I do not know where to start. This book was everything. I loved it so very much. I did always think I would like it, but I was unsure as well. Then I finally started it. And I loved it from the beginning until it ended. Even the ending was perfect. Sigh. Five stars for this most perfect book. The writing was fully great too. I loved it.
It is always hard to write reviews for books that I love so much. It is hard to find the right words. But I will try. As this book was so good. And I need everyone else to read and love this too. There wasn't a single thing that could have been better about this story. Okay, fine. I did want a little bit more heat in the romance, haha.
But it was so good. The romance was incredible. Not the focus of the story, but it was still there, and I still loved it to pieces. Yes, I do wish there had been more of it. But there did not need to be, because it truly was so beautiful. Sigh. Okay. I suppose I should start by describing the book a little first. This is a story that takes place in New York, our time. But it felt like fantasy as well, as it was also about Greek mythology, the old gods. Which I honestly do not know that much about. Only what I have read in a few other books about it, but it was enough to not be confused about anything in this story. I knew the characters, enough about them. And I loved the Greek mythology part of this book. It was very well done and fully interesting and exciting to read about.
In this story, the nine Greek gods have been punished. And so every seven years, for seven days, they are mortal. Forced to walk the earth and be hunted. There are certain people who know about it, some bloodlines. The hunters. For centuries they have hunted and killed the gods. If they kill one of the original nine, they take their power and become a new god themselves. Which means they will be hunted too. It was like an endless hunt for power. At the start of this book, there were not many of the original gods left.
This book begins right at the beginning of a new hunt, a new Agon. Where we meet Lore, the main girl. And oh gods, I loved this girl. I loved her to pieces. I think one of the reasons for why I loved this book so much was because of how very dark it was. It was not afraid of brutal things happening. And most of that had happened to Lore, to her family. Her parents, her sisters. They had died such a brutal death. And it was beyond heartbreaking to learn about, as we learn a little at a time. I also loved it so very much. Oh.
Lore has been without her family for seven years now. We slowly learn more about her, what she's been doing during that time. For the past three years, she took care of an old man, Gil. Now dead. He seemed adorable. She lived with him and Miles, who was her own age. And he was all kinds of awesome. I fully loved their friendship. They were great together. And I loved that he was there for her, despite not truly knowing who she was until the beginning of this book. I loved that he did what he could to help, always.
What I loved most about Lore was how very brave she was. Brave and strong. A little too angry, meaning she beat up people a bit more than she needed to, haha. But I did not mind that, as she had every reason to still be angry. She was broken. Yet not fully broken either, as she was so strong. But so angry. And just. Getting to know her story was the best. I loved that we got to know a bit at a time. Her family was the last of her bloodline. Everyone else had been killed before. They did not have much, unlike the other hunters.
When Lore was a child, she spent a few years training with a different bloodline. Where she met Castor. And oh. This boy was the very best. I cannot. I loved him the very most. And I really truly adored reading about their past together as children. How they trained together and protected each other. As Castor was sick. And Lore was certain he had died seven years ago as well. Until he shows up on this first day of the hunt, asking for her help. Another shows up asking for help too. The god, Athena. Which starts this story.
And oh, there is so much going on in this book. I do not know how to describe it. And so I am not going to. Will talk a little about how things happen, but will just share a bit more. Lore has been outside of the hunt and everything with that for years now. She has wanted to be free. But now she is getting dragged right back into it. Because of the new god of war and his plans on destroying things. She needs to help Athena and the others. And this is no easy thing. There is a whole bunch of fighting in this book. I liked it.
There is just so much about this book. The plot was huge. And I wanted it to be even more. I want more of everything, especially more of all the characters. I loved Lore and Castor the most. But I also adored Miles and Van and Iro too, somewhat, haha. I loved getting to know everyone. Athena too. She was way too complicated and full of secrets. This whole book had so many secrets coming out. And it was beyond exciting and thrilling. And pretty much killed me too. Shudders. But oh, how it was good. So many twists.
I am not sure what to say that this book is about. It is about Lore. And her trying to help save the world, trying to figure out who she is meant to be. A hunter, a normal person, something more. I just adored her. Even when she had a few moments of being wrong, haha. Mostly I just loved reading about Lore and Cas together. Their friendship from when they were young was the best. Getting to know who Castor was now was incredible, as he was not the same. And I loved that. It was so awesome. I loved how gentle he was.
I also loved every part of the plot as well. It was scary at times and just so good. I loved how dark this book was. How heartbreaking it was. And I loved how it ended, as there were hope as well. Of course, this hope did not come easy at all. And that was even better, haha. There was no real relationship drama in this story. And that may have been what I liked the most. They just were. And I loved that. Sigh. Now just wishing for another book, ha. Though there is no need for one. How rude. I just truly loved this story.
Lore was every kind of perfection. It was everything I want a book to be. Full of danger and anger and love. It was a book about the gods and their wrath. About all of the hunters hunting them down, wanting their powers. It was about getting to know the bloodlines and what they stood for, somewhat. And gods, I hated some of these people so very much. Shudders. They were the worst. But written so well. I'm just so happy with how much I adored and loved this story. It is a book I will read again. You must all read it too.