Romance Bookseller Picks
Give audiobooks, support local bookstores!
Start gifting
Bookseller pick
Send as gift
Add to Wish List
Almost ready!
In order to save audiobooks to your Wish List you must be signed in to your account.
Log in Create account
Shop small, give big!
With credit bundles, you choose the number of credits and your recipient picks their audiobooks—all in support of local bookstores.
Start gifting
Limited-time offer
Get two free audiobooks!
Now’s a great time to shop indie. When you start a new one credit per month membership supporting local bookstores with promo code SWITCH, we’ll give you two bonus audiobook credits at sign-up.
Sign up todayViolet Made of Thorns
Narrator
Emily Woo Zeller
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
Learn more
Length
11 hours 4 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“Loved this reverse fairy tale where the prince falls for the witch. Here, Violet, the seer (and sometimes liar), is sharp tongued, prickly and snarky. Love how she calls Cyrus, princey, or sarcastically, Prince Charming. Violet soon becomes entangled in her own lies and must find a solution before political intrigue and war devastates the kingdom. This twisted fairy tale will please those who love the original stories, told from the wicked point of view.”
— Audrey • Belmont Books
Bookseller recommendation
“This tale is utterly enchanting, delightfully magical, and almost guarantied to sweep readers off their feet. Chock-full of all the familiar and deeply beloved elements of fairy tales, while also feeling modern and new, this YA book packs a punch. It's the book I wish I'd had when I was a teen. Like the iconic Tamora Pierce, Chen writes a frank account of life as a teenager, never shying away from any experience or emotion. From jealousy and loneliness, to attraction, desire, sex, and ambition (and everything in-between), her characters wrestle with it all and it is delivered in a way that feels natural, normalizing these experiences without any dramatics, preaching, or condescension. Teen girls will be especially inspired by Violet, a girl who is powerful and strong, but complicated, morally gray, and deliciously human. This is a heroine you can see yourself in, even if you don't share her penchant for magic.”
— Briana • Wicked Words
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.
A self-taught artist with a degree in Computer Science, Gina Chen 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 sun is as plentiful as its tea shops. Violet Made of Thorns is her debut novel.
Featured in these playlists...
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
Expand reviews
Give audiobooks, support local bookstores!
Libro.fm for Business
Start a membership, get two free audiobooks