Lore by Alexandra Bracken
“Monsters had fangs, but that was why lionesses had claws”
If you enjoy Greek mythology, then Lore by Alexandra Bracken is a great book to put on your TBR list. As opposed to many other books focused on the direct descendants of the Greek gods, this focuses on the descendants of the most famous heroes like Perseus, Jason, and Achilles.
Every 7 years, the descendants of the most famous Greek heroes participate in a hunt (Agon) to steal the powers of the original Olympian gods (Athena, Artemis, and the like). The main character of the book, Lore, has done her best to leave that life behind but when the Agon shows up in her hometown of New York City she is inevitably drawn in. Lore teams up with a group of unlikely allies to give herself the best chance of avenging the family she lost so many years ago.
I really enjoyed this book. There are a couple of reasons, First of all, I really loved the idea of the Agon as it felt different and made the book seem fresher than others. It was really cool to see the descendants of the different heroes like Kadmos or Perseus, and how some of their famous traits were passed down. In contrast to middle-grade mythology books, this addresses some of the problematic areas in Greek myths. For example, how many male gods were misogynistic and how not all of their relationships were consensual. The Greek gods also had a habit of punishing people who did not deserve it (Arachne, Medusa, Leto….I could go on).
I would recommend this book to more mature young adult readers. It could be suitable for younger teenagers, but that would be on more of a case-by-case basis. If you’ve been looking for a fresh mythology read that doesn’t involve a quest or a chosen one, then I highly recommend this book to you. I wish Lore was a series instead of a standalone novel, but the ending was still great and I will definitely be widely recommending that people read this book.
About the Author
Alexandra Bracken was born in Phoenix, Arizona. The daughter of a Star Wars collector, she grew up going to an endless string of Star Wars conventions and toy fairs, which helped spark her imagination and a deep love of reading. After graduating high school, she attended The College of William & Mary in Virginia, where she double majored in English and History. She sold her first book, Brightly Woven, as a senior in college, and later moved to New York City to work in children's book publishing, first as an editorial assistant, then in marketing. After six years, she took the plunge and decided to write full time. She now lives in Arizona with her tiny pup, Tennyson, in a house that's constantly overflowing with books.
Alex is a #1 New York Times bestselling and USA TODAY bestselling author. Her work is available across the world in over 15 languages.
Photo credit for all author photos: Captured Moments by Rita & Company
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