Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A Forgery of Fate offers a captivating twist on the "Beauty and the Beast" tale, infused with Eastern folklore and set against the backdrop of a dazzling underwater world. At its heart is Tru Saigas, an art forger with a mysterious gift—what she paints eventually comes true. She’s scrappy, loyal, and willing to risk everything to protect her eccentric mother and two younger sisters.

When a ruthless debt collector threatens her family, Tru is forced into a desperate bargain with the enigmatic Dragon Lord Elang. What follows is a marriage of convenience, a curse to be broken, and a reluctant journey into the kingdom of A’landi—teeming with phoenix demons, shark mercenaries, and secrets that could shatter everything she believes.

I loved the imaginative worldbuilding, especially the inclusion of mythological creatures and the political undercurrents beneath the surface (literally). Tru is a standout heroine—flawed, brave, and full of heart—and her dynamic with Elang kept me hooked. There’s slow-burn tension, power plays, and a lot of emotional depth.

My only gripe? I found myself craving more detailed world-building in some places, especially compared to Lim’s other novels, and I wanted more time spent deepening the romantic arc between the leads.

Still, this is a beautifully told tale of fate, sacrifice, and unexpected love—and a worthy addition to the growing canon of myth-inspired fantasy.

I was so, so excited to read this book after finishing the author's previous series, Six Crimson Cranes. And that's something I should note -- it's important to at least read that series to understand more about Elang, but not a necessity to understanding the plot. Thanks to NetGalley for early access to this book!

I loved the main character, and it was really nice to see Elang again, especially with him as a main character. Tru and her family were so easy to care for, and that is one of this author's strong points. She's so good at writing family bonds.

Other than the characters, the other thing I really liked was the fight scenes. They were very epic and dynamic, and I loved how Tru's painting played a role in the overall plot.

But I will say, this book was not as romantic as I had hoped. We spent so much of the story acting like Elang was just using Tru, that I really didn't see a lot of the chemistry between the two of them. Once we got to Ailong, I felt like the story was rushed and we really didn't get to see most of the world and the side characters felt a little flat. For Seryu's mom to die off-page was... strange to be honest. Maybe she died at the end of Dragon's Promise, but it really surprised me to hear that she was dead at the start of this book.

SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING
The part that makes this book really suffer for me is the ending. I just didn't get what happened, like why did Elang have to choose between being human and being a dragon? Why did he lose all his memories briefly/why did the plot make it seem like he died? Did he actually die? I just felt like it was very confusing, especially given how in Dragon's Promise, the demon-dragon was able to maintain his demonic and draconic sides after being reunited with his pearl (unless I misunderstood that?)

Overall, I enjoyed a lot about this book, but I wasn't as in love with the romance nor the ending. And at this point, I NEED a Seryu book.

I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. This book was written so beautifully and the world building was so immersive but it was unfortunately not for me. The beginning was very slow to start for me and I pushed through because I knew there was more coming. The book felt like a different book almost once our heroine meets Elang and I loved their dynamic. Unfortunately, after they went down to his kingdom, I don’t know if it was the limited timeline or what, but things just started falling flat for me. Things felt rushed but simultaneously slow at the same time. I was able to finish because the writing was still so stirring but yes this was not the one for me but I would still recommend someone to give it a try for sure!

First I want to say thank you for this ARC.

I have been a big fan of Elizabeth Lim since I read Six Crimson Cranes which is still one of my all time favorite series. (one of the few books I own in multiple copies). I was so ecstatic to be approved for this ARC.

Pros. I loved the story, I loved the concept, and I loved the ending. This book had really good pacing, there were a lot of character arcs that I appreciated, just enough twists to keep me reading, and a wonderfully imaginative ending.
I really liked Tru, and I don't normally like most FMC's but she was surprisingly resilient in a way that resonated with me.

Cons: Elang I felt like he could have been a touch more developed because you really don't get to see him as himself. I wanted more development of the turtles, the merpeople and Shani, her ARC was abrupt and I wanted to hear more from her side of the story.

This was a great story, I am glad it was a stand alone, but I also wish it was two books haha. I wanted more. The world building was just enough without being exhausted. I am so happy I read it. I love it so much . Thank you again for allowing me to read and review the book.

My least favorite part of the last book I read by Elizabeth Lim, The Dragon’s Promise, was the whole arc set underwater in the dragon kingdom, so I was disappointed to realize that almost the entirety of this new stand alone YA fantasy was set there again, in the same world. There’s just something a bit outlandish about imagining all the characters floating down there, being attended to by turtle servants and soldiers….

That was still the case in this book and I felt myself having to suspend disbelief a bit. But thankfully, this is a better story than Dragon’s Promise! (Though there are a couple fun tie-ins to that book).

A Forgery of Fate is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, mixed with eastern legend and folktale. I enjoyed how Lim adapted the original fairytale, adding some dimension with an interesting protagonist who is a con-artist and can paint the future. Truyan’s courage and determination are ultimately driven by a deep love for her family– which makes her an admirable heroine to root for. The “beast,” a cursed dragon lord named Elang, is appropriately grumpy– but with charming hidden layers underneath a brooding surface.

I felt the resolution was clever and a testament to Tru’s intelligence, but I do wish that other aspects of the ending were drawn less ambiguously!

Sadly this book just didn’t grab as much as I hoped it would. I put it down and picked it up multiple times but I just couldn’t connect with it. Super bummed.

This beauty and the beast retelling is enchanting—I had a hard time putting it down! The characters are rich and unique, the storytelling weaves familiar beats of the fairy tale with dragons, a gifted art forger, magic, and a world under the sea. The story was fast-paced and surprising, and I had a hard time putting the book down. This was my introduction to Elizabeth Lim’s writing, and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

If you love Vin from Mistborn and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter… Forgery of Fate has those vibes. I highly recommend it.

I have been a big fan of Elizabeth Lim's work so far and this was no exception. I thought this was a very solid standalone ya fantasy book and I had such a great time reading it! The pacing worked well for me and I was engaged the whole way through. As always, Elizabeth Lim has done a great job at world building and I loved the dragon realm setting. The concept of seeing the future through art was very interesting as well! Furthermore, I loved the main character's relationship with her family and I found the romance enjoyable too. Overall, this was a wonderful story and I would definitely recommend!

Unfortunately this was a dnf for me, I'm probably going to mark it as a soft dnf in case I want to randomly go back to finish it in a few months.

I feel like the pacing was way too fast and that made it hard for me to get emotionally connected to the characters. At 70% I didn't know much about the main character besides she loves her family, and the love interest I knew from six crimson cranes, which I loved, but I feel like I didn't know enough about him to want to continue? I gave it about 20% more than I should have realistically but I was hoping it would turn around for me and it just didn't. For me it's especially not a good sign if I get to 75% and they haven't had any real like emotionally connecting scenes, I just struggled to feel like they even liked each other that late in the book so I don't know if I believe they'll end up together?

I wanted to like it because I loved SCC but it just wasn't for me and I feel like it would have worked a bit better if it had 50-100 more pages just for character development and like moments between characters and world building beyond surface level stuff? But not everything is for everyone, you may enjoy this! It's worth a try in my opinion.

A Forgery of Fate gripped me from the first chapter and did not let go. This was my first Elizabeth Lim novel, and now I cannot wait to read more of her work.

Tru’s journey was compelling and heartfelt — a girl who would do anything to protect her family, even at the cost of her own future. I loved how the magic was woven through the story: whimsical and vivid, but never overwhelming. Tru’s ability to paint the future added such a creative, emotional weight to every decision she faced.

The slow-burn romance between Tru and the dragon lord absolutely hooked me. Their chemistry built steadily, and the tension between them reminded me of The Cruel Prince — sharp, complicated, and deeply satisfying. I also enjoyed the smaller details sprinkled throughout, like the simple comfort of a good bowl of noodles. Moments like those grounded the story, even when the stakes climbed higher and higher.

Another thing I really appreciated was how the title was meaningfully woven into the plot. I love when authors do that, and here it felt especially clever and earned.

I stayed up way too late finishing this one because I just had to know what would happen.
It is rare for me to immediately want a physical copy after reading an ARC — but A Forgery of Fate is absolutely a must-have for my shelves.
A 5-star read — I highly recommend it to fans of lush magic, slow-burn romance, court intrigue, and fiercely loyal heroines.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This was so great. Tru is able to paint the future, but she's found herself in deeper than she thought to pay her mother's debts. An arranged marriage to a dragon lord could be the answer, but once she's there she realizes it's far more she bargained for.

3.5 (rounded up)

A Forgery of Fate is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a dragon twist and filled with magic, art, and lots and lots of noodles. I have previously only read Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim prior to this, and I did really enjoy it so I think I will definitely have to dive into Six Crimson Cranes next!

Tru Saigas is an art forger and con artist, forced to make ends meet after her father becomes lost at sea, what she didn’t expect was to get swept up in a contract marriage that would solve all her family’s financial problems for good. However, marriage to the half-dragon lord comes with its own set of mysteries about her father and her future, and the closer Tru gets to Elang, the more she realizes the stakes of their marriage and her heart.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, the pacing was great and Tru as a narrator drew me in from the first page. I absolutely loved Tru and Elang’s slow-budding relationship and the bond they formed throughout the story, and the entire cast of characters were all so great. I do wish we perhaps could have gotten stronger world-building and some more backstory from Elang but otherwise this one was such a sweet (with some really heartbreaking moments) YA fantasy re-telling that I couldn’t put down!

A Forgery of Fate was super cute! Once it got going, I really couldn’t put it down. That said, it was a bit of a slow burn—it took me a while to get into it, and the pacing felt a little off. A good chunk of the book moved slowly, and then suddenly things wrapped up really fast toward the end. Still, I had a great time with it overall.

About three-quarters of the way through, I actually had to look up whether it was a standalone or part of a series because I was like—wait, no, it can’t be ending soon! I was happy that nothing bad would happen and there wouldn’t be a cliff hanger because it is a stand alone, but also sad because I just wanted more of them. I don’t know that I’d really call it enemies to lovers—they didn’t seem like true enemies—maybe more like a soft dislike to lovers vibe, but either way, it was sweet.

I loved the Beauty and the Beast elements woven in with Chinese culture, which made the story feel fresh and unique. And if you’ve read Six Crimson Cranes, there are some fun cameos to enjoy.

Overall, this was a nice, cozy standalone that gave me a break from heavier reads and left me smiling.

Rating: 4 stars.

I'm a huge fan of Elizabeth Lim's work—And this one is no different! Forgery is such a fun concept, and I loved seeing how she twisted the beauty & the beast storyline into one with dragons and demons and magic paintings. I love how Elizabeth Lim writes—and I DEVOURED this book. It was so good. I think the only critiques I have stem from me loving Lim's other work (the SCC duology) more than this one. I kept comparing Tru's voice and narration to Shiori's (and I ADORE Shiori). I like the romance, storytelling, and structure more in this book, especially the dragon love interest and the way the story is set up, with courts and politics and the dragon's kingdom and a faux marriage—but I think it was missing that secret sauce that SCC had for me (even though SCC's story & plot isn't as strong as Forgery). I also thought the voice/narration here was a bit young for Tru's age — reading "demon's turds" always took me out of the story, which means I was taken out of the story a LOT. Like, a LOT. Regardless, I think this is a really great book, and I'll definitely tune in to the second book! I'll always love Elizabeth Lim's worlds and writing. 3.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Random Children's house for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was beautifully written. a Beauty and the Beast style story about a girl, Tru, whose family falls on bad luck and to support them she learns to make art. In exchange for protection for her family, she makes a deal to marry a dragon and join him in his undersea kingdom to plot against the Dragon King.

This book was listed as a romance, but I think it's more of a fairy tale with a romantic aspect. The descriptions are imaginative, the magic system is unique and beautiful. Overall It was a very lovely story. I would categorize this book by saying if you like Howl's Moving Castle, this would be something you should check out.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy of a Forgery of Fate.

Once again, Elizabeth Lim knocks my socks off with another fabulous tale. Tru, a art forger trying her hardest to feed her mother and two sisters after their father was lost at sea stumbles into trouble after her mother's gambling debts pile up. She stumbles into the Demon Lords manor, only to discover that he is fact a half-dragon, cursed by the Dragon King. Tru must help break the curse to help her family.

The romance was great, and developed well. The plot was fun, especially the underwater bits.

Great read!!!

What I have always liked about Elizabeth Lim is that she is well-versed in Western culture lores, and she is so awesome that she combines Eastern culture with very well-known lores, so we are able to learn about Eastern lores through her killer combination. She doesn’t just write fantasy; she invites you into a world where dragons breathe politics, fate is painted into existence, and classic tales are reimagined through an utterly unique lens.

A Forgery of Fates is a Beauty and the Beast retelling with dragons and all the magic that Eastern culture has to offer. The main character, Truyan Saigas, Tru, is a con artist with the ability to see the future through her paintings. This ability brings her into an arranged marriage with a dragon lord to join forces in upsurging the dragon king’s reign.

I have to say that I was super surprised when I was accepted for the ARC request, and then I was mega afraid. The reason why is that even though I always request everything related to Ms. Lim, I am never accepted, but this time I was, and it put a lot of pressure on the review.

I think that everyone who has read her stories knows that she was born for it. She has a rich prose that embellishes the reader. Her writing has that lyrical, dreamy quality but never gets bogged down. It’s rich without being heavy, and she knows exactly when to make you swoon or cry or scream. Her world-building is magnificent—you get every detail without feeling overwhelmed.

But I think my favorite part of her romantasy books is the slow-burn romance. I hate when, five pages in, everyone is in love—especially since the story is not only a romance genre; other genres are involved. We see the tension building, and I love how sweet the romance is portrayed.

If you’re already a fan of Lim, you’ll recognize the hallmarks of her storytelling—lush imagery, folklore woven with elegance, and heroines who are strong not just in power but in conviction. If you’re new to her work, A Forgery of Fate is a stunning place to start. Highly recommended for fans of fairytale retellings, dragon lore, and fierce heroines with an edge.

If I can give it more stars I would!! I LOVE this "retell" of Beauty and the Beast!

I've been a big fan of Elizabeth Lim ever since I read Six Crimson Cranes. It is somewhat part of the same world. I love how food and family was incorporated into her tales. Yes, there wasn't a whole lot of world building but it was enough for me to visualize the underworld of Ai'long.

The love between Tru and Elang was so wholesome and beautiful! I actually cried when he died. However, I do wish we could get a little clarification on how Elang became a human in the end...

I love how whimsical it was, the characters, the sea and the writing. The early on action scenes were so well written I already decided it was a 5 star early on. There weren't many twists and turns, but it was enough to have me second guessing Shania's intensions.

Noodles will never be just noodles to me after reading this book!!

Forgery of Fate is actually my first Elizabeth Lim book. I've had all of her other books on my to read list since they were announced, but this one immediately jumped to the front of the line because of the premise. There was no way I could resist Chinese fantasy with dragons mixed with a Beauty and the Beast retelling (I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast retellings), so I knew I had to request this. As someone who hasn't read Six Crimson Cranes, I think Forgery of Fate holds up perfectly well on it's own. I enjoyed it so much that I actually read the Six Crimson Cranes duology after finishing it, and I will say after having read both, it's definitely not necessary to read Six Crimson Cranes beforehand. It does give more background information and insight into the world building, but nothing that the reader would have to know for Forgery of Fate to make sense. It was nice to see Elang make an appearance in Six Crimson Cranes and on the flip side, you do get to learn more about Seryu, who only has a brief appearance in a Forgery of Fate.

On the topic of characters, I really liked Elang and Tru. Both were very headstrong and clever characters, and I enjoyed their dynamic. I do wish we had a bit more romantic moments between the two (I get it, there are a lot of other things happening in the plot, but I just thought the two of them were super cute). The storyline was interesting, and I liked the concept of fortune telling through art. Lim's writing style felt descriptive and vivid, and the worldbuilding was well done. The pacing of the plot was good, and the main conflict was interesting.

Overall, a very solid book by Elizabeth Lim with well-rounded romance, plot pacing and elements, and strong world building. I highly recommend it to fantasy fans (and of course those that enjoyed Six Crimson Cranes) with a cute romance.

(review will be cross posted closer to publish date)

actual rating: 1.25. oh, how i had such high hopes for this novel 😔 and how they were immediately crushed 💀 too many things made things feel way too juvenile for a young adult book. one day she wakes up and her hair is bright blue?? what in the main character syndrome was that?? and using “demon turds” as a curse word?? what are we?? seven year-old boys?? i just wish there was more page time for the romance between the characters because this was the only reason i read until the end.