VIOLET MADE OF THORNS • Gina Chen • Pub Date: July 26, 2022 • ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Abridged Goodreads Synopsis: Violet is a seer, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased (and not always true) divinations. She has managed to make quite a live for herself through her abilities and willingness to lie, but everything changes when Violet is asked to falsely prophesy Prince Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball. A dreaded curse is awakened, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet also 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.

This book is a fantasy debut involving a romance sub-plot and an anti-heroine. Our anti-heroine MC (Violet) may be marketed as "unlikeable," but I think she's more appropriately labeled "morally grey" and I was HERE for it. Violet is out for herself, and she is not ashamed of that. The trend of having younger female heroines who aren't caught up in being sweet and likable really works for me, especially in this story. I'll also add that Violet is way less obnoxious than similar fantasy female MCs (aka Lou from the "Serpent and Dove" series). The banter between Violet and Prince Cyrus was also fun; this book is definitely great for fans of an enemies-to-lovers troupe.

While I loved the idea behind this book, I do think that the book itself fell victim to a lack of focus on worldbuilding and plot, and instead spent too many pages selling an under-developed romance. There is a lack of emotional impact and tension, which really detracted from this primarily character-driven book. I was also left wanting more "cut-throat" politics.

Ultimately, I think this debut was a good tee-up for what may be a solid series. I will absolutely be picking up the next book in the series once it comes out!

When I saw this book was for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove, I was sold!

Violet has been the kingdom’s Seer since she was 11, after she was plucked from the streets as an orphan. Violet and Prince Cyrus have a tumultuous history and are known throughout the kingdom for their verbal spars.

Violet may be a Seer, but she’s a liar as she twists her prophecies to suit the king. As the prince nears his time to take the throne-and a bride-he and Violet must find a way to break his curse: he will either be the kingdom’s damnation or salvation.

Full of political intrigue, forbidden love, and dark magic, Violet Made of Thorns weaves a tale of an antiheroine who must choose between following her heart or her prophesied destiny.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
Rating: ★ ★ ★
Genre: YA fantasy
Format: ebook
Length: 368 pages

📌Release Date: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟔𝐭𝐡, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really love the concept of this book and I'm a sucker for a retelling. However, I feel like this book suffered from having too much going on and also issues with pacing. I also am not a fan of a book ending on a cliffhanger.

I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers but I think the romance could have been more developed. I did enjoy Violet as a main character, I loved that most of the characters were flawed.

Overall
I have been DESPERATE for a new cozy fantasy series. Don’t get me wrong, a high fantasy series that is 8 books long and saturated with romance, drama, court intrigue, and plot twists left and right is absolutely amazing. But it does get mentally exhausting after a while. This, however, is perfect! This is the low entry fantasy that you need to finish out your summer. It’s fun, there’s hate to lovers, snarky banter, prophecies broken and prophecies fulfilled, court politics. Basically anything that you need for the perfect end of summer read is in here. This earned a 6.3/10 or 3/5 stars on my rating systems and it was absolutely amazing. Go read it!

✔️ What I Loved
🥀 A brand new fairy tale that nods to its predecessors and branches off onto it’s own quest! I love the little easter eggs of well known fairy tales like Cinderella and Beauty & the Beast and yet this book didn’t retell them, instead it created a whole new tale that I would tell my own daughter when she’s a little older.

🥀 Violet and Cyrus are UTTERLY ridiculous. I’m pretty sure I screamed at my phone to just kiss already but I also kind of had second lead syndrome for Dante because he is definitely my fictional type.

🥀 The whole Witch of Nightmares just made me picture the black witch from Wandaverse so she is now the eternal fancast

🥀 Toady Hell

🥀 So I HATE the fact that Cyrus’ kingdom has basically made fairies dependent on ambrosia and keep them as slaves – but also i’m weirdly fascinated by the fact that they were able to cultivate it and turn it into an actual trade? There’s just so much about this world that I’m curious about and I need to know more.

🥀 Gina Chen’s writing style is absolutely GORGEOUS! Like, it is actually incredibily lush for a book that is under 400 pages and I need to ask that the next book is like 800 pages so 1) i can stay in the world longer and 2) I don’t have to stop reading her amazing prose for a hot minute.

✖️What Missed the Mark
🥀 This is 100% a me thing, but I wanted more from this book. I feel like the world-building was a little lacking and I was really curious about the court politics and how magic worked both with the fairies and the seer’s. And by the end I still didn’t really have answers to those things which made me sad. But there’s hope in the next book!

🥀 So, this is primarily a story about Violet and Cyrus, which is fine. But they didn’t exist alone in this story and I feel like the other characters were just kind of stand-ins who came by at convienent plot points with witty comments at the expense of the main two. So I would have liked to see them fleshed out just a bit more.

🥀 WTF DANTE

Too right! Violet definitely is a thorny problem!

The challenge? Violet is the Court seer. A situation that’s taken her out of hardship to a life that she’s determined to maintain. So when the king asks her to channel her prophecies skewed to his political advantage she does. After all, what will honesty do but highlight her precariously held position! Made all the more so because she didn’t receive the training she needed from the previous seer.
But then there’s Cyrus, the prince. She’s keenly aware of him, but he? Of course Violet’s angry with the perfect prince and herself, so she’s only too keen to agree to give a false about Cyrus meeting his true love at an upcoming ball. And of course this releases a curse that will make or break the kingdom. (I feel like I’m teetering around the edges of a mishmash of fractured fairytale themes—Sleeping Beauty and the wicked fairy godmother, Cinderella and the ball including the glass slipper and Prince Charming , and a dark Briar Rose.
I enjoyed Violet’s conundrum and fears about who she really is, how she should behave, and how to preserve what she’s gained to maintain her security.
Couple that with Violet’s emotional blindness, her active rejection of Cyrus and we have a fascinating YA fantasy with a rocky relationship gilding the lily.

A Random House Children’s / Delacorte Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

A low-action, high-tension YA fantasy with protagonist that tries her best <i>not</i> to be the heroine. As high-and-mighty as she pretends to be, Violet's got teeth and isn't afraid to dig them into our Prince Charming. There's not much combat nor overt magic, but there's enough political intrigue that kept me pushing through the slow parts.

There are many recognizable tropes from the genre. The book starts dull and cliched until it's not. Chen brings enough newness to the table to keep this interesting by the midpoint, especially near the whiplash of a third act.

There is some irritation that is owed to the fact that I'm aged out of the targeted demographic. Much of the romance builds on the youthful idea that antagonism equals attraction, though Chen does her best to keep it a moral conundrum as opposed to the wishy-washy tendencies of a pubescent girl. Violet is the gritty, tired and capable teenager I used to want to be, and I can respect it.

The pre-teen me would have eaten this up with a side of jam and butter. 3.75/5

Violet Made of Thorns is an original fairytale that isn’t afraid to show the dark currents running underneath the magic. It’s whimsical, beautiful, evocative, and seductive, full of courtly scheming, terrifying prophecies, and a protagonist that would burn the world down if she could. I can’t wait to follow Gina Chen’s career because she has the potential to become one of my all-time favorite authors!

“As much as you loathe it, I’m the only one you don’t have to pretend with”

Violet Lune is the Seer, tasked by the king with reading the people’s threads, predicting the
kingdom's future, and lying to keep her job. It’s been seven years since her predecessor died, leaving
behind a harrowing prophecy about the kingdom's doom which will be brought about by Prince Cyrus,
unless he finds a bride. Now, Violet does everything she can to set the king, the court, and the kingdom at
ease, which often puts her at odds with the prince. With the king growing more and more feeble, and
Cyrus’ ascension to king looming, Violet begins dreaming of a magical beast and the kingdom’s ruin.
Though Violet may lie and bend the truth, the death and destruction she begins dreaming about is very
real, and it's rapidly approaching. As she tries to untangle the future and help the prince break his curse,
Violet realizes that the tension between the two of them may be more than just resentment. Their fates are
tied in the worst way, and the kingdom is doomed unless she makes an awful choice, her life or the
prince’s.

Violet is unlike most main characters in the YA fantasy genre. She’s prickly, sarcastic, clever,
prideful and ultimately, very human. She doesn’t much care about anyone else and works mainly to help
herself. I loved seeing these characteristics in a female character because often it’s the male characters
that get to be brash and rude but loveable. As readers watch Violet interact with the perfect Prince Cyrus, we see that while he is attempting to make her more honorable, she is attempting to make him much
worse. Gina Chen explores Violet’s moral ambiguity skillfully and creates a character that escapes the fairytale stereotype female characters often fall into. This dark fantasy is a page turner that was tailor-made for anyone in search of a fairytale unlike any other.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in
exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to
change upon final publication.)

Defiant, Charmed, and Vicious

Gina Chen came out swinging with this debut. I am here to happily take any other punches from here on out. As someone who enjoys fairytales being retold, nothing makes me happier than when a retelling is not only done with details but when a retelling is able to make quips about any and all fairytales! I am a HUGE fan of retellings loaded with “Easter eggs”. There were plenty of those in here that made my heart happy and dancing! This is a retelling most reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Again, there are plenty of other fairytales that were hinted at in the book but these three were the most touched on.

Our MC is Violet, a Seer who was born to the streets (though her family life is very hazy and hints at being built upon in the future installments of the series). After dreaming of the child Prince's untimely demise, Violet- a child herself at the time- saves Prince Cyrus. After her use of the sight to save the prince's life, she then was then whisked away to the castle to live under the Kings rule as his own personal Seer. Though, we all know children are easily influenced. So did the king. He raised her but also formed her for his use. Learned and adapted to lie for the King and her own form of self protection, Violet is given to us as a morally grey heroine.

You guys, Gina Chen opens the book with a disclaimer on our heroine. I quote-
“This book is a fairy tale for those who choose head over heart every time...We often discuss representation in strictly positive terms, citing characters who are role models who try to make the right choices, but being human also means being wonderfully, terribly flawed.”
I loved her adding this aspect in before we get into the grit of the book. It wonderfully sets the tone and honestly made me way more eager to dive into the book! Violet was a terribly flawed MC. She reminded me of myself in some ways. Ways in which had me cringing at times. Like Chen mentioned, most MCs tend to always have their moral compass, unfailing to sacrifice themselves for the best of all; unflinching to make the right call. Violets compass is always aware of what actions may do to her. She’s number one and is always looking out for herself- as most honestly would. I love her flaws and her brutal honesty. She frustrated me, made me laugh, made me cringe…she made me feel and fully engage with this book.

Cyrus is the dazzling prince. Charming, bright and cursed with destiny. The entire kingdom rests on his shoulders. Heavy from that weight he is torn from duty and heart. That being said, he’s also got his own spunk which I adore in a love interest. I like the grumpy/sunshine trope but said sunshine has to have enough attitude to compete with the grump in my opinion. They have to know how to play the game and melt the heart. Cyrus is perfectly balanced in all those ways! Violet and his banter was plenty of entertainment and tensed heat to keep me enthralled.

I was fully enchanted in this book, finishing this book in just two days (between work and responsibilities). I never wanted to put it down and am only upset that it is finished and I now have to wait a year or more for a sequel. Gina Chen impressed me with such a wonderful debut. Big things are in her future and I'm excited to see her bloom as an author. With fantasy, enemies to lovers, and morally grey characters hot right now she is sure to break into the YA genre with ease. Like I said, she came out swinging and is fully equipped to come out champion. This is sure to be a new favorite series for us all!

This is a solid 4/5 star read. I loved it! This book releases this week so prep the wallets and hit the stores. You’re going to want to pick this one up, trust me! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

When a palace seer tries to nudge fate by inventing a prophecy, she becomes embroiled in a dark curse and inconveniently but irrevocably drawn to the infuriating prince at its heart.

Deep, dark, and immersive, VIOLET MADE OF THORNS had me devouring its pages as ravenously as the characters fed on one another. Although tastes of well-known fairytales call attention to the storytelling theme, Chen creates a wholly new fairytale, not directly a twist of any individual story. Her characters are addictive, her steamy romance writing as compelling as any master of that genre, and her world-building a perfect blend of well-worn high fantasy tropes and a new, exciting magic system. I cannot praise this book highly enough. If you read high fantasy (whether you are a young adult or not) don't miss this exceptional debut!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House CHildren’s for this earc

This book was so much fun! It’s a perfect spooky fairytale, with enemies to lovers and you definitely do not want to miss this.

First, I don’t know if it was just me, but the whole time I was reading this book, I saw all the scenes in super bright colors. Due to fairy magic in this world, all the upper class is supposed to look more than perfect, but in my head they look like they are too bright. Imagine Alice in Wolderland bright and honestly, I loved that the writing made me see it so clearly.

Both Violet and Cyrus are written more like villains than heroes and that’s the way you want them. Their relationship is secret and forbidden and a little twisted but with just enough heart to make you fall in love with them. The whole book, I was not sure if they would hurt each other or marry. We get both thing by the end of the story and I have absolutely no idea what’s coming next.

I am very curious to see if the Fates are real or if everything Violet saw was just what the Witch wanted her to see. I also can’t wait to see how evil we will see Violet in the next book. I hope that Cyrus will be cured or maybe killed. I am still not sure how I feel about him.

Definitely pick this book up as soon as it’s out!

Violet Made of Thorns is a darkly enchanting fantasy debut by Gina Chen. It has everything you want from a classic fairytale. Violet Made of Thorns is a great first book to a series that has set the story nicely for the next books!

I don't know how many times I've written blogposts about disappointing YA fantasy debut novels. Well, this is not going to be one of those. I absolutely loved Violet Made of Thorns. I've been trying to parse out why exactly this particular book "clicked" where so many others failed. I must says it is the heroine. So many authors are focused on the plot and then try to "jam" the characters' behavior to work with the preconceived scenario. Well, in this book the main character is utterly authentic and everything about the story is unpredictable. Yes, Violet is a Seer who can see people's past as well as the future, but she also struggles to interpret her visions and is not sure how to act and what to do with the information she gets.

I would also say the behavior of characters in this novel is very human and thus relatable. They lie, betray, make mistakes, act on impulse, pursue their selfish agendas, doubt themselves - Violet's actions and motives made sense to me. I am getting a bit sick of publishers describing characters as "morally grey". In this particular novel, I would describe Violet as just very human and honest with herself. Yes, she is cynical and jaded, but given her position in life, where she came from and who she serves, it is not a surprise. It is actually very logical.

Anyway, my final point on this book is that it is a fairy tale retelling of sorts. You do not need to know which one. Just go into it blind. If you like fairy tales, forbidden romance and dark magic, do not pass this one by. It is surprisingly fresh, well-written and unpredictable. 5 out of 5 stars from me.

There is so much to unpack to write a review of this book, which has been very hard to do. Especially because the book was near impossible to put down, and I made few notes while reading because of that.

From orphan to seer, Violet is lovingly prickly. She won’t cave to Cyrus just because he’s a prince. That has put them at odds for years. She has a job to do, and her allegiances are more with the king than the prince. And that involves getting the prince married to stop the prophecy from coming to fruition.

This is a fun, quirky world wrapped up in fairy tale elements. There is a good deal of bickering, friendship, balls, romance, and otherworldly. The fantasy elements that came into play were unique, and I liked the author’s creativity. A bit of mystery added to it all ticks a lot of genre boxes for the reader. I love that when you finish the book, you can feel okay with where you ended, even knowing there is another book in the works. This is an absolutely fun read, and I’m looking forward to where this duology leads. Thank you, Random House Children’s, for sending this along!

This is the first ARC I’ve read so excuse me if my review sucks, but I devoured this. I wish I read this sooner. A fairy tale retelling with morally grey characters and romance? Absolutely, count me in. This book will probably be one of my top reads of the year. The writing was extremely beautiful and captivating. This book is extremely unforgettable and addictive. The romance felt deep and real. Often times, characters in books always feel flat and unreal to me but that was not the case here. These characters were written so well and they felt so so real to me. Thank you so much for this ARC, I truly enjoyed it so so much.

This book is perfect for the fairytale fantasy lovers out there! I absolutely adored the main character and her stubborn, leadership qualities. If you are wanting a story filled with mystery, romance, and a bit of adventure, this definitely meets your expectations and more!

3.5
Violet is one of the most unique and fun characters I've read in a while. Selfish, deceitful, and sarcastically mean, Gina Chen did a fantastic job making such an unlikable, morally grey character, so likable. Violet has a lot of power as the court's seer and a lot of pressure to meet the expected divinations and curse surrounding her kingdom. She wields her power by lying to some (especially those she dislikes), encouraging others, and hiding devastating visions. Her job is a lot more difficult with Prince Cyrus' cynicism and their cruel banter back-and-forth is really quite fun...for her and the reader, Prince Cyrus is not a fan. Their relationship and the story seems to hinge on their enemies to lovers romance, though I do wish there was a bit more of romance as it transitioned pretty quickly and didn't quite have the passion or sizzle that I wanted them to have.

I enjoyed the descriptions, pacing, dark fairy tale feel, and role of seers in this plot. I do wish there was a bit more world building as other countries, seers, magics, and conflicts were alluded to but never elaborated on. And the fairies. I loved their roles and the dark forest they came from, but wanted more to who/what they were.

This was a fun read that had a lot of enjoyable parts and a strong enemy-to-lovers trope, but needed a bit more details and connections to elements/magic eluded to. I am excited to read the sequel!

I was already excited to read this fantasy book, but once I was immersed in Violet & Cyrus’s world, I became so thrilled to be there. Here are five reasons why I enjoyed the book

Setting: Set in a world of fantasy with kings, queens, witches, and fairies, the world-building of this book is magical & ethereal but still somewhat grounded in reality. With the ever present air of greed fed by gluttony (ambrosia I’m looking at you), this fantasy emulates a more modern time of vanity and power.

Violet: A liar, but also just someone trying to keep her head above water. What’s a little lying if it keeps you safe & alive? If it keeps you off the streets & in a warm bed? She is aware of her faults, but isn’t really remorseful of her mistakes until it's almost too late.

Cyrus: The “two-faced” prince who can schmooze with the best of them, throw a little flirty wink, but struggles with what he really wants. As heir to the throne, he has appearances to uphold, but maybe he really is what the kingdom needs.

Fairy tales: This book surprised me in that throughout the story, little pieces of classic fairytale moments were thrown in. I wouldn’t call this a retelling entirely, but there are moments reminiscent of Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty that jumped out at me. It was a new take on those stories that I really relished.

The End: Conflict occurs in most books and this one was no different. What was different is that the Violet, knowing all the bad that happened and all the bad that could happen in the future, took these events and spun them to create the narrative she wanted. To not put her past behind her, but rewrite it.

I really enjoyed the assortment of fairytale elements in this one! There's so many callbacks to classic tales too from a tower that's reminiscent of Rapunzel to a curse that's a mash-up of Sleeping Beauty and Beauty & the Beast to a Cinderella ball moment.

While the entwining fairytale moments are fun to see, it's Violet and Cyrus that really bring this book to the next level. These two despise each other. Violet thinks Cyrus is an obnoxious "Prince Charming;" while Cyrus thinks Violet lies for his father too much. They both aren't wrong about the other but when it turns out there's not an insignificant amount of attraction between them, both their carefully laid plans are threatened.

I also really liked some of the side characters. Camilla, Cyrus's twin, was a surprise; as was Dante. Seeing these two navigate the minefield that is Violet and Cyrus's relationship was sometimes entertaining. Dante has the misfortune of being both of their best friend. Camilla is close friends with the feuding duo, as well.

But what really made this book great was the last 20% or so where the plot all comes together. Yes this is a first in a duology, but there's not a huge cliffhanger just uncertainty about the future of each of the main cast. And I will definitely be picking up the sequel because I'm intrigued by what will befall this cast next.

All in all, this was a great read and I'm really excited that I got to be a part of Turn the Page Tour's book tour of this novel!

Check out my instagram @delightful.reading for the full tour stop!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for an eArc to Miss Gina Chen's novel!

Violet Made of Thorns was like a reimagining of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, but also not? If that makes any sense. A fairytale for a morally grey "witch" and a prince not-so-charming.

I bookmarked the book in 91 different areas. That's how absorbed I was with Violet's story. She isn't your typical princess; she's a seer,.someone with magical abilities and lies for most of her life. We start where Violet's web of lies has her in trouble - the prince has not found her bride, despite Violet prophesizing that he would find his true love.

From the beginning, I loved the dynamic between Violet and Prince Cyrus. Their constant bickering, Violet's nickname for Cyrus, the ridiculous tension they had. PLEASE, THAT MAZE SCENE. I had to put my phone down and walk around, waving my hands randomly in stress. Their banter may have been childish to some people, but for me, it fit their dynamic - if that makes sense.

The other characters are Camilla, Dante, and Raya. I can't say much about them, BUT I am excited to see more of Camilla and Violet's interactions. Dante, I'm curious about where his decisions have led him, and I cannot wait to see more of Raya's backstory if she has one. All in all, Violet Made of Thorns? A story I will recommend for those who love morally gray characters and a not=so-normal love story.