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.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Violet Made of Thorns is a fairytale retelling with unusual twists that are sharp, vicious, and simply unforgettable.

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
I love a beautiful cover, and this book has one of the most beautiful among them. Rich covers such as this make me think that the story is an epic or high fantasy. The blurb tells of an exciting tale filled with sarcasm and wit, not to mention morally gray characters and a not-so-charming Prince. It sounds like this story will take the Disney version of fairytales and stand it on end with a new edgier version.

Actual Reading Experience:
What I loved most about this story was the fairytale quality with a twist. It was just what I expected from reading the blurb and more. It has many fairytale components like a prophecy, a prince, a witch, a magical wood, and a kingdom that needs saving. What the author does with these components is much different than I have grown to expect from the many, many Disney fairytale-inspired movies I have watched over the years. Is there a happily ever after, at least? I don't know, as this is the first book in a planned duology, but I'm betting that the ending will be just as shocking as the rest of the story.

The first thing I noticed when I began reading Violet Made of Thorns is the informal conversational tone of the story told in Violet's snarky, self-deprecating voice. This was a shock at first because my initial expectation was of high fantasy, and this is not how they are told – it's the opposite. Once I got used to it, however, I enjoyed it except for some niggles over profanity. I have an issue with profanity being used in epic fantasy stories because it's base, stands out, and is often used for no logical reason. It isn't a fairytale or high fantasy language, but that part fits with everything else the story does.

I especially enjoyed loads of unexpected twists and turns. There are so many surprises to be unveiled in this world and story, and I just love a good twist and a shocking turn. These revelations worked to keep the pace extremely fast, and if you have read any of my past reviews, then you know I love nothing better than a fast pace – the quicker the better.

There is a shockingly steamy enemies-to-lovers romance in Violet Made of Thorns which is entirely in keeping with Violet's character. I can't imagine she would be involved in anything but enemies-to-lovers romance since she is far from the warm and fuzzy type. It's a bit of a stretch, but it isn't. I bought it, and for my reading experience, that's what's important. The sex scenes made me blush, but I'm the person who fast-forwards through those scenes when streaming shows and movies, so no surprise there.

Characters:
Violet is the main character and the narrator. Her sarcastic wit held me enraptured, as did her terrible decisions and insightful observations. I found her magic very intriguing and will love to see that explored more in the next book.

Cyrus is the not-so-charming prince. Well, that's not totally true. He's only not charming to Violet because everyone else happily bends to his will after he throws a smile their way. He is a very complex character that I enjoyed getting to know, and I can't wait to see where his story goes.

The side characters are all unique and quirky, and I loved how different each is and what that added to the story as it unfolded.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you love seeing fairytales turned on their end and enjoy sarcasm and wit, Violet Made of Thorns will utterly delight you and take you on a fast-paced adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Violet is a Seer, one who can see the threads of a person’s past and future, and while her prophecies and predictions are mostly true, she is also beholden to the wishes and machinations of the king. When a fabricated foretelling involving the prince - with whom she has always clashed - starts to take a darker turn, she must figure out how to fight destiny, fate and her own prickly heart.

One of the reasons why I really enjoyed this debut novel is because all of the characters are very morally ambiguous. FMC Violet is very much an antiheroine - she recognizes her own selfishness and callous attitude and behavior and doesn’t apologize for it. She has a really interesting character arc in this story, and I’m very curious to see how she further develops as the series continues. MMC Cyrus presents himself as Prince Charming but also has a more cunning side that reveals itself at opportune moments. If you enjoy a good loathe to love romance (think The Cruel Prince without the mean-spirited bullying), then you will definitely like how the relationship plays out in this story.

Other elements I liked: Cinderella-inspired vibes, prophecies and curses, potential for even more Seer magic, and surprising twists and turns. I think there is more room for growth in subsequent novels, especially for establishing context and history, but overall the romance and the political conflicts have a satisfying beginning in Violet Made of Thorns.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Fantasy
Age Level: Upper Young Adult/New Adult (this is one that I feel crosses the line to make it no suitable for 12-18yo readers)
Content: mild language, one vague open-door scene

Violet is probably my favorite character out of all of the books I've read in the last year or two. She's obstinate, morally gray, and refuses to let anyone stop her from achieving what she wants. So often older fantasy novels have quiet female characters who remain in their place and only do what they're told; they fall in love with who is expected and everything is perfect. Violet is exactly the opposite, and she's so opinionated about everything in her life and refuses to back down.

I also really loved how this has the feel of a traditional fairytale, but then you've got Violet in the background going, "nope, I'm not doing that." The beasts, fairies and overgrown Fairywood are all bits and pieces that feel like stories I've read before, but Violet's point of view of it gives it all a new spin. You've got a bit of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, and Cinderella, but it's all put together is such a great way that it doesn't take away from the main storyline at all.

The novel was incredible and Violet felt so real, she could have been sitting next to me on the sofa. Goodreads says this is book one, so here's to hoping for book two!

After Violet changed the future by saving Prince Cyrus from death as a child, she was plucked off the streets of the capital and installed as the new Seer for the kingdom. Trained to be the kind of Seer the king wants and needs - and not necessarily and honest one - what began as friendship between Cyrus and Violet has twisted into animosity, and when the king asks her to twist a prophecy to suit his machinations, terrible things begin to happen in the kingdom. However, the tension between them hides something more and as Violet and Cyrus start working together to try to save the kingdom and their futures, they find themselves drawn to one another, but this may mean the end of everything and Violet doesn't know where her loyalties actually lie.

Morally grey protagonists can be extremely challenging to like, especially when they don't really seem to have many redeeming qualities and unfortunately the majority of the characters in this book are morally grey. Perhaps this makes them more realistic but it also makes it harder to read since they keep making poor choices and doing things that make them unlikable. The hints of history and magical explanations are interesting but incomplete - hopefully this will be fleshed out in the upcoming sequel - which makes sense for Violet's first-person narrative, considering she is still learning what it means to be a Seer and how her magic and the magic in the world actually works. Young adult fantasy readers will like the new world with its magic and will be more likely to empathize with Violet and her actions, though older readers and those exhausted by the current state of things in our world may find it hard to enjoy this very dark take on a fairy-tale. It will be interesting to see how Chen resolves the story in the sequel - hopefully readers will get more explanation of the magic and a happier ending.

Thank you to Random House Children/Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Violet Made of Thorns early in exchange for an honest review.

I got 15% into this and it was very clear to me that this isn't a book for me. The tone and the third person present tense just doesn't work for me. If I know I'm not the right audience for something so early into reading it, I usually don't post a review publicly because I don't want to hurt the book's chances of finding the right audience elsewhere.

As Seer, Violet holds an important place in the kingdom of Auveny. She has the ability to see threads of the future and the king uses her visions selectively to further his agenda for the kingdom. Violet is loyal to the king because she feels like she owes him, but is constantly at odds with the Prince. With the looming threat of a dark prophecy and a Witch creating beasts that are running the countryside, Violet and the Prince must figure out their relationship before the kingdom ends in ruin.

This story has several elements of classic fairytales woven in to it… beasts, lost slippers, a ball to find a bride. Unfortunately this one just didn’t wow me. The magical elements seemed underdeveloped in favor of the relationship between the Prince and Violet. In general I really liked Violet as a character, she seemed smart and spunky in most situations. But when she got around the prince all that went out the window and all she could do was insult him; this got old. And the witch plot seemed a little thrown in with no backstory. Overall it wasn’t horrible, just not a wow book.

3 stars

I was blown away by the main character, violet. She takes no prisoners and makes no apologies. I loved how ballsy she was and how matter of fact she dealt with all of the political intrigue around her. violet is also funny without trying to be but, that’s necessary to hide a lonely heart. Violet was plucked from the streets because of her “sight” living in the palace has taught her to be tough. Cyrus has always known he would be prince. They’ve hated each other from the get but the future of the kingdom depends on them. As a debut, I was hooked by the premise and originality of the story. Loosely based on a fairy tale, it spins, cruel love interests, morally grey characters and a plot rife with Trojan horses. For fans of deadly education, cruel prince.

I fell in love with Violet on page one and it was a joyride from there until the end of this book!

Things I loved:
- Violet’s internal monologue. She was such a strong morally grey character.
- The world building! I got a great sense of the world without having it feeling like an info dump.
- The side characters and banter!
- The ending!

I cannot wait to own my own copy of this book!

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.

The tension that was supposed to exist ( regarding the romance) before they kissed simply did not exist for me and I found the entire relationship between Violet and Cyrus to be unbelievable. I'm usually a reader who likes enemies-to-lovers, but I don't think that aspect played a role here at all. The fairytale-ness and the intrigue alone are what kept me reading. The setting is atmospheric and the world building lovely - I did find myself needing to know what was going to happen next.

This is probably more of a 3.5 but I'll round up :)

I had so much fun with this book!

It's a solid YA fantasy entry, with interesting politics and world-building and a main character whose flaws and issues I really appreciated. (Also, morally grey Asian MC? Sign me uppppp) The author did a great job weaving well-known fairytales in to the story without making it feel predictable; the most obvious references were Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. The chemistry between Cyrus and Violet is believable and fun to read about, and I very much enjoyed that they didn't suddenly start to get along, even once their attraction started to grow. Sometimes it feels like two characters starting to like each other kills all the tension, but that didn't happen here. I do think it would have been nice to get some more development of the side characters; most of them were pretty flat in my opinion.

There were a lot of parallels to The Cruel Prince: political maneuvering, a morally grey MC, enemies/rivals-to-lovers romance. I don't think those are all quite as well done as The Cruel Prince, but to be fair, it would be nigh-impossible to outdo that series.

In short, if you're into YA or NA fantasy and enjoy some good moral greyness, give this a try!

This perfectly balanced story is both ruthless and sweet. I'm a huge fan of fairytale retellings & this hit that sweet spot of feeling familiar while also being unlike anything I've ever read. It's so good. Violet is everything I've ever wanted in a witchy MC. This book needs to be on every shelf.

Violet Made of Thorns was easily one of my most anticipated releases of 2022. If the stunning cover hadn’t already drawn me in, the premise of a prickly heroine who sees other people’s fate learning to take control of her own would’ve. Gina Chen’s debut, Violet Made of Thorns follows Violet Lune, who is regarded as the kingdom’s only seer — and also a liar. Enter Prince Cyrus, who she once rescued, who gave her a home, and who she’s almost always at odds with. He’s next in line for the throne, and cursed with the kingdom’s ruin. To save them all, Violet tells yet another false prophecy — Prince Cyrus will find his betrothed before the journey’s over, and break the curse. But when one false prophecy leads to another, Violet and Cyrus find themselves caught between their feelings, following their destinies, and taking matters into their own hands.

As our main character, I loved how unapologetic Violet was. She’s witty and well — prickly. Since this book is written in her POV, I could see readers either falling completely in love with Violet, or absolutely hating her. I don’t think there’s much room for an in between. I will say that it took a while for her to grow on me, but once she did, I found myself really liking her. She’s unapologetic for her actions and her motivations, and I really enjoyed that about her.

As someone who hasn’t read The Cruel Prince or Serpent & Dove, I wasn’t disappointed by the comparison titles, although I’ve heard a couple people express their disappointment by inaccurate comparison titles. That being said, given what I do know about The Cruel Prince, I expected the romance and sexual tension to play more of a role than it did. The ‘enemies’ bit of ‘enemies to lovers’ was well done, although the ‘lovers’ bit was a little lacking for me. While I did care about Cyrus and Violet, I didn’t find myself overly invested in their dynamic and found myself wishing for more information about their backstory. There were a couple moments and quotes between the two of them that I loved, but it also felt a little superficial, or more tell than show. I’m hoping that, since this is the first book in a series, that there’ll be more moments between Cyrus and Violet.

It’s incredibly evident that Violet Made of Thorns draws on many fairy tale influences, although sometimes it felt like a little too many. I struggled a bit with the worldbuilding, and just didn’t really know how all the different fantasy aspects went hand in hand for the most part. I think that upon a reread, things will make more sense to me. Violet Made of Thorns also promised a lot of court politics, and I found it to be a little lacking in that development. While there was some court politics, it just wasn’t as much as I’d been expecting.

Overall, I was a little disappointed by Violet Made of Thorns, but still found it an enjoyable read. I’m really excited for the sequel, and to see how the loose ends are tied up!

{Thank you @netgalley for an arc of my newest favorite book 💜}

5 FREAKING STARS!!!!

The fact I read this book while on my month long work trip in Costa Rica should tell you how amazing it is!!!

Gina Chen has managed to write a modern day fairytale with a parallel to Grimm’s that is nothing short of genius. She has a gift for descriptive imagery and language, I spent so much of this book stopping to highlight her quotes.

Violet and Cyrus are what all other enemies-to-lovers ships wish they could be. Things go from heated to angsty at whiplash speed and there’s a scene in here that is an upgrade of knife to the throat, just saying 👀👀👀 (bonus points to them for being forbidden love as well). The Witch + Prince Charming = soulmated true love

And lastly Violet is the (iced over) heart of this story. I think everyone will relate to her internal commentary in one form or another.

All that’s to say GO CHECK OUT THIS INCREDIBLE DEBUT JULY 26th!!!

What an amazing debut! Gina Chen's writing style immediately draws you and hooks you with Violet's story. Violet is a seer in the court of the king who provides some false prophecies concerning the king's son Cyrus and his future marriage. She accidentally opens a curse that will determine the kingdom's future based on who Cyrus chooses as a bride. This story has so many fairytales woven throughout that makes this story so fun! There is plenty of banter, sarcasm, gossip, and adversity between these two. Wonderful debut novel!