REVIEW: Lore by Alexandra Bracken

 🐍REVIEW: Lore by Alexandra Bracken🌬

What it’s about: The Agon takes place every seven years. It is the punishment administered upon nine Greek gods for their roles in a rebellion by Zeus. During Agon, the nine gods must walk Earth as mortals while being hunted by the descendants of chosen ancient heroes. The hunter who kills a god gains their power and immorality, but in turn, join the never-ending cycle and become hunted too. After the brutal murder of her entire family, and the only other remaining survivors of her bloodline, Lore Perseous escaped her world, defying the only destiny she ever knew, trying to forget the man, now a new god, who took her family from her. At the start of the new Agon, Lore is asked to help the last two people she ever expected, Castor, Lore’s childhood best friend who should be dead, and the dying Athena, one of the last remaining original gods. United with a common enemy and a shared goal, Lore rejoins the hunt by binding her fate to the goddess to try to maintain the only thing she craves more than power: Freedom. 

My thoughts: If you have seen anything about this book, you have probably heard the tagline: The Hunger Games meets Greek Mythology, which at the most simple level, is accurate. Alexandra Bracken crafted a sweeping story full of morally questionable actions, betrayal, love, and the power of a single choice. The writing was stunning, with beautifully descriptive imagery. So many lines had me stopping to reread them in awe. Lore, as a character, was extremely inspiring as she learned to turn her anger into a tool she could wield. The feminist undertones in challenging the blatant sexism and horrors that take place in mythology were also refreshing and needed. The romance in the novel, at first bordered on rushed, but in the end I found myself on board. I really liked all the characters that came together to help Lore, especially after unlikely circumstances kept the story twisting with surprises and heart-stoppping action scenes. I felt at one with Lore, rooting for her strength, and angered by the injustices she faced. Also, every story needs a Miles. This was a great way to start my reading year, and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves urban fantasy and greek mythology. (Please see end section for CW’s!)

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RATING: ★★★★.5/5

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*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

**CWs: violence, murder, murder involving children and parents, terminal illness, mention of rape, sexual assault, and arranged marriage.