Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eArc of Violet Made of Thorns!

I loved every minute of this fantastic story and there's honestly not much more to say. The characters were all complex with differing morals and goals, and the world building was phenomenal. The story is something I'd expect more from an established author, and this being Gina Chen's debut novel just makes it that much more impressive! I did notice a couple of spelling/grammatical errors, but just one or two minor changes is easy enough to fix before the final printing is done.

To anyone interested in morally grey protagonists, immersive high fantasy, and political intrigue, keep an eye out for this when it hits shelves July 26th!

I loved this book! A fresh, exciting YA fantasy featuring Asian diaspora MC and all her prickliness. I loved how similar it is to other YA fantasy but at the same time, it's not. VMOT tackles themes such as empire, environmentalism, and assimilation expertly, weaving social commentary into an enthralling and lush world. I found myself squealing for Violet and Cyrus and loved all their interactions. I'm super excited for the sequel!

Everyone clear your August schedules and make room on your TBR list because Gina Chen has written a spellbinding debut novel. I'm talking dark magic. Charming princes. Enemies that you Just Want To Kiss Already. The whole shebang, all behind one incredibly beautiful cover. To be completely transparent, when I saw this book being compared to the Cruel Prince I was skeptical--that's a hard promise to live up to. But! Reader, they were right. This book will enchant you and leave you desperate for book 2 as soon as you reach the last page. I loved the characters, I loved the romance, I loved the dialogue. And I loved that I could read it 4 months before the release date, so many heart eyes to RH and NetGalley for the privilege :-).

I thought this was an overall good book. I saw the cover and title and knew almost immediately it would be something I would enjoy. I really love the enemies to lovers trop, and this book had that, which is big draw for me! The only real critique I have for this book is I feel like there could've been more. I'm not sure if this book is going to have sequels, but this book feels like the first book in a series to me. Overall, I love the Cruel Prince vibes I got from this, and I enjoyed reading it.

Have you ever wanted to get swept up in a fairytale where the hero could easily be seen as the villain? Do you want to escape to a world where little fairies make you pretty for a ball? This is the book for you! This story has all the elements I love. Court politics, fairies, two magic systems, a hot lesbian princess, and a will they won't they romance. I adored the morally grey main character and the fact that the right path for her wasn't always obvious. This was the first ARC I've ever been approved for and I can't believe I got so lucky to get a five star read! I'll definitely be following this author's work in the future. I can't wait for the sequel!

Violet Luner is a prophet, a seer, taken off the streets after saving Prince Cyrus when they were both much younger. But there usually is only one seer at a time in the city and Violet takes that role after the seer who currently was serving the King dies. As a young seer just taken off the streets she is not completely sure on what to do. She is easily influence to lie as the King tells her to on what she does happen to see.
Prince Cyrus was saved by Violet. He brings her in to the palace as she did see his death and saved him. Now he wants her to lose her title. Upon the death of the old seer a procpecy was given upon her death bed. The prince must marry or terrible things will happen.

I loved Violet. She is spunky and isn’t afraid to say what she wants to Cyrus. I found her more relatable then other characters in YA Fantasy books. The only problem i have IS I DIDN’T KNOW THIS WAS GOING TO BE A DUOLOGY!!! Why do I do this to myself. The wait for the next one will be bearable as it doesn’t really leave on a cliff hanger but there are things that I need to know and the wait is going to stink! I appreciated the LGTBQIA+ representation and can’t wait to pick up a physical copy upon release

But...there's so much more to learn about Violet! 3.5 stars

I enjoyed this one; it wasn't too syrupy and had enough conflict to be interesting as well as a cast of characters I could be invested in. But it felt like the beginning of a story as opposed to a full one, so I say it's a good book, but it feels like we only got a sliver of the world that could be. Much like Violets dreams.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s Books, and Delacorte Press for the eArc!


After reading the premise of this book and seeing the cover (WHAT A COVER), I knew I would love this book. I could not put it down!

It gave me everything I love:

- An unapologetic anti-heroine MC
- Enemies to Lovers that leans more on the enemies than lovers
- Amazing side characters (Camilla!!)
- Queer Rep
- Fairytale retellings (this one is a mashup)
- A masquerade ball!!

The Cruel Prince comp is right on the mark and fans of that series will love this!



CW (taken from author's website, mild spoilers):

- one instance of parent harming child physically, themes of emotional manipulation
- fantasy-typical levels of violence, including death and body horror
- self-harm in a ritual/magical context
- some instances of casual racism

Other Notes:

non-explicit sexual content, does not fade to black

**Thank you, Netgalley and publisher, for giving me an electronic ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

I love fairytale retellings and this one had them all and it was Violet that did the saving. I loved the ending of the story and I hope there is a sequel! Catastrophe was one of my favorite characters and I need more of her.

Violet Made of Thorns, by Gina Chen, is a fairytale fantasy about a witchy court seer who deals with a cursed prince and court machinations amongst a flurry of backstabbing and betrayals.
This was a wonderful book! The heroine, Violet, was a sassy and very flawed character, who you can’t help but love. I loved the classic enemies-to-lovers trope this book employed, and adored the male lead—cursed prince Cyrus.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a little fairytale romance with their fantasy.
4/5 well-earned ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks very much to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Violet Made of Thorns is a delightful debut from Gina Chen! Violet is strong and fierce but also flawed. I loved her character and it was refreshing to see a morally grey character. I also enjoyed the banter between Cyrus and Violet. The other side characters, Camilla and Dante were also fun characters who had strong personalities. I would love to see more of them in the sequel! The only thing I wished for is that this book was longer. I felt that the ending was a little rushed and would have liked to see more development with the world and also see more of the past when the main characters were younger. Overall, this is a fun read, and would recommend it! Can't wait to read the sequel!

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book!

Violet Made of Thorns is a book that, at its core, is about power, what one is willing to do for it, and how lies and deception can shape a person. While I'd most likely give this book something closer to 3.5 stars, the characters were truly what sold this story to me. Violet, while most definitely not your typical plucky heroine, always trying to do the right thing, isn't nearly as horrible as she could be. She looks out for herself, true, but I think it would be a stretch to call her truly selfish, especially with all of the fond feelings she has for the people around her. Mostly I see her as the result of what happens when fear is driven into someone when they're young. How she was immediately thrust into a new society at such a young age, with a King dictating what she should and shouldn't do.

Mostly, I just loved Violet and Cyrus (Dante and Camilla too). I loved their banter. I loved how obviously they were in love. I loved how pathetically they both fought it, and most of all, I love that despite all of that, they really made it difficult for themselves. As we expect.

My biggest gripes with the series come in the form of the world at large, and the world building. It feels a little murky at times, with the plot meandering, and the places being described seeming a little too flimsy. I have high hopes that the second book in this duology will help to clear things up, because otherwise, this is a book you read for the characters, not necessarily the world.

A fun, voice-y YA fantasy with more focus on character than on plot. I love that Violet is deeply flawed—and almost more importantly, stuck in one impossible situation after the next. What would a "good" character do in such a situation? What's the *right* thing? Violet makes no attempt to answer that—she's too busy surviving. I was less interested in Violet and Cyrus' relationship than I was in Violet's own characterization, so I couldn't get fully invested.

I received a digital advance copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The way in which Chen told this story worked incredibly well. I definitely found it entertaining and I think it’s actually a good sign that I wanted Violet Made of Thorns to be longer because I would’ve liked more details about the world, the magic, and the characters (of course). I became attached to the characters rather quickly and hope to see more from this author.
Full review to come on YouTube.

Thank you NetGalley and team for this ARC.

I was a little nervous to start a new series knowing that there may be a cliffhanger. With that said - I loved this book.

The heroine in this book is genuinely the most unique and sincere character I’ve ever read. She’s good and bad and flawed and insecure all in the most authentic genuine way. You will be angry at her but then immediately forgive her because she’s just human who is a result of all of her circumstances.

I loved the mystery, in the edge of your seat, what is next type of mystery.

The world building is so straight forward yet complex.

It took me a bit to get sucked in because the writing was often stunted and made the flow stunted (only reason why it isn’t 5 stars).

I could say so much more on this (the good and the bad) but then I’d spoil it. Just read it !!

I enjoyed this enchanting and character driven book. It was well written and moved at a nice pace. I recommend to anyone interested in YA fantasy.

After a slow and semi-predictable start, this book managed to hook me. My only qualms are wishing that our heavily marketed morally-grey protagonist was a little more sinister, and that the romance and relationships were a bit more of a reluctant slowburn - though Violet and Cyrus captured the reluctance and anger at their attraction to each other quite perfectly in the end. The romance scenes were a little heavier than what I'd expect in a YA, but still not graphic or inappropriate. A very happy medium.

I adored the fantastical plot happening, and was far more interested in the impending war, identity shenanigans, and murder plots than the front-and-center romance, which surprised me. I'm very impressed by the worldbuilding in this series and cannot wait to see where it goes in the sequel. The magic system also got off to a slow start, but ultimately became an enjoyable read.

Side characters like Dante and Camilla usually become my favorites, and this was no exception. I especially loved the diversity of the main cast in regard to both racial background and sexual identities.

Overall, it took me a long while to like this book but once it hooked me, I couldn't put it down. I'll be eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Gina Chen has quickly become one of my favorite authors and it’s only her debut novel. This dark faerie tale has strong Holly Black vibes and any fans of Black will fall in love with this world as well. The concept of the morally grey character not just being the love interest, but the main character, is such a great concept and I find myself cheering Violet on as she navigates power, politics, love, and prophecies; even as she makes questionable life decisions in the name of political ambition. With a dark prophecy looming over the kingdom, Violet must use both her Seer & her deception skills to play a dangerous game of maintaining political power while deciphering who she can & cannot trust in order to save the kingdom from prophetic ruin.

Additionally, not only are the main characters written dynamically and many-faceted, the side characters also have strong personalities and I would read a series based on Camilla alone. There is also a variety of sexual orientations, both main & side characters representing, and a refreshing lack of heteronormativity in Chen’s world that makes the diversity feel validating and authentic. Also, for fans of the “enemies to lovers” trope, this book hit that nail directly on the head. The dynamic between love interests is rough and jagged, never pretending to be something it’s not and I couldn’t get enough. As for spice, the more adult scenes are not quite “fade to black”. They are written just vague enough, but also blushingly intimate; a balance I didn’t know I would like until now.

Nothing but rave reviews for this book. I am so happy to find it is part one of duology and I already look forward to the release of book two in 2023. This is definitely one to pre-order.

the worldbuilding here is a treat, and so is our main character, who feels absolutely no obligation to be nice for the sake of it. maybe it's just me, but i personally love a petty leading lady. maybe it's because i, too, will cut my own nose off to spite my face if need be? violet is a delight to read as she does what she has to, and i love that our enemies-to-lovers trope here is somewhat tempered by her unwillingness to just do things because she likes a guy. it's good to see the suspension of disbelief with a lower threshold for this type of relationship for once! looking forward to more of this world from chen.

I received this ARC from NetGalley. When I first started reading this book I was not sure what to think, but the more I read, the more and more I enjoyed the story. I love that the main character is strong and fierce, just trying to survive in her world. I think this story shows that the story we hear is not always the truth.