This book had an amazing premise and I was excited for a morally grey main character who was also a Seer witch. However I found that the characters seemed two-dimensional and not as fleshed out as I would want them to be. The romance seemed stilted and I couldn't get behind any of their motivations.

A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read

Violet Made Of Thorns follows Violet, a seer influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. After the King asks Violet to falsely prophesy the prince'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.

I really liked the main story in this one, it felt like a fairytale with the enchanting characters and fairy magic! I loved Violet's character, she's very confident and owns the fact she's not the nicest person. I loved the scenes where we saw her dreams and she spoke to the fates, the visions she sees are described beautifully! I did enjoy the side characters too, especially Camilla who I want to see more of!

Cyrus, the prince, has a enemies to lovers romance with Violet and this is the only thing I didn't love. Usually this is my favourite trope but I think they needed a bit more development which we'll hopefully see in the next book! The ending was amazing and has me excited for what's to come, overall I recommend it for fantasy and fairytale fans!

Not even a chapter in and I knew this book was going to be phenomenal. You know its a great book when you have to return back to the real world and you feel so groggy. It's that immersive. I was very unaware of what was happening around me at all times.

This story is INCREDIBLE and I couldn't get enough of it. I kept checking where I was in the book to make sure that it wouldn't be finished quickly. The relief I had was palpable when I saw I was at 30% or so because I knew there was so much more to enjoy before it was over.

Violet is the perfect little villain. She lies and she's deceptive but she has a big heart (as much as she tries to deny it). The had to fight for her spot and now she has to continuously fight to keep it. Her character growth is so natural you don't even see it happening until you compare her to the start of the book (that's how you know its done right!).

Now, my favourite part was the romance. The enemies to lovers. The push and pull. IT WAS WRITTEN SO WELL. I would compare it to Jude and Cardan and even Feyre and Rhys....it was that good. The desire and the tension was just *chefs kiss*. The moment they gave in to it was like letting go of a breath you didn't even know you were holding. For them and for the reader (aka me).

The plot twists were a little predictable but there were still so many elements where you didn't know what was going to happen next. I highly HIGHLY recommend picking this up because its phenomenal.

Violet Made of thorns by Gina Chen

4 stars

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to netgalley, hodder & stoughton and Gina Chen for the opportunity to read this book.

The entire premise of this is intriguing. The way the author managed to write their own work while weaving in aspects from some of our favourite fairytales was anazing to read. Cinderella, beauty and the beast and a touch of sleeping beauty.

The romance was somewhat predictable but most people love a good will they won't they with some bickering on the side. I liked the addition of the little tale at the end too, it saves you from another added cliff hanger in a way I've not seen before.

I didn't give it full stars because I did find myself getting a little confused towards the end with the effort to set up a series. In a way this felt like it could have just been a standalone if it had ended slightly differently but it will be interesting to see where it goes from here.

The cover is stunning too, the purple and yellow really fits with the vibe of the story.

Firstly I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!! 😍❤️

Violet made of thorns one of my most anticipated rates of 2022 and it did not disappoint me at all 😍❤️ As a fairytale lover it had everything that I was expecting and a lot more as well. The characters play the parts so well, every single one of them fit into an archetypal part in fairytales that you read as a child but Gina Chen has completely revamped the idea and come and made her own!! ❤️❤️ There’s so much more intertwined in the story and I just couldn’t get enough!! 😍😍

Violet is a Seer but she isn’t a very honest one, the king has made it that she embellishes prophecies to make them how he wishes them to be. She has a strange relationship with Prince Cyrus which I don’t want to give away too much about but I will say that one of my favourite tropes is in play in this book which obviously makes me love it even more 😍😍 I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers and Violet’s hatred towards Cyrus is absolutely perfect. Their relationship is very enjoyable if you’re a fan of the trope 😂❤️

It’s super dark and witchy, it’s got all the faeries, it’s a fantasy about royals, it’s got all the magic and the romance is brilliant (and it’s also a tiny bit spicy which I didn’t expect but I loved as well 😏😏). I just think it’s a brilliant read!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for sure!!

Fairytale and fates are some of my favourite things and Violet Made of Thorns has these but with a twist! It's a dark fairytale, we have witches, royals, castles and towers but it isn't as dark as I expected.

Violet is prickly and sassy. Cyrus is your cold prince. For side characters, we have Cyrus' twin Camilla who doesn't care about what people think of her and Dante who is friends with both Violet and Cyrus but is stuck between their constant bickering.

The magic system in this story involves seers/witches, prophecies, fairies and blood magic. Whilst there are many elements, it doesn't complicate the magic system too much - there are some parts I didn't understand but they also don't play a big part of the story.

Waiting on for the next book now!

I really wanted to love this one. I mean, a prince, a curse, a morally grey witch, a prophecy... what isn't there to love?

Unfortunately, this book just didn't mesh with me. I didn't care about the characters and couldn't get behind the romance. This is one of those i love to hate you, completely toxic romances; very much like Jude and Cardan in The Cruel Prince.

In fact, this book is compared to The Cruel Prince and I do believe that if you liked one you will like the other. I just happen to not really enjoy either of them (though The Cruel Prince did get better in the last book).

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

A fast paced, dark fairytale story following an unapologetic, self-serving seer with a penchant for twisting the truth; a just as headstrong and arrogant crown prince she is always butting heads with and a prophecy that ties the two of them and the fate of the kingdom together.

Now none of these two leads are the most likeable of characters and you want to just shake the both of them on various occasions but their banter? *chef’s kiss* This isn’t your usual enemies to lovers pairing, they have more of a hate to “oh no these intense feelings I have for you and the fact that you get me plus are really attractive is messing with my head” going on and I couldn’t get enough of it.

Though the spotlight is very much on Violet - the control and power she has over her own destiny and her role as primary seer of a kingdom hanging in the balance. I was absolutely enraptured by the curse elements in the story and Chen beautifully wove the tensions of the foretold prophecy and political situation together that I just couldn’t put the book down!

The worldbuilding and magic are super fascinating however, they are an already established element of the story and weren’t expanded on as much as I had hoped. Also there were also some great side characters that I can’t help but wish had more page time.

That aside I really enjoyed this one and need the sequel yesterday!
If you like morally grey characters that aren’t always likeable and all the fairytale vibes with a dash of darkness then this book is for you!
Final Rating - 4.25/5 Stars

I LOVED reading this one so much!! The plot - even though it starts out slow paced, becomes more and more interesting after the first half of the book. The plot reminded me of some stories I've already read about and yet it was such a delightfully unique read. It took me quite some time to really get into the story, but once I was inside the book, I didn't want it to end. It had such a beautifully written world 🪄

Even though I loved all of the characters, Violet is obviously my favourite! She is such a badass person. Morally grey female MC with a witty repartee? Yes, please!!✨ She is a strong woman who only has her best interests at heart. She does not like to be told what to do or what she is. Along with Violet, I also loved the characters of Cyrus, Dante Esparsa and Camilla.

This book has dark magic, lies, betrayal, prophecies and curses, a handsome prince and a wise witch and enemies-to-lovers trope.

If you have read TFOTA series, you'll see that it is a bit similar yet different in its own way! I simply cannot wait to see how the story progresses in the sequel!

With elements of a classic fairytale, Violet Made of Thorns is a love-hate romance that can get pretty toxic yet remains an addictive read. The story unfolds through the eyes of Violet, the seer working for the royal family who had once, defied fate and saved Prince Cyrus who immediately lifted her from poverty upon her request as thanks. Unfortunately, the Prince is also cursed and his choice of a bride will either save or damn the kingdom While this may sound like the perfect setup for a sweet fairytale, the actual story is far from that.

Both Violet and Cyrus are liars in their own ways. For Violet, lying is a means to live. She lies to keep herself alive and safe, to make herself as useful as she can be so she doesn’t have to return to being alienated as an Outsider street urchin, and so she can live her life on her own terms. Cyrus, on the other hand, lies to hide his true feelings. He isn’t the Prince Charming you’d expect and is, instead, quite selfish and manipulative (though, he’s sometimes unaware of it as he believes he’s doing something good).

They’re also both incredibly flawed characters that often make wrong decisions yet aren’t afraid to defend those wrong decisions of theirs. This can make them more unrelatable and dislikeable to some readers, but for me? I really enjoyed this aspect because it’s refreshing to read from the perspective of someone who struggles with things that come easily to a ‘good’ hero(ine).

Moreover, I really liked the way the plot unfolded and the writing. The twists and turns, plus Violet’s sardonic tone kept me hooked from start to end. It was easy to see how Violet fell in lust with Cyrus (I wouldn’t say love at this point because she is very much still afraid of trusting parts of herself with others), and how Cyrus loved her yet hated the person she became. Though, ngl, I did get a little annoyed when Violet went to visit Cyrus while dressed up just for him but then again, people can’t be without weaknesses…

All in all, Violet Made of Thorns is perfect for those looking for unconventional characters and an unconventional romance within a story with fairytale elements. This book here is mainly about the lies, the liars and their precarious, treacherous (toxic) love, but when you look away from the spotlight, you’ll be able to see how it’s also about seizing and making your own fate, colonialism, human greed and more.

PS: If your reading preferences is similar to mine, you’d fall in love with the side cast of intriguing, diverse characters as well (Camilla, the sapphic, chaotic twin sister of Cyrus has completely stolen my heart)!

An entertaining and well thought out fairy-tale retelling.

Great world building, well thought out characters and the plot was fast moving and engrossing! I really enjoyed this first book of a new series that I will be keeping an eye out for !

In Violet Made of Thorns we follow Violet, the court Seer who is asked by the King to create a false prophesy for his son Prince Cyrus and his true love, which she says he will meet the night of the next Royal ball. However things don't quite go to plan and we are swept up in a world of politics, fairy magic, witchcraft and an enemies to lovers whirlwind romance.

Whilst I enjoyed the story, I would liked to have seen more from Dante and Camilla as I found them both hugely entertaining and their parts in the book were my favourites.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the chance to read Violet Made of Thorns.

A beautiful title for a beautiful story. The main heroine was amazing - I cheered for her, I wanted her to succeed, and I loved how smart and tricky she was. While I wasn't the biggest fan of romance (it took me a while to get past the romantic scenes) in the end I do think ”Violet Made of Thorns” is a story worth reading and recommending.

This had the perfect kind of spice I needed in Fantasy. Despite the numerous flaws in the plot, I saw myself enjoying the story. I see many other stories pieced together in this tale, but I still liked it. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the free digital ARC of the book!

I really wanted to love this book.

Unfortunately it just fell a bit flat for me. It didn’t draw me in or grab my attention - I was in no rush to get through the story. The pacing was a bit all over the place. That being said, the second half of the book was definitely better than the first half.

I liked it enough to finish it, but not enough to reread it or buy a physical copy

Violet Made of Thorns is a stunning debut that made me regret the amount of time it standed unread in my shelf, but also be grateful that I could savor it. It has an incredible fairytale atmosphere as it follows a cunning girl gifted with Sight and armed with lies. In fact, she's the main reason why I adored this story; the fact that she was willing to do everything to get what she deserves. Along with a complivated romance, political intrigue, and beautiful writing, Violet Made of Thorns deserves all the love.

incredible concept with a great promise and potential, but unfortunately missed the mark. violet was supposed to be brash, cynical and smart antiheroine mc that we couldn’t help but love, yet her portrayal came off as hollow, the characterization just fell flat. i did not find cyrus charming either. literally have nothing to say about him probably because he didn’t stand out. just another princeling YA love interest. i tried to love this book, i really am. because this book was one of my most anticipated 2022 releases. had the connection between violet & cyrus been developed more i might have loved them both individually and/or as a pair. there was no actual emotional connection between violet and cyrus. the relationship between them which serves as the book's emotional focus, was heavily influenced by their shared history, but these years are only briefly mentioned before the story jumps right into the present. as a result, there is no emotion in the relationship between the characters despite their extensive prior acquaintance. everything felt rushed e.g. how their hatred evolved into lust/love without a proper build up.

i will (nevertheless) read the following book because violet made of thorns is (subjectively) a lot of pleasure to read. some of the dialogue feels fresh and comedy-worthy. despite how her character was developed, i enjoy when violet is simply not giving a shit to anyone. plus even if you don’t like the mc or the love interest, the side characters are there! i say i dislike how the relationship between violet & cyrus was built but do give this book a fair shot because i’m not going to lie some of their scenes did made me screeching and swinging my legs. hope there’ll be an improvement in the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Seers who look out for themselves, enemies to lovers, magic and prophecies, sign me up!

When Violet, a seer at the royal court, is asked by the King to falsely predict Prince Cyrus's love story for an upcoming ball, she divines a terrible curse instead, the fate of the kingdom depending on whom Cyrus chooses as his bride. As Violet attempts to save herself and the kingdom, she's forced to contend with the transformation of her dynamic with Cyrus, which quickly becomes a thing of attraction.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm also excited by the possibility of a sequel, because the worldbuilding was so enchanting that I want to see more of Violet and this universe. Basically, if you love fairytales, you'll love this rendition of one. Violet was a great protagonist, selfish and cunning and out to save her own skin – we don't see much of these characteristics in YA protagonists, which is why I really enjoyed Violet, because I loved her messiness. The chemistry between her and Cyrus was off the charts, and you could really feel the tension in their relationship coming off the charts – the only reason I might have scored this four stars instead of five was because I didn't believe the relationship was developed enough to believe how that transformed by that end BUT I think that also shows the skill of the author. Coming to the skill of the author, I loved her capacity for prose and crafting sentences that just seemed so beautiful in the context of the story. It all felt so lyrical and beautiful and vicious that I couldn't help but enjoy myself. I'd definitely recommend checking it out!

This is going to be a smash with my students - just reading the blurb made me realise how much this is up their street! A new epic fantasy adventure with a touch of magic