*Spoilers*

At this point, anything that Tran Nguyen will illustrate I will be reading.
I adored Spin the Dawn/Unravel the Dusk and A Forgery of Fate was equally as enchanting and enjoyable!

A Beauty and the Beast retelling with banter, forced proximity, fake dating/marriage, he falls first, and all my favorite tropes. I wished there was more spice, (but I also didn't realize this was YA until I finished). I loved the story, I loved the characters, this was such a fun read.
My only complaint is that I wish we had more romance between Elangi and Truyan. I felt like the transition from enemies to lovers for Elang was quite abrupt with him ruining a lot of the tender moments between the two of them and being hot and cold towards Tru. However, I still loved this book and loved the interactions between our two main characters. The lore was amazing and so thorough, and the dynamics between the Saigas family were so accurate and so real. Each of the members of Elang's court were relatable and had depth, and Shani had a beautiful and fantastic character arc over the entire book.

There is much to love here and I highly recommend this novel to all!

I really enjoyed this!

This was a lovely mix of a Beauty and the Beast retelling with Asian mythology. The writing was engaging with vibrant characters. I loved the strong intelligent FMC and strong mysterious MMC, along with their colorful cast of supporting characters (who knew a water demon could be so fun?)

Tru has the ability to draw/paint visions of the future and finds herself in a fake marriage with a half dragon prince to break a curse placed by the Dragon King.

There is angst and longing, complex family dynamics, and so much heart in this book. I wish we had even more moments with the two main characters.

My minor complaints are: other gods in this world were briefly mentioned, but not explained, I would have liked a little more backstory about the Dragon King, and I’m still not quite sure of the rationale of the ending.

Overall, an engaging journey into an underwater world with adventure and romance.

4.5⭐️

*Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC for an honest review. All opinions are my own*

I want to start by saying that this book was EVERYTHING I love in YA fantasy. This book has fated lovers, retelling of a classic tale, great family dynamics, and fantastic world building.

This book tell the story of Truyan, a young art forger, trying to scape up money to provide for her family. Years ago Tru’s father was lost as sea, and takes up the responsibility of proving for her family, that is comprised of 2 sister and her mother, who has been coping through gambling. On the run from one of her mother’s debt collectors she stumbles into the garden of a demon prince… or so she thinks. We meet Elang, who isn’t a demon prince, but an exiled Dragon prince. She teams up with Tru so he might be able to over throw his grandfather, the Dragon King. Tru discovers that her painting comes with the sight, an ability to see the future through her art. Could this power help her conquer the king and find her father?

This is a beauty and the beast retelling with an underwater twist. I loved this book so much, and it was brought me to tears several times. The epilogue was insanely gorgeous and is what made me think this book was going to end up in my favorite books of the year.

There are no words to sum up just how perfect, and magical Elizabeth’s Lim’s writing is. From the detailed world building to every lovable character, she is a master at what she does. I’ve been a fan since Spin the Dawn, and I will always pick up her work.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s/ Knopf Books for Young Readers for the this Advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this arc in exchange for my honest review. A Forgery of Fate is an epic fantasy filled with palace intrigue, forging alliances between suspicious partners, mystical art, and dragons. Such a fun unique tale that kept me intrigued the entire book. I finished it in two days, I just couldn't wait to find out what happened next. The setting was lush and unique, the intrigue fun and kept you guessing, and the characters were intriguing.

I will always be a fan of Elizabeth’s work 🥹 she is an excellent story teller. I saw people call this beauty and beast meets six of crows. I can’t agree enough. I love the characters, story , and most of all the Asian folklore she weaves into each tale. 10/10 one of my favorites of this year besides six crimson cranes. Absolutely magical.

A beautifully written, YA fantasy novel about dragons, love, and perseverance.

I enjoyed this book a lot - it's a little slow in pacing but appropriate, given the main character's own path. The characters are charming, and realistic. Honestly her mom made me want to scream at some points, just because of how relatable the situations were. I liked that she didn't always get along with her middle sister, but when times are tough you band together and figure things out. Nomi sounds adorable.

All in all, I found this book wonderfully descriptive. The story flowed nicely and the MC was clever. There was enough nuance to keep me engaged, even if it's for a younger audience.

Set in the same world as Six Crimson Cranes and Spin the Dawn, A Forgery of Fate follows Truyan Saigas, a girl who can paint visions of the future. Her beloved father, a boat captain, disappears at sea and is presumed dead. Her mother winds up in significant gambling debt trying to survive with the loss of her husband. This leaves Truyan and her sisters to largely fend for themselves and try to scrape money together to survive. Truyan paints forgeries and sells them with her criminal associate and mentor, old man Gaari. Unfortunately, her mother's gambling debt becomes too significant and a Madam threatens to take both of Truyan's sisters and sell them to the highest bidder.

Seemingly in a twist of fate, Truyan encounters a half-human half-dragon lord, Elang, who proposes a deal. If Truyan marries him and pretends to be his Heavenly Match, the one who is fated to break his curse and recover his heart (which is his dragon pearl), and help him take down his vicious grandfather, the King of Dragons, Elang will protect her family from harm and provide them with a fortune. He also tells Truyan that her father may be alive, but trapped in the dragon kingdom under the sea.

Truyan and Elang don't get along. Their personalities are so different, but they have to pose as lovers while Truyan attempts to paint a future that will defeat the Dragon King and save Elang and his part of the dragon kingdom. The setting of this one is very cool, as it takes place almost entirely underwater. I was really enjoying the dynamic developing between Truyan and Elang until the twist. It's too much of a spoiler to put here, but it completely threw me off and to be honest I found it kind of weird! Wish I could explain more but don't want to spoil anything! Cool story overall though.

The pacing of this book is so smooth and well constructed that it took me three sittings to get through half of it.

I just love Lim's writing style when it comes to their narratives.

Tru as a protagonist is the ultimate strongsuit of the title. She has a lot of passion and is a well-rounded character.

I think the only things I found lacking were the moments that connect this title to be inspired by Beauty and the Beast- I wonder if it had distanced itself a little farther from symbols and narrative storybeats in the beginning that I wouldn't have minded as much.

It's a definite will reccomend for fans of YA and the teens of my branch!

⭐ Rating: 5/5 ⭐
Elizabeth Lim is truly one of my favorite authors, and this is only the third book of hers that I’ve read. Her writing is exquisite—especially in this book. Prose? Beautiful. Character building? Perfect. Plot? So unique. World-building? Absolutely magical. There is hardly anything to dislike about this book. I enjoyed every minute of it!

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney Princess story, so imagine my joy when I saw that this was a Beauty and the Beast reimagining. I had such high hopes for this book, and it delivered 100%! While reading, you can definitely see the Beauty and the Beast inspiration, but the world and plot remain uniquely original. And if that wasn’t enough, there are also elements from The Little Mermaid—except the underwater realm that Lim created is even better. Lim blends these two iconic tales into an East Asian–inspired fantasy that is truly breathtaking.

Plot Overview:
Truyan Saigas is a gifted art forger with the rare, magical ability to paint the future. After her father vanishes at sea, she becomes the sole provider for her family due to her mother’s irresponsible habits and gambling debts. Things become life-or-death for Tru and her family when fate seemingly intervenes– in the form of a half-dragon?
In a desperate bid to save her family and uncover the truth about her father’s disappearance, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with this mysterious and cursed half-dragon. She moves to his undersea palace and becomes entangled in a treacherous plot to infiltrate the Dragon King’s court. Her task? To paint a future so dangerous it could reshape the fate of both the mortal and immortal realms.
From the different magical creatures and slow-burn romance to the vivid world-building and unique magical elements, this book has everything you could ask for—including secrets, twists, and turns that will keep you hooked. Fans of fairy-tale reimaginings and epic fantasies won’t be disappointed—this book is pure magic!

Elizabeth Lim does not miss!! I think this is my favorite out of all her books! We follow Tru and Elang as they navigate the deal they made. The deal? If Tru can paint Elang’s grandfather as perfect as life her family will be set for life. However he’s a dragon prince so in order to get close to her grandfather they have to be married and go to his realm since he’s also exiled till he finds a wife! I truly loved every moment of this books. When Tru finally finds her Baba I started crying and did not stop crying till the end. Such an amazing book!

A cursed half dragon ✔️
A art forger ✔️
Hints of Beauty and the Beast ✔️

Overall enjoyed this story, and the world Lim has created. Will definitely be recommending to friends.

I loved this story. It was breathtakingly magical. The character of Tru is so fun and interesting. I really enjoyed her journey, how she gets roped into a marriage of convenience due to her nefarious activities as a con artist and forger.

The realm under the sea is so vivid and beautifully depicted. The way the author is able to create such a flow and vibrancy to the world is a delight. The story of Tru and Elang was full of tension and secrets. I couldn't stop reading.

What wasn't there to love about this book? the description catches your attention and it did not disappoint.
The world building, romance, characters, and the plot were a chefs kiss.
The descriptions were engaging, descriptive, vivid, and truly made the book so much fun to read.
It's definitely giving beauty and the beast vibes and retelling with some twists in-between.
I also adored the various species throughout the book for the side characters! They were a delight to get to know as well.

I will definitely be recommending this book! I hope to see it on the shelves soon and fingers crossed I can get a copy.

You can definitely pick up on the Beauty and the Beast theme here, yet it doesn't feel derivative at all. An incredible amount of world-building without sacrificing character building or plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Forgery of Fate is a Beauty and the Beast inspired fantasy romance. The heroine Tru is an art forger who is able to paint the future. While the hero, Elang is half-human and half -dragon, who starts off with a grumpy personality. In order for Tru to save her family from debt, she agrees to marry Elang and help him break his curse.

The book itself is truly one of a kind. From the world to the magic systems, it was different and very refreshing to read.

I loved the relationship between Elang and Tru, throughout the book you could definitely feel the Beauty and the Beast vibes, while still being incredibly original.

The one downside for me was i struggled a lot with visualizing the world that Elizabeth Lim created. While there was world building and descriptions, i just couldn’t get a clear image in my head.

Overall a 3.5 star read!

I thought this was a great book…has plenty of beauty and the beast vibes. The main character was great and just grew as the book went on. Has a little bit of romance but not enough to overwhelm.

So many wonderful romance books have been coming out. I think I have found my genre when it comes romance books which is wonderful because I have tried so hard to like the genre but most books never made a positive impact. This was a great read.

Although the premise of the book was interesting, the character and the plot never truly drew me in. It felt very cliche but it was still an enjoyable read.

This was an amazing book! I love the world and the characters. But most of all I love the writing! This author can write so well! I was up all night reading this multiple nights. I loved every second of it

I just finished reading an ARC of A Forgery Of Fate by @elimpix (out 06/03!) and it was soo amazing!❣️✨ And how pretty is this one's cover?😍
It's a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling with a lot of Asian mythology perfectly blended into the story and with amazing characters!

After her merchant father disappeared at sea, Truyan Saigas has done a lot of things to keep fer family afloat - and that includes forging some famous paintings. While her mother might like to claim that she can see the future, it's Tru who actually has the ability to paint the future - and she has tried her best to hide it, even from her own family. But, when her mother's gambling debts bring gangsters and danger right to their doorstep, Tru makes a last ditch effort to paint a masterpiece that might help her and this leads her down a path that she never would have expected.
She ends up meeting a cursed half-dragon who offers his help but only if she enters into a temporary marriage contract with him. And Elang isn't seeking a solution to his curse but he's plotting to overthrow his grandmother and he needs Tru's help with that!

Elizabeth Lim's writing in this one was just as beautiful as her previous books! I think it was a very refreshing take on the Beauty and the Beast story with vibrant world building and interesting characters! I loved getting to see the underwater world of A'landi but the characters of Tru and Elang were definitely the highlights in this one. Both of them had prickly exteriors but were willing to do a lot for the people/things they cared about! I loved the slowburn romance between them along with Tru's sassiness and bravery. There were a few twists here and there but the plot was pretty solid and amazing too!

Overall, this was a fantastic read and if you're looking for a unique Beauty and the Beast retelling with an underwater setting, dragons and amazing characters - I'd definitely recommend this one!❣️✨