Welcome, friend! Ariel and I discuss Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore today. The story follows the former Thornwitch trying to rebuild her life in the town of Dragon’s Rest. After the fall of her dark mentor, Violet opens a flower shop and works hard to be better, even as guilt, old habits, and new magical troubles resurface. Her path intersects with Nathaniel, an alchemist with regrets of his own, and together they navigate blight, community bonds, and a hesitant, slow-growing connection.
A warm, character-driven cozy with surprising depth, this book shines most in its themes of redemption, friendship, and second chances. While the romance pacing dragged a bit for us as non-romance readers, Violet’s growth and magical creatures made this an enjoyable and satisfying witchy read.
Here is the synopsis of the book and our discussion.
Emily Krempholtz | Goodreads
A powerful plant witch and a grumpy alchemist must work together to save their quiet town from a magical plague in this debut cozy fantasy romance about starting over, redemption, and what it really means to be a good person.
Guy Shadowfade is dead, and after a lifetime as the dark sorcerer’s right-hand, Violet Thistlewaite is determined to start over—not as the fearsome Thornwitch, but as someone kind. Someone better. Someone good.
The quaint town of Dragon’s Rest, Violet decides, will be her second chance—she’ll set down roots, open a flower shop, keep her sentient (mildly homicidal) houseplant in check, and prune dark magic from the twisted boughs of her life.
Violet’s vibrant bouquets and cheerful enchantments soon charm the welcoming townsfolk, though nothing seems to impress the prickly yet dashingly handsome Nathaniel Marsh, an alchemist sharing her greenhouse. With a struggling business and his own second chance seemingly out of reach, Nathaniel has no time for flowers or frippery—and certainly none for the intriguing witch next door.
When a mysterious blight threatens every living plant in Dragon’s Rest, Violet and Nathaniel must work together through their fears, pasts, and growing feelings for one another to save their community. But with a figure from her past knocking at her door and her secrets threatening to uproot everything she’s worked so hard to grow, Violet can’t help but wonder…does a former villain truly deserve a happily-ever-after?
Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore – Discussion
Ariel: This book was a great story about redemption while also being cozy. I liked Violet as a character and her character development as she navigated her inner guilt and attempts to do better was an excellent premise and foundation for this book.
I agree- Violet was well written and I enjoyed the pace at which her life story was revealed. She used to be the Thornwitch but after the downfall of her master and father figure, Shadowfade, she set on to make a new life for herself. As a plant witch, opening a flower shop felt like a natural step. This book surprised me at many points. For one, I did not expect Violet to have such a big backstory. I appreciated that.
Same! She really does work hard at trying to be better, and I liked how it wasn’t a complete magical transformation into “good,” but rather a process Violet had to work at.
Her eventual-love interest and landlord, Nathaniel is an alchemist turned apothecary. Like Violet, there are things he has done in the past that he feels responsible for. This was a typical grumpy-sunshine pairing with jabs at each other once they got friendly and I enjoyed the back and forth through their store front signs.
It’s hard not to compare this book with other recent cozy fantasies we’ve read, but I think it fits well within the genre. While it leans a little heavier on the romance, a theme of community and support also shine through, and how she built up her community bonds and friendships was one of my favorite parts.
We are not really romance readers so it’s not a surprise that part of the story was not a big draw for us. I found the community in Dragon’s Rest particularly welcoming and it later becomes clear why. Violet is hesitant to open up but it is liberating to have people in her corner.
The blight and the new alchemist in town presented some chaos in the book and though the plot moved cohesively and the point of views of Violet and Nathaniel were distinct enough, the story dragged on a bit and since the ending is obvious (romance lol), I lost interest towards the end.
Yes, like you said, we aren’t romance readers so we liked to focus on other things– like the creature companions! I particularly loved Daisy, the puppy, and Bartleby, the knife-wielding plant. I love little animal companions in books, and these two were no exception!
This book had more magic and magical creatures than I had expected to find and it was nice to be in a world where people were not averse to magic and its users and rather accepting of them. I liked Peri too though Bartleby was my favourite. I have never considered naming plants before but now I might, should I ever keep one alive long enough around my cats!
Overall, this was a good read. The one witchy cozy book of the year for me!
Many thanks to the publisher for providing us digital review copies for our honest thoughts.
Thank you for joining us!
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