Customer Reviews

Violet Eyes (Once Upon a Time (Simon Pulse))

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A Retelling of the Princess and the Pea

I'm not a huge fan of the Princess and the Pea story. And when I saw that they were retelling it, I wonder what can they do with such a weak story. But after finishing, all I can say was "wow." Ms. Debbie Vigiue is an amazing writer.

Every time it storms, Violet knew that something good or bad was going to happen. During this particular storm, they found an injured man on her father's farm. The man was Prince Richard and the two felt instant chemistry but they knew it was doomed. So, they separated ways. But soon after, Violet found out a secret about herself and knew she had a chance to be with her prince. With courage and with only the clothes on her back, she plans to enter the competition with twenty other princesses for the prince's hand.

This is such a well written improvement on an old and less talk about fairy tale. Ms. Viguie took the original tale and fleshed out the plot, creating an interesting, believable story. There was no lag time in between chapters. The plot kept rolling and I couldn't make myself put this book down. Even as you near the end, the action never stops and you can't help but feel spellbound to see how the pair can overcome the odds to be together. I absolutely loved all the characters, especially Violet and Prince Richard. You can feel the frustration and love for each other as each day brings a new test that could either separate them or bring them closer to being together. The quirks of each of the princesses were funny and I couldn't hate them. To my surprise and pleasure, they weren't selfish. But actually quite charming ladies, just being forced into the situation by their families. And the antagonist was easily recognizable and luckily, the author didn't focus much on her, for the subterfuge would have been a little too much and pulled the focus away from the romance of the prince and Violet. Everyone played their parts well and everyone had their own individuality that makes them stand out.

Of course, the plot was predictable and a lil cliche. If you are tired of reading the same old, I wouldn't suggest this for you. But 'Violet Eyes' brings its own charm with great characters and entertainment. Definitely one of my new favorites from the Once Upon a Time series. If you are a fan of fairy tales and romance, this is definitely worth reading.

Finally, a fairy tale retelling I couldn't put down!

"Violet Eyes" is a new version of the "Princess and the Pea" story. Violet is a simple farm girl who finds her life irrevocably changed when she encounters the injured Cambrian heir, Prince Richard, in her field and nurses him back to health. As Richard recovers, he and Violet fall in love, but Richard is returning home to enter into a political marriage. The catch? He doesn't know who the bride is - his parents are sponsoring a contest among all the neighboring princesses to determine who is worthy of their son's hand. When Violet learns about her secret past, she enters the contest in an attempt to win a future with Richard.

Violet is a spunky heroine that readers will definitely cheer on as she endures the contest trials. While her romance with Richard does seem a little false (there's very little development leading to "you're the one I want to marry"), since it's a fairy tale some carelessness with plot development can be overlooked. What's nice about both main characters is that they are very human - Richard feels that, as the man, he should be proving his worthiness for some lady, not the other way around, and Violet, while admirable, is far from perfect. I also applaud the author for poking fun at the whole princess test concept (the characters are well aware that some of the tests are absurd, instead of really being an indicator of true womanliness), which gives the book added depth to a fairy tale that seems rather frivolous.

And that added depth is why I'm giving "Violet Eyes" a 5-star rating. I've read every book in the Once Upon a Time series, and they can be hit or miss. The latest offerings (such as "Diamond Secret") have been lackluster, and some ("Snow" or "Spirited") were just downright weird and didn't make sense. If I'm going to read a fairy tale retelling, I want depth, simply because fairy tales in their original form usually lack it.

If you're new to the series, definitely a good book to start with. If you've been a little disillusioned lately with the quality of the Once Upon a Time series, "Violet Eyes" will go a long way to restoring your faith in it. Highly recommended.

The other reviews have good summaries, so I'll focus on the pros and cons of this book. The supporting characters are what earned it 2 1/2 stars. Left up to the protagonists and their rushed excuse for a relationship, it would be 2. The author did a wonderful job of fleshing out the other princesses in the competition and making them real people. By the end of the story I wished Arianna or Goldie had been the main character instead of Violet. It would definitely have made for a more interesting point of view. The plot was good and the reasoning behind the tests was well-explained and gave logic to the original tale.

Unfortunately, the main characters were a bit of a let down. As seems to be the pattern in Debbie Viguie's Once Upon A Time series books, there is very little development between the main characters meeting and kissing passionately. After literally two conversations, the prince grabs Violet and kisses her vigorously, making me a little worried he might claim his right as a nobleman to take advantage of peasant women. Of course, making-out with near strangers is a little problem easily cleared up by swift declarations of love. Zero conversations and a few flowery notes later, he is vowing to die for her and walk through fire, though he knows nothing more than her face, name, dubious claim to royalty, and kindness to his horse. Even in their brief dialogs he is a weirdo. From the beginning he makes random statements completely unconnected to their conversations, though the reader assumes they are meant to be insulting since the girl always ends up nearly hitting him. This is all explained by "she brings out the devil in me." Um sure, making an enigmatic joke about the girl who saved your life being an old maid (or a prostitute?) is definitely roguish and charming, especially in the middle of a conversation about your wedding. All this, combined with the "dark and inscrutable expressions" always shadowing his face, convinced me that this man was not a prince, and he was not someone I could ever love, no matter how many times the other characters mentioned his kindness and good character. Redeeming qualities were certainly not apparent in anything he said or did until Violet got to the castle, after which he turned into a prating lovesick sap. Violet herself was a very flat character, and it seemed she only existed to be perfect and long for the next time she could kiss the prince.

Overall this was an entertaining take on The Princess and the Pea, but the main characters' relationship ruined part of the book for me. For better protagonists and stronger writing, I would definitely recommend reading Cameron Dokey's Storyteller's Daughter.

Violet's life has been peaceful and simple on her family's farm for most of her life, though she has always wondered about her future; who will she marry and what will he be like? Then one night a terrible storm brings and injured Prince Richard to Violet's farm. He's returning from traveling all around the land to find what his parents consider a true princess to marry, but when he and Violet see each other, they fall in love. Not willing to let Richard give up his crown for her, Violet travels to the royal palace to compete with scores of other princesses in a competition of sensitivity to win Richard's hand...and learns a thing or two about her own upbringing and destiny along the way.

This romantic retelling of "The Princess and the Pea" is sweet and clever. Debbie Viguie beefs up the story with a mystery concerning Violet's past, the unlikely competition between the princesses, and even a bit of political drama, which certainly makes this tale a bit more reasonable to the readers and also casts the king and queen in a more favorable light compared to the original taale. It also allows for the true strengths and qualities of the princesses to shine through, making them characters that readers can love, and allows the story a bit more depth. Although there really isn't any doubt in the reader's mind how the story will end, Viguie adds a bit of mystery to the plot by disguising the true meaning of the challenges the king and queen present, building up a little bit of suspense. Overall, Violet Eyes is a romantic and intelligent and entertaining read, perfect for readers of any age.

Cover Comments: This cover is cute, and it works with the story well. I like the different shades of purple! It is not the best cover in this series, but it is nice.

In this retelling of the Princess and the Pea fairy tale, Violet meets the dashing Prince Richard on a stormy day when he is injured on her family farm. It is love at first sight. Although he loves her, he cannot marry her, but must marry a princess instead. Violet discovers her true identity as the lost Princess of the kingdom she lives in, competes in the contest devised by Prince Richard's parents to find his wife, and learns she must trust her heart in order to win back her kingdom and the Prince.
An enjoyable read with a smart heroine. A small short book that proves you don't have to fill a book with needless pages like those 400 page books in the same genre in order to tell a good story.

As a retelling of The Princess and the Pea, Violet Eyes gives a splendid interpretation of what the tale may have been all about. After all, it is nearly physically impossible to feel a pea underneath 20 mattresses...

However, there was nearly no development of the relationship between the Prince and the 'Princess'. It was too abrupt and it felt forced - that they would love each other because it was a fairy tale. However, the book makes up for this lack of connection by showing the interaction between the 'Princess' and her newly found friends. Their conversations are amusing and fun to read; they feel realistic, showing well developed characters and relationships.

Four stars for this fresh take, but disappointed in the lack of a strong relationship between what should be the two protagonists of the story.

Violet Eyes by Debbie Vigiue
Simon Pulse, 2010
195 pages
Fairy Tale; YA
3.5/5 stars

Summary: A retelling of "The Princess and the Pea."

Thoughts: I've really enjoyed reading the "Once Upon a Time" series and Princess and the Pea is a story I really like so I was excited to grab this when I saw it at my library.

First it's very fairy tale in that Violet and Richard meet after a storm and basically fall in love at first sight. Pretty much the only stories where I'm okay with that are fairy tales because there's so much magic there already.

Now the original Princess and the Pea had a single test but this competition has multiple tests with about twenty princesses and a final grand twist. That helps extend the story; I really enjoyed seeing the weird tests that the king and queen imagined up to help them choose the best bride and future queen. I also liked that they seemed concerned about their son instead of just looking to make the best alliance although that was also certainly a concern.

The ending was odd as it goes in to a battle and Violet must use her keen wits to outsmart some baddies-it wasn't suspenseful and I didn't feel that it added much.

I wish more had happened relating to her violet eyes, like she was recognizable because of that fact or had something special about her because of them.

Overall: A really cute and short story.

Cover: I just realized that those are mattresses behind Violet which makes me feel a bit dumb but is fitting.

A stormy night brings injured Prince Richard to Violet's farm, where she and her parents nurse him back to health. Despite their very different stations, Violet and Richard find themselves falling in love, so it is with heavy heart that they part ways once Richard has healed. After Richard's departure, Violet's parents confess a secret that sends Violet to the castle to compete for Richard's hand in marriage against princesses from across the land. The competitions appear frivolous, but as the contest progresses, Violet begins to suspect that the princesses are being tested in more ways than they originally thought.

Hooray for the Once Upon a Time series! Though some entries in the series have been misses, Violet Eyes is a definite hit. Debbie Viguie took a pretty sparse and superficial fairy tale and completely transformed it into a story with a likable heroine, charming secondary characters, a fun plot, and a moral with substance. While Richard and Violet's relationship with him are about as developed (that is, underdeveloped) as a typical fairy tale relationship, Violet herself is a fully-formed, strong and likable heroine. The bonds she forms with the other princesses also run deeper than those found in a fairy tale.

Richard leaves something to be desired, but this story isn't really about him. Though romance is what usually takes center stage in these stories, that isn't the case in Violet Eyes. Instead, their relationship takes a backseat to Violet's personal development as she figures out her relationships with the other princesses and how to accomplish the contests.

Violet Eyes is a solid entry in the Once Upon a Time series and is sure to be a hit among fans of fairy tale retellings, strong female heroines, courtly dramas, and should especially appeal to those who enjoy Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel (Crown Duel / Court Duel) and Marissa Doyle's Bewitching Season (Leland Sisters).

I thought Violet Eyes was a very good retelling of The Princess and the Pea. Its about a gil named Violet and a prince named Richard. They meet and quickly fall in love. The most interesting part of the story is when Violets parents tell her she is not their daughter and that she is actually the lost princess in the kingdom. Violet must compete with the other princess's and win her man. Some of them actually help her and become her friend. I won't tell you anymore. But this is a great retelling of the princess and the pea. Everybody who loves fairytales even rewritten ones should read this!!!

The Once Upon A Time series takes traditional fairy tales and retells them. In this case, "The Princess and the Pea" is turned on its head and fleshed out.
Violet helps the prince recover from a fall on her family's farm, falling in love with him while she does. When he is healed, her parents tell her that she is not really their child - they believe she is the land's lost princess. Violet sets off to the castle to participate in the competition to be awarded the prince's hand (think the balls in Cinderella).
I loved the novel take on the tale; I didn't figure out it was "The Princess and the Pea" until near the end. The writing was pure fairy tale fare while also being well-developed and having strong characters. The prince is likeable and actually slightly more developed than Prince Charming, while the princesses are strong, independent girls. Recommended!