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.

I loved a lot of the aspects in this book, like the interwoven fairy tale motifs scattered throughout the plot and the tension between Cyrus and Violet. Honestly, this whole book seemed like it was just about the tension between Cyrus and Violet and less about the whole curse thing lmao.

While the plot dragged at certain points, I enjoyed the world building and learning about the magic system that surrounds Violet. It's dark, a little creepy, and lush in its descriptions of the Kingdom of Auveny.

Ultimately, I think Violet is the object that really makes or breaks this novel. Similar to Jude from The Cruel Prince, she's not a very likeable character but she's one that you want to root for. She's selfish and only looks out for herself given her past, but seeing her gradual journey towards trusting others instead of pushing people away solidified my love for her. Violet's relationship with Cyrus also reminded me a little of Jude and Cardan, but I definitely think they possess a uniqueness that makes them sound out from the Folk of the Air series.

Rating: 4/5 ☀️

Happy pub week to Violet Made of Thorns! This book was nothing like I expected it to be, and I am obsessed. It was like a darker, more adult Ella Enchanted and I am absolutely here for it. It had the fairy tale vibes, an amazing cast of characters, and was a totally immersive reading experience.

I have to start with the characters, because I fell in love with them. From Violet being a survivor who puts herself first, Cyrus being an idealist prince who’s been in love with her since day one, Dante as the only sane person with secrets of his own, and Camilla as the chaotic lesbian – all of them owned my heart. But Violet especially was so well-written, and it’s rare to find such a strong main character. I especially love how Violet has an immigrant background, and how that informs her character.

That was the best part of the world of this book for me. Often fantasy books tend to make their nations and kingdoms sort of isolationist, where characters have never left home until the call of the journey happens, and it’s monocultural to a degree. Or if characters are not in their place of origin, they’re nomadic to a degree, or don’t identify with their current location. But this felt like a fantasy with diaspora in mind, and I’m in awe of how the author managed it in a way that felt authentic.

Also the magical parts of the story were wonderful, between the seers and the fairies, and how they’re ingrained in the politics. It was simultaneously whimsical yet well thought out. The writing style (first person, present tense) admittedly took a bit to get used to, and Violet’s voice sometimes came off as immature, but there was a wittiness and deadpan humor to it that I grew to enjoy. The first few chapters were admittedly a bit rocky though as the author got her footing, with quite a bit of infodumping and explanations.

I also loved the pacing, and the way Violet and Cyrus’ relationship developed was amazing. I was in love with their dynamic – the fact that they grew up together, that neither wants to act on their attraction because they’re bound to duty so they lash out instead. And I’m utterly captivated with the ending of this book, and I’m so excited for what comes next.

Overall, this was just a mindblowing book and so different from a lot of current fantasy YA in so many subtle ways. I’m obsessed and you should be too. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to get an eARC of this!

When I read about Violet Made of Thorns I was so excited! This book has witches, a prince, a curse just so much fantasy packed into one book. Unfortunately I feel like it fell a little flat a I ended up adding it to my DNF list. There is a lot of info in the beginning which slowed me down also.

I do want to thank NetGalley for an ARC of Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen.

The perfect blend of fairy tales and morally gray protagonists who are met with a frustratingly vague prophecy. Definitely recommended to my reading group.

What struck me right away in the first chapter is the voice of Violet. She's so thorny even in that regard. That makes her stand out from a lot of YA fantasy leads because she's aware of how stories typically go, and she hates that there's no charmed life for her. Everything she has, she's had to fight for with teeth. And as much as she's been able to manipulate her own story, she remains trapped by it. Being a Seer, a witch with the gift and burden of prophecy, Violet knows the future is predetermined. Can she change it? Or do all her actions lead to her visions' outcomes anyway? Can she claim a fairy tale ending or something like it?

I loved all the fairy tale references scattered throughout the book; they are included in creative ways that are fun to pick up on reading. The intricate politics are great too, creating an interesting dynamic between Cyrus (aka Prince Charming) and his father, a king hellbent on expanding his empire. I recommend reading this for the commentary on goodness for the sake of one's virtues vs selfishness for the sake of one's survival. What choice is there when all the choices are bad? Violet's a liar and a charlatan, but she's also the real deal. And she's maybe more honest than those around her claim to be. Her threads of sight and the plot coming together are a fantastic weave. The magic is so cool, the morally-gray and diverse characters are fun, and the enemies to lovers trope is strong here. I'm looking forward to reading the other half of this enchanting duology.

Title: Violet Made of Thorns
Author: Gina Chen
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.

I enjoyed this story, but I have to say, Violet and Cyrus are both kind of unlikable jerks. Especially to each other. Cyrus’ arrogance is almost overwhelming at times, and Violet is just rude and hateful at least half the time. I enjoyed the culture and mythology, but their personalities were almost enough to make me DNF this. I’m interested in reading more about them—probably—but this isn’t a warm and fuzzy tale.

Gina Chen lives in California. Violet Made of Thorn is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House Children’s in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 8/4.)

This was a bit hard to get into at first, Violet was getting on my nerves and the info dumping at the beginning was a bit difficult to get through.

Initially I thought the characters were bland and quite frankly irritating, like our MC Violet all she did was fume with rage and be condescending which didn't sit well with me. I liked Cyrus alot, he was a troubled young prince who knew he had to choose a bride to break a curse, someone who felt pressured, someone who was confused and just tired of everyone's expectations, so I found him to be really RELATABLE!!! And he was gorgeous so obviously I liked him 😅

The coupling was a bit instantaneous in my opinion and I would've loved a bit more slow burn. I did however appreciate the steamy scenes...

The premise was interesting, I love a good prophecy/curse theme in a book. And the unravelling was slow which kept me hooked to my ebook, flipping page after page. The writing was easy to follow except for when we'd get a dump of information on Auveny and its surrounding cities, had a hard time following that. I would describe the plot as mysterious, eerie and sinister!! To top it off our MC is a morally gray character who is a official Seer but constantly lies about her prophecies. I also loved the names of the districts/cities Moon district, Sun Capital, pretty innovative.

I wouldn't necessarily compare it with The Cruel Prince but it stands out on its own.

Enemies to lovers, close proximity, witches and fairies?
Yes please!
This twisted fairytale is jam packed with excitement and intrigue.
It was easy to get sucked into the story and find myself several hours later disappointed at not having the next book yet.
Sadly it is not yet written.
This is a fabulous start to a new series, and a debut novel as well?
Ridiculous.
I am totally geeked for the next book!
Much love to NetGalley, Random House Children's and Turn the Pages Tours for my ARC.

This book was one of my most anticipated releases, and it did definitely not disappoint! I was sucked into the story right away: the author had an effortless way of telling it which I really liked. The plot was great, and the characters were well fleshed out. The ending left me reeling! I cannot wait for the second book.

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen

Firstly, the cover and title, I love it. Isn't it gorgeous?

This fairytale story with trope I love the most that is enemies to lovers is worth picking up. To add to all of this are seer, prince, magic and prophecies involved that worked as perfect catalyst to the story.

Violet is a Seer who had to make her way up in the Kingdom. She has lied about her visions, influencing the decisions and doesn't believe in being honest and good. She is given a chance to redeem herself or the now Prince Cyrus who will ascend the throne promises to strip down her official title once he is the King.

Oh my! She is selfish and that was frustrating but I also didn't mind because I knew this witch the main lead is morally grey, she has been given that character to utter perfection. She knows what her life journey will look like and does everything that will benefit her first.

They both hate each other for reasons that also pull them close. Their chemistry is top notch. I loved Cyrus not just because he was prince or he was good there was a different aura to him and I couldn't help but like him from the start.

The writing was smooth, enchanting with diverse and awesome characters. It had subtle references to various fairytales and a great world building. This debut novel captivated me and will definitely have you turn the pages quickly. I can't wait to read the next.

I recommend this one to YA fantasy lovers or anyone who loves morally grey MCs or fairytales.

Thank you @tbrbeyondtours for having me on this tour and @delacortepress for providing arc in exchange of honest review.

This book had me hooked. The story was amazing and characters, I couldn’t get enough of. Violet & Cyrus are characters that you will never forget. The chemistry between Violet and Cyrus is undeniable but someone wants too ruin them. Thrilling story that everyone must read.

"Our entanglement wasn't inevitable in the way of the stars, but in the way you can only toss so many lit matches at a powder keg before one catches--and I should have stopped tossing matches."

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Delacorte Press and Turn the Page Tours for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a tour stop on my blog and TikTok! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content warnings: violence/blood/murder/death, self-harm, parental death, xenophobia, emotional abuse

I first heard of Violet Made of Thorns I believe from Amanda at Bookish Brews and Erin A. Craig on Instagram! I was so interested in the synopsis that I joined a book tour in what ended up being the middle of my move. This ended up not being a problem at all as I couldn't put the book down and finished it in a snap!

Violet Made of Thorns follows Violet Lune, a Seer aka someone who can view a person's life threads, with glimpses both to their past and future. This typically plays out by her making hand-to-hand contact or through prophetic dreams. An esteemed position in the kingdom and revered just below the royalty themselves thanks to the King's adoration for her, Violet's life is not as flawless as it may appear. The heir to the throne, Cyrus, is the reason she's even a member of the Court, and yet he seems to regret her very existence. With his upcoming ascension to King, will Violet be able to maintain her future position as Seer, especially when it means endangering her position under the current king and possibly her own life?

This book gave me little bits of nostalgic glimpses of fairytales I grew up on (Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, etc.) but the story truly was unlike any other I've read. Most of the characters and their relationships were much more morally grey and I thoroughly enjoyed that. It felt human and real instead of happily-ever-afters and true love. I also enjoyed that I had no idea who would end up with who or if anyone would at all for most of the book, as it kept my intrigue level at a high.

While I enjoyed the plot twists and the corruption/moral grey areas, often the characters' actions gave me whiplash and I struggled to understand their motives. Dante may have been my favorite, though, and I hope we see more of him in book 2!

This may be her debut novel, but Gina Chen is possibly already an auto-buy author for me, and

Would recommend to lovers of: dark/morally grey twists on classic fairytale tropes, heroines who are more thorns than roses, with fates and curses to play out or fight against!

Violet's psychic powers enabled her to escape the slums for a life of luxury. Now she resides in the palace, handing out prophecies that are half guesswork and wholly subject to approval by her sovereign, King Emilius. His son, Prince Cyrus, was the subject of a particularly nasty vision granted to the previous Seer and Violet has no problem fudging the future to keep the throne stable. When the Fates tell her either she or Cyrus will die, Violet must decide exactly how far she is willing to go. The ruthless heroine upends fairy tropes left and right.

| unapologetically vicious & delightfully dark |

That's pretty much how I would describe Violet made of Thorns and its main character.
If you're a fan of dark but subtle fairytale retellings with a sprinkle of spice this book is for you.
The push and pull between our MC and love interest definitely makes this book all the more fun without even having to mention the magic, the court machinations and the secrets each character holds.

I rarely ask for dual POV but in this books case I wish I would have been able to get a glimpse into every characters head, I was so curious the entire time! This story is a very fast paced 'give me the next chapter' type of story and every chapter delivered someone even better than the last. I do feel like having a morally gray main character really added to this story I can't imagine our MC Violet being motivated by doing good and this story gripping me as much as it did.

First the Briars and then come the beasts & blood. The magic in this world really caught my attention it felt like the author put together all the twisted parts of Cinderella, sleeping beauty and beauty and the beast all in one.

Overall I give Violet Made of Thorns 4 stars and I can't wait to see what's next for this world. I was surprised to find out it wasn't a standalone because the ending did feel tied together for Violet but regardless if the next MC is her or someone else within this story (maybe some Dante snippets??) I will definitely be reading the next one.