I always find myself always intrigued whenever there is a new YA fantasy book coming out. And this book really did peek mine my interest. It's a bit different from the usual YA fantasy genre, but that's a good thing.
A Forgery of Roses started off strong in the beginning. I was really curious about why her parents went missing and what she was going to do next. There are so many questions to be answered, so it kept me on edge. I keep on reading and reading until I find the answers. However, the ending in the book was not what I expected. I expected more from it. It started off with a great beginning, then it should end with a great ending.

I am always a fan of inventive forms of magic, and I love a good Oscars Wilde allusion. Unfortunately, the plot was not nearly as innovative as the premise would lead one to believe ,and I found the characters to be pretty generic and boring. Add in a forced and vanilla romance and I ended up not wanting to finish.

Wow! This book literally me on the edge of my seat. So many times I thought I had the plot twists figured out but I never really did. The characters were amazing- fleshed out yet they always had a side of themselves hidden.
I absolutely enjoyed it and would especially recommend this book to fans of House of Salt and Sorrow or A Sorcery of Thorns!

I wasn't thrilled with Olson's first book - but A Forgery of Roses was worth giving her writing another try. Olson is fantastic with unique magic systems, A Forgery of Roses includes Prodigies - artists who can paint and change the object of their painting's physical characteristics. This could be for disguise, healing, or malicious intent. They are viewed by the majority of society as dangerous and would be killed or arrested if found so they must hide their talents.

Myra Whitlock is a Prodigy and orphan trying to take care of her younger sister who suffers from a GI condition they can't afford to treat. She is just trying to keep her head over water when the governor's wife comes in for a portrait and notices her magic. Myra's given no choice but to complete the task she is charged with, otherwise her and her sister's lives are in danger. But what she doesn't expect is to find a murder mystery in the governor's house and a handsome yet quiet boy who could be the best or worst thing that ever happens to her.

This book really was a ride the whole way. The fantasy mystery combination isn't one I see often but I really enjoyed trying to figure out what was happening. I wasn't really able to predict the events in this book which is always a great sign. I got the ending I was missing in her first book and was so proud of the characters by the end. I also sense a possibility of a sequel or companion novel and am hopeful that happens! I really enjoyed the experience of this book, definitely recommend.

**Thank you to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

Loved this one! The uniqueness of the magic was captivating. I loved Myra's character and the characteristics of the world surrounding her. I wish there was more to this series. I totally felt compelled by the cover and thankfully the story did not disappoint. The one thing I couldve done without was the repetition of the inner thoughts, but again that was a big trait for the main character. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

This book was a little more lyrical and descriptive than I had expected. Even though the writing was beautiful, I felt that the romance was a little forced and the plot was winding.

This is a perfect read for fans of Shelby Mahurin and Erin A. Craig. Beautiful, luscious writing mixed with an original and exciting plot makes for a wonderful debut that holds its own amidst a sea of YA fantasy. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will recommend it to my students who love fantasy.

𝘈 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 by Jessica S. Olson is one of my favorite reads of the year so far! I’ve seen it described as a mix of 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳 and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘺 and I’d say that’s totally on point. Full of mystery, murder, betrayal, romance, complicated family ties, sisterhood, and magic 𝘈 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 kept me hooked and on my toes from beginning to end. I finished it in a day. Highly, highly recommend!

𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒃𝒚 𝑯𝑻𝑷 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔/𝑰𝒏𝒌𝒚𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 (𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌-𝒚𝒐𝒖!). 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏.

Last year I read and loved DOWN COMES THE NIGHT, which also has a creepy, murder mystery in a mansion feel to it. I hoped to find a similar vibe in A FORGERY OF ROSES, and it definitely hit a lot of those notes for me, so I really enjoyed that.

I’m also a huge fan of sister books, so the fact that Myra’s driving goal is to save her sister was also something that drew me to this book. I liked that Lucy is portrayed with a chronic illness. I think she’s also sort of this angelic character– she’s super smart, incredibly supportive of her sister and rarely complains about her own discomfort. I think she would have read as a more real character if she’d at least been grouchy sometimes, or if there was something the sisters consistently argued about or disagreed on.

I liked the way Myra and August’s relationship developed. There were some really fun moments between them, like when they’re exploring a place they shouldn’t be and nearly get caught, so of course they have to cram themselves into a tiny closet together. Ha.

The only thing that I struggled with was that there are a couple moments where characters seemed to suddenly become different than they’d been all the way up to that point in the story. Those caught me by surprise (which is good) but also left me thinking, wait, where did this come from?

Despite that, I enjoyed seeing Myra figure out how to trust others and keep fighting for her family. I think readers who like slow burn romance and fast-paced mysteries in a fantasy world will enjoy this story.

I feel like this took me forever to get through because I had a hard time forcing myself to pick it back up. I debated between 1 and 2 stars, but I'm settling on 2 since it wasn't downright awful. It just wasn't something I liked.

At the beginning, I was intrigued by the magic - I liked the idea of artists being able to draw remedies or mended ailments. That was a cool idea. My problem is that the story itself was boring. Here is this cool idea that barely gets any play because this girl is trying to draw a person back to life and it's not working. I don't know... The very beginning with the dog was so cool and this book could have used a lot more instances like that to display the magic. After a while, it was just annoying that we didn't get to see it.

As for the romance, it didn't hook me in the slightest. It was really flat and I didn't care about either of them. Again, it felt like time wasted that could have been spent going into the prodigy magic.

I really didn't like this one. It was boring, the characters were blah, and I just became increasingly annoyed that there was untapped potential.

Thank you to Netgalley, Inkyard Press, and Jessica S. Olson for the opportunity to read nor only read A Forgery of Roses, but to be a part of the blog tour as well.

Myra must be careful. In her world, she is a Prodigy, someone who can alter reality through painting. Prodigies are hunted and outlawed by the current government order, so she must keep her gift a secret, even though the magic tickles the back of her mind to be let out and used every time she paints a subject. With the disappearance of her parents (her mom also being a Prodigy), she must be even more careful because of the association. On top of keeping her secret, she works at an art studio to pay for care for her very intelligent thirteen-year-old sister, who also has an undiagnosed ailment that gives her terrible stomach pains. Unfortunately, with their parents missing, Myra makes enough money to keep them taken care of, but not enough for a doctor.

When working, a patron comes into the art studio seeking an artist. Myra's boss suggest she take this patron. It just so happens to be the Governor's wife requesting a painting of her dog. When Myra notices a small wound on the dog, her magic can't help but slip and heal the dog's wound. It's such a small feat, and surely the governor's wife, Mrs. Harris, wouldn't notice. Right?

Mrs. Harris does notice and instantly points out Myra as a Prodigy. With the threat of blackmail, but also the offer of a sum that can save Myra and her sister from their current state of living, Mrs. Harris hires Myra to do something that no pay grade may be comparable. While the world believes Will Harris to be ill (publicity and politics, you know...), he actually lay covered under a cloth, dead, his skull bashed in from falling from his balcony. Myra must bring him back to life within three days or face the consequences.

With the help of the eldest son (not exactly the ideal politician), Myra works with August to uncover the truth of Will's death. If she does not have an understanding of how he died and what he may have felt when he died, she has no chance of bringing him back to life. Closer inspection of the body and a few failed attempts at her task bring Myra to believe Will didn't just fall; he must have been murdered.

With someone out to kill Prodigies, Myra's life is on the line. Will she be able to solve the secrets of Will's murder and the strangeness of the Harris family before she herself becomes a victim? It's up to her belief in her own skills and herself.
What an absolutely excellent novel. There is romantic intrigue, magic, art, and murder mystery, all nicely woven into this fast-paced work of art. The writing is eloquently crafted, the plot is interesting, and everything about this book takes some ideas we know and love in a book and makes it quite the original piece.

2022 is only a quarter over and there are many more books coming out in the year, but A Forgery of Roses is by far one of the best releases this year. It will be hard to top this one, certainly. A highly recommended read for any lover of magic realism, artistry, romance, on top of a good old murder mystery in the mix.

I really liked Jessica's first book "sing me forgotten", and definitely feel like this book had similar vibes. I loved the aspect of the picture of Dorian gray twist story! The characters felt a little rushed at times, and the story had its ups and downs. However, I rated it 3 star and thought it was fun, quick read!

Thank you to the publisher, Inkyard Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of A Forgery of Roses in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


The Gist

I remember requesting “Sing Me Forgotten” last year through NetGalley; I was so excited by the premise that I just had to read it. I got declined and haven’t had a chance to read it yet.

When I got invited to join the blot tour to promote A Forgery of Roses I could barely contain myself.

Fast forward to just about now and all I can think of is “oh farts”. This is not going to be fun.

Ever had a book that made your brain itch? A book that you had to stop reading before that big blue vein inside your head pops? Yup, I’m pretty much there right now.

No kidding. What the heck did I just read?

And did I mention that A Forgery of Roses is listed by Goodreads as one of 68 most anticipated YA novels of 2022?

The Details

Honestly, I can’t get past the world building or serious lack thereof. What is this world? Where is this world? What bloody time period are we in?

These are the questions I was actually shouting at the book while I was reading it.

Please, someone explain to me how a population that is capable of producing plastic thinks that the best mode of transportation is a horse-drawn carriage. What am I missing.

The language in A Forgery of Roses equally got me all hot and bothered. At one point a character says “What the hell”, which is quite modern. A few pages later we have another character using the word “hence”, a relatively old/classic word to use.

It’s not like the reader is thrown out of the story when such discrepancies happen. There is no world that has been established in the first place!

I really did not care about the characters at all, because I couldn’t get past the mess of a narrative A Forgery of Roses is.

Plot is also all over the place. Is it a story about forbidden magic? Or a bloody murder mystery?

The Verdict

Overall, I have to stop this review before I start pulling out my hair. This has been the most frustrating story I have read in a while.

Again, this seems to be a rather unpopular opinion I’m having, but I can’t help myself. There was nothing redeeming or interesting about A Forgery of Roses.

It’s a pass for me.

I loved the entire idea and execution of this book! The magic system was so detailed and the whole murder mystery story really had me wondering what would happen the entire time. As I was reading scenes where Myra used her magic all I could think of is what I could do if I had the same gift! Throughout my reading, all of my guesses as to what really happened fell short and I’m so glad they did because I really was captivated by the storyline! I hope that there is another book following the events of this one.

A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson is a standalone young adult fantasy novel. The story within A Forgery of Roses is one that combines romance, magic and mystery in a gothic setting.

Myra Whitlock has a secret that she needs to hide everyday. You see Myra is a prodigy, her talent in painting can alter reality. When a woman hires Myra to paint her small dog Myra can’t help herself and heals a wound on the pup.

Myra finds that the woman isn’t just any random stranger who hired her, she is the Governor’s wife. The Governor believes prodigies should be stopped but his wife wants Myra to bring their son back to life after an accident but what Myra finds is his death was no accident.

A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson was a fantasy that I easily fell into the story and didn’t want to stop reading. The idea of helping through art was engaging and interesting to learn about with how it worked and it was fun to have a mystery to solve thrown into the use of the magic. Myra was a likable character and I enjoyed how she cares for her sister all the while watching a romance unfold as another layer to the story. Definitely a great book to pick up with my love for a variety of genres.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Myra Whitlock is an artist. More specifically, she's a Prodigy. A Prodigy is an artist who can alter others with their portraits. Unfortunately, Prodigies are also villainized as abominations. And what's more, they're going missing. Myra's parents are two people who've gone missing and now Myra is solely responsible for the care of her thirteen-year-old sister, Lucy, who has a digestive disorder that keeps her mostly bedridden.

"Magic sings in my body, bright columns of color and light pulsing inside my fingertips through my heart to that tingling place at the base of my skull."

When Myra is hired by the governor's wife (the very governor who wants to outlaw Prodigies), to resurrect her dead son, Myra is put in the precarious position to simultaneously accomplish something that she's never done before and keep her sister well.

From the first, the reader is aware that not is all it seems at the governor's mansion. First, we are introduced to his firstborn son, August--when no one quite realized the governor had another son. Poor August, not at all what his parents hoped for in a firstborn, struggles with feelings of inadequacy and being an outsider in his own home.

"Something is off about this family, about this house. Gritting my teeth, I focus on my painting. The faster I do this portrait, the sooner I can get out of here and back to Lucy."

August and Myra start the process of digging into the truth of how August's brother, Will, had died. But, again, there is a lot to uncover here, for Myra. And she's never quite sure who she can and can't trust.

This addictive story had a very gothic and mysterious undertone--while also evoking feelings of hope and strong familial bonds. The relationship between Myra and her sister, Lucy, is really the only one you can trust in this entire book.

"Maybe I'm making a fool of myself. Maybe trusting him with all of this is a huge mistake. After all, life has proved to me time and again that I can't lean on anyone but Lucy. It's just the two of us against the world."

The climax came with a twist that I was not expecting--and I'm usually pretty good at predicting these kinds of things. It wasn't contrived or forced, either. Everything at the end made perfect sense and flowed in such a way that made this fantastical tale seamless in its storytelling. Good, evil, dark, light. These are the themes that I most picked up on.

And, of course, what it means to love someone so much that you'd sacrifice for them, unquestionably.

Jessica S. Olson, masterfully crafted this beautiful, haunting story and am I crazy for hoping for a sequel?

The Quick Cut: A magical portrait artist with the ability to alter people's bodies finds her life in danger when she's asked to use her magic to bring someone back to life.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Inkyard Press for providing the ARC for an honest review.

Art is any form has a way of changing our lives, but what if it had the ability to change our bodies? In this story about a portrait artist with a magical secret, that ability puts her in the line of fire when she takes on a powerful client.

Myra has a magical secret behind her artistry. She's a Prodigy, someone who can alter a person's body based on the portrait she paints of them. New hair color or an unexpected wound? She can handle them both with a sweep of her brush. This magical ability makes her a target too, especially for the governor who sees Prodigy as demonic. So when the governor's wife asks Myra to use her magic to bring her son back to life, she refuses until she's blackmailed into it. Can she use her Prodigy to bring back the dead? Or will it kill her instead?

I was really surprised by how unique this story turned out to be! It's marketed as a fantasy story, but it's really a mystery with fantasy elements. The combination is exciting and different and thrilling to read.

Myra I'd a complex character in difficult circumstances. She's supporting herself and her baby sister as a portrait artist using a magical skill that makes her a target. She's trying to keep what family she has safe because her parents disappeared a year prior. It's a lot to be going through for any individual! She takes a hard situation and does what she can do get what's being asked of her without putting anyone else in the line of fire.

August is one of the governor's sons and spends a lot of the story trying to help Myra bring his brother back. It's interesting to see his character really unfurl as the story continues on. At first, I thought he would be a secondary character, but he becomes a main character in his own right with Myra. He starts the story as a shy guy who is just trying to stay out of his father's eyeline. He ends up a more confident character who stands up for what he believes in. His transformation is so inspiring.

Anxiety also plays a role in the story as well, especially for August. While anxiety isn't a part of the primary plot, the book does a great job at using what is happening to let the reader know it's okay to be anxious. It is a piece of who you are and doesn't make you broken. As some who suffers from Generalized Anxiety, it was heartwarming to read.

Although there were a few slow spots, the story was overall exciting and enjoyable. Well worth a read if you enjoy mystery and fantasy stories!

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Loved this story. So original! Can’t wait to see what the author does next. And this cover is AMAZING. So excited to see our YA patrons love it as much as I did!!

Another hit by Jessica S. Olson! She's fast becoming one of my favorite auto-read/buy authors. I fell in love with her and her writing with Sing Me Forgotten, which as a retelling of The Phantom of the Opera was the best and a new fresh take on it that I love, love, loved.
Back to A Forgery of Roses - this is another one that checks a bunch of my favorite boxes.
Gothic - Check
Fantasy - Check
Mystery - Check
Romance - Check
The whole of this amazing lush fantasy story - check, check, double-check, and triple-check. If you like me love gothic and lush fantasies with mystery and romance then get on it and go read this book!
This is about Myra, who has a gift that many would like to control, and a younger sister who has health issues that she is the caretaker for since their parents are gone. Her gift is that of being an artist, a portrait artist whose paintings can alter people's bodies. Her gift is something she wants to keep secret to protect herself and her sister, but one night, the governor's wife stops by where she works, asks for a portrait, and discovers the truth about Myra and her gift. She threatens to expose Myra and her gift unless she agrees to paint a portrait of her dead son that would resurrect him.
However, once she goes to the Governor's mansion she discovers that the death was no accident and that there's a killer obsessed with portrait magic roaming the halls. Myra is desperate to get out of the mansion so she turns to the older son for help to complete the painting so she can keep her secret, get the money she so desperately needs and escape.
There are so many twists and turns in this story. It's an emotional rollercoaster ride that takes your breath away with one or two swoon-worthy romances and shockers/twists that completely caught me off guard when I thought I was on the right track or thought I had it all figured out and then BAM haha no you didn't. That was a new experience to actually be off in a few of my guesses because she went places I didn't even think to go with this story and blew my mind.
This story is reminding me and giving me vibes of all or parts of multiple stories like the gothic and romance especially reminding me of the romance with part of Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan - if you've read this story you know what I'm talking about. Then reminding me of Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and such with the Gothic vibes, etc. Also reminds me of the mystery and the twists etc. with The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The end has some of a satisfying ending, but at the same time there are things unanswered and I'd love to read more of this world and these characters. I don't know if there's more, but I'd love more otherwise I'll just have to keep reading this one.
If you haven't read this, go get it now! Thanks so much to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for letting me read and review this fantastic story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the concept of this book, but in the end, I don't think it was really for me. The world was confusing and interesting at the same time. I think it was supposed to be a purely fantasy world (although we only got to really know about this one city, kind of) based off of maybe the early 1900s? It seemed like slightly-post-Regency fashion and sensibilities, although the dialogue seemed to switch between a little too modern and a little too formal.

Myra and August were likeable enough as main characters, although both (mostly Myra though) did things that were not very intelligent. I'm not sure how many times she did something and I thought of about a million other ways she could have gone about doing the same thing without endangering her and her sister's security as well as her "incredibly dangerous" secret that she seemed to have no qualms about using in some of the most pointless ways.

The romance was cute, the focus on art was interesting and not something I've ever seen done before in a fantasy novel, and I enjoyed learning a bit about a subject that I honestly know nothing about. Overall, though, this read a little young for me and I ended up giving it 3 out of 5 stars.