Welcome back to the third day of our book club readalong for OwlCrate's July book, Violet Made of Thorns!
Just a reminder that this will be a SPOILER discussion for Chapters 8-11 of Violet Made of Thorns, so make sure you read are finished this section before continuing.
Discussion questions are listed below, and anyone who participates in the comments will be entered to win a free OwlCrate box! Don't forget, you can also post about the readalong on Instagram with the hashtag #OCVioletMadeOfThorns for another chance to win!
The story continues...
Chapter 8:
Wrangled into attending the ball, Violet enters the ballroom to find Camilla surrounded by at least a couple dozen girls. It is well known that Cyrus will be wearing a fox mask, but when he appears, 7 others in identical masks appear.
Violet finds Dante, and together they dance (Violet’s slippers enchanted by the fairies). When Violet asks him if he believes in true love Dante says it’s complicated, and involves a history lesson.
When it’s nearly 11 Violet bids Dante adieu, not wanting to witness what will happen at the ball. Slightly drunk, she gets lost in the hedge maze, running into a man in a beastly mask. He apologizes profusely before they both realize who the other is. It’s Cyrus. He tricked the members of the ball to think he was a fox, freeing him to wait until 11. Before Cyrus can react, Violet grabs his bare arms, seeing in his memories the resentment that grew towards her as she grew into the person she is today.
Chapter 9:
Back in the ballroom the clock strikes 11 and the “prophesized” girl appears, instantly grabbing the entire room’s attention. Camilla tells Violet that the girl is dripping with magic glamors, more than she or Cyrus ever have. Getting closer Camilla pricks her finger and mixes the blood with a jug of water, proceeding to throw it on the girl. The bloody water dissolves the glamors, and as she runs away there are five fairies following in her wake. The palace itself only has three. Everyone follows in pursuit, but Violet instead heads back to her tower, realizing after that she lost one of her shoes.
Chapter 10:
At the crack of dawn Cryus appears at Violet’s door with her shoe, clearly not having slept yet. He tells her that he knows the girl was a set-up - she is Raya of Lunesse, Head of the largest region of Balica. Cyrus kisses her, and Violet realizes she wants him to. As they kiss Violet sees two glowing blue eyes, and she pulls away. Cyrus tells her she should leave Auveny, and in disbelief Violet calls him a coward. As she follows him out of her tower they encounter a beast climbing the stairs, attacking them. Cyrus tells her to go get help, but before she can find anyone she herself is attacked by a second beast, though it gets shot with a crossbow before it can kill her.
Chapter 11:
Violet wakes up in a palace guest room being tended by Eina. She tells her that Cyrus is getting ready to announce his engagement to Raya now that these beasts have arrived.
Violet meets with the king, who is ailing worse than before. She tells him that she dreamed of more beasts all over the land after the king reveals they seem to be more plant than human. Violet theorizes that the rot in the Fairywood is perhaps transforming people into beasts. The king vows to continue to burn the Fairywood, and guide Cyrus once he becomes king in order to “unite” (aka conquer) the Sun Continent.
Questions:
- Do you think that Violet is correct in thinking that the Fairywood is creating the beasts? What do you think caused this to happen?
- Why do you think Raya has so many fairies with her? Do you think she has any ulterior motives for marrying Cyrus?
- What do you think the repercussions of burning the Fairywood will be?
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