Lore by Alexandra Bracken

 From the publisher:

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.

HER NAME WILL BE LEGEND

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.

 

If Lore sounds like a cross between The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson, you're right. If you enjoy one or both of those, you'll probably enjoy Lore. If you're not familiar with either franchise, but do have an interest in Greek mythology, hidden societies, and revenge, you'll also probably enjoy Lore. As indicated by the publisher, this YA but entertaining for adult readers novel follows Lore as she tries to distance herself from the society that her family has been a part of for almost 2000 years. The descendants of the famous heroes like Perseus and Heracles hunt down the remaining original gods, as well as those who were once mortal but have achieved immortality in a previous Agon. I found this to be a unique twist on the demigod/descendant motif that's so popular right now. 

Lore is well-written and action packed. I believe the body count is probably close to that of The Hunger Games, but with more on-screen violence. I found the dialog and pacing to be well done, and I'd definitely like to see more of this world. While Lore reads as white, two of the main supporting characters are Korean and Black, and there's some LGBTQIA+ representation as well. 

Whether you're looking for something similar to a familiar series, or want to dive into a novel that will have you looking up lesser known figures from Greek mythology, I highly recommend Lore. 

Lore will be available from Galesburg Public Library after it is published in January of 2021. Thank you to Disney Publishing Worldwide and Hyperion and NetGalley for the full e-ARC.