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.

This was a 4.5 out of 5 to me but i'll round up. i loved our mc, the writing was great but i found myself not really pulling for the romance. high key i love enmities to lovers but there wasn't much redeemable for dante, even thought i want it SO BAD. he was just a little flat. i loved the world of violet and i can't wait for book two!!

This is one of those books that will suck you in with a beautiful cover and a strong start but then deflate as the book goes on. I thought the writing was excellent but I didn't like the main characters and the plot left something to be desired. Overall this one wasn't a good fit.

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen was one of my most anticipated read of 2022 and it didn't disappoint! Violet and Cyrus were both very interesting characters and each with goals themselves, and the court romance was very good. The romance buildups was in a perfect pace, not an annoying slowburn but not fast burn either. Personally, I deeply understood what's going on inside Violet's head, although many reviewers don't like her for it. She's very unique. And yeah, her being an Asian in a western ambience kingdom is already a point plus.

This was such a unique twist and take on fairytales. Everything was so unexpected. This story had me enchanted up till the end and then without spoilers I felt it seemed completely unrealistic. The teenager perspective was spot on until that point. Teenagers feel things very intensely and if someone betrayed them it would be a very big deal. The ending knocked this book down a point but besides that I really enjoyed the ride.

Violet Made of Thorns
by Gina Chen

I was really excited to receive and read Violet Made of Thorns. It was described as being "perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove", both of which I enjoyed immensely. I found that the story felt a bit more like Serpent and Dove, but I didn't enjoy it as much as either book/series.

The love/hate, enemies to lovers characterization of the MC Violet and Prince Cyrus is a trope that I absolutely love, but it is also one that is quite difficult to craft, and for the most part, I just wasn't invested in their flirtatious quarreling nor was I sold on their attraction. There were several sex scenes, but the chemistry just was not there for me. I really wanted to like this book, considering how much I love fairytales, YA Fantasy Romance, witches, curses, and the like but even the politics and magic of the world just weren't quite there for me. It wasn't quite fleshed out enough to pull me into the world, nor were the characters written deeply enough for me to feel anything more than a passing apathy for them and their plight.

For a debut, this book was a solid start for a new author. I get the feeling she also loved all the same tropes as I do and wanted to throw in all of her ideas into this book, but wasn't quite sure how to work it all out. I am hopeful that the second book (it is set to be a duology) will answer many of my questions about the world and deepen my understanding of the relationships of the characters.

CW: death/blood & descriptions of death; sexual content; parental death; self-harm; body horror

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

(9/11/2022) 4 stars. A strong debut from Gina Chen, Violet Made of Thorns has an unconventional protagonist and love story that isn't what we usually get in YA but is becoming a little more popular as the protag is more of an anti-hero. Ms. Chen pitches it as a story for people who relate to the unrelatable characters so that tells you something. It's a good start to the duology.