Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill
Expected Publication: October 9, 2012
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Age Demographic: YA Fantasy
“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 being -- 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.
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 being -- 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.
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.
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.
I'm a writer, a mom, a wife, a dog owner, a reader, a thinker, a hiker, a friend, a runner, a teacher, a listener, terrible gardener, a lover of nature. Sometimes I'm all of these things at once.
I'm also a former bartender, former park ranger, former waitress, former church janitor, former kosher meat slicer, former wild-eyed activist, former wildland firefighter, former coffee jerk, former phone-book delivery girl and a former dull-eyed office slave. Sometimes I am still these things. Sometimes all at once.
Oooh, this is the first review I've actually seen for this book, and I'm so glad you thought it was awesome. I need to get my hands on it. Also PRETTY COVER.
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