The Golden Apple (Dark Forest # 1) by Michelle Diener

[Eva Millien]

Blurb:

(Off Goodreads)

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 is loosely based on the fairy tale The Princess on the Glass Hill.

My Review:

The first book in the new fantasy romance Dark Forest series is a thrilling and magical read that takes the reader on the adventure of a lifetime. Bound together by enchantment, forced to do the bidding of an evil sorcerer, Rane and Kayla venture into the deep, dark forest together…their fates entwined.

This fast paced plot keeps readers on their toes with lots of suspense, action, drama, magic and romance.  The author brings this fascinating world to life with well written scenes that inspire vivid images that capture the imagination and the well orchestrated action and magical scenes are believable and draw the reader deeper into the story.  The tension builds throughout as the reader joins Rane and Kayla on the journey of their lives and the danger escalates as unknown magic surrounds them.  The strong bewitching characters are easily related to and have the reader wanting to know more as they charm the reader with their stories.

The attraction between Rane and Kayla radiates heat from every page, but the relationship is slow building as they start off on the wrong foot and then things become even more complicated when they are bound by the enchantment.  Kayla wants to save her kingdom and Rane wants to save his brother, both motivations are certainly understandable, but they will have to learn to work together if they hope to defeat the evil sorcerer which means in the meantime sparks and tempers fly between these two ensuring the reader’s entertainment.

The author spices things up with some surprising twists that the reader doesn’t see coming and Kayla learns secrets about herself that adds more depth to the story.  The magical aspect of the story is a refreshingly different and interesting concept and along with the captivating characters makes for a very enjoyable and mesmerizing tale that I couldn’t put down and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

5 STARS 3 FLAMES

Purchase Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/Q6DiWN

Apple: http://bit.ly/NCk8pO

B&N: http://bit.ly/1gRy5H9

http://www.bookdepository.com/Golden-Apple-Michelle-Diener/97809874...

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780987417688

Author’s Note:

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.

About Michelle Diener:

(Off author’s site)

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction and fantasy. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King’s Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle’s other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky,The Emperor’s Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor’s Conspiracy).

Michelle’s first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, was published on December 19th, 2013 and her second fantasy, The Golden Apple, is due out on March 24th, 2014.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Where to find the author:

http://www.michellediener.com/

http://twitter.com/michellediener

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michelle-Diener/196593580366013

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4521954.Michelle_Diener

http://www.magicalmusings.com/

Books by Michelle Diener:

http://www.michellediener.com/books/