different characters in differing tones and inflections masterfully. They also conveyed emotion very strongly, making the experience even more gripping.

Lore is the protagonist of this story and has a chip on her shoulder due to the trauma she has experienced in the past. This trauma is explored in flashbacks scattered throughout the novel and really helped identify the source and severity of her pain. Lore is a scrappy character, filled with bravery, courage, and a seemingly never-ending resiliency. She was also very resourceful when options were limited, and I liked that the author seemed to understand just how smart youth can be and focused on that.

The pacing of the book was fairly fast-paced, and in every chapter there was a stunning development that kept me at the edge of my seat.

The plot explored Greek mythology to a fair extent, and while the abundance of information at the start of the novel could be a bit overwhelming at first, once the basics are established it wasn’t very hard to understand everything that followed. Violence is abundant in this book, and there are themes of self-loathing and rape, so be forewarned.

Lastly, the writing of this book was handled quite well. It could drag in more sentimental spots, but overall it was done expertly. Any teen or adult wanting to dive into a Greek mythology themed fantasy adventure should definitely give this book a try!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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