Another really fun young adult fantasy series kick-off!

Violet is the seer for the king, and has been getting some off prophecies about the future of the kingdom. The king's son, Cyrus, is set to take over the throne soon, and Violet recently made some *fake* prophecies at the king's behest that Cyrus would find a wife soon, thereby setting the kingdom on a good path. But Cyrus doesn't find someone to marry, and instead seems to be a thorn (no pun intended) in Violet's side.

This definitely gave me Cruel Prince vibes! I won't call this enemies to lovers, because that's still TBD, but there's plenty of confused yearning, betrayals, prophecies and magic, and literally no one can be trusted. So of course, it's very entertaining. Love when everyone is a morally grey character!

Thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the e-ARC!

Holy Moly! Was that a great book or not? I am pretty stingy with 5 star ratings at times, but this is one of those special books that hooked me from the first sentence. I loved loved loved Violet as a main character! She's sassy, morally grey, irreverent, and everything I love in a fantasy antiheroine. Not quite a good guy, but not quite a villain, her character arc and development was phenomenal. She's a hot mess of a person and I couldn't help but be invested in her story. I loved the antagonists to lovers dynamic between Violet and Cyrus. As prince and hated seer, as enemies, as lovers, they were just perfect, and I loved their banter and their push and pull as characters. I loved the fairytale-esque feel of VMOT that has vibes from Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast and much more. The magic and the world0building was wholly unique and the plot engaging in a way that few good books can manage. I give Chen chops for her writing. She has narrative style is just perfect, vibrant and clever. And to think this was a debut! I really need to stop being surprised about that. VIOLET MADE OF THORNS is a book I couldn't put down and literally devoured, one about the choices we make between self-preservation, love and what is right, and it was definitely my favorite read so far this month!

Violet makes her place in court by cleverly worded prophecies, but Prince Cyrus will strip her of her role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer. The king asks her to prophecy his love story, and Violet awakens a curse that could potentially damn or save the kingdom, depending on his choice of bride. She can survive the cutthroat court, but even she can't change her fate. Violet must choose her path that could save herself and the kingdom, or destroy them all.

Most heroines are sweet in some way, but Violet is glad to be prickly, rude and sarcastic. As an orphan with a bit of precognition in her dreams, she had to fight to stay alive and eat prior to rescuing the Crown Prince as a child. The Crown Prince himself is charming but not dumb; he realizes that Violet is beholden to the King for her lifestyle, and therefore assumes everything is a lie, even when it isn't. He must maneuver through Court and their expectations, because they (and his father) want a measure of control and power. Cyrus isn't necessarily different from his father, who dreams of unifying the entire continent under his country's rule, and to eliminate the fairy woods in the continent center.

I love the hints of multiple fairy tales in this story, the court gossip and the whispered fragments of Prophecy in Violet's dreams. The individual nobles clamoring for favor aren't necessarily memorable, but as a whole they're a fascinating glimpse into the culture of the kingdom, the divide between Fates and fairies, and whether people have the ability to change their fate. Even as Violet and Cyrus are drawn to each other, they can't help hurting each other, too. As a survivor, Violet needs to feel in control of her own fate; while the King doesn't really give her that control, he gives her the illusion of it and she feels beholden to him for her current status. Cyrus can't trust the King-approved lies she spills, and can't offer her a truly different way of life except for exile, which he threatens out of anger. The external dangers mount, some of which conforms to the fragments of visions that Violet had seen. She's out of her depth when it comes to magic or the wider political machinations, right until the very end.

Fantasy stories are a good outlet, letting us see the heart of characters in new worlds and situations. We might not know what we would do if we had Violet's life, but we can live vicariously through her and see how to make the most of it. She's clever, strong-willed where it counts, and still has the ability to love and care for others. As prickly and anti-social as she can be, I still find her likeable and incredibly fascinating to read about.

Violet is a Seer in the palace of Auveny - she can gaze into her patrons' pasts and futures simply by touching their hands. Violet is exceptionally clever, and her King makes use of this by tailoring Violet's divinations, or at least what she reveals, for the masses. The King asks Violet to "prophesy" Prince-Charming Cyrus's true and fated love, and Violet awakens a curse that could destroy the kingdom based on Cyrus's future bride.

There's magic, witches, fairies, curses, beasts, enemies-to-lovers, a weird amount of dead roses, a queer princess, and much more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I have never read anything like it, which I always appreciate in a fantasy novel. I loved Violet and her "imma control my own destiny, thank you very much" vibes. I also loved the Violet-and-Cyrus dynamic. Also loved literally everything about Camilla. She is my queen. The characters were a big hit for me in this one.

Fate vs. free will is a tried and true theme/trope, but Chen did a great job handling the ambiguity of prophesy and the double-meanings that the Fates can sometimes sneak into characters' destinies. The characters were handling their own destinies, but like....were they??? Were they really??? I loved asking myself that question at the end because teeeechnically the prophesies remained true.

I'm really looking forward to promoting this one on my Booksta later this month for its book tour. This was definitely a hit for me.

Also where is Dante? I need him back please. Thank you.

Probably more of a 3.5 but I’m rounding up.

This book was a purely vain addition to my tbr because have you seen the covers..??? Both the UK and US editions are stunning and there was no way I was gonna be able to resist reading it. And I was pretty happy when I got the arc. Now let’s see how I feel about it.

The writing is definitely easy to get hooked on and I found the beginning with prophecies proclaiming upcoming doom and the main character trying to figure out what to do to prevent it very compelling to read. The world is also fascinating with Seers, faeries, faerie wood, witches, beasts and more - but I felt like none of the elements were too fleshed out. We only got the information that was strictly necessary to move the story forward and nothing more, which was slightly dissatisfying, but I hope we’ll get more in the sequel. It’s got a very fairytale feel to it though, and I was totally for those vibes. The plot also is a weird mix of romance and working towards avoiding the prophecy and while I did enjoy both aspects of the story, I think maybe the integration of the two could have been executed better. The pacing is pretty fast though, which is why this turned out to be another book I finished in a day. The other aspect I did like was how the author wove in themes like colonialism and expansionism, the false justification for wars, how common people are manipulated into supporting such bloodshed - and the author does all this quite well, seamlessly as part of the story, without feeling like additional commentary.

Most of my love for this book is because of Violet. She is an orphan girl who managed to get to her position as the King’s Seer by being loyal to him, lying and manipulating when necessary, basically doing everything required so that she can survive. She is clever, icy, prickly and knows exactly what she is doing and doesn’t regret it for the most part (or atleast doesn’t give herself the chance to feel any regrets). She knows how to play the game at court and values the position she has earned, and to hell with anyone who thinks she is being cowardly or selfish.

Cyrus on the other hand may be the Prince Charming but it took me a bit to like him and I still can’t say I was entirely convinced. He is definitely righteous, wants peace and would like to avoid as much bloodshed and wars with the neighboring kingdoms as possible, but can also be narrow minded and a bit rigid in his beliefs and expectations.

Theirs is supposed to be a hate to love relationship and it shows. We get the antagonistic banter between them, the sexual tension, the hateful making out and more - but I guess it all felt a bit hurried to me. I can’t seem to decide if it was because of the fast paced plot, or if there was a possibility to have more of their interactions on page so that I could be convinced of their bond. I think I definitely saw his feelings coming through, but Violet’s feelings were more difficult to pin down which is funny considering she is the only pov we get. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the romance, but I guess I just would have liked more of it.

The side characters are not too many but are a mix of interesting and not too significant. Cyrus’s twin Camilla is definitely the most fun of the lot who is a privileged princess who enjoys her role to the fullest, but can also fight if push comes to shove. Dante is all of their close friend and he seemed to be someone I could have really liked if only he had been present more. The King is probably the looming presence across the book and I liked how the author used his character as a foil to discuss her themes in detail. I can’t decide if he was a good ruler for his kingdom or not but I definitely am not a fan, though I have to say he is written very realistically. And then there’s the antagonist whom I won’t spoil but we definitely deserved to know more about them, because I didn’t get a sense of why they were the villain.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book but maybe not wholly satisfactory. I guess I just had too many expectations. But I love that the author created a no nonsense, prickly heroine and I can only hope we’ll get more of her being herself in the sequel. I am also looking forward to discovering more of the world. However, I feel like the author did a good job wrapping up the story in a way it feels complete, just in case it is useful information for anyone thinking about picking this up.

If you love fairytales that twist the familiar and lovable tropes and all the classic tales with unapologetic morally gray characters and love/hate romance, look no further.

What I enjoyed:
- The romance: I loved the banter, the palpable chemistry and the fact that MC and LI had their own ambitions and interests that were independent of one another often conflicting. Their relationship was intense, complicated and utterly delicious.
- I liked the snarky, biting tone of this book. The MC wasn’t the standard lovable hero, but more of a relatable anti-hero who was refreshingly honest and lovably unlikeable.
- The seer lore and origin. It’s a fascinating aspect of world building briefly teased that I’m looking forward to exploring in the next book.

Do note:
- the pacing left a little to be desired. There were some repetitious aspects of the story that made it drag and the ending felt rushed though I liked the fairy tale like conclusion. Based on the fact that some issues are unresolved I’m hoping there will be a sequel.


Thank you to Random House Children, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley who provided a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

Thank you to Random House Children's and Netgalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book to read and review. I really enjoyed this book. It's a well done set up for the rest of the series and I definitely need more of these characters as well as what's going to happen. Violet is a seer and I loved her story and character arc. The fate and destiny aspects of the story are what really pulled me in and I loved Violet trying to make her own future. I think the magic system is unique and while some parts were predictable, there were also some twists I didn't see coming. This also was left on a cliffhanger and I can only imagine book two will be a bit more dark and twisty. I also got Cinderella retelling vibes a bit but only with some details and I thought this was quite a unique book. Overall, I really enjoyed this one.

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4

Violet Made of Thorns is a twisted fairy tale of sorts with subtle nods to classics like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast.

At the center of this twisted tale is Violet. Violet who cares more about herself than anyone else. Violet who looks out for herself. Violet a seer who hates telling people’s futures. Violet is snarky, smart and creative, and she’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Violet Made of Thorns is billed as a novel full of “morally grey” characters, which is true-ish. Violet tells of her “lack of character” so often, it’s almost as if author Gina Chen felt readers needed to be reminded.

This is the book’s weak spot.

Greater trust in her own character-building skills would have better shown off Chen’s characters. And a little more world-building would have provided a stronger backdrop for said characters.

That said, Violet Made of Thorns is a fairly fluid read that feels familiar and new at the same time. It’s not a particularly deep fantasy, though it does feature some steamy scenes not appropriate for younger readers. It’s a solid, good read that’s worth checking out from the library prior to purchasing.

If you love fairy tales this is 100% worth putting on your TBR. Violet Made of Thorns feels like it pulls a little something from all the classic fairy tales we grew up with and puts it's own spin on them while also having the enemies to lovers trope and one the best female anti-heroines I've read in a loooooong time. It's been so long since I've read a YA fantasy book that I truly just enjoyed from start to finish but this one really did it for me. I absolutely adored Violet and all of her flaws. Being inside her head and still never knowing if she would end up betraying the king, saving the prince, or killing him made it all the more fun. I'm so glad I gave this one a chance and cannot wait to see what will happen in the next book!

Avoid into the Auveny courtiers, sidestep the weight of a prophecy, lie to the masses about the Prince’s future, get it to at least 1 (one) argument with said Princey. All in a days work for Violet Lune, official and only Seer in Auveny.

Years earlier Violet had a dream about a boy dying in an accident. A few days later, she saved him from that death. The boy she rescued? Cyrus Listine, crowned prince of Auveny. He brought her back to court and she took up residence with the Seer at that time.

Now that Seer is dead with the words of a crushing prophecy on her lips and Violet has taken up the mantle, fighting that prophecy at every turn.

Plot: 3.5/5

The vibes are very much a mixing of fair tales. In the first 30% I made notes wondering if it was a sleeping beauty retelling, a Cinderella retelling, or maybe even something with beauty and the beast. I actually like the vibe this created because it actually made it feel really original.

This book is likened to the Cruel Prince, and while I can see where that is coming from, it definitely doesn’t stack up to what that makes it seem like.

Characters: 4/5
I love abrasive women and Violet is just that. She is both apathetic but invested at the same time and it’s kinda fun to see her struggle between the two. She isn’t quite morally grey though, her actions are usually solidly good or bad. Violet kind of misses that grey middle area she was intended to be in.

The connection between her and Cyrus is obvious. However the dynamic between Cyrus and every other eligible woman in court is really annoying (it probably is to him too). I wasn’t overly intrigued by Cyrus as a love interest but he is flawed in a way that balances Violet.

Camille was a baddie and we love to see a Royal lesbian!

Writing: 3/5
The writing style is solid but it didn’t overwhelmingly impress me. Chen is very good at creating a mysterious air in the dreams and making Violet’s personality jump off the page.

World building: 2/5
I was really lost in this world. It is inconvenient to reference maps in epubs even though it’s there BUT the words on the page didn’t help orient me at all. I was very confused by the two(?) continents, the kingdoms, and where they were in relation to this Fairywood. I was also very confused about what Fairywood was and how the magic worked. It seemed like most of the magic was jsut in glamours that came from enslaved little fairies that people “employ” by giving them a drug their addicted to. Which was very odd to say the least.

Overall: 3.75/5 stars

Violet Made of Thorns is a new dark YA fantasy novel from debut author Gina Chen. It's the type of story that very much feels like it should be one I've read before: commoner girl born with magical powers (foresight) saves life of Prince as a child, then years later has an antagonistic relationship with him that hides what really is hot attraction. Well that's a classic set of tropes for a reason, dealing not just with romance, but themes of class as well, and so I went into this story pretty interested and optimistic.

And that optimism was rewarded with a story that very much is not like the usual one I've read before - which takes that romantic setup in some very different ways, and changes the political and character background to ones that are a lot more interesting. This is a story that isn't just dealing with romance and class conflict, but also with issues of Empire, Greed, Foresight/Destiny, and powers of Storytelling...especially storytelling with the right combination of Lies and Truth. I really liked this one, and look forward to its eventual sequel.


---------------------------------------------Plot Summary-----------------------------------------------------
Violet came from nothing....until her ability to see the future led her to save the life of the kingdom's crown prince Cyrus. Now years later, she's the Kingdom of Auveny's prized seer, trusted innately by the King.....especially to make prophecies up at times to serve the King's purpose. The King hopes that Violet will use her prophecies to get Cyrus to choose a useful bride - one who will fulfill the last Seer's prophecy that Cyrus' choice of bride may save the entire Kingdom. And of course so that the King can use her prophecies to justify his schemes to annex and conquer the neighboring kingdoms.

There's only one problem: Cyrus, the boy she once saved, knows of her falsehoods and can't stand her for it - especially how she allows the King to use her to manipulate others for the Kingdom....whereas Cyrus dreams of a just kingdom under his honest rule.

But things are going very wrong in the Kingdom - strange monster beasts are attacking people on the Kingdom's borders and Violet starts to see visions and hear words seemingly from the Fates....demanding that Cyrus die as he should have once before he was saved all those years ago. And as Violet begins to contemplate giving in to the Fate's demands she starts to run into a problem: her mutual attraction for Cyrus, one that might doom not just Violet, but the very Kingdom itself.....
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As I said above the jump, you expect certain things from a setup like Violet Made of Thorns - you expect the protagonist Violet to be good hearted and in love with the Prince Cyrus, who you expect to be a grim person on the surface who she'd openly seem to dislike (mutually)...and would turn out to have a secret heart of gold. You expect the prophecies that Violet sees to be ones that turn out to mean something other than she'd think, so that they come true in ways that avert the catastrophes they portend. And you expect Violet and Cyrus to eventually come together to save the kingdom.

These things are for a different book, and a far less interesting one honestly. Take Violet - Violet is good hearted at her core sure, but at the same time she's more cynical and self-interested than you would expect: afraid of ever being returned to the commoner life she started in, she's willing to lie for the King (and for herself) about prophecies to try to stay in his good graces. And that latter remains the case even though the King is well....an utter ass, if not utterly evil: a man more interested in conquering the continent and expanding his Empire than serving those in his own populace, who cares more for his own power than anything. And even as Violet recognizes this, she pretty much never is willing to go against the King and risk being cast off....to the great frustration of Cyrus.

Similarly, Cyrus isn't the bitter openly cruel or dark prince you'd expect here with a hidden heart of gold - he's an actual GOOD prince whose good heart is worn openly on his sleeve. He hates Violet's lying prophecies and what it seems to have turned her into - a bitter cynical girl instead of the one he originally fell in love with. The problem is of course that this is not some hopeful world, but one in which his father is a cruel conqueror, and where Cyrus' future servants are not willing to just fall in line and not make plays for power themselves, so his goodhearted nature, as well as his unwilling to just take an arranged marriage, means that he puts himself in danger of getting killed or taken out of play from his actions, ruining any chance of him doing good.

I could go on and on about other minor characters, but the result is more than a simple fantasy romance between commoner and prince, but one dealing strongly with colonization, imperialism, and fate, and a lot of really interesting themes - like how the Kingdom uses drugs to lure fairies to cast illusions; and how the Kingdom's people burn down the fairywood that other countries hold sacred out of a lack of understanding and caring - there's a lot here dealing with a colonizing/imperial main country, and it's very well done. And Violet's cynical approach to life, and her inability to let herself try to do what's right if it might put her in jeopardy, adds to that as things get more and more out of control - due to the King's ambitions, a powerful magical foe's attacks, and her attraction to Cyrus - and helps this plot always draw you in, and makes it really work up until a really surprising ending.

It's an ending that's a hell of a cliffhanger that should lead into a strong second book, and I really can't wait honestly. This is a real winner and is highly recommended.

Violet is a Seer. She was discovered as a young child when she saved the life of the prince of the land. She is quite prickly around the edges and has done a good job at keeping most people at arm's length, a survival method for sure. But when a deadly prophecy is starting to come true, the people as well as the prince are desperate for answers and for guaranteed solutions- something Violet cannot give.

Honestly, this was a bit of a slog until the very end of the book. But then it ended on a cliff-hanger and I'm curious what happens next! I had a hard time liking most of the characters, to be honest. I'm okay with unique characters, but there needs to be at least a little more likability. There are a lot of personalities though- the emotionally unavailable prince, the gay princess, the suspicious best friend, etc.

For my own FYI- probably wouldn't recommend for my own kids to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacrote Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I finished reading an early copy of Violet Made Of Thorns by Gina Chen a while back and it's definitely one of my favorite reads this month. I mean I can't believe this is a debut novel? Wow.⁣
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Violet is a mix of many things - a Seer, a liar and a selfish person, but she's unapologetic about it. Even if the prince, Cyrus hates her for who she is. She's worked her way up from the streets to the royal court and she doesn't mind falsifying a few things(or many) for the king here and there if it keeps her where she is. The heir to the throne doesn't like this and he would like it better if she wasn't the Seer either. It doesn't help that he's the center of a dark prophecy, and his future partner could save or ruin the kingdom 🤨⁣
But, Violet then begins to have some ominous dreams that make her rethink her choices, and her trust in others as well.⁣
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Violet was fantastic and I wouldn't call her an anti-heroine but she's not one with too many principles either. She lies, hides stuff when it suits her and puts herself first(nothing wrong with that imo) but she's not completely uncaring about the world either? Like she wouldn't want a war(because it would affect her comfort ofcourse but still)😂 The book title suits because she's very prickly + made of thorns and doesn't trust others at all.

"He told me that a lie is a tool, just as much as honesty is. Both are about choosing what words to say. Both can have consequences. What you achieve in the end is what matters."

Cyrus was an amazing counterpart to her - he puts his kingdom first(but he also wants love?😆). But he doesn't trust her - at all - because he knows her too well. Basically they both have their own agendas, so there's peak love/hate between them. I'll just call it lust-hate because I think the emotional development would still need some work. But extra points for the steam, as I thought this was gonna be a non-steamy YA book(Hey I like surprises🤣)!⁣
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“You don’t have a single selfless thought in that blessed mind of yours, and I will never oblige myself to someone like that. Be proud, because pride is all you have.”
My blood hums. If he wants to put me in my place, I’ll put him in his. I strip off my gloves and tuck them into my sleeve.
“Maybe I should take a better look at your threads.”
He hasn’t let me read them since my first year here.
“If you’re so confident you can make your way without me, I should see nothing but success in your future.”

I loved the world-building and the supporting cast with Camilla, Dante and the others as well! Even if I'd removed the fantasy elements from the story, it would still feel realistic because of the way the characters were portrayed and the choices that they made - which is what I liked the most I think! It's got a promising setup and I can't wait to see how the author takes this further! Thankfully it didn't end on a cliffy, but I'm very curious about many other things now 🧐⁣

"I understand why others put such faith in the Fates: Don’t we all wish— beyond any gold or fame— to be right? To have some authority tell us with certainty that we’ve done the best we could with the life we have? So we idly listen to kings and gods who tell us what to do, even when we have no idea what their true intentions are. Even if all they want is blood."

*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

The first in a new series by author, GIna Chen, this has everything you want from a classic fairytale: a sharp-witted and sharp-tongued heroine, a prophesy binding a prince and a witch, a magical wood suffering from a curse, and a kingdom with suspicious neighbors in peril. it definitely has all the bases covered and doesn't leave the reader wanting in terms of content.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an e-arc of this novel.*

*I received this book as a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you NetGalley, Gina Chen, and Random House Children.

I have mixed feelings about this books. It took me about the first 25-30% before the tone of the book sort of shifted and I sort of got into it, but like… without any sort of investment in any of the characters. Even then, I still found myself bored reading the rest. It moved so so slow. Not for anyone who enjoys a fast pace.

The Negative:
I just can’t tell what this book is trying to be. One second it’s a serious ‘I’m-not-like-other-girls’ story then the next it’s a cartoonish scene of the prince being smothered in one way or another by many women. It made it really hard to get into the book because just as soon as I start getting into a reading rhythm the tone takes a sharp right turn and often felt out of character.

I’m also not a particular fan of narratives that have to tear down other women or paint them as vapid to uplift the main heroine as introspective and special. While I don’t think that was Chen’s intention, I do think that vibe very heavily permeates the story.

The Positive:

With the negative out of the way, let’s talk positive. It’s a unique spin on fairytales to be sure. There were moments where the writing absolutely enraptured me before the aforementioned abrupt turns. I particularly enjoyed the prophecies and how they saw themself to conclusion.

I truly think this could be an amazing story if everything was taken down a notch or two rather than being a caricature of emotion or personality trait it’s meant to convey. I get that YA often exaggerates emotions, and that’s fine, but when you exaggerate it so much, it leans pretty strongly cringeward.

TLDR; Solid 3 stars. Good book but didn’t blow my mind. I’d say middle ages of the YA crowd. Humor and angst aimed at youngers but kissing scenes aimed at mid to older YA. I could have quit at 80% and not lost sleep over it. It’s a compelling plot without compelling characters. It was readable in the sense that the writing wasn’t contrived. It was just… slow. I found myself bored at minimum 95% of the time.

🔮 Thanks for the free book PRH International 🔮

What a nice surprise it was to find this book, because as the story progressed I was very afraid that I would be disappointed and luckily it wasn't. The author knew how to give me what I was looking for, and I liked that a lot.

This is the first novel by Gina Chen, and I feel that in the next publications we are going to see a giant growth because it shows that she has potential.

In Violet Made of Thorns I feel that everything that is the construction of the universe where we find ourselves and everything that surrounds it, was underdeveloped. There are few explanations and the truth is that I like to know where we are, why, how that world works, and although she explained something to us (and she did it in a super light and simple way - which is good -) I expected a little more. In a fantasy book I like to have a good explanation of where we stand.

Beyond that, I felt that this novel introduced us to a different protagonist. Where the romance, although it is important in the plot, is not the main thing and I loved that. Because it doesn't end like a fairy tale, where betrayal, doubts, the possible future that awaits them is uncertain and despite the fact that our protagonist can see the future, few things are certain (a very interesting proposition).

A fluid reading, with gray characters, there is no white, there is no black. They are characters with a past, a future, a motivation and they do what they think is best.

I liked the diversity of characters that there are, how they are presented, although I also would have liked a little more development in them. Get to know them a little more.


All in all, a very interesting and cool read. I already want to read the second one!

Mmmm…. I liked this but…. I’m just not quite sure who the target audience is. I think it’s being marketed as YA but this is really steamy for a teen book. It’s not super explicit but I’d probably hesitate to give it to under 16. I mean any kid with access to the internet could look up worse but that doesn’t mean I need to hand it to a younger teen. Violet and Cyrus aren’t exactly a healthy functioning relationship either! But I enjoyed Violet’s snarky even as I found her very young seeming. So if the description sounds good to you and you don’t mind medium steamy scenes it’s a solid fantasy. I’m just a lot of books into my 2022 reading year and this was good but not amazing.

I love this book, but it took me a few chapters to get used to Violet. After that, I was in love with her and Cyrus. I loved learning about the world and the people in it. I just wish the pacing was a little better and a little more connection between Violet and Cyrus. Though I loved the MC. I do have to say my all-time favorite character has to be Camilla. I also loved all the fairy tale vibes I got from this book. It had me crying and laughing, I really can't wait to read more from Gina Chen. I really want more from this world, truth be told I would love to be in that world.


Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for letting me read and review this wonderful book.

Violet may see the future, but she's well aware that a true prophecy isn't always appreciated. As the kingdom's Seer, she has worked hard to earn her position, despite the fact that she and Prince Cyrus are always at odds. The prince has a curse that only a proper love story can resolve, and it's Violet's duty to assuage the general public, even if it means telling carefully crafted lies. As foretold ruin nears, Violet must decide whether she is going to take control over her own destiny or give in to the ill-fated attraction between her and Cyrus. Because whatever she chooses will have dire consequences.

Violet Made of Thorns is a dark fantasy debut. Featuring a morally gray heroine and a not-so-charming prince, this was a well-written novel that looks at the fine line between hate and love. 4 stars.

When it comes to YA fantasy, it's hard to stand out in a crowd. Violet Made of Thorns is one that feels more like a fairytale, complete with dark and magical woods, witches that can see the future, and princes that are looking for their one true love. And, like many fairytales, some aspects are eschewed in favor of others.

The world is decently developed, but much of the epic worldbuilding is left out; instead, readers are given wholly complex, and sometimes not very likeable, main characters. Chen writes in an author's note that Violet is meant to be far from perfect. She's flawed in many ways, as is her supporting cast. And by embracing that, Chen has created a character-driven romance with hints of court intrigue.

A main focal point for the story is the romance between Violet and Cyrus, who always fight with one another, yet can't deny their attraction. Readers will find a very loose love triangle, as Cyrus is looking for a bride... who is not Violet. This is a more mature romance that seems to focus more on physical lust than emotion in its beginning stages. And whether that emotion is ultimately love or hate is one that is up for debate.

I think that this is going to be a novel that many will love as long as they're willing to read through the eyes of a heroine that they may not always like. Violet is extremely frustrating, in all honesty, but that's sort of what I liked best about the book. However, I will acknowledge that not everyone will find this endearing. I leave this book wondering where the series will go, as I feel like the story was pretty well wrapped-up.

Posted to Goodreads July 18, 2022.

Violet is the royal prophet. She is ambitious and determined to keep influence and her life in court for her whole life. Violet knows better than to assume good much less kindness from the court around her. Cyrus is the curse heir to the throne. He is Romantic and optimistic and moving ever closer to losing his seat if not more. Still, he believes that people are good, that they can and will choose to be better, It has been a fact of court for years that Violet and Cyrus hate each other. But when Cyrus's father asks Violet to lie to Cyrus and the court to manipulate the court, Violet has to choose between trying to move Cyrus through his curse without the help of Fate or pitting herself against the man who has given her every comfort in life.

Violet Made of Thrones took me back to all the elements of folklore inspired works that made the genre one of my favorites. Gina Chen's characters were smart and funny and sharp without apology. Violet and Cyrus's distain for each other while actively sharing friends and city was so well balanced. There is something that will nearly always scratch right of girl hates boy, boy hates girl, friend is tired of this that Chen got exactly right. More though was the clear understanding of how privilege and position can make morality seem easier for some than it is for others. While I enjoyed the world building and the politics that Chen presents in this book, it was this character presentation that drove my reading.