Violet Made of Thorns (Violet Made of Thorns Duology #1)
Author: Gina Chen
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Romance
Publishing Date: July 26, 2022
About the Book
A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.
Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.
But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.
Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.
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About the Author
Gina Chen tells stories about fantastic worlds featuring heroines, antiheroines, and the kind of cleverness that brings trouble in its wake. A self-taught artist with a degree in computer science, she generates creative nonsense in all forms of media and always has a project stewing. Violet Made of Thorns is her debut fantasy novel. For more info, visit actualgina.com and follow @actualgina on Twitter and Instagram.
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My Thoughts
There is so much to unpack to write a review of this book, which has been very hard to do. Especially because the book was near impossible to put down, and I made few notes while reading because of that.
From orphan to seer, Violet is lovingly prickly. She won’t cave to Cyrus just because he’s a prince. That has put them at odds for years. She has a job to do, and her allegiances are more with the king than the prince. And that involves getting the prince married to stop the prophecy from coming to fruition.
This is a fun, quirky world wrapped up in fairy tale elements. There is a good deal of bickering, friendship, balls, romance, and otherworldly. The fantasy elements that came into play were unique, and I liked the author’s creativity. A bit of mystery added to it all ticks a lot of genre boxes for the reader. I love that when you finish the book, you can feel okay with where you ended, even knowing there is another book in the works. This is an absolutely fun read, and I’m looking forward to where this duology leads. Thank you, Random House Children’s, for sending this along!
Favorite Quotes
“It’s easy to lose everything you’ve built through no fault of your own…”
“When I was old enough to understand the gift I had, I knew I was destined for greatness, but I’d have to prove myself in order to get there.”
“Better to be pleasantly surprised than be vulnerable. I’ve clawed my way up to the very pinnacle of this kingdom, and it’s a long fall down.”
“If I had a better idea than listening to voices in my head, I’d be doing it.”
“I am the worst thing in Cyrus’s life and nothing has tasted sweeter.”
“Nothing lasts in this world, least of all our lives.”
Check out the other stops on the tour at TBR and Beyond
Rae's Reading Lounge 
I love that cover. I’ve heard this is a great book, and now your review makes me want to read it. I also appreciate the quotes you included.
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