Myra's magic is in her art. She can change things by painting them into existence. Hiding this talent has been difficult, but with missing parents and a sister to care for, Myra needs the money that comes with an offer from the Governor's Wife: bring her dead son back to life.

In order to accomplish this, Myra needs understand how she died, and the younger brother, August offers up his help. Something dark is at play, and Myra will need to keep her wits about her if she's going to accomplish the impossible.

The world-building and magic system that exists in a Forgery of Roses is unique. I remember reading the description and thinking about Dorian Grey, but this book is more than meets the eye. The Gothic atmosphere that Olson accomplishes with her storytelling is great, and I was sucked in from the moment I started reading. I'd like to know if there was more to come, but I greatly enjoyed this book.

Myra is an artist who can affect a person’s appearance with her paintings. She’s a Prodigy, and she hides her talent, because Prodigies have been going missing – including her mother. Her father is missing as well, leaving her and her sister Lucy struggling to make ends meet. Lucy is terminally ill, so when the governor’s wife offers Myra a ridiculous sum of money to bring her dead son back to life with her magic, Myra really can’t turn her down. Not only does she need the money, but the governor’s wife threatens to expose Myra’s magical ability if she doesn’t successfully complete the task. So the stakes are high, and as Myra has never brought someone back from the dead, she’s not sure she’s up to the challenge.

Myra’s magic can’t work unless she understands what she’s trying to change. To resurrect the governor’s elder son, she has to know how he died, what killed him, what he was feeling at the time. She soon learns that his death was no accident, but she can’t tell his mother that. When August, the younger son of the family, offers his help, they set out on a treacherous task to find a killer before the killer does them in.

The premise behind the magical system of A Forgery of Roses is fascinating! Painting as magic that modifies the human form. I can’t think of a magical system quite like it.

August suffers from nearly debilitating anxiety. Lucy’s ailment isn’t easily visible to the eye. Olson deftly illustrates how these “invisible” ailments can be just as harmful to those who suffer from them as any visible wound or defect.

The atmosphere of the story is definitely creepy, with a Gothic vibe. The governor’s house sounds like a chill, horrible place, with August being just about the only spark of life there. There are attacks on dark streets, encounters that shouldn’t happen. Very mysterious, and it made me feel like perhaps I should look over my shoulder when walking alone.

I will say that if you’re looking for a clean-cut ending, this wasn’t it. Will there be a sequel? I hope so! Four stars for the story, plus one for the unique magic system. So five stars from me!

Myra is an artist, but she also possesses powerful magic which manifests from her paintings. As a healer, she's able to cure ailments after painting someone's portrait. When the governor's wife finds out about her magic, she commissions Myra for a seemingly impossible task: resurrect her recently deceased son. The sum of money she offers is more than enough to get her ailing sister the medical care she needs, so she accepts. At the governor's mansion, however, she finds more than she ever bargained for.

I liked Myra a lot. Though the middle of this book dragged a little and had my attention drifting, the relationship between Myra and her sister really resonated with me. I wasn't super invested in the romance aspect of this book, and found the murder mystery much more interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. This was an enjoyable read.

This is beautifully written YA historical fantasy romance that completely captivated me. I loved the setting, the mystery element, the magic through art, and the characters. I was instantly hooked with the gothic feeling of this book and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the different relationships Myra cultivates with people in this book. Her relationship with her chronically ill sister was beautiful and was a believable backdrop for how hard Myra worked to solve the mystery of the dead boy, Will. Myra also encounter’s the Governor’s oldest son, August, who helps her in trying to solve his bother’s murder. August is suffering from crippling anxiety and Myra has the weight of the world on her shoulders since she is trying to keep her sister healthy, solve a murder, and trying to understand the magic that she has to keep hidden. Watching August and Myra learn to trust each other with their struggles was a perfect balance to the darker aspects of the story. The mystery was really well done and even when I thought I knew where it was going, Olson surprised me. I loved how it all came together and it was the perfect ending to such a deliciously gothic tale. My one criticism is that there is too much time spent in Myra’s head which was at different points was repetitive and/or annoying. I don’t tend to read many YA books anymore but this is one that sounded so good that I couldn’t pass it up and I’m so glad that I read it.

Well-written and -paced, the story has a solid, compelling mystery and particularly shines when focusing on the bond between Myra and her sister. However, the world-building felt fairly shoddy, only seeming to exist as far as necessary to continue the narrative without a sense of being rooted in a complete universe, and the romance (or romances, such that they were) didn't quite spark for me. Also, although it was evident that care was put into the descriptions of characters living with disability/chronic physical or mental illness, Lucy's character and her relationship with Myra fell unfortunately close to tropes relating to the perfect sick person (at one point Lucy is literally referred to as "my angel sister") and the perfect, sacrificing caregiver. It's a good read for teens looking for fantasy mystery or relationship based fantasy, but not those hoping for something with complex magic systems.

"...art holds magic. It captures how it feels to be alive, with all its aches and sorrows and joys."

A Forgery of Roses is as beautiful in words as the art and the portraits it describes within. A story of family, struggle, acceptance, and growth with layered elements of murder and magic splattered throughout. Yes, this book is not simply a fantasy novel with magic used uniquely, but more so a novel that carries a profound message of acceptance and triumph that comes with embracing parts of oneself that others may see as a weakness.

Myra isn't just your average portrait artist. No, she possesses a secret that people wish to extort and control - the ability to alter people's bodies through her painting. Protecting this secret is crucial so when the governor's wife, of all people, discovers her truth Myra knows that she must adhere to her demands in order to keep herself and her younger sister safe. The demands? Paint the governor's dead son back to life.

Upon arriving at the governor's mansion, Myra is hurried to discover what ultimately killed the governor's son in order to restore him. To do this she turns to the help of August, the governor's eldest son, for help and together they seek to unravel what truly happened to Will the night that he died. It quickly becomes clear that it was no accident. Will Myra be next? Who can she trust?

Olson blows me away with her depth of character development, unique ways to reveal the truth, and writing profound real world messages into this epic story crafted around art, perception, and how the world views people, classism, illness, disabilities, and more. Truly a stunning novel. Worthy of all the painted stars!

Murder, mystery, and magic. What an utterly thrilling combination. I went into this book knowing almost nothing about it except at the cover was gorgeous and I'd been wanting to read this author. I was hooked from the very first chapter and could barely put it down. Not only was the magic system fascinating and unique in the way that artists wield the ability to alter and heal through painting, but the murder mystery was complex and deliciously twisty. On top of that there was a beautiful sister relationship and an incredibly thoughtful portrayal of chronic and debilitating illness. I really enjoyed the romance here as well. It was perfectly paced and had some twists of its own. Overall this is a twisty and lush mystery that's bursting with magic and romance. Loved it!

Thank you to the publisher, Inkyard Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ever since Myra Whitlock’s parents went missing some months ago, she has struggled to earn a living for herself and her sister, who is severely ill. Myra is a Prodigy, an artist who has a magical gift of being able to alter people with her portraits, a secret she has always guarded closely because of the many people who would either hate her or try to exploit her for it. But when the governor’s wife uncovers her secret, she is blackmailed into painting a portrait to resurrect the governor’s son who has just died in an accident. As she begins her work however, it quickly becomes clear that his death was no accident, but something far more sinister, and without knowing all the facts, Myra cannot complete the painting. With the help of the governor’s older son August, she sets out to uncover the truth, but this quest may make her the next target instead.

A Forgery of Roses is primarily a fantasy novel, but it does have an element of mystery which most certainly made this an engaging read that held my attention throughout. The world building was very well done, and the concept of the deity, The Artist, who is said to have painted their world into existence was a fascinating concept and I loved that this background information was included to better understand the viewpoints the people had towards painting in this world. The magic system was a fascinating one and I particularly liked that the mechanics of it were so well described. Between the magic system and the premise, it made for a very intriguing plot that had me turning the pages, wishing I could read faster. The writing style was good, and personally, I felt it was much better in this aspect that the author’s previous book, Sing Me Forgotten.

Myra was an interesting protagonist, though I did find her rather frustratingly reckless at times, not to mention ridiculously indecisive. I just found it really hard to connect to Myra’s character, or any of the others for that matter. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the romance which felt entirely too insta-lovey, not forgetting the love triangle trope which I’ve never liked much. The mystery on the other hand, while mildly predictable if you’re paying attention, was a good one and it was crafted quite well.

Those who have read Sing Me Forgotten will not be all that surprised by the way this book wraps up in terms of the situation for Prodigies not really changing at all. It’s what annoyed me most in the last book, to not have a completely concrete ending, though not as much this time as I was more or less prepared for it. While the magic system was interesting, I felt it was along very similar lines to Sing Me Forgotten which was a little disappointing for me as I was looking forward to something different with this book.

Overall, A Forgery of Roses was an interesting, fast paced read with a unique concept, and while some aspects of this didn’t work for me, I think this is a book that fantasy fans will enjoy, so I’d definitely recommend it!

A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson is marvelously magical and steeping with mystery. The author checks all the boxes you could want in a fantasy.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Forgery of Roses

Author: Jessica S. Olson

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: young adult readers, fantasy, retelling, romance, mystery, thriller

Publication Date: March 29, 2022

Genre: YA Fantasy

Age Relevance: 14+ (death, gore, romance, violence, animal injury)

Explanation of Above: The book has a theme of death and does feature some gore and violence. There is also some slight romance. There is some small mention of animal injury as well, but it is quickly fixed.

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Pages: 368

Synopsis: 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.

Review: This book has an interesting premise and Magic system. I think the most promising thing about this book is the promise of the book and how well it could become. The book had well done atmosphere and the world building was ok. The book also has fairly good character development. The book is also a slight retelling of The Picture of Dorian Grey.

However this book is just downright confusing as hell. The book immediately jumps into the story and doesn't really explain anything about what's going on. The book does require you to read the synopsis in order to know the basics of what is happening. The pacing is very slow and the characters are not very well developed at all. And a lot of stuff just happened but without any lead up to it. There's also something that is entirely missing from the book and I think that missing detail are the details. The book gives great atmosphere it's very Gothic and gory and twisty, but without any details there is no impact for the reader in this book.

Verdict: It’s ok, but it wasn’t for me.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The good:
The magic system was a new concept and nicely done. I liked that the magic did not come without a price, but that it was a reasonable price. Well explained, especially considering Prodigies were rare.
The dark, gothic setting.
The way the murder-mystery unfolded gradually and then boom.. twisted all around some more. I love when I can be surprised!
I thought I had a couple characters figured out and then I was wrong.. and I was wrong again!

The Bad:
The over accomplished younger sister... like why? I get that she's smart. That's fine. But it's just never believable that a young (and infirm and now impoverished) child can be soo brilliant and accomplished. And that Myra is spending money that can't afford on books instead of food or rent.

Oh Artist!. I get the saying. I get the meaning. But it drove me nuts anyway.

Overall, I really enjoyed A Forgery Of Roses, it kept me hooked right until the end, hoping that Myra would be able to pull everything off so she could save herself and her sister, despite her making some (in my opinion) ridiculous choices.

First off, the cover is absolutely gorgeous! Really liked this fantasy novel and felt that the magic of healing by painting was very original. A young girl finds herself in a rather impossible situation of practicing forbidden magic for the wife of the governor, risking exposure to be able to earn money to care for her ill sister. The romantic aspect was sweet and I enjoyed how the story was told. Would definitely read the next book in the series (fingers crossed!)

YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!⁣
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I haven’t been this excited about a book in a minute, but wow did this one blow me away! It’s described as a gothic fantasy murder mystery and it delivers on all those genres so well! I loved the simple magic system that was easy to understand but still unique and that sat alongside the puzzling murder mystery and downright thriller elements thrown in. ⁣
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a review copy of this book.
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As I had requested this book on NetGalley a while ago, by the time I actually went to read it, I had forgotten the synopsis and walked into this one blind. It turned out not to matter because this author knows how to pull you into a story!⁣
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The pacing, the unique magic system, the world building, the variety of characters - everything was just so well written!⁣
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I’ll start with the murder mystery because it honestly kept me on my toes the whole book! Everytime I thought I had it figured out, the author hit me with a curveball. I definitely didn’t see it turning out the way it did - or to have that ending, I NEED this book to have a sequel!⁣
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But my favorite aspect of this book was the characters themselves. Each character truly had their own personality and I loved them for it! I also liked the representation in this book in terms of invisible chronic illnesses, anxiety, and the lack of affordable healthcare. All of this was weaved so seamlessly into the story and made the characters feel that much more real!⁣
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If you need me I’ll be reading all other Jessica Olson books I can get my hands on 😂

This is a fantasy book with romance that seems to be written for young adults. The setting seems to be a little like Edwardian England, with coal as the source of heat, an upper affluent class, a middle class and a working class with a large number of people living in poverty. There doesn't appear to be many if any social supports for the poor, orphans, or the sick. They refer to their God as the Artist.

Myra Whitlock is a Prodigy. A Prodigy has powers - her power is that when she paints, she has the power to change real life. Her mother was also a Prodigy, and she and her father have disappeared, as have many other Prodigies. Their disappearance has left her and her sister alone to fend for themselves. The Governor of her state is against Prodigies so she keeps her gift a secret, working to support herself and her sister at low paying jobs. Her sister is very ill and they have no money for doctors. In desperation, she accepts an job 'offered' to her by the Governor's wife.

The Governor's younger son has disappeared from public view. The Governor's wife has figured out Myra's secret. A Prodigy can heal a person through Art - they can paint a person with an injury or disease, then overpaint the injured or diseased area making it appear well - and the injury or disease is also healed on the person. She wants Myra to heal her younger son. Myra meets the older son while working in the Governor's house. Although he is the heir, he was considered less in every way than his younger brother.

The mystery is done very well. I waffled between several choices of villains and was surprised by who it turned out to be. The setting is also done very well - the times when Myra was travelling those dark, cold streets through the snow made me afraid for her - there was a palpable sense of menace and I wasn't sure myself that she would not be found frozen in an alley. The severity of her sister's sickness was frightening, and made the reader understand how Myra would have gone to almost any lengths to save her life. I wasn't a big fan of the romance, as I thought the young man didn't stand up enough for her, but both of them were so young so I'll give him a pass for that. All in all, I enjoyed this book and will be interested to see if there are other books written about this world.

I received a review copy of this book from publisher InkYard Press via NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review it.

Myra Whitlock is a Prodigy - her gift gives power to her paintings to actually change the real life. If she paints an injury on a real person out of a portrait of the real person, the injury disappears on the person, not just in the painting. The Governor has made it clear that Prodigies are not against nature and the Artist (the higher power they all revere). So she keeps her gift a secret, while still trying to paint for a living, and assist in another artist's studio.

Painting had been her mother's job too, but her mother and then her father disappeared, most likely because someone realized her mother was also a Prodigy. Now Myra will do anything to support herself and her younger sister, including being blackmailed to use her gift as a Prodigy for the Governor's wife.

As she's moved into the Governor's mansion for the job she's been hired to do (with no real other choice), things start getting more and more dangerous. Who are these crazy rich people she suddenly has to co-exist with? Can she do what the Governor's wife wants, and still keep herself and her sister safe?

This was an intriguing mystery where it was hard to tell who the good guys or bad guys were until nearly the end. I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. It was beautifully told with a complex storyline to be untangled. I'd recommend it for those who like an interesting fantasy in an old-fashioned setting.

This was such an interesting way to look at magic. Oftentimes, we see magic be almost revered during the books or be crushed into silence.

In A Forgery of Roses, the magic was meant to be almost a spiritual practice and was also crushed into silence. This dichotomy was really interesting to see play out. The characterization was top notch. I loved the writing style.

Overall it was a very nice book. It seemed as though there will be more which would be amazing!

First, just look at the cover! If that doesn't catch your eye, I don't know what will. It practically screams fantasy and mystery to me. And the story delivers. The writing is wonderfully descriptive without being overly so, and the story is full of magic and mystery. It has a gothic feel, and I'd call it a dark fantasy with its talk of a murdered boy and bringing him back to life. Of course, this isn't the first time I've read a book with magic in art - The Picture of Dorian Gray comes to mind - but the premise here and how it's done is different than anything I've seen, which makes it all the more intriguing to me. I realize that I've been vague, but it's been quite deliberate. I don't want to give away the book's secrets, and this is one that I think should be experienced spoiler-free. I'd say if you like fantasy, this one is a must-read. It's magical, it's full of mystery and intrigue, and the writing draws you in and holds right on.

This book was super interesting. I really liked the mix of art, magic, and biology. This magic system was just so unique and intriguing. I enjoyed the regency-type story setting as well. The entire time I kept trying to figure out the “whodunnit” but I was not successful! (This is a good thing. I hate when the twist is obvious!!)

4.5* upped to 5
It’s not easy to define this novel as it mixes different genre making them work together and creating a riveting story that kept me turning pages.
There’s mystery, romance, fantasy all mixed in gothic atmosphere. There’s also an interesting side about sisterly bond and how being poor can affect the chances of getting better or dying.
The “young ill girl” is trope that was quite popular in the XIX century story, Beth anyone?, but the author was able to add fresh air and approach it in a contemporary way.
The magic system is one of the most original I read in a long time: a mix of religion and magic, art that affect the living being healing or resurrecting them. Those who can perform this type of magic are called Prodigy and someone is killing them.
Prodigy are also considered an abomination by religion and persecuted
Myra, a Prodigy called to a nearly impossible task, must find the killer before she becomes the next victim.
The plot was well crafted and, even it dragged a bit at moments, I read it in two setting and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The mystery is quite solid and the romance, even if a bit too fast, was sweet.
I suppose this is the start of a new series and I would be happy to read more about this world.

I really wish I loved this one more than I did, but sadly the writing style and narrative flow just wasn't for me. Everything felt too obvious and "on the nose", the first-person narrative exacerbated that with the main character talking in circles about the obvious Red Flags, and then deciding to do it anyways.

I love the sibling relationship in this book and Myra's quiet determination to take care of her sister, no matter the risk. The scenes where they interact were so much FUN and I wish the narrative had more of the interactions rather than descriptions and being in the MC's head.

While A Forgery of Roses wasn't for me doesn't mean you won't enjoy it, we all have different tastes and preferences. Read my friend Meaghan's 4.5 star review before making a decision!

Representation: anxiety, chronic illness
Content warnings: abandonment, ableism, child death, gore, graphic injury, loss of a loved one, miscarriage

eARC provided by the publisher for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book nor the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and are subject to change upon final publication.