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A review by rachrreads
Lore by Alexandra Bracken
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
<i>Lore</i> by Alexandra Bracken uses the gods from Greek Mythology in a way I have never seen before. Every seven years the Agon happens. Nine of the Greek gods, as a punishment from Zeus, are made mortal one week every seven years. They are hunted by those who wish to take their place as a god. These mortals are descendants of Greek heroes chosen by Zeus himself.
This book started off so well! Bracken did a great job of immersing you into this world; explaining not only the past of the Agon, but also the past of the main character. Lore, short for Melora, grew up learning to fight alongside Castor Achilleos. She was trained to believe it was an honor to kill the gods and take their power. Although, that was never a possibility for Lore. First off, her family was small, compared to the many other families in the Agon; they had no one to ally with. Secondly, she's a woman and the Agon is very set in it's patriarchy. She would only be able to wound a god and allow their patriarch to take the power.
This all changes when Lore's family is murdered and she is the only one left in her bloodline. Her family was murdered in the last Agon by the new Ares (known as Wrath). Lore runs from the Agon, believing she can leave it behind. She was fairly successful, until Athena shows up at her door bloody and asking for help. Athena offers Lore something she desperately wants; something she is unable to turn down.
The friendship between the main characters was so much fun to read and it didn't feel forced. Their bond was formed so easily, learning to trust each other when it mattered most. Each character had a role to play, no one was just there to fill a void.
This story was amazing! I kept wanting to read more and more. There is suspense and new twists at every turn, but the ending felt so rushed. Bracken spent so much time building the ending up, only for it to be done in a few chapters. This was a disservice to the characters and the story. I felt myself thinking "This is it? It's over?" I am disappointed in the many questions left about the ending and why it had to happen that way.
The ending is the one reason I had to put this as 4 stars instead of 5. Up until the last 100 pages this book was perfect to me. I would have gladly read a 500+ page book if the ending would've been more fleshed out. I will definitely be reading this again, though.
This book started off so well! Bracken did a great job of immersing you into this world; explaining not only the past of the Agon, but also the past of the main character. Lore, short for Melora, grew up learning to fight alongside Castor Achilleos. She was trained to believe it was an honor to kill the gods and take their power. Although, that was never a possibility for Lore. First off, her family was small, compared to the many other families in the Agon; they had no one to ally with. Secondly, she's a woman and the Agon is very set in it's patriarchy. She would only be able to wound a god and allow their patriarch to take the power.
This all changes when Lore's family is murdered and she is the only one left in her bloodline. Her family was murdered in the last Agon by the new Ares (known as Wrath). Lore runs from the Agon, believing she can leave it behind. She was fairly successful, until Athena shows up at her door bloody and asking for help. Athena offers Lore something she desperately wants; something she is unable to turn down.
The friendship between the main characters was so much fun to read and it didn't feel forced. Their bond was formed so easily, learning to trust each other when it mattered most. Each character had a role to play, no one was just there to fill a void.
This story was amazing! I kept wanting to read more and more. There is suspense and new twists at every turn, but the ending felt so rushed. Bracken spent so much time building the ending up, only for it to be done in a few chapters. This was a disservice to the characters and the story. I felt myself thinking "This is it? It's over?" I am disappointed in the many questions left about the ending and why it had to happen that way.
The ending is the one reason I had to put this as 4 stars instead of 5. Up until the last 100 pages this book was perfect to me. I would have gladly read a 500+ page book if the ending would've been more fleshed out. I will definitely be reading this again, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Chronic illness
Arranged marriage mention