Fairytale readers be ready, this book is for you, but with a dark edge to it, you can help but be excited and want more, more, more!!

I really liked this book. It grabbed my attention from the beginning and held it throughout. I read it rather quickly.

Violet is a Seer, which is rare, and she serves the king. She saved the prince's life when they were children and the king took her in after that. She is loyal to the king because he saved her from her life on the streets. So when the king encourages her to elaborate on her visions (in other words, lie), she agrees to it.

The prince, Cyrus, is under a curse, and his choice of wife is extremely important but he can't seem to decide on who he will marry. There's more going on with the curse and marriage and other politics, but I don't want to give away any spoilers.

I really loved the interaction between Violet and Cyrus. Their intense seeming hatred of one another hints that they care far more for each other than either might want to admit. (The opposite of love isn't really hate but indifference.)

This was such a fun and adventurous fairytale like story and I liked it so much! The banter between the main characters was so much fun to read, their romance was adorable and I really liked it. I'm very excited for the sequel!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Delacorte Press (Random House Children's) for providing me with an early copy of this e-book to read and give an honest review.
FANTASY! I love me some fantasy. It makes my bookish heart happy. And this book truly made my bookish heart happy!
The plot:
Hello fairytale. But not a retelling! I like how this one borrows from different fairytales to create something new and different. Witch/Seer with a prophecy that everyone hopes will not come to pass. Witch/Seer who does not see as much as people are lead to believe. Witch/Seer who often times does not want to see what will come to pass. Fast paced, fun, and twists ensue!
The characters:
Violet, the witch, the Seer. I enjoyed her character. She's raw. She's honest. She's no bones about it not worried what others think of her. She also has a closed heart. She doesn't see things right in front of her. She pushes people away. Such is the life of a Seer who everyone is hoping will give them the prophecy they want. She's truly flawed and I really enjoyed that about her
The prince: Cyrus. Cocky, yes. Annoying, for sure. Charming, absolutely. Typical prince who needs to make a show in public, but not as tough as his daddy would like to see.
The king: he's, well, he's a king. Kind one moment, ruthless the next I never got a true feel on him. He's manipulative and tries his hardest to use Violet to his advantage.
Dante: well, I'll leave it up to you to decide. I liked him and then I didn't. His twist was a bit unexpected, but then made sense. I feel like he'll be redeemed in the future, though.
Camilla: she might be my favorite of all. Cyrus' twin, who is unabashedly herself and doesn't give one iota about what others think. She's fierce and refreshing. Plus, she makes for an awesome side kick to Violet!
The love interest:
I saw it coming. But I did love the push/pull, love/hate that went on with it. There was nothing surprising about it happening. But it was fun to watch and the steamy scenes were done well.
The ending:
A true twist I didn't really see coming. I thought it would take a different turn, to be honest. But I also know it's a series, so perhaps in the future it will turn out differently. I will say the ending reminded me a bit of Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass. There are definitely elements of that series in this story.
I'm impressed with the writing and how the plot and characters are built out in this book. Especially coming from an author who has no background in writing.
Overall this was a fast paced, quick fantasy read. I have not read the books it was compared to so I can't tell you if the comparison is true or not. I'm looking forward to seeing where the author takes this series.

A story filled with twists and turns that will leave you gasping and wanting more!

What. did I. just read?!?! This book- Wow- I can't even form a coherent sentence right now! This book is the literal definition of emotional damage! I started reading this book at 4 in the morning and finished at 8 in the morning that's how engrossed in the story I was! By the time I finished it, the sun had risen and oh my gods, what a book!!!! Violet is EVERYTHING I adore this girl so much! I love her personality cause I feel like this character is ME! I know I say that for most books I've read but that's how I feel! This girl has been through so much so over time she hardened herself to protect herself from feeling that way and that hit me so much! Now let's talk about the ending cause that DESTROYED me, especially since who knows when book 2 comes out! Ok so the ending was so surprising, the last few chapters of the book had me sitting up from my bed because I could not believe what I was reading like Violet really did that!?!
Anyway so check this book out if you want to read a book with angst on July 26, 2022!

Thank You, Turn the Page Tours, the publisher, and Netgalley for the eARC!

3.5 - 4ish Stars

I admit I only requested this ARC for it's beautiful cover but recently it's been hyped up on a few discords I frequent, so I'm glad I was approved lol! This review will contain spoilers so please be aware!

Violet Made of Thorns is a fairytale lover's dream. Loads of magic, fairies, beasts, witches, seers and a prince of course. I loved the world building, I thought it was a pretty unique way of using the magical elements of fantasy. Pacing was great, I didn't put it down once from 10% to about 78% I was so engaged. I had a love/hate relationship with the antihero, Violet. At times I was rooting for her and the way she cared about herself and how she was a survivor but also at times I was like "omg open your heart a teeny tiny bit woman!"

At first I really loved the love/hate relationship between Violet and Cyrus. It gave off Cruel Prince vibes abound. But towards the end there I was disappointed that they never really give in to just being in love with each other. It's still a battle even in the very last chapter. I'm not sure if there is a sequel planned but this could be the reason why the author chooses to continue their relationship in that love/hate stage still. But if there is a sequel I hope that they can resolve rather quickly because it's starting to get old how much they tear each other apart (and not in a good spicy way lol).

I did not see the betrayal with Dante coming at all, I thought for sure it might have ended up in a love triangle type setting with what Violet was thinking at the ball sitting with Dante. I'm not even sure if he's alive after jumping out that window? How do you survive a backwards jump out of a window from what I assume is a high floor since it's the King's chamber? Interesting. Something again I would like answered in the sequel if there is one.

I'd definitely recommend this to Cruel Prince fans though I don't believe it will live up to that hype (that level of hype is insane) but it definitely gave off the same love/hate vibes for a while. Also, Beauty and the Beast fans would like this too.

Thank you so much to Random House Children's & Delacorte Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

#bookreview Violet Made of Thorns (Violet Made of Thorns #1) by Gina Chen

Holy shit, guys, this book is so good. I love it so much. The relationship/friendship between the prince and the seer gave me Merthur vibes and I loved it. The whole book had me reminded of how much I loved fantasy when it’s done right and this book was so so done right. It’s got fairy tale vibes and fantasy and forbidden love and a cynical main gal that I freaking LOVE. Violet is fierce and she’s made sure she can survive in this kingdom no matter what and there is no flowery thoughts in her brain. She sees it like it is and doesn’t take your bullshit.

Okay and that ending. THAT ENDING. I’m not spoiling a damn thing, but holy shit. This will be a book on my bookshelf to read and reread as soon as it’s released later this month. You want this book. I promise you if you enjoy fantasy and/or fairy tales, you want this book.

I was provided an eARC of this book from the publisher (Delacorte Press) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

#bookstagram

Violet Made of Thorns is a YA novel featuring a young woman who is a Seer in her land of Auveny. Getting introduced into a new "world" can be overwhelming sometimes, but I think the author does a good job of making the world building concise and clear. Although we still have more to learn about Violet's past in future books, following her on her journey where weird things start happening is exciting. I got a mixture of Cinderella and Beauty & the Beast vibes here, with more magic and villainous things going on. I kept on rooting for Violet and Cyrus cause I love a good friends-enemies-lovers romance, I can't help it. I look forward to the next book in the series, especially after the slight cliffhanger at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for this early reading ARC!

A Violet made of thorns indeed! Our protagonist Violet is sharp, prickly, and dangerous. She's also impossible not to root for! Having made a place for herself in the cutthroat royal court out of prophecy and lies, she know must fight for that place in order to survive politics, corruption, and betrayal.

Biting,complex, and completely addictive, Chen has woven a tale that'll easily be a highlight of my 2022 reading.

You'll follow Violet, a kingdoms seer, as she navigates the complicated and complex politics of court life .
Violet is the morally grey heroine we all deserve. She's headstrong,alarmingly pragmatic, and a master of self preservation. It's thrilling to see a character so complex in their actions and not just in talk. I find it a plague of YA writing that we're often told more than shown when a female character toe the line of right and wrong. That's not the case here. Every questionable decision Violet makes is played out on page. Readers will watch with jaw dropping awe as the consequences of Violets actions come to fruition.

Romance,politics,Fae,witchcraft, there's a ton of story packed into these pages but once the plot really takes hold I dare you to set this one down. I'll be anxiously waiting on the sequel and picking up anything Chen pens in the future.

Pitched as "darkly enchanting" and "I can fix her meets I can make him worse" and so I was really looking forward to this. Gina's tweets about fairytales and Asian anti-heroines only made more eager to read this. So I'm definitely sad about how it turned out to be.

Of course, I liked Violet. She doesn't try to be nice at any time, driven by the need to keep her position in the world. Even if it meant being manipulative. She's clever and centered to herself and I liked reading through her POV. The writing is captivating too, honestly the reason why I read this book so quickly. And if I have to name another positive, the beginning is quite hooking, the set up for the prophecy and Violet & Cyrus's hate to love arc had me sold.

What fails in most of recent YA fantasy books is the lack of focus on worldbuilding and plot and instead badly selling the romance to me. I'm sorry but if you want me to like Violet and Cyrus's relationship, you have to give me the emotional impact. We're told they have a history of being friends and then growing apart, but don't tell me about it, show it to me through their actions! The transition from their mutual dislike for each other to suddenly desiring each other isn't smooth. If there's no tension, then I'm not invested. Besides, there's this great concept of Seers speaking prophecies, beasts that threaten the land and something about fairies and witches, which I wanted more of. We're only introduced to these things through Violet's Sight and in the rushed ending. I expected more depth to the world and the relations between the kingdoms involved.

Another thing this book promised me is "cutthroat court politics." If you know me, you will know I'm a sucker for some good court politics (eg: The Lady or the Lion, A Song Of Wraiths and Ruin or The Red Palace) but there's nothing of the sort here, apart from influencing the people about the prophecies according to the circumstance.

While I don't have much good things to say about this book as I personally like fleshed out characters *and* worldbuilding, I do think it has great potential (especially for the sequel) and YA fantasy fans might definitely like this better than me!

Ok, I’m going to say it. I get the comparison, and I agree that fans of The Cruel Prince will enjoy this book. But, it’s also totally different to The Cruel Prince, and even BETTER than The Cruel Prince. (And, I need to clarify, that this is coming from someone who gave 5 stars to every book from The Folk of the Air trilogy. I loved The Cruel Prince. I just loved Violet Made of Thorns even more!)

The story is full of unexpected twists and turns, cool magic, classic fairytale vibes, hate to love romance, and morally gray characters… I guess? I say I guess, because the author takes the morally gray aspect as far as she can (trust me), to the point that I’m asking… am I really rooting for these hateful, spiteful, deceitful, terrible people? And the answer is… I am! I loved to hate BOTH of the main characters at some points, and I just simply adored them at other moments. I had a love-hate relationship with them that I relished. It was delicious.

And on top of it, the ending was brilliant.

So yeah, highly recommended! This is not one to miss! 5/5 stars

*I will have a fun review up on my Instagram account (@tarot_and_libros) by release date!

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pub Date: July 26, 2022

This book was a really solid setup for a series. I found this book interesting, exciting, and a tad bit suspenseful in a way. I loved the fairytale aspect of the book, and I think the elements are all there - a prophecy between a prince and a witch, magic, and a kingdom in danger. I really liked the characters, and I thought the plot was overall very well done. It was a really solid read!

I think what I personally liked most was how unlikeable the characters are at times! Their decisions made me scratch my head in confusion, but it all came together in the end. Really well done!

The very first thought that I had after finishing this book was, “when do I get to read the second book?” VIOLET MADE OF THORNS is utterly entrancing, making good on the promises of its synopsis and then expanding into a book that did a lot more than I expected. It’s heavy on the plot and character study, less so on world building but I think that for this book, it works. While the first half was a bit slower for me, it managed to keep my interest to the end and weave a story that it’ll take more than a few days to forget about.

One of the biggest selling points for VIOLET is Violet herself, a morally-grey witch. I wasn’t quite expecting her overall character arc, but it doesn’t cut corners on that designation. Gina Chen weighs the person Violet is, especially in regards to Prince Cyrus, and makes room for a simultaneous softening and sharpening of edges. This feels largely true for the other characters (I especially enjoyed Cyrus after finishing the book), breaking out of what almost seems to be an intentional monotony at the beginning to reveal far more depth. There are a few character arc’s that just felt completely out of the blue and like the path to a plot twist had been forgotten, but overall, I liked the focus on characters in this book, and I think it fits the story well.

As a side note, while I don’t think this book is quite as heavy on the worldbuilding as I’m used to (blame it on the fact I’ve been largely reading adult fantasy lately), but I did really enjoy the fact that this was a largely queer-normative world, and a lesbian princess who’s even more of a heartthrob than her brother!

The plot itself, once it truly starts to get going, was one of my favourite elements, and I loved the way it played with fate, prophecy, and further discovery of power. The magic system that comes into play in VIOLET is more subtle and yet incredibly intriguing. And while this is the first book in a duology, it manages to wrap itself up well while also making me incredibly excited for the sequel.

VIOLET MADE OF THORNS is definitely not a book to miss, entrancing once you get into it, and I will absolutely be here for the sequel.

I don’t think the comparisons to two other series is accurate. I think it sets one’s expectations high, only to be slightly let down.

I thought the story was decent. I liked Violet. I like imperfect characters.

I didn’t think the magic and backstory was fleshed out enough though. As much as people hate info dumps, sometimes it helps to get a better sense of the world being built by the author. I sort of felt tossed in the middle of things, almost as if I was expected to already *know* details of the history and such.

And then there’s the scheming. Look, I read a lot of books and can sense a con or someone with ulterior motives a mile away. Dante was too nice and friendly when basically everyone else dismissed or disliked Violet. I trust no one.

I think most people will like the romance angle being played, and it actually seems to be the book’s biggest focus. It felt like a romance with some kind of magic and fantasy elements tossed in.

Not the worst book I’ve read. It’s enjoyable, and perhaps the rest of the series will be better!

Before reading this, I saw some mixed reviews of this, so I was a little apprehensive going into it. I saw it compared to The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove series, and I see a bit of the latter but not much of the former. There is a romantic thread going through here that's basically an enemies to lovers situation, but there's a lot more happening, too. The main character, Violet, is a seer who is employed by a King and is frequently asked by that King to modify her visions when reporting them out. She feels like she has to lie to keep her position and because she basically owes her life to him. His son, Prince Cyrus, is locked in a years-long battle of wills with Violet, and they bicker and fight constantly. The most recent embellished vision that she has shared publicly is that Cyrus will find his bride on a long tour he is taking of neighboring lands, and the people are relieved because there was a prophecy from the seer before Violet that connects Cyrus finding a wife to putting an end to a terrible curse on the kingdom. Lots of politicking and some good fairytale magic (there are actual fairies, as well as a magical forest, and an evil witch who has cursed men to turn into monsters). I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from Gina Chen.

This has to be one of the best books I have read so far this year. I found Violet to be someone who was very relatable, it is not often I find characters who mirror myself like Violet did. It was so refreshing having a character who was not as soft around the edges. The plot and characters had beautiful amounts of depth and detail. I really liked the fairytale story aspect of it and how the story was written as well as the pacing.

I will forever support morally grey heroines. Characters who are realistic about the world we live in. Who aren't particularly concerned with being heroic or noble or self-sacrificial. But ones who are forced to make difficult choices to save the ones they love, the only home they've ever known, or just simple to survive. Violet is just my kind of heroine. She's pragmatic and clever. She knows that to get ahead requires cracking a few eggs. And there my love of Violet Made of Thorns is born.

Violet Made of Thorns asks us about control. About the intersection of fate and agency. Of ways in which we don't fall for pretty lies or ambitious dreams. How rebellion requires us to be able to sacrifice and how, sometimes, we cannot afford to lose our homes and livelihood and family. Violet feels monstrous. She sees herself as the monstrous one. The scapegoat who's merely hanging on by a thread. And as she sees these possible futures playing out, it's merely cemented how we can get an image of the future and still not understand it.

I liked this book and then I didn't.

The fantasy world and overall premise is interesting but it just didn't flow like it should. At times I skimmed to help keep things moving along. I liked that our main character, Violet, is a prophet that works for the king. She has a love/hate relationship with the prince that seems to be more hate than love. Unfortunately, their relationship doesn't seem to evolve in a believable way. It seems sort of...emotionless and 2 dimensional. The twists and turns of the story are both interesting but also terribly complicated and not fleshed out very well. I found myself uninterested in the politics of the kingdom and the surround areas. There was a whole character that I could have cared less about and that particular character ended up being somewhat pivotal. And I still don't care about that character.

Honestly, I have no plans to even read the second book. I'm going to just go ahead and consider this story complete.

***Advanced copy obtained from Random House Children's/Delacorte Press via Netgalley***

This book was amazing. I coudn't put it down. It was magical. Higly recommended! The characters, the plots, the writting: wonderful and perfect.