This YA Novel was my first by Elizabeth Lim and I was in from page one with the brief mention of pirates and the premise of a magical female art forger MC.

I really enjoyed the scenes with Gaari in Gangsun and could’ve easily read an entire book just about forging, scheming, and selling art work! The secondary underwater setting was somehow much less interesting. I’d have liked to see the magic system developed more - sometimes I didn’t quite understand what was or wasn’t possible in this world and it seemed to change.

I appreciate any book with a strong female protagonist and look forward to reading more from Elizabeth Lim in the future.

Rating 3.5 stars

Although I haven't always loved this author's works I wanted to give this one a try because I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling. It always hooks me in when it comes to the blurb! I just knew I needed to read this one, especially because the cover is gorgeous.

For a retelling it was done well. There are obviously some changes, but none that I didn't like. I liked the little demon in the ring because it had a personality that really added to each scene that it was present in. Everything felt so magical in the dragon lord's mansion. One change I really enjoyed was Tru's family still being present for the most part. She cared for her sisters and I always love seeing a good sibling bond even if it's not the whole plot.

The romance was alright and not my favorite plotline as well as the writing style. Some of it felt off like in the dialogue and it made some of the characters seem childish in their thinking. This could totally be a me thing though.

Overall, this was worth reading!

I want to sincerely thank NetGalley, Knopf Books for Young Readers, and Elizabeth Lim for the E-Arc in exchange for my honest review.

I'm speechless. This book was absolutely stunning. I'm still so stupidly emotional over everything. I have no notes, I'm am so lucky and ecstatic because I can go to Books of Wonder so I can go to the launch event. Oh my god.

First I would like to thank NetGalley for this arc! I love Elizabeth Lim she has never ever disappointed in her writing. I loved Tru, and it might be silly but I absolutely adored that she has bright blue hair! The story was so whimsical and I just loved it! I cannot wait for her next book!

3.5/5 stars

A Forgery of Fate absolutely lived up to the hype.

I recently read my first Elizabeth Lim novel, Six Crimson Cranes, and had a fantastic time with it. As my second novel by them, it's clear Lim is effortlessly able to weave tales of whimsy that are filled with intrigue, laughter, and heartbreak. Lim's ability to tell a story is a magic all of it's own.

A twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast tale, with hints of The Little Mermaid, Rumpelstiltskin, and Chinese Folktales, A Forgery of Fate is a beautiful, enchanting tale. Following Truyan's story was such a treat. She is fierce and full of passion. Her love for her family was endearing and she was so easy to root for.

A Forgery of Fate has incredibly vivid imagery that sucks you right into the plot. I absolutely felt like I was immersed in this Little Mermaid/Beauty and the Beast retelling and could easily visualize the scenes.

One of my main critiques, however, was that I wasn't sold on the romantic plot. It gave more "dislike to reluctant friends" than anything, so I wasn't necessarily rooting for them in that regard. I definitely enjoyed their interactions but couldn't understand the shift to romantic feelings.

Overall, a beautiful standalone novel by Elizabeth Lim for fans of Mythology, Dragons, Beauty and the Beast, and the Little Mermaid.

I found this book entertaining from start to finish, even during what could be characterized as a "slow start." Although pitched as a reinterpretation of Beauty and the Beast, I found A Forgery of Fate to be much more it's own thing -- if anything, I found the promise of a Beauty and the Beast intertext to be a little distracting.

Tru and Elang are both easy characters to root for, in part because their characters are so well developed and their actions believable. In contrast to cases where the reader can't imagine a character being as bone-headed or dense as they are, here Elang as a legitimate reason to behave the way that he does around Tru,

Tru's sisters and parents, as well as Elang's entourage (so to speak), were nuanced and complicated characters, too. I appreciated how Tru's mother was allowed to be flawed, especially in her grief, but how there was so much love to go around.

For a novel about forgery and faces, I loved the delicious moments of intrigue and unexpected twists, turns, and revelations. And even though Tru's relationship with Elang far exceeds what one might consider a romance, seeing how their feelings develop, war, and change was meaningful, satisfying, and very romantic.

I loved A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim. I thought it was a beautiful Beauty and Beast story with Eastern mythology.
I like Tru Saigas as a heroine she took on the responsibility of caring for her family when her father disappeared and her mother started gambling. Even if she is a con artist, Tru paints forgeries to feed her family and she has the secret ability to paint the future. Tru is brave and takes everything that comes at her without it making her bitter. To keep her sister from being sold off she agrees to marry the half-dragon Elang and go back to his dragon kingdom with him and help him overthrow his grandfather.
The world-building and imagery used make the underwater world come to life. I enjoyed all the side characters and descriptions of Tru's paintings.
The relationship between Elang and Tru takes a while to build as he's the grumpy type. I think this book would appeal to fans of fairy tales, Eastern mythology, and Chinese dramas. This book is YA and suitable for younger teens.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Children/ Knopf Books for this arc. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

Tru is a talented painter whose art forgeries are barely bringing in enough to cover her mother’s gambling debts after her father is lost at sea.

When her mother finally gets in too deep and her sisters are threatened, Tru resolves to paint and sell her most ambitious piece yet. The problem is, she has hidden a special gift for painting the future, and the dragon that emerges from her brush is just the beginning of the path that leads her to an agreement with The Demon Prince, who happens to be half-dragon himself.

The deal? He will protect her family and settle their debts if she will marry him, allowing him to regain access to his undersea home. For her part, Tru must undertake the most detailed, lifelike painting possible of his tyrannical grandfather in a magical scroll with the capability to banish anything painted in it to the otherworld.

Absolutely captivating, this heartfelt retelling of Beauty and the Beast had me hooked from the very beginning. Tru’s tenacity and love for her family melts my heart. I love that she faces down a big bad dragon, like so many of my favorite FMCs do, but in a wholly unique and beautiful way.

The whole book feels like a gorgeous sensory experience - tastes, textures, colors and smells are all described so vividly, they come to life. I dare you to read something smells of “almonds and damp wood” and not immediately form a mental scentscape. Same thing with the spicy chili peppers Tru is so fond of.

Elang, the Demon Prince, reminds me very much of Howl Pendragon, one of my favorite MMCs. Always a bit mysterious and a little bit of a slitherer-outer when it comes to full disclosure, he is a consummate gentleman while still holding many secrets close to his chest. I was in tears by the end of the book - I won’t spoil the ending but I was not prepared to be as invested as I was!

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC and to PRH Audio for the ALC. This review is given voluntarily, and all thoughts are my own.

DNF @ 30%

What initially drew me to this book was its beautiful cover and the fact that the author is Asian.

I've read many glowing reviews, and I’m honestly saddened to find myself in the minority here. I truly wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me.

I loved the premise of Tru, the FMC, having visions that manifest through paintings. I thought that concept was so unique and full of potential. However, the execution left a lot to be desired, especially when it came to the magic system, which to me felt poorly established and inconsistent.

Tru’s abilities seem to fluctuate. Sometimes she can conjure visions at will, sometimes not. At times, they seem more like spells that can summon things into reality. So, is it vision magic or manifestation magic? Sometimes she can paint fast, and sometimes it takes forever. The ambiguity made it difficult to stay immersed.

But what really threw me off, though, was how readily everyone accepted the existence of magic. A notorious crime lord believed Tru’s claim about having visions without a shred of doubt. Why? Are there others in this world with similar powers? Is magic commonly known? The book doesn’t explain this, and this lack of context made it hard to suspend disbelief, especially since Tru’s mother was dismissed as a quack fortune teller.

Speaking of her mother, OH GOD, was she insufferable. She's constantly chasing money for reasons that were never explained, and she was all too willing to pimp her daughter out to a dragon without so much as blinking. Then, once they arrive at Prince Elang’s castle, she shows no reaction to things like water dragons and talking turtles. Up until that point, there were no signs of a magical world, so her lack of surprise felt completely bizarre.

The characters felt one-dimensional, and the romance fell flat for me. Tru is all bark no bite, and the prince is the typical brooding, mysterious MMC you see in every romantasy. There were no sparks between them, and Tru’s misplaced smugness, especially considering she’s supposedly in need of his help, was more irritating than endearing.

I know I’m rambling, and maybe some of these issues get resolved later in the book. But I wasn’t enjoying myself, and I just couldn’t continue.

This beautifully rendered take on Beauty and the Beast has dragons, magic paintbrushes and romance. Tru is a gifted artist and adores her Baba. When he goes missing she turns to art forgery to make ends meet for her mother and sisters. But when her mother lands them all in debt, Tru enters into a deal with the Demon Prince to get out of it. The push and pull of the relationship of Tru and and the prince, along with the fantastical undersea world make this a must read.

I don’t know what Elizabeth Lim puts into her books but I have loved all of them and she’s been an auto-buy author of mine since I first read Spin the Dawn years ago. Maybe it’s the glimpses of familiar stories I grew up with - Beauty and the Beast in the case of A Forgery of Fate - but I look forward to every single one of her works that take place in Lor’yan.

A Forgery of Fate follows Tru through a fake marriage scenario to take down the dragon king using her skills as an art forger and her Sight, that allows her to catch small glimpses of the future that she weaves into her art. Along the way she starts to fall in love with the half-dragon she fake married, and finds she just might know how to break the curse that’s been put on him.

I adored Tru from the start. She’s generally my kind of lead character - she puts herself out there, protects the people she loves, and doesn’t shy away from danger when she’s chasing after her goals. Elang, too, was a perfect combination of moody and protective for a lead love interest, and I love the reveals we get about him and his history as the book goes on and Tru starts to unweave the truth.

If you're a lover of fantasy retellings with a twist (or any of Lim's prior books!), I think that you'll enjoy this latest title.

I loved this book. Yes, it's tropey in the enemies to lovers way, but I really enjoyed it. Tru is awesome. I also REALLY liked the weaving of Chinese lore into the story. It breathes some fresh air into a story that couldn't ended up just another Beauty and the Beast.

Elizabeth Lim is a wonderful YA fantasy writer. She blends world building, romance, and character development so well for young readers. It's not too much world building and just enough romance to keep you turning the pages. She writes strong female characters who discover their power as a woman so well. Really enjoyed this.

Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I will admit to not knowing much about lore from this culture but give me a Beauty and the Beast or Phantom reference in a blurb and I'm all over it!
Truyan Saigas lives her life as a con artist, hoping to one day use her artistic talents to actually sell her art. When she stumbles upon the town's beastly mysterious dragon lord and they make a bargain for her to be his wife in exchange or the safety and security of her family, she jumps at the chance. It doesn't hurt that the dragon prince assures her her father, who disappeared and was presumed dead five years ago, is alive and can be rescued. She also doesn't plan on falling for the dragon prince, despite his prickly demeanor.
Can we first talk about this cover? It is absolutely gorgeous. I love the colors and the lines. I will admit to having judged this book by the art presented to me.
I really enjoyed this story. This is my first book by this author and her writing is expressive and easy to read. It flows so well. I don't know much about Eastern lore. Lim does a great job of building the world and explaining the background associated with the things that happen throughout the tale. I loved the otherworld she built and I was especially intrigued by how they got there and what they needed to do to stay there. Plus there are so many interesting characters and different "monsters" I really enjoyed meeting them all. I will say there were times I had to flip back a bit to understand scenes. Many scenes were intense and I think I got caught up in that and would miss the subtle things Lim included in the story.
Tru was a great character. She was easily relatable despite her future site. She cared so much for her family and would do anything to keep them safe and secure. She grew into herself and her "power" during the story. I enjoyed how she used it and didn't abuse it in any way. all she wanted to do was help.
Elang was a harder one to like. He was so prickly and standoffish. I do understand why. But I didn't feel he genuinely fell for Tru in a way that would show he was changed. Likeable enough but not one of my favorite male characters.
This book is definitely for the YA crowd. There's nothing steamy about the romance. It's presented by touch and kissing. It was simple. The pacing was fast at times, slower at others. The overall plot was interesting and kept me wanting to read on to see what would happen. The heartfelt ending was a nice touch.
Overall, I enjoyed the tale and I learned some things about Eastern culture and lore. I'd dive into future books from this author.

I have yet to read a book by Elizabeth Lim that I don't fall in love with within the first few pages. Her take on Fairytales and her versions of them are wonderful.

#AForgeryOfFate is in the realm of her other books with a few characters that we have been introduced to before but it can still be read as a stand alone and you won't be lost.

Truyan or Tru as she prefers to go buy has spent many years trying to take care of her family after her Baba left one day and never returned. Her family was told that his ship was lost as sea and that he refused to leave the ship until he had rescued his crew which resulted in going down with the ship. Tru though has never believed that he could really be gone. She has made a living to take care of her mother and sisters by learning how to master art forgeries. Its not what she thought her life would be but it keeps them fed and maybe one day will get them someplace new.

Tru has never told anyone though that she has The Sight and once in awhile the things that she paints will come to pass. In a desperate attempt to save her family from her mothers gambling debts Tru and her friend Gaari decide its time for her to sell one of her own paintings and get as much as she possibly can for it. Fate though has other plans and she finds herself chasing her painting and falling into the garden on the one they call The Demon Prince. She finds there is a price to pay for falling into his garden and damaging his flowers, and the price will change her life forever.


Elang has been cursed for most of his life, always searching for his heavenly match but knowing if she is found and able to break the curse there will also be devastating effects. After all no curse comes without its complications.

An art forger, a cursed prince, a missing father and a tyrant king all make for a fantastical fairytale and retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I promise you won't regret picking up #AForgeryOfFate by #ElizabethLim and getting lost in her world.

I want to thank #Netgalley and #RandomHouseChildrensPublishing for the oppertunity to read #AForgeryOfFate by #ElizabethLim in exchange for a fair and honest review.

::Review::
What a powerful story of grief, of hope and of love. I requested this one because of the “beauty and the beast” retelling vibe and stayed because of Tru.
Tru is an art forger trying to keep her family afloat with these earnings after they had lost their father at sea. But Tru isn’t just good at painting.. sometimes her fingers tingle and she paints the future.
Simultaneously she is paying off her mother’s gambling debt so the mob doesn’t come for them, which happens one night. Her mother faces a choice- pay off the debt by midnight or lose her three daughters. Tru stays up all night painting a remedy to their money problem hoping to sell it through her friend, Garri.
A little too late and on the run from the police after she’d been turned in.. she climbs and wall, falls into a rose garden. The rose garden of none other than the Demon Prince. A very cold and grumpy, cursed half human.. half dragon prince in exile, named Elang. They come to an agreement … he won’t turn her in and she will marry him and help him overthrow his grandfather. The Dragon King. And DONT fall into love. Simple.. right?
A beautiful, beautiful story. The world-building was spectacular. The mythology was also fantastic.. red string of fate.. the incredible way the dragons were brought to life. Every word and painting seemed to lift right off the pages and come to life beautifully in my mind. This had me literally sobbing by the end. The characters grow so deeply in your heart and break so hard with them as well.

I've never read a book quite like this one which is a great thing! So refreshing after a string of not-so-great reads.

I found the world and magic system to be very different from what is typically seen in romantasies. It was well developed and kept me interested throughout.

I loved the relationship between Elang and Tru. It kept very true to the Beauty and the Beast vibes. I found myself interested in both characters and their relationship as it evolved.

Overall, this was a very good, very enjoyable read!

A art forger a mysterious dragon amarriage contract.
She can paint the future and the outcome.
She need to infiltrate the dragons inner circle to save the mortal and immortal realms
Drama ,twists, suspense, magic, and underwater world.
Really enjoyed the story..
Voluntarily reviewed.

Elizabeth Lim's beautiful storytelling shines again. Lyrical prose, captivating storyline, intriguing characters, exceptional worldbuilding - it's got it all. I had mixed feelings about the ending, but overall, a wonderful book that I'll recommend to YA readers.

Elizabeth Lim is back again, and somehow better than ever. Another fantasy by her with masterful worldbuilding, magical writing, heart-pounding action, and swoony romance.