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.
Author: Gina Chen
Expected Publication Date: July 26, 2022
Publisher: Delacorte Press (Random House Children's)
Review:
I would like to thank NetGalley and Delacorte Press (Random House Children's) for providing me with an early copy of this e-book to read and give an honest review.
FANTASY! I love me some fantasy. It makes my bookish heart happy. And this book truly made my bookish heart happy!
The plot:
Hello fairytale. But not a retelling! I like how this one borrows from different fairytales to create something new and different. Witch/Seer with a prophecy that everyone hopes will not come to pass. Witch/Seer who does not see as much as people are lead to believe. Witch/Seer who often times does not want to see what will come to pass. Fast paced, fun, and twists ensue!
The characters:
Violet, the witch, the Seer. I enjoyed her character. She's raw. She's honest. She's no bones about it not worried what others think of her. She also has a closed heart. She doesn't see things right in front of her. She pushes people away. Such is the life of a Seer who everyone is hoping will give them the prophecy they want. She's truly flawed and I really enjoyed that about her
The prince: Cyrus. Cocky, yes. Annoying, for sure. Charming, absolutely. Typical prince who needs to make a show in public, but not as tough as his daddy would like to see.
The king: he's, well, he's a king. Kind one moment, ruthless the next I never got a true feel on him. He's manipulative and tries his hardest to use Violet to his advantage.
Dante: well, I'll leave it up to you to decide. I liked him and then I didn't. His twist was a bit unexpected, but then made sense. I feel like he'll be redeemed in the future, though.
Camilla: she might be my favorite of all. Cyrus' twin, who is unabashedly herself and doesn't give one iota about what others think. She's fierce and refreshing. Plus, she makes for an awesome side kick to Violet!
The love interest:
I saw it coming. But I did love the push/pull, love/hate that went on with it. There was nothing surprising about it happening. But it was fun to watch and the steamy scenes were done well.
The ending:
A true twist I didn't really see coming. I thought it would take a different turn, to be honest. But I also know it's a series, so perhaps in the future it will turn out differently. I will say the ending reminded me a bit of Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass. There are definitely elements of that series in this story.
I'm impressed with the writing and how the plot and characters are built out in this book. Especially coming from an author who has no background in writing.
Overall this was a fast paced, quick fantasy read. I have not read the books it was compared to so I can't tell you if the comparison is true or not. I'm looking forward to seeing where the author takes this series.
Author:
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. She has particular fondness for fairy tales, demon tales, romantic comedies, and quiz shows. Currently, she resides in Southern California, where the sunshine is as plentiful as its tea shops.
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