The following version of this novel was used to create this study guide: Bracken, Alexandra. Lore. Hyperion, 2021. First Edition. Hardback.

In the prologue, the god Wrath (also known as Aristos) is forced into a human body to participate in the Agon, a week of battle between the gods. Aristos is determined to never face another Agon.

Meanwhile, Lore is in a boxing ring trying not to think about the death of her close friend Gil and her family. She is forced to fight Castor, a friend she thought died seven years prior. Lore then meets with Miles and the two find Athena in an alleyway. They take her into their home and Lore explains the Agon to Miles. She and Athena then agree to bind their fates to each other and defeat Wrath together. Lore realizes she needs to find Castor so he can heal Athena. When she goes to a building belonging to his family, she realizes that he has ascended to godhood after somehow killing Apollo. She saves him from an assassin and Artemis who calls him a Godkiller. Lore, Castor, and Castor’s relative Van all escape and Castor heals Athena, much to her annoyance. They all agree to work together to defeat Aristos before he can gain more power.

Once the group determines that the new Aphrodite, Heartkeeper, is Wrath’s next target, they all go to a building of the Odysseides. They see Wrath with Heartkeeper demanding that he open the vault. Athena and Lore sneak into the vault and rescue Lore’s friend, Iro, as Wrath kills Heartkeeper. They all escape, but Iro is reluctant to help Lore, as her house just lost their god and Iro’s father.

After Iro leaves, the group heads to a bowling alley called The Frick to track down a god named Reveler. He reveals to Lore that the man she was taking care of, Gil, was actually Hermes and he kept her protected for the seven years between Agons. Reveler is shot by an arrow from a hunter and Athena kills him to make sure nobody else gets his power. Lore chases one of the hunters and fights Belen, Aristos’ son. She overpowers him and cuts off his thumbs so he can no longer fight. Then, she and Castor chase Belen again, but trigger an explosion that kills many innocent people.

After the group returns home, they learn from the news that Aristos tortured two young girls to get back at Lore and demands that she return the aegis. She claims she does not have it and Castor thinks they have to ally with Artemis. Uncertain, Lore talks to Athena about why she left the Odysseides, explaining that the archon tried to assault her and she ended up killing him. Athena says Lore did the right thing. Then, they learn that Miles has been captured.

When the group arrives at the park where Miles is, they realize that the trap was set by Artemis. They fight her as Castor and Athena try to convince her to work with them. Artemis refuses and accidentally hangs herself with her own bow string, ending the fight. However, Castor is shot by a hunter led by Iro and tumbles into the water. Lore, thinking he is dead, turns her fury on Iro and the hunter. Castor returns and stops her, but Lore thinks she needs to become a monster. Castor leaves and Athena assures Lore that the best thing she can do is walk alone. The two leave together as the city is suddenly flooded by the power of Tidebringer whom they thought was dead.

When Athena and Lore find Tidebringer, Athena kills the goddess and reveals to Lore that she was manipulating Lore to get the aegis all along. It is also revealed that it was Athena, and not Aristos, that killed Lore’s family seven years ago. Lore tries to kill herself, as it would kill Athena too, but the goddess says that the bond was fake and Lore is dying for nothing. Athena leaves but Castor finds Lore in time to save her.

It is revealed through the seven years earlier sections that Lore was brought into Castor’s house to train in exchange for information on Tidebringer. Castor was very weak due to his cancer, but the two continued to fight. Then, Aristos demanded that Lore marry him in exchange for her family’s protection, but her father refused. When her family plans to leave the Agon for good, Lore - who believes that honor is the only way to redeem her name- steals the aegis from Aristos. When she realizes that he will know who she is, she hides the aegis and returns home where she finds that her family is dead.

In the present day, Lore takes Castor to where she hid the aegis and sees that there are new lines to Zeus’ poem. The group all meet up and realize that Aristos plans to destroy a safehouse that was created after Tidebringer flooded the city. Iro returns and asks for forgiveness as she wants to stop Aristos.

The group splits up and Lore ends up facing Aristos and Athena alone after Aristos kills Belen. Lore tries to get the two gods to turn on each other when Aristos attacks her. She gives Athena the shield as Aristos breaks her back. Athena fights Aristos and kills him, but not before he poisons her and sets off seafire that is meant to destroy the city. Athena helps Lore kill her so Lore can obtain her power, and Lore is able to stop the sea fire, saving the city. Castor finds her and takes her home, healing everyone he can. They all spend time on the roof as the Agon draws to a close. Lore begs Zeus to free them from it and feels her godly power leave. As the eighth day ticks over, Lore and Castor remain in the human world and share a kiss.