Lore by Alexandra Bracken (review)

Bracken, Alexandra Lore. Disney Hyperion, 2021 [480p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781484778203 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781368002318 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 7-10

As punishment by Zeus, nine Greek gods have been forced for centuries to take mortal form in the human world every seven years and be hunted by the descendants of Greece's great warriors, who gain the powers of the god they kill. Lore had dreams of glory growing up as part of the house of Perseides, but she went AWOL when her family was slaughtered by one of the other houses, holing up in New York City and thinking she'd gotten out of the game. Then her childhood friend Castor shows up, with the powers of Apollo no less, warning her that Aristos Kadmou, essentially the warmongering Ares, is looking for something Lore has and will gleefully kill for it. With the help of a calculating Athena, Lore makes her way through the city to find Aristos, seeking an end to the cycle of the hunt. Thrilling and often bloody action give the novel speed and urgency, and though the details of the gods and warrior houses are a bit unwieldy, Lore's mortal pal Miles makes a nice proxy for the reader as Lore lays out the pertinent info before leaping back into whatever death-defying stunt she's pulling off, be it scaling buildings, dodging bullets and swords, or facing off with one or more dangerous deities. The tragedy of Lore's past—both the trauma of losing her family and the baggage of a childhood steeped in violence—gives her emotional armor a relatable chink of vulnerability, as does her deep love for and fierce protection of New York. This is an easy pick for readers who have outgrown Percy Jackson or who are looking for a fresh gory take on old gods.