Violet Made of Thorns has all the tropes that I am a fan of. A main character who has powers that she doesn't yet know how to use or control, enemies to lovers, royalty and more.
I liked that Violet was our morally grey character as I've mostly read stories with the male characters as morally grey. While this story is reminiscent of other popular YA stories, I enjoyed this story as its own!

Thanks to Random House for the review copy.
I greatly enjoyed this YA fantasy about a girl who has power but doesn't know how to use it, who was raised in a castle but is bound to a king, who wants love but has no faith in others. Filled with mysterious prophesies and questionable loyalties this story was an engrossing read for me and I'm now eager for the 2nd book.

I found Violet entertaining with her grouchiness and cleverness in dealing with others although I'm sure others would find her not as pleasant. Violet is not a shrinking flower as she has grown up in a world where she is used by others and must learn to navigate politics and the public that both reveres and is disappointed by her, comparing her to her predecessor.

If you are not a fan of romance then you might not be a fan of this book as it makes up a large part of the plot. I myself love romance so found the will they or won't they back and forth fulfilling. I would definitely compare it to the Cruel Prince's Jude and Cardan but on an even sharper tone.

As for the actual storyline and progression I found it satisfying, it moves along steadily and gives some answers to questions that are brought up. While some part were original there are tropes that will feel familiar but sets up the next book quite well as we have new questions and complications to deal with.

Overall would recommend to people who want to read a story with royal intrigue, romance, magic and a lead that is atypical but enjoyable.

Unfortunately while I wanted to absolutely love this, I found it a little dull? I think I’m just growing out of YA fantasy so a lot of things feel recycled.

3.5 stars

This book was a lot of fun to read! I really enjoyed Violet in particular. She is a seer (each kingdom in this world has one) and while it is a real power that she has, she also totally messes with people just for her own amusement, or from boredom, or whatever. Meaning she makes up a lot of her “prophecies“. Not to mention the king who asks her to manipulate certain things to suit himself. Prince Cyrus was a bit of a lump for me, as his wishes and priorities kept jumping around. But this was made up for by his delightful twin sister Camilla, who is a gossipy fashionista lesbian chaos monster 😁. All in all I enjoyed my time reading this book and look forward to seeing what the author has next.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Children’s for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

A fairly modern twist on classic fairy tale tropes, Violet Made of Thorns is told through the pragmatic and cynical eyes of the witch.

Violet doesn’t believe in happy ever after’s, only her own power and doing anything she must to keep it. Born a Seer, gifted with the rare ability to see past and future threads, she thwarts the Fates by saving the prince’s life. Brought to live in the palace, she spends following years learning how to bend her sight to hers and the king’s whims. She becomes a gifted liar, and the prince she saved loathes the woman she has become. But there’s a fine line between love and hate, and Violet’s attempts to control prophecy only backfire in the worst possible ways.

I enjoyed Violet’s ruthlessness, her arguments with the Fates and the way magic is woven throughout the kingdom and her story. The ambrosia drunk fairies were as funny as the foolish nobles that enslaved them. Often the author used humor as a fine veneer over the sinister undertones in Violet’s world. Wickedness of which Violet is perhaps most aware of. While Violet’s character is refreshing and the worldbuilding intriguing, I found Dante far more interesting than Prince Cyrus. Often times the story felt a bit too twisty, more in an epic fantasy vein than fantasy or fairy tale romance.

Violet Made of Thorns isn’t perfect and the romance was lacking for me, but altogether an excellent debut and certainly Chen is definitely an author to watch.

I request this because the blub mentioned The Cruel Prince. I didn't love it like I love The Cruel Prince because it fell a bit flat for me. It was a good story, enjoyable characters but the last part of the book left me wishing for more in some ways. I know it's the start of a series, but it just didn't quite get there for me. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Violet was a brilliant fantasy series starter. I loved Violet's unrepentant ego and motivations. The clashes and conflicts between her and Cyrus were believable and compelling. The world building was my favorite part. I loved how magic worked in this world and the premise of a prophet who lies is a unique take on a classic trope. I have to say the twist at the end was what made the book a five star read for me. No spoilers, but so often you see "unlikable" heroes balk when faced with the opportunity to do what they claim they've wanted to the entire book so it was cool to see Violet act impulsively and then have to deal with the horrific consequences.

Violet’s gift for prophecy was discovered when she save Prince Cyrus from death when they were both young, which led to her being brought to the palace and apprenticed to the then-current seer, Felicita. But shortly thereafter, Felicita died, leaving Violet alone and largely untrained.

Violet is an unusual sort of protagonist - an orphan who raised herself on the street, straightforward, brash, and unabashedly looking out for herself first - but also desperate for affection, and willing to modify her prophecies to please King Emilius, her patron, and the closest she has to a father. But when push comes to shove, will she follow the wishes of King Emilius, Prince Cyrus, the witch who threatens the kingdom, or her own heart?

I enjoyed the bulk of this novel, but I’m not too sure about the ending. It took a sudden turn that I didn’t quite understand, and then just… ended. It may be a set up for a sequel; it’s hard to say.

Wouldn't you love to have the kingdom in the palm of your hands by predicting their futures? Better yet, being the prized possession of the king because of your ability? Did I say possession... I meant puppet, wait sorry. This is getting complicated. And so complicated it is for Violet who is very driven is rise to the top and isn't afraid to tell a few "prophecies" that may or may not be true to get there. She is desperately trying to keep in good standing with the king and discover the secrets of the kingdom.

I enjoyed our Violet, morally gray character who is struggling with, in some ways, being the most powerful person in the kingdom, yet really having no power at all. Her character arc is beautiful because it wasn't typical and because she goes farther than most stories would take her.

This is a great story for any fantasy lover and those who enjoy character outside of the normal status quo.

Well planned and paced story! Violet was a feisty character from the beginning, unafraid to do what was right to ensure her safety and independence. I enjoyed the love story as well, and that it wasn't the too common insta love, but grew over time between characters who really knew each other and the sacrifices they may have to make for one another.

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen was interesting. This book sounded amazing, so I knew I needed to read it right away.

I wouldn't really call this book enemies to lovers because I didn't believe the main characters were truly enemies. We got to know the history of these characters pretty fast and they didn't always fight. The two main characters spend the majority of the book insulting each other. When they weren't insulting each other, they were getting hot and bothered. The characters were constantly up and down that it made the whole story feel lacking.

The world and magic didn't feel super original. This one was just so-so to me. Would I read the sequel? Probably but I am not super invested to the story.

*eARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Would be better if something actually happened aside from VAGUE prophecies and a lame enemies/rivals to lovers romance.

I am intrigued enough to pick up book 2, but only barely.

I think my love of morally grey characters stems from the realistic circumstances they find themselves in, but also from the chaotic and reckless decision making processes they have to go through. The thing about Violet Made of Thorns is that Violet demonstrates all the traits of having to do morally questionable things to survive, and to protect the people she cares about.

I will say that the beginning dragged quite a bit and I had to take a break after the first 10-15% or so just because it was a bit muddy, but after that, I was a bit more interested in what was happening.

I had an eArc of this before but I read up to maybe the end of the third chapter and couldn't get into it. The story is said to be great for fans of The Cruel Prince which I loved but I was wanting more of the same with dramatic, angsty, and scheming that one provided me with. Instead, Violet is a very sarcastic, snarky, and downright vindictive and petty at times which I need to be in the right mood for.

Now that I have a physical release copy from Fairyloot I decided to try it again after coming off the high of reading The Wolf of Oren-Yaro which has a main character of similar personality. She's very sarcastic and blunt. So I was bit more open after that to reading a character of that type.

The second attempt was much more enjoyable. I really like that while Violet can be super annoying to some people, and at times pretty immature, it helps shape her character a bit more. The relationship between Cyrus and Violet took a bit for me to warm up to but their banter and chemistry in the latter half of the book was great.

I though that at some parts the tone of the writing skewed a bit younger, so there's a bit of a mismatch when the few steamy scenes came in. The narrative has good pacing and the prose is a breeze to read, you can slurp it down in great gulps without stopping. This is a fun read and it's not for every reader but if you wanted more of that will they or won't they kinda push and pull dynamic, then this definitely hits the spot.

Lovely fantasy book! I devoured it in one sitting! Thanks to netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I enjoy fantasy with a strong anti-hero so the premise of this book appealed to me. Violet is selfish and a liar but she is trying to survive in a cut-throat world of court intrigue. The book started out well but I didn't find the romance or the world building to be strong. I hope the second book in the series is better because I would like to continue reading about Violet.

This ended up being just ok for me. I almost DNF’d around the 33 percent mark, but ultimately made it all the way through. I found the writing to be very middle grade

I'm a big fan of fairytales so I knew I had to pick this book up! I had heard great things about it and I was not disappointed! The plot was very interesting to read about. I especially liked reading about the political drama of the court. The magical elements were woven in very seamlessly. It made the magic system and world feel very real and believable. The writing style made for an engaging read. Each chapter had something new and interesting and it kept me reading constantly. I saved a lot of great quotes that I enjoyed as well! In terms of characters, my favourite would have to be Violet herself. I loved her strength, determination, and backstory. We got to see her develop throughout the book and grow out of her comfort zone. I also liked reading about Prince Cyrus but would have enjoyed learning a bit more about the side characters so that I could be more invested in their aspects of the story. The ending left me wanting more and I'm excited to read the sequel when it comes out!

Overall I had a lot of fun reading this book! I especially enjoyed the magic and political intrigue.

Violet Made Of Thorns by Gina Chen appeared delectable, but when it came time for the main course, the server dropped my plate before I could enjoy the meal. The book needed more ruthlessness, more scheming, and more stakes to make the story’s dark prophecy hit where it hurts. Unfortunately for me, it missed every shot it took.

Violet holds a powerful position as the kingdom’s seer. Originally found on the streets, Violet is raised in the palace alongside the prince and princess. Chen may be living out her dreams of being a royal through Violet because even the seer’s humble beginnings could not keep her from acting as if she had a crown of her own. Violet views the king as a father figure, and she quickly learns how to navigate royal politics under his tutelage. This includes twisting words and creating fake prophecies to serve the king’s desires. However, the king is falling ill, and it’s time for Prince Cyrus to take the throne. The only problem is, Cyrus hates Violet and wants nothing more than to rid the kingdom of her visions. As Violet fights to stay relevant, dark magic reveals itself and solidifies the terrifying prophecy haunting Cyrus’s every step. Plagued with visions and mysterious voices, Violet must decide her role in the kingdom’s future either as its savior or its destroyer.

Because Violet and the king are buddies, there is a lot of friction between her and Prince Cyrus. All this sets up an interesting premise, but the book doesn’t play out the story between these three very well. It’s a shame we miss out on the politicking between Violet, the king, and Cyrus because their dynamic could have been more interesting had it been more cutthroat. I would have loved to see Violet using her position more for her own ends. It’s talked about in theory, but we never see her utilize it. She lies and twists words, but Violet never displays those dreadful acts that have kept her in a place of power. Additionally, Violet’s unique role as the all-knowing seer gets lost when she becomes the “I’m special” character, and it deflates the revered position that was so central to the story.

In the same vein of underutilizing her role, Violet constantly talks about how ruthless she is, but her actions never back up her claims. This all-talk and no-show situation is one of my biggest pet peeves, and it plagues the YA genre. Violet is prickly, and she’s far from a people person. She is petty, rude, and blunt, but at her worst, Violet lies for the king and verbally spars with the prince. This is not conniving and dangerous material if you ask me. It’s disappointing when a character spends more time trying to convince me how “bad” they are than actually contributing to the plot. It felt like Violet was talking a big game to receive validation, and it sucked the life out of the story. This isn’t a situation where a character is bad at being bad either. Violet believes she is a lot worse than she actually is, and I tried not to cringe when encountering her false declarations.

I was promised a duo as vicious and manipulative as Cardan and Jude in The Cruel Prince, but what I got instead was an odd couple with misplaced emotions and halfhearted actions. Both Violet and Cyrus’s motivations are hard to pin down. Their whims change constantly, and it’s not done purposefully for mysterious vibes either. They simply cannot decide what the hell they want and it can change by the next paragraph. As a result, the plot is choppy and I was exhausted trying to keep up with them both. Be prepared to experience whiplash in the weird dance happening between these two. I love the push and pull between enemies, but I consider their dance to be one that missed every beat. It was about as eloquent as the chicken dance and nowhere near as fun.

I wanted Violet Made Of Thorns to be something much different than what it turned out to be. I had little investment in the story because the characters were so hard to love. Their tiring escapades dragged the plot down, and Violet’s lack of ruthlessness and lackluster power struggle with Cyrus soiled the story for me. Ultimately, I needed Violet to live up to her infamous reputation but was sadly let down too many times.

This book was a whole lot of fun. I really actually loved the protagonist. I think my students are going to really enjoy this book.