A review by quillify_
Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen

adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

 I… I have so many thoughts right now. Man, I was so excited for this one. The comp title was The Cruel Prince, and that is literally one of my favorite books of all time. All the tropes mentioned were right up my alley: anti-heroine, courtly intrigue, enemies to lovers with tons of tension, ruthless politics. I waited for this book for months and I was so eager to read it. Unfortunately, this is above average at best. A one-time read, at best.  The male lead, Cyrus, is kind of a blank caricature. Their “hate” feels childish because it doesn't have a solid basis. No backstabbing. No betrayal. It's only resentment towards an authority figure. For all her talk, Violet comes across as a passive protagonist with mildly interesting magic. Seriously, just gimme a reason to want to make out with the prince! We don't even get a clear description of him. Camilla and Dante were okay and adder some much needer humour. At times, the story felt intriguing, like it was heading the right way. And then we would go back to Violet scheming about nothing and having weird dreams. God, why do I even expect anything from America? Oh also, the romance plot made zero fucking sense. I can understand hate sex and hate attraction. I can understand hooking up. Now what in the actual fuck was that love business at the end!?!?! Just because you say I love you, doesn't mean a reader believes it!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings