Lore just rekindled my love for greek mythology books.
Rating: 5/5
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.
Lore just rekindled my love for greek mythology books. Rekindled might be a stretch, I always knew I loved it, that never wavered. But I really only had read the Percy Jackson series and part of the secondary series, Heroes of Olympus. That was my depth into this genre of the fictional book world. Though, I have several greek mythology books on my shelf that I want to read. And finally picking this one up makes me want to read them all next.
The premise encompasses a modern world where every seven years, the Agon begins for seven days. Created as a punishment to 9 rebellious Greek gods. These nine become mortal and are hunted for their power and immortality. Along with this, we see a house for each of the gods and their bloodlines. Each house is there to protect and aid their god. We follow Lore who lost her family to a rival line and turned her back on this world. Until the start of the next Agon, where she’s approached by a childhood friend she thought was dead and Athena, gravely wounded and one of the last original gods.
I forgot how fun and entertaining greek mythology can be! I easily fell in love with the premise even though it is a bit complex at first glance. This complex start and the idea of these houses reminded me of another favorite of mine, Ninth House. Which I thought had a similar setup and vibe. Seeing this comparison, I knew right away I was going to love Lore. And it did not disappoint!
I easily fell in love with the premise even though it is a bit complex at first glance.
Besides being a greek mythology retelling, Lore is filled with adventure, battle, betrayal, romance, secrets, and twists galore! I was invested completely by page one. I didn’t want to put this one down. And when I wasn’t reading this, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. This book really brought me back to when I first picked up Percy Jackson. I just loved this from beginning to end.
I was invested completely by page one. I didn’t want to put this one down.
However, I would not fully consider this as a young adult book. For a YA book, this got really dark at times. I would place this more under New Adult. There are also a few triggers of gruesome scenes and a scene of sexual assault. So potential readers, keep this in mind, this is not another Percy Jackson story. This gets dark.
As I mentioned, this reminded me of Ninth House. More so around the idea of these bloodlines and their houses. These gave off similar vibes to the secret societies in Ninth House. That being said, I know Ninth House is not a favorite for everyone due to the complex world-building. I would place Lore alongside that, having that same style of world-building. This also has a complex start that could be off-putting for some.
This also has a complex start that could be off-putting for some.
Another story this reminded me of was The Hunger Games book, Mockingjay. There were scenes of the characters roaming the city streets that just sparked a similarity to this third book of The Hunger Games series when Katniss and the others were wandering through Panem.
Overall, I truly loved Lore. I thought this was such a unique standalone for a greek retelling. I found it captivating all the way through. This one checked all the boxes for me. The pace was never slow, never having a dull moment. And it definitely put me in the mood for more Greek books. I think this is perfect for those who enjoy Greek mythology, fantasy standalones, and new adult books with a darker side.