Lore

by Alexandra Bracken

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

After Lore Perseous’ family is brutally murdered, she does everything she can to protect herself from the same fate, even if it means hiding in plain sight in New York City. However, she is soon tracked down by two participants of the Agon — a traditional hunt of the Greek gods that occurs every seven years — who both desperately need her help. Will Lore decide to rejoin the Agon and avenge her family’s death with so much at risk? Fraught with epic world-building and high stakes action, Lore is a rich tale of Greek mythology meets The Hunger Games that YA Fantasy fans won’t want to miss.

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLER

“Epic from start to finish.” —Marie Lu, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Warcross

“A brilliant and breathless twist on classic mythology!” —Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Lunar Chronicles

Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals. They are 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, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory after her family was murdered by a rival line. 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 her out: Castor, a childhood friend Lore believed to be dead, and Athena, one of the last of the original gods, now gravely wounded.

The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and a way to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to rejoin the hunt, binding her fate to Athena's, will come at a deadly cost—and it may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781484778203
Publisher:	Disney Press
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	2,271
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.70(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Alexandra Bracken is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Darkest Minds series and Passenger series. Born and raised in Arizona, she moved east to study history and English at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. After working in publishing for several years, she now writes full time. Her work is available across the world in over 15 languages and has been adapted for the big screen. Visit her online at www.alexandrabracken.com and on Twitter and Instagram @alexbracken.

Editorial Reviews

11/23/2020

With ambitious worldbuilding and breakneck pacing, Bracken’s (the Passenger series) standalone novel blends Greek mythology and modern-day Manhattan. After her family is brutally murdered, Melora Perseous, known as Lore, is the last of the mortal Perseides. Training in New York City as an underground fighter, Lore lives undetected from those who seek her family’s shield, the aegis, which is “the envy of all the other bloodlines.” When the Agon occurs—the seven days every seven years when gods can be murdered for their powers—Lore is thrust into a world she would rather avoid, taking friend Miles and childhood pal Castor, now Apollo, with her. Teaming up with Athena to thwart a wrathful villain intent on killing off the gods, Lore balances achieving her destiny—kleos, or legendary honor—with mourning her family. Employing crafty nods to ancient epics (“Seven years stretched between them like the wine-dark sea”) alongside gritty action sequences and violence, including sexual assault, Bracken cuts tense moments with Lore’s backstory, told in illuminating flashbacks. With its inventive combinations of technology and magic, Bracken’s lively take on Greek mythology is an entertaining joyride. Ages 14–up. Agent: Merrilee Heifetz, Writers House. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

02/01/2021

Gr 9 Up—Every seven years, nine Greek gods are called to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines. Called the Agon, these descendants have the opportunity to seize an ancient god and take their power and immortality. Descended from Perseus, Lore left that life behind after her family was gruesomely murdered. Even though she's vowed to never return, the heroine can't pass up an opportunity for justice and revenge offered by a goddess. Throughout the story, Lore tries to figure out where she belongs in this fantastical world. The protagonist is bold, fierce, and powerful and takes nothing for granted. Her best friend Miles, who is gay, supports her every step of the way. This fast-paced narrative is filled with action, intensity, and gripping details. Most main characters are cued as white. VERDICT In this captivating tale, Bracken brings Greek mythology to life in a battle for ultimate power along with threads of friendship, feminism, and romance.—Paige Kostelyk, Crown Point Christian Sch., St. John, IN

School Library Journal

2020-10-27
To get revenge for her family’s murder seven years ago, Lore must reenter a deadly contest from her past.

Leaving the conflict of gods and their hunters behind, Lore thought she had forged a new life. However, the Agon has begun again and brought with it an injured Athena, who promises her revenge on the one who ordered her family killed—in exchange for an oath binding their fates together. Lore must hunt down the god once known as Aristos Kadmou, with the catch that she only has eight days. Also, failure means the deaths of both Lore and Athena. Depictions of graphic violence and discussions of sexual assault are frequent, creating a tale as violent and unforgiving as its source material, albeit narrated through a feminist lens. Much like the heroes of ancient epics, Lore is a morally ambiguous but ultimately likable character, struggling to eliminate the monsters of her world while not falling into the brutality of her youth. She is contrasted with the idealistic Castor, her childhood friend and love interest, with whom she has plenty of chemistry. Bracken builds a rich world around a skeleton of ancient Greek mythology that is perfect to read on a dull weekend and sure to delight readers. Most main characters are cued as White; there are two men of color, both gay.

A gripping revenge story with enough twists to avoid becoming formulaic. (cast of characters) (Fantasy. 16-adult)

Kirkus Reviews

Lore takes classic mythology and gives it a dark and deadly spin . . . I can’t wait to see what happens next.
—Amazon Book Review

An epic from start to finish. Bracken deftly weaves a rich tapestry of new mythology steeped in ancient, time-honored legend—a story of power and old wounds and love, all anchored by a protagonist that I cheered from the instant she appeared, fists ready and heart brave, on the page. A tale worth passing down.—Marie Lu, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Warcross

Bracken builds a rich world around a skeleton of ancient Greek mythology that is perfect to read on a dull weekend and sure to delight readers...A gripping revenge story with enough twists to avoid becoming formulaic.—Kirkus

Lore kept me awake far too many nights, needing to know what would happen in this ruthless battle between hunters, impostors, and gods. A brilliant and breathless twist on classic mythology!—Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Lunar Chronicles

From the Publisher