Discord’s Apple by Carrie Vaughn
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 will inherit. Hidden behind the 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.
Of course, this legacy is not without its costs: There are those who will give anything to find a way in.
With the help of her father, a mysterious stranger named Alex, and some unexpected heroes, Evie must guard the storeroom against ancient and malicious forces, and protect both the past and the future even as the present unravels. Old heroes and notorious villains alike rise to fight on her side or to do their best to bring about her defeat.
At stake is the fate of the world and the prevention of nothing less than the apocalypse.
Carrie Vaughn, how did you manage to write such an entertaining and creative book?
Seriously, I was captivated from the beginning. The world is ours, but not. It seemed to be closer to WWIII than we currently are. There were some other differences, but it resembled enough of our world that I’m going with parallel universe rather than alternative reality to describe it.
Evie’s introduction to the Storeroom and the mythology surrounding it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted a detailed list of everything in there, plus how each item came to be there and how it was used prior. But of course, that wasn’t provided. *sigh* Maybe if I happen to meet Carrie Vaughn one day, I’ll ask her if she maybe has a detailed list lying around. *crosses fingers*
The flashbacks were a bit confusing at first. The first time the Trojan War popped up, I had to flip to the book’s blurb again to see if I had missed something. (I hadn’t.) But apparently Carrie Vaughn knows exactly what I’m interested in because there was a LOT of Greek Mythology involved in the story. And I’ve always been fascinated with Greek Mythology. I’ve read Homer’s The Odyssey and The Iliad several times, each. I own a book about Greek Mythology. I love it.
It was almost like this book was tailored just for me because it had almost everything I love: mythology, comic books, an enigmatic hunky good guy, mystery, a second enigmatic hunky good guy, the perfect villain, and a twist at the end. The only thing that was missing was hot and heavy adult time.
Now, there is something I should warn readers about. There’s mention of male-on-male action, some of it’s forced, some not. Nothing graphic is described and it’s glossed over quite a bit, but there are two kisses that I remember happening. I just wanted to mention it in case you’re someone who doesn’t like reading about that sort of thing.
Overall, I loved the book. I wanted more when it ended. I want this to become a series of books and I want that detailed list, dang it! But most of all, I wanted more on Alex.
So I ask you again, Carrie Vaughn. How did you manage to write such an entertaining and creative book? (And will we ever see Evie and Alex again?)