Violet Made of Thorns

Probably more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

This book was a purely vain addition to my tbr because have you seen the covers..??? Both the UK and US editions are stunning and there was no way I was gonna be able to resist reading it. And I was pretty happy when I got the arc. Now let's see how I feel about it.

The writing is definitely easy to get hooked on and I found the beginning with prophecies proclaiming upcoming doom and the main character trying to figure out what to do to prevent it very compelling to read. The world is also fascinating with Seers, faeries, faerie wood, witches, beasts and more - but I felt like none of the elements were too fleshed out. We only got the information that was strictly necessary to move the story forward and nothing more, which was slightly dissatisfying, but I hope we'll get more in the sequel. It's got a very fairytale feel to it though, and I was totally for those vibes. The plot also is a weird mix of romance and working towards avoiding the prophecy and while I did enjoy both aspects of the story, I think maybe the integration of the two could have been executed better. The pacing is pretty fast though, which is why this turned out to be another book I finished in a day. The other aspect I did like was how the author wove in themes like colonialism and expansionism, the false justification for wars, how common people are manipulated into supporting such bloodshed - and the author does all this quite well, seamlessly as part of the story, without feeling like additional commentary.

Most of my love for this book is because of Violet. She is an orphan girl who managed to get to her position as the King's Seer by being loyal to him, lying and manipulating when necessary, basically doing everything required so that she can survive. She is clever, icy, prickly and knows exactly what she is doing and doesn't regret it for the most part (or atleast doesn't give herself the chance to feel any regrets). She knows how to play the game at court and values the position she has earned, and to hell with anyone who thinks she is being cowardly or selfish.

Cyrus on the other hand may be the Prince Charming but it took me a bit to like him and I still can't say I was entirely convinced. He is definitely righteous, wants peace and would like to avoid as much bloodshed and wars with the neighboring kingdoms as possible, but can also be narrow minded and a bit rigid in his beliefs and expectations.

Theirs is supposed to be a hate to love relationship and it shows. We get the antagonistic banter between them, the sexual tension, the hateful making out and more - but I guess it all felt a bit hurried to me. I can't seem to decide if it was because of the fast paced plot, or if there was a possibility to have more of their interactions on page so that I could be convinced of their bond. I think I definitely saw his feelings coming through, but Violet's feelings were more difficult to pin down which is funny considering she is the only pov we get. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the romance, but I guess I just would have liked more of it.

The side characters are not too many but are a mix of interesting and not too significant. Cyrus's twin Camilla is definitely the most fun of the lot who is a privileged princess who enjoys her role to the fullest, but can also fight if push comes to shove. Dante is all of their close friend and he seemed to be someone I could have really liked if only he had been present more. The King is probably the looming presence across the book and I liked how the author used his character as a foil to discuss her themes in detail. I can't decide if he was a good ruler for his kingdom or not but I definitely am not a fan, though I have to say he is written very realistically. And then there's the antagonist whom I won't spoil but we definitely deserved to know more about them, because I didn't get a sense of why they were the villain.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book but maybe not wholly satisfactory. I guess I just had too many expectations. But I love that the author created a no nonsense, prickly heroine and I can only hope we'll get more of her being herself in the sequel. I am also looking forward to discovering more of the world. However, I feel like the author did a good job wrapping up the story in a way it feels complete, just in case it is useful information for anyone thinking about picking this up.

Got this in a Fairyloot box and decided to give it a try since it was one of the Goodreads finalists. At first, I wasn't impressed. By the time I got about 100 pages in, I was enjoying it. Granted, it is a basic YA fantasy/romance...nothing new or spectacular. It was a lot of fun to read, though. I will probably pick up the sequel when it releases. 4 stars.

I had a lot of fun reading it.
Violet was a great character! She was funny, stubborn, and unapologetic about putting herself first.

I also enjoyed her relationship with the prince. Their interactions were hilarious, and the banter was so good! The romance was my favorite part.

I enjoyed the mystery too, especially trying to figure out Violet's visions. The ending was a little rushed, though, and some things weren't wrapped up smoothly. It might have been on purpose, considering it's not a standalone book.

I'll definitely read the next one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Somewhere between 4-4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this! I started it last night before bed and found myself staying up way past my bedtime to read most of it. I could have used a bit more world building but it moved at a pretty decent so I didn't have much time to dwell on that. I'm looking forwards to the next one!

HUGE thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an e-arc of one of my most anticipated releases of 2022.

Violet Made of Thorns is a dark fairytale filled with court politics, deception, harrowing battles, and difficult choices. Violet is morally grey all the way. She's selfish, knows it, and doesn't shy away from it. As Seer, she finds herself a pawn of the king, telling prophecies to help shape his story and build his empire, but also to help her own selfish gain.

Taken away to court at a young age, Violet and the kingdom are battling with a wicked prophecy foretold by the previous Seer. This weaves in a tale of enemies to lovers.

I'm excited to see what happens in the next installment of the duology.

This story is perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince, Kingdom of the Wicked. I believe it is listed as YA, but does border NA d/t language. No explicit spicy scenes.

The best part about being the Seer isn't the tower or the amenities or the access to the King. It's how easily everyone believes what you say."

What it's about:
Violet is the court Seer for the kingdom of Auveny - an orphan plucked from the streets after she foresaw and prevented the death of Prince Cyrus when they were both children. She also regularly lies on the King's behalf, making fake prophecies that support his actions and goals. 

But true prophecy has continued to follow Prince Cyrus and he was subject to one by another Seer foretelling that who he gives his heart to will either lead to the kingdom's doom or salvation. With the King's health failing, Cyrus planning to fire Violet from her position when he ascends to the throne, a strange black rot spreading throughout the countryside, political tensions between Auveny and their neighbours threatening war, and the council & populace pinning all their hopes on Cyrus selecting a curse-breaking bride soon, tensions between Seer & Prince are running high. Violet's visions are telling her that she will die unless Cyrus does, but although they hate each other, she doesn't think she wants him dead. 

“There are no love stories found upon the throne. Only secrets and schemes and spider-fingered kings.”

What I thought:

• I really enjoyed the setting but I would have liked more in-depth world building, such as more about the Fairywood, and the source of the Seer's powers. This is hinted at but not expanded on so I'm hoping it will come more into play in the sequel.
• Despite being book 1 of a planned duology, the main arc of this story is pretty much resolved, with enough plot threads left hanging to intrigue me to want to read on without leaving things on a huge cliffhanger. 
• The story is told from Violet's POV. She is cynical and distrusting, but I liked her all the same.
• I adored the characters of Camilla and Dante.
• Like Violet, I found Cyrus frustrating yet compelling (I would have gotten out of my own way sooner though, tbh). The enemies-to-lovers chemistry and sexual tension between them worked well.
• The book provides a map of the Sun Capital, where the palace and seer's tower reside, but doesn't have a map of the wider kingdom and it's various “dominions” nor the wider world, which I would have found helpful to refer to when the dominions, Fairywood and other countries were being discussed.
• There are nods throughout to ‘traditional' fairytales - Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast, which helped contribute to the fairytale feel of the story.
• This was an easy and enjoyable read that I could see myself rereading and I will certainly be looking out for the sequel.

“Our entanglement wasn't inevitable in the way of the stars, but in the way you can only toss so many lit matches at a powder keg before one catches - and I should have stopped tossing matches.”

I don't quite know what to rate this book, it wasnt as bad as people suggested but there were holes in the storyline as well as a lack of world-building. It was clearly enough to be published by Penguin Random House but I don't know if it is enough.

For a quick read, it was far from bad. For romance, it could have been a slight bit better. For a plot, the overall plot was good but felt too short. I feel as if things were missing, yet, don't know what. The characters aren't the best, nor are they the worst. All I can say is that Violet is falsely advertised as a morally grey character, unless it depends on how you look at the situations where she compulsively lied. If the book were around 100 pages longer or the plot stretched over 3 books rather than two, it may have been more enjoyable.

A little young adult, but highly entertaining!

So this was a sort of villanesque but I don't wanna be a villain though I am sort of story. Her musings were fun, her decisions sort of dumb and the whole ride really entertaining. Our MC is super naive, and often times is pushed to decisions by reacting instead of thinking. Still, she was easy to root for. Our love interest on the other hand... I'm in the fence about. I don't like the trope I want you and it's your fault and Violet suffered a great deal due to his ping ponging and nonsense. Still, he sort of got his comeuppance? So I guess it depends on how the story continues.

The magic system is not really explained yet, the politics are rather murky and the players are not yet fully established. Still, I think it has some promise overall. The main character makes this story fun and engaging and I will continue the series to see where it all lands.