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.
Add to Goodreads / Storygraph
Buy Now
★ Mysterious Galaxy Bookshop Barnes & Noble Amazon Indigo Books-A-Million Libro.fm
♥ Signed copies + free pins available at Mysterious Galaxy (while supplies last)
UK/ANZ: Waterstones Forbidden Planet Booktopia Whitcoulls Amazon UK Amazon AU
Editions & Translations
(UK edition)
(Spain edition)
- US (Delacorte Press)
- UK/ANZ (Hodder & Stoughton)
- Brazil (Rocco) - Flores feitas de espinhos, translated by Jana Bianchi
- Czech Republic (Grada) - Trnová královna, translated by Dana Chodilová
- France (Laffont) - translated by Cécile Ardilly
- Italy (DeA) - translated by Alessandra Maestrini
- Germany (Cross Cult) - translated by Isabelle Gore
- Mexico (Planeta) - Una Violeta Hecha de Espinas, translated by María Fernanda Gómez Peralta
- Netherlands (Van Goor) - Violet, vervloekt & verwoest, translated by Lia Belt
- Poland (MAG)
- Russia (Eksmo) - Вайолет, созданная из шипов, translated by Богатова Е.
- Spain (Monogatari) -Una Violeta hecha de espina, translated by Javiera Villarroel Pérez
- Turkey (Artemis Millenyum) - Violet Dikenlerin Menekşesi, translated by Neslin Gizem Efeoğlu
Praise for Violet Made of Thorns
“Beautifully vicious. . . . Perfect for the fairytale reader who has always wanted the heroine to grow sharp teeth and bite Prince Charming.”
Chloe Gong, author of These Violent Delights
“An enchanting dark fantasy that turns tropes upside down while making us fall in love with the titular Violet, whose droll opinions and cunning self-protectiveness offer us a beautifully layered and endlessly fascinating narrator.”
Sabaa Tahir, author of the Ember in the Ashes series
“ . . . a sharp, witty story told in an unforgettable voice, taking classic fantasy tropes and changing them into something totally new, original, and remarkable.”
Hannah Whitten, author of For the Wolf
“Entrancing from start to finish . . . a consummate fairytale that will have readers gasping and squealing in turn.”
Joan He, author of The Ones We're Meant to Find
“Fantasy fans—rejoice! Violet Made of Thorns introduces us to a lush land where dark curses and magic reign. Chen’s prose is a delight.”
Erin A. Craig, author of House of Salt and Sorrows
“ . . . 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
“The first thing I wanted to do when I finished Violet Made of Thorns was read it again. The second thing I wanted to do was write down all the moments that made me laugh, shiver, cry, fling the book across the room only to retrieve it five seconds later and apologize because I just can’t put it down. Violet has everything: court intrigue, cruel witches, aloof but hot princes, ambitious girls who will do anything to win. If Gina Chen doesn’t write five more of these I will riot.”
Victoria Lee, author of A Lesson in Vengeance
Meet the Characters
Violet is Seer of a court she has never completely belonged in. Clever to a fault, she'll chase victory even if it leads her over the cliff's edge.
“I changed the truth and the stars didn't fall.”
Where Violet is too clever, Prince Cyrus is too honorable—beloved when sitting pretty and less so when clashing with his kingdom's leadership and Seer.
A charming smile can mask so many secrets, and he's had such practice.
Artwork by Mabymin
Will there be a second book?
Originally, I planned to write a sequel, but at the moment, Violet should be read as a standalone. I'd like to write a little more about Violet's world in the future, if possible. More details here.
Content warnings
Click here to display content warnings and notes (contains mild spoilers).
Stay updated
Follow on Twitter
Follow on Instagram
Subscribe to my newsletter