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Iron Hearted Violet Audiobook
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(3.06) - 309 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Newbery Medal winner Kelly Barnhill spins a wondrously different kind of fairy-tale: In most fairy tales, princesses are beautiful, dragons are terrifying, and stories are harmless. But 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-the last dragon in existence, in fact-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 about the power of stories, our belief in them, and how one enchanted tale changed the course of an entire kingdom.
A 2012 Andre Norton Award Finalist
A Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner
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"This is a great MG book for those who love fantasy and fairy tales. We have an unconventional princess with a dragon who is not fierce in the least bit, and and unconventional hero. The tale is a unique, fun fairy tale, and I think any MG reader will really enjoy Violet's story."
— Proud (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“In Kelly Barnhill’s first fantasy novel, The Mostly True Story of Jack, she surprised the jaded reader of fairy-tale retellings. With Iron Hearted Violet, she scores again. Here, too, Barnhill inverts common fairy-tale notions: there’s a princess who is not beautiful, a dragon more fearful than fearsome, and gods who do not tower but are humble in size. The tale’s castle…is the most inventive rendition of architecture since J. K. Rowling conjured Hogwarts.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“A splendid fantasy…layered and complex, Barnhill’s story brings a modern feel to age-old fairy tale tropes…Barnhill’s nimble prose make[s] this a winning choice for before-bedtime read-alouds.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Simon Vance provides a captivating performance of this enchanting tale about magical kingdoms, princesses, dragons, evil forces, and the power of stories…Especially effective is Vance’s embodiment of young Violent as he balances tones of seriousness and enthusiasm to reflect assorted aspects of her personality, from precociousness and determination to fear and vulnerability…Hypnotic.”
— AudioFile -
“Barhnill has created a traditional fairy tale with wonderful read-aloud potential…with a likable hero and heroine, a well-paced plot, and a daunting villain.”
— Booklist -
“The action unfolds at a leisurely pace, with complex subplots and mysteries gradually revealed. Violet’s realm is richly imagined…This satisfying fantasy combines adventure with food for thought.”
— School Library Journal
Iron Hearted Violet Listener Reviews
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" The writing was beautiful but it was boring. Full review to come. "
— Ashley, 2/14/2014 -
" such a delightful book! Great for late elementary readers & junior high. "
— Paul, 2/6/2014 -
" Full review can be found here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile. "
— Brandy, 2/6/2014 -
" A more complex, darker riff on the typical princess-in-adversity tale. A little slow, but very satisfying. "
— Hilary, 1/10/2014 -
" My amazing friend Kelly Barnhill is a stunning poet and wordsmith. Her new novel makes that perfectly clear. She has created an amazing new old world that reflects not only best in humanity but its fraility. I cannot wait to share this wonderful tale with my boys. "
— Karyn, 12/30/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book. It combined a lot of elements from some of my all-time favorites, and it was well-written. I liked the message and themes, too. "
— Julie, 12/17/2013 -
" Unexpectedly creepy from a middle grade book. Slow starting, but very awesome story by the end. "
— Nonny, 11/20/2013 -
" Loved it!!! Perfectly thought out fairy-tale, with some normal things for afairy-tale (princess,kingdom,dragon) , and some unusual things (evil god,end of the world etc.) "
— Harris, 8/31/2013 -
" Good story. Lags a bit in the middle "
— Lori, 7/31/2013 -
" I really liked reading this book. Very nice. "
— Alisa, 7/16/2013 -
" The last chapter (or so--I'm not exactly sure because the chapters were so short) is disgustingly sappy, but the rest of it was pretty good, and quite unique in the world of fantasy. "
— Zarah, 6/25/2013 -
" Thank you Pamela for recommending this utterly amazing book to me. *beams* I'm currently trying not to look too closely into any mirrors...just in case! "
— AliceAnn, 6/11/2013 -
" 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. "
— Angela, 5/24/2013 -
" It is an old fashioned fairy tale, complex, rich and compelling! "
— Eddie, 4/4/2013 -
" This was a thrilling and dark fairy tale by Kelly Barnhill. "
— Michelle, 11/11/2012 -
" Not horrible. But the narrator drove. me. bonkers. "
— Melissa, 10/26/2012
About Kelly Barnhill
Kelly Barnhill is the author of four novels, including The Girl Who Drank the Moon, winner of the 2017 John Newbery Medal for the year’s most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. She is also the winner of the World Fantasy Award, the Parents’ Choice Gold Award, and the Texas Library Association Bluebonnet Award and has been a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award, the NCTE Charlotte Huck Award, the SFWA Andre Norton Award, and the PEN/USA literary prize.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.