Lore

Lore by Alexandra Bracken (2021) is a stand-alone urban fantasy novel that follows the titular character and her friends as they struggle to survive the Agon hunt, where gods and humans alike are in constant mortal danger. Lore spent 15+ weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list, following in the footsteps of Bracken’s The Darkest Minds series. Born into a Greek family, Bracken began researching the ancient myths at a young age. She attended The College of William & Mary, where she double majored in English and History. Before quitting work to write fulltime, Bracken worked in children’s publishing and marketing, including six years at Random House. This guide follows the January 2021 first edition of Lore by Disney-Hyperion.

Plot Summary

Lore takes place in modern-day New York City, the location of this cycle’s Agon—a hunt that takes place every seven years in which descendants of Greek heroes try to kill the gods and ascend as immortals. After the brutal murder of her family at the last Agon’s end, Lore is the last of the Perseide (children of Perseus) bloodline. She has spent the intervening seven years since the last hunt living with an older man named Gil, who recently died, and her friend Miles. To make money and provide an outlet for her warrior persona, she participates in ring fights.

Chapter 1 begins with one such fight, and Lore is shocked when Castor, a friend from the House of Achilles who disappeared seven years ago, shows up to challenge her. Unwilling to let the Agon get a foothold in her life again, Lore turns him away and returns home, where she finds a mortally wounded Athena (goddess of wisdom and strategy) on her doorstep. Aristos Kadmou (the man who murdered Lore’s family and the new Ares, who took the name Wrath) has found an alternate version of the origin poem (the Agon’s instructions), which tells of how to end the hunt with one god attaining absolute power. Athena offers Lore a partnership—if Lore helps the goddess stop Wrath, Athena will kill him. Avenging her family is the one thing holding Lore back from ditching the Agon’s world entirely. Overcome by desire to see Wrath pay for what he did, she agrees.

Needing Castor’s healing knowledge to help Athena, Lore sneaks into an Achillide house where she learns Castor is the new Apollo (god of light and healing), even though he was bedridden with cancer at the supposed time of Apollo’s death and couldn’t have dealt a killing blow. Kadmides attack the building, forcing Lore and Castor to flee. They meet up with Evander (Van), Castor’s cousin, and return to Lore’s apartment, where the three, Athena, and Miles form a tentative alliance.

According to Athena, Wrath needs the aegis shield to complete his plan. The aegis is an ancient artifact that was gifted to Lore’s family and can only be wielded by a Perseide. Lore stole the shield the night her family was murdered and hid it, information she doesn’t share with the group. Over the next six days, they work tirelessly to stay one step ahead of Wrath, always seeming to come up behind. On day five, a destructive wave of water rages through the streets, leaving the city powerless and vulnerable. Lore and Athena track the wave to Tidebringer (the new Poseidon), who’s being held captive by Wrath. Tidebringer tries to warn Lore away from Athena, but Athena kills the goddess, revealing her true colors. Athena, not Wrath, killed Lore’s family in hopes of ferreting out the aegis. Rather than give the goddess the shield and ultimate power, Lore stabs herself. Athena leaves her to die, but a dreamlike Gil guides Lore to Castor, who heals her.

The group, now minus Athena, receives word Wrath is staying at the Waldorf Astoria hotel and plans to sacrifice all the mortals in New York to gain power. Lore fights her way into the subway system below the hotel, where she finds Wrath and Athena. The goddess sides with him, claiming his plan is the only way to purify the world of believers in other gods. Wrath mortally wounds both Lore and Athena but not before Athena kills him. Out of options, Lore kills Athena and ascends as a god, just in time to stop Wrath’s mass sacrifice.

With one day remaining in the Agon, Lore, Castor, and the others gather at Lore’s apartment. Right before midnight, Castor and Lore separate from the rest of the group. Castor remembers that Apollo let Castor kill him, but neither Castor nor Lore knows why. As midnight creeps closer, Lore sends out a prayer to any god to please let her and Castor choose whether or not they want to be gods. A presence strips their power, leaving them mortal, and the story ends at the start of their first true day of freedom from the Agon.