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A review by natashaleighton_
Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
5.0
A deliciously addictive and utterly enthralling YA fantasy with one of my absolute favourite tropes—enemies to lovers. It’s about a morally grey seer and witch, a cursed prince and a deadly prophecy that ties the two together. And I have to say—for a book that I was already highly anticipating—I’m utterly shocked by how easily it eclipsed all of my expectations. Gina Chen’s writing style is so refreshing and her morally grey protagonist was absolutely fabulous!
I loved the cynical, prickly and unapologetically cunning Violet who is willing to do whatever it takes to survive—even if it leaves her at loggerheads with the Crown Prince, Cyrus. And although she’s definitely a flawed character I couldn’t help myself from rooting for her—and hoping that she and Cyrus would just give in to all the that delicious sexual tension, curse be damned.
It does have similar vibes to The Cruel Prince or Serpent & Dove with a sprinkling of Briar Rose/ Beauty and The Beast elements that I really enjoyed, but it is a completely original story so don’t expect too many similarities.
The pace was surprisingly fast despite how lush the world and character building was and I honestly think it could’ve been longer if only so I didn’t have to leave Gina Chen’s gorgeously crafted world.
Trust me, if you love your fairytales dark, and dangerously twisted then you’re going to absolutely love this.
I loved the cynical, prickly and unapologetically cunning Violet who is willing to do whatever it takes to survive—even if it leaves her at loggerheads with the Crown Prince, Cyrus. And although she’s definitely a flawed character I couldn’t help myself from rooting for her—and hoping that she and Cyrus would just give in to all the that delicious sexual tension, curse be damned.
It does have similar vibes to The Cruel Prince or Serpent & Dove with a sprinkling of Briar Rose/ Beauty and The Beast elements that I really enjoyed, but it is a completely original story so don’t expect too many similarities.
The pace was surprisingly fast despite how lush the world and character building was and I honestly think it could’ve been longer if only so I didn’t have to leave Gina Chen’s gorgeously crafted world.
Trust me, if you love your fairytales dark, and dangerously twisted then you’re going to absolutely love this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Racism, Body horror, Classism, and Sexism
Moderate: War and Violence