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!

Violet is a prophet and a liar, manipulating the royal court with her false divinations. The prince, Cyrus, plans to strip Violet of her role once he becomes king. The king asks Violet to prophesy a love story for a ball, which awakens a curse. Violet must choose between seizing control of her destiny or giving in to her attraction to Cyrus. She must untangle a web of deceit to save the kingdom, but her wits can't change her fate. As her relationship with Cyrus grows, she must navigate between hatred and love to save herself and the kingdom.

A great enemies-to-lovers romance, very angsty and dark - the perfect book to lose touch with reality for a bit.. I loved that Violet is a morally grey FMC, and her banter and relationship with Cyrus were very entertaining. This book drew me, and I lost all concept of time.

"I don't need to get out of my shell, other people need to cram themselves back into theirs."

I highlighted so much of this book as darkly funny, antisocial, and observant. We can chalk it up to the clear voice of protagonist Violet with her pragmatic, judgmental tone. She's a cynic, a survivor, and she watches her own back, sparing trust for no one. Violet holds the influential but precarious position of Seer. The only one in the kingdom, she uses touch to read the threads of a person's life, past and future. She also receives prophetic dreams. Her predecessor's dying act was passing on such a prophecy, one warning of war and hinging a prince's destiny and that of his kingdom on finding the perfect bride. Now, Violet finds herself in the position of appeasing her king as he manages the populace. His son, Prince Cyrus, drags his feet on finding his foretold bride, and Violet must offer the masses quieting, hopeful visions to avert panic at the promised impending war and doom. It doesn't help that Violet hates the prince's guts, and the feeling is mutual. His idealism, charm, and rigid moral code go up against everything that makes Violet who she is, especially given his casual hypocrisy. The two will have to find common ground, however, as enemies keep stacking up with mysterious, magical means at their disposal.

Beyond the compelling character at the center, I enjoyed the broader message about power and greed inherent to the story. Violet and Prince Cyrus (or Princey as she makes sure to rudely call him in all situations) approach politicking from different angles, and I think their views are especially thoughtful in combination. Violet has the literal foresight to understand that everyone is opportunistic, and those with more power only get more greedy and self-serving. Cyrus provides the impetus to fight for something better, even if his survival instincts lack Violet's finesse.

The author characterizes the relationship between Violet and Cyrus as a "hatemance," which is not only new to me but also hard for me to wrap my ace head around. So while I understand it 0% and don't yet fully support it, I think neither does Violet. And that's what makes it ultimately intriguing to me. Either they can grow together in the sequel and draw me in or Violet can go on her merry way, and I'm good with it. I am Team Violet and everyone else is an accessory to that, even the side characters I love, such as the honorable Dante and the flamboyant, scheming Princess Camilla. Camilla's big lesbian energy is another of the many joys this book has to offer, and I about died when she provides contraceptives with the remark, "consider it a consolation gift for liking men."

I will not-so-patiently wait for the series finale. There are still many unanswered questions from a magic system perspective since Violet is just uncovering more about her abilities. The threat to the kingdom is decidedly unresolved. And how Violet will choose to grow through this experience is still up in the air. I hope that whatever the scenario, she will emerge victorious on behalf of all the prickly girls out there who just want everyone else to go away and be less annoying. Thanks to Delacorte for my copy to read and review!

This was one of my top books of 2022. An entirely unique magic system and concept with real stakes and hate to love romance.

I will be continuing and recommending this series and my book club interview Gina Chen I'm August which was a wonderful experience.

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen is the story of Violet, a Seer for the royal court. She cleverly phrases her prophecies because not all are true. She sees no issue with a little dishonesty to placate the people. Prince Cyrus plans on removing Violet from her position once he becomes king. The king asks Violet to tell a false prophecy about the prince and the upcoming ball. Unfortunately, Violet awakens a curse that will either doom or save the kingdom. This will all depend Prince Cyrus choosing a bride. Violet and the prince share a dislike for each other, but as time goes by, the lines between hate and love become blurred. Violet must decide if she is willing to fight fate to save herself and the entire kingdom.

This is a dark, quick, and easy to read high fantasy novel. The way it is written gives me a more modern vibe than most high fantasies I’ve read. I like that Violet is a morally grey character. It’s very unique for a main character.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This was an angsty romance that wanted a fantasy backdrop.

Violet Made of Thorns is a young adult fantasy novel that follows Violet, a young orphan who becomes the kingdom’s official seer. But most of her visions are lies webbed to enforce the king’s vision of his kingdom’s future.

With no way out from her lies, a darker prophecy arises and she must choose to either follow her ambitions or save her kingdom. Or, who knows, do both?

<i>I am a better liar than a prophet. I don’t believe there’s reason to our destinies, I don’t believe the world is just. I believe in wolves — in con men and crowned men who wear wickedness as if it were a talent. Who don’t ask for judgment before devouring what’s theirs. They know the future is no better a roll of rigged dice, so they may as well do the rigging.</i>

There’s nothing groundbreaking about this fantasy story. However, this is not a story told in an obvious and predictable way. There are twists and turns, progressive revelations, and references to well-known fairytales, such as Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast.

This is a fascinating world, but you won’t get to know it deeply, since the action stays in the central kingdom. Which is a shame, because there are mentions of an exciting forest filled with fairies. Very Tinkerbell-ish.

Once you unravel the layer of fantasy, there are deeper themes of colonialism, the sick appeal of power, the destruction of nature and the control over “inferior beings” to fulfill the desires of men.

In the beginning, the author mentions this book is for the ones who enjoy unrelatable female characters, and Violet is exactly that. As an orphan in a big city, with only scraps to eat, she grabs the chance of moving up the social ladder and becoming the kingdom’s seer. And she will do anything to keep her place.

<i>The only people who are nice are those who have never had to claw for anything they’ve wanted.</i>

In these fantasy stories, it’s easy to rely on a main character who is good, trustworthy, loving and who always tries to make good decisions, even if it means failing sometimes. With Violet, the intention is not always the most pure.

Violet is ambitious, flawed, and cunning. Her self-preservation is above everything else, be it friends (who she barely has), the future of her kingdom, or love. She’s blunt, and she’s not afraid to lie and deceive if it means reaching her objectives. This is truly a Violet made of thorns.

<i>Maybe cruel is the best thing I can be.</i>

Violet is the highlight for me, but the remaining characters are also interesting to follow. There’s Cyrus, the fairytale-like prince with an appealing façade that covers a deep hatred for his kingdom’s politics. There’s Dante, the prince’s funny sidekick, who isn’t all he seems (I’m excited to know him better in future books). And other characters, such as Camilla, the lesbian princess who grabs the attention of everyone around her, and the King, who goes to great lengths to expand his rule.

This story is a fantasy romance, since the dynamic between Violet and Cyrus plays a central part of the plot. There are also semi-graphic steamy scenes, so if this isn’t your thing, beware.

Calling Violet and Cyrus’ dynamic a hate to love relationship isn’t accurate and undersells who they are to each other. In the words of Gina Chen, this is a “I can fix her / I can make him worse” dynamic where hate and love play with each other.

<i>I don’t know how to be soft. I barely believe in love. But I am the worst thing in Cyrus’ life and nothing has tasted sweeter.</i>

These are two people with opposing goals who do not trust each other. Violet thinks Cyrus is an empty-headed prince who just wants to flirt, while Cyrus sees her as a product of the moral degradation of his kingdom. Even though the attraction is there, it isn’t enough to create something solid between them.

<i>You once asked what I’m afraid of when it comes to you. It would be the same reason you should be afraid of me. We could ruin each other, and we would not hesitate to do so.</i>

To say I’m excited to see what happens with Violet and Curys would be an understatement. I can’t wait for the sequel and to fall more in love with their dynamic.

Violet Made of Thorns is the book that shaped my first half of 2022. It has everything good about a fantasy: an immersive world, political machinations, a big magical threat and compelling characters. Add in some extra spice such as fairytale references, twists and turns, a hate to/with love relationship, and this is a book you cannot miss.