Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Lore

Not sure how to rate this one. Got the rec from a fave booktoker and not unhappy about it. I did devour it (an easier read and enjoyed the pacing and mythology). That said, I struggled in places: the plot meandered, supporting characters weren't well-developed, and was rather disappointed in the anticlimactic ending.

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cdoubet's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious 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

3.75

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crusoe's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

Positives. The concept for "Lore" is fantastic; the continued ever repeating cycle of rulers dethroned by subjects and houses that hold onto cruel traditions to have a shot at killing a god... But in practice, it was a bit of a mess. I liked some of the twists, such as spoiler

Gill being revealed to be the original Hermes (even if his motivation for taking Lore and Miles in was very unclear and he should have been reinstated as a god for his actions).

Unfortunately, this novel was too ambitious, leaving a lot of plotholes to be filled.

Negatives. In spite of the intriguing worldbuilding, New York feels empty. If you're going to set your story in New York, write about New York! If your character has fallen in love with this city, make us fall in love with it too!

Rather than telling a cohesive story, it felt like the characters went from side quest to side quest which made this (500+ pages!!) book loose its tension. Relevant information was also only brought up as soon as it was relevant for the plot which took away all the fun of trying to guess where the story would go next.

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pep_puterova's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

This book was really entertaining and gripping, it was definitely a fun read. I bought the book a few years ago on a whim and didn't get to it until now, which did sort of build a reluctance in me, as all books that have been sitting on my shelf for years tend to do.

I was surprised I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. It was a plot driven adventure with some not-so-subtle social commentary that felt a bit flat for me, but I appreciated what it was trying to do nonetheless. The premise was very interesting. It was very engaging and gripping and with so many twists and turns that really made me want to know what's going to happen next.

If I read this as a teenager, I would have gone absolutely feral over it. As an adult, I can still appreciate it although I recognise its flaws. Imo the characters were just kinda meh; some of the plot twists were not great, but it kept me reading so I suppose serviceable; there was way too much trauma that was sometimes unnecessary, it didn't need to be that dark sometimes. I think the characters should have been aged up, I know it is YA but still, Lore has no business being 17. I suppose that's my problem with most YAs tho.

It's classed as medium paced on storygraph, but I disagree, I found it very fast paced and I do think it can be a great pick for someone wanting a break from slower literature like myself, or a reintroduction into reading for someone who's going through a reading slump.

TLDR; It's a page turner with a great premise, engaging plot and many plot twists, but also comes with it's flaws.

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