Saturday, September 25, 2010

Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn

In a near-future world of increasing terrorism, military action and consumer shortages, Evie Walker writes comic books for a living. She travels from Los Angeles to the sleepy town of Hope's Fort, Colorado, because her widowed father is dying of cancer. While the Kremlin is obliterated by Mongolian bombs and the U.S. waffles on whether to side with Russia or China in the ensuing world war, Evie battles with her emotions regarding her stoic father.

Evie also learns a family secret that has been kept for thousands of years; the Walkers have been designated as guardians of the Storeroom. The room in the basement had been forbidden to Evie when she was a child. With her father's death imminent, Evie must take his place. Mythological folk show up at the door, making demands, asking for magical items from the Storeroom.

Stir together the myths of ancient Greece, Arthurian legend and European folk tales into a modern setting and you've got Discord's Apple. The story falters in the final two chapters, but I recommend it anyway. Without giving away the ending, it is safe to say that there will be a special appeal for readers who like romance. Readalikes: American Gods (Neil Gaiman); Gods Behaving Badly (Marie Phillips); The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (N.K. Jemisin) and The Book of Lost Things (John Connolly).

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