Violet Made of Thorns

1

Today, Prince Cyrus returns to the capital with a bride, or else.

From the Seer s Tower, the tallest point in the Sun Capital, I can see a train of purple banners fluttering amid the fields outside the city--the royal caravan making the steep approach to the south gates. Cordoned-off crowds pack the streets, waiting to welcome their prince home. Six months have passed since Cyrus departed to tour the continent, since he set out to seek from the land and its generous people all the wisdom that he could not learn in a palace.

Or something like that. I stopped listening to his going-away speech midway through.

Mostly, his tour was to find a bride--a solution to his curse. Cyrus didn t mention that in his speech. I know this because his father, King Emilius, berated him afterward for the omission; then I had to mention it in my speech, a few days later, when I announced that I dreamed a new prophecy.

The best part about being Seer isn t the tower or the amenities or the access to the king. It s how easily everyone believes what you say.

The capital was less lively without His Highness. I do miss those girls running amok, trying to save him, says the peach-faced woman sitting at my divining table. I suppose that will change for good. He s chosen our next queen by now, hasn t he?

If Cyrus listened to me, he would have. He better, I mutter, turning from the window.

Pardon?

I said, he met her. I flash an enigmatic smile at my lone patron. With the caravan s return, I didn t expect anyone to visit my tower today. This woman has the weathering of someone too practical to line up for a peek at a royal face: a brimmed-hat tan and calloused hands, turned upward on the divining table s marble surface. If you speak of the prophecy I received before His Highness left, my dreams told me, Prince Cyrus will meet his bride before his journey s end. No more than that, no less.

She nods. I

Gina Chen

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