Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Iron Hearted Violet, by Kelly Barnhill; First Page and Cover Analysis by Matthew MacNish


I had the pleasure of meeting Kelly Barnhill when I was in the Twin Cities a few weeks ago. We had true Neopolitan Pizza at Punch in Highland Park, with Steve Brezenoff, Bryan Bliss, Sarah Ahiers, and Hannah Kincaid. Kelly was the only Middle Grade author there.

It was a blast. Unfortunately, like a fool, I did not get a photo.

Anyway, as you may know, I'm a fan of Kelly's work, having reviewed The Mostly True Story of Jack for Project Mayhem before, so I was very excited to jump into IRON HEARTED VIOLET the other day.

The cover is absolutely fabulous, what with the gilded, hand drawn lettering, the ominous gray background elements and the pale moon, and the sharp lines. Did I mention there's a little girl, riding a dragon? I don't see how it could get any better, to be honest.


As for the opening page, well, this is where things really get going for me. You can't necessarily tell this from just the first page (and I don't quite yet know where all this is going, as I'm still reading), but this is one of those fascinating tales in which the narrator is actually a character in the story, and it says some very interesting things about point of view.

That said, what really makes this page shine for me, and what would have still made me buy this book had I simply been browsing, is the strong, undeniable sense of character. I cared about Violet the instant I met her, and as the narrator says, it all begins with a story, and Violet's story was not one I'd have been willing to miss.

For what it's worth, the line that ends that paragraph, which didn't quite fit on the first page, is "...wanting. She was the type of child whom a person wanted to impress."

I mean couldn't you just die? Is there anything you wouldn't do for this girl? Not I. I must know how her story ends.

As a bonus, here's a bad photo of the map (I couldn't find it on the internet):


Maps make everything better.

22 comments:

  1. I'm so jealous of authors who can map out or get someone to map out their world. It's amazing. The first sentence is quite engaging and that cover is beyond epic. Great book choice to cover Matt. Congrats Kelly on creating an engaging novel and I'll see what I can do Black Friday since I'm focused on my paying for my computer tablet right now.

    Oh and Matt I have to ask. I'm doing two Nano projects this year and I'm wondering what you think of my first sentence for Huntress: The Flesh Business (done under my Roe pseudonym).

    Line: Running into a dark is never a good idea.

    Hmmm? What do you think? And it's a horror novel.

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    1. I like that, Sheena-kay. Do you really mean "a" dark, like it's some kind of strange, nebulous dark that can't be defined with a "the?" Or was that a typo?

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    2. It was a typo. Somehow alley got left out. Nice that you had such deep thinking on the word 'dark' though.

      Line: Running into a dark alley is never a good idea.

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    3. I like it. It sets a scene, it sets a tone of voice, which is a little irreverent but self aware, and it sets a mood that's just a bit chilling. Could you fit more in? Character? World-building? Perhaps. And there are first lines that do that, and there are first lines that try to do that and fail. Sometimes a good, strong, short, simple first line is best.

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  2. That cover is arresting. Kelly's writing is gorgeous. TBR pile for sure.

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    1. If only my copy wasn't signed, I'd gladly loan it to you, Mike.

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  3. I'm not big on fantasy and I love this cover. High praise!

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    1. I'm only about a third of the way in, but I'm loving it so far!

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  4. That's an incredible cover, and the writing draws you right in. Gotta love middle grade. Where else can you find a not-so-pretty judgmental baby who grows up to ride on a dragon's back. Definitely putting this on my list. Thanks Matt!

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    1. It's absolutely fabulous, and she just had a new novel released: The Witch's Boy:

      https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20312461-the-witch-s-boy

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    2. Excellent, thank you! I hopped over to Goodreads and checked out her other works. I am definitely digging those book covers. And beyond that, each book looks as compelling as the last. I love the voice and the feel they're putting off. I think I found myself a new author I'm aching to read. Many thanks!

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    3. Glad to put her on your radar, Jared! She's definitely right up my alley.

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  5. WOW -- That cover is so rich and gorgeous! Stunning!

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  6. That is one gorgeous cover, and with the beginning lines there is lots to love. Have to check out Witch's Boy now too, thanks.

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    1. You're welcome, Brenda! The Witch's Boy is high on my list too.

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  7. I haven't read it yet, but now i really, really want to.
    Also, i've eaten at punch pizza like 3 times since that dinner. It's just so damn good!

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  8. Very cool! I just added this to my list for my next book order. Thanks!

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Thanks for adding to the mayhem!