5
Lore Book Cover Lore
Alexandra Bracken
Disney-Hyperion (January 5, 2021)
576 pages

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Minds comes a sweepingly ambitious, high-octane tale of power, destiny, love and redemption.
Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths.
Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.
The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.

In bustling New York City lives a 17 year-old girl named Melora. Known to all of her friends as Lore, she is the last living member of her families ancient bloodline. Of course, no one in her life knows she was born into a war among mortals and Greek Gods. Having disassociated herself from that “world”, Lore is constantly keeping a low profile. Try as she might, she can’t avoid that the ancient hunt for power by killing Greek Gods has touched down in her city.

“Bind your fate to mine”

Lore is forced back into the hunt when she crosses paths with a wounded and bleeding Athena. Athena is close to death, a fate only possible because of a curse placed by Zeus. Every seven years, for two weeks, all of the Gods are made mortal. Should a human manage to kill a God within those two weeks, they are reborn with the said-God’s powers. Until the next seven year cycle when they themselves will be hunted.

It will come as no surprise that Lore will have a love interest in this story. What did surprise me was the swoon-worthy moment when he admits that he loves her. Even knowing that moment would eventually come, I clutched the book to my chest and squealed for a few seconds. I wish I could share the direct quote without spoiling the magic. It’s become one of my favorite “I love you” reveals.

The most ultimate of all betrayals.

While we can always rely on a good plot twist to keep a book interesting, I was not prepared for the ultimate betrayal that rips Lore’s heart wide open. The author makes you care deeply about every player within Lore’s alliance. So at the moment that all the pieces align in Lore’s mind, it is devastating. This moment is up there in top 5 book-betrayals I’ve ever read. Again, I wish I could explain why! Kudos to you Alexandra Bracken for shocking me to my core!

Love, friendship, Greek Gods, a war for immortality… this book has it all! One of the best books I’ve read in 2020.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken