Many books in the genre of YA fantasy tend to tick a lot of similar boxes. There’s the plucky heroine who discovers she’s a long-lost princess and must reclaim her family’s throne. There’s usually a kingdom under siege by mysterious forces or being ruled over by oppressive magical forces. Probably a brooding or semi-antagonistic love interest, and a seemingly impossible quest. Sometimes, a scrappy underground rebel faction is involved. And there are usually an awful lot of faeries, of either the magical or the extremely attractive variety. (Sometimes even both!)

This is a big part of the reason why Gina Chen’s Violet Made of Thorns feels like such a breath of fresh air in this genre space. Yes, her debut YA fantasy includes some of these—and several other—extremely familiar tropes. There’s a broody, rude potential love interest, a fairytale-like setting, and a kingdom under threat, after all. But Chen’s decision to center her story around an occasionally petty, unusually self-centered, and often straight-up unlikeable heroine ultimately reframes even the most familiar of story beats in unexpected and surprising ways, giving the novel a refreshingly different feel in this admittedly crowded fictional marketplace.

Violet Made of Thorns was interesting from the beginning. The darker tone and self-preserving dishonesty of the main character made Violet distinct from the protagonists in many other young adult novels. Her choices near the end of the book--despite being heavily foreshadowed-- shocked me.

This was amazing and I loved it a lot. It's the first fantasy book I've read all year that I actually enjoyed I would absolutely read another book by the author.

This is a very interesting story, I greatly enjoyed the plot and the lore here.

It was slow for me to get into this book, because of Violet. She’s selfish and cold and remains that way. Even after she understands she’d been manipulated from a young age, she continues to make bad and selfish decisions. I want to say she’s better by the end of the book, but honestly I don’t think that’s true.

I loved Dante and Camilla, and poor Cyrus who is just a fool in love.

This content felt too mature for YA but not quite NA either, so I’m not sure where it belongs.

It seemed like things were just getting started when this book ended!! There is so much left to uncover and we are left off on an unsettling note.

*Thank you so much to Gina Chen and Random House Children’s for giving me a copy of the book for an honest review

⭐️3.5/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Children for providing the ARC for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Is it the best thing I ever read? No. Was I highly entertained? Most definitely. It was so cute and the plot twists at the end had me yelling and screaming at my kindle.

It was giving me Cinderella and Beauty & Beast kind of fairytale but with a morally gray main character who would’ve probably been categorize as one of the villains in the classic fairytale. It is being described as being like the Cruel Prince, and I can see it, but in the way the the female MC is giving Jude energy of annoying others and dealing with the consequences later. And Cyrus had a Cardan kind of hot, aloof boy energy that is secretly using that to mask what he really is up to.

My only complaint was that in the first part of the story, it felt like there were a lot of threads being thrown our way and the story was moving fast. Like I wanted to say, hey, can we slow down a little, I want to know more about it. Eventually the story did do that. It did slow down and finally answered some of my queries. However, any complaints I had was forgotten the moment Violet and Cyrus were in the same scene together. Oh my god, I went so rabid over the littlest things between these two.

Overall, I was highly entertained. It elicited strong emotions from me. And I would probably read a sequel, assuming we get one. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.

This book is effortlessly hilarious, amazing, so beautifully written. If you haven't had the chance to read it, please do, give it a chance because i was pleasantly surprised by it. It has LGBTQ+ representation, lovely characters, tropes all of us love & most of all, a very relatable main character. I think Gina's way of writing is awesome, she has a way to make you laugh & give you an excellent plot twist the next page. It has forced proximity, rivals (not so much but let's say they don't get along) that have to work together, problems to be solved, a very sassy twin sister, magic, witches & a touch of beauty & the beast & cinderella. All in all, i absolutely adored this book & it was an excellent way to end my july wrap-up.

A fairytale with some bite! I really enjoyed this book (though anything with court drama and a morally gray love interest is sure to be a hit with me).

"All I know how to do is dream, read threads, and lie."

Violet Made of Thorns is a fantasy with magic and intrigue intertwined in its pages.

Our main character, Violet, is a Seer. She is someone who can read the threads and predict the future based on what she sees. She is told to tell about the prince's future love for who he ends up with can either make or break the kingdom.

"Felicita's prophecy was clear enough here: the future rests in the prince's heart, his choice, his bride."

With the fate of the kingdom at stake, the king turns to Violet for help, but she ends up releasing a curse. As Violet and the prince grow closer, who will be saved in the end, themselves, or the kingdom?

Thank you to Delacorte Press (Random House Children's) and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5, sounded up. This had good pacing and dialogue - I liked Cyrus, his sister, Dante, and the seer and found them to be well developed. I wasn’t crazy about some of the plot twists later in the story, but I still enjoyed it. Maybe not Battle of the Books worthy, but I will add it to my collection.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for giving me the chance to read and review this E-ARC. This review will be posted to Goodreads, My Instagram, and Various Shops (Amazon Canada/Barnes & Noble/ Indigo Canada).

Rating: 3.5 (rounded up to 4 stars)

Violet Made of Thorns is a fun fantasy read. The story was easy to follow in this debut novel. The plot, particularly Violet's seer divinations, kept me hooked from start to finish. I also loved the side characters in this book.

The romance had moments of intenseness. I had mixed feelings about the romance. There were moments when I was fully invested in this enemies to lovers romance. However, there were also times when I couldn't feel the connection between Cyrus and Violet.

I felt the characters' backstories, and their history with one another, particularly Violet and Cyrus, could have been developed more in Violet Made of Thorns. I felt this book could have used flashbacks. We heard Violet talk a lot about her history with Cyrus, but I would have liked to see it in flashbacks.

The ending left me excited for the sequel. The fairytale atmosphere was on point in Chen's book.

Overall, it was a fun read, and I will stay tuned for book two.

Enemies to lovers
heavy of sexual content
Fairies and faes and seers and witches

That's all I got.

In all seriousness, Violet is a seer. She tries to manipulate the court and the King to keep herself safe. But the fates want a payback. They wanted the Prince to die, so there could be war and bloodshed. Violet changed that, now all her future roads are dangerous and uncertain, especially when another fate seems to be helping her, without the knowledge of the other gods.

It was cute, and intriguing, and definitely romantic. ( I know, I know, me and romance don't mix well). I liked Violet as a whole, she was determined, a bit dark, and definitely selfish. She's not evil, but there's survival in her bones, and she's riding that.

Was it predictable? yes. Will I read the second book? maybe. There were a lot of questions left unanswered, so I might be swayed to continue with the series.

I read some stellar reviews of this book before I started it and hoped my expectations would be met. Not a problem. They were exceeded.

As a devoted fan of flawed, morally gray characters, this book delighted me from beginning to end. Violet is a seer. But she’s also a cunning liar who’s occasionally selfish and harbors a strong dislike for most people. She’s completely unapologetic about it. Charismatic Cyrus is heir to the throne and has women practically tackling each other to garner his attention. He’s also determined not to let anyone or anything block his ascension. Violet may have saved Cyrus’s life when they were children, but their fur bristles in each other’s company. There’s a fine line between love and hate and as the description states, they have fate-twisted destinies. I adored both of these ambitious characters, and their banter (she addresses him as Princey) is witty and amusing.

This is a fairy tale retelling and wonderfully dark. With a dreaded curse hanging over the kingdom, ominous occurrences are afoot and it’s difficult to know who, or in Violet’s case what visions, to trust. The world-building is well-crafted and immersive. Plot points are unexpected. My predictions of the story’s path were completely thrown out the window more than once, and I’m thrilled when that happens. The ending might have twisted my heart, but it stayed true to the characters and was perfect. Can you tell how anxious I am for the next book?

Characters like this are few and far between and are always a welcome change for me. Readers may love them or hate them, but there’s no doubt they can certainly toss in some devious plot twists. If you’re a fan of characters who exist in the gray, I can’t recommend this series enough.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Finally a fairytale heroine who isn't afraid to take a stab at Prince Charming!

Violet Made of Thorns is a captivating fantasy filled with dark curses, magical prophesies, and the best anti-heroine I've had the chance to "meet". Chen provides us with a prophesy binding a prince and a witch, a magical forest filled with hideous beasts, and beautifully cunning characters. With a storyline that covers it all (fae, political intrigue, witchcraft, dark magic, romance) and still has a plot that will keep your attention and leave you wanting more - I'd be shocked if you don't love this one.

I liked this a lot, as a big fan of morally gray characters and cursed princes, this was a win for me. I enjoyed the main characters a lot. Violet was feisty and really drove the story forward. I'm excited to have my editions on my shelf!

This book was just ok for me. I know its advertised as for fans of Serpent and Dove which I loved, so I thought I would love this one. I will say the main character does have the sassy smart mouthed attitude I love in a main character. You could tell that this was a big enemies to lovers, the set up was there. But something just fell flat for me. I don't know if it was the world, or the back story. Something. Something was just off. It could very well be a fantastic book if you love YA Fantasy!

✨ BOOK REVIEW AND (belated) PUB DAY ✨

3.5 rounds up to 4. Calling all fantasy, fairytale lovers! This debut from Gina Chen is for you! As someone who personally loves fantasy and rarely reads fairytale, this was the perfect blend of the fairytales we heard growing up as kids and fantasies we have come to love as adults - but flip the script. Before we even get into the story, we are told that Violet (the main character) is NOT who you think she should be. She is a gritty, lying Seer who contemplates both the positive and negative effects associated with important/high stakes decisions. Sometimes she chooses good, other times bad AKA an awesome female morally gray character.

Things that I thoroughly enjoyed: since it was a fairytale and had the royal vibes, the world building and comprehension of the book flowed really well. If you are new to fantasy, I think this would be easily digested! There were some characters that had LGBTQ+ representation which was very exciting to read from side characters who were featured quite often in the book! Additionally, there were some very surprising moments throughout the book that kept me engaged and wondering what would happen next!

Because of who Violet is, this book made me really think about what happens if you try and mess with fate? Can we truly create our own futures?

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse Children’s for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub Date 7/26/2022
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#bookreview #violetmadeofthorns #violetmadeofthornsreview #fantasyreview #bookstagram

I enjoyed this book! The world was easy to follow and the world building was not confusing or overwhelming. Violet was a great character with lots of depth and growth throughout the book--and it's just the first book in the series so I can't wait to see where she goes from here. Really good enemies to lovers plot, even though I called it from the very beginning it was fun to watch it play out and there were a few surprises in there. I found Cyrus pretty annoying, but his sister was fabulous and I want so much more of her! There was plenty of magic, intrigue, secrets and everything else that I love in a fantasy book. It seemed pretty predictable at the beginning but there were definitely some twists and turns that I didn't see coming by the end. Will definitely read again and will continue the series.

Violet Made of Thorns
by Gina Chen
Pub Date: 26 Jul 2022


“That you are worthy of so much more, little star. That you should never again kneel for the scraps of kings. “

Violet Made of Thorns is a debut book by Gina Chen. It features memorable

unapologetic anti-heroine that is both refreshing and intriguing.
Orphaned and living on the streets in the Moon district, gifted with ability to see bits and pieces of the future through threads. When a chance opportunity presents its self, she takes it, rising herself up from bottom and becoming King Emilius seer. Used by the Kings own ambition, she finds herself in a constant struggle with the Kings son Cyrus. A curse looms over Cyrus’s life and the kingdom’s future hangs in the balance.

Gina Chen delivers quite an a phenomenal atmospheric, fantastic fantasy tale.
Full politically motivated characters, along with a solid storyline that propels this story. Seamless narration by one of my favorite characters of all times in a YA fantasy. The romance is not instant, because both Violet and Cyrus having been sparing back and forth since they both were younger. Their backstory adds so much to the present day tale. The magic and details were engaging and fun to read about.
Truly a captivating fairytale styled fantasy, that made for an delightful reading experience.

“The journey to love never runs smooth,
and yours, your father would not approve.
They will catch you by surprise, hidden in disguise,
but leave your grasp by midnight strikes. “

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Gina Chen for the opportunity to read Violet made of Thorns in exchange for an honest review.

Violet is a Seer. After saving prince Cyrus from a fateful accident when they were younger, she gets invited to live in the Seer's tower. While she works for the king and strives to use her visions for the good of Auveny, Violet also reads people's pasts and futures through touch. Of course it is up to Violet to share the truth or sprinkle the futures with gentle lies.

The very last prophecy of the Seer before Violet gave one final word from her visions: the world will turn to rot with the death of the prince if he does not marry before the season's end. His father, the king, plans a fake vision, already having a girl prepared for Cyrus to meet at a ceremonial ball. 

After the ball, strange beasts attack. Violet and Cyrus uncover dark secrets about his bride-to-be, on top of admitting feelings for each other, despite their constant bickering. A prince or king could never be with his Seer.

As the dark witch makes her presence known, Cyrus and Violet must find a way to stop her while preventing the prince's fateful prophecy of death from becoming reality.

Violet Made of Thorns is a brilliant debut. It is filled with magical allure, visionary brilliance, and heart-wrenching romance. Violet and Cyrus find passion for each other, even though they seemingly hate each other and can never actually be together anyway. The beasts are a beautiful visionary craft. I didn't really notice the significance of the cover until the beasts horns were described, and their fearful beauty makes for a fantastical tale.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. Chen's writing craft is phenomenal and works with the magic of the novel to bind the reader within its spell. While I love the ending and find it to be rather enticing, there is room for more to the story (and Goodreads hints at a second installment already). Sign me up for the next one!

Chen’s debut novel narrates the story of Violet, a seer. Violet butts heads with the charming prince, Cyrus. With an impending curse counting down the destruction of everything they live and beasts terrorizing the towns, Violet must decide if she must listen to the fates and kill Cyrus. Problem is there is a love/hate relationship going on with “princely.”

I was really excited to read this one. While good, it unfortunately never did anything that really stood out to me. Cyrus and Violet’s relationship wasn’t believable. Violet’s powers were diminished. My favorite character ended up being Camilla, Cyrus’s sister.

I never felt the stakes were high. I kept waiting for a big twist. I think there’s a lot of potential but it hasn’t been realized in this first book. Having said that, I’ll still pick up a copy of book 2.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.