To start off, thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book! This was probably one of my most anticipated reads of this year and let me tell you it was so good. I loved the main character. I always love reading about antihero main characters and hers was so interesting to look at. I also really enjoyed the romance aspect of this book. The tension was crazy and the enemies to lovers in this was perfect. And for the plot, some of my favorite books ever are fairytales so I knew I was going to like this from the jump, it was amazing. Again thank you to Netgalley! 4/5

WOW! Just go read it, people. Five out of five stars!

I absolutely love fantasy with an enemies-to-lovers romance, and this book did not disappoint. The characters, the world building, the plot...all of it! I received this book just yesterday, and I've already torn through it. I'm a little sad (I could stay in that world for years, I think), but I always feel giddy after finishing a book as fantastic as this one. I loved reading from Violet's point of view, and while I was a bit bummed I didn't get to read from the POV of Cyrus, I understand why Chen chose to keep it only from Violet's POV.

I can't think of any complaints when it comes to this title. There were moments I was angry with a character's decision, but I also understood their motivation. Chen's writing was so astounding, I didn't have time to remember I was reading. I just devoured every single word and fell in love with all the characters along the way.

SO. I highly recommend you give this book a go, especially if you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers, corrupted kingdoms, and something sinister lingering in the shadows. Five out of five stars! I can't wait to see what other stories Chen will publish--I will be in line to read it every time.

And, because the cover is also fantastic, I plan to buy the hardcover, just so I can add it to my bookshelf.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for early access to this book.

I enjoyed this book, but it was not what I was expecting! Violet is definitely not your typical MC..she is definitely more of a morally grey character! She is more concerned with her survival than being a hero, and she definitely made some questioning decisions! I did enjoy Cyrus and the other characters too! I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

This novel took me by surprise. What at first feels to be a whimsical world full of fairies and fairy dust and magical seers quickly turns into a frightening setting of cursed beasts, invasive briars, and deadly prophecies. Violet, who walks the line between heroism and villainy, finds the fate of not just the kingdom but also the prince she claims to despise…and her own life… in her hands. But she has built her life on so many lies that the truth will destroy everything. I was unable to put this book down as Violet teeters between the sides of good and evil while she tries to unravel the mystery of the dreams she has of a dark future and the voice in her head encouraging her to be free.

I ADORED THIS BOOK

Nothing better than prickly girls and enemies to lover romance and BANTER. This was such a huge anticipated read for me and I am so ecstatic with how much I loved it. Cyrus and Violet were everything I wanted them to be and this was genuinely just a fun read!

A good read -- I thought the characters were well-developed and I really enjoyed their dynamic/chemistry. Lived the writing -- I thought the lyricism was absolutely gorgeous.

Who doesn’t love a morally grey heroine with a bite?! I personally love all these darker themed YA titles being released the last few years. I’m over the damsel in distress give me a heroine with a backbone and a steel mind.

Violet was easy to love because she wasn’t perfect. Just toeing the line between right and wrong, struggling to maintain her position of power, and trying to stay true to the girl she was. She wanted that tower and she got it for good and bad. I loved seeing her progress through the story.

Princey is your average Prince but with a bite as well. Charming, daring, and handsome everyone is going to love him. Although he’s much different towards Violet 🥹😌😉

Watching both characters traverse the world and each other was a great way to spend the day. Yes I read this in one sitting because it was that good. I mean who doesn’t love an enemies to lovers, prophesies, strong heroines, witty bickering, a Prince, and a curse?

I can’t wait to see what special editions get put out for this. The cover alone is stunning but someone’s gotta be doing a special editions and I will be waiting 😂

Many thanks to NetGalley & publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review. All comments and observations are my own

Violet Made of Thorns is the debut novel from Gina Chen and as far as I'm concerned she is a force to be reckoned with! Often tagged as a fairytale retelling, I think it's not quite the accurate description; rather it contains the elements of fairytales we've all grown to know but the author twists it around to the point that you can't predict where and how far these characters will take it.

In the eBook version I received, a quick author's note helped frame the main character, Violet, who is described as "morally gray." Ok, sure, I'll go with that...I mean you read characters like that all the time. But no, you haven't...not really..at least not until you meet Violet. She's a character who's had to survive on her wits and gifts as she navigates through games of socio-political chess. You see, Violet is Auverny's Seer which means she uses psychometry to help the king rule. This psychic ability through touch allows her to see threads of a person's life. Free will still exists so there are many threads to consider. Her moral ambiguity really just means that doing what's "right" is relative to the situation and subjective to the people involved, mainly subjective to her. I like her character; she's enjoyably moody, absolutely jaded, and unapologetically anti-social. Does she always use her abilities to do the right thing? Here's an even better question: is she always honest when espousing what she sees? No and guilt never weighs her down. I appreciate that here's a heroine who has no qualms becoming the villain as long as she gains the advantage. What's more amazing is that I never hated her for it...but then what does that say about me???

Plot-wise the events in the books didn't really drag, it pretty much retained its momentum throughout. The basic premise involves a cursed Prince Cyrus who many believe will break the curse once he finds his true love like all fairytales are wont to do. Seer Violet has known Cyrus since they were children but they steadily grew to hate one another. Their clashes make for some really entertaining dialogue, in fact any of the conversations involving Violet are my favorite parts. They're hilarious which undercuts some of the darker tones throughout the story.

Gina Chen has created a very modern fairytale and as a duology, I cannot wait to see where she takes us next!

I want to thank #netgalley for allowing me to read an eArc of #VioletMadeOfThorns by #GinaChen. What can I say about violet made of thorns it is an absolutely phenomenal version of the fairytales turned darker it takes all of the different fairy tales from beauty and the beast to snippets of sleeping beauty to versions of Cinderella and spins them all together and makes them into this enchanting dark Realistic Version of what a fairy tale could really be.You have Violet who has never believed in a fairyta!e because all she has seen in her world is that those who have power shape the fairytales the rich always get their way, she was born on the streets and had to fight and claw her way to being the Seer that she is today and then you have Cyrus who is the prince that she grew up with and whose life she saved and as they have grown they have come to have complete and total disdain for one another but where there's disdain there tends to be lust as well. Be prepared to be swept away into a world filled with fairy glamor,blood and roses,beasts made of earth, plant and flesh, lies and deceit

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, let me just say that if I hadn’t been so busy this past week I would have read this book in one sitting. It was great in almost every aspect and it met all my expectations that I set for it.

Violet Made of Thorns, follows Violet who is the only seer in the kingdom of Auveny. But Violet is not only a seer but she is also a liar, influencing the royal court with her clever divinations. When Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end either in damnation or salvation, she will have to make her own choice: seize the opportunity to gain control of her own destiniy or give into the ill-fated attraction between her and the kingdom’s prince, Cyrus.

What I liked the most about this book was honestly the romance and I must admit that I didn’t care much about anything else. The chemistry and the tension were immaculate and the book had me almost screaming at some points. It was enemies to lovers at it’s best which is always a big plus for me.

Violet as a protagonist was like a breath of fresh air. She is prickly and confident, selfish and vengeful. She is not perfect and she doesn’t always make the best decisions but I love her more for it.

I have to admit that the plot and the worldbuilding of the book were the weaker points here and I feel like there wasn’t enough focus on that. The curse that is frequently mentioned in this book could have been explored more to give us readers a better understanding of how it works but I guess that question is left to be answered in the sequel. There were also significant fairytale inspired moments that were unnecessary in my opinion but I didn’t mind them that much.

In conclusion, this book really is a good choice for anyone who enjoyed reading The Cruel Prince or any other darker fantasy with intriguing characters and swoony romance.

This book was really intriguing! I enjoyed the character development and interaction and the plot was fast paced and engaging. I didn't love how the author began the book with what they were trying to accomplish with the protagonist, Violet. She intended to make her a very normal person who is not perfect and makes questionable decisions sometimes. However, I feel like she was not really super unique as a main character and the preamble just gave her more to live up to. It would have been a better placed passage to include at the end of the book. The relationship pacing also felt a bit sporadic. Despite what I thought were the book's shortcomings, I still really enjoyed it and thought it had a neat concept with a well crafted execution.

#ARC #NETGALLEY

Not a whole lot going on here, but don't let that stop you. This book is about the characters. If you really enjoy books for the characters interactions and development than this is the book for you. I felt like the story itself was a bit lacking in clarity and development. It felt like a relationship story that was cloaked in fantasy for a certain aesthetic and to give it a certain flavor, but it's very subtle and not intended to overwhelm the entirety of the story. It is very solidly YA reading material and would be great for teens who are potentially trying fantasy for the first time. It feels very much like what an angsty teenager might want.

Violet Lune is a seer. Always having to fend for herself and she has developed a personality to reflect her rough upbringing. Prince Cyrus Lidine has the attitude one would expect of a prince, selfish, self-centered, and the unequivocal belief that he knows better than everyone else around him. Violet uses her visions to land herself a position at court at the princes seer. Turns out the prince isn't as easily managed as other people and so the verbal sparring and mutual contempt begins. They must learn to work together to get through the court deceptions and intrigues in order to survive what's coming.

Violet Made of Thorns was easily my most anticipated read and it did not disappoint!

Recently, I found myself in a bit of a fantasy slump, there are tons of amazing fantasy novels out there, but I couldn't seem to stick with them or connect. That was not the case for Violet Made of Thorns. It was such a quick and easy read, I couldn't put it down once I started.


The tension between Violet and Cyrus was absolutely perfect, and I found myself both frustrated and enamored by both of them. It was very much a 'will they' or 'won't they' situation, and their relationship had me on the edge of my seat at all times.


Violet Made of Thorns is beautifully written, hauntingly charming, and the perfect read for anyone wanting to get back into the fantasy genre.


rating: 5/5 stars

3 1/2

I wanted to love this book so much but I found the plot and world-building to be weak. Considering these are two important elements of any fantasy novel, it drastically diminished the overall experience. I found the story itself to be overly complex and no real resolution was reached despite many chapters spent on the conflict. Although the end chapters were interesting, it was rushed and unsatisfying. The enemies-to-lovers relationship that Violet and Cyrus had was a high point in the novel, but this too was rushed. I would love to see a more nuanced second book in the future.

I LOVED this book! Its a dark fairytale vibe with a cursed Prince trying to unlock a prophecy and a morally grey Seer, Violet. Violet is a flawed and complex character but so fun to read. It deals with court politics, power struggles, lies, a ball, and fairies that glamour (think sleeping beauty fairies). This book has enemies to lovers while still being enemies. The banter is so entertaining. I had a lot of questions throughout the book but twists and plot points start to come. I can’t wait for the second book. I will be reading it!

Some of my favorite quotes from the book were:
“You need me more than you hate me”
"Sometimes I want to kiss him, some times I want to ruin him, but most of the time I want those actions to be on and the same.”

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The cover and the hypes is what drew me in. Really did not quite live up to all the hype. A bit confusing and seemed rushed a certain points. Still a good read. Will definitely read book two

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I definitely enjoyed this story and would recommend it just based on the book cover and the tropes that it meets. For anyone who loves enemies to lovers, dark magic, royalty, politics/political intrigue, and a strong female main character. If you enjoy any of those things, this book is for you!

This was engaging.

Violet is a very unique lead—she’s flawed and complex, determined and blunt. She is heroine who doesn’t bother to hide her flaws—they are unflinchingly her own.

The world building is complex and fascinating and I would have gladly read more of it. It set up a great background.

Violet is a strong protagonist and her interactions with Cyrus, the love interest, are riveting! He’s charming to a fault and their dynamic really works.

Their dynamic shifts back and forth from enemies to lovers in a dizzying fashion and you hardly know which way it’s shifting at a given moment and I loved that interplay.

This is part of a duology and I look forward to part 2!

Overall rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

An absolutely fantastic debut with vivid worldbuilding, intrigue and romance, and a prickly heroine who has quickly become a favorite. It's The Cruel Prince meets Strange Grace or Among the Beasts and Briars -- sharp and darkly enchanting.

Wow wow wow.. this book is the ultimate enemy’s to lovers and I am here for it. The tension was soo thick between these two it was like you could actually touch it. This story came to life around me soo vividly I could smell the rot infecting her tower, and see a flame flickering a face into something better than it was… this book was absolutely spellbinding. I was soo enamored by it that I ended up reading in one sitting late into the night.

I am really hoping this is not a stand alone because I was left with so many questions, and wanting soo much more from these characters. I really look forward to more from this author.