Fantasy politics. Morally questionable main character. Lies and prophecies and the blurry lines between the two. The girl who wants to kill Prince Charming instead of flirt with him. Enemies-to-lovers romance. Have I convinced you yet? Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen was one of my most-anticipated books of 2022, and reader, it delivered. This is the sort of debut that makes me incredibly excited about this author’s future works (and has me chomping at the bit for the sequel!).

This is it: the morally gray witchy prophetess I didn’t know I needed. Violet was a fantastic protagonist in this book, with a perfect mix of sass, strength, and stubbornness, but seasoned with self-doubt and an (understandable) inability to trust. Violet is an accomplished liar (or teller of half-truths, depending on who you ask) and filled with a ruthless sense of self-preservation. And her quick wit, coupled with her insightful (and somewhat cynical) view of the world and her willingness to push back against anyone made her narration entertaining and unpretentious to read while simultaneously leading me to highlight an absurd number of lines (see my incredibly lengthy list of quotes below, and know that this was a pared-down version of my full highlights).

That’s not to say that she was the only character in this story; the supporting characters were engaging to read about as well. There’s Dante, the sassy gay misanthrope-turned-best-friend. There’s Camilla, the princess who loves fashion but also has a keen eye for unearthing deception. There’s King Emilius, an horrid imperialist with a silver tongue and an iron grip on his court. And there’s Cyrus, the idealistic young prince who just wants to find his true love to fulfill the prophecy…despite his feelings for Violet, who is strictly off-limits.

And oh, this romance. Fans of enemies-to-lovers will relish this part of the story. The tension between Cyrus and Violet crackles in their every interaction. The power dynamic between them is an interesting one–he is the future king and thus her future leader, while she is the Seer who has the ability to keep him from the throne with a few well-chosen words–and so they skirt the edges of their duties, look for loopholes in the rules and boundaries around them, reluctant to admit feelings but nevertheless finding their attraction sometimes overpowering. There is banter, there is a literal dagger-to-the-throat moment, there is betrayal, and there is even a little bit of steam. Nothing super spicy or very explicit, but there is a sex scene that is not graphic but also not fade-to-black. And, following one of my favorite tropes, there is a dose of grumpy/sunshine here, with the stone-hearted Violet and passionate Cyrus.

I know the plot may not be everyone’s cup of tea, as it is really driven by intrigue and political scheming, not by action and sword fights (though there are plenty of monsters and a dark enchanted forest!), but I absolutely loved that element of the story. This is a kingdom where everyone lies to get what they want, and nothing can be taken for granted. The mix of magic types–fairies, Seers, witches, Fates and gods, and more–made for a complex power system that those on the throne don’t fully comprehend, and Violet’s existence at the juncture of magic and royalty highlighted both sides of this struggle. And there were some nice nods to classic Western fairytales, including Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, among others, which lent a nice intertextuality to the story.

I will say, there were a few things I would have liked to see fleshed out a bit more—Camilla didn’t get quite as much development as I would have liked to see, and there were a lot of things that remained unanswered about the fairies and certain blood magic elements, but I’ll concede that perhaps the author is reserving these for exploration in the sequel. (I do low-key ship Camilla with another character who will remain nameless for now.) I also would have liked a little more on the history between the two neighboring kingdoms, beyond their recent border struggles under King Emilius; given the political elements that informed all the characters’ actions, I would have liked a little more historical political insight to round out the worldbuilding. However, again these are small things and didn’t hurt the book at all; I just think they would have helped it shine even brighter.

In short, this was a book that more than lived up to my mental expectations for it. Highly recommended for anyone who likes their books filled with tension of all sorts–internal, political, and romantic–and fans of fantasy where the romance really is relevant to the plot.

Rep: Asian MC, gay male SC, queer female SC

4/5 ✨✨✨✨

A Violet Made of Thorns is a fairytale turned grim full of liars, enemies, and dark magic.

Violet is a Seer employed by the King himself; and arguably the best liar in the kingdom. When her web spins itself out of control concerning the ever-irritating Prince's marital status she has to do whatever it takes to make sure her untruths don't see the light of day.

I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would, considering fairtyale-esque isn't generally my scene, but the way it leaned dark helped with that. I can see why it was compared with The Cruel Prince, though I wouldn't consider the characters nearly as developed, the fact that none of them were truly all good and were allowed to be flawed definitely did something for me.

Violet and Cyrus' banter was fantastic. I enjoyed every interaction where I ended up unsure of whether they were going to sink their teeth into each other or set someone on fire. They were easy to root for and I thought their dynamic flowed nicely. There was also a lot of intrigue concerning Violets actual dreams that I loved, because each one was certainly a page turner in itself.

I enjoyed the world building, but wished there was more of it. So many aspects seemed to be brushed over (I'm sure for space saving, this isn't a fault I'd put on the author necessarily) and I dearly wish that other characters like Cyrus' sister and Dante had gotten more attention.

My review might be late, but trust me I blew through this book quickly!

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

Violet Made of Thorns is a story of schemes, curses, and enemies to lovers, and it is all showcased inside a dark fantasy fairytale. The author relied heavily on the fairy tale trope to move along with her story. The two main characters are Violet, the seerer, and Cyrus, the prince plagued by a prophecy (curse). They constantly fight to the point where you want to scream oh, make out already. The romance is intense in places, and the dark parts are borderline mayhem of what is going on.
I continued with the story cause the world-building made the world so enjoyable. The beasts, the fairies, and the fairy wood combined to create a world I liked to explore more as I continued reading the story. I felt that the story was solid tell we got to the end, and then it felt like the author wasn't quite sure how she wanted things to go, so she threw a whole bunch of stuff in and left us waiting for the next book to see how it all gets solved.
Overall this was not a bad debut, but it could have been better

I had high expectations for this book so maybe that's why I felt disappointed by it. I'm not really sure what was missing, but I personally wasn't able to connect with any of the characters or get into the plot. I went weeks without reading it between chapters and just didn't feel that page turning, on the edge of my seat feeling.

I think the author definitely has potential so I'll give her future books a try, but this wasn't for me. There just wasn't anything special.

I was genuinely so excited for this book when I first came across the synopsis prior to its release. Anyone who knows me, also knows I live in the gray and likewise I love morally gray characters. Life is not black and white, people and their problems are never that simple. So, I find the characters that hang out in the middle to be far more interesting and realistic, even in fantastical worlds.

Violet is not morally gray. At best, she's morally egg-shell colored. Frankly, so is Cyrus. To be honest, none of the characters have much personality or charisma at all. I suppose Camilla is the most fleshed out character, but even she feels like a pale 2D concept more than a person.

Until I reached the 80% point of the story, I wasn't even invested in a single scene.. let alone the idea that there was some burgeoning love story here. I understand what happened. The author was trying so hard to make both parties come across as cold toward each other and aloof, that she simply failed to show they resonated anywhere else at all. And that's a shame, because there were brief glimpses toward the end.. of real texture.

Unfortunately, by that time I just wanted it to all be over. Luckily, after simmering on low for most of the novel, once the drama hit.. the ending was tied up in a rush. It did, however.. leave me feeling like I wished I could get the time back I'd spent reading the book.

There are plenty of good ideas here. Interesting approaches to magic and familiar topics are sprinkled throughout. The villain I think could have been quite heavy if given more focus. As this is Chen's debut novel, I'm hopeful she'll grow into those ideas and really spend some time honing her craft. Occasionally she writes really beautiful lines worth quoting.. but none of that holds together without any real feeling of connection between the characters, the story, and the reader.

If you still desperately want to give this book a try, you won't hate yourself. It's all right. It just isn't particularly great either.

All of the ideas were good but the execution was not. The writing was more telling, not showing and the first 30% was info dumping and hardly anything actually happened. The set up for the romance could have been good, if the characters had any chemistry at all. Overall, this was a disappointment.

Prince Cyrus and royal Seer Violet cannot stand each other. Violet saved Cyrus when they were children and not long after their animosity began.

However their passionate hate has begun to change into something else. Something more. Which is inconvenient, as Cyrus is engaged to someone else. Someone who isn’t who she seems.

And all the while foreboding roses, briars and beasts are edging closer to the kingdom as Violet sees a catastrophic wedding day for the prince in her prophetic dreams.

Can they be honest about their feelings? Can they prevent the horror the looms over the kingdom? Or the war that seems to be on the horizon?

DNF 12%

I’m so confused about what the target audience for this is. The MCs are 18-19 years old, but the writing style gives a novel geared for 13-14 year olds, and the plot allures 16-year-olds with how generic it is.

I couldn’t finish mostly because of the writing. The author insists on telling us how everything is instead of showing us—especially when it comes to characters. She was often telling us what our opinions or how we should perceive their personalities.

And just the writing;

<i>The Prince is dressed, mostly. And—ugh—handsomer than ever.

“Hate to say I told you, Princey.”</I> (said un-ironically)

It’s giving…. Wattpad fan fiction. Realistically I would rate this one star but considering I didn’t get 1/4 of the way through, I find it’s not fair for me to rate it at all. But you get my opinion.

Wow, what a fabulous debut! This book was nothing short of perfection, the angsty enemies to lovers, the court politics, the witch and the beasts. I was really impressed by all the elements in this book that came together to craft such a mesmerizing tale. The relationship between Cyrus and Violet was everything you could want in a enemies to lover trope. I did love the fact that Violet was so cynical and realistic about what running a kingdom meant and how the world works. I also totally understood Cyrus' irritation and disappointment in Violet's behavior and her transformation once she became Seer. I'm not gonna lie I am super psyched to see where this story goes, I can't wait to see what Cyrus and Violet pull off if they work together.

I wish with my whole being this story was better formed. I love the concept - a girl plucked from the streets, elevated to the vaulted Seer position, but captured in her own lies. A prince, aloof and withdrawn, but foretold to find his true love to save the kingdom. They hate each other, but will their paths overlap in a race to save all that they have ever known?

See - a compelling plot there, surely. Add in a bit of fairy magic and some steamy scenes, and you have a YA hit on your hands. Right? Nope.

This book is poorly constructed, from its shallow world-building to its lack of true romantic tension. The writing is a-okay, but not an ounce better than that. Even as someone who admittedly can overlook poor writing in favor of excellent plot, it was nothing to shout about. I found myself simply accepting that the tension was there rather than truly following along with the enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-maybe-friends-to-lovers-again-randomly plotline. My heart longed to love it, but just like a substantive plot, it just wasn't there for me.

Would I keep reading this series? Perhaps. I kinda doubt it, though. It doesn't read too young - there is indeed enough steam in here to power an engine, even if the reasoning behind it isn't. Maybe for someone who enjoys almost-witty banter and some fun stolen romance moments, this book would do it. It just wasn't ultimately for me.

For starters, Violet is a morally-grey protagonist, which are my favorite kind. I love a good vs. evil book, but morally grey characters that choose to do good, or maybe bad, things are so much more fun. And Violet made this book so much fun! I loved every scene with her and she read like a teenager. Someone looking out for herself in a cruel world that could very easily get rid of her.

I also loved her relationship with the other characters – Prince Cyrus, Dante, and Princess Camilla. We can see the friendships she built with Dante and Camilla and her time in her tower. And at the same time, we can see the rivalry between her and Cyrus – their clear enemies status and how they refuse to trust each other. We get a clear picture of everyone’s relationship to each other and I loved every interaction between Violet and Cyrus! But, I wish we got more time with Dante and Camilla. We get some good scenes with them, but their relationships with Violet were so entertaining, I wanted to see more of them.

In addition to great characters, we have great world building. While we only know some details about the world and their beliefs, and how they’ve changed, it’s clear that the gift of Sight is something special and gives them a clear connection to the Fates. And how they’re revered as gods. I do wish we got a little more information about the world and why everything changed, especially the relationship to the Fairywood, but there are some good inferences and ideas left behind by the author.

And the plot? Top tier. I was hooked in by this book so quickly, I couldn’t put it down. I’m someone who gets car sick easily and I was fine with making myself ill to read this book on a road trip with my family. I can sacrifice my lunch for five more minutes with this book, it’s definitely worth it!

Also, the romance? Enemies to romance. Absolute gold. The evolution of the romance and its progression through the book was excellent and literally perfect. We don’t go from enemies straight to lovers and I enjoyed seeing the awkward love-hate moments Violet and Cyrus had. Plus, there’s a lot of pushing and pulling in their relationship which made it even more perfect. If you’re a fan of enemies to lovers romance, you’re going to die for this couple!

Overall, this book was perfection for me. I’m so glad I could read an early copy so I can yell at everyone I know to read it. It’s so good and I’m so happy its out for everyone to read. I would highly recommend reading this as soon as possible because it’s such a good story. And while it wraps up at the end nicely, I really, really hope there’s a sequel or a spin off!

CW: death, blood, self harm, murder.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange honest review.

Are you a fairytale lover? If so, this book is for you! This book really rocks the classic fairytale vibe. Everything from a prophesy, a curse, a witch and of course a prince!

The story was compelling with some good twists, but I was feeling wanting in the romance department, but that didnt stop me from finishing to book in two days!

Despite what it may look like on the outside I don’t expect every book I read to be 5 stars, which is why when one unexpectedly is I get excited about it. This is one such occasion. I expected to enjoy Violet Made of Thorns, don’t get me wrong, but I am thoroughly obsessed with this book and I need the sequel immediately.

I’m a sucker for fairytale retellings and imagery in books, and boy oh boy is this book chockful of that imagery. There is quite literally a scene where Prince Cyrus hands Violet a shoe she lost. I think Chen did a really good job pulling from various fairytales to create a wholly unique story but still paying homage to a wide variety of tales. It created an absolutely exquisite vibe for the whole book.

Our main character was a delight, in the way that she was insufferable and relatable in almost equal measure. Violet’s self-preservation instinct is a mile wide, and I had a lot of fun watching her try to navigate around it without losing who she really is. I’m not going to say she’s the most unique YA protagonist, but I always love when authors allow their female main characters to not be unendingly selfless.

Cyrus is amazing, and he definitely makes my list of favourite love interests. I adore the way he stood up to Violet and the way his morals shined through everything he did. I’m a sucker for a lot of the tropes Chen put in both Cyrus himself and his relationship with Violet that I can’t mention without major spoilers, but suffice to say their relationship is well worth the build-up to get there.

The rest of the side characters were a bit of a mixed bag in my opinion. Camilla was an instant fav and stayed that way through the whole book. I really did not expect to see such an unapologetically lesbian character in this book, and it was fantastic for her to just, be there, and be incredibly gay all of the time. Nadiya grated on me, but I have a history of disliking naive characters so that’s really not surprising to me. And the least spoilery thing I can say about Dante is: what the fuck.

The world-building in this book was pretty much entirely vibes, but in a way that I think added to the story. If you exclusively like books with extensive world-building this probably isn’t for you, but if you can flow with a world that isn’t super detailed then I think it really makes the characters and plot the focus.

Speaking of, the plot of this book really did keep me guessing. Sometimes I thought I knew what was going to happen and I was basically never right. I’m usually a pretty decent guesser especially when it comes to YA fantasy, so I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong several times throughout the story. I also just think the plot was fun. It was dramatic and engaging and it really kept me hooked for all 300+ pages.

I’ve talked about it a little, but I truly loved the dynamic between Violet and Cyrus. I love banter in my ships, and these two are non-stop banter up to and including when they’re kissing. I loved the curse element, the way Violet felt that any relationship between them was doomed. Truly there are so many of my favourite things packed into this book that I think I lost count.

Now I don’t know if this was on purpose, but Violet did in fact read as demisexual to me. As a demiromantic person married to a demisexual person, the way she described her relationship to attraction really resonated with me.

In summary: please read this book. It’s exactly the kind of YA fantasy that makes me adore the genre as a whole and I desperately need the next book in this series. If you like ships with a heaping helping of banter and tension, and protagonists that live on their own terms this is the book for you.

I wish there were a way to give more stars because five is just not enough. I can't even begin to describe the love I feel for the way that Violet is written. Chen states before the novel begins that she didn't want a perfect character, and because of that, her character is perfect because she is flawed and selfish; "All I know how to do is a dream, read threads, and lie." Seriously, the last time I loved a character this much was when I read Marissa Meyer's Renegades. Plus, the entire book was fascinating, and I didn't want to put it down! Bravo on this debut, Chen, bravo.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for allowing me access to an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review (now I plan to buy a hardback copy because that cover is GORGEOUS and I know I will want to read it again)!

It’s been a helluva last two months and I’m a little behind 😬

#violetmadeofthorns was overall an excellent book. It was a slow starter for me, I didn’t really get into it until chapter 5… but it was a fast paced #adventure through the end.

I love the “I love you I hate you fuck off” trope 🤣 it’s very well written!

There is a plot twist I kind of saw coming BUT still added #dramatic flair.

Cheers to @actualgina for a great debut!
Special thanks to @netgalley and @randomhousekids for allowing me to read this story 📚

This has been an AMAZING surprise!
I didn't know what I could expect from this story and I sort of start quite blindly, immediately captivated by this reign with its lights and shadows, with a peculiar presence of magic that I really liked. Politics rules over relationships, and it was interesting to see how Violet handles her role as a royal Seer, how she's perceived by other people, and, most of all, how her past is still influencing her behaviour towards others and herself. She's a morally gray character and I really appreciate Gina Chen's choice to be coherent from the start to the end in this: Violet's mind is often bitter, full of resentment, anger and doubts of betrayal and this leads to thoughts and choices that are not always good or could not end up well, but it's ok, because for the way Violet is, she couldn't act in any other way!
The figures that surround her maybe could have been deepened a little more, but for this I wait book 2. Undeniably, I've easily seen a clear characterisation and it was interesting to read their interactions; notheless, I would have appreciated to see more scenes with the "villains", or a slower rhythm within them.
What I could not predict in any way, even if the story presents itself in a quite simple manner, were the plot twists! The author left me speechless multiples times with the contrasting desire to keep reading and know what will happen next and the fear of it! One thing especially has been totally unexpected and I still have to recover from it.
Finally, the romance: if you believe you have seen everything with Cardan and Jude (from The Folk of the Air series), brace yourself, because Violet and Cyrus' relatioship is even more complicated and twisted! I wanted to smack their heads several times, but at the same time I rooted for these two SO much (anyway, Cyrus is absolutely my favorite character and he deserves better!).
A very good debut, can't wait to read the next one!

AMAZING!! I absolutely loved this book from the beginning to the end. I read it so fast (once I got around to it 😅) and everyone who’s been raving about this book was right! It was fabulous!! Gloriously woven, Gina Chen crafts a world and characters like no other full of magic, political intrigue, and conflicting romances. The main character, Violet, is a wonderfully rich character full of wit and sarcasm. Violet can see the future, but how much truth her divinations hold is debatable 😙 She’s such a beautiful endearing, and complex character. This book was exciting and I can’t wait to find out what’s next for Violet, Cyrus, and their world!

-Fun take on a fairytale
-Dark
-Interesting and engaging
-Twists we’re great and not really predictable, which is nice
-I do find it hard at times to see why the two characters liked one another.

Violet has always had visions of the future. As a destitute street child, she used these visions to save the life of the prince. Now, years later, she is the king’s Seer – and often, a talented liar – who influences the royal court on his behalf. She and Prince Cyrus can’t stand each other, and she knows that as soon as he’s king, she’ll be stripped of her position and banished. The king is pressuring her to “foretell” that Cyrus will soon meet and marry his true love – which is at odds with a vision of the prince’s death and a terrible curse which the old royal seer had before she died. And Violet herself is having terrible, violent dreams that tell of a curse awakened and a dire fate waiting for the prince... and for herself.

I found Violet to be an interesting character – selfish and prickly and yet also sympathetic, as much of her unlikeable behavior comes from an understandable position of self-preservation which has been molded by her early life, as well as the jaded nature that comes with years of being the king’s pawn. The enemies-to-lovers trope isn’t one of my favorites, but I thought it done in an interesting way here. The ending was unexpected and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for the next book!

Representation: POC characters, LGBTQ characters

BROS THIS WAS GOOD i was not expecting that at all!!!! a little heavy to get through in the first half but the second half GAVE! it’s like if Cinderella was morally
grey and trying to figure out if she wants to be a villain or an antiheroine. i can’t wait for the sequel.

also this is definitely new adult, not YA, just so y’all know!!