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While waiting for new episodes of the Percy Jackson series on Disney+, I recommend reading “Lore” by Alexandra Bracken. This story is great for lovers of Greek mythology. 

Bracken introduces a twist on classic Greek mythology. The story features moments of betrayal, guilt and love among the various descendants, Gods old and new, and mortals of Houses. 

In this story, the Agon occurs every seven years, when Greek gods and goddesses become mortal. Descendants hunt the bloodlines to kill a god and seize their divine power, immortality and glory.

At the story’s beginning, another seven years pass, and the Agon begins again. The audience is introduced to Melora Perseous, who goes by the name Lore and belongs to the House of Perseus. She is the last mortal member of the house after her parents and sisters were slain after an Agon. Killing outside of the Agon is against the sacred vow.

What started with a girl just trying to get by turns into an adrenaline rush, with readers getting pulled back into her past with no escape. After her family was slain, she turned her back on participating in the Agon. After years of avoiding the hunt, it’s back in New York City. Lore is an underground fighter for cash, distracting her from the deaths of friends and family. 

Afterward, Lore returned home with her friend Miles and saw a trail of blood leading toward her home. There lies Athena in her mortal form, asking for her help. Initially, Lore objects profusely until Athena agrees to help her get revenge on those who killed her parents.

As Lore progresses through her journey in helping Athena after binding their fates together, there are momentary flashbacks to when her family was alive. She is not doing this for the glory but instead to avenge those she’s lost, desperately wanting the Agon to seize. 

Throughout the book, an overarching love story between Lore and her friend Castor dates back to when they were kids. However, the author does not make the story solely revolve around their love. Rather, it follows the Houses, their motivations for more Gods and Goddesses and their constant reincarnations. 

The misguided trust in Athena motivates a betrayal that is awkwardly executed. There were foreboding hints towards her motivations being corrupt, like the fact that she had never been reincarnated, with her exclaiming about how original Gods are superior despite many of them passing decades ago. 

Regarding the book’s formatting, I realized the flashbacks seemed to be misplaced. Whether that was the intention of the author, I am unsure. These flashbacks didn’t appear to serve much of a purpose other than understanding how Castor and Lore met and how Lore became a fighter.

Outside these flashbacks, the book generated an entertaining storyline until the end. The ending concluded the fate of the Agon, as well as Castor and Lore’s story. 

Rating: 4/5 Spinnaker sails