Reviews with content warning for Cancer - Lore

This one was captivating enough to keep me reading until the end, but it definitely had its problems. I feel like it lacked more back story and explanation for the agon and the history of the gods and why the hunters were hunting them. I wanted more about hunters killing the gods and ascending with their power and more explanation about the bloodlines. There were several moments of confusion to be had during the story.

For the most part, I enjoyed the characters, but there were also a lot of moments of "ugh, really?" Lore seemed strong and capable through most of the story, but also had her fair share of unlikable attributes. And, there was just no chemistry between the "romantiship" (yes, I'm making it a word) characters. The feelings felt forced, like, "oh, this is a fantasy ya, we need a little romance."

I also wish there had been more to the plot and the hunt itself. This story could have been a duology so we could have gotten the back story we needed, along with the plot we were promised. Though, I enjoyed the gore and the shocking moments, I felt like there wasn't enough story flow, and there were too many predictable and eye rolling moments.

The ending was pretty lack luster as well. It felt like someone said, "oh no, if we don't wrap this up now, we'll need another book," and then decided to be done with it. We had almost 500 pages in this thing, and had like one chapter for "resolution" which left a few issues unresolved and unexplained.

I just wanted, and expected, more. In the moment, Lore kept my interest, but now that I finished it, I feel disappointed. The excitement and hype while reading was fleeting and I'm left with missing what drew me in.

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ivegotyourpaperback's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.25

This was a fun ‘what if’-scenario of a book posing questions like:

what if Zeus was was once betrayed by the gods? (only some of them, not the whole pantheon)
What if in retaliation he made them mortal for a week every 7 years to be hunted?
What if the decedents of epic hero’s were the hunters?
What if he never got bored of seeing the gods being hunted and this went on for thousands(?) of years?
What if the Gods and Goddesses never thought to exterminate the hunters in the 7 years between each Agon when they have their power again?
What if it’s taken this long for a hunter to finally go “bugger this, I’m done. Peace out, bitches ✌️”?
What if the Agon is always held in a different city, but it’s not clear how said city is chosen?

There is quite a large cast of characters in the book and I was very grateful to the author for including both a guide of the different Hunter lines and a full character list.

I liked the discussion about Medusa, her transformation, and the way she’s viewed in history as either a monster or a victim. Most importantly I liked that Lore called Athena out on her BS re the role she played in that myth.

While the story was enjoyable enough there were a number of things that I felt weren’t explained/ didn’t make sense. I found it best set these aside and not think too much about them while reading.

At the end though, I was super bummed that Zeus never showed up, which seems out of character for the King of the Gods. The Gods are known for their interference in the lives of humans. It seems odd that he or the other gods from the pantheon (those who aren’t members of the Agon) wouldn’t treat this like their favourite sporting match and choose sides to root for (a La the Trojan War).

I don’t think the romance was necessary. It didn’t really add anything to the story. Castor and Lore could have just been best friends and the plot still would have worked.

As the story is set in New York City you’ll probably get a lot more enjoyment out of it if you’re from NYC (or are familiar with the city). At times the story felt like part love letter to this iconic location.

This was a great example of a book with a fabulous premise, but just a ‘meh’ execution.

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grace_reads13's review against another edition

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dark sad tense fast-paced

3.75

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kacibookishkingdom's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

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psliz's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced

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

5.0

never did i know what was gonna happen, in a good way! honestly just a vibe, great action, sprinkles of romance, and jaw dropping twists!

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withlivjones's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I was originally daunted to start this book considering how long it is, but let me tell you I could not put it down! A thrilling storyline, compelling characters, and so many twists that I had no clue what to expect next!

I think that Lore is a wonderfully developed protagonist with a lot of flaws but who nevertheless manages to be very likeable through her love of New York and her attachment to those she loves. Miles is your typical quirky best friend and I love the fact that his knowledge of the mortal realm helps massively within the plot. I also loved witnessing the development of his relationship with Van, and I would honestly jump at reading the exact same book again but told from either of their POVs. Aristos Kadmou - or Wrath - is an absolutely terrifying villain that exemplifies what happens when you give power to the wrong kind of person. The one character I didn’t really connect with was Castor, his characterisation was a little inconsistent for me and by the end he kind of came across as a golden retriever boy with no flaws to use as a character arc. That said, I still really enjoyed the romance between him and Lore.

The plot twists are really what gives this book its oomph. They just keep coming and each one hit me like a truck, but at the same time they’re done in a clever way and actually serve a purpose rather than just being there for shock factor. The unreliable nature of Lore’s POV and how information is revealed very slowly adds to the fact that you honestly can’t fully trust any of the characters, not even the protagonist.

For such a thrilling storyline, the ending felt a little underwhelming for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the action of the final fight scene, but everything seemed to move very quickly after that with the rest of the Agon being resolved “offscreen” as it were, and there are a few loose ends that are left, or that were tied up too conveniently. Who was Van’s source within the Kadmides? Why do the rest of the Kadmides suddenly decide to truce with the hunters they had been fighting with so eagerly, even with the suspicion that they had been betrayed? Could they really be so ready to abandon their leader and his cause? And how do the final lines of the poem fit with what actually happens to end the Agon? Considering how much detail is included in the rest of the book, I would have loved a little more elaboration at the end.

Overall, this is an action-packed book for mythology-lovers. I don’t know if I’d call it YA, and I think it might be better suited to older teenagers due to certain content in the story, as well as the complexity of the worldbuilding and how deeply it dives into Greek mythology - prior knowledge of a fair amount of mythology is definitely recommended in order to understand all the references and discussions.

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blissofalife's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

4.0

Bracken does a wonderful job weaving a new story out of Greek mythology and explaining background while not treating the reader like someone completely unfamiliar with the tales. No loose ends.

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daniisrevding's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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