I would start out with my biggest issue with my book, but unfortunately I have many big issues. Part of what contributed the most to my dissatisfaction was how we learned so many things through voices/prophecies/dreams, to the point where every other chapter would end with a section of italicized mysterious words from aforementioned voices/prophecies/dreams. That repetitiveness contributed to feeling like Violet did nothing and was pretty passive—which is interesting to consider, since her whole thing is wanting to take control of her own life and power? In that case, such passivity could be a smart artistic choice if it led to a fulfilling culmination of her development—but I found the ending with the king to be horribly dissatisfying. Though she did end up choosing her own destiny and having a climactic rebellious moment, so much about the book was specifically centered on how she always gave in to the king, and she never got the chance to fully resolve that.

The main selling point of the book was sadly also hugely disappointing. The romance was good if you could pretend that you knew their backstory well, because there is no way to know their backstory well. I’ll admit that I did enjoy their little game of “I hate you but let’s kiss and pretend like we are never gonna do this again” HOWEVER just because I enjoyed it doesn’t mean it was good! You can tell from the beginning that there’s (sexual) tension between them, that it’s a love/hate thing, that it’s been like this for a while… but you are never shown how it developed. So it ends up feeling overdramatic and uncalled for because you don’t know the foundation for it! While I enjoyed it to a certain extent, it was more on an entertainment level rather than feeling actual investment.

Also, there’s this increasing trend of lines in (mainly YA?) books that you can very much tell the author was extremely proud to have written and thought they hit but in reality missed by a ballpark. Unfortunately this book is yet another victim to that!

Personally, I had an enjoyable enough time reading this that I originally rated it 2.5 stars rather than 2. Like was it objectively that great? Ehh. But I can’t pretend like I didn’t mostly have a fun time reading it, purely for the sake of wanting to know what would happen next. Violet is an excellently crafted character and the saving point of this book. I loved how terrible she was, and how she was unapologetic for it. Again, her arc was not perfectly satisfying… But in honesty, the entire ending was a bit rushed, so I think it was less of an issue with her and more the ending. Unfortunately, whenever I look back on this book, I think not about the decent time I had reading this but about all the complaints I have, so it is getting 2 stars from me and a pretty solid position in the list of books I wouldn’t recommend.

I really liked how I didn’t quite know what to expect with it as I began to read. Morally grey protagonist and a wonderfully dark fairy tale story! The characters in this story are quite entertaining. I do think the romance could have been done better. I appreciated the world, the story, and the characters. This was a good read. I definitely enjoyed it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

This was a good YA fantasy read but missed the mark a little. I just am not as into straight YA fantasy as much anymore, unless it's outstanding. But would be good for a younger reader.

Violet Made of Thorns is a fairytale style setting that is witty, irreverent and changes directions from one moment to the next. In a fascinating dark take that still pulls off romance, humor and court intrigue. Interesting start and I look forward to more.

This was a fun fantasy read. It read a little to YA for me, but for a younger audience I can recommend it.

This is a book for fairytale lovers! A prince, a witch and prophecy that binds them. Definitely a fun book I enjoyed.

Absolutely loved this book! The depth of emotion in the characters built beautifully on the suspense of the storyline. I found myself guessing from the start what would be the key to ending the curse - I wasn't disappointed at all at how Chen tied the story up!

i’m very glad that there are so many more
options when looking for east asian young adult stories, but maybe i’m just too old for most of them. it’s on me for hoping i’d love a book that was comp’d to two books i don’t really like. would be interested in reading chen’s writing if she goes beyond YA

Violet Made of Thorns is a charming, dramatic, often deliciously irreverent take on a whole host of fairy tale tropes and conventions. It spins from one element to the next, blending steamy romance, court intrigue, magic both whimsical and dark, and tongue-in-cheek humor for a bewitching story. I can't wait for the sequel!

Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy.

I had high hopes for VIOLET MADE OF THORNS, but unfortunately, this novel didn’t quite meet my expectations. I may not have loved everything about this book, but there were a few aspects that I thought worked well, including: 1) the fairytale-inspired elements, both in terms of details and the plot, and particularly because it feels like they’ve been subverted or, at the very least, used differently in Chen’s book, 2) the explosive, often confrontational, dynamic between Violet and Cyrus, which outs itself in their interactions from beginning to end, and 3) the themes that the author touched upon, including fate, perspective, power and the agency (or lack thereof) of a single person

I did struggle with the plot, which starts off rather slow but picks up in the latter third (including finishing things off solidly with an ending that certainly makes me curious about what will happen in the sequel). I also didn’t connect with the characters, particularly morally grey Violet (and the way this is portrayed is clever, I can concede this) who perpetually has her hackles raised; and prince Cyrus with his artifice who is nearly impossible to really get to know (especially given we don’t get his perspective).

These two things heavily affected my overall opinion on this YA fantasy debut. It's still, however, quite readable (and the narration by Emily Woo Zeller was great, by the way), and it does finish on an interesting enough note, so perhaps take my review more as an idea of what to expect (if we share similar tastes) versus an actual deterrent to checking this one out for yourself.

This was fun! Dark and unexpected. Steamy romance and such a fun plot to watch unfold. Not a ton of world building, but that left room for a lot of plot/action. Didn’t see the ending coming. Listened on audio.

This filled the hole in my heart that was left by the folk of the air series. The romance? Toxic and addicting. The main character? Moral compass is NOT a thing and I loved that. Girlie did what she had to and she was unapologetic and I was living for it. The prince? Slightly pathetic and angry about it and it made it all the better. Are there faults in the book? Sure. But more than anything, it was an angry girl trying to get away with her con and it was delightful.

I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest opinion

Sexy and fun short read definitely kept me occupied and the world building was wonderful.

Honestly I never see this book around on the internet and it definitely needs to be. I thought this was great. I liked the characters, I like the plot and I also really liked the world that this took place in. I thought the author it a great job telling this story. it was fun, decently paced with some slight twists and turns. it was hard for me to put this one down.

Overall i thought this was pretty great and definitely recommend it.

**Many thanks to Delacorte Press/Random House Children's Books and Netgalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book**

Wow.

I was intrigued by this book when I first heard about it, and it did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

NOTE: this is a dark fairy tale. It DOES get darker as the story moves on. However, it is not as dark as The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood. On a scale of Tame to Terrifying, VMoT is probably a 6, while SitG is closer to a 9 (Terrifying).

The Love/Hate Relationship (and The Prince Charming)
Many compare VMoT to Serpent & Dove (S&D), (I've read both), but that's somewhat inaccurate: the enemies-to-lovers trope is present between both stories, but in S&D, Reid is trying his hardest not to fall in love with Lou, to not give in, for the sake of his honor and career; Cyrus knows he's falling in love with Violet, and wants to make sure no one knows he wants to give in, for the sake of his honor and career. Subtle difference, but for me, a big one, and one I enjoyed more. Cyrus came off as a more believable love interest than Reid.

I enjoyed Cyrus's character: the Prince Charming who is both equal measures of dashing royalty and clever man, he measures each courtly decision carefully, but also isn't afraid to give in to what he wants and follow his heart.

The Leading Lady
And what of Violet? Bond by duty, honor, fear, self-preservation and want of a family, she came across as both independent and lonely. She's trying to make her way in the world, knowing she has no safety net. I identified with that a lot. I also think that, for her character, this book is one where the reader is dropped into her life right in the middle: there is more to explore for her in both her past and future. This WILL be at least a 2 book series (according to Goodreads), so I am very happy with that.

The Fairy Tale
I really, REALLY, liked the fairy tale setup of this book. It takes every fairy tale you know and love and flips it on its head, rearranging the pieces to form something that feels like something you grew up with, but also something uniquely original. There's references to fairy tales in it, where Violet basically says, "...and those tales are stupid". Which, I loved. At one point, I figured out the ending, but to still see the dominoes falling toward that ending was shocking and fun.

Where this fairy tale falls short is, it's also supposed to have Asian-representation, and that was not clearly portrayed. I almost did not pick up on Violet's Asian appearance (only once does the author comment on Violet's eyes being almond shaped, and maybe 1 or 2 times is her skin color mentioned), and since Violet is an orphan, there's a disconnect to any traditions or culture that are Asian-influenced. The prejudices she faces because she looks different are commented on maybe a handful of times, but aren't displayed in her life well (especially since everyone flocks to her for readings on their future). It was more "Tell, not Show" to me.

Questions
Two characters I would like to know more about are Dante (aptly named), and Camilla. Oh, Camilla... She alone could have a series written for her. She is a force that needs a tale of her own. Also, who was the main antagonist? How does the lore with her fit into the main story? And what happens next?

I will buy this book and read it again.

This is just a very mid work - there’s nothing huge wrong with it, but there is also nothing good that stands out. I thought the world building was sloppy and I didn’t think enough work was done in character building to make the resolution satisfying.

Violet was a prickly, arrogant, difficult protagonist to like. She did grow on me by the end, but I almost put the book down because of it, and I wish she'd come a bit further in her journey to make decisions not based solely on her personal political survival.

It's possible my dislike had something to do with the audiobook narrator, whose voice I find grating for no reason I can explain and who I actively avoid listening to. But I think a lot of it is down to Violet just being very unlikeable on purpose.

I did get behind her motivations and actions toward the end (though she still made decisions that had me scratching my head) and I appreciated her as a character.

Cyrus, too, was difficult to like as he was hiding so much of himself and his motivations weren't always easy to understand.

I enjoyed Dante, though he wasn't on page nearly as much, and Camilla as well. My favorite parts were when the four of them were scheming together instead of keeping secrets from one another. Sadly that was a very small portion of the book.

Violet and Cyrus are both very morally gray characters and I really liked their animosity and the way they were constantly sniping at each other (and the carefully masked attraction).

The plot itself was twisty and confusing and hard to grasp hold of, and the book ends with a bunch of plot twists and things happening but without anything really being resolved. I'm not sure if I'll read the next one or not.

I was thinking as we got toward the end that it was really reminiscent of the Cruel Prince, and then lo and behold I see that that's a comp title. Honestly it makes sense. Morally gray characters who are difficult to like, attraction masked as animosity, and a twisty plot full of betrayals feature in both books. I do think the Cruel Prince did it better, and this was more fantasy romance than fantasy, but this did a decent job and I would definitely recommend it to those who enjoyed the Cruel Prince and also enjoy fantasy romance.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Delacorte Press for providing an early copy for review.

Ever pick up a book that you have very high expectations for, only to read it and be monumentally disappointed? Unfortunately, Violet Made of Thorns was that book for me. I was originally drawn to it because of comparisons to The Cruel Prince, promising similar court intrigues and an enemies-to-lovers romance chock-full of delicious will-they-or-won't-they tension. But it fell flat on both accounts, to my dismay.

For starters, the main plot was just plain boring. I just couldn't make myself care about the curse afflicting the kingdom, and I frequently found myself just skimming through the passages that dealt with it. The court intrigue that was promised was practically missing altogether from the plot. And add to that that not only was the romantic tension between the two main characters nonexistent at best, but that their relationship was consummated in book one of the series. By the time I had reached the end of the book, I was left wanting no more, and feeling like I had just finished a particularly painful marathon.

This book is much more Serpent & Dove than The Cruel Prince, so if you liked the former—which I did not—then you'll probably enjoy Violet Made of Thorns, too.

2 stars

Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

This was a really great debut with some interesting elements. The synopsis for this one really claimed my attention early on so I couldn't resist diving into this one.

I am not sure that I meshed well with the author's writing style. I constantly found myself confused over events happening in the story. I am not sure if this is by design or if it's just me but it definitely affected my reading. I wouldn't say that I necessarily disliked the author's writing voice entirely but I felt that it could have been more clear at times. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the story or the world-building. I was confused about a lot of the world-building but I also thought that many aspects of it were clever, original, and entertaining. I think that the story simply needed more explanation about things. If the world-building had been more fleshed out and the voice of the story was a little less confusing then I definitely would have rated this higher. Because all of the elements of an awesome story are definitely there.

The characters in this story are quite entertaining. Violet has some great depth and I enjoyed her narrative. I liked Cyrus's character but I think that he could have been fleshed out a little more. I wanted to get inside his brain and pick things apart to see what made him tick. He was mostly a mystery because his actions would negate themselves constantly. I loved all of the side characters. They certainly made the story better.

The romance was enemies-to-lovers and I was here for it. Violet and Cyrus kept clashing together with such intensity. It was a very push-and-pull kind of relationship. They wanted each other but they knew they shouldn't so then one of them would step back again. Right until they came back together. I wish that I could have known more about how they became enemies in the first place because while their clashing was passionate I didn't feel like I earned it when I was reading it. Like something was left out for me or I was missing the reason behind the intensity. We do get the backstory of how they met but everything after that was a mystery. But when they were together it was definitely hot.

Overall, this was a surprising young adult fantasy that was wholly unique. I love all of the interesting elements of the story and the addicting cast of characters. If you are a fan of enemies-to-lovers fantasy then I'd definitely give this one a try!