Rounded to 3.5 stars.

CONTENT WARNING: blood, murder

This story has elements of various fairy tales mashed up into something completely new, with a protagonist who is more of an anti-heroine, a slow-burn star-crossed love interest, and a prophecy hanging over everything that can doom the world as they know it.

Violet is the character who I hated to love. She’s a street kid who was elevated to life at the palace because she is a Seer and happened to save the life of the prince, drawing the attention of the royal family. As such, she has grown up scrabbling for everything she had, leaving her with a certain sense of manipulative cunning that seven years of palace life haven’t quite managed to rid her of. The king has manipulated her talent to serve his own ends, and in her own interest, she has gone along with it. It worked well for her, but also changed her dynamic with Prince Cyrus, and they hate each other intensely, setting up an enemies to lovers situation. While they play the enemies part extremely well, I wasn’t quite sold on the lovers aspect. It doesn’t help that Cyrus never won my heart at any point in the story. I hated him intensely, and never felt like he earned my respect.

While the story focuses a lot on Violet’s skill as a Seer, we never really learn much about what she can do with it. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t fully understand her own power, since she wasn’t fully trained. The story also spends a lot of time discussing prophecies about the Fairywood and these monsters, but it doesn’t delve too deeply into it, leaving loose ends that weren’t really wrapped up at the end of the story, even though everything else was.

Overall, this was an interesting story, although it wasn’t my favorite in the genre. While I haven’t read Serpent and Dove, I have read The Cruel Prince, and it doesn’t really feel like an appropriate comparison, with the compulsive readability and immersive world that was created in that story, with it’s morally gray characters that showed a lot of development in terms of redeemability and growth. However, this wasn’t a bad book and it was creative, especially with the inclusion of a diverse, Asian character in a lead position, particularly in the fact that she wasn’t your typical heroine, but rather a realistic, flawed, and relatable character, and an openly lesbian side character in the royal family.

Violet Made of Thorns was a book I was pleasantly surprised by. The plot had quite a few twists and turns that took me by surprise, without completing subverting expectations. The author did a great job keeping things mysterious for most of the story. The characters, while not completely unique, was fun to follow and easy to connect with. The writing was enjoyable, though there were some pacing issues and problems with dialogue. The world-building and magic could use a little more development, but that can be built upon later in the series.

I love a good fairytale-inspired fantasy book and Violet Made of Thorns definitely fits the bill. While the book is not re-telling a specific fairytale there are elements from classic fairytales like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and even Sleeping Beauty woven throughout. Throw in a cranky witch, weird scary ladies, and an enemies-to-lovers romance and this might be one of my favorite books I've read this year.

Our main character Violet is a sassy witch who has no time for the royals she reluctantly serves and their bs. Violet is a former street urchin and has never let the look-out-for-yourself-at-any-cost mentality go and honestly that was so refreshing. She is not particularly nice or noble which makes her a fun character to follow. Violet is a seer which means she can see people's lives (past, present, and future) and that makes her a valuable asset to the king she reluctantly serves. Complicating matters is her hate-love relationship with Prince Cyrus who may or may not be cursed. As the resident witch and general magical person, Violet is tasked with coming up with a solution to the curse. Of course like any good fairytale, the curse can only be broken by true love which means Prince Cyrus needs to find a bride. The only problem is that Prince Cyrus would rather bicker and then make out with Violet rather than woo his future wife. Violet for her part is simply trying to keep everything together even though she acts like she doesn't care. No spoilers but this book end on an unresolved note and I need the next book in the series ASAP. Highly recommend.

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

I had high hopes for this book, but it didn't meet them. The premise sounded interesting and I love stories with fairy tale elements, but unfortunately I didn't like much about this one. I wasn't drawn into the story at all and didn't care for the characters. And I'm a character-driven reader and I need to like/care/be interested in the characters to enjoy the story. And I didn't like Violet and Cyrus at all.

Much of the hype I'd previously seen about this book was about Violet not being your typical heroine. She's a self-serving survivor with a sharp tongue and fierce attitude. But her personality felt too forced, like it was just for the sake of marketing her as a different sort of YA heroine and it didn't work for me.

And the romance....that also didn't work for me. Cyrus didn't appeal to me in the slightest and I don't think he and Violet make a great or believable couple. When I finish a book, I like to imagine the couple living HEA for the next 50 years. And I can't see that with Violet and Cyrus. I guess all their biting banter, barbs, and arguing was supposed to convince me of their hot chemistry and fuel the hate-to-love trope. But I got the opposite vibe. More like they would make each other worse as a couple instead of better. Perhaps the sequel will evolve their relationship better where the love (not just lust) between them becomes more apparent, but I don't care about them enough to read it.

But my impressions and opinions are probably in the minority, because I CAN understand why other readers would love this book. Under different circumstances, I might've loved it too if the characterizations and tropes weren't so glaring and forced for my taste.

Absolutely lovely. Enemies to lovers romance, masterfully done. It’s all about the long game for me. I love that Chen is taking her time with her world-building. I love that our heroine is flawed, naïve, willful, and somewhat thorny (Forgive this pun, I had to). Violet will grow over the course of this series, however long that will be. And I’m here for it- the long haul.. The romance between Violet and Cyrus will likely evolve from hot-hate to mutual love and respect, and I want to be there. Generally in fantasy, it’s not as impactful when our hero and heroine fully fall in love by the end of the first book- it honestly leaves me feeling like I don’t need to continue. Likewise the plot itself doesn’t need to be fast paced, nor fully developed to effectively make me want more. I don’t want all the back story and detail right now, I want to dive into a world that will capture my mind for the duration of the story. Story-building. Chen nailed it. I can’t wait to read more! 4.5 stars


Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for this eARC!

"A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies - perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent and Dove.

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased - and not always true - divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he's crowned at the end of the summer - unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus's love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom - all depending on the prince's choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that's growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet's wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can't change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom - or doom them all."

A very Storyteller Sleeping Beauty vibe.

This is the perfect YA/NA read for people who love fairytales. This is a great first book that sets this world and characters up perfectly. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. I can understand the Serpent & Dove comparisons but I think it might set the expectations of readers too high. The enemies-to-lovers romance is a big selling point of this book for lovers of the trope.

calling all fans of fairytales, enemies to lovers, and heroines with a bite, this book is for you! i was immediately sucked into this book, and considering the struggle i've had recently with focusing on reading, that was quite the feat. while the world the author crafts is perfectly fine, it's the characters that truly shine. gina chen describes violet as "prickly," and i simply can't think of a better word for her. she is not nice. she looks out for herself. and most importantly, she's <i>smart,</i> and i loved her, even if there were times i wanted to shake her.

the relationship between violet and cyrus is enemies to lovers EXCELLENCE. very strong jude/cardan and zoyalai vibes, which was thrilling to me, and of course, something that is uniquely <i>them.</i> i may not be a seer like violet, but i would put money on them becoming a new beloved bookish It Couple.

and before i move on from characters, i absolutely have to mention camilla. a side character she may be, this princess stole the show every time she was on page.

the sweeping conclusion certainly kept me on the edge of my seat, and i cannot wait to see how violet's story continues to play out in the sequel. (because there better be a sequel, right?) though the overall plot and world building didn't entirely blow me away, i still recommend this highly. fun, fast, and absolutely delicious.

This novel feel like a fairytale. The writing is very lyrical with lush descriptions. The world building is realistic and immersive. I love the main character and thought she was feisty and independent. I also loved the prince. He was very funny yet he proved to be very capable and intelligent. The story was very fast-paced! It had magic, action, and romance! I recommend this fans of Ash Princess, The Shadow Queen, and Seraphina!

Strong TCP vibes. Emphasis on how vile the MC is but would’ve been helpful to see more examples of the deceit firsthand vs recollections of it. We spend a lot of time in MCs mind; too many prophecies to keep track of. Has potential to be darker and wish it had more depth. Not sold on the attraction/romance.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me an arc!

Gods this book is so me. So fierce so intense… so heartless. Gina Chen does a wonderful job at weaving this tale as Violet does. Her writing is amazing throughout and I love the wittiness and snark between characters

I loved watching Violet try to piece everything together while we did. She was always so intense and honestly nothing but brutally honest most of the time. Even her lies weaved some evil truths. I just loved the brutalness of it.

As for our other characters I really enjoyed Cyrus, Camilla and Donte. With Cyrus, as “only for his kingdom” as he seems, I enjoyed Cyrus. I’d absolutely fall for him too. How can you not fall for someone who you’ve grown up with who knows you so well? With Camilla and Donte, they both bring their friendship, laughs, and good-times and I’m glad they were there for Violet.

As the ending grew near, I kept trying to guess what was happening but I couldn’t. There were multiple twists I didn’t even see coming. It was horrifyingly glorious. I honestly did not expect the end we got, however I am really happy and cannot wait to see how the second book plays out.

Perfect for fans of classic fairytales, new takes on familiar tropes, and scheming girls, Violet Made of Thorns really took me by surprise by how much I loved it!

The story follows the story of the kingdom’s seer, Violet— a tactical, smart and conniving girl who feels too much despite her every desperate attempt not to. We follow her journey untangling the threads of a prophesy binding her, her home kingdom and the charming Prince who is fast becoming more than just a thorn in Violet’s life.

I loved, loved, loved the characters in this story and the relationship dynamic between Violet and Cyrus. As a rule, if a romantic relationship reads in any way like the dynamic between Jude & Cardan in the folk of the air trilogy, I will adore it, and VMaT executes their dynamic perfectly. Anytime a scheming girl who will ruthlessly manipulate to suit her own aims is paired with Mr “here for a good time”, i will absolutely eat that up.

Full of action and twists, I read VMaT in one sitting and am eagerly awaiting the next instalment! While I would have liked a *touch* more relationship development and perhaps a little more background with certain plot points, it was overall an immensely entertaining read that I am certain will do well with those who love YA fantasy.

4.25/5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!

This was a whole new style of Fairytale and I loved it!

I have to say that at first I was conflicted. The author writes a note in the beginning describing the reasons for the main character's traits.. How Violet was written to be a realist. An in-between of good and bad. Not really fitting into a box. So at first, I found it hard to like her character. But after continuing to read, I wound up really appreciating her.

Violet is a Seer for a king, and really the whole kingdom. She saved the Prince's life at age 7 and now they have a shaky relationship usually based on insults. However, the land is changing and Violet is seeing scary visions of what is to come; Monsters, blood and roses.

Enemies to lovers! An ending that I never could have seen coming! And, fairytale! What more does a reader need?

Out July 26, 2022!

This book is so damn good. I had been in such a reading funk reading so many books that were simply okay and quickly forgettable, Violet Made of Thorns stands out and I can’t wait to read more. The story and romance subplot were written and paced very well. I’m really excited to see where the characters go to in the next one. Thank you so much to the author and the publisher for an e-Arc of the book. First time I’ve ever squealed with joy getting a request approved, especially since it was also my birthday.

This story is a fairy tale of the older tradition. There is little happiness and a lot of conflict. It is a very thought-provoking way to explore prophecy vs. choice, hate vs. love, and truth vs. lies. It’s not really an easy book to enjoy; every character seems to have their own hidden agenda and prophesied actions that may or may not coincide, which can make the reader unsure if the actions occurring are positive. The book was engaging and I was fascinated by the magic in the world.

I greatly enjoyed this book. It was a nice change to see court intrigue and palace life from an outsider. It had a solid twist and fantastic character development. The world building was enjoyable and overall the characters were likable. 10/10 recommend.

Wow! This was an amazing book! Keeps you engaged and rooting Violet the entire time. She's an imperfect heroine which makes her all that more relatable, because who doesn't have flaws. A sickness in the forest is overtaking the land and the king has directed her to proclaim a false prophecy to further his agenda of ruling all of the realms. Of course there's a handsome prince who's the love interest but he's more than a pretty face.
The world building and fairly tale aspects of this story are enchanting. Highly recommend.

I had such a good time with this one. I've learned recently just how much I love books that have fairytale vibes, and I love them even more when they show more of the darker side of fairytales. This book checked every box. Slow-burn enemies to lovers, angst and tension, dark magic, a very grey antiheroine main character, well realized side characters, and more.

Violet is a former street urchin turned seer for the king. She and the king more or less tell the people whatever the king wants them to hear, whether it's what Violet actually sees or not. Violet made her way into this position by saving his son, and prince, Cyrus when he was a child.

I adored Cyrus and Violet's banter and I also really appreciated that we get to know the side characters throughout this.
Violet is such a fun character to follow. She's selfish, a liar, vindictive, and isn't the easiest to like. She shows a lot of people their own bad sides, so by the end I was really rooting for her.

I've since preordered a copy and know/think it will be coming in other book boxes, and couldn't be more excited for it's release. I hope that many of you will pick it up because it was such a delightful debut, and I can't wait to read more from the series.

TLDR: Came for the dark fairytale vibes, stayed for the characters and their banter and dynamics.
I do think that if you go in for the vibes of The Cruel Prince you may find yourself a little disappointed because to me the stories told gave me very different feelings/vibes.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte press for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

Violet was such a refreshing female character to read about. She seems more liek a real person than the vast majority of young female characters in YA. Beautiful writing style and a fast-paced plot. However, fast-paced isn't always the best, especially since so much is gong on and things change so quickly that the reader is never sure what is happening and what will be undone in ten pages. Definitely worth the read though.

Fabulous fantasy book that brings in multiple elements from fairy tales. I devoured this book in one sitting!