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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Alexandra Bracken blessed me with an ARC of Lore!! This book has been on my radar since I saw it's release date and synopsis. I absolutely love Greek mythology and any story that incorporates that into their character's journey, and Bracken did not disappoint.
AHHH!! I have so many feelings after finishing this. But, most of all I think the aesthetic of this book is just breathtaking. I mean, look at the cover!! I was already intrigued by the plot and cover, but that was just the beginning. The world-building is phenomenal, and Alexandra makes it so clear and easy to understand and follow. With Greek mythology, and Greek names and events, it can become overwhelming and confusing. This was not the case with Lore. Not only was her writing precise and easy to follow-- while also thickening the plot and provoking thought-- she also included a glossary for the different lines and their descendants and a glossary at the end with a "cast of characters".
SPOILERS
The idea of the Agon was so original and something I had never even thought of or imagined. It is such a creative twist to the Greek gods we have learned about and know. The idea of the gods becoming mortal for seven days every seven years, and basically having to fight to stay alive and keep their powers from being taken by a "new god"??? ALEXANDRA BRACKEN'S MIND.
Honestly, I love how she portrayed Athena. I kind of had a feeling she was up to something, and I didn't trust her. And, when she portrayed Lore I was still upset because of that rooftop talk they had.. wow, I wanted them to be friends so bad, I really enjoyed watching Athena's character arc; it was raw and beautiful to watch. I also loved how Bracken had the poem and the whole idea of cracking the code/meaning that Zeus had intended. It was so fun to watch and I just enjoyed the characters all working together and discovering their found little family, it was so sweet.
Now, my favorite part!!! THE CHARACTERS!! Let me start by saying that Castor and Lore are the childhood friends to lovers trope executed PERFECTLY. They balanced each other so well, Lore was always quick to temper and fight, while Castor was also calm and collected... I just loved them so much. THE BATHROOM SCENE. Whew, that was so intimate and they didn't even kiss?? I just love the good ole character a is injured so character b takes them to get cleaned up/take care of them. IT HAS MY WHOLE HEART. I adored watching them both come to know each other again, while also still trying to find themselves. It was a beautiful journey watching them discover themselves and their feelings for each other.
EVANDER AND MILES. I have no words. My gay kings. I am in love with them both. They are literally the depiction of the grumpy and sunshine couple. Van was so caring and protective of Miles, and Miles was the only one who could break Van's façade. UGH, my heart. I loved both of their characters on their own, but them being together- *chefs kiss*.
As much as I loved it so much, there were a couple of reasons why I felt like I couldn't give it a full 5-stars. First, was the scene where Lore goes with Castor and she retrieves the shield with him. Then, continues to wear it, and just basically makes her own storm of thunder and lightning?? I felt like that whole scene should've been more dramatic/climatic. She kind of just put it on did what she did, and was like "okay, let's go." MA'AM. THIS IS THE AEGIS. THE SHIELD OF ATHENA. GIFTED BY ZEUS. THE REASON SO MUCH BAD SHIT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU?? Ugh, I just wish the scene was more epic. I also thought the idea of the gods having to accept their mistakes and sacrifice themselves meaningfully for a human to get back to Olympus was kind of...eh. You're telling me the goddess of wisdom and war couldn't have figured that out in a thousand plus years? I don't know if I buy that... I still enjoyed it play out in the story though.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book!! ESPECIALLY if you love Greek mythology and are looking for a new twist in the pantheon of gods.
AHHH!! I have so many feelings after finishing this. But, most of all I think the aesthetic of this book is just breathtaking. I mean, look at the cover!! I was already intrigued by the plot and cover, but that was just the beginning. The world-building is phenomenal, and Alexandra makes it so clear and easy to understand and follow. With Greek mythology, and Greek names and events, it can become overwhelming and confusing. This was not the case with Lore. Not only was her writing precise and easy to follow-- while also thickening the plot and provoking thought-- she also included a glossary for the different lines and their descendants and a glossary at the end with a "cast of characters".
SPOILERS
The idea of the Agon was so original and something I had never even thought of or imagined. It is such a creative twist to the Greek gods we have learned about and know. The idea of the gods becoming mortal for seven days every seven years, and basically having to fight to stay alive and keep their powers from being taken by a "new god"??? ALEXANDRA BRACKEN'S MIND.
Honestly, I love how she portrayed Athena. I kind of had a feeling she was up to something, and I didn't trust her. And, when she portrayed Lore I was still upset because of that rooftop talk they had.. wow, I wanted them to be friends so bad, I really enjoyed watching Athena's character arc; it was raw and beautiful to watch. I also loved how Bracken had the poem and the whole idea of cracking the code/meaning that Zeus had intended. It was so fun to watch and I just enjoyed the characters all working together and discovering their found little family, it was so sweet.
Now, my favorite part!!! THE CHARACTERS!! Let me start by saying that Castor and Lore are the childhood friends to lovers trope executed PERFECTLY. They balanced each other so well, Lore was always quick to temper and fight, while Castor was also calm and collected... I just loved them so much. THE BATHROOM SCENE. Whew, that was so intimate and they didn't even kiss?? I just love the good ole character a is injured so character b takes them to get cleaned up/take care of them. IT HAS MY WHOLE HEART. I adored watching them both come to know each other again, while also still trying to find themselves. It was a beautiful journey watching them discover themselves and their feelings for each other.
EVANDER AND MILES. I have no words. My gay kings. I am in love with them both. They are literally the depiction of the grumpy and sunshine couple. Van was so caring and protective of Miles, and Miles was the only one who could break Van's façade. UGH, my heart. I loved both of their characters on their own, but them being together- *chefs kiss*.
As much as I loved it so much, there were a couple of reasons why I felt like I couldn't give it a full 5-stars. First, was the scene where Lore goes with Castor and she retrieves the shield with him. Then, continues to wear it, and just basically makes her own storm of thunder and lightning?? I felt like that whole scene should've been more dramatic/climatic. She kind of just put it on did what she did, and was like "okay, let's go." MA'AM. THIS IS THE AEGIS. THE SHIELD OF ATHENA. GIFTED BY ZEUS. THE REASON SO MUCH BAD SHIT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU?? Ugh, I just wish the scene was more epic. I also thought the idea of the gods having to accept their mistakes and sacrifice themselves meaningfully for a human to get back to Olympus was kind of...eh. You're telling me the goddess of wisdom and war couldn't have figured that out in a thousand plus years? I don't know if I buy that... I still enjoyed it play out in the story though.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book!! ESPECIALLY if you love Greek mythology and are looking for a new twist in the pantheon of gods.
This was an amazing read. My favorite part of the story was how we would learn bits and pieces of what happened 7 years previously and how that shaped our understanding of choices made since then. I felt truly connected to Lore and Cas and was rooting for them as the 7th day ended.
as someone who loves greek mythology this book is so cool and awesome and i love it. i love lore. also we love the side mlm romance <3
So freaking good! It was a little confusing at first with lots of flipping around pages to reread, but once I got far enough it all seemed to come together! And the twist at the end was so unexpected. I just wish the ending was longer so I could see more of what happened afterwards
4.75, mostly because I'm terrible at figuring out action sequences and for the weird romance. Otherwise this is right up my alley.
⭐️3.5/5⭐️ A lot of the middle of this book fell flat for me but the ending brought it back extremely well. I think that this book would have benefited from a lot of the little missions in the middle being cut out. It also felt like the Greek Gods/New Gods were extremely absent from the overall narrative. I would have liked to see them a lot more not just a few pages and then whoops that’s it. I do think this book is worth a read despite its flaws though.
TW for Lore: rape, pedophilia, terminal illness, violence/gore
TW for Lore: rape, pedophilia, terminal illness, violence/gore
adventurous
informative
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
4⭐️
Ohhhhh she was good. In all honesty, better than I expected. It’s so easy for books based on Greek mythology to feel the same, and I think this brought on a fun perspective. It also reminded me of reading Percy Jackson and the Hunger Games when I was a kid, which was a welcome kind of nostalgia.
Some thoughts:
The Agon-
Alright, not what I expected, but I enjoyed it all the same. This brought more stress than I had anticipated and was definitely more violent than I signed up for. As a girlie who doesn’t like gore, I had to take a step back a couple times. Regardless, it had me on the edge of my seat.
A hint of romance-
I truly feel like the romance adds a little something something to the storyline without overtaking it. Our FMC and MMC were precious together, and it was great seeing that natural progression.
Layout-
This may be the first time I actually wish for a dual POV. Overall the storytelling was great, but there were moments where it felt like info dumping in an unnatural way. Having POVs for Lore and Castor could really give us a more natural progression to the story.
Side characters-
I’m obsessed with them all. Nuff said.
Ohhhhh she was good. In all honesty, better than I expected. It’s so easy for books based on Greek mythology to feel the same, and I think this brought on a fun perspective. It also reminded me of reading Percy Jackson and the Hunger Games when I was a kid, which was a welcome kind of nostalgia.
Some thoughts:
The Agon-
Alright, not what I expected, but I enjoyed it all the same. This brought more stress than I had anticipated and was definitely more violent than I signed up for. As a girlie who doesn’t like gore, I had to take a step back a couple times. Regardless, it had me on the edge of my seat.
A hint of romance-
I truly feel like the romance adds a little something something to the storyline without overtaking it. Our FMC and MMC were precious together, and it was great seeing that natural progression.
Layout-
This may be the first time I actually wish for a dual POV. Overall the storytelling was great, but there were moments where it felt like info dumping in an unnatural way. Having POVs for Lore and Castor could really give us a more natural progression to the story.
Side characters-
I’m obsessed with them all. Nuff said.