God I loved this book. Why weren’t there books like this when I was a teen? I can’t believe it’s YA because it’s a dark, edgy fairy tale that’s also a magical thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s a story of enemies while lovers that truly hate/love/hate/love/hate each other which is a dynamic I’ve not seen written quite as deftly as Chen does here. It's both!

Violet is a prophet and a seer who is snarky and sassy making her kind of an anti-heroine, which is refreshing to read. Cyrus is the handsome and charismatic Prince charming whose life she saved when they were kids, and who has a curse upon him now that he’s about to take the throne. Violet works with his father the King and often lies and spins prophecies to help get the King what he wants. And what he wants is for Cyrus to marry in order to bring peace to the land, but Violet lies about her visions and exposes the court to a witch’s curse.

The magic and world is very cool, but for me I loved the lying and the bickering between them. It’s written so well, you can really feel it. Violet hates Cyrus so much that she argues with him at every chance she gets until they are kissing while bickering, which is delicious. The ending is so dark and suspenseful with so many twists and turns. I can’t stop thinking about it!

“My curse, my ruin, my Violet – my heart is yours. It was always yours. Take it.”

This is an incredible debut novel and I’m so excited for the next book in this planned duology.

– Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children’s for the ARC –

Unfortunately, this just really didn't work for me.

The first 40% of this I felt like nothing happened, which I don’t mind in a book if I like the characters, but I didn’t particularly like Violet. I did like some of the side characters, like Dante, but I feel like I never really got to know them well. The plot does pick up after the 40% mark and it was entertaining at times but the romance here is definitely the focal point of the story and it just wasn’t believable to me. It was way too hot/cold and back and forth and it just didn't come across as believable to me. I also feel like Cyrus was kind of bland and way too forgiving. Violet literally attempted to murder him and even though it fails, she's responsible for the curse that he now has and he IMMEDIATELY forgives her to me this just doesn't make any sense.

I think there were also a lot of inconsistencies throughout the book which got a little annoying for me as I went on. Violet went on and on for the majority of the book about how she's not a villain, she's an opportunist, just like everyone else. But then she does become the villain because she's in a fit of rage and doesn't take a minute to think things through. There's also the part where at the end she says the king was like a dad to her even though he was horrible. This confused me because up until that point she's never described him that way? If anything, it appeared that she respected the king and that they had a mutual respect or understanding. He was political and strategic for sure, but we never see him be "awful" to Violet and the flip in characterization didn't make sense to me.

The fantasy elements were just okay. They weren’t bad but I don’t think they were particularly well done either. I feel like the book was lacking in descriptions. I didn't have a clear picture in my head of what the world looked like.

I had also seen descriptions that this had cut throat court politics and I didn’t really get that at all. I had been seeing comparisons for this to the Cruel Prince and I definitely disagree with that and I wouldn’t go into this book with those expectations because I think you’d be disappointed.

I love a fantasy with court politics and morally grey characters so I was excited for this but it just didn’t work for me unfortunately.

Thank you so much to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC!

Can you altar fate or destiny or is it written in stone? Came for the witchy fantasy description; stayed for the enemies-to-lovers romance, my favorite trope.

This book packs a punch with witches, fairies and fairy tales, magic and more. The MC, Violet, is a spitfire who can toe to toe with anyone in the kingdom, and her romantic interest, Cyrus, is equally cunning in his own right. Though Violet is a bit of an antihero, it doesn’t detract from the reader rooting for her one bit.

I enjoyed this one and I’m looking forward to seeing more of Chen’s work as she continues to grow her writing chops!

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the e-arc for an honest opinion.

Please take in mind it’s my opinion, and everyone is allowed to have one.

I absolutely loved this book! This was such an unique read. It was something I haven’t read before, once you read the book the title of the book make sense (which was fun to discover).

I liked how it involves so many things, beasts, witches, magic, royalties. The whole plot was something I didn’t see coming which was so great.

The banter between Cyrus and Violet was chefs kiss, I loved it. The pull and push you’d think that would become irritating but actually that made the book so much better. Violet is also such a great character, like her character development.

I honestly can’t wait for another book!

A morally grey Seer, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that could spell their ruin, Violet is a seer and a liar, she’s survived for as long as she has by playing the game of court. She please people with lies and little half truths, but the one person who has always gotten under her skin is the one boy she saved when she was younger, Prince Cyrus. Violet is as thorny as they come, she’s a survivor, she’s willing to do anything to save herself, but for some reason when it comes to him she can’t seem to think straight. Her relationship with Cyrus is fraught and difficult and she knows that he wants nothing more than to strip her of her official role once he is crowned at the end of the summer. Yet when the king ask her to falsely prophesize Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball what Violent ends up with is awakening a dreaded curse... that spells either damnation or salvation for the kingdom, all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Yet another issue arises... she is given another vision from the fates... either she or Cyrus will be the only one left alive at the end of the summer. Violet must now navigate trying to find a wife for Cyrus while also securing her position, except the complicated feelings between the two of them start to rise. They hate each other with such a burning passion... one could almost say they’re both in love with each other, but they can’t trust one another but the attraction and lust is still there. Between complicated feelings, trying to avoid fates and prohpecies and making it out of court alive while a darker plot is running, can Violet and Cyrus sort out their complicated relationship or will one of them truly die this summer. Okay this was such a fun dark fairytale with hints of other fairytale retellings in it! I actually really liked Violet, she’s manipulative, she’s blunt and sharp, but she’s willing to do whatever it takes to survive and honestly, same girl. Cyrus on the other hand, one moment I want to throttle him and the next I’m falling for him, I completely get where Violet is with him. I am so intrigued about where the story is going to go next and how their relationship will play out. SERIOUSLY GIMME THE NEXT BOOK!!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Reminds me so much of a Beauty & the Beast retelling but so original! Gina Chen is absolutely brilliant adding so many twist it kept me guessing until the very end.

I absolutely cannot stop thinking about this book and it is going to be a terribly long wait for the second book. I chose this Arc because I absolutely love Serpent & Dove and the Folk of the Air series and the cover is stunning with the purple backgroundand yellow roses. Theis series has all things that I love: magic, royalty, strong femal character, enemy to lovers, fates, and mentions of dragons.

The banter between Cyrus and Violet is witty and I want sure which way Violet's heart would take her. At one point I thought Violet was going to follow the direction of the fates that had been speaking to her in her dreams.

I will post this review on Amazon once reviews are allowed.

I have a lot of conflicting feelings about this book.
The romance was surprisingly different, though it did take the “one has a knife to the throat while the other professes their love” trope a little too far. I loved their chemistry, and though I usually like slow-burns, it worked well for these characters to not have a long build up.
I was confused by the writing at times though, since it got a little repetitive and yet still left me with questions unanswered about the world of the book.
I did love Violet’s internal monologue and her commentary of the people around her was hilarious, but I also have never been as confused about a main character’s motives as I was about Violet’s. I like an unreliable narrator, but I felt like it didn’t make a ton of sense for her to be that unreliable.
Am I really confused by this story? Yes. Will I read the next book? Toady hell yes!

This was a delightfully unique reading experience. I loved the distinctly diasporic characters within a fantasy world and I loved how unique the world was. I just couldn't turn away.

This is a delightfully wicked sort of fairy tale, with morally gray characters (my favorite), an enemies to lovers romance (always fun), and a tightly crafted plot that left me wishing I already had the second book. Very well done. I will definitely be waiting to see what comes next.

Whoa! What a ride. It was very fast-paced. The writing style kept me hooked and I didn't find myself losing any interest. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and how real the story felt. The author did a great job painting the setting, so it was easy for me to visualize the scene played out before me. I recommend giving this one a chance!

I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

This was such a fun read. Elements reminded me of fairytales like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. I loved the witty character and the banter between characters.

Wow. This story is so beautifully "fairytale." You don't expect to be enraptured by tales you're already familiar with however Gina Chen did just that. She took bits of so many stories we love and made one amazing, NEW, story with pieces of all of them. There are moments of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and more. Violet is wonderful and morally gray, but really just a survivor. You can't hold anything against her and yet you can. Cyrus is so sexy and yet I want to smack him so many times as well. One moment I think, "you bastard" and in the next you love him fiercely. Just when I thought Dante was feeling a bit under-developed I was pleasantly surprised that I was completely wrong. Beautifully written, an actual new fairy tale. I loved this book!

So you have the idea (no spoilers) Violet is a Seer just trying to survive in a kingdom that would turn on you as quickly as they look at you. A king she thinks of as a father figure, who is questionable himself. A prince who you love to hate but then hate to love. A kingdom that makes you wish you weren't from there and a witch that makes you wonder, "is she right?" I will be thoroughly recommending this book.

I wanted to love this one but it fell flat for me. The MC just can't make up their minds which wastes the book. It had potential.

Thank you to Random House/Delacorte Press, the author, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will release July 26, 2022.

This was a wonderful story following Violet and her life in the Sun Capital Palace. In the Kingdom of Auveny, there has always been a prophecy surrounding the price, Cyrus. Violet, who was born originally in the Moon District, with no known parents or name, created her life for herself when she saw the prince’s life ending. She changed the future and saved his life for a place in the palace as the Seer.

Violet, a flawed, lying, and unpredictable character, is just the type of main character I have been wanting to see more of. While some of the things she does is inconsistent in terms of the plot, her being this way truly adds to the story. She has this sense of being clever, but also being blinded by emotion, which is all too real. I think this book does a wonderful job of exploiting character flaws and putting it into this story where it makes sense. Although, I did wish that I got to see just a bit more growth and development with the character side of the story. The plot was very entertaining, but I also felt like the characters got stale by the end, thinking and saying the same things. I hope that this is something that could maybe be worked on in this series.

But, ahhh! The cliffhanger! It has me very excited to read more! I very much enjoyed everything about this book. Super entertaining and very quick to read.

This was just the read I needed. Violet has done what ever she had to go to live her life….even lie. When Cyrus comes back from his travels everything happens. Cyrus and Violet have to get things done. So many emotions.

Even though I couldn't get into Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen as much as I wanted, it was still a good read.

Thank you to Random House/Delacorte Press, the author, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will release July 26, 2022.

"When truth is relative, you make yourself the axis."

Violet, witch and Seer for the kingdom, has spent years reading the Threads of Fate under the guidance of the king, often twisting her interpretations to avoid the truth. But when it’s time for Cyrus, the prince with whom she’s had a strained-at-best relationship, to choose a bride to either elude or bring down the prophecy that’s been looming over them all since the previous Seer’s death, Violet finds herself subject to visions that make her question whether the magic she knows is all she is, and whether she should do the unthinkable to save herself.

This is an absolutely gorgeously written novel, with prose as gilded as the falsehoods that Violet tells throughout the narrative. Ultimately, the storytelling itself is my favorite part of this novel, particularly the way the author incorporated various, recognizable fairy tale elements and builds on or is in dialogue with them.

I was really captivated by Violet’s sense of self-preservation and pragmatism, and in general loved her prickly attitude and bluntness. I know some people don’t care for antiheroines, but I appreciate them the vast majority of the time; the only thing I found slightly annoying was the “Princey” nickname she gave Cyrus—definitely just a personal gripe. I would have loved to have seen more of Camilla and Dante, and get a little more sense of the world and its politics, since that is a major part of the plot—the history of magic there, too. There are several elements and events that occur in the back half of the novel that I’m really excited about, and I’m intrigued to see how they’ll play out in the sequel. Despite feeling rather tepid about the romance, personally (by the end I was thinking it might have actually been more interesting if Violet killed the prince), I do believe that this book is worth a shot, especially if you love fairy tale-esque narratives, enemies-to-lovers, and angry girls with every reason to manipulate a kingdom.

Received a copy for review.

Why do I continue to be seduced by the beautiful covers and well written blurbs of YA fantasy? I keep searching for the brilliance I found 5 or 7 years ago and I just rarely find it.
The writing is good but the pacing is so uneven. The beginning is like walking through mud and the ending is like trying to swim against a strong current.
I love a prophecy and a destiny. However, this book just gets tangled in its language and loses the plot.

This book was fantastic! A dark fantasy fairytale romance, I devoured this story. Violet is an amazing character, she kind of reminded me of Jude from The Cruel Prince, which I love! If you love dark fairytales and enemies to lovers, you’ll love this one.

violet is a prophet, a seer, she is able to tell the future by touch. Cyrus, the cursed Prince who plans to strip Violet of her title once he is crowned. But with the King nothing above of twisting a prophecy he unknowingly makes Violet unlock an old curse. violet lies, she never does anything without it benefiting herself. violet is not good nor she is evil, she is rather morally gray, she does what she wants.

Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate.

a dark YA fairy tale fantasy book., lgbqt representation, east asian rep. this book has magic, morally grey characters, a curse., politics, romance.

i received this arc and this is my voluntary review.