I am crazy about this book. it does so many things but the best thing is that it does so many things well. This is a n author to watch! High rec for all YA collections!

Actual Rating: 3.5

A Forgery of Roses follows Myra, an artist trying to care for her little sister, the only family she has left. Myra's artistic abilities are magical as her paintings have the power to alter the bodies of real life people. Myra must keep her abilities secret because they are dangerous in a society that does not understand her magic, but also because Myra herself doesn't fully understand the uses and extent of her magic. When the governor's wife hires Myra to bring her son back to life in exchange for money that Myra is desperate for, Myra gets entangled with the secrets of the powerful Harris family. 

A Forgery of Roses has so much to offer: 
-an art-based magic unlike any other magic system I've read about before
-a murder mystery
-romance
-themes like sisterhood, mental health, and more! 

All of these aspects were things I found compelling, alongside the beautiful writing (I highlighted so much of this book because the writing was so stunning!). It is easy for me to pick out the aspects of this book I enjoyed but it gets more complicated when it comes to the story overall. 

The magic system is interesting and unique but it did take me most of the book to fully understand it. Myra is learning a lot about her magic as the story goes on so that might have had a hand in how I learned about it as a reader, but it did pull me out of the story. The magic also has a large hand in how the story wraps up and the magic system being so under explained leads to the twists and turns of the novel. This can make solving the mystery almost impossible which might be good for some readers, and underwhelming for others.

Even though I had my issues with this book, I'd still recommend it if the synopsis or the aspects I highlighted stand out to you! 

*I received an e-ARC of A Forgery of Roses on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 Stars

In a fantastic blend of forbidden romance and murder mystery, Jessica S. Olson’s A Forgery of Roses is a perfect read for anyone looking for a fantasy with danger around every corner, a whole cast of unreliable characters, and the sort of magic that would make Dorian Gray jealous.

In Myra’s world, magic is a dangerous thing. Known as Prodigies, magic users can use paint and easels to change people both inside and out, forever altering who they are and what they look like. Often captured and condemned for these abilities, Prodigies have learned to hide themselves well. But over the last year, even the hidden have started disappearing. Now, Myra, a Prodigy just like her missing mother, must make the ultimate sacrifice for a deal that could save both her and her sister: paint the governor’s murdered son, bring him back to life, and walk away with money and her secret safe. Failure means losing everything, including the sparks she feels with August, the governor’s other son. But there is someone lurking in the shadows who doesn’t want Myra to succeed, someone who will stop at nothing to take out this remaining Prodigy.

A Forgery of Roses was such a fantastic, escapist, on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of read. Flowing with magic and danger, I couldn’t stop turning the page. I have to be honest, when it came to the murder mystery aspect of the plot, I thought I had it figured out early on. But I was so very wrong. Olson pulled so many tricks and twists that I had no chance of figuring out who the true villain was until the big reveal.

Every character Olson wrote was truly dynamic. From Myra to her sister, August and his parents, and even the denizens of the governor’s manor, everyone had such rich and robust personalities; even the secondary characters were much more than just filler to help Myra’s story progress. In a story where everyone is suspect, I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed every character as much as I did in A Forgery of Roses.

Besides creating these fleshed out characters and placing them in this action-filled, twisty plot, Olson also excelled at blurring the lines, making readers second guess themselves, and addressing complex issues like mental health and thirst for power. Olson’s descriptions of color and painting technique were so vivid, I have no choice but to assume the author has personal experience with such things – and if she doesn’t, that’s an even bigger testament to her skills as a writer. Every action, from painting to fighting to sneaking around, was described in full detail on the page, making A Forgery of Roses a fantasy that readers can quickly get lost in.

While featuring so much more, A Forgery of Roses is, at its heart, a magically powerful tale of becoming your true self in a world that wants you to hide your gifts.

It’s an OK read. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book and trying to find out who murdered the guy. But I found most of Myra‘s decisions to be questionable and shortsighted.
I honestly don’t like August, and think he’s an awful love interest. I did not want them to get together. Even so he redeemed himself somewhat in the end that didn’t make up for all the other times.

I guess ultimately, I didn’t find any characters likable. The only one I found interesting was Lucy. And we barely get to see any of her. Myra is not bad, but she makes such bad decisions that I don’t find myself rooting for her. August starts out as a likable character but the further along in the story the more I disliked him.

The premise is really intriguing, Jessica S. Olson's writing is so easy to follow, I loved the lush descriptions, the almost steampunk-esque setting, the high stakes, and the sensitivity with which Olson includes topics such as chronic illness and anxiety. August’s feelings of powerlessness when it comes to his own life choices was achingly relatable. I loved Lucy. I truly enjoyed this book and think it will appeal to teen and adult readers alike.

This was fine, which is sort of sad to say. Nothing about it particularly stood out to me, but I didn't exactly dislike anything about the book either. Its some pretty basic storytelling that gets the job done, but doesn't really offer anything more. The magic is there, but the world-building is pretty weak. The romance is there, but the chemistry isn't. The villain is there, but he isn't the villain the story is needing. I have a feeling I will easily forget this.
Full review to come on YouTube.

Thank you so much to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of A Forgery of Roses! This was such a great book and I loved the cover, and of course y'all know that I'm a big fan of fun covers!
A Forgery of Roses 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
Myra Whitlock has a gift. One many would kill for.
She’s an artist whose portraits alter people’s real-life bodies, a talent she must hide from those who would kidnap, blackmail, and worse in order to control it. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone.
But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor's dead son. Desperate, Myra ventures to his legendary stone mansion.
Once she arrives, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. Someone dangerous lurks within these glittering halls. Someone harboring a disturbing obsession with portrait magic.
Myra cannot do the painting until she knows what really happened, so she turns to the governor’s older son, a captivating redheaded poet. Together, they delve into the family’s most shadowed affairs, racing to uncover the truth before the secret Myra spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.
From Sing Me Forgotten author Jessica S. Olson comes a gothic fantasy murder mystery perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Erin A. Craig.
This book was so good! The whole concept behind being able to alter people's bodies and take away their injuries etc was so cool. Such a great magic system! I also really enjoyed the relationship between Myra and her sister Lucy- it was very obvious why Myra did what she did throughout the book, and that was because she loved Lucy and wanted to ensure that she was there to take care of her since their parents had gone missing. There were definitely some aspects of the book that were confusing to me (like were there really any other people in their town besides the characters? It seemed so empty. Also, there was so many deaths that happened somewhat randomly and certain characters seemed to just drop off the map after the author decided that they had lived out their usefulness, so that was a little weird), but those aspects didn't really impact my reading of the book too, too much. Pacing wise, there were definitely times where I felt like I lost the plot and other times were I felt like things were dragging, but overall, A Forgery of Roses was an enjoyable book with a really big bang near the end and I definitely think that people will enjoying reading it!


Link to be added once blog post is published

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. Review is based on the final copy.
I enjoyed Jessica Olson’s prior book, and A Forgery of Roses sounded equally interesting. I don’t know that I enjoyed it as much as her debut, but this one was a lot of fun too.
The first thing that stood out to me was the art-based magic system, and I love how Olson takes these other art forms and weaves them into her writing and magic systems. In Sing Me Forgotten, it was music, and in this one it’s art. The concept of being able to alter physical appearances through painting is a fascinating, if potentially dangerous power, and I love the way it’s explored in the book.
It also sets Myra apart from her society, where she has to hide her abilities, lest she be ostracized. The fear of othering for magical abilities is a common trope, but Olson makes it her own. Add to this the challenges of caring for her disabled sister, and she starts the book as an incredibly relatable protagonist, and in a position to be tempted by an offer to use her powers if she gains financial security. I also appreciate that while the sister isn’t the main character, and her care serves as motivation for Myra, she’s portrayed fairly positively, with a balance between acknowledgment of the reality they live in and not making it about pity or tragedy.
The plot and pacing remain fairly steady throughout, with pretty consistent intrigue and twists.
I ultimately enjoyed the romance that develops between Myra and August, and his characterization also focuses on another aspect of disability in terms of mental health and anxiety rep, which I also felt was pretty well done.
My one complaint is that for a book that is so heavy on promoting visual art through its magic, you don’t have a real visual sense of place. It feels vaguely set in the past, as it appeals to the classic Gothic literature aesthetics. However, there’s few indicators of the lay of the land or whether this is set in another world or some incarnation of ours.
I enjoyed this book overall, in spite of those small flaws. If you’re looking for a YA fantasy read with a unique magic system that’s light on the world building, but has a decent amount of intrigue and character depth, this one is worth checking out.

This is an inspired retelling of Dorian Gray that takes some source material but makes everything its own.

Plodding start with the story, but it was balanced by character emotional turmoil and the pressures of life without family and raising a sick sibling. Myra was a fascinating character with SUCH an incredible and exciting power, hanging pictures and affecting reality. The red herrings of who the killer was and how everything was connected were very cool (except before the reveal when it was confusing, but it worked out in the end.)
Jessica S. Olsen does great jobs with retelling/reimagines and making them so unique from the original material. The writing is always so good and creative for the fantasy world.

The open ending is a weird one, I must add. As stated everywhere, it is standalone, but the conclusion is open for more.

A Forgery of Roses came with my most OwlCrate box, and I was so excited to see it appear at the bottom of the box! I was hoping this would be their choice and thus held off on buying it. I love this edition, though I'll admit that the original cover is also quite lovely. Still, red sprayed edges - yes, please!

Myra is what is known as a prodigy. Her paintings are magical – literally. She can transform reality with her paintings, healing bones, and changing appearances. Unfortunately, not everyone in this world considers this magical to be wondrous.

Thus, Myra has spent her whole life trying to keep what she is a secret. For the most part, she's succeeded, right up until just about the worst person ever uncovers the truth. Now she must raise the dead – literally – if she wants to survive the situation she's in.

"Just because my battles aren't visible, doesn't mean they aren't as real or difficult as yours."

Ohhhh, I love the concept of A Forgery of Roses. Artists, who imbue magic into their work, allowing them to affect reality? It rings of Dorian Gray but with a significant twist. And I am here for it.

Myra's story is many things. It's emotional, heavy, inspiring, worrisome, heartbreaking, and more. She's been through so much and keeps on going, both for her own sake and her sister's sake.
The magic in her blood only seems to complicate things. She lives in a world where people like her are shunned and hunted by those in power. In a way, the setup feels very familiar to our world – with the same people hunting her being more than willing to use her gifts to their own benefit. Feels familiar, right?

I loved the exploration of Myra's magic while having us delve into several mysteries at once. We have the mystery of what happened to her parents, alongside the mystery of what caused a young man's death. Together, they're putting Myra in an impossible position, and she'll have to find a way to survive on her own.

That being said, it wasn't Myra's story that hit me the hardest. One of the other characters in this tale (a love interest, for those curious) experiences significant anxiety – and I AM HERE FOR IT. I never get to see this representation, so it was a lot to see it done so well. Throw in a few powerful quotes, and this book tunneled straight to my heart.

I loved the uniqueness of the magic in this story. The mystery was fun to follow, and the twist was unexpected.

Jessica S. Olsen’s A Forgery of Roses is a book that I wished was available when I was in high school. Like August, I suffer from anxiety and at one time, falsely believed that my anxiety made me weak (many therapy sessions have since taught me otherwise). Seeing August’s growth and subsequent acceptance of his anxiety then made me hopeful that other teens reading this book will learn that anxiety is not a weakness but a part of who they are. Anxiety may make someone have to work harder to achieve their dreams but it does not diminish who they are as a person. You are still capable of amazing things!

Many thanks to the NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

A forgery of roses is my new favorite gothic fantasy novel. Set in a world where some artists can use magic to alter another living being through their painting. In a world where this is seen as an abomination and against the creator, artists like Myras mother go missing because of their gift. Myra must keep her talents a secret to keep her and her younger sister safe.

I fell in love with the story right from the start because of the characters. Jessica S. Olsen captured the struggle and loneliness that chronic illness causes while also showing the struggles for answers through Myras younger sisters character. She also really made Myras character so much deeper by showing what it’s like to watch your loved one suffer. You always feel the love Myra has for her sister and how far she will to get her sister the help she needs. The characters have a lot more depth than I expected.

A forgery of roses was far from predictable. The mystery side had me guessing until the end and I didn’t see it coming. There’s just enough of mystery, romance, fantasy and murder to made it a hard to put down novel. I found it so easy to get immersed into the world created. I highly recommend this novel.

I absolutely adored this book. You can’t put it down!

I was worried the world building would fall flat but it was akin to SJM level.

The magical system was extremely well thought out. I wish it was the real
World

Myra Whitlock is a Prodigy. That means she can paint someone’s portrait and then use it to alter their appearance in some way. Under the current Governor, Prodigies are illegal. Myra’s Mom, who was a Prodigy too, and her dad have disappeared. Myra is left to look after her ill sister on her own. When the Governor’s wife approaches Myra with a proposition that will give her a huge paycheck, she can’t resist. The Governor’s wife wants Myra to paint her son, who has secretly died, and bring him back to life. Myra has never brought anyone back to life, but it isn’t as easy as fixing a small injury on a portrait. She discovers a murder mystery which puts her life, and her sister’s life, at risk.

This book reminded me so much of Stalking Jack the Ripper and The Picture of Dorian Gray, two of my favourite books. The idea that a portrait can alter a person’s real appearance is fascinating. Pictures can show things on a person that they don’t notice themselves. This talent that Myra had was useful at times but also dangerous because it can harm a person as well as heal them.

I was completely shocked at the ending. The final twist was not what I expected at all. There were hints at the end of the possibility of a sequel and I hope there will be one because I loved this book!

A Forgery of Thorns is an exciting fantasy mystery!

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book.

When I first starred reading this book, I was intrigued by the first few chapters but then things got a little silly in the mystery department. I truly enjoyed the character development, the magic system and the MC's romance storyline. My only complaint was there were many parts of the plot that were confusing and didn't make sense and some of the MC's decisions were troublesome. Overall, a pretty good book.



I received this ARC from NetGalley and in exchange for an honest review.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changed my rating**

Jessica S. Olsen's debut novel, Sing Me Forgotten, was a standout for me. For the better part of a year, I was sure that would be my top book of last year (It came in at #2, just barely beat out for that top spot). So I was REALLY excited to see that she had another book coming out. I think, unfortunately, though, that I was really interested in the first one because I already had a vested interest in The Phantom of the Opera. This one was completely original and the pacing just felt off for me at times.

The book follows Myra, a painter who is something called a "Prodigy". In this world, that means she has magic that allows her to change someone's features or heal someone through painting. Myra is propositioned by the wife of Governor Harris, a very powerful man who detests artists and Prodigies and has run on bigoted views towards them. Their son has died recently and so Mrs. Harris would like Myra to try and paint him back to life. She desperately needs the money to help provide a better place for her and her sister, Lucy, as well as to help Lucy get medical treatment for a mysterious illness, so she agrees. But as she spends more time in the Harris' home, mystery upon mystery pile up. She also starts to develop a romance with their other son, August. This all leads to very dangerous times ahead for Myra.

To begin with, I ADORED how she portrayed Myra and her sister, Lucy. As I have a younger sister who is also my best friend, as well, I related very heavily to the aspects of the book that dealt with Myra and Lucy's relationship and how close they were. It's very apparent that Myra would do anything for Lucy and that Lucy, despite a pretty debilitating illness, would do the same for her sister. That aspect of the book is really strong.

The mystery part is where it starts to fall apart a bit. It took me quite a while to finish this book and that largely had to do with guessing the "big twist" at the end REALLY early on. I'm talking less than 1/3 of the way through, I knew how it was going to end. That kind of takes the wind out of your sails in a 400 page book a bit. I liked the romance Myra was developing with August and I will say between the point I knew and the ending, there were a few more minor twists that I didn't see coming. But overall, the fact that I figured it out so early really bummed me out. I also felt like this lead to pacing issues for me, as it started to feel like the mystery and the romance were being dragged out. There were maybe one or two more red herrings than there really needed to be. The mystery part is what really held me up there.

Overall, I think the writing was still well done. I liked Myra as a character. I liked her tight family bonds, her determination, and how kind she is in a world where her existence is a danger and she's become the main breadwinner at a young age. I just also think it could have been shorter and had a few less "twists" that ultimately weren't as important to the story as they initially felt. For that reason, I gave this book a 3.5 (rounded up to 4 for Goodreads).

Heavily young adult, with a lot of focus on the action in the writing. The painting magic is really cool. I read through 10%, and if it continues as it has, it's a very easy 4 stars for anyone who likes young adult fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC.

Creating a portrait to resurrect a dead person? Sign me right up. I want to know what consequences are in store when one messes around with death because what goes dead should stay dead… right? A Forgery of Roses has a great premise with all the right elements I enjoy reading but it fell flat in others.

What Worked For Me
The art-based magic system was detailed. Myra is a Prodigy, which gives her the ability to alter the bodies of humans and animals with her paintings. It’s an ability where if she or anyone with Prodigy magic is caught with it, they could use it to blackmail, kill, kidnap, etc. And it’s also what lands her into trouble when the governor’s wife, Mrs. Harris, discovers her ability and threatens to expose her unless she does a portrait to resurrect her dead son.

There’s a lot of information and details about the magic system and how it worked, all of which were fascinating to read.

The anxiety and chronic illness representation were amazing. There were a lot of discussions about August’s anxiety and Lucy’s chronic illness throughout the book and their experiences. That being said, I can only speak of how anxiety was represented, but I loved when Lucy explains to Myra about energy levels and how that affects her day-to-day life using the spoon concept (or in this case, juice).

I loved Myra’s and Lucy’s relationship and interactions with each other. Myra feels a great sense of responsibility to her sister since their parents disappeared and it’s obvious the two are close. Every decision she makes she thinks about her sister — she’d do anything for her, which is what ultimately leads her to accept the governor’s wife’s proposal. Their interactions are some of my favorite parts of the book and I honestly wished there was more of this throughout rather than the few we got. Most of what we get to know about Lucy is unfortunately through Myra’s narration.

What Didn't Work For Me
The world-building was pretty vague. As much as I loved the magic system and how much detail there is to it, there’s not too much detail to the world itself. We don’t know what time period the story is set in or get a sense of the world much, mostly since we’re in Myra’s head a lot. There were a lot of times where I wondered if this was based on 1800s England with an element of magic or an entirely different world.

The romance was just… meh. I do think this is very much a personal preference as I’m not one to care for romance in novels (unless it’s a romance novel). At the same time, it also felt entirely unnecessary and was there for the sake of being there, which… no. Just no.

Everything felt too obvious. I don’t know how exactly to word this any further without giving anything away. Some people might feel differently, but I felt like I was going along just to see how everything played out in the end.

Overall
There were a lot of things I did enjoy about A Forgery of Roses, so while this wasn’t terrible, I’m also likely to forget about the book in a few weeks. That being said, while this didn’t turn out better than I hoped, I’m likely to pick up another book by Olson.

I finished this book last night and I seriously cannot stop thinking about it. I loved every damn minute of this book and I lowkey wish I could wipe it from my mind so I could read it again for the first time.
I knew I was going to really enjoy this book, and I'm so glad it exceeded my expectations, but now I don't know what to do with myself. I'm pretty sure this book just put me into a slump. I can't stop thinking about it,. about Myra and August and the twist at the end that I didn't see coming. 100% recommend this book. If you liked Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula (or just Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell in general), then you're going to enjoy this new book by Jessica S. Olsen and I need everyone to go buy it so that maybe we get a book 2, because I need a book 2.