Reviews with content warning for Cursing - Lore

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Lore by Alexandra Bracken

29 reviews

camiandkitread's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I’ve had Alexandra Bracken’s “Lore” on my TBR for years before I finally sat down to read it. I should have just kept it on the shelf…

The plot of “Lore” was amazing, with Greek gods being forced to walk the earth as mortals every seven years, as punishment for their past rebellion. During this time, descendants from Ancient Greek bloodlines hunt the gods in hopes of killing them and seizing their divine power and immortality.

Lore Perseous escaped that life several years following her family’s brutal murder by a rival bloodline. As the new Agon begins, Lore finds herself pulled back into that world by the reappearance of an old friend believed to be dead and Athena, one of the last original Olympians. Lore agrees to an alliance with the goddess in exchange for revenge, but will it be enough to temper the rise of a new god with enough power to crush humanity?

As a former Percy Jackson kid, I thought that “Lore” was going to be my new favorite book. It has been my most disappointing read of 2023 (as of April). The pacing of the book was off and none of the characters were particularly interesting once we began to scratch the surface.

Our narrator, the titular Lore, had many secrets—typical of a YA fantasy heroine—but it was not until the last few chapters that the reader learns what she’s been hiding all those years. Her secret was not shocking and was the blandest secret a main character can have in a fantasy novel but that didn’t stop Lore from constantly reminding the reader that she had a dark secret. It would have been more compelling if Lore had revealed to the reader earlier in the book and was only trying to keep it from the other characters.

“Lore” was particularly disappointing to me since I had just finished an ARC of Alexandra Bracken’s newest book, “Silver in the Bone,” and found the characters likable and the plot engaging—with a twist that I did NOT see coming. After finishing that, I wanted to check out more of Bracken’s work and assumed “Lore” would be a home run.

The good news is that Bracken has improved as a writer between “Lore” and “Silver in the Bone.” The bad news is that I spent way too long on “Lore,” convinced that it would turn around if I was patient enough.

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cecilie26's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Overall a fantastic book. The pace was sometimes a bit too slow but the story itself made you want to read it through. I really like that the romance hasn’t taken over the books plot like some other books tends to do.

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sunflower_tea's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

It’s written in a personal she narrator.

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tays_books's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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rachael_jo's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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lindseyhall44's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

This book was different than anything I had read before, definitely a unique take on Greek Mythology!
“Lore” Follows Melora (aka Lore) through the events of the Argon, a seven day trial every seven years where gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals. Hunters try and kill the Gods durring these seven days, because their immorality and powers are passed down to whoever wields the killing blade.
I think what brought this book down for me was the info dump at the beginning. Throughout the novel there were many plot points that left me confused, or plot holes which I felt needed more development. Stand alone fantasy novels can be difficult in that aspect, so I appreciated the fact that it was fast paced with lovable characters.
There is a great found family dynamic as well as romance (subplot) which contrasted well with some of the darker themes.
In case anyone is interested solely on the cover, Lore is NOT a Medusa retelling, but mentions her as well as other mythical women.

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