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kgeogheghan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this dark and modern fairtytale, following Violet the seer as she tries to understand the curse that hangs over the kingdoms prince, deciding whether she should do what's best for herself and for her king. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys romantic fantasy.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
Minor: Murder and Death
lewnie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall: This is a well-crafted fantasy with a fantastic, morally gray protagonist. The stakes are high and the mystery unfolding around Violet will keep readers entertained throughout. The romance between Violet and Cyrus is fiery, though perhaps a little more entertaining when they fully believe they hate each other. Overall, this is a great addition for anyone who enjoys high-stakes romantic fantasy.
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm
Minor: Alcohol, Racism, and Misogyny
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The romance was surprisingly different, though it did take the “one has a knife to the throat while the other professes their love” trope a little too far. I loved their chemistry, and though I usually like slow-burns, it worked well for these characters to not have a long build up.
I was confused by the writing at times though, since it got a little repetitive and yet still left me with questions unanswered about the world of the book.
I did love Violet’s internal monologue and her commentary of the people around her was hilarious, but I also have never been as confused about a main character’s motives as I was about Violet’s. I like an unreliable narrator, but I felt like it didn’t make a ton of sense for her to be that unreliable.
Am I really confused by this story? Yes. Will I read the next book? Toady hell yes!
Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Gina Chen for providing me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
Moderate: Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Abandonment, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, and Violence
sshelbyreadss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Queer normative
Diverse
Social commentary
Moderate: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
poppywarphan's review against another edition
4.75
Cyrus, a cursed prince who's kingdom's fate relies on him choosing a bride, wants to marry for love. He has been stalling for too long so the king, with the help of his seer, sets him up with a noblewoman. But the seer–Violet– has dreams and visions. The prince's bride is not who she seems to be. Together they work to unravel the secrets to prevent something terrible from happening.
The burning question: Is Violet made of thorns similar to The cruel prince? Not really in my opinion, other than the enchantments and intense love/hate relationship between Cyrus and Violet. I'd say it's a bit more romance focused.
The story is inspired by multiple fairytales. I noticed subtle references to Cinderella, Beauty and the beast and Sleeping Beauty.
I loved Violet for being brutally honest and an unapologetic liar at the same time. Cyrus is a pretentious ass lol. He and Violent were always bickering at the beginning. Later they start to get along better. Sometimes. He wants to have her gone but Violent, well... She's determined to keep her position as the kingdom's seer. Then we have Dante, Cyrus' best friend and confidant,who was also a favorite. He's the neutral middle ground between them. And lastly Camilla, Cyrus' twin sister, a supportive sapphic queen. 😏
The pacing was moderate from the beginning the 2nd half however was packed with twists.
What I was missing were the ✨fantasy names✨ (at least for the main characters) . The names were flowery (and modern?) It felt weird. Then again roses, vines, thorns were significant to the story so maybe it was going for that kind of vibe?
Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the author's website:
Content Warnings:
one instance of parent harming child physically, themes of emotional manipulation fantasy-typical levels of violence, including death and body horror
self-harm in a ritual/magical context
some instances of casual racism
Other Notes:
non-explicit sexual content, does not fade to black
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death, and Violence
Minor: Blood, Self harm, Child abuse, and Racism
notteson's review against another edition
4.0
VIOLET MADE OF THORNS is the perfect tale if you're looking for a YA fantasy with a little bit of darkness and despair. Violet is the anti-heroine that, despite all her faults (of which there are many), you can't help like her and root for her. She and Prince Cyrus used to be close as children, but have grown distant and hostile as the years have passed. You could say they love to hate each other, and that hate turns into a twisted kind of love. While I'm always down for an enemy-to-lovers trope, this one fell just short of the mark for me. I felt like there was little lead-up (or teasing, if you will--I WANT TO BE TEASED) with regard to their feelings for each other.
In all, I really loved this book. The writing was beautiful and clear. The characters well-developed, flaws and all. The worldbuilding was fantastical, dark, and compelling. And if you're looking for an ending that isn't your typical "happily-ever-after", then this is the right book for you.
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, and Alcohol