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The Dark Forest #1
The Golden Apple
Kayla’s world has been turned upside-down . . .
Her father has made her the prize in a deadly, impossible tournament, and Kayla has retaliated in the only way she knows how; by choosing her champion beforehand. But taking control of the outcome changes the game completely, and when the real reason behind the strange test becomes apparent, Kayla realizes not just her life, but her entire kingdom is at stake.
Rane’s honor is torn in two…
In order to save his brother, Rane will do whatever he has to–including deceive and betray a princess. He knew nothing about this tournament would be easy, but when it turns into a deeper, far more sinister game, Rane is forced to see it through to the end, or leave his brother at the mercy of their enemy.
Now their fates are entwined, and they must venture into the deep, dark forest together . . .
Kayla and Rane are bound to one another by an enchantment and Kayla’s actions. But the sorcerer forcing them to do his will may have miscalculated, because no-one comes out of the Great Forest unchanged. No-one.
The Golden Apple will be followed by its sequel, The Silver Pear, in Fall 2014.
Her father has made her the prize in a deadly, impossible tournament, and Kayla has retaliated in the only way she knows how; by choosing her champion beforehand. But taking control of the outcome changes the game completely, and when the real reason behind the strange test becomes apparent, Kayla realizes not just her life, but her entire kingdom is at stake.
Rane’s honor is torn in two…
In order to save his brother, Rane will do whatever he has to–including deceive and betray a princess. He knew nothing about this tournament would be easy, but when it turns into a deeper, far more sinister game, Rane is forced to see it through to the end, or leave his brother at the mercy of their enemy.
Now their fates are entwined, and they must venture into the deep, dark forest together . . .
Kayla and Rane are bound to one another by an enchantment and Kayla’s actions. But the sorcerer forcing them to do his will may have miscalculated, because no-one comes out of the Great Forest unchanged. No-one.
The Golden Apple will be followed by its sequel, The Silver Pear, in Fall 2014.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 23, 2014
104 people are currently reading
2015 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Diener
61 books1,919 followersMichelle Diener is a bestselling, award-winning author of historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy. Having worked in publishing and IT, she's now very happy crafting new worlds and interesting characters.
Michelle was born in London and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.
When she's not writing, or driving her kids from activity to activity, you can find her online at Twitter and Facebook.
Michelle was born in London and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.
When she's not writing, or driving her kids from activity to activity, you can find her online at Twitter and Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
March 7, 2017
The Golden Apple is a fairytale retelling, but it's not a fairytale that I'm familiar with so it read more like a light Fantasy to me. This is very light Fantasy - not much world-building, not a huge cast, and the magic system is not a full-blown system. But it's fun and fast-paced.
Sometimes all I need is magic and adventure and a bit of romance without it being in that higher class, and this was just what I needed after some heavier books. It went really quickly, and I had to grab the sequel right away, which I'm also tearing through right now. (This is a duology, and the first novel does not stand alone.)
Is it perfect? Is every character well-developed? Well, no. There's not a lot of depth. But that's ok. I would recommended this for anyone needing a lighter read, not willing to invest in the couple to three hundred pages it often takes to get into a Fantasy world.
Sometimes all I need is magic and adventure and a bit of romance without it being in that higher class, and this was just what I needed after some heavier books. It went really quickly, and I had to grab the sequel right away, which I'm also tearing through right now. (This is a duology, and the first novel does not stand alone.)
Is it perfect? Is every character well-developed? Well, no. There's not a lot of depth. But that's ok. I would recommended this for anyone needing a lighter read, not willing to invest in the couple to three hundred pages it often takes to get into a Fantasy world.
April 2, 2016
Michelle Diener's The Golden Apple is a pleasant enough read, but I don't think it the strongest of her novels. Loosely based on the fairy tale The Princess on the Glass Hill, the book boasts an interesting premise, but looking back I felt the narrative fell short of its potential.
As with Mistress of the Wind, Diener put her own unique spin on the story and while I enjoyed the direction of the narrative, I think she may have taken too much liberty with the classic. The end result is fun, but bears little resemblance to the work on which it is based. A minor quibble in the scheme of things, but something to note if you're interest is rooted in the Norwegian fairy tale.
My three star rating really comes down to two aspects, the first of which is world building. This wasn't an issue in Mistress of the Wind or The Emperor's Conspiracy which is why I'm surprised Diener threw her audience into Gaynor without truly developing the landscape. Maybe I'm comparing the Great Forest to woodlands of Alisanos in Jennifer Roberson's Karavans or the Forest of Illusions in Adele Lorienne's sadly unfinished Wars of Avenan series, but the end result isn't what I'd call memorable.
The second issue I had with this piece is the relatively weak characterizations. Again, this hasn't been a problem for Diener in the past. More than year after encountering him, I still have a soft spot for Luke Braken which is a real testament to what Diener is capable of. I don't know what happened here, but Kayla, Rane, Soren, Jasper and Nuen failed to impress. They didn't feel real and that made it very hard to appreciate their story.
Not bad, but not Diener at her best. Hoping for more from future installments.
As with Mistress of the Wind, Diener put her own unique spin on the story and while I enjoyed the direction of the narrative, I think she may have taken too much liberty with the classic. The end result is fun, but bears little resemblance to the work on which it is based. A minor quibble in the scheme of things, but something to note if you're interest is rooted in the Norwegian fairy tale.
My three star rating really comes down to two aspects, the first of which is world building. This wasn't an issue in Mistress of the Wind or The Emperor's Conspiracy which is why I'm surprised Diener threw her audience into Gaynor without truly developing the landscape. Maybe I'm comparing the Great Forest to woodlands of Alisanos in Jennifer Roberson's Karavans or the Forest of Illusions in Adele Lorienne's sadly unfinished Wars of Avenan series, but the end result isn't what I'd call memorable.
The second issue I had with this piece is the relatively weak characterizations. Again, this hasn't been a problem for Diener in the past. More than year after encountering him, I still have a soft spot for Luke Braken which is a real testament to what Diener is capable of. I don't know what happened here, but Kayla, Rane, Soren, Jasper and Nuen failed to impress. They didn't feel real and that made it very hard to appreciate their story.
Not bad, but not Diener at her best. Hoping for more from future installments.
May 7, 2015
Note:If this is your first Michelle Diener book, kindly close this book, look for her other books first and after you irrevocably love the author, then that is the time to read this book.
It's a good thing I read Susanna Horenbout and John Parker series before reading this book. This book is a disappointment in a way that I can't believe Michelle Diener wrote this one. In her other series, she is known as an author who knows how to properly explain and execute a scene in which she will make you say " Damn shit. I feel like it's a 3D and not a fucking book"
But this book? Noooo. This book is soo "meh". I was reading the first chapter in which she explains something about the princess and the contest. Then I flipped the next page, and it was the second chapter and I was now reading the almost-finished contest.
What the heck.
Then there are some scenes in the book that's good but can still be made into a freaking better scene.
Suffice to say, I won't be reading the second book.
It's a good thing I read Susanna Horenbout and John Parker series before reading this book. This book is a disappointment in a way that I can't believe Michelle Diener wrote this one. In her other series, she is known as an author who knows how to properly explain and execute a scene in which she will make you say " Damn shit. I feel like it's a 3D and not a fucking book"
But this book? Noooo. This book is soo "meh". I was reading the first chapter in which she explains something about the princess and the contest. Then I flipped the next page, and it was the second chapter and I was now reading the almost-finished contest.
What the heck.
Then there are some scenes in the book that's good but can still be made into a freaking better scene.
Suffice to say, I won't be reading the second book.
May 10, 2016
The Golden Apple is fun light romantic fantasy read. I liked that it was under 300 pages. It does have a sequel which I will be reading.
March 2, 2014
A King dealing in dark magic, auctioning his daughter off to the bravest and boldest knight, what madness is this? What is the true meaning behind her father’s callous contest? Kayla bristles at the confines of her life, the rules and the restrictions. Before she must become some stranger’s dutiful wife, she has but one thing to give freely, her innocence, and in an act of defiance, she finds a handsome stranger she will never see again. Set upon a crystal mountain, alone, holding a mysterious golden apple, Kayla’s only words from her father was to NOT touch the apple. Kayla watches as knight after knight fail to reach her to take the apple as a sign of victory, each plunging to their deaths. But a mysterious black knight upon a black steed arrives, looking bolder and braver than the rest, their eyes lock and Kayla’s heart leaps when she sees who it is. Making it faster and farther than the rest, Kayla fears this black knight will also fail and she wants him. She steels herself for whatever the apple’s power will offer and tosses it to Rane, the man who accepted her innocence and acted as if she mattered. Is Rane the man of honor that she believes him to be? What are the powers that have bound themselves to Kayla? Evil is chasing them, blackmail is part of the plan to get the apple, but how does Rane choose between this brave woman and the brother whose very life depends on his retrieving the apple?
Fairytales for adults, adapted from ancient lore, author Michelle Diener once again creates a magical place to land, filled with danger, hope and possibly love. The Golden Apple, through the magic in Ms. Diener’s pen is a journey into a land far different than ours with characters who either feel ominous and frightening, or are larger than life brave. Kayla is almost contemporary in her thinking, headstrong, full of heart, yet caught up in the romance of love. Is Rane a cad or is he caught between family and a woman who has shown him what honor and caring really is? Rane is everything a knight should be, brave and protective, he starts out trapped and misguided. Each supporting character fits well, and the world Ms. Diener has created is nothing short of romantic magic. Her style begs to be read and enjoyed. A beautifully written escape into a land of princesses, magic and knights on powerful steeds. You can never have too much fantasy!
I received an ARC edition from Season Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: March 24, 2014
Publisher: Season Publishing
ISBN: 9780987417671
Genre: Fantasy Romance
CHECK OUT THE COVER REVEAL AT TOME TENDER!
http://tometender.blogspot.com/2014/0...
Fairytales for adults, adapted from ancient lore, author Michelle Diener once again creates a magical place to land, filled with danger, hope and possibly love. The Golden Apple, through the magic in Ms. Diener’s pen is a journey into a land far different than ours with characters who either feel ominous and frightening, or are larger than life brave. Kayla is almost contemporary in her thinking, headstrong, full of heart, yet caught up in the romance of love. Is Rane a cad or is he caught between family and a woman who has shown him what honor and caring really is? Rane is everything a knight should be, brave and protective, he starts out trapped and misguided. Each supporting character fits well, and the world Ms. Diener has created is nothing short of romantic magic. Her style begs to be read and enjoyed. A beautifully written escape into a land of princesses, magic and knights on powerful steeds. You can never have too much fantasy!
I received an ARC edition from Season Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: March 24, 2014
Publisher: Season Publishing
ISBN: 9780987417671
Genre: Fantasy Romance
CHECK OUT THE COVER REVEAL AT TOME TENDER!
http://tometender.blogspot.com/2014/0...
October 15, 2014
Beware a rant!
It was not a bad book, fast-paced, with multiple plot twists. The constant dangers and tribulations made the protagonists’ quest a continuous trial. They kept me reading long into the night. They kept promising me things, taunting me with them, just as soon as I turn the next page… but nothing was really delivered, until I finished the last line and closed my Kindle. Then I sighed with disappointment. Even the ending was a cliffhanger – my least favorite kind. Nothing was resolved, and the heroes are still in the middle of their adventures. I doubt I’ll read their story to its conclusion in the next book.
The genre of this novel is a fantasy romance. After falling under a spell of an evil sorcerer, Princess Kayla and a knight Rane embark on an adventure. They are under geas to steal a priceless magical artifact from a witch and bring it back to the sorcerer. If they disobey or linger, they will go mad.
The problem is: the witch lives in the Dark Forest, where wild magic roams unrestrained, turning men into monsters and monsters into frogs. Pursued by the wild magic but unable to stop, the princess and the knight must push on. They stomp through the dense trees of the enchanted forest, killing everyone who opposes them while exploring their mutual relationship.
Their escapades are perilous, their numerous enemies powerful, but every character in the book is two-dimensional. No personal growth manifests and no world development either. The little cartoon figures hop along the flat surface of the world with painted trees, castles, and other landscape elements. There are colors but no depth.
Still, the novel read okay. I finished it. I have to say though that I liked the author’s historical novels much better than her fantasy. I’ve read several of her historical novels. They are rich in details, well-researched, and populated by living and breathing people. Diener definitely can write. It just feels like she didn’t try very hard with this book.
It was not a bad book, fast-paced, with multiple plot twists. The constant dangers and tribulations made the protagonists’ quest a continuous trial. They kept me reading long into the night. They kept promising me things, taunting me with them, just as soon as I turn the next page… but nothing was really delivered, until I finished the last line and closed my Kindle. Then I sighed with disappointment. Even the ending was a cliffhanger – my least favorite kind. Nothing was resolved, and the heroes are still in the middle of their adventures. I doubt I’ll read their story to its conclusion in the next book.
The genre of this novel is a fantasy romance. After falling under a spell of an evil sorcerer, Princess Kayla and a knight Rane embark on an adventure. They are under geas to steal a priceless magical artifact from a witch and bring it back to the sorcerer. If they disobey or linger, they will go mad.
The problem is: the witch lives in the Dark Forest, where wild magic roams unrestrained, turning men into monsters and monsters into frogs. Pursued by the wild magic but unable to stop, the princess and the knight must push on. They stomp through the dense trees of the enchanted forest, killing everyone who opposes them while exploring their mutual relationship.
Their escapades are perilous, their numerous enemies powerful, but every character in the book is two-dimensional. No personal growth manifests and no world development either. The little cartoon figures hop along the flat surface of the world with painted trees, castles, and other landscape elements. There are colors but no depth.
Still, the novel read okay. I finished it. I have to say though that I liked the author’s historical novels much better than her fantasy. I’ve read several of her historical novels. They are rich in details, well-researched, and populated by living and breathing people. Diener definitely can write. It just feels like she didn’t try very hard with this book.
October 5, 2015
The Golden Apple is loosely based on the Norwegian fairy tale The Princess on the Glass Hill.
I do love retellings and this one is very original because it's based on a Norwegian fairy tale and we don't get to see that often. These fairy tales are also not widely known (not to me anyway) so that makes it all the more special. Especially when the story woven around it is so good.
I actually liked The Golden Apple a bit more than Michelle Diener's previous fairy tale retelling Mistress of the Wind. I loved how there was a lot of action so it never got boring, the romance was nicely done too although it didn't overpower the rest of the story and of course above all else, the magic. I love me some magic in a book!
Kayla and Rane's journey was fantastic. I loved their interaction, their personalities. Kayla, a princess, though no ordinary one and isn't what she seems and Rane, doing whatever it takes to save his brother even if he had to deceive Kayla to get to the golden apple. Ah, the intrigue! As always Diener has managed to create great leading characters that you can't help but care for what happens to them. Kayla and Rane also meet a lot of interesting characters on their journey in the Great Forest; A huge enchanted kitty, evil sorcerers, witches, trolls... you name it. It had them all.
I'm pretty excited that there will be a second book coming out in the fall because I can't wait to see where the story is going next and if they will be able to stop the socerers' war and defeat Eric The Bold. So yes I would definitely recommend this fantastic new adult fairy tale retelling by Michelle Diener!
I do love retellings and this one is very original because it's based on a Norwegian fairy tale and we don't get to see that often. These fairy tales are also not widely known (not to me anyway) so that makes it all the more special. Especially when the story woven around it is so good.
I actually liked The Golden Apple a bit more than Michelle Diener's previous fairy tale retelling Mistress of the Wind. I loved how there was a lot of action so it never got boring, the romance was nicely done too although it didn't overpower the rest of the story and of course above all else, the magic. I love me some magic in a book!
Kayla and Rane's journey was fantastic. I loved their interaction, their personalities. Kayla, a princess, though no ordinary one and isn't what she seems and Rane, doing whatever it takes to save his brother even if he had to deceive Kayla to get to the golden apple. Ah, the intrigue! As always Diener has managed to create great leading characters that you can't help but care for what happens to them. Kayla and Rane also meet a lot of interesting characters on their journey in the Great Forest; A huge enchanted kitty, evil sorcerers, witches, trolls... you name it. It had them all.
I'm pretty excited that there will be a second book coming out in the fall because I can't wait to see where the story is going next and if they will be able to stop the socerers' war and defeat Eric The Bold. So yes I would definitely recommend this fantastic new adult fairy tale retelling by Michelle Diener!
March 1, 2017
Not bad at all, I look forward to more.
March 4, 2014
The Deciding Power
Fairy tales are wonderful explorations of our personal sub-conscious, and of a collective sub-conscious, as well.
One of the recurring themes of fairy tales is the dark forest. The symbolism of entering the dark forest is one of confronting the darkness of our own sub-conscious, and grappling with issues of identity and rebirth. Respected Jungian psychologist, Marie-Louise Von Franz, who was a leader in work on the interpretation of fairy tales, discusses how entering the forest is the starting point for the hero or heroine’s life-changing deeds and decisions. Where they go from being unconscious of themselves and their abilities, to a more conscious state. I loved weaving that fairy tale aspect into The Golden Apple, even though it wasn’t part of The Princess on the Glass Hill, the original tale I based the story on.
A criticism of fairy tales is the passivity of heroines. Cinderella has to be found by the prince and saved, Snow White kissed awake while she lies passive, Sleeping Beauty, the same. But there are fairy tales were the heroine is more active. East of the Sun, West of the Moon, which I based my fantasy novel Mistress of the Wind on, is one of them, and in that, the heroine is clearly the hero and the protagonist of the story. But there was also a flash of that in The Princess on the Glass Hill, and why I became interested in the story in the first place.
At first glance, the story is like Cinderella, Snow White etc, in that the princess can do nothing but sit on top of her glass mountain and wait while the knights try to ride up the smooth, steep glass to pluck the golden apple from her lap. She will have no choice but to marry whoever manages to do it. But there was a line in the story which caught my eye. It said the princess threw down the apple to the hero as he tried to reach the top. In other words, she had sized them all up, decided who she’d prefer to have, and helped the hero to win. She seems to have no power, but in fact, she has all of it, in that moment. She has the golden apple. She can throw it to whoever she wants, or, in fact, hold on to it. No-one can reach it without her assistance.
This interesting twist on power, who wields it and how it is used, inspired me to write The Golden Apple. I ended up diverging wildly from the original tale, but at it’s heart, I hope I reflect that interesting power-switch that the original was hinting at.
Fairy tales are wonderful explorations of our personal sub-conscious, and of a collective sub-conscious, as well.
One of the recurring themes of fairy tales is the dark forest. The symbolism of entering the dark forest is one of confronting the darkness of our own sub-conscious, and grappling with issues of identity and rebirth. Respected Jungian psychologist, Marie-Louise Von Franz, who was a leader in work on the interpretation of fairy tales, discusses how entering the forest is the starting point for the hero or heroine’s life-changing deeds and decisions. Where they go from being unconscious of themselves and their abilities, to a more conscious state. I loved weaving that fairy tale aspect into The Golden Apple, even though it wasn’t part of The Princess on the Glass Hill, the original tale I based the story on.
A criticism of fairy tales is the passivity of heroines. Cinderella has to be found by the prince and saved, Snow White kissed awake while she lies passive, Sleeping Beauty, the same. But there are fairy tales were the heroine is more active. East of the Sun, West of the Moon, which I based my fantasy novel Mistress of the Wind on, is one of them, and in that, the heroine is clearly the hero and the protagonist of the story. But there was also a flash of that in The Princess on the Glass Hill, and why I became interested in the story in the first place.
At first glance, the story is like Cinderella, Snow White etc, in that the princess can do nothing but sit on top of her glass mountain and wait while the knights try to ride up the smooth, steep glass to pluck the golden apple from her lap. She will have no choice but to marry whoever manages to do it. But there was a line in the story which caught my eye. It said the princess threw down the apple to the hero as he tried to reach the top. In other words, she had sized them all up, decided who she’d prefer to have, and helped the hero to win. She seems to have no power, but in fact, she has all of it, in that moment. She has the golden apple. She can throw it to whoever she wants, or, in fact, hold on to it. No-one can reach it without her assistance.
This interesting twist on power, who wields it and how it is used, inspired me to write The Golden Apple. I ended up diverging wildly from the original tale, but at it’s heart, I hope I reflect that interesting power-switch that the original was hinting at.
March 4, 2014
This was a much better book than I was expecting. Most of the novels I read that have been based on myth/fable are a bit on the simplistic side, which can be great entertainment but seldom have complex plots.
The Golden Apple does not follow this, the plot was detailed and complex, was more along the lines of a combo of epic fantasy/romance.
Rane and Kayla made a great couple who barely liked each other (maybe not even that much) at the start and grew to be much closer as the book progressed.
There are several "bad guys" here so you can choose any of them and it gives all appearance of being a possible first book of at least one more book, I can't confirm that this is not a stand alone novel yet but the ending can go either way.
5 Stars for being much better than I thought it would be and an enjoyable reading with several surprises along the way.
The Golden Apple does not follow this, the plot was detailed and complex, was more along the lines of a combo of epic fantasy/romance.
Rane and Kayla made a great couple who barely liked each other (maybe not even that much) at the start and grew to be much closer as the book progressed.
There are several "bad guys" here so you can choose any of them and it gives all appearance of being a possible first book of at least one more book, I can't confirm that this is not a stand alone novel yet but the ending can go either way.
5 Stars for being much better than I thought it would be and an enjoyable reading with several surprises along the way.
June 3, 2016
You have the Golden Apple, magic, and dark forest. Oh and a bit of romance.
I had read the author's other historical series and loved it. So it was nice to find another book of hers.
Having read this, I found to be a pretty good. I hadn’t heard much about this one was surprised by how much I liked it. What I love about this and the author’s other books is not only the writing style but how she writes her characters.
The moments with Kayla and Rane are also good and I like that they have their own story arc and get some character development. Also Sooty is adorable.
So yeah, reading this reminded me why I like this author and look forward to her next book.
I had read the author's other historical series and loved it. So it was nice to find another book of hers.
Having read this, I found to be a pretty good. I hadn’t heard much about this one was surprised by how much I liked it. What I love about this and the author’s other books is not only the writing style but how she writes her characters.
The moments with Kayla and Rane are also good and I like that they have their own story arc and get some character development. Also Sooty is adorable.
So yeah, reading this reminded me why I like this author and look forward to her next book.
January 8, 2017
An interesting retelling of a less known fairy tale about a princess on a glass hill. I honestly haven't read the original, but I did like this story. Well, maybe not the instant love, but it did have it's charm too. I actually got this one for free, it seems the price came up a bit, but I'd say it's worth the entertainment.
The book is filled with mystical creatures, fate-bound people, and magic. It has its charm, but it's not perfect. Still, after finishing it I was tempted to pick up the next volume, but it seems it's a completely different story with different characters.
The book is filled with mystical creatures, fate-bound people, and magic. It has its charm, but it's not perfect. Still, after finishing it I was tempted to pick up the next volume, but it seems it's a completely different story with different characters.
November 5, 2016
its fairytale retelling with witches & sorcerers. quick read with enough twists & turns which made me read more, in spite of its slow pace. all the action of the book was focused in the end. it was like waiting for actually something to happen in the story & willing the characters to move a little faster to their destination. i am not sure if I want to continue with the second book.
March 18, 2014
Three things I love about this story: 1. It’s based on a Hungarian fairy tale, so it’s completely new to me and thus, interesting. 2. I love that instead of a princess sitting around waiting for a handsome prince to rescue her, she does the rescuing! 3. Love this heroine from the get-go. She takes control, even when she has very little, from choosing her own first lover to saving the man she loves’s brother.
This is a fantasy involving sorcerers with ill agendas attempting to use the princess and her now-betrothed to obtain magical items they want. It all starts with a glass mountain and a golden apple and takes us into a dark, eerie magical forest that is a dumping ground for the sorcerers’ spare magic. With nowhere to go, with no one to guide it, the spare magic does bad things, making the forest a dangerous place.
At times I had questions, like, “If you can manipulate this to your will, why not just make the cat normal size or do this or that…?” But more often than not my questions ended up answered. I can’t say much more about that without giving away cool happenings that occur.
But I love how this princess never gives up and strives to save the man she loves and though afraid, she manages to think and act in the heat of the moment. I wish American princesses were like this. It would make an excellent role model.
Much applause to the author’s imagination. I never would have thought of these cool creatures and happenings. The writing is superb: perfect balance of description, detail, character development. When the magic appeared in the forest, I would get tingles of fright and sometimes hold my breath.
Quibble: The story ended abruptly, leaving loose ends: a war started, a missing brother, a magical device in the wrong hands. It just ended. There IS going to be a sequel and that pleases me greatly, but the ending still bugs me because it's the kind of story that I will need to remember what happened in book one to enjoy book two. Thankfully, I don't have long to wait. I believe it's a fall release.
Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...
This is a fantasy involving sorcerers with ill agendas attempting to use the princess and her now-betrothed to obtain magical items they want. It all starts with a glass mountain and a golden apple and takes us into a dark, eerie magical forest that is a dumping ground for the sorcerers’ spare magic. With nowhere to go, with no one to guide it, the spare magic does bad things, making the forest a dangerous place.
At times I had questions, like, “If you can manipulate this to your will, why not just make the cat normal size or do this or that…?” But more often than not my questions ended up answered. I can’t say much more about that without giving away cool happenings that occur.
But I love how this princess never gives up and strives to save the man she loves and though afraid, she manages to think and act in the heat of the moment. I wish American princesses were like this. It would make an excellent role model.
Much applause to the author’s imagination. I never would have thought of these cool creatures and happenings. The writing is superb: perfect balance of description, detail, character development. When the magic appeared in the forest, I would get tingles of fright and sometimes hold my breath.
Quibble: The story ended abruptly, leaving loose ends: a war started, a missing brother, a magical device in the wrong hands. It just ended. There IS going to be a sequel and that pleases me greatly, but the ending still bugs me because it's the kind of story that I will need to remember what happened in book one to enjoy book two. Thankfully, I don't have long to wait. I believe it's a fall release.
Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...
March 10, 2014
If the first book felt like Michelle Diener was just dipping her toes into fairy tale retelling, The Golden Apple was much more solid and wonderful.
Kayla ans Rane were a great pairing; both had their strengths or course, but again it was Kayla who totally saved everyone's arse. It felt like men were just stumbling under her feet and generally made themselves a nuisance!
Kayla is a princess, whose father declares that whoever reaches her on the glass hill made by a sorcerer and plucks a golden apple from her hand, will marry her and inherit his kingdom. Pissed off with her father's bizarre choice, angry and feeling like she is slowly suffocating, Kayla decides to choose at least her first lover if not a husband and seduces a sweet funny guy she meets at a feast before the tournament.
Only the guy is one of the participants, and his trick ensures that Kayla would choose to help him to reach her above everyone else.
As per synopsis, Rayne is forced to participate to save his brother's life, and he will have to use every trick in the book to win the golden apple. Only when he and Kayla ensure his victory they find out that they both had been played and now need to complete a sorcerer's quest otherwise the golden apple will drive them mad.
Their quest leads them through a dark forest full of wild magic, which Kayla discovers she can use to survive, save Rayne and his brother and defeat the sorcerer. She is a fighter and strategist and she would have done much better if Rane didn't keep her in the dark and try to do everything himself.
This is a dark, fast adventure with a great chemistry between the main characters, which I enjoyed very much. I would recommend it to any fairy tale fantasy fan for a tasty bookish snack.
Kayla ans Rane were a great pairing; both had their strengths or course, but again it was Kayla who totally saved everyone's arse. It felt like men were just stumbling under her feet and generally made themselves a nuisance!
Kayla is a princess, whose father declares that whoever reaches her on the glass hill made by a sorcerer and plucks a golden apple from her hand, will marry her and inherit his kingdom. Pissed off with her father's bizarre choice, angry and feeling like she is slowly suffocating, Kayla decides to choose at least her first lover if not a husband and seduces a sweet funny guy she meets at a feast before the tournament.
Only the guy is one of the participants, and his trick ensures that Kayla would choose to help him to reach her above everyone else.
As per synopsis, Rayne is forced to participate to save his brother's life, and he will have to use every trick in the book to win the golden apple. Only when he and Kayla ensure his victory they find out that they both had been played and now need to complete a sorcerer's quest otherwise the golden apple will drive them mad.
Their quest leads them through a dark forest full of wild magic, which Kayla discovers she can use to survive, save Rayne and his brother and defeat the sorcerer. She is a fighter and strategist and she would have done much better if Rane didn't keep her in the dark and try to do everything himself.
This is a dark, fast adventure with a great chemistry between the main characters, which I enjoyed very much. I would recommend it to any fairy tale fantasy fan for a tasty bookish snack.
December 30, 2019
The fairy tale inspired Golden Apple really begins where the actual fairy tale ends - the princess sitting on top a glass mountain waiting for a knight to climb the mountain to obtain a golden apple and win her hand in marriage decides to help her chosen suitor win. Here the end to the contest is not the end of this tale, but is instead the beginning of a quest filled with magic, evil sorcerers and a princess who ultimately doesn't need a prince (or knight) to rescue her.
I like fairy tale spin off stories, and I really like quest stories, so really I enjoyed this one. After reading The Golden Apple I went searching the internet to find the classic tale that kicks off this story - the glass mountain and the disguised knight were familiar elements and I was sure that I'd read the original at some time in the past - but in my search I came across the story behind the story on Diener's website. The whole idea of the deeper meanings behind Golden Apple were interesting, and I have to admit that hero-worshipping-me loves stories in which the leading lady does not remain the damsel in distress but ultimately rescues herself (and maybe even her knight.)
There is a bit of romance here, but it doesn't feel like the main thrust of the story - since the leads take off to do their own 'tasks'. The story is left open for a sequel, and I wouldn't mind reading a bit more of this pair.
ARC courtesy of the author via NetGalley release date 3/24/14
I like fairy tale spin off stories, and I really like quest stories, so really I enjoyed this one. After reading The Golden Apple I went searching the internet to find the classic tale that kicks off this story - the glass mountain and the disguised knight were familiar elements and I was sure that I'd read the original at some time in the past - but in my search I came across the story behind the story on Diener's website. The whole idea of the deeper meanings behind Golden Apple were interesting, and I have to admit that hero-worshipping-me loves stories in which the leading lady does not remain the damsel in distress but ultimately rescues herself (and maybe even her knight.)
There is a bit of romance here, but it doesn't feel like the main thrust of the story - since the leads take off to do their own 'tasks'. The story is left open for a sequel, and I wouldn't mind reading a bit more of this pair.
ARC courtesy of the author via NetGalley release date 3/24/14
September 5, 2020
Kayla is a Magical Mary Sue. She has no training in using magic, she didn't even know she could until a couple days ago. But somehow she does everything perfectly. They need light, Kayla creates light. They're surrounded by archers, Kayla makes all their arrows fall from the sky. Teleportation? Why not? Flying? Yup! Enchanting a centuries old witch? No problem.
It was fast-paced with moments of tenderness, suspense, humor, and intrigue. I'm very interested in continuing the story in the sequel.
It was fast-paced with moments of tenderness, suspense, humor, and intrigue. I'm very interested in continuing the story in the sequel.
November 24, 2014
Good fantasy romance. The emphasis is on the magic quest, not the relationship between the main characters.
Sooty the giant cat was pretty funny.
Sooty the giant cat was pretty funny.
January 7, 2015
Fast paced, though a bit too fast?
I really did enjoy this book...but it was a bit rushed in my opinion. It was still a really good read, I just wish there had been more...
I really did enjoy this book...but it was a bit rushed in my opinion. It was still a really good read, I just wish there had been more...
May 7, 2015
Not the best fairy tale retelling I have read but not the worst either. I did had fun reading it.
November 28, 2017
Several parts to skip over, but interesting spin on magic and witches.
I almost didn't read this as it starts out with some garbage. There are a few spots that I skipped over and a handful of weird or bad grammar sections. Some if the sentences were disjointed, which drew me from the story. If we could lose the sexual/romance garbage, it could be a decent story.
For my clean readers:
Minor language, lots of violence, and as previously stated, some romantic/descriptive scenes that require skipping over.
I almost didn't read this as it starts out with some garbage. There are a few spots that I skipped over and a handful of weird or bad grammar sections. Some if the sentences were disjointed, which drew me from the story. If we could lose the sexual/romance garbage, it could be a decent story.
For my clean readers:
Minor language, lots of violence, and as previously stated, some romantic/descriptive scenes that require skipping over.
December 7, 2017
I think this may be the weakest Diener I've ever read. Please don't misunderstand me, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't up to Diener's exceptional standard. The story was a decent fantasy story and the main characters both showed significant growth through the book arc, but the romance was a bit insipid and the characters didn't have a high bar to cross to grow.
The long arc wasn't resolved although the book arc was resolved fairly well. I'll eventually read the second one so I can see how the long arc gets resolved but I am not in a hurry to jump right into it.
The long arc wasn't resolved although the book arc was resolved fairly well. I'll eventually read the second one so I can see how the long arc gets resolved but I am not in a hurry to jump right into it.
May 15, 2018
Slow beginning, but the story itself was wonderful!
March 21, 2014
2.5 stars
Arc provided by the author through Netgalley
Honestly, i don't even know how to begin this review...
A couple months ago, i read and loved Mistress of the Wind by the same author.
Even though i love fantasy. There's a type of story that is normally incapable of catching my interest:
Quests. And all that they entail....
In those cases, if the characters aren't interesting enough, and if the world building isn't class A material , my interest will most surely wander around completely lost.
That's what happened here.
There's nothing particularly wrong with this tale, and the way it was written.
But i can't help feeling that it lacks intensity, depth and proper world building.
For instance, when one reads the sinopse, and where it says:
"Her father has made her a prize in a deadly, impossible tournament(..)"
I was waiting for descriptions that would leave me at the edge of my seat!! I wanted a proper tournament. I wanted to feel the danger. I wanted to be scared for the characters lifes.
I wanted so much more in terms of descriptions...
This means that the three pages that this event occupies in the narrative _ and the way it was told _ left me quite disappointed.
The story begins with the princess perched on the top of a glass mountain.
Glass Mountain who appeared due to the use of dark magic. And that was it. And basically, the characters reaction to the thing...
Wouldn't it be more logical if the village people (well if there's a castle, i'm imagining some villagers ;) started running for their lifes?
Apparently the use of black magic isn't something as boring, and normal as talking and walking...
Then we are told that the princess was lifted to the top of the glass mountain. How?
Magic again? A crane?
To see the mountain appear step by step. To see how she was created. That would have given it more depth.
Also, it is said that the mountain :
It stood perhaps three stories high....
But then, there's this:
Bright blue eyes looked up at her. No longer warm and laughing as they had been last night, but cold with purpose.
Unless, she had binocular's....how? He's on the ground. You're three stories high....
Also i didn't enjoy the fact that i didn't get to see evolution of these two characters relationship...
Too much tell.
Yes, that would imply seeing the male character behaving like a cad...but, that would have given him more than his Gary Stu characterization.
That leads me to another point:
The characters don't feel real (ahah). They don't have intensity. Kayla, the princess, for instance, has the characterization of a Mary Sue.
She's bland. She doesn't shine. Every time she gets in a fix, her "special powers" appear and save her....
Against all odds.
It's not that i disliked the characters per se. It's just, that they aren't particularly interesting.
They're good, honorable people, who behave just like they should.
Kayla takes all that is happening to her, in stride.
Oh, i have powers...oh, i can control this element....oh, i'm a _______.
Okay. I'm a sensible person/princess. Of course i can deal with it.
Basically _ for me _ the story began to drag. The action scenes didn't have enough energy, and the incongruent world building killed things for me.
For instance, imagine this magical apple. The golden apple which up until now, is being used as a healing instrument.
Now, this would mean that this thing is a magical item, right?
But, there's a scene close to the end, where one of the bad guys apparently created a magical barrier capable of intercepting magic. Everyone who crosses it, loses it.
That's what happens to Kayla. She enters the space, and her magic stays outside.
BUT, the same doesn't happen with the Apple who continues to work...Okay, it's a really strong _convenient _ Apple.
Too much conveniences can kill a plot....and the will to read of people like me who are nitpick about these things.
Also, i honestly didn't understand what was it, with the bad guys. Why the fight for power?
Were they bored? Why now?
Oh, and this takes places in Middleland. ..
Okay, it's not as if Tolkien has the copyrights on the word "Middle", or over quests, and battles between good and evil.
This is not to say, that is a bad book. It isn't!
But it's not the best of books to people who have been reading fantasy for a long awhile now (me).
But do give it a try! Hopefully you'll enjoy it more than i did.
The follow up will be called "The Silver Pear", and released in Autumn.
March 23, 2014
Received an ARC from the author for an honest review.
I am huge fan of Michelle Diener and love all her books and I wish I could say that I loved this too, but sadly, I did not. I did not hate it but there is something about her other books that was missing here.
The Golden Apple is about Princess Kayla who is put inside a glass tower by her father with an apple placed in her lap and a challenge is issued: any man who can take that apple from her, will win her hand in marriage. Kayla is bewildered by her father’s actions and cannot understand why he would do this to her. Some knights try to make their way to the glass tower but fall long before they reach it. Until, another knight, Rane, manages to get closer to the tower than any before him. But the princess is keeping a secret, the night before, she gave away, of her own free will, what would have been taken from her by whoever won her hand. She took that small measure of control of her own life and was relatively content until she realised that the knight closing in on the tower is none other than the man she slept with the previous night. She feels like he is there to save her and so she throws the apple to him, knowing full well that he will never get it on his own. It is only later that she realises that everything was a lie and she was just a means to an end. By a tiwst of fate, both she and Rane (the knight) have to undertake a quest for a wizard: to steal a gem from a hag in the Great Forest.
Part of the reason why I did not like this as much as her other works, could be because I am not familiar with the fairy tale at all. I had not even heard of it before this book, so there are none of the associations that most of us have with stories we are familiar with. But a large part of it was that the story just did not draw me in, as her other works have. It is a fairly short book at just 171 pages and though it did not drag, I found myself tempted to skip past a few paragraphs here and there (I didn’t but it was a close call) There is also very little world building, The Golden Apple gave me a very vague sense of the world the characters inhabited, quite superficial. It also told me very little about the people in it beyond a select few. The origins were not explained. It is quite possible that Diener wanted to leave some of the world building to the sequel but still. Also, I needed a map, I could make no sense of the geography. Maps should be essential for any fantasy, a visual representation of the world really helps the reader make sense of the world they are reading about.
Even the characters here were not nearly as interesting as, say Parker and Susannah or Charlotte. Kayla was still way better then Rane. At least, she was discovering her powers and not shy about using them. But Rane was a misfire. I did not care for him in the least. He was uninteresting and dull. As for his brother Soren, he was infuriating. An idiot with a death wish. Eric the Bold, the villain, was also not villainous enough, he seemed too tame and too easily overpowered. I know we haven’t seen the last of him but he still went down too easily. Diener’s characters are usually layered and complicated but that was missing here. I felt like Kayla and Rane did not have enough time to grow into their roles, like they were rushed. This also made their relationship feel a little stilted.
The other thing was that there was absolutely no indication from the blurb that this might part of a series, but there is a sequel. So when I started reading this book, I thought this was a standalone and unfortunately by the time I realised that the story would not conclude here, I had begun to lose interest.
Don’t get me wrong, The Golden Apple was not a bad book, but I just did not enjoy it as much as say the Parker and Susannah series or The Emperor’s Conspiracy (or pretty much any of the other books). Maybe I will revisit it later and find differently, but for now, I am a little disappointed.
I am huge fan of Michelle Diener and love all her books and I wish I could say that I loved this too, but sadly, I did not. I did not hate it but there is something about her other books that was missing here.
The Golden Apple is about Princess Kayla who is put inside a glass tower by her father with an apple placed in her lap and a challenge is issued: any man who can take that apple from her, will win her hand in marriage. Kayla is bewildered by her father’s actions and cannot understand why he would do this to her. Some knights try to make their way to the glass tower but fall long before they reach it. Until, another knight, Rane, manages to get closer to the tower than any before him. But the princess is keeping a secret, the night before, she gave away, of her own free will, what would have been taken from her by whoever won her hand. She took that small measure of control of her own life and was relatively content until she realised that the knight closing in on the tower is none other than the man she slept with the previous night. She feels like he is there to save her and so she throws the apple to him, knowing full well that he will never get it on his own. It is only later that she realises that everything was a lie and she was just a means to an end. By a tiwst of fate, both she and Rane (the knight) have to undertake a quest for a wizard: to steal a gem from a hag in the Great Forest.
Part of the reason why I did not like this as much as her other works, could be because I am not familiar with the fairy tale at all. I had not even heard of it before this book, so there are none of the associations that most of us have with stories we are familiar with. But a large part of it was that the story just did not draw me in, as her other works have. It is a fairly short book at just 171 pages and though it did not drag, I found myself tempted to skip past a few paragraphs here and there (I didn’t but it was a close call) There is also very little world building, The Golden Apple gave me a very vague sense of the world the characters inhabited, quite superficial. It also told me very little about the people in it beyond a select few. The origins were not explained. It is quite possible that Diener wanted to leave some of the world building to the sequel but still. Also, I needed a map, I could make no sense of the geography. Maps should be essential for any fantasy, a visual representation of the world really helps the reader make sense of the world they are reading about.
Even the characters here were not nearly as interesting as, say Parker and Susannah or Charlotte. Kayla was still way better then Rane. At least, she was discovering her powers and not shy about using them. But Rane was a misfire. I did not care for him in the least. He was uninteresting and dull. As for his brother Soren, he was infuriating. An idiot with a death wish. Eric the Bold, the villain, was also not villainous enough, he seemed too tame and too easily overpowered. I know we haven’t seen the last of him but he still went down too easily. Diener’s characters are usually layered and complicated but that was missing here. I felt like Kayla and Rane did not have enough time to grow into their roles, like they were rushed. This also made their relationship feel a little stilted.
The other thing was that there was absolutely no indication from the blurb that this might part of a series, but there is a sequel. So when I started reading this book, I thought this was a standalone and unfortunately by the time I realised that the story would not conclude here, I had begun to lose interest.
Don’t get me wrong, The Golden Apple was not a bad book, but I just did not enjoy it as much as say the Parker and Susannah series or The Emperor’s Conspiracy (or pretty much any of the other books). Maybe I will revisit it later and find differently, but for now, I am a little disappointed.
April 3, 2014
The Golden Apple is an adult retelling of the Norwegian fairy tale,
The Princess on the Glass Hill
. I’ve wanted to try Diener’s work for a while , so I was quite pleased to get a taste of her writing style. I loved the writing style but the “teen” feel of The Golden Apple disappointed me.
Kayla is the princess to Gaynor and her father has essentially put her up for auction for reasons she does not understand. At the open, Kayla is sitting at the top of a glass mountain that mysteriously (and magically) appeared. The knights competing in the task have to somehow get up the mountain and retrieve the golden apple that sits in Kayla’s lap. If they succeed, they will win Kayla’s hand in marriage – and become heir to the kingdom.
Rane is one of the knights competing in the contest, and also happens to be the man that Kayla lost her virginity to, in an attempt to beat her father at this ridiculous game. Kayla helps Rane win, but it soon becomes clear that he has his own purposes for entering the contest and none of them have to do with rescuing her. Before Rane can put his own plans into motion, he learns that both he and Kayla have been enchanted and if they don’t set forth and retrieve a powerful jewel they will both go mad. And into the dark magical forest they go!
I have mixed feelings about The Golden Apple. On one hand, I love fairy tale retellings and I was quite excited about an adult one. I’m also a fan of the fantasy romance genre and this one seemed to fit the bill, at least for the first half of the book
The first half of the book was fantastic. I loved the writing and I felt that I was reading a fairy tale. I also really liked the concept and the romantic set up. Kayla understandably feels betrayed by Rane when she learns that he has ulterior motives for rescuing her. I was looking forward to seeing how these two would eventually get back to trusting and eventually loving each other. Combine this with a quest into a magical forest, and I was sold.
Unfortunately, the second half of the book proved to be a bit of disappointment for me. The descriptions of the forest and the bizarre things there was fantastic and reminded me of the fairy tales that I would read as a kid, but what really disappointed me was the romance. There was so much emphasis on the journey and the dangers of the forest, I felt that the romance element was kind of left unfinished. Yes, we get the requisite happily ever after for the couple, but I was left scratching my head as to how this exactly happened. It seemed that suddenly Kayla forgave Rane and everything was "good" between them. I would have liked more detail about Kayla and Rane’s relationship; it progressed a little too quickly for my taste.
The Golden Apple was a fun read. I liked going back to the fairy tale genre and this Norwegian tale was not one that I had heard of before and I thought it was a good set up for a series (everything was not resolved at the end). Ultimately, I liked the writing style and I will be giving Diener’s work another shot as I am especially curious about her historical novels.
*Review copy provided via NetGalley.
Reviewed on The Book Adventures.
Kayla is the princess to Gaynor and her father has essentially put her up for auction for reasons she does not understand. At the open, Kayla is sitting at the top of a glass mountain that mysteriously (and magically) appeared. The knights competing in the task have to somehow get up the mountain and retrieve the golden apple that sits in Kayla’s lap. If they succeed, they will win Kayla’s hand in marriage – and become heir to the kingdom.
Rane is one of the knights competing in the contest, and also happens to be the man that Kayla lost her virginity to, in an attempt to beat her father at this ridiculous game. Kayla helps Rane win, but it soon becomes clear that he has his own purposes for entering the contest and none of them have to do with rescuing her. Before Rane can put his own plans into motion, he learns that both he and Kayla have been enchanted and if they don’t set forth and retrieve a powerful jewel they will both go mad. And into the dark magical forest they go!
I have mixed feelings about The Golden Apple. On one hand, I love fairy tale retellings and I was quite excited about an adult one. I’m also a fan of the fantasy romance genre and this one seemed to fit the bill, at least for the first half of the book
The first half of the book was fantastic. I loved the writing and I felt that I was reading a fairy tale. I also really liked the concept and the romantic set up. Kayla understandably feels betrayed by Rane when she learns that he has ulterior motives for rescuing her. I was looking forward to seeing how these two would eventually get back to trusting and eventually loving each other. Combine this with a quest into a magical forest, and I was sold.
Unfortunately, the second half of the book proved to be a bit of disappointment for me. The descriptions of the forest and the bizarre things there was fantastic and reminded me of the fairy tales that I would read as a kid, but what really disappointed me was the romance. There was so much emphasis on the journey and the dangers of the forest, I felt that the romance element was kind of left unfinished. Yes, we get the requisite happily ever after for the couple, but I was left scratching my head as to how this exactly happened. It seemed that suddenly Kayla forgave Rane and everything was "good" between them. I would have liked more detail about Kayla and Rane’s relationship; it progressed a little too quickly for my taste.
The Golden Apple was a fun read. I liked going back to the fairy tale genre and this Norwegian tale was not one that I had heard of before and I thought it was a good set up for a series (everything was not resolved at the end). Ultimately, I liked the writing style and I will be giving Diener’s work another shot as I am especially curious about her historical novels.
*Review copy provided via NetGalley.
Reviewed on The Book Adventures.
September 12, 2016
I am always on the lookout for re-tellings, and I wasn’t familiar with the folk lore that this is based off of. The Princess and the Glass Mountain tells of a Princess who was placed at the top of a glass mountain, while knights tried to climb the treacherous mountain for her hand while she is sitting with this Golden Apple, but that wasn’t all they got. They became an heir for the land her father owned along with her hand in marriage. There are a lot of people who want to win, and they each had their own agendas, but of course the competition doesn’t go as planned. And plans of those who want it so badly, well, they take drastic measures to attempt in getting what they want.
Kayle wasn’t the typical beautiful, dainty princess, this is a kickass princess. One with a rebellious and adventurous side, and a determination that came in handy on her journey. I like her from the start, and she only got better as the story went along. Rane is a good guy, but he has some problems that he needs to work out. He and Kayle had already met when he realized it was her sitting on that mountain. He did set out to compete in the competition because of a promise to give him back his brother. But things changed for him, and it all became more than the just a competition for him. That showed a side of him that I found admirable. Their relationship was slow, and had issues, but was at least a realistic one. The secondary characters were interesting, and magical, and a few were a little on the villainous side.
This is one fascinating re-telling, and I was engrossed from the start. I didn’t know much about it until after I finished reading this one and I went and looked it up. But this is a darker version for sure. The forest that Kayla and Rane travel through had this frightening yet magical side to it, and they meet some mysterious sorcerers, and people that were questionable along the way. Not only that, Kayla learns some things about herself, that she never knew and what it all means and how it plays into everything going on was a amazing twist to the story. Diener had me guessing what would happen next with those they met, the magic that came into play, and the romance between Kayla and Rane. The romance is subtle, and doesn’t take over at all. There was doubt, lies and betrayals mixed in, and the ending was a cliffhanger, leaving so many questions about the war that has started, what happens with Rane’s missing brother, and what more could possibly happen with Rane and Kayla. It left me wanting the sequel for sure.
The Golden Apple is a great NA fairy tale re-telling and the series, and one that I am looking forward to continuing.
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April 9, 2014
You may have heard of the story of “The Princess on the Glass Hill” – a non-Disneyfied (yet) Norwegian fairy tale wherein a princess’s hand in marriage is promised to the knight who is able to ride to the top of the glass mountain she’s seated upon and collect the three golden apples from her lap. After many knights fail, the feat is accomplished by a farmboy who had magically acquired three horses and suits of armor (in brass, silver, and gold). A twist on the Cinderella story, the mysterious knight disappears after collecting all three apples, but the king launches a search and it’s discovered that, despite his brothers’ assurances to the king that the young boy was not at the trials, Cinderlad (or Boots) is in possession of the three golden apples. Cinderlad marries the princess, gets half the kingdom, and everyone lives happily ever after (except maybe the brothers).
Michelle Diener’s “The Golden Apple” is a princess-centric spin on the classic tale, with the princess occupying a primary role in her own story instead of being just a passive prize to be won. As the story opens, Kayla of Gaynor is NOT pleased that her father has set her atop a glass mountain to be “won” by the knight who can ride up the mountain to retrieve the golden apple in her lap. She watches the knights gathered below with contempt – until a particular one arrives, acknowledging her and then lifting his visor to reveal himself to be her paramour of the previous night. The POV shifts to this man, Rane, and another man named Jasper. We don’t know who these people are yet, but it seems that Jasper is up to no good and is blackmailing Rane. As for Rane, his motives are unclear – he seduced the princess (or allowed her to seduce him), and plans to compete in the competition in order to rescue his brother, who it seems Jasper has kidnapped and held for ransom. The payment for Rane’s brother? The golden apple in the princess’s lap.
This extremely well-written story then heads off into a land of magic and fantasy, with mystery and intrigue and adventures around every turn. There are kings and sorcerers and a beautiful princess; witches and trolls and other fantastical creatures; conspiracies and an epic quest that turns out to be much more than what it first appears. As Kayla, a clever and strong-willed “self-rescuing” sort of princess travels through the Great Forest with Rane, compelled into accompanying him via an evil sorceror’s enchantment, she learns more about herself and about the strange man who won the right to call himself her betrothed.
I fully intend to pick up the continuation of Kayla and Rane’s story, “The Silver Pear,” as soon as it becomes available this fall. This is the perfect fairy tale for adults – all the elements that make fairy tales so beloved are present, but written from a more mature perspective that adults will appreciate. And the “happily ever after” is definitely not guaranteed.
*I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions remain my own.
Michelle Diener’s “The Golden Apple” is a princess-centric spin on the classic tale, with the princess occupying a primary role in her own story instead of being just a passive prize to be won. As the story opens, Kayla of Gaynor is NOT pleased that her father has set her atop a glass mountain to be “won” by the knight who can ride up the mountain to retrieve the golden apple in her lap. She watches the knights gathered below with contempt – until a particular one arrives, acknowledging her and then lifting his visor to reveal himself to be her paramour of the previous night. The POV shifts to this man, Rane, and another man named Jasper. We don’t know who these people are yet, but it seems that Jasper is up to no good and is blackmailing Rane. As for Rane, his motives are unclear – he seduced the princess (or allowed her to seduce him), and plans to compete in the competition in order to rescue his brother, who it seems Jasper has kidnapped and held for ransom. The payment for Rane’s brother? The golden apple in the princess’s lap.
This extremely well-written story then heads off into a land of magic and fantasy, with mystery and intrigue and adventures around every turn. There are kings and sorcerers and a beautiful princess; witches and trolls and other fantastical creatures; conspiracies and an epic quest that turns out to be much more than what it first appears. As Kayla, a clever and strong-willed “self-rescuing” sort of princess travels through the Great Forest with Rane, compelled into accompanying him via an evil sorceror’s enchantment, she learns more about herself and about the strange man who won the right to call himself her betrothed.
I fully intend to pick up the continuation of Kayla and Rane’s story, “The Silver Pear,” as soon as it becomes available this fall. This is the perfect fairy tale for adults – all the elements that make fairy tales so beloved are present, but written from a more mature perspective that adults will appreciate. And the “happily ever after” is definitely not guaranteed.
*I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions remain my own.
December 29, 2014
As soon as I began reading this book, my mind was taken back to the fractured fairy tales of my childhood. Ah, those cartoon adaptations of the stories we all know and love are some of the greatest out there. This one specifically brought me to one particular story, of a woman trying haphazardly to stay atop quite a slippery sloped mountain of glass. I still chuckle at the thought. So it was with wondrous pleasure that I found this book was indeed based on the story that particular fractured tale was founded from.
Now, if some of you follow my reviews, you will recall that I have read the second book already, The Silver Pear, so I know what happens as the story progresses. And I must say that, unsurprisingly, I did, in fact, like that book better than this first one. I say unsurprisingly because, to me, first books are a bit awkward. In a series, I always say, the first book is a mere introduction of characters and situations, preparing the reader for what is surely to come. Therefore, unlike some movie series, the first book is not as likely to gain as much favoritism as the following ones. However, that does not mean that it cannot happen. I have encountered a few series where the first book held a special place in my heart, and I will likely encounter more in future. Therefore, I always keep an open mind about any first book, allowing them a chance to prove themselves to me.
In The Golden Apple, we are introduced to the characters which will play a leading part in ridding the land of great evil in the second book. We have Kayla, a princess placed on a literal pedestal for her hand in marriage; Rane, a man trying to save his brother from the clutches of a powerful sorcerer; and Soren, though he comes quite a bit later in the story than the other two, Rane's brother, who seeks retribution against all sorcerers for what happened to his father. We are also introduced to the main antagonists of the story: Nuen, the sorcerer who captured Siren; and Eric, the man behind the journey which will ultimately unite Kayla and Rane at first unwillingly, and then gradually closer and closer until they cannot bear harm to happen to each other.
While a lot of the scenes were beautifully written, and, I must admit, of even better quality than the second book, marginally so since some of those scenes were just as good, I felt like something was missing. Maybe it was the fact that I did read the second book first, time crunch issues with doing a review for a blog, but I do not understand why a couple of the lesser characters were not revisited in the second book. This series feels a bit incomplete and Just slightly anticlamactic and probably could have done with a bit more "meat" to the story. Other than that, though, and since this is a review for the first book only, I loved it. Especially the fact that I feel a bit of a kinship toward the main character due to our names being similar. It allows me to immerse myself even more into a story when something like that is factored in.
Now, if some of you follow my reviews, you will recall that I have read the second book already, The Silver Pear, so I know what happens as the story progresses. And I must say that, unsurprisingly, I did, in fact, like that book better than this first one. I say unsurprisingly because, to me, first books are a bit awkward. In a series, I always say, the first book is a mere introduction of characters and situations, preparing the reader for what is surely to come. Therefore, unlike some movie series, the first book is not as likely to gain as much favoritism as the following ones. However, that does not mean that it cannot happen. I have encountered a few series where the first book held a special place in my heart, and I will likely encounter more in future. Therefore, I always keep an open mind about any first book, allowing them a chance to prove themselves to me.
In The Golden Apple, we are introduced to the characters which will play a leading part in ridding the land of great evil in the second book. We have Kayla, a princess placed on a literal pedestal for her hand in marriage; Rane, a man trying to save his brother from the clutches of a powerful sorcerer; and Soren, though he comes quite a bit later in the story than the other two, Rane's brother, who seeks retribution against all sorcerers for what happened to his father. We are also introduced to the main antagonists of the story: Nuen, the sorcerer who captured Siren; and Eric, the man behind the journey which will ultimately unite Kayla and Rane at first unwillingly, and then gradually closer and closer until they cannot bear harm to happen to each other.
While a lot of the scenes were beautifully written, and, I must admit, of even better quality than the second book, marginally so since some of those scenes were just as good, I felt like something was missing. Maybe it was the fact that I did read the second book first, time crunch issues with doing a review for a blog, but I do not understand why a couple of the lesser characters were not revisited in the second book. This series feels a bit incomplete and Just slightly anticlamactic and probably could have done with a bit more "meat" to the story. Other than that, though, and since this is a review for the first book only, I loved it. Especially the fact that I feel a bit of a kinship toward the main character due to our names being similar. It allows me to immerse myself even more into a story when something like that is factored in.
August 9, 2018
4.25 stars
I enjoyed this book the further I got into it most likely because the heroine was becoming more powerful and started believing in herself, instead of feeling like a pawn in other's games.
At the end of the book, I realised this was based on a fairy tale and I realised how much the fairy tale label suited this story instead of thinking of it as a pure fantasy story.
Will definitely be continuing on with Book 2.
Disclaimer: While I know the author personally, this doesn't affect the star rating.
I enjoyed this book the further I got into it most likely because the heroine was becoming more powerful and started believing in herself, instead of feeling like a pawn in other's games.
At the end of the book, I realised this was based on a fairy tale and I realised how much the fairy tale label suited this story instead of thinking of it as a pure fantasy story.
Will definitely be continuing on with Book 2.
Disclaimer: While I know the author personally, this doesn't affect the star rating.
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