A review by ivegotyourpaperback
Lore by Alexandra Bracken

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

This was a fun ‘what if’-scenario of a book posing questions like:
  • what if Zeus was was once betrayed by the gods? (only some of them, not the whole pantheon)
  • What if in retaliation he made them mortal for a week every 7 years to be hunted?
  • What if the decedents of epic hero’s were the hunters?
  • What if he never got bored of seeing the gods being hunted and this went on for thousands(?) of years?
  • What if the Gods and Goddesses never thought to exterminate the hunters in the 7 years between each Agon when they have their power again?
  • What if it’s taken this long for a hunter to finally go “bugger this, I’m done. Peace out, bitches ✌️”?
  • What if the Agon is always held in a different city, but it’s not clear how said city is chosen?

There is quite a large cast of characters in the book and I was very grateful to the author for including both a guide of the different Hunter lines and a full character list.

I liked the discussion about Medusa, her transformation, and the way she’s viewed in history as either a monster or a victim. Most importantly I liked that Lore called Athena out on her BS re the role she played in that myth.

While the story was enjoyable enough there were a number of things that I felt weren’t explained/ didn’t make sense. I found it best set these aside and not think too much about them while reading.
At the end though, I was super bummed that Zeus never showed up, which seems out of character for the King of the Gods. The Gods are known for their interference in the lives of humans. It seems odd that he or the other gods from the pantheon (those who aren’t members of the Agon) wouldn’t treat this like their favourite sporting match and choose sides to root for (a La the Trojan War).

I don’t think the romance was necessary. It didn’t really add anything to the story. Castor and Lore could have just been best friends and the plot still would have worked.

As the story is set in New York City you’ll  probably get a lot more enjoyment out of it if you’re from NYC (or are familiar with the city). At times the story felt like part love letter to this iconic location.

This was a great example of a book with a fabulous premise, but just a ‘meh’ execution.
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