Lore by Alexandra Bracken.

Greek mythology meets The Hunger Games in this stunning fantasy standalone, Lore from the author Alexandra Bracken. Long ago, nine Greek gods rebelled, and as punishment for this rebellion, the Agon was created. Every seven years those same gods would be stripped of their immortality and forced to fight against an onslaught of humans desperate to gain power and immortality in their death. Lore, an outcast from the supposedly wiped-out line of the Perseids, is drawn back into the hunt upon the arrival of the famed Athena on her doorstep. Together the two form a tethered bond, joining unlikely allies in search of revenge, and an end to the Agon forever.

Seventeen-year-old Melora “Lore” Perseus is the descendant of the Greek hero Perseus, and as the last of her bloodline, she’s gone to great pains to remove herself from the Agon’s brutality. A rival bloodline led by Wrath, a hunter who slew Ares and inherited his powers to become a god himself, viciously murdered Lore’s family during the last Agon, and though Lore is a highly-skilled fighter, she went into hiding to avoid sharing her family’s fate.

But when the Agon begins again in New York City, Athena, one of the last remaining gods, comes knocking at Lore’s door. In exchange for Lore’s help to survive the Agon, Athena agrees to slay Wrath, their shared enemy, who’s set on slaughtering the other gods in order to ensure he—and no one else—inherits their powers.

United with a childhood friend whom she presumed to be dead, Lore paves her way through the agon. Discovering truth and betrayals, Lore opens the lid of her emotions and past memories which she had on a tight hold for 7 years.

Lore’s world is a violent place, and Bracken doesn’t hold back. Though keeping track of hunter family genealogies as well as the histories of gods both old and new can be cumbersome at times, readers eager for detail-oriented world-building will find Lore enthralling. Bracken’s well-drawn characters drive the narrative, keeping it anchored in gritty prose and high-stakes emotions. The Agon is the book’s original competition that forces Greek gods to head down to Earth as mortals. For one week, hunters attempt to kill a god to take their powers, therefore protecting their bloodline and attaining kleos, eternal glory.

It’s also a darker page-turner. Although Lore is a young adult fantasy novel, it has deeper and darker themes and quite a bit of violence. That’s certainly to be expected when the entire plot revolves around a battle royale game that forces Greek gods to descend to their deaths. Everyone has a grudge or is seeking revenge, and the characters’ fierce personalities make for great dialogue and development.

The book has its share of twists, turns, and betrayals so I’m definitely looking forward to reading more by Alexandra Bracken. Lore is a book I won’t soon forget, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a brilliant world to escape to.

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