Violet Made of Thorns

By: Gina Chen

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A darkly enchanting fantasy about a lying witch, a cursed prince, and a sinister prophecy that ignites their doomed destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince.

“Everything you want from an enemies-to-lovers fantasy starring morally gray characters.”—BuzzFeed

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.

Critic reviews

“Everything you want from an enemies-to-lovers fantasy starring morally gray characters.”—BuzzFeed

“Gina Chen delivers a biting fantastical twist on fairy tales.”—POPSUGAR

“A rare YA fantasy with a difficult, prickly and nigh-on unlikeable heroine, Violet Made of Thorns feels like a breath of fresh air from its first pages.”—Paste Magazine

“Curses, magic, fate, and forbidden romance combine into an unputdownable YA novel that fantasy lovers will obsess over.”—Brightly

"Beautifully vicious. Perfect for the fairytale reader who has always wanted the heroine to grow sharp teeth and bite Prince Charming."—Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

"An enchanting dark fantasy."—Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ember in the Ashes series

"Fantasy fans—rejoice! Violet Made of Thorns introduces us to a lush land where dark curses and magic reign.”—Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows

"Violet has everything: court intrigue, cruel witches, aloof but hot princes, ambitious girls who will do anything to win."—Victoria Lee, author of A Lesson in Vengeance and The Fever King

"A sharp, witty story told in an unforgettable voice."—Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

"Entrancing from start to finish."—Joan He, New York Times bestselling author of The Ones We're Meant to Find

"Chen weaves a delightful, sparkling tale of a sharp-tongued antiheroine who will have readers rooting for her from page one."—June CL Tan, author of Jade Fire Gold

"Searing... Employing evocative prose, passionately antagonistic romance, and a snarky first-person narration, Chen borrows familiar fairy tale elements and crafts them into a uniquely dark fantasy."—Publishers Weekly

"A refreshing change from typical high-fantasy settings... Diverting and atmospheric."—Kirkus Reviews

“Chen’s world is imbued with classic fairy tale elements... but she brings a fresh modernity to the story, with commentary on celebrity and imperialism that is both thoughtful and entertaining.”—BCCB

"Debut author Chen has a winner here, with a rough-around-the-edges protagonist that readers will eventually root for despite her thorns." —Booklist

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Overview: After saving the prince’s life when they were both children, Violet finds herself at the King’s right hand, his trusted seer whose sole job it is to stop the curse set on the Prince by the last royal seer that says he will destroy them all. When you grow up on the streets and then have to duke it out in the political arena, Violet knows how to fight for survival. Too bad the Prince has a plan of his own and doesn’t want anything to do with his prophecy, his father’s wishes to see him married, or Violet’s tiny-white-lies (ahem, prophecies) that keep the kingdom at peace. It also doesn’t help that they high-key hate each other and low-key…kinda…like each other.

Things to look forward to: curses and prophecies, all the fairytales smashes together, morally gray mc, true hate/love relationship, so much action and political intrigue, an amazing cast of characters (including a BA lesbian princess!)

CW: arranged marriage, abusive parent, gore, body horror (not mc, on page), sexual content (consensual)

I cannot recommend this book enough!!!!! While this is the first in a series, I think the ending does a good job of wrapping things up so that it’s not a cliffhanger and could possibly (although i hope it doesn’t!) stand alone. Not exactly a HEA or even a HFN, but that’s super on brand for our mcs so I am here for it.

Such a Great First Book

This is my second time reading this one this year. It is that good! I cannot wait for the next one. I adored Violet and Cyrus! I need more! I highly recommend this one! The narrator is fabulous!

Good idea, bad follow.

This book had a good idea and plot that was terribly carried out. The characters were not consistent within the story and were pretty dry for it to be a fantasy story with magic. Far as the idea and storyline, beasts and briers is a better read.

Is the story over?

The story is parts Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and part the Little Mermaid. There is a prophesied curse hanging over the prince's head. There is a ball where the prince is supposed to meet his bride. There are cursed beasts and a wicked sorceress. There is a threat of "kill the prince so that you may live". Violet is a girl who sees visions, that came from poor beginnings, then is found by Prince Cyrus when they were young, who then grows up alongside the royal children. The prince and the girl think they hate each other, but really they love each other, but they can't be together, and bicker to cover their real feelings.

There are mentions of blood and death. There are several uses of curse words, and there are adult situations. Still, this book would be ok for readers 14 and older.

This is a story unique in itself. It was enjoyable, and the narrator was easy to listen to. My only real complaint is the ending. Was it an ending, or a set up for a continuation of the story? If it is the first in a duology or trilogy, I would be interested in listening to the next book.

A little derivative

The narration was excellent and the story was decent overall, if not a bit derivative of Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and a splash of Snow White and some other classics. It was kind of a mashup of so many stories we already know, but it was her first book so she definitely has time to grow and improve her creativity/writing process.