The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful. It was one of the things that drew me into the book in the first place and the title of the book is really gripping too.

In this book we meet violet who is a prophet, who influences the court as a seer. Buy not all her divinations are quite as clear cut and as true as she likes to lead you to believe.

Prince Cyrus doesn't like Violet and had plans of stripping her of the titl of seer for the court as soon as he is crowned king.

Then one day the king asks Violet to do a false prophecy for Cyrus and to create a love story for the upcoming kingdom ball. However by doing this violet awakens a dreaded curse about the princes future bride.

This is a really good sci fi fantasy book. It has a lot going for it. The characters are great and the storyline is really engaging and enjoyable.

Violet Made of Thorns is a dark YA fantasy that centres around Violet who is the Seer of the Kingdom, When she gives a false prophecy about the Prince she triggers a curse involving his future bride and more.
I enjoyed the POV of Violet, she was quite a refreshing character in this saturated genre, and generally enjoyed the plot. Found that the pace of the book changed towards the end and some parts felt rushed after the slow build up. Interested to read the conclusion of this duology!

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Whilst the concept of Violet Made of Thorns is so clever and unique, I find myself disappointed that this just didn't quite hit the mark for me. I loved the premise of this world so much. The fact that Violet isn't actively trying to be some heroine in this story, rather, is very much so looking out for herself and protecting pathways that other FMCs would be tearing down is so refreshing, and I wanted to love her immediately. For most of this book, I did appreciate her choices and her journey. I liked seeing her warring between lying to protect herself or a situation from turning on its head and which "side" she felt she needed to ally with. She is morally grey due to her upbringing and what the cost would be for her to lose all the power she's surmounted as the kingdom's Seer, and watching her wander in her darker thoughts, even tempted down those pathways was brilliant. This is something that continues from the first page to the last, and I'm thrilled she didn't suddenly have a change of heart along the way.

This especially made the enemies to lovers trope come to life in this novel. It was executed so well that I found myself truly engaging in any moment spent hating over Prince Cyrus alongside Violet. There was plenty of opportunity for this author to delve more into the falling in love aspects and lessen the enemy stance between Cyrus and Violet, but it held strong to the bitter end, which is one of the reasons I was invested enough to read this as quickly as I did. The fact that going into the sequel this trope still remains has me hopeful. I can understand the correlation to The Cruel Prince with all the hatred, betrayal and lack of trust both main characters possess for the other. This especially is notable in the last quarter of this novel.

The cursed prophecies and how they play out were interesting to me, especially where the curse is left off at the end of this novel. I liked the riddles, and how they could be taken along the way. I also liked that even though I guessed early on how they would play out with Cyrus and Violet, the pathway there was never dull, and her comprehension of the prophecies/her dreams all played a great part in aiding this interest along for me.

However, as much as I loved those elements, a lot of this book was a struggle, namely down to word choices and the overall language that gave Violet and the surrounding characters their voice. I would say the story is told (romance aside) from more of a lower YA/Middle-Grade stance, rather than what the synopsis had me expecting from a dark YA fantasy. As someone in my mid-thirties, who often reads YA, I was surprised by how young this read. It often made it feel clumsy, diminishing the world Chen was attempting to portray by some of the word choices. For one, I hated Cyrus' nickname and all the "ughs" that made Violet feel more like a spoiled youngster than someone who wields a great deal of power with her Sight. I also found moments where the world-building was too stilted, either information was given in a place where it wasn't necessary to what was happening at that time, or not enough was offered to fill the gaps. The last quarter of this book, whilst each moment on its own would be stellar in the way of revelations or culminations, was so fast-paced and put together that there simply wasn't enough time between each moment to grasp onto before the next came barrelling along. Because of this, I dropped the rating to 3.5 stars instead of 4.

I will be reading the sequel, however, as I'm intrigued to see what Chen can accomplish with what has been set up so far.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

4,5 stars!!
This book was beautiful from start to end.
The story began calmly, mainly introducing the protagonist and her cynic way of seeing the world, but it gradually changed, becoming more intricate, as the thorny vines of the title, with more parts of the story that conveyed in the main path, transforming this into a tale of magic, mysteries, lies and manipulation.

But despite the story being so well orchestrated and stuctured, and the plot so catching and interesting, the part I loved the most about this novel, since the beginning, stayed the protagonist.
Violet is a mood, she always seems so fed up, almost unsefferable about the constant inchoerence and falsity of the court, she cannot be anything else but cynic and, because of this, terribly relatable. And also incredibly funny.
She may be all beauty and grace and false niceties with the king and those who pay her for her fortune reading, but her inner monologues are a whole other story, and nothing can't stop her from pissing off Princey or calling him an idiot on a regular basis, even in front of the whole court.
She is now the queen of my existence.

Cyrus, on the other hand, even tho he is too made up of falsities to please the public, is secretly more of a dreamer, who believes in true love, that he has already found it and it is just a matter of time since shewill realise and accept it too. And this will cost him highly, for his whole life, yes, but during this specific summer even more. I honestly can't wait to see if and how his perspective of life will change in the next book after all that has happened.
I was asked to specify that one of the best things about him is his sister Camilla (princess Camilla definitely is NOT the one who asked me to)

Also the dynamic of their relationship... the "I hate you"-"I hate you more"-*instant violent make out*-vibes are immaculate.

I honestly can't find anything that I would have preffered to be done in a different way, maybe something more about the backstory of the Witch or Nadyira? But what we had and knew actually seemed already enough, and in any case we could and definitly hear more about th Witch in the next book, so...
I think this is one of the best things of the book, the story is already so interesting on its own, it has you in its grip, and some scenes are so unexpected that there really isn't room for flaws

Okay, if enemies to lovers is your favourite trope, I highly recommend you pick this book up!! It is the definition of enemies to lovers, and it is exactly what enemies to lovers should be - hating the attraction, hating every minute they spend together but wanting to be together anyway. The main character, Violet, is definitely... not the easiest to like. She is selfish, and lies to get what she wants, and puts herself before anyone else, but boy was she a breath of fresh air. The story is not quite a retelling, but an amalgamation of several different classic fairytales, and I loved that so much. I will say that, however, that the worldbuilding wasn't developed to the best it could be - I found everything surrounding the Fairywood and fairies to be quite vague, and the language didn't seem to know whether it was medieval and formal or modern and casual. There was also the consistent use of a very annoying nickname that grated on me from page 1, and ruined my enjoyment a bit.

the YA fantasy genre is declining in quality.

the romance is pitched as "i can fix her" meets "i can make him worse" and what's not to love abt that? and our main character is an antihero too! so i was supposed to love this book bc doesn't that sound fun at all? i'm always up for fun! i'm an enjoyer of fun things! i was supposed to be very obsessed with the couple. yet i was sorely disappointed with the quality. like is this what the YA fantasy genre is producing..? truly? final answer ??? why was the storytelling so poor. and why was the worldbuilding so lousy. why was the writing so lackluster and inconsistent. where was the impact? i read the words and i felt nothing. i read lines that i know the author thought were bangers, because i could just tell that the author was itching to write them down, but they did not give what was supposed to be given. she was supposed to eat, but she choked and regurgitated instead. the inconsistent writing did not help either. they speak casually most of the time that i questioned whether this was contemporary, but then in dramatic moments they speak poetically. the dissonance was appalling, and i felt nothing while reading. like ok maybe a little chuckle here (more like a singular nose-exhale if i'm being honest) and a little 'ha-ha i see what you're trying to do' moments, but there was nothing remarkable abt literally anything.

but hey, it's not completely terrible! perhaps the only thing i liked abt this is Violet's characterization. she's a liar and she's cynical and she's also a bit mean-spirited. i like her because she doesn't try to be nice at all. but that's all i liked abt the book. the romance was dry, there's not much to say. the promised hate-kissing did not serve.

the rest is abysmal. example, i said the worldbuilding was lousy bc we have dragons, fairies (in tinker bell size), fates, and PISTOLS. yes, pistols! thing is, you can't just mention pistols and then leave it at that. where do they even get the gunpowder? see, i have no fucking idea what the world even looks like here. i have no clear picture of the setting, even the castle descriptions are paltry. i know we have a bridge, some halls, the tower (where our main character lives), the gardens, and..? we just have to fill in the rest apparently.

anyway, i am so disappointed with this. it's one of my most anticipated YA releases. if this is what the genre is producing nowadays, i do not think i will read any more YA fantasy. i'll need to find an alternative genre to read for fun. bc YA fantasy should at least be fun and entertaining even if the rest is bad, but this one just laughable.

OH MY GOSH!! This book was incredible, I devoured it, the ending took me by surprise, I'm DYING for book two, I need it now 😭

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Staughton for providing me with an e-ARC in return for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

"I want Prince Charming to fall from grace."

There were some aspects of this book I loved, and some that grated on me, but overall I couldn't put it down and see huge potential for the sequel.

FMC Violet is a total antiheroine, which is very refreshing after reading so much YA with a completely good, never does any wrong, almost too perfect protagonist. She wrestles with decisions she makes, not because they're hard but because they might not benefit her. She lies, she cheats. As Seer, she twists her visions so that prophecies suit what the current king wants. And she has little to no respect for Prince Cyrus, who will one day be her new king.

"Sometimes I want to kiss him and sometimes I want to ruin him, but most of the time, I want those actions to be one and the same."

The enemies-to-lovers trope comes alive in this book in a way I haven't seen since I read The Cruel Prince - I understand the comparison now, it's not the theme of the book, or world setting that's similar, but how well done this trope is. It was fantastic and I enjoyed every interaction Violet and Cyrus had. As the tension and relationship ramps up, it felt natural as someone who almost exclusively adores enemies-to-lovers.

"Just because she's wicked, doesn't mean she's wrong."

The main things I loved:

- great cast of side characters (Camilla and Dante were perfect)
- good evil character, although her motivations were hazy
- enemies-to-lovers done to perfection
- interesting world-setting

The things I didn't love so much:

- sometimes the language used was a bit weirdly modern and casual for the setting and felt jarring (Violet's nickname for Cyrus irritated me from page one)
- the plot was at times moving so fast it was hard to follow
- slightly confusing world-building - needed more information about fairies and the fairywood
- wish we'd had maybe some flashbacks to Violet and Cyrus' childhoods at the palace for some background on their relationship - to add more depth?

Overall, a solid four star read with half a star knocked off for the jarring nickname and slightly confusing world-building/plot. Will definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out!

5 ⭐️

This was so good! The MC is mostly grey and interested primarily in her own survival, she gave me Katherine from TVD vibes, but she’s also cunning and intelligent. I found the world and all the characters interesting, the plot was a little weak as far as inciting incidents go, but I still enjoyed this a lot. It had fairy tale vibes but it was still gritty and I enjoyed the romance a lot too. I hope there’s a second book in this world/series!

☆☆☆☆½

I loved Violet Made of Thorns so so much, it was one of my more anticipated books to release this year and it did not disappoint. From the characters to the world and plot I loved it all, with the shocking reveals and scenes that left me wanting to through my kindle across the room (which at one point I did) to the angsty heart break scenes and the fairytale (gone wrong as described by the author) vibe it had there wasn’t much I didn’t love about the book. I loved Violet and seeing how she sees the world and her thoughts and struggles and how she deals with the hand she’s been dealt, she definitely made for an interesting main character.
One of my issues with the book was I felt we didn’t see enough of the side characters such as Dante and Camila (and Camila’s cat Catastrophe) like I needed so so so much more of them, my only other issue (which was more of a small nuisance to me) was I felt some of the lines were a little “cringey” but they were rare enough that they weren’t like a massive problem for me to read.
And onto my biggest issue with the book is that I have no one to scream over the book with and I have to wait to talk about it until late July to talk about it AND I have to wait over a year for the sequel no doubt which is super unfair because I need it Now.

What an absolutely fantastic story! Dark, whimsical, and with just the right amount of humor and vitriol, Violet Made Of Thorns is an epic fairy tale that takes all the typical tropes of children's fairy tales and throws them out the window. The book follows Violet, a very morally gray witch who is ambitious and power-hungry, struggling to save her own skin against a prophecy that threats the kingdom with blood and doom. Throw in a sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance, and you get an unforgettable tale of fickle hypocritical Prince Charmings, cruel and cunning kings, twisted politics of men and gods, and a powerful witch in the midst of all that frenzy.

There are so many things I loved about this book! Let's start with the world-building, cause that's always a strong factor for me whenever I pick up any fantasy. The world-building in Violet Made Of Thorns was spectacular--everything from the stunning descriptions of The Sun Continent, The Palace, and the slums of The Moon District was so beautifully detailed that I couldn't help but feel like I was being carried away to this fantasy, imaginary world.

The magic system was very intriguing as well. The question of fate and destiny, and the role of "gods" is a constant theme in the novel; throughout the whole book, Violet makes the reader question how much of our future is in our own hands, and how much of it is predestined by a higher power.

The characters were also incredibly well-developed. Our main protagonist Violet was unforgettable; I loved her icy cynicism, her snark, and her realistic worldview. Her true opposite is the love interest, Prince Cyrus, who constantly tries to choose kindness over violence but ultimately ends up making decisions that are also cruel and unjust. The supporting characters were adorable too--I loved Dante and how his story arc further explored and expanded on the themes of colonization and xenophobia that are apparent in the Sun Continent. And though I wish Camilla was given a better story than simply being comic relief, I adored every scene where she was present.

At the end of the day though, it's the plot of Violet Made Of Thorns that will keep you turning the pages. At it's heart, it's a romantic fairy tale, but not the kind you would read to children. I loved the parallels to well-known Children's stories like Cinderella, Beauty & The Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and Jack And The Bean Stalk that the author incorporated; they were delightful to read and added whimsical magic to the overall story.

The ending was super cleverl! Not quite a cliff-hanger, the novel has an open-ending that perfectly wraps up the first book while stile leaving room for further sequels too.

Dark and enchanting, Violet Made Of Thorns is a delightfully seductive fantasy that will have you mesmirized from page one. I strongly recommend this to everyone!

Violet Made of Thorns is the fantasy debut I’ve been waiting for this year.

Right from the offset this book is different from what I expected. Violet is brash, cunning and independent. The story unwinds very quickly into tales of deceit, forbidden romance, fate and prophecy.

Between the characters you get a sense of a very strong bond. Violet and Cyrus feel for each other yet wouldn’t hesitate to become each other’s ruin and the others like Camilla and Dante for example aren’t lacking on secrets of their own.

This book is absolutely riveting. It had me glued to my kindle wanting more. Gina Chen has done a remarkable job creating this fantasy world full of secrets and unexpected twists.

I can’t wait for the books release, I have already preordered a physical copy and I can tell you now that I’m beyond excited to see what Gina has to offer in the future. This duology is the start of something great.

Ever since I came across this book on netgalley I knew I just HAD to read it. I was lucky enough to be approved to read the arc and let me tell you… best seven hours I’ve ever spent. You won’t regret reading this.

Big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

The prose did not really connect with me as there was more telling than showing. However, I really loved the descriptions of Prince Cyprus and of certain aspects of the world-building like the geography and the politics. The world had a potential for more detailed imagery - I would have loved to be able to visualise it more in my head.

I liked the idea of Violet’s character - it is always interesting to read about a protagonist who is morally grey - or simply morally wrong. But on paper, I felt like her character was flat and her personality was forced. It would have been nicer to learn her traits through her actions and opinions of others instead of just her descriptions about herself.

I thought this story, concept and world could have been something special - but unfortunately it didn’t work for me.

I’m a sucker for a pretty book, so the cover of Gina Chen’s debut novel, Violet Made of Thorns, really drew me in but the synopsis had me HOOKED! The contents didn’t disappoint either!

Enemies to lovers. Morally grey anti-heroine. A dark, modern twist on fairytales with nods to Cinderella and Beauty & the Beast (I especially loved the Cinderella reference).

I really appreciated reading a book about a non-white protagonist. A lot of fantasies tend to be centred around white or ‘ethnically ambiguous’ characters which is fine BUT we love diversity!!

Violet was brilliant. Flawed, but brilliant nonetheless, and I think it’s something that made her feel more relatable. She’s a liar and an opportunist whose decisions are heavily influenced by her own interests.. but she’s not a villain and she doesn’t want to hurt others. She’s not perfect and she doesn’t try to be, which is why I love her!

The enemies to lovers trope is STRONG in this one. Here’s what Chen wrote about her two leads:

“Witchy types and princely types never
seem to get along - something something fairytale archetypical rules - and these two are no exception. Separately, they're pretty good at their roles; together, they're a white-horse carriage galloping off a cliff. But their futures are entwined as Seer and king, as well as in divine machinations, and they deal with this very, very badly.”

There’s a fine line between love and hate, and the characters were dancing on this line until the very end.. to the point where I wasn’t sure WHAT the ending would be.

“Sometimes I want to kiss him and sometimes I want to ruin him, but most of the time, I want those actions to be one and the same”

There are SOOOOO many amazing quotes I’d love to share from this book but I don’t want to spoil anything so all I can say is FIVE STARS!!!!!!

This is the first book in a planned duology but it definitely still stands on its own; the future of the characters is left uncertain but in a way that doesn’t leave you hanging.. which will hopefully make the wait for the 2nd book less painful! 🥲

I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially very excited to start reading violet made of thorns, and when my arc request was approved, I dropped my entire tbr list and the book I was currently reading, because dark fantasy and enemies to lovers? yes please.

It took a while for me to become invested in the book, as the story didn't grab me immediately, and there were a lot of issues with the writing style. The author focused too much on random dumps of information, and neglected the world building. It was difficult to visualise anything, even the character's appearances were blurry to me. The character's had no real depth to them, and it made it hard for me to care about any of them. The only character that was well written was violet, and even then, I didn't really have an opinion on her.

It was obvious that violet was written to be morally grey, but on page, that didn't translate to me. There were occasions where she would make snappy remarks, or react impulsively when there was a crowd, but there was nothing groundbreaking about her attitude, or her character, and it just felt like she was trying too hard. I appreciate that her character wasn't wholly good or bad, and despite her manipulating people, and making choices that benefitted her, she maintained her character the whole way through, but still cared for those around her.

The story risked becoming repetitive, however there were moments that I really liked and found funny, and the chemistry between violet and cyrus had potential. However, I didn't feel like the enemies to lovers dynamic was as strong as it could have been. I didn't feel a connection, as again, the prince wasn't really developed as a character. For the majority of the story, he seemed to just ignore violet's taunting, or dismiss her, as opposed to war with her, like the enemies violet kept telling us they were.

I liked the ending a lot, there was a pick up in the pace, and the plot was a lot more dramatic, and perfectly sets up the second book, which I would be open to reading, as there was enough in the book to keep me interested.

3⭐️- An enemies to lovers romance filled with sizzling tension, but at times a little rushed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the Advanced DRC in exchange for an honest review :-)

I’d like to start by saying that this was an enjoyable read, and I am intrigued to see how the duology will be concluded in the future. Our protagonist, Violet, a prickly & plucky orphan who is blessed with the sight, never quite fits into royal court life after she saved the life of the Prince and became the kingdom’s seer as a child. Despite her icy and defiant nature you can’t help but like her, and the chemistry between her and Prince Cyrus was by far my favourite thing about this. I could not get enough of them together! Kudos to the author for managing to portray an enemies to lovers that felt genuine and I was compelled to root for.

Unfortunately, this book did not get a higher rating from me because, while it was an enjoyable read, there was a few issues I had with it. Firstly, the pacing felt quite rushed and at times i was left a little confused or wishing that there had been a bit more detail into the logistics of what was happening or just that the author had explored things a little bit more so that I felt really immersed in what I was reading.There was a lot going on and I think things became a bit lost or their impact was reduced because there wasn’t enough depth and it felt a little undercooked.

Without being too spoilery (but the slightest spoilers so read with caution)there were multiple occasions throughout the novel where Violet hears a voice/voices and this conversation plays out on the page. However, I found this very confusing to read, mostly because, whilst what violet says is punctuated in speech marks, what was being said to Violet by the voice(s) wasn’t and so it melded into other text and was difficult to distinguish it as being ‘spoken’ to her. My guess would be that this is done because violet is hearing these voices in her head not out loud (that only she can hear them) but it was still difficult to comprehend as a reader.

Despite this, i would still like to read the second book and find out what happens next as the concept of this book is really interesting and I loved the relationship between Violet and Cyrus. I currently have lots of questions and theories and there are things I would love to see explored further so I’m excited (and hopeful!) for book 2!

Violet is a Seer, but she often lies about her visions to suit the King who gave her a home. His son, Prince Cyrus, doesn't trust her and the dislike is entirely mutual - until the Kingdom comes under threat and it seems they may not hate each other so much after all...

I was really excited about this book, but it didn't quite live up to what I'd hoped. Violet is a very brash and arrogant character, and I definitely fell on the side of disliking her. Unfortunately, there weren't any characters that I particularly liked, and that spoiled my enjoyment to an extent. The plot was also very choppy - it felt like events were bouncing around disjointedly and nothing was really connecting up. As a result, by the end I wasn't particularly invested in the betrayals or the outcomes.

I did like the world building and the magic system was interesting (if a little vague and unexplored), but this probably isn't a book I'd go back to again.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A fun romp that cuts through the glittery fairytale tropes with a cynical knife.

Violet Made of Thorns is the beginning of a duology that follows our titular Violet, a seer working for the Auveny royals and who has had to deal with the demands of a cutthroat court through mastering the art of lying and shielding her heart from others. However, a prophecy delivered by the previous seer's dying breath about Prince Cyrus, his bride, a curse and the kingdom's fate has left the kingdom anxious. As a "solution," she's delivered a fake prophecy by the order of the king about Cyrus's love story, only to be haunted by dreaded dreams and different prophecies. Fate does not seem to be on her side, nor Cyrus's; they defied it once, can they do it again?

The writing voice is very Violet: straightforward with little glamour, reflecting her cynical outlook and pride. There's a chance that Violet might be an "unlikable" protagonist but it doesn't matter: I have enough love for her to balance out the hatred.

From the very beginning, Violet and Cyrus have been drawn to each other except with teeth bared and sharp comebacks. It was quite enjoyable to read their banter and seeing how, slowly, the layers of their hatred were peeled back to reveal their true feelings. Ugh, all the brief but stolen glances and snarls and will-we-burn-each-other-or-save-each-other thing is addicting to read.

Quick-fire notes:
- I love how self-aware the book is about a couple of the tropes it's using, to the point that it's purposeful on the characters' end (ahem, for example, "happens to pose the right way, which highlights the beauty of the character's features, which enchants the POV character"). Again, quite fun to read, especially mixed in with deadpan humor!
- The book pulls elements from several fairytales, notably Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella, but the way it twists and remixes them feels fresh and intriguing.

I'm excited to see what's next in store!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for providing me with the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well written with an enchanting storyline and well developed characters who e like marmite and I totally fell in ,love with them. The world building is also excellent with vivid descriptions and rich imagery that made me feel like I could jump into the pages - and if I could have - I would. A really enjoyable read that makes me excited for what is to come.