Book Description
When Evie Walker goes home to spend time with her dying father, she discovers that his creaky old house in Hope’s Fort, Colorado, is not the only legacy she stands to inherit. Hidden behind the old basement door is a secret and magical storeroom, a place where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept safe until they are needed again. The magic of the storeroom prevents access to any who are not intended to use the items. But just because it has never been done does not mean it cannot be done.
And there are certainly those who will give anything to find a way in.
Evie must guard the storeroom against ancient and malicious forces, protecting the past and the future even as the present unravels around them. Old heroes and notorious villains alike will rise to fight on her side or to undermine her most desperate gambits. At stake is the fate of the world, and the prevention of nothing less than the apocalypse. In the same month, along with this all-new hardcover, Tor will publish a new novel in Carrie Vaughn’s popular, New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series featuring werewolf talk radio host, Kitty Norville. Kitty Goes to War will be the eighth book in this successful mass market series.
Review
I was ready to love this book. I'm a long time lover of Greek mythology, I thought Carrie Vaughn's previous book, Voices of Dragons, was excellent, and I'm a fan off her Kitty Norville series too. By all accounts I should have loved DISCORD'S APPLE, instead I found a flat protagonist, a confusing world, and too many separate stories that failed to come together in a satisfying way.
The description of DISCORD'S APPLE leads you to believe that the plot is about a woman, Evie Walker, who discovers “a secret and magical storeroom, a place where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept safe until they are needed again.” The reality is that that is only one of four stories told in this book.
DISCORD’S APPLE jumps randomly from these four stories throughout the book. Beginning with the most interesting: a retelling of the Trojan War and the event that caused it (Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena squabbling over an apple ‘for the fairest’) leading up to modern day. The Greek gods are all well represented (specifically Apollo), fickle and willing to sleep with any and everything: male and female, willing and unwilling. Most of the sex occurs in this story. It's not graphic, but there is a lot of it in all forms and it is not always consensual.
The two other stories include a graphic novel that Evie writes about a covert military assault team overseas, and the many generations of Walkers who previously guarded the Storeroom. All of these stories are connected in various ways, but they are so different in tone and style that any emotion or connection that I started to built with a specific character got lost as I got thrown from story to story.
I hate that I didn’t like this book, but I really struggled with it on almost every level. Carrie Vaughn is a good writer, but I think she tried to do too much in DISCORD’S APPLE. If she’d focused on the main story more, I might have responded to the character of Evie, but I can’t even really describe her because I feel like she was only ever superficially represented. I unfortunately, can’t recommend this book.
Sexual Content: (most of this is part of the sexual exports of the gods) References to rape including the description of a girl post assault. A man is tied up and raped by another man (not described). A man attempts to rape a woman. A brief heterosexual sex scene. A non graphic homosexual sex scene. References to sexual slavery.
My Rating (out of 5):Okay – Somewhat disappointing with significant flaws. Library/swap/borrow if you want.
Click HERE to read an excerpt from DISCORD’S APPLE
Product Details
Publisher: Tor Books - Published: 06 July 2010
- Format: Hardback 304 pages
- See: Full bibliographic data
- Categories: Fantasy
- ISBN 13: 9780765325549 ISBN 10: 0765325543
*Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Tor FORGE Books
Disagree with my review? Contact me with your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review.
I liked her Kitty books, but I didn't like The Voices of Dragons. Doesn't sound like I would like this one either. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteRebs - I hear you. A lot of people were hit and miss on Voices of Dragons. I wonder what most people will think of this one...
ReplyDeleteThanks for this review! I'm almost relieved NOT to add another book to my TBR pile.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame! I was going to buy this one because I love her 'Kitty Norville' series.
ReplyDeleteVaughn recently changed publisher's, and released her first 2 stand-alone books. Her first stand-alone was a YA called 'Voices of Dragons' which I HATED - but I thought 'Discord's Appple' sounded good. Shame that one bombed too, by all accounts.
I even think her latest 'Kitty' book was a bit slack. Maybe it is the publisher change-over? Different editors perhaps? Who know!?
Great, honest review.
I like the Kitty Books and Voices of Dragons. After reading your review I'm glad I'm getting her new book from the library.
ReplyDeleteMidnyte Reader - I'm just disappointed that this premise didn't pay off. What a waste.
ReplyDeleteDanielle87 - I hadn't consider the new publisher/editor angle...hmmm. I did like Voices of Dragons, but I knew it was not for everyone. And I was seriously disappointed by the last Kitty book. Well, I hope its just a slump and she'll bounce back.
Sandy - That is definitely the way to go with this title if your interested.