I am already ready for a sequel, please tell me what nefarious plans Violet cooks up with Cyrus. Violet Made of Thorns is full of fairytale themes and tropes. Usually that makes a plot relatively predictable, but not so here. Because there are so many pieces of different fairytales, I couldn't determine if one of the tales was the primary plot. I really enjoyed that aspect because I love fairytale-based stories but I also like being kept on my toes.
Violet is a good anti-hero type protagonist without being annoying. Her motives and thought processes are reasonable, even if they are questionable, and she speaks her mind. I enjoyed her snarky commentary. Other characters were great too. Of course there's Cyrus, the most beautiful man in the kingdom with or without a glamour, who we love to hate and hate to love. Camilla is fantastic and brazenly lesbian (though still just a side character). The king is interesting and I wonder if we will get more background on him later, even though I don't actually care about him as a person. 
The plot was engaging and the ending has left me with a few questions, which is a good way to make me read the next one. I'll be honest and shameless, I am looking forward to more Violet/Cyrus content. I want them to be happy and trust each other but I also don't....if you know what I mean. Is their ship name Virus? Cylet? Cyret? Vios? I don't know, just throwing options out there. 
There were small world building details that were nice. I like the mention of a land over the seas, it shows that the world is vast and the viewpoint shown in the book is not universal. The fashion was very cool fantasy fashion mingled with magic–I especially loved the Seer robe. A lot of things Violet would say offhand helped set the scene without being pushy and overbearing, which is something I struggle with in my own writing and also see in lots of other YA books, so it was inspiring to see it done better here. 
Overall, I enjoyed it. I read it in a few hours this morning. If you like fantasy, enemies to lovers, emotionally traumatized protagonists, and magical creatures, you probably want to read this.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I started following the author a few years ago on Twitter because I saw a commissioned artwork on the author's feed. I was so excited when the news came that the rights were boughten.
It has everything that I love in a novel: Enemies to lovers, palace intrigue, a fairytale-inspired world, an antiheroine, and prophecies.
Violet Made of Thorns is a romcom with fairytale worldbuilding that reminded me of Shrek and Ella enchanted. And it was funny! The pacing was slow, so those who like a quicker story might be disappointed. Personally, I liked it, though I would have preferred a little more palace intrigue.
I liked our main characters very much, their relationship was so much fun. The only thing that was confusing was their reason to resent each other. I thought that our main character will be an antiheroine, but Violet was just a girl with logical thoughts, and she saw the world as what it was. She was not ambitious at all.
In contrast, Cyrus was the one with the more questionable intentions. We were told that He would be a good king and that He always keeps the interests of the kingdom in mind. But we never see what he is actually doing to achieve those things.
Overall, Violet Made of Thorns was the perfect summer read, and I can't wait to read the sequel, I know it will be so much fun!

This was an enjoyable dark fantasy read. One of the main things that landed it a 3 star read for me rather than a 4 star was that I just didn’t adore the romance. Violet and Cyrus just weren’t quite believable enough for me, there wasn’t that pizzazz between them.

As individual characters though they are so well written. Violet was selfish, unabashed, uncompromising but also confident, amusing and just very real, and I say very real because my gosh she was hard to like at times.
Cyrus on the other hand was SO STUBBORN, but you couldn’t help but like him as you know he just wants to do the right thing, even when his choices are so very wrong.

The style of writing here is what first drew me in, I really did enjoy the pacing (until the end which felt slightly rushed) and the plot was intriguing enough to keep me reading.

BUT, this book compares itself to The Cruel Prince and I can honestly say to you all that I enjoyed this way more, so nice one Gina!

I think my biggest criticism is that this could have been so much more with multiple points of view. I wanted to see Raya’s thoughts, Dante’s, Cyrus’, sometimes I just needed a break from Violet that could have been filled by one of these characters perfectly.

Overall, an enjoyable fairytale-esque dark fantasy.

I read Violet Made of Thorns because the blurb described it as being "perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove", both of which I liked. It's closer to the latter, but I didn't enjoy it as much as either.

It's biggest selling points are the steamy semi-graphic sex scenes between two characters who spend most of the book insulting each other. Love/hate, flirtatious bickering, followed by passionate sex is not without its appeal, but love/hate relationships are delicate, difficult to craft, and, if not handled carefully, they come across as merely inconsistent and unbelievable. Which is what happened here, in my opinion.

The characters acted a certain way then suddenly seemed to change their mind and become at odds with their previous characterization because... drama? This happens multiple times throughout and it became hard for me to suspend disbelief. I found myself thinking Come on, really?? when the make outs started.

Violet herself gave a lot of lip service to being tough and badass and preferring to "run among wolves than be devoured by them" but I'm not sure exactly what she did here outside of dream and get hot for the prince.

Outside of this, I found the politics and magic plot completely uninteresting. It acts as a backdrop for the romantic angst and never truly feels fleshed out and believable. Tidbits of information pop up-- often in Violet's dreams, as she is a seer --about dying Fairywood and horned beasts, but if we were really supposed to be concerned about what this meant for the fate of the characters and Auveny then the gravity of the situation was never felt by me.

Comparing this to The Cruel Prince is a huge mistake, if you ask me. I recall how deliciously addictive that book was, how well-plotted and impossible to put down, with side characters as unforgettable as the central pair and twists and turns that literally made me gasp out loud... this book had none of that.

”I am a better liar than I am a prophet.”


SUMMARY
Violet, a morally grey Seer to the royal court delivers her divinations with care. The King in her ear, a lie here or there, and a whole cauldron-load of ambiguity. Only, Prince Cyrus, honourable, truth telling, but fatally cursed Prince Cyrus, refuses to believe her lies and hates to participate in less than noble politics. So, when he’s due to ascend the throne, he plans to strip her of her title, and may as well destroy her reputation in the meantime. Whereas, all Violet has to do is nudge his curse in the right direction and she’s won.

Violet Made of Thorns is a fairytale, where the two leading characters can either be each other’s damnation or salvation.

OPINION
Well, I loved this. Violet is exactly the kind of anti heroine that I can’t help but fall for. The right dichotomy of asshole and saviour. The dynamic with Cyrus was written incredibly well, it was easy to see how hate made way for passion.

Violet Made With Thorns is literally a fairytale with swear words and morally grey characters. The multitude of classic fairytale references are both sweet and savage and I fell in love with each one. The ones I primarily noticed were beauty and the beast, rapunzel and Cinderella.

The reason it’s not a five is that soo much was crammed into the book that I feel like many of the aspects of the novel didn’t get explored enough, such as Violet’s abilities, the fairies, the roses in Fairywood and the villain. I would have loved MORE. Even with the set up to a sequel where I know more is coming. But perhaps my mind will change as I don’t need to be a Seer to predict I’ll be picking up the sequel.

RECOMMENDATION
Those who love fantasy, fairytales, morally grey romance and a splash of romance, my crystal ball tells me you will pick this up or something bad will happen to you. (I’ll stop with the divination puns now).

Violet Made of Thorns is a truly captivating story about a morally grey witch, precisely a seer who can see people´s past and future threads when she touches them with her hands. As a little girl, she saved the crown prince and clawed herself into the palace, now living in her own seer´s tower and serving the king, at the same time scheming for her own advantage.

Some may find Violet to be not exactly a pleasant heroine to root for but I could relate to her pretty easily. She´s unapologetically herself… brash, sarcastic, and cunning and I loved her witty and snarky remarks. And Cyrus, oooh, this sometimes absolutely infuriating - at least for Violet - prince charming charmed the hell out of me. I guess I will never learn… always falling for the hot & cold sexy male heroes. The hate-love relationship between them is like the finest wine. Note that I write hate-love like this and not ´hate-to-love´ on purpose because this book takes enemies-to-lovers to a new level as they are both at the same time. There is a lot of sexual tension, angst, and banter. The author, Gina Chen, called this an “I can fix her” versus “I can make him worse” relationship which is absolutely correct. It explains their dynamics so well. The romance is intoxicating in the best way. I´ll be impatiently waiting for another dose now.

Speaking of their dynamic, let´s not forget the fact that Cyrus has to find a wife and Violent does not miss a single opportunity to comment on all the single ladies who are eager to marry a prince and the tabloid flyers such as Gilda´s Gab or Lace´s Things, studying Cyrus´s body to the point of it becoming an anatomy lesson. Honestly, after all the excellent ´hate kissing´ scenes there, who wouldn´t want an anatomy lesson with him, right? This whole marriage hunt brought a bit of a comedy into it and I could not be happier about it. I enjoyed it very much.

The side characters - princess Camilla and the prince´s and now also Violet´s friend Dante got into my heart as well. Camilla, Cyrus’s lesbian twin sister, was so… wow. This girl knows how to party, apparently loves anything sweet, wears lavish dresses, knows how to handle a fight, and calls people out for their… feelings? Dante does that too. I love characters like that. I guess I need a spin-off with her at the center.

The plot was intriguing. I could not wait to find out what´s gonna happen next. I loved how the book included fairytale references and how it works will well know fairytale tropes, turning them upside down to create something totally fun and new. I can honestly say that it was keeping me on my toes because I could never be sure if my theories will come true.

Overall, I fell in love with this fairytale-like cunning heroine & charming prince perfection. It´s got everything I could possibly want to completely fall in love with - great heroine, hot & cold prince, court machinations, magic, witches, secrets, prophecies, a curse, danger, magical wood, fairies, the right amount of action, incredible chemistry between characters, a bit of humor. It kept me hooked from the first page to the very end. I could not put it down and devoured the book in 2 days.

I think that fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove could love it. It has got the angst and court intrigue of the first and well, Violet´s behavior reminded me of Jude and Lou as well - both being sharp-tongued heroines. In my eyes, it totally lives up to the hype. Also, I have a feeling that Violet Made of Thorns may appeal to those who liked These Hollow Vows because it also works with elements such as a masquerade ball, enchantments (enchanted dresses, shoes…), and fairies (but the fairies here are actually small radiant beings with wings and fairy dust) and that mentioned fairytale tropes, but also to those who do not fancy that book because Violet Made of Thorns does its own very refreshing take on these elements.

At last, I can say that the story is quite wrapped up enough at the end - there is not a cliffhanger that could slowly make you go crazy till the sequel comes out. I wonder where it will go from here and I am excited to see what happens to Cyrus and Violet next. I smell some more witchy-cursey troubles and I can´t wait!


Special thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an electronic reading copy in exchange my honest review.

finally a protagonist with a back bone, she is sharp tongues and doesnt care about other views and opinons thanks to that i instantly loved her as i am fed up of the "perfect" MC and need this more darker MC.

this was meant to be a YA romance book and i felt the romance fell a little flat and that there wasnt the banter between the two MC we are use to in these kind of books, plus the hate to love was rushed so much but its a duology and so we will see how that all changes in the next book

i wouldnt recommend this book to anyone who is triggered by emotional manipulation or self harming as it does touch on those and the magical system uses blood.

but all in all a good darker MC YA romance book

Violet Made of Thorns is a book which I never knew I needed.

Violet is an anti-heroine - depending on how you perceive her narration, she could also be considered a heroine. Violet is a Seer who twists truths and tells lots of untruths. She has Chinese-based heritage and a sharp tongue which makes the story even more refreshing. She’s headstrong and does things her way.

The plot was filled with all the traditional fairytale tropes with wicked twists and turns. The characters were diverse and I loved the mysterious and magical aspects in this book.

VMOT will leave you breathless, wanting more and I can’t wait to see what the sequel brings .

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Violet made of thorns an enchanting fantasy debut about a cunning seer, a cursed prince and a prophecy that intertwines their fates.

I definitely got beauty & the beast vibes from this story. Slow burn Enemies to lovers. Forbidden love that has your blood boiling.
However it did fall rather flat for me, it had so much potential but I didn’t feel as though there was enough character development for me to fall in love with the characters. I wanted more romance, drama and action which this was lacking.

Overall it was a nice easy read and perfect for fairytale fans but it didn’t leave me wanting more so unfortunately I won’t be diving back into Violet and Cyrus world.

This had been one of my anticipated reads of the year and I'm left frankly a bit let down. The whole premise of the book and the anti heroine were what attracted me majorly. But after reading it I feel underwhelmed, it did not reach the potential of what I had in my mind.
For all the fans of The Cruel Prince, I think you'll like it but I didn't. The characters felt weak, very much like caricatures, the political drama that I expected was a fail, the world building despite having so many creatures was under used, the dialogues sound good as one liners but kept beating around the bush, the romance and chemistry was non existent and unbelievable to me. The YA genre is really in trenches if we rely on good premises and bad executions. Maybe this is a me problem but the author has a LOT of potential and i felt like she was holding her cards too close — please take the risks and feel free to go to the extreme lengths without confining to the same tropes that most of the YA genre has seen.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the arc.

Violet Made of Thorns was one of my most anticipated releases for 2022 and it did not disappoint! I loved it!
Dark Fantasy with enemies to lovers, strong female MC, intriguing world building and political intrigues. This book was not at all as I imagined but I fell in love it really quick and couldn’t put it down!
Violet became one of my favourite MC! All the characters were really well written and the representation was amazing.
The magic system was definitely my favourite! Beautiful dark fairy tale with interesting take on Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast.
I recommend it for all YA readers especially for those who enjoyed Cruel Prince!

Violet Made of Thorns is a beautifully written novel with a cunning main character, a magical world, an enchanting tale, political scheming, and enemies to lovers. It truly is perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Shadows Between Us.

"The best part about being Seer isn't the tower or the amenities or the access to the king. It's how easily everyone believes what you say."

As soon as I saw the phrase “a prophet and a liar” used to describe Violet I knew I had to read this book. Violet was an orphan living on the streets until she had a vision of the prince and decided to use it to claw her way to a home. However, the work didn’t end there as now she has to ensure she can keep that home. Gina Chen cleverly weaves Violet’s backstory through the main plot in a way that allows us to understand and empathise with how Violet came to be morally grey.

I love the cleverness of Violet. She learned early the power of words and under the guidance of the king, she uses her words to shape politics. But I also found her frustrating as she is very much a lone wolf that refuses to seek the aid of others.

"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."

Oh, the romance really gave me Cardan and Jude vibes! Except where Violet is a cut-throat character determined to get and stay ahead, Cyrus is her antithesis. They are total opposites, yet they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. “I can fix her” x “I can make him worse” may be my new favourite trope. However, similar to The Cruel Prince, I found myself wishing for more romance.

“Kings and curses, girls and gods – these are the making of tales.”

The question of the story is can you escape destiny? Prophecies are a key part of the plot and oh boy, they are beautifully written. The lyrical nature of the writing made me very happy, and the story had a fairytale quality overall. I personally liked the worldbuilding, I feel it was just enough to show us the nature of the world, the magical forest, and the creatures within. I'm looking forward to the second book!

𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Violet Made of Thorns
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Gina Chen
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Young Adult, Fantasy
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Dark and whimsical, Violet Made of Thorns is an enchanting story. In this tale we follow Violet, a Seer who sees what cannot be seen and speaks in truth and also in lies (often influenced by the King). Cryus, the Prince, however, wishes to strip her title when he takes the throne.


I loved Violet! She may be considered an unlikeable protagonist, but I found her realistic, relatable, and can't help but root for her! She's flawed and cynical but she also a fighter and isn't afraid to go after what she wants. Cyrus, the cursed prince, is an interesting character. He's more of the dreamer who wishes to marry for love and yet is unaware of his privilege. I enjoyed Violet and Cyrus's interactions and their CHEMISTRY. The tension, their banter, the angst... It's so delicious 🤌

Not only did I love the characters, I was also invested in the story and plot. I wanted, no, NEEDED to know everything! I'm already in agony waiting for the next book.

𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• I loved the characters, their interactions, the lore, and the development of the plot. I couldn't put the book down because I was so invested in this book!
• Violet, the protagonist, is such a compelling character. She doesn't always make the "best" choice, but she makes the best of what she has. I
• Character relationships. Not only the romantic ones but also the platonic relationships. I enjoyed them all. (But yes did I love the chemistry between Violet and Cyrus I won't deny this)

𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
✔ enemies to lovers
✔ dark and modern twist on fairytales
✔ flawed messy protagonist

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: fate and destiny, touches on colonisation, xenophobia, manipulation

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: fans of fairytale retellings, flawed protagonist,

𝐂𝐖: death, violence


Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐣𝐨𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞

<i>I received this ARC thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.</i>

<b>"The best part about being Seer isn't the tower or the amenities or the access to the king. It's how easily everyone believes what you say."</b>
Even thou for the whole book I've felt like it's just the beginning and I didn't even noticed when it all passed, I have to admit, it was quite an adventurous ride! And I couldn't pinpoint a twisted relationship more true to statement that there's little difference between love and hate. Digging for some antiheroine and a whole truck of fairy dust? Here we go!
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<b>"Better to be pleasantly surprised than vulnerable. I've clawed my way up to the very pinnacle of this kingdom, and it's a long fall down."</b>
Violet wasn't born to be a disney princess. She's got there all on her own. Saving a prince in their childhood, lead by a vision she had she's been brought to the castle to work as a new Seer for the king. Great timing, as soon after that they've lost their current one, that left with a terrible prophecy on her deathbed. Having cursed prince isn't an easy nut to crack, so the King starts to spin his own tales using the new Seer at his service.
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<b>One fairy, all right, you're cute. <i>Five</i> fairies? Five fairies, you're trouble!</b>
You might've thought that as Violet is prince's savior, they become friends and happily grow up together in castle. You couldn't get it more wrong, actually there's noone Violet hates more than Cyrus. And vice versa. Or at least that's what they keep telling each other. In the kingdom of Auveny they live, surrounded by magical woods and other realms, magic is sold of between people and fairies, which help them to get glamoured into their dream looks, or just have people look after you with loving eyes. That's the strategy of royal twins too, when they run arroound their kingdom and making everyone adore them in preparation of succesful ascension to the throne. Violet watches all of this from her own place, making a statement with everything she acts. If you've loved boldness of Celaena Sardothien, or self-assertion of Jude Duarte you'll fall in love with Violet's attitude!
<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/28bfc7d117694cd732503e4c65841e1c/tumblr_nvtnj6ImRd1rt41q9o1_500.gifv" width="300" height="auto" alt="description"/>
<b><i>They will never love you as you wish them to.</i>
Maybe cruel is the best thing I can be.</b>
Reading this book I could literally feel characters having conversations that've felt quite modern in their meaning, thou the book is set in more medieval style fantasy type, but oh boi I loved all the 'Yasss slay queen' moments they had, it was really refreshing to feel relatable in thoughts and conclusions characters make. It also contains quite a chunk of making out, that indeed felt intense at times, but I was actually enjoying it, especially when the love-hate part was involved. It might've even feel disturbing few times, but that's all that makes it even more involving, if only I had time I'd devour this book in one sitting!
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<b>"You've already figured out a plan, haven't you? Tell me how, Violet. Spin me gold."</b>
I don't want to mumble too much about the plot itself, as you'd loose all the anticipation you're building up reading the book, trying to figure out where the hell all the troubles are going to lead our characters, so please just trust me on this -- if you've loved Cruel Prince, A Curse so Dark and Lonely or Defy the Night, you're going to adore the story of Violet and Cyrus, when they're trying to bring each other to ruin, solid 5 stars for me!

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen is a fun YA fantasy about witches, seers and princes. I really enjoyed how it did not have a pleasant main character, how Violet was allowed to be prickly and quite literally be made of thorns. It is a fast read, and an entertaining one. Prophecies are usually considered to be a good thing, a driving force in YA and I loved how this took that trope and turned it on its head by having Violet, the resident seer also be a liar and actively speak a false prophecy that affects the elite of the kingdom. In that, Violet Made of Thorns plays with fairy tale tropes throughout, and is a refreshing voice in YA. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of Gina Chen's writing in the future, even if ultimately this one wasn't 100% my cup of tea in execution.

4.5⭐

Violet Made of Thorns follows Violet, Auveny's Seer, who influences her court and kingdom with well phrased, and not entirely true, divinations and sights of the future. When Violet is asked to falsely predict that Prince Cyrus will fall in love at the upcoming ball, Violet learns that she has awoken a dreaded curse, one that will only end in either salvation or damnation for her kingdom. Will Violet seize control of her own destiny, or give in to the increasing attraction and tension growing between her and Cyrus?

I LOVED this book and I loved Violet even more! She's unapologetically confident, can be a little ruthless and selfish, but she's so funny and a breath of fresh air. I was expecting more of a 'morally-grey' persona but she's not quite that, she moreso has the constant dilemma of choosing between good and evil. And whilst I really liked her as the lead, I unfortunately felt slightly indifferent about her love interest, Prince Cyrus. It was certainly a great enemies to lovers dynamic - full of betrayal, hatred, and lust - but there was something about Cyrus' character that fell flat for me. Which in truth is incredibly annoying as the tension between these two felt palpable, and it is definitely up there as one of the best enemies to lovers books I've read. The romance in this book was still probably the highlight for me though!

I adored the blend between fantasy and fairy tale; it doesn't necessarily follow a specific tale but instead borrows elements from them, which I absolutely loved. I do think this book lacked world building and providing details regarding the neighbouring cities and kingdom's, I think if this aspect was dwelled upon a little more thoughout the book it would have been perfect. This also goes for the curse that is frequently mentioned, I feel like it could have been expanded on and utilised more.

Dubbed by the author as a "𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴" and if that doesn't do it for you then idk what will!

I'm so so annoyed and disappointed right now. I'd been crazy excited about this book since I discovered it last year. So imagine my surprise when I received an ARC. I was sure this was going to be my favourite.

And it should've been a great read. I mean, it has two elements that I like, a lying, manipulative anti-heroine and a romance that starts with an antagonistic relationship. I love both of those elements and any author that gets them right would have my undying loyalty. But sadly, this book didn't get any of those elements right. I will get to the exact reasons that I didn't like this book. But for now, I'll tell you this, you know the hero of a story is horrible when you are actively rooting for the villain and the heroine to join forces and ruin the said hero.


Anyway, let's get to my list of reasons why you should not read this book

1. The slow beginning - I kind of liked the first chapter and the first interaction between our two main leads. And I hoped to get more of that. Instead, what I got in the following chapters was pages and pages of boring stuff. I didn't need to read that many words about her dreams ( or nightmares if you want to call them ), her backstory, or the details of her mundane life. I was just dying to get to the ball but the author felt the need to bore me to death. I thought of DNFing early, and I wish I had. Because then I wouldn't have been so angry with the way the book ended. I stayed for the promised angsty romance, and all I got in return was more disappointment.


2. Violet isn't much of an anti-heroine remember I said that I was here because I thought she was a bad bitch? turned out that she wasn't. To be honest, she just reads like a cynical, lonely girl. Which is fine, but I felt misled by the marketing for this book, and the writing constantly insisted that she was a bad bitch without showing proof of it. Based on the summary, I thought she would be someone like Jafar from Aladdin story. Someone close to the crown who lies and manipulates the royal family. Who would do anything to get more power. But Violet isn't like that at all. She lies 'for' the king not 'to' the king. Everything she is or she does is because of the king. If anything the king is the real villain here. She has no ambition to gain more political influence or to change the course of history. I could've enjoyed this book more if 1) this wasn't marketed as anti-heroine story and 2) the author had spent more time exploring the power dynamic between Violet and the king. Their relationship isn't healthy, and he is not the benevolent father figure she thinks he is. It certainly would've been more interesting if the author had explored that aspect, instead of trying to constantly tell me that Violet is something that she clearly isn't.

There is a section in the story that she says Cyrus can't trust her because she had lied and manipulated him before. But there is no textual justification for that. There is no instances of either of them betraying the other before the story began. Just like Violet's darkness, it is one more thing the author TELLs us without SHOWING us.


3. Cyrus is the worst love interest ever so I was actually happy to give this book a 2.5 stars and rounded it to 3. But the reason I'm giving it one star rating is that Cyrus ruined the book, and the more I think of him the more I despise him.

First of all, I don't like the prince charming type of character. So maybe that's on me. But he is a particularly bad one.

Cyrus is described as this just and honourable character. But what he does in the end? he betrays Violet in the worst possible way. Then what does the book do? it completely ignores the betrayal. They won't even talk about it. Violent doesn't even reflects on it in his own mind. Remember that she already has trust issues, what he did should've ruined any chance of reconciliation between them, but it doesn't. Violet does something even worse IN RESPONSE to the betrayal and then both of them act like she's the bad guy here. She did what she did because Cyrus betrayed her first. It sounds childish but he started it first. Also, if you give hate, you will only receive hate in return. You can't go around betraying people without any consequences. The fact that Cyrus does that is only testament to his privilege.

Here's the thing, framing is very important in story telling. If you describe someone as a morally gray character and they do shady things, it's fine because the book isn't telling us that he is a good person. But if you describe someone as just and honourable and he does bad things, and the book doesn't reflect on how horrible those things are, then we have problems, because I can't stand books trying to explain to me how a terrible character isn't actually terrible.

I'm not just mad because Cyrus betrayed her. I'm mad because the internal morality of this books seems to imply that it wasn't much of a betrayal and that he's the good guy after all.

The main reason that I dislike the prince charming type of character, is that they come from a position of privilege and they expect everyone to act like them. But =Not everyone has the privilege of staying true to their morals. And that's the main issue between the two of them. He expects Violet to defy his father, but everything Violet has is because of his father. So he's mad at her because she is not ready to lose her position. He is completely unaware of his privilege, but what is worse is that the book is also unaware of his privilege. By the end, there is no change is his behaviour. there is no reflection on his part that Violet does the things she does because she doesn't have the choices available to him. If Violet defies the kings she could be banished from the court. If Cyrus defies the king he would just get shouting and scolding in return. Their position is not equal, and Cyrus never understands that.

For most of the book he tries to get rid of her. towards the end, he tries to blame her for his own attraction to her, and says 'she seduced me' to everyone, which is not true, he's the one who can't stay away from her. By the end of the book he wants her to stay ONLY AND ONLY because he needs her. And how does he achieve that? by telling her that he would make leaving here very very difficult for her.
So he uses treachery to banish her from the court, then uses more treachery to keep her around when he realizes that he needs her.
the worst part is that we're supposed to believe that hE iS iN lOvE.



Like I said, If it wasn't because of Cyrus, this would've been a 2.5 rating. Sure it wasn't what I expected, and it didn't do a particularly good job of writing an anti-heroine. But it was fairly easy to read and it was a nice twist on the Cinderella story. But Cyrus ruined the book for me. I literally cannot explain how much I loath the guy. I think that we as a society, should stop celebrating privileged white boys just because they are privileged white boys. And this is what the book essentially does. All throughout the book Cyrus tries to destroy the ethnic minority girl who had to fought for her place in the court, in the end when he realizes that he needs her, he is rewarded by having her by her side. I honestly was hoping she would leave his ass. He didn't deserve her. And he certainly doesn't deserve the happily ever after I'm sure he's going to get in the next book.

A kind thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC.

Violet Made of Thorns has been one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2022, and it did not disappoint. It was captivating, and the main characters made reading the book addicting because WHAT ELSE COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? and WHAT WILL VIOLET/CYRUS ARGUE ABOUT NEXT?

Answers to these questions are: Everything and Everything. No, I'm not kidding.

First of all, to whomever made up the title, congratulations! This is the cleverest title I've seen in a long while. If you read the book, you'll totally get it.

The main character, Violet, is a compelling heroine, unapologetically looking out for herself. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated her. Someone who puts herself first, partly because she's worth it dammit, and partly because nobody else will. I guess, she's an anti-heroine, in that sense, but personally I don't like the word: she's the heroine of her own story and life. Why is looking out for herself be considered anti-anything? Violet is whip-smart, and I love smart characters.

Our male lead, Cyrus, gave as well as he took while he bantered with our Violet, and oh their banter was so entertaining. It's actually one of the best parts of this book. While I'm not the biggest fan of the 'most beautiful guy in the whole kingdom', I felt like his description was done in a somewhat refreshing way. There was a reason behind his otherwordly charms, so to speak, and I really liked that. I have a feeling that he will evolve in the next book. Please be more like Cardan and not Cal.

If you want a hate-that-I-want-you romance, look no further. The Violet/Cyrus relationship was phenomenal in that I-love-arguing-with-you-so-much-that-I-want-to-kiss-you kind of way.

I also really liked the side-characters! Dante, our witty, humorous, bookworm, was always a delight, and I always squealed inwardly when he appeared. In fact, I'd love a spin-off series about him. He was so intriguing. I loved how he maintained his friendship with both Violet and Cyrus, and how he carried himself, in general. He was also the voice of reason for the most part, and I'm a sucker for those characters. Camilla, the funny, entertaining sister of Cyrus, was a breath of fresh air, and she always provided a reprieve from the serious wicked curse solving business.

The world was queernorm, and I loved that. A female character getting with many girls. A male character being attracted to guys. In general, I also appreciated how the book treated attraction between any characters, like it was a normal human behavior. The characters just were and lived their lives as they wished. Except for some curses, witches, a bloodthirsty king, and thorns, that is. The story also tackled imperialism, and I felt that it was done very, very well.

While this book is definitely not the Asian dark fantasy that people have promoted it as, Violet Made of Thorns is a unique, refreshing fantasy with an Asian mc and dark magic. Influences and elements from various fairytales were in the text, and while it's not a retelling, it reads like a fairytale story, in the vein of Brigid Kemmerer's The Cursebreaker series and The Cruel Prince. That said, the world-building is what I felt could have been developed further in terms of the society and the magic system. Maybe it was me, or maybe it was the author's intention, but I didn't fully grasp the society's DNA make-up, so to speak. In terms of the magic system, I was a little surprised at the presence of the fairies and their woods, along with ambrosia-the food of Greek gods. Many different elements were weaved together in an interesting way, and while I don't need to understand everything, I wish we had gotten more clarifications by the end of the story. It is a duology, of course, so we should probably get all our answers in the next book (I'm already so excited!) but I felt like the world-building could have been explored more. It'd also be nice if we left the tower and the palace for a change of scenery. I really want to visit the magical forest. Yes, I loved the fairies, if that wasn't clear.

As for plot twists, there were many, and I loved them all!!!! The pace was okay, but I think it's because we stayed in one place that some readers can feel it was off. I was by the edge of my bed the entire time I read the book. I loved the plot. Though, one character's decisions at the end of the story shook me, because they felt out of character. I was like, Wait, is HE really saying THAT? Albeit little confused, I went with the flow, and enjoyed how Violet dealt with it all. Violet is a force to be reckoned with. I loved her.

I'm sorry if I rambled, but Violet Made of Thorns is a spectacular book, and yes, I took my sweet time exploring it and imploring you all to read this beauty!!! I LOVED this book, and I LOVED Violet!!! I'm certain that many readers will resonate with this heroine.

CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL!!!

I wanted to thank Netgalley and HodderBooks infinitely for this ARC sent in exchange for an honest review on this book. Thanks!

Here I am talking once again about an ARC, a book that I read in preview.
This time we talk about Gina Cheng's Violet Made of Thorns which will be released on July 26th!

Before leaving you my impressions, the plot and what this book is about:
- Fantasy YA (duology)
- Prophecies and curses (even a little fairytale)
- Enemies to lovers, angst
- Morally gray seer and a cursed prince

Do you understand why I was immediately carried away by this plot? Everything told me "read me", but above all the fact that she was the one a little more "corrupt". Sweet memories of when I read The Bridge Kingdom last summer, but it was a very different thing.
Plot, development and characterization of the characters all travel together. I must say that it is a book that has a very fast pace, but not pulled away for this, quite the contrary. I usually prefer this type of rhythm due to the fact that you remain attached and interested in the development of the plot.
The whole book revolves around the curse of Cyrus which we understand is very important, not only for him, but for the whole kingdom. Despite this, our protagonist is Violet. I really loved her character. I would be lying saying that she is a new character, because lately I have read more and more about protagonists like her. Simply that they have a goal and are only interested in achieving it, it is not important how and through whom, the important thing is to achieve it. A little corrupt, absolutely shrewd. So, nothing, I really appreciated her. It is also because Violet is a "seer", that is, she sees into the future - an element I LOVE - and I must say that this element is perfectly matched with the character, but above all the personality of our protagonist. "Yes, of course, I see things in the future, but I can always lie for my own gain!" Adored.
As I said the plot of the book focuses a lot on eliminating this prophecy. In fact it will run out once Cyrus, who is the Crown Prince, finds love (I KNOW). Well at this point since apparently the prince is a bit slow, they decide (Violet and the king) to kind of create a kind of combined falling in love, which obviously doesn't work but the whole thing is fun.
Violet and Cyrus obviously can't stand each other - come on you understand there is no need for me to explain it to you - so it's a constant help, but I don't trust you, you betrayed me how can I trust you etc etc - all like this until the end of book, I wanted to throw them something aaaaaa

"Figure out what you want. Figure it out, so I can ruin you properly."

All this is also surrounded by other characters that I adored, like Camilla, the sister of Cyrus, simply iconic.
For me it was a super enjoyable read and I was glad I guessed I would like it! This book had intrigued me since November, from the first time I had read the plot on Goodreads, and it was a totally satisfying read.
I would say it is a book of court plots, magic and fairytales, angst (the boy fall first), scene shots and truly unforgettable protagonists.
Violet I think she will stay with me for quite some time!

Violet Made of Thorns had an interesting concept but it fell flat for me. The writing style was too simple and the characters were bland for my liking. It also lacked in worldbuilding and the pacing of the story was too slow. The last pages were more captivating but it's not enough for me.