Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen

2 reviews

aquilleanmenace's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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lewnie's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • 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

 
Violet is a witch who uses her powers of prophecy for her own gain. Once an orphan living on the street, Violet now lives on the palace grounds in the famed Seer’s Tower. A trusted confidant of the King, she often manipulates her prophecies for the good of the royal family. The only problem is Cyrus, the Crown Prince. He knows Violet too well and isn’t going to go along with her schemes willingly. When she falsifies a prophecy about Cyrus’ potential bride, she unknowingly sets into motion a deadly curse. As the volatile feelings between Violet and Cyrus begin to look less like hate and more like love, Violet must make a decision that will either save or curse the kingdom– and herself.  

The good: While not a direct fairytale retelling, there are many aspects of well-known fairytales sprinkled throughout that readers will enjoy discovering. 

I think the standout here is really Violet. She is everything that so many readers will enjoy in a protagonist. She is unapologetically out for herself and once you begin to learn more about her past, it makes sense. Violet has no desire to change, for anyone, and she is confident in herself and her decisions. Often, this kind of characterization of female characters comes off as overly abrasive or without reason. However Violet is easy to sympathize with and her strong will stands up to the vicious court politics that Chen has created. 

The bad: I struggle with my feelings about Cyrus as a character. I think he is a good foil to Violet’s ruthlessness, however his fault is that he seems to believe this is an act for Violet. Chen has created a strong-willed character in Violet though, and she easily expresses that she is only ever acting like herself. The romance budding between them by the end of the book does make me a little uneasy as I don’t think that they seem like a good fit at this point. I do think that Cyrus has a ways to go in terms of character development though, and we could see this change later in the series. 

I also wish the world-building was a little stronger. I am still not sure I understand the complicated politics between the different countries. I understand this is heavier on the romance and the personal relationships, so I think we lose a little of that overarching geographical exploration. I am hoping that this will be explored more in the following book. I also understand that this is a debut and for a first book, I am really enjoying the development of the world and characters as a whole. 

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.  

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