Series: Violet Made of Thorns #1
Author: Gina Chen
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Released: July 26, 2022
Received: Own (OwlCrate)

Book Summary:

Violet is her kingdom’s prophet. She’s also the king’s puppet and a liar. She’s not afraid to bend the truth to make a vision (or lack thereof) sound more appealing. The king loves her for it…the prince…not so much.

Unfortunately, the prince is part of a dark prophecy, and Violet has spent the majority of her life running PR and doing what she can to cover for him. All he has to do is pick a bride and become king. But nope, he’s going to be picky, which means the prophecy continues to hang over all the heads – right up until it blows up, of course.

“Sometimes I want to kiss him and sometimes I want to ruin him, but most of the time, I want those actions to be one and the same.”

My Review:

Okay, so I’ve been looking forward to Violet Made of Thorns for a few months now, and boy, it did not disappoint! I love dark fantasy, twisted prophecies, and magical politics. This book has all of that – and then some.

Violet is a cutthroat prophet living perfectly suited for the courts, and it shows through each and every page. The complicated situation she finds herself in is at least partially of her own making – and partially the fault of larger forces. The end result is a highly entertaining read.

There are a few surprising twists in Violet Made of Thorns, including fairytale retelling vibes. I hadn’t expected that! Gina Chen also makes brilliant use of a few tropes, some of which I know the fandom will appreciate. For this reason, along with several others, I think Violet Made of Thorns is absolutely worth the read.

Highlights:

• Debut novel
• Fantasy
• Morally gray witch
• Enemies to lovers
• Cruel Prince vibes
• Prophecy
• Retelling

Trigger Warnings:

• Self-injury
• Body horror

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