Violet is a witch who uses her powers of prophecy for her own gain. Once an orphan living on the street, Violet now lives on the palace grounds in the famed Seer’s Tower. A trusted confidant of the King, she often manipulates her prophecies for the good of the royal family. The only problem is Cyrus, the Crown Prince. He knows Violet too well and isn’t going to go along with her schemes willingly. When she falsifies a prophecy about Cyrus’ potential bride, she unknowingly sets into motion a deadly curse. As the volatile feelings between Violet and Cyrus begin to look less like hate and more like love, Violet must make a decision that will either save or curse the kingdom– and herself.

The good: While not a direct fairytale retelling, there are many aspects of well-known fairytales sprinkled throughout that readers will enjoy discovering.

I think the standout here is really Violet. She is everything that so many readers will enjoy in a protagonist. She is unapologetically out for herself and once you begin to learn more about her past, it makes sense. Violet has no desire to change, for anyone, and she is confident in herself and her decisions. Often, this kind of characterization of female characters comes off as overly abrasive or without reason. However Violet is easy to sympathize with and her strong will stands up to the vicious court politics that Chen has created.

The bad: I struggle with my feelings about Cyrus as a character. I think he is a good foil to Violet’s ruthlessness, however his fault is that he seems to believe this is an act for Violet. Chen has created a strong-willed character in Violet though, and she easily expresses that she is only ever acting like herself. The romance budding between them by the end of the book does make me a little uneasy as I don’t think that they seem like a good fit at this point. I do think that Cyrus has a ways to go in terms of character development though, and we could see this change later in the series.

I also wish the world-building was a little stronger. I am still not sure I understand the complicated politics between the different countries. I understand this is heavier on the romance and the personal relationships, so I think we lose a little of that overarching geographical exploration. I am hoping that this will be explored more in the following book. I also understand that this is a debut and for a first book, I am really enjoying the development of the world and characters as a whole.

Overall: This is a well-crafted fantasy with a fantastic, morally gray protagonist. The stakes are high and the mystery unfolding around Violet will keep readers entertained throughout. The romance between Violet and Cyrus is fiery, though perhaps a little more entertaining when they fully believe they hate each other. Overall, this is a great addition for anyone who enjoys high-stakes romantic fantasy.

How did I know that Cyrus and Violet would actually end up together? Oh yeah the blurb itself pretty much points toward it though the journey towards it was good.

Violet Made of Thorns is a fun fantasy story! I loved Violet--she is stubborn, has a quick wit, and sometimes makes bad decisions. There is dark magic, palace intrigue, and a well-done enemies to lovers (who kind of stay enemies while loving?) romance. This is book one of a duology I believe, but it wraps up well enough that you won't be in mortal pain waiting for book two, which I actually like about it. My students will love this one!

Violet Made of Thorns was a thrilling, addictive read. It’s is a YA/new adult fantasy novel told from the point of view of Violet, a Seer who lives on the castle grounds. She is a confidante to the king, prince, and princess. As Seer, she is used to having prophetic dreams and seeing the possible threads of others’ futures. In my opinion, the novel was incredibly well written. Violet was not very likable but I still rooted for her to make good decisions and be happy. I thought the plot was just complex enough to stay interesting but not so complex that I was confused. Really hoping this book is the start of a series so I can immerse myself in this world again!

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC!

I have to say, I was super excited for this one, and it ended up a bit disappointing.

I enjoyed the story, Violet was definitely interesting. It was nice having a morally grey main character, but the book was lacking that spark that makes you care about what happens to the characters.

I enjoyed some of the twists, and Camilla and Dante were interesting, but I wish I had more info about the “world of” if you will. I think this story would have benefitted greatly from multiple POVs.

I’m very curious to see what other’s will think when it’s released next month.

Violet Lune rises from the streets of her city to become the Seer of her kingdom. She is willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants, but that is not such a simple task when she is caught between the wishes of the King, the Prince, and a bloody prophecy of war. After saving the Prince as a child, the two quickly grew apart and became enemies, but everything is not so clear-cut when the prophecy seems to be on the horizon.

To be completely honest I requested this book on NetGalley under the impression that it was YA, which it is not. That being said, I’m glad I made that mistake because I absolutely adored Violet Made of Thorns, and can’t wait for the sequel in the duology to come out next year!

Romance is a huge aspect of this novel, and while I usually find that I lose interest the more a novel focuses on romance, I did not feel that way with this book. There are a couple scenes that are more graphic than I typically like, but the romance didn’t overtake the plot, and actually added a lot to the novel.

Furthermore, Gina Chen mentions in an author’s note at the beginning of the novel that she wanted to write a character that isn’t likeable, perfect, or even necessarily someone people should look up to. She wanted to write a character who was human, and not only do I believe she accomplished this goal, she did so with flying colors. Violet was so irritatingly real, that I couldn’t help but to root for her. On top of that, Chen still included growth for Violet throughout the novel, which was so satisfying!

Overall, while Violet Made of Thorns is not the kind of book that I normally read, it was such a pleasant surprise! I felt myself on the edge of my seat throughout the novel, and literally couldn’t put it down. Very rarely do I preorder a book that I haven’t finished reading, but I literally preordered this one about 20% into the book because I knew it was going to be a new favorite!

OKAY, WOW!!!! I did not expect this book to be THAT GOOD. It's one of the best fantasy books I've read this year, such a great story, the writing was amazing and I absolutely loved the main character, Violet. She's a morally grey character (who doesn't love a good written morally grey heroine?) and she's just incredible. The book is written from her point of view and I loved reading her thoughts.

A+ on the fantasy world-building and character development. Violet is complex and flawed in ways main characters often aren't. She's cold. Pushes Cyrus away, rejects the possibility of love at an emotional level. But she's also protecting herself because who else is? She sees clearly where she fits in the existing regime and does what she believes is necessary for her own success but not without considering how her actions influence others.

The world is vivid, the magical elements fit seamlessly into Violet's life with no info-dumping.

On the romance side of things, I really, really dislike when a romance arc does not conclude in the book it begins in. The fantasy element is stronger here than the romance, but there is a still the beginnings of romance between Violet and Cyrus. And in the end she (view spoiler). Disappointing, for me, on the romantic side. But this book doesn't set out as a full blown romance, so that's a me thing.

One thing I was surprised didn't come up was that if we've established the the king keeps just the one seer so that he can make them lie, why do we never consider that the previous seer's prophecy might have been a lie? That's not enough to detract from the rest of the book, but I couldn't not think it while I was reading.

Overall lovely read.

I thought this story was dope! Like a lot of fantasies these days the story is built from the back bones of Cinderella. But unlike most of these retellings, Gina Chen molds this book up off those bones then cracks them open letting the marrow seep out. I'd like to talk about the characters but I don't want to give away anything because the book is most definitely character driven. I'll just say the MC is not annoyingly seeking moral ground and therefore is motivated by whatever works out best in her favor in a way. She's a breath of fresh air in my opinion and definitely more realistic than most MCs. There's magic and all that good juju- a well built world not overburdened with too many details.

There was one part where I thought the characters were moving forward too fast and laying all their cards on the table. It didn't sit right at first and then I realized why: I was too entwined in the MC's narration that maybe her mood was coming off on me. I consider that damn good writing and hard to pull off. I can't help but applaud the author.

Definitely recommend for a fun read.

Gina Chen's VIOLET MADE OF THORNS is advertised as a dark YA, but I honestly felt like it could have been a lot darker. The novel definitely delivers on being a modern fairy tale though. While Violet is supposed to come across as unlikable, I actually found her thorniness endearing (and, in my opinion,, more unlikable heroines are needed in YA). However, as a whole, I was never completely sold on the characters' motivations--especially the Witch of Nightmares and Cyrus. I also wasn't sold on the curse on Prince Cyrus being real, and never quite felt completely immersed in the magic system of the world. While the pacing could have probably been improved, the plot itself was interesting. The tension between Violet and Cyrus is definitely one of the story's redeeming qualities.

Summary: Prophecy intertwines a morally-grey witch’s and a cursed prince’s destinies together in the most beautifully cruel way. Violet had never shied away from the futures she sees nor the deceit she’s had to learn to make her place in Auveny’s royal court. Our cursed prince, however, doesn’t see her cleverly-phrased divinations as a gift, but as a reason to banish her when he becomes king. After falsely prophesying the prince’s love story, Violet awakens the curse and now she must choose between her own destiny or her attraction to Cyrus. But when you’ve spent years laying trails of deceit, unraveling the future can be difficult and dangerous.


Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First, a very big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this beautiful book in return for an honest review.

What a gorgeous book! Gina Chen’s writing weaves all the right threads to create a stunning kingdom where everything may not be exactly what it seems. Aptly named The Sun Capitol, Auveny and its dominions drip sunlight, glamour, and beauty. From the palace and its people to the streets of the Moon District and everything in between, we get descriptions so lush we can almost taste the spices in the air. Chen’s setting was a gorgeous counterpoint to the themes intertwined with the plot. She definitely didn’t shy away from making important points and comments on our expectations for characters, appearances, and more. While Auveny drips with golden warmth, it’s hiding several chilling secrets.

These secrets result in a lot of the politics Chen leads us through within the book. Maybe the politicking isn’t 100 percent for me, because at times the intrigue wasn’t so… intriguing. It felt like the world-building dragged a little bit because there wasn’t exactly a reason for us to care overly much about anyone yet. So, the first portion of the book wasn’t so exciting until Violet was dreaming. The dreams absolutely helped the book take off and were interesting to experience alongside Violet.

There were some things I wish we’d gotten a little more explanation on, but nothing that took much (if anything) away from the plot. It absolutely still left me wanting a sequel.

The characters, though! It was easy to grow to love everyone who played a role in the book—especially Violet. I loved that she wasn’t made to be liked nor did she want to be. However, this didn’t stop her character development and the end was amazing.

All of Chen’s characters were three-dimensional beings, no matter how little they appeared in the book. The motivations behind the politics, everyone’s actions, and the prophecy were also so well-thought out.

This book is definitely for fans of The Cruel Prince or who liked Christina Henry’s Alice, and I definitely would recommend.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Violet Made of Thorns tells the story of Violet, the kingdom’s seer, who uses the fact that no one can question her visions to her advantage. She has become quite adept at interpreting her visions in the most adventitious way possible. Which has worked out pretty well for her so far except that her dishonesty has alienated the Crown Prince who plans to ship her off to a neighboring kingdom the second he ascends the throne. Except a curse has been awakened that forces the two to work together or the world as they know it may be destroyed.

I enjoyed the plot of this book and allusions to different classic fairytales but I found it hard to connect to most of the characters. The prince and his sister fell very flat and Violet, while fairly well fleshed out, was a little too thorny for me to connect to. Don’t get me wrong I love a good sarcastic asshole or morally grey character but Violet felt more like she was being contrary for the sake of being contrary which is something I don’t really vibe with. I understand much of her demeanor was due to her childhood but at least give me a redeeming quality or two that shows she has a heart. The only character who felt like an actual person and who I enjoyed as a character was the prince’s best friend but we barely saw him which was quite unfortunate.

If the characters had been on the same level as the plot I think this would have been a stellar book. Also quick issue with the description of the book. It said that Violet’s “false prophecy” awakens the curse but that’s not what happens which is too bad because I think that would have been a much more fun route to take.

This book DELIVERS. It delivers exactly everything it was marketed for and more. Yes, it is a dark fairytale, and yes, it does have a very well-done enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and yes, it artfully mixes the glittery court setting with the expected grit and complicated machinations beneath the surface. Absolutely loved it.

hello the dark fantasy of my DREAMS

the cruel prince walked so this could RUN, the vibes were immaculate.

This was such an intense read and I absolutely loved the cast of characters, each one more morally gray than the last. I usually don't agree with comp titles but this one was spot on, this fits nicely into the genre The Cruel Prince occupies. Violet was a great lead and her dynamic with Cyrus was hilarious to read. She's driven and determined to not let anything get in her way and I was so here for it.

I also really did like the magic system! I'm a big fan of not showcasing faeries and their magic as super appealing, I much prefer the somewhat evil interpretation, and this was done really well! The ending was fantastic and I can't wait to find out what happens next!

I think the comparisons to other series were a tad off, but this is still worth checking out if you've got a thing about seers. Overall, the story was somewhat confusing. There were lots of characters and information thrown in and all of it was not always explained. There are a lot of plot twists but they didn't have the "WOW" factor for me because I sort of guessed some of them ahead of time. The main characters by themselves were compelling but their romance - not so much. I felt more like it was lust than love? Especially since Cyrus is portrayed as a f-boy but was deemed honorable in other aspects...I feel like there could have been a better twist on that. Again, this book meshes stuff together that just doesn't work, but by themselves or as separate plot points, it very well could have. I would pick up the sequel just to see where it goes.

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! Gina Chen's Violet Made of Thorns is a solidly enjoyable fantasy novel to add to your collection. The writing of the characters Cyrus, Camilla, and Violet are great, though with Dante there could have been a bit more for my taste. The plot was interesting to follow and it felt a bit rushed at the end it was still worth it!

Violet Made of Thorns is one for the fairytale lovers. Its not a retelling but more so borrows from instances within classic fairytales and gives it a little twist. I really loved that aspect of the book; it was like an easter egg hunt!

There were a lot of elements that I enjoyed in this book. In particular Violet's sarcasm and banter with Cyrus, and her overall negative view of the world. The enemies to lover arc was fairly well done, though the ending of it was a bit too rushed and almost a little disappointing. I'm curious as to how it will play out in the sequel. I also had a difficult time with Cyrus. While I loved their chemistry, his actions were confusing. I know its meant to be confusing, but it almost felt illogical and hard to believe. I honestly kept waiting for something more of a plot twist. I think we needed more from him to get to where it ended up.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this book. The kingdom/politics stuff is surface level and more of a driving point for the romance, but it was still fun and interesting. I liked the idea of Sighted magic and hope we get to see more of it in book 2. Again, Violet's sacrasm and overall world view is amazing to read. There were quite a few times I snorted in agreement with her.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte/Random House for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to @netgalley and @delacortepress and @randomhouse for the E-ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was a solid fresh take on fairytales where we watch the anti-heroine fight for her survival rather than the usual "chosen one" saving the kingdom. There are truly no heroes in this story and I kind of loved that.

Violet is the Seer for the Sun Capital. She doesn't mind lying and is happen to prophesize what is needed if it keeps her in her job. The king asks her to lie about his son's true love and she has no problem doing that but the Fates have other ideas for Cyrus. Violet has a lot of difficult choices to make and she must make them soon before the Fates make them for her.

The characters: violet is prickly to say the least. She's out for her own survival only and will pretty much do anything to save herself. She's cunning and smart and she also hates the prince Cyrus. Cyrus wasn't totally my favorite but he was a fun "prince charming". Camilla is also the best side character and I love her. The Other side characters though didn't really go beyond 1 dimensional and I was a little disappointed in that.

The plot: I felt that the plot was a bit slow going in the beginning but it does pick up. This book mostly revolves around the political aspects of everything as well as the romance. I liked how different this plot was and was thoroughly impressed once it really got going. It felt like you never really knew what violet was going to do or how far she was willing to go.

For fans of stories like Maleficent, fairy tale reyellings, anti-heroine MCs, dark fantasy, enemies to lovers with a little bit of steam and a little bit of Jude from the Cruel prince vibes!

Overall, this book was refreshing and I felt it was very unique. I love stories where the main character isn't perfect and definitely has a bit of a murdery side. I also loved the true enemies to lovers fashion this had.

A new twist on an old fairy tale. Violet is a seer who has used her gift to carve a better life for herself. She saves the life of the prince and now has become the king's tool to shape his kingdom how he sees fit. Violet is ok with this as she has the life she has always dreamed of. However her relationship with Cyrus, the prince she saved, is anything but harmonious. She has some hard choices ahead of her based on her dreams.

This novel offered a lot. I have to admit that I thought this book was going in the way of one fairy tale and it actually alluded to another one which was an interesting twist. There was romance, mystery, and twists. Anyone who enjoys fantasy will like this book.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed reading Violet Made of Thorns, and Violet's character is interesting and different as Chen makes an effort to not "file away Violet's sharp edges." Unfortunately, I did find the chemistry between her and her love interest a little lacking and under-developed. Same with many of the other characters in general -- Violet is the only one with any character development throughout the whole book, but luckily, she is engaging enough to carry the story on her own. The twists on fairy-tales makes it a fun read, with some little details stuck in and some bigger plot twists coming as well. I thought the pacing was a little off at the end after it being pretty steady throughout the book. So many things happened all at once without much payoff and really seeing what was going on. At first I thought it was going to be a series how it was paced, then everything was (sorta) wrapped up so I thought it was a solo, then I finally looked at her website and she says it's a planned duology. The good news is, despite some flaws I really enjoyed it which is one of the themes of the book. I wish it was a little longer in developing the end better, but I'll definitely keep the sequel on my radar for 2023 as well.