*FULL DISCLOSURE* I received an ARC for an honest review.
*SECOND FULL DISCLOSURE* Alexandra Bracken was the author to bring me back into the reading world with her Darkest Minds Series (which I listened to as an audiobook). I literally screamed (not being facetious) when I saw that I got approved for an ARC.
When I saw that Alexandra Bracken was up to bat for yet another book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. And she does not disappoint. I knew from the minute I read, ” He woke to the feeling of rough ground beneath him and the stench of mortal blood” (Bracken 1) I was OBSESSED. It’s cliche to say that you were hooked after reading the first line, but I feel that there’s an exception in this case. It was going to satisfy my Percy Jackson itch. And boy, did it scratch well. If I were to try to describe what reading this book feels like, I would have to say it’s a big bear-hug from Uncle Rick!
The books starts off with a god being born into mortal flesh. I originally thought this book was going to take place in ancient Greece, but I was thrilled to find out it was set in modern times. It quickly cuts into a boxing match between the main character, Lore, and her unnamed opponent. Bracken sets Lore up to be a tough-as-nails, no-nonsense, kick-butt kind of gal that also has a sweet side (think of Darcy Lewis from the Marvel Cinematic Universe), which if I’m being honest, is refreshing in a different gender. Her main hang-up in life is that her entire family is dead because of an event called the Agon. It is a hunt for the gods to get their powers. There are four sides to the Agon, the first is the gods, then Houses of Hunters (all aptly named after people and creatures from greek mythology), which leads into people related to the Houses that choose not to participate in the Agon, and mortals. One of the deities seeks out Lore’s help because they are hurt and need her help with a conflict in the Agon. This war between the Gods and the hunters has been going on for centuries and there is a rumor going around in the hunters’ circles that there is a way to permanently end the Agon and receive a great reward. Lore decides to help the deity in the name of revenge for her family.
Lore’s introduction and entire character also reminds me of the song Raise Hell by Dorothy.
A lot of deeper references are put into this book from greek mythology and history (I guess that is to be expected) but there are references to mortals from greek mythology in the houses. As I got further in the book, I was very grateful for the denoted lineages in the beginning of the book. I found myself flipping back and forth between the story and the lineages constantly in the beginning, which isn’t a bad thing in my case. Although, it did get kind of annoying at times because I would be in the middle of Lore explaining something that I didn’t understand and then I have to go back to the front of the book. There is a hefty amount of world building in this book, but I think that Bracken does it in a way that is fast paced, pointed, and interesting.
Bracken is an expert in purposefully revealing vital information to the reader, but is careful enough to keep the reader guessing as to what she means.
It is honestly so hard to review this book because all I want to type is “omg it’s so good” over and over again. I literally did not want to finish this book, it was so good that I just wanted to daydream all day about the world. (That was not a sarcastic statement, sometimes I could only go a few sentences before having to take a break of a few seconds.)
I can only think of one time when I thought the writing was so clunky that it brought me out of the story.
This is the kind of book that makes you look up from the pages and realize, “shit, nobody else is being effected by this.” And I say that with a lot of love.
Lore by Alexandra Bracken is a love letter to Greek mythology that is beautifully written, and is just as good as, if not better, than Percy Jackson. #sorrynotsorry
A feather fallen from a wing is not lost, Gil had told her, but free.
Alexandra Bracken
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