With an interesting premise about a cynical and lying anti-heroine facing a curse that may cause the doom of the world, the book failed to be unique, but rather an usual book in the endless sea of YA fantasy books. Competition is tough, and to me this book didn't really offer anything new, as I could see an almost familiarity between Violet Made of Thorns and The Cruel Prince, and many more. But if you like these kinds of books, then I encourage you to go ahead and read this book!

For the first half of the book, I was hooked. The pace was quick, and I was curious about this new world. Unfortunately, the book focused too much on the poorly executed enemies-to-lovers relationship between Violet and Cyrus. In that way, the plot and world-building was neglected, which is often the elements I love the most about fantasy books. The second half started of slower and sometimes became a chore to get through, while the ending felt too rushed. And my criticism really comes to the ending, as it wasn't unique at all and reminded me of other YA fantasy books. It has almost become a typical ending these days.

As a person who really isn't the one to read Serpents and Dove and thought The Cruel Prince series was far from a masterpiece, this book was maybe not made for me. But I did belive this book could surprise me in new ways, as the premise seemed interesting enough. And at first I really thought I would love this. Unfortunately, the second half of the book didn't really fit my taste and fell short to me.

Overall, it was an interesting read. And I didn't thoroughly dislike it either. I just think it's a shame it fell into a typical YA trope plot, when it had a lot of potential to be a unique story which could in some way change my views. Unfortunately it wasn't able to. Yet, I truly hope other people will enjoy this more than me. I will most likely not continue reading this series.

Over and out. -Nora<3

I definitely want to reread this book, but upon finishing it, I have to admit I’m disappointed.

I was expecting a fairy tale meets Serpent & Dove meets The Cruel Prince, and that’s not what I got. I’m not sure how to explain what I did get, but it wasn’t this. I was just very underwhelmed, but it could have been my headspace and I do look forward to rereading it.

Just finished this and oh. my. GOD!! This book is so addictive I read it in 2 days. Violet is a character who has so many walls built up around her and she doesn't really trust anyone, but the author wrote her character in a relatable way. I also love how feisty and sassy she is. Camilla is another character that really stands out to me. I would get so excited anytime she appeared. The one critique that I have is that I felt that the romance kind of popped up out of nowhere. They despised each other and then all of a sudden they're making out? The romance did eventually grow on me though. Overall, I am obsessed with this book and I need the next book right now because the ending?!?!?

"The only people who are nice are those who have never had to claw for anything they've wanted"

It took a while for me to become invested in this story but once I was, I enjoyed the ride. Violet and Cyrus's story is one filled with twists, kingdom politics, magic, fairies, and so much tension. The tension kept me intrigued and invested.

The first half of the book was mostly plot set up. It was a lot about Violet's role as seer, Cyrus's role as Prince and how their roles intertwined. I love how the author described what Violet saw when she looked into someone's threads. It was so well done and descriptive. I felt like I was seeing what Violet was seeing.

Prince Cyrus and Violet both come of with very strong personalities. They hate each other and the banter is excellent and entertaining.

"I want prince charming to fall from grace."
"Don't look at me like that"
"Like what?"
"Like I matter to you"

Ugh the dialogue in this book was great. I absolutely acted like a giddy school girl at certain parts.

I adored Dante and Camilla too. I love that the author included a LGBTQ character in her book. There were mentions of Camilla liking girls but it was done tastefully which I really liked.

This book surprised me, made me angry, made me happy, and made me fall in love with Violet and Cyrus. If the author turns this book into a series I will 100% be reading the rest of them.

Excellent fantasy read, highly recommended.

This beautiful YA fantasy tale incorporates elements of the fairy tales we know and love into a unique and original magical story where it’s the not-so-charming prince that needs saving. ‘Violet’ kept me on my toes, with a snarky, relatable narration style and a few surprise twists. I’m excited for the next book in this series, and am looking forward to seeing what author Gina Chen writes next.

i’ve been waiting SOOOOO many years to get my hands on this!! loved it!! not just a YA fantasy novel, it has much to say about the construction of fairy tales, which in turn construct our cultural and national myths & stories. the fabrication of history, pride, and valor! chef’s kiss!

i adored violet and cyrus’s hatemance (to steal a term). perfect banter, perfect argumentation, perfect denial and rejection. cyrus is so smarmy and violet is so caustic and they just WORK. i too am like cyrus in that violet is the ice queen of my heart. mwah luv her

my one major critique is that the climax wasn’t climatic enough. there’s a continuous ratcheting up of the tension throughout the story, but the final scenes don’t measure up to that tension. i DID love them, but they didn’t feel big enough for the story. a bit of wasted potential imho.

i’ve also realized that i have truly aged out of the YA market, which, like, i’ve known for years, but coming back to this story when i’m older has really confirmed that belief. i will always need my YA fantasy kick every once and a while, and this novel satisfied that. it’s just such an honor to be one of those original readers gina mentions in her acknowledgements, and to have stuck around long enough to see this story in the world for everybody else to read :’)

This was a super fun read! I loved how the story follows Violet the Seer and Violet never tried to be anyone but herself. She is prideful, vengeful, and brutally honest. I believe Violet to be a great main character. Then theres Cyrus who is the perfect prince charming, yet a black and white character at the same time. He found despised Violet, but also couldn't get enough of her. It was honestly quite fun to read about their relationship unfold. I am a SUCKER for a good enemies to lovers trope and this book DELIVERED! The only thing that didn't make this book 5 stars for me was because it felt rushed at the end. The twists were extreme, the action was a tad overwhelming.. but overall I would recommend this to my friends!

This was a 4.5 for me. From the start, I knew this book would be something special and I wasn't wrong. WOW. The best part of this book is the fairy tale aspect against he world building of this lush fantasy. It's so wonderfully landscaped together and it created a gorgeous picturesque world. I loved this book. One of my favorite books of all time is The Cruel Prince and Jude Duarte is one of my favorite characters ever. That being said, I got nervous when I saw Cruel Prince comped with this book. Though I don't think Violet is *quite* as morally gray as Jude, I think she is pretty darn close and I saw many similarities between the two which I loved. I also adored Cyrus, our main love interest. A TRUE ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS thank goodness.

The only gripe I had was with Dante. I wished his story and how he ended up would've been fleshed out more and that the narrative would've slowed down around his portion at the end of the book. It felt a little rushed and left me with a LOT of question and and some confusion as to what his role exactly was in everything. Still, though the plot of this story was awesome, the characterization was incredible, and the narrative itself was fun. It didn't go quite the way I was expecting which I really appreciate in a story since I feel like I can always guess endings! IOverall, this was a really fun fantasy that I can see being a really great duology/series!! SOO much fun. I can only imagine the story getting better as it develops.

The writing in this book kept me engaged enough, and the plot had me turning the pages. But once I finished it, mostly I just thought, "Meh." I feel disappointed with this book mainly because it could have been so amazing. I loved the premise: an anti-heroine who has an enemies-to-lovers relationship with the prince. There's some cool magic here. Some prophetic dreams. And... that's about it. Violet wasn't an anti-heroine at all, in my opinion. She was a selfish girl who did what she did at the behest of a king who was the real villain. She was just a pawn, and a pretty pathetic one at that. Did anyone really ever think Violet had any real power? I sure never did.
Cyrus was another complaint I had. He was a very hard character to read. After the way he treated Violet throughout the first half of the book, am I supposed to believe that the whole time he was in love with her? Since they were kids? I didn't buy it. At all.
The setting was underdeveloped as well. There were some cool elements, like the beasts and blood magic and glamour. I felt like some interesting things were happening politically as well. All these things that seemed so intriguing were very much brushed over and kept surface level.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience of reading this book, but I sincerely wish a lot of it had gone deeper than it did.
I was provided an ARC of this book by Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

An absolutely fantastic dark twist on fairytales.

Violet Made of Thorns gave me ALL of the Jude and Cardan vibes, and really, need I say more?

This is not your typical fairytale—it subverts the girl in the tower, Prince Charming, prophecies, and happily ever afters. I laughed—VERY hard, out loud, numerous times (looking at you, Jack Sparrow moment of a prince desperately outrunning a mob of enamored females—pure cinematic poetry), but it’s also a painful story at times, raw and visceral and I absolutely loved it. Wanted to scream at Violet most of the time, because I love her and I love Cyrus, who I also wanted to scream at. Did I agree with all the characters’ decisions? Heck no. They are FLAWED to the core and make wild mistakes, but they both fight for what they think is right, and they both hope, in their own way. And that’s why I love them so much.

Highly recommend for fans of The Cruel Prince, A Curse so Dark and Lonely, and Little Thieves.

-A

I loved this book! It was such an interesting take on the fairytale retelling trope. I loved how different elements of fairytales were worked in without relying too heavily on one particular set of tropes or one particular storyline. Violet was a wonderful character: prickly and full of conflicting emotions, determination, and grit. I really liked how I could feel her struggling with who she was while also recognizing that maybe she needed to be that person to survive. I thought the Prince was an interesting character, and I found myself invested in the romantic arc even though I definitely didn't agree with the characters' choices all the time (and frankly, they didn't usually agree with their own actions afterward). I found myself wondering how it was going to end over and over again, and I'm happy to say that the book kept surprising me! I would 100% recommend this to anyone who's a fan of fairytale retellings; this one stands out.

Violet made of thorns by:Gina Chen
5/5⭐️

Oh my god this was so amazing you have to read it as soon as possible!!!!

Magic, fates, kingdoms, morally grey characters, and plot twists you never saw coming.

Violet is the king’s seer and she will stop at nothing to keep herself safe above all else. She is not above lying about her premonitions and constantly clashes with prince Cyrus. There’s a curse afoot and Violet has to decide between herself or a love that never should have been.

This was simply phenomenal. I love and hate every single character in this book. I legitimately could not predict what would happen next, but thinking back each piece had been carefully laid.

The romance in this is immaculate it’s forbidden enemies to lovers with a hint of rivalry. Their banter is amazing and they get steamy.

This is definitely upper ya fantasy territory and I cannot wait to read the second book when it comes out!

Violet made of thorns releases on July 26th!

Thank you to the publisher and author for this arc!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the eARC for this book!

The immaculate fairytale vibes in this were EVERYTHING. And before we get into the review, can I just say that the cover is GORGEOUS.

This was a rather quick-paced fantasy, but it was charming nonetheless. The best part of this book was definitely Violet. She's prideful, sharp, and definitely on the morally grey side. I was intrigued when I first started reading, and once the story was set up, it was easy to get deeply invested in her story.

The only thing that felt like a bit of a letdown was the romance. It's immediately thrown at you in the first chapter, and after that, the relationship moves so quickly it just feels a little rushed. It took me until at least the 50% mark to get attached and actually care about their interactions, but after that, I was 100% hooked.

Overall, a fantastic start to a new series! And THAT ENDING. When is book two coming out because I need it. Now.

Need your next enemies-to-lovers fix? I got you, this book is 100% that! An epic debut fantasy with twists, magic, and beautiful storytelling. I was hooked from page one and definitely need that next book ASAP. Like IMMEDIATELY please.

oh my gosh this is such a fun read! Look, in all honesty the plot isn't anything *spectacular*; it's a bit predictable and the world and magic systems lacks development. However, Violet and Cyrus? Boy do I love me a I-hate-you-unless-I'm-Kissing-You romance. They're a TON of fun and were so compelling that I kept reading. I actually binged this. It took me a bit to get into, but once i got about 10% in I was HOOKED and binged the other 90% in a day. Violet is the perfect anti-hero and is spectacularly morally-grey. Cyrus is just mysterious and cocky enough that you instantly love him. Dante was an intriguing character that had me asking questions the whole time and brought a twist I honestly didn't see coming. As someone who loves character-driven books, this was the perfect read for me. However, I do think it's important to note that the plot isn't really anything special. The magic system, politics, and world lack a lot of development and leave some things confusing and muddled. However, if you're just looking for a fun read with some cunning characters and several steamy scenes then you'll really enjoy Violet Made of Thorns. Overall, a book I'd quickly recommend!

For fans of fairytale retellings, this amazing book is for you! It contains morally gray characters, asian and queer rep, prophecy, and a smouldering, enemies to lovers romance. Definitely captured my attention from the first page and held it until the end. One of my favorite reads of the year. I cannot wait for the sequel! I need more of Violet and Cyrus!

I ADORE this one! I devoured Violet Made of Thorns over a couple of days, and I'm so glad I requested this ARC.

The story follows the eponymous Violet, a fittingly thorny heroine who is blessed--or cursed--with the power of foresight. I loved the tangled plot, the dark fantasy setting and vibes, and the fresh, fairy-tale-revisionist take on Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast.

Violet is an AMAZING leading lady who feels complex, flawed, and ambitious. She reminds me, in the best way, of Jude Duarte. And while Cyrus is no Cardan, this is still a steamy and very compelling enemies-to-lovers romance. True fans of the trope will rejoice, because these two have a fiercely antagonistic relationship that retains intensity from cover to cover, and masterfully blends love and hate.

I can't get enough of this story and I'm SO excited for book two!

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the eARC of this absolute GEM of a book 💜

What a fantastic, immersive journey this one was!

I was captivated from start to finish-- leaving the work longing for its concluding sequel. Intrigued as to what is to come.

Violet is a dynamic protagonist. I didn't always like her, but perhaps I wasn't suppose to. She isn't looking to be liked, she's a character who is looking to survive, and will make the choices she thinks protects her best. No, I may not have always liked her, but I was always compelled by her. I loved her, in fact. I was entranced by her character and rooted for her even when I wished she picked differently at times. Her choices aren't always pretty, but they added nuance to her character.

I felt similarly towards Cyrus. He was probably easier to like, but his communication skills were less than desirable. Yet I loved him as I did Violet-- and my heart was always racing for him, not (just) in swoon, but in fear if he would survive this tale. Whether that fear is realized or not, you'll have to read and find out.

I think the only personal hiccup found was the whiplash in the back-and-forth of our protagonist's inner feelings. A major choice is made in the narrative's climax, but I felt it rang hollow as the choice didn't feel quite earned. Perhaps I didn't realize the depth of the feeling Violet felt that led her to that choice, and while it sets up the the sequel, in this book I just had trouble understanding it.

But it didn't divert my overall enjoyment.

This book is terrifically written, it's engaging, enthralling, and left me itching for more. I'll absolutely be sticking around for the sequel. Nervously, but excitedly awaiting the next part in Violet's journey.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed most of this book, but had to round down because I was just so frustrated for a lot of it too. The world created here was interesting and all the main characters had real personalities.

So, mostly I liked Violet. Her anti social, blunt self reminded me a ridiculous amount of myself. But she is also the cause of most of my frustration because of many of the decisions she makes and how she acted sometimes. It could get frustrating. Violet was a street rat that has made a place for herself as the kingdom's seer. When she was a child she had visions but thought it was normal...until she learned it was not. She ended up keeping everything she saw to herself because, even young, she knew people would use her for her sight. It's not until she sees a boy her age being killed that she decides to act on what she sees and save him. Which will set off a chain reaction of things she never would have expected.

The boy she saved was Prince Cyrus and he ends up bringing her back to palace with him that day. He fell for her that day and hates what his father has turned her into. But Cyrus also plays the part of Prince Charming too perfectly, flirting with all the ladies and basically just showing off her perfection. He is constantly butting heads with Violet and these two just seem to not be able to get along.

But there is a prophecy hanging over Cyrus's head that affects the whole kingdom. He's very aloof about it though, fighting not only Violet but also his father over every part of it. When the kingdom comes under attack by monsters, Cyrus is out of time and is forced into a marriage he doesn't want. But there is so much more going on. Violet is at the center of everything and it was her choice to save Cyrus as a boy that has Fate demanding a life from her. Her visions draw her into darkness that would be so easy for her to fall into. And Cyrus's attitude change towards her has her confused and doubting everything he says. There's also a witch hell bent on killing as many people as she can and manipulating Violet into being like her. At least these two have finally learned how to work together. Too bad Violet is still keeping so many secrets.

There really is a lot going on here, but I didn't think anything was hard to follow. The ending had some crazy parts, some predictable parts, and one thing that I didn't see coming but probably should have. I am definitely curious about what's going to happen next with theses two.

This was an intriguing read with flawed characters that were more refreshing to read about. Normally the characters Berge on the edge of unbelievable because they are either too evil or too noble. In this novel by Gina Chen, they act and plot in a way that feel more real than fantasy. Violet is an ex-street rat with powers of divination blessed upon her through the gates. Her visions are real along with her ambition, but growing up around politics and a king guiding her education, she knows how to manipulate those visions to get the outcome desired.
The prince isn’t as cunning, or so we think. He has aspirations of his own and won’t let the weight of an apocalyptic prophesy sway his life choices.
This book boasts a great cast of supporting characters, a witch with evil tendencies and two kingdoms on the brink of war. Mysteries come in the form of gruesome, once human creatures and an enemy no one can see, but has connections everywhere. Everyone is suspect.
I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys reading YA fantasy with a romance that doesn’t exactly end in happily ever after.
I give this book 4 Stars
A huge thank you to the author for her creation, and to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the eARC copy.