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    Iron Hearted Violet
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    Iron Hearted Violet
    Unavailable
    Iron Hearted Violet
    Audiobook7 hours

    Iron Hearted Violet

    Written by Kelly Barnhill

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The end of their world begins with a story.
    This one.

    In most fairy tales, princesses are beautiful, dragons are terrifying, and stories are harmless. This isn't most fairy tales.

    Princess Violet is plain, reckless, and quite possibly too clever for her own good. Particularly when it comes to telling stories. One day she and her best friend, Demetrius, stumble upon a hidden room and find a peculiar book. A forbidden book. It tells a story of an evil – called the Nybbas – imprisoned in their world. The story cannot be true – not really. But then the whispers start. Violet and Demetrius, along with an ancient, scarred dragon, may hold the key to the Nybbas's triumph...or its demise. It all depends on how they tell the story. After all, stories make their own rules.

    Iron Hearted Violet is a story of a princess unlike any other. It is a story of the last dragon in existence, deathly afraid of its own reflection. Above all, it is a story about the power of stories, our belief in them, and how one enchanted tale changed the course of an entire kingdom.

    A Hachette Audio production.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateOct 9, 2012
    ISBN9781619695917
    Unavailable
    Iron Hearted Violet
    Author

    Kelly Barnhill

    KELLY BARNHILL lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children. She is the author of four novels, most recently The Girl Who Drank the Moon, winner of the 2017 John Newbery Medal. She is also the winner of the World Fantasy Award and has been a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award, a Nebula Award, and the PEN/USA literary prize. Visit her online at www.kellybarnhill.com or on Twitter: @kellybarnhill.

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    Reviews for Iron Hearted Violet

    4/5

    58 ratings11 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This is a beautifully written fantasy. I loved the world where women are warriors and leaders very matter-of-factly. Kids will relate to the imperfect princess and everyone will love the rich, magical story.
    • 4/5
      In short: If I were to describe Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill in one word, it would be Charming.Middle Grade fantasies featuring strong and charismatic protagonists and creative world building are among my favourite kind of books to read and I had a feeling Iron Hearted Violet would give me exactly what I wanted - and it did. Kelly Barnhill has crafted an adventurous and unconventional story with a completely endearing protagonist. And what's more, there was SUBSTANCE here in the themes and messages of the novel. If I had to describe Iron Hearted Violet in one word, it would be Charming. I was utterly charmed by the story, characters, and writing.Iron Hearted Violet is narrated not by Violet, but by the Court Storyteller, stepping away from the more traditional first person and third person omniscient points of view, which added a lot of interest and texture to the story that I really appreciated. It also really brought home the message of the power of storytelling and gave the story a fairytale feel, which was genius on Kelly Barnhill's part. Her bewitching prose was a delight to read and so very playful. The plot was well done - perhaps a bit too predictable at times - but very intriguing and whimsical.I loved Violet. She is not your typical princess - she isn't graceful or fragile. And she is described as being a homely princess, with a lopsided face, mismatched eyes, and a frizzy and unruly mane of hair. Though I have to say, even though I knew all this, I couldn't help picturing her as an adorable and charming girl, just based on the strength of her personality. She may not be princess-conventionally-pretty, but she is unique and beautiful in her own way. It's hard not to be charmed by such a clever, inquisitive, and dauntless protagonist!I was mostly impressed by the illustrations present in Iron Hearted Violet, as drawn by Iacopo Bruno, though I have a few quibbles: first off, that awesome scene depicted on the cover of Violet riding on the back of a dragon? NEVER happens. So that was disappointing and misleading. Also, Violet as illustrated by Iacopo Bruno is not the Violet at described by Kelly Barnhill: the illustrations of her are more conventionally pretty than the physical characteristics described in the book and I would have preferred to see her as her unique and adorable self instead.Overall, Iron Hearted Violet was a super charming read and I look forward to reading more books from Kelly Barnhill in the future. Iron Hearted Violet is a standalone.
    • 4/5
      Sometimes, you just need something simple. Something somewhat predictable, charming and just downright classic. That's what I needed when it came Iron-Hearted Violet, and it fit the bill perfectly. Simple. Charming, and just adorable.Violet isn't like most princesses -the storybook kind, that is. She isn't pretty. She isn't fragile. And she isn't anywhere near graceful. And in the stories that Violet enjoys telling so much, the princesses are always beautiful and the dragons are always evil. But Violet may have found the answer when she finds a forbidden book -and begins communicating with a mysterious creature on the other side of the mirror who claims that he can solve all of her problems. But all things come at a price.Told through the eyes of the court storyteller, Iron-Hearted Violet tells a tale of beauty, dragons, and the power of the heart -no matter who that heart belongs to. Even though I don't read much Middle Grade fiction, it's sometimes a nice change from everything else out there, and I can really appreciate the simplicity of these types of fairy tale-esque novels. And Iron-Hearted Violet does an excellent job of sticking with the "theme" but giving it a little something different. Author Kelly Barnhill's writing is completely engrossing and downright enchanting. I enjoyed how the story had something of an edge to it, and the enemies were truly frightening -which is a nice change from most MG novels, which seem to prefer to skirt the villain issue entirely. Violet captured the spirit of the genre perfectly while still adding something new to it.While I wouldn't expect anything amazing or unique from this novel, it's an inspiring and charming story that's perfect for young readers.
    • 4/5
      This book started out fine, and the premise of an unpretty princess who knows that all the princesses in stories ARE pretty was enough to keep me reading. And the more I read the more interesting and sad and wonderful the story got. But it didn't totally win me over until the ending. Violet won me over at the ending.

      I think kids will enjoy the story and the adventure and the way fairytale elements get presented, but as an adult this book had an unexpected effect on me. Part of this story is about being a girl that people love (a smart girl, a funny girl, an adventurous girl) even as they acknowledge that she's not pretty or beautiful (and probably won't ever be). It's a story about what happens to a girl who thinks that when things go wrong it's because she doesn't look the way she's supposed to.

      This might be a middle grade book, but this part of the story absolutely tore me apart. I couldn't help but compare Violet's story to contemporary girls confronted with a host of media telling them that if they lose that 10 pounds, dye their hair the right color, wear the right outfit, etc. etc. etc. their life will be perfect. The idea that your appearance will affect your happiness is so huge, and it's pushed so hard at girls. This book hit all the right notes for me on this issue. It explores stress, grieving, and growing and how appearance, and your perception of your own appearance, play into all those issues. Also, it's an adventure about dragons and gods and kingdoms.

      It may start a little bit slow, but this book is absolutely worth the read.
    • 4/5
      I was ready to fall in love with this novel -- it came highly recommended as a brilliant example of upper middle grade fantasy overall and more specifically as an example of wildly inventive world-building. And, truly, it is both of those things. It is also dryly old-fashioned in tone, something that I typically find delightful, and involves not only a heroic princess who doesn't have to be traditionally beautiful but also... dragons. And gods. And books, and spaces between the walls, and dusty libraries, and storytelling... In short, it is practically designed for me to love it to pieces.And yet, for reasons I could not quite put my finger on, I struggled to actually love it. I definitely liked it. I enjoyed it. But where I expected to find a new literary love of my life, I found instead some small barrier to that connection. I think, perhaps, it has to do with the narrative voice; the book is told by a character within it, a character who is at first admirable and later not, and the choice of narrator makes perfect sense in the context of the story... but that narrator's perspective, including his frequent interjections about his own state of mind, creates a little bit of distance between the reader and the story.In a way, this narrative style is a mark of a more sophisticated book than the usual middle grade fantasy, but it also creates something of a barrier to the kind of pathos one might be used to in recent classics of the genre (some, much worse examples of writing). That barrier echoes the many walls and prisons in the story itself; everything here is part of an elegant pattern, right down to the extraordinary twin-sunned mirror world that the characters inhabit. It's not until the very end that the emotional resonance of the novel catches up with the wonder of the world, and by then it was too little, too late for me (though that might not be true for its target audience). Overall, and honestly, it is beautifully executed. So, I encourage you to read it -- really, I do. It is an excellent fantasy full of imaginative beings and shining ideas and a magnificently rendered world. Just know that, in reading it, you too may reach out for love and find only admiration.
    • 4/5
      Collleen (are 7) rated this 5 stars. I was a little more lukewarm on it and might have just rated it 3, but split the difference.
    • 4/5
      What happens when the princess in the story is unbelievably homely, an old god is bent on destruction and the world is about to fall apart?I picked this up to read before Kelly Barnhill's new book comes out. There's much hype and anticipation based on her earlier works (this one included) so I thought I'd take a test drive.I liked it. Really. The main narrators were quite good, and the story well plotted and thought out. I liked the interweaving of some stuff from our mythology and folk tales, and a whole new world to explore.It's geared for a younger crowd, but that shouldn't stop the child-at-hearts from reading it. And, it's got dragons. And heroes. And loyalty. And books. And did I say, it has dragons?Tags: fantasy, i-liked-it, kids-of-most-ages, read, thank-you-charleston-county-library, will-look-for-more-by-this-author, ya-lit
    • 4/5
      Rich, textured language fills this tale of a girl, a boy, a dragon, and an old god imprisoned who now might have schemed his way to being free. Violet is a princess. But she is not the typical fairy tale princess with clear skin, long hair and gorgeous eyes. Violet is plain, has mis-matched eyes, unruly hair, and blotchy skin. She knows she isn't the perfect princess but she is also clever and stubborn.He best friend is Demetrius. He is the son of the stablemaster and he becomes Violet's closest companion. Together they roam the castle and the area around the castle looking for adventure and just doing what kids do. One day they find hidden tunnels that are just large enough for them to crawl through and, while exploring, discover a hidden library, a picture of dead-eyed dragons, and a book. Demetrius just knows that the book is dangerous but Violet's curiosity compels her to take it away with her. This story revolves around story. Everyone knows all the stories and learns from them. But one story is secret. It is so dangerous that only a few know it. It can't be told because stories become real and become life. But it is a story that has to be known. It is a story of a cruel and malicious god who was imprisoned in this mirror world by the other gods. It is the story of a god tempting and suborning and lying to gain its release from its imprisonment.This story is told by the court storyteller Cassian who tells the story and talks to us in the audience, too. Normally, I don't care for it when the story's narrator pulls me out of the story by talking to me as a reader. This time it worked for me.This was a wonderful story with marvelous language. I can see it being a great read-aloud.
    • 3/5
      Here is a story that held such promise for me, and didn't live up to what I was hoping for. Still, Iron Hearted Violet did have a lot that made me smile. Princess Violet is a different than your normal fairy tale princess. With mismatched eyes, unruly hair, and a sharp wit, she's the girl you wish all other princesses were! I loved how Kelly Barnhill put emphasis on the fact that beauty isn't only outward, but more on that later.

      The world that is built here is also interesting in its own right. Violet comes from a place created by multiple gods, both good and evil. The "mirrored sky" looms over head, and stories are the main source of entertainment. As the synopsis says: "After all, stories make their own rules." I liked that stories played such a big part in Violet's life, and that she was so good at telling them. It really brought it all to life.

      What pushed me away was the way that the story was told and illustrated. Our narrator is rather unreliable, and slightly wimpy if I'm being honest. Then there were the illustrations. I don't think the illustrator got the message that Violet wasn't supposed to be a perfectly drawn princess. It drove me crazy each time I saw her image and it looked like the exact opposite of what she was being described as. New illustrations please!

      As I said, I was on the line when it came to this story. I was looking for a fairy tale and I got it. It just wasn't quite what I was hoping for. Still, I see a lot to love here, especially for younger readers! This would be a great book for a bed time story over a few weeks. All I know is that I would love to see more characters like young Violet. Bring them on.
    • 4/5
      An intriguing tale of an unlikely princess who finds a dangerous book and mirror that takes a terrible toll on her family and world. Violet sacrifices much to correct her mistake, aided by her stalwart friend, Demetrius, three little people and a very old dragon. The book was a bit too long for me, dragging in parts, but I wanted to finish. The cover art of Violet and the dragon is lovely, but the black and white illustrations inside were too manga-like for my tastes.
    • 3/5
      I listened to this on audiobook. It was an okay fairy tale about how being ugly on the outside doesn’t mean you are an ugly person. I had some issues with the story and the narration.I listened to this on audiobook and wasn't a huge fan of the narrator. All the women's voices sounded like men with clogged up throats. This was a fairy tale like fantasy about Violent, an ugly young princess, who gets drawn in by an evil banished God. As a result she almost destroys the kingdom in her search for beauty. It's also the story about a King obsessed with a Dragon.It is interesting how a storyteller narrates the whole story. I enjoyed the fairy tale feel to it. I loved the inclusion of dragons. The story ends with an interesting twist to it that will leave readers surprised and intrigued.It does bother me a bit though how Violet is so beautiful on the cover of the book, yet throughout it a point is made to constantly described her ugliness. In the end it is the beauty of her personality that makes people love her, but I didn't enjoy the emphasis put on looks and how her main feature was her ugliness.I didn’t enjoy or engage with most of the characters in this book. The exception was Dimitri who is a stable boy who is trying to solve the mystery of why the things are going so horribly in the castle. He was an engaging and interesting character and also pretty much the only “good” character in the story.Overall it was a decently done story and decently written, I just never really enjoyed the characters all that much. I did like the fairy tale feel to it and the twist at the end of the story. I didn’t enjoy the inconsistency between the illustration and the description of Violet in the book. I personally wouldn’t recommend this unless you are really into the ugly princess type of story.