I definitely enjoyed reading this children's fantasy novel. Violet has spent almost all of her entire life locked away in a tower. Though she didn't grow up alone. Her and her mother have been locked away together in this tower. The two are visited by Maggie and George almost daily, they bring food among other things--news, forbidden luxuries like books or pen and paper. George, the palace gardener, even finds a way to help Violet escape the tower and find time in a secret garden, depending on the season. So Violet's life hasn't been completely absent of joy, but, it is difficult for the both of them who do long for freedom and reunion. Violet has never known her father. He left his pregnant wife at the castle, or near the castle, as her time of delivery was imminent. He returned the next day, I believe, or perhaps the next-next day, to find no real trace of them. They'd vanished. Of course, readers know what happened. But not all of what happened.
So the villain in this one is "Queen Bogdana." In her quest to be beautiful, I believe, she's willing to do anything--no matter how cruel or evil. And it is this quest that leads to Violet's unhappiness.
This has a very fairy-tale feel about it. And for young readers who can't get enough of fairy tales and adaptations and retellings and such this one will please and satisfy. It is a lovely well-written book. I thought the illustrations were charming.
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment