A review by misspippireads
Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill

4.0

Can you describe a princess? It's all relative. It's also changeable.

Violet is the Princess, but she's also extraordinary. She doesn't look like a beautiful princess told in stories all over the Multiverse, but she's courageous, imaginative, and friendly. She befriends Demetrius and they explore her castle with abandon, only to stumble upon a secret room and uncover a dark secret. The secret grows and brings unrest to their world. Destruction follows, but if they work together and uncover the truth, the kingdom can survive!

I listened to Barnhill's book between other stories and books, so it wasn't as smooth as my usually audiobook timing. I enjoy the fantasy genre and this ranks at the top for middle schoolers. If listeners (or readers) enjoy dragon tales, this would be a great pick for them. It also contains mystery, storytelling, and unlikely heroes. It's not a happy-go-luck, but mysterious while dark and sorrowful at times. I wouldn't recommend this to every reader, but if you're interested in fantasy or dragon stories, I would recommend you to give it a go! It's very unique, especially, because Violet doesn't share her story, but the castle's storyteller: Cassian.

Simon Vance narrates Iron Hearted Violet. As stated previously, the storyteller is a male voice, so having Mr. Vance read the story works very well with the text. He's a stellar reader and he offers a nice range of characters from ladies to gents and fantastical creatures.

Reviewed from an Audiobook Jukebox copy. Thank you, AudioGo!