Iron Hearted Violet

by Kelly Barnhill

"Princess Violet is the complete opposite of most fairy-tale princesses -- plain, adventurous, and quite possibly too clever for her own good. One day, while exploring her castle, Violet and her best friend, Demetrius, stumble upon a hidden passage, which leads to a secret room, which houses a peculiar book, which tells a story that has long been forbidden. A story about an evil being trapped in their world. Violet, Demetrius, and the King's cowardly dragon might just be the key to its escape -- or demise"--

• ISBN10: 0316056731
• ISBN13: 9780316056731
• Publish Date: 9 October 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

Read more reviews like this at The Literary Phoenix.

Violet wants to be the best princess for her people.

Violet is not a beautiful princess.  Not a "proper" princess.  This is made abundantly clear to her in whispers and misspoken quips.  It eats away at the girl, whose hair is not shiny and whose eyes are not symmetrical.  Her father is bold, her mother is kind, and Violet is just... Violet.  She accepts this with a princess' grace, but still, it eats away at her.  She tries to distract herself with her friend, Demetrius, and exploring their mysterious castle.

Our course, the castle has more than meets the eye, and some passages have more secrets than others.

This ought to be a classic children's story.

Listening to Iron Hearted Violet was like experiencing classic children's tales like The Never Ending Story or Dragonheart.  There's a richness to this story that is positively enchanting.  It is narrated by a storyteller, and contains an imperfect protagonist who means well but does not always make the best choices.  The fantasy world is accepted and gentle - not loud and in your face.  Really, most everything in this book is perfectly fine.

Until it isn't.

Violet is sweet and well-intentioned.

The protagonist is not your typical sort.  First of all, she's ugly.  She's not described as "pretty enough" or "plain" - she's flat-out described as ugly.  Second, she's not particularly brave or snarky.  She's just... Violet.  That's why I like her.  She is just doing the best she can and that makes her incredibly relatable.  She wants people to like her and she wants to do the right thing.

I also really enjoyed how the story starts with everything alright, rather than in the thick of things.  One tiny thing shifts out of place, and another shifts into place, and then we have our conflict.  A lot of books I've been reading it's pretty clear that any exposition serves just so you know the character's names before anything BIG happens.

I really liked this book.

This is the sort of tale I would have loved as a child, and I intend to add it to my personal library.  It was, simply put, charming!  It teaches children to appreciate who they are and the gifts they are given, but it's not written so childishly that a teen or adult could not enjoy it.  It makes fun of traditional fairytales and is interesting enough to keep you reading.

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

Since I started listening to audiobooks more consistently, I've taken up perusing what's in stock each time we visit Half Price Books. This hidden gem, Iron Hearted Violet, was on the shelf after several visits. And since I have a soft spot for books about dragons and it was relatively short (just over 7 hours) I decided to give it a shot.

After only two or three drives, I knew I had to have the physical copy of this book for my collection. There were just TOO many quotes I wanted save. This is a book about STORIES specifically LOST stories and a not-so-pretty princess. I HAD to have it. So I headed over to Amazon, used a gift card and purchased a physical copy of the book to accompany my audio CDs. Much to my surprise, after it arrived, I found the story was studded with line drawings illustrating the happenings in the novel. As I got further and further into the story, like Violet, I felt I had discovered something special.

Iron Hearted Violet is a story about forgotten stories, friends, the sacrifices you make for them and doing what is right. The story is told from the point of view of an older court storyteller. Simon Vance did an excellent job of setting the stage and telling the story. I was always anxious to learn more about the Nybbas and Demetrius and Violet. The adults in the story learn a great deal from the courage of the children in their lives. Everyone learns the power of stories.

Fans of Harry Potter, readers who love dragons and those who love twists on the traditional princess storyline will love Iron Hearted Violet. If you have young children, you might try reading this one aloud to them. This little middle-grade novel caught me by surprise and I'm happy I took a chance to listen to it as well as page through the physical copy. It's sure to stick with me for a long time.

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

Fairy tales usually end with happily-ever-after's.

This one doesn't.

Beautifully deceptive and filled with dark intrigue, this is a story of power, wonder, and fear. Kelly Barnhill fills her pages with unique wisdom, charm, and most important: the power of belief. Iron Hearted Violet is a story that will stay with reader's as they traverse the pages and immerse themselves into a world unknow, a world unlike any other told in the rich span of fairy tales. It's deeply forbidden and dripping with a uinque enchanting originality.

Princess Violet is just a bit too clever for her own good and a little reckless, when it comes to telling stories. One day, she and Demetrius (her best friend), find their way into a hidden room where they soon discover a forbidden book. Deep within its tattered old bindings, together they find a world unknown to them - a world where a terrifying evil being is trapped - a world where the Nybbas have ensnared within their world. Once discovered, Violet and Demetrius decide that this dark beguiling world of wonder and terrifying evil simply cannot be real...Until they begin to hear the whispers calling to them from afar. Together, with the last known dragon to exist terrified of his own shadow, they hold the key to freeing the Nybba's or causing their demise. It all depends on the way they tell the story, because after all...stories are known to make their own rules.

The power of belief in this story is bound to change an entire kingdom and it rests in the hands of one young princess who is far too clever for her own good, a mischevious tag-along best friend, and an anceint terrified dragon - the last of its own kind. The Iron Viloet is an entraning story full of wonder, surprise, adventure, and suspense that will appeal to those of all ages. Who doesn't love fairy tales, especially one's that aren't like any other they've ever been told before? Kelly Barnhill's wonderous descriptive and imaginative details leap to life off of the pages and possesses the power to tug reader's into the mysterious and darkly enchanting world she's created. Unconventional and splendidly original at its best, The Iron Violet is a story that will wow any reader who dares to take the unlikely journey told.

The end is exactly where it begins and it's full of whimsical delight, uncanny humor sure to bring life to the story, and wonderful adventure. The story Kelly Barnhill tells takes on a life of its own and soon becomes richly captivating and completely enchanting. She gives it wonderful edge by depicting the villians as they should be in any story, truly terrifying and downright villianous. It's such a refreshing change of pace, to witness them being truly evil without appearing as sympathetic as some who have come before them in young adult literature. The fantasy aspect of Iron Hearted Violet is beautifully written and will appeal to anyone who enjoys evil beings ensnared in vastly different and unique world between the pages of a book. Anyone who enjoys reading in general, will be able to appreciate this aspect.

Kelly Barnhill has elevated young adult and middle grade fantasy to a higher level and has definitely set the bar high. Fairy tales will not be the same again.