Thank you to @prhaudio for an advanced listener's copy of A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim.

Truyan is an art forger trying her best to support her family after her father is lost at sea. She has a unique ability to pain the future. After her family is threatened due to her mother's gambling debts, she agrees to marry the half-dragon prince and live in his undersea palace. She agrees to hopefully save her family and find her father. The dragon prince wantes to overturn the tyrannical rule and break his curse. Inspired my Beauty and the beast, this marriage of convenience filled with magical creatures may just be one of my favorite reads of the year.

I loved this so much and I’m honestly mad at myself for not picking up Elizabeth Lim’s books sooner!
A Forgery of Fate is a whimsical, East Asian-inspired romantic fantasy loosely based on Beauty and the Beast, following a girl who can paint the future and a cursed dragon prince without a heart. I love stories that feel like fairytales, and this one was utterly captivating - blending mythology, fate, art, and love in such a magical way.
The underwater setting - with dragons and merfolk, castles and pearls - is one of my favorite things about this book. Elizabeth Lim’s writing is incredibly descriptive; everything felt so dreamy and vivid, and I found myself completely immersed in the world she created!
Truyan, an artist with the rare ability to paint the future, was such an interesting and admirable protagonist. I loved her bravery and her loyalty to the people she loves. Tru, Fal, and Nomi were definitely my favorite characters - their sisterly bond was heartwarming and I loved how, despite their differences, they were always there for each other.
Elang, the mysterious dragon prince, was charming from the start and very easy to love. Watching him slowly open up to Tru was so sweet, and I loved seeing Tru fall in love with the underwater world while also falling for Elang. Their romance was subtle but beautiful and full of longing - like every love story between two people who are destined to be together.
I’m so excited to dive into the rest of Elizabeth Lim’s books and definitely looking forward to whatever she writes next!
～Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the ARC!

A Forgery in Fate is a beautiful new novel from Elizabeth Lim, twisting the traditional Beauty and the Beast story into something gloriously draconic.

Truyan lost her father to the sea five years ago. She, her two sisters, and her mother, are in dire straits-- all lost to their grief and to the cruelty of fate, landing them in a debt so damning it nearly ruins all hope of escape. Tru has been forging paintings for years, scraping together money for them to find her father's homeland, or to anywhere better than their current situation. Then her mother's debt collectors come calling, demanding a ridiculous repayment that the sale of no ordinary painting could pay back. As she and her family desperately attempt to escape the clutches of the crime lord responsible, Tru is inadvertently thrust into the garden--and the life--of the infamous Demon Prince who lives on the town's wealthiest street. In exchange for the safety of her family and for wealth that could catapult them back into security, the Prince asks Tru for her assistance in one mission: to use the magic of her painting to rid the underwater realm of its tyrannical ruler, the Dragon King.

Ohhhhhh how I love this book. The characters and their circumstances are so well articulated, and the desperation and grief they harbor so real. Even if we do enter knowing that certain things are to be expected due to its inspiration, a vivid world bursts into life in a way that still had me questioning what elements were red herrings, what was a deliberate signal to readers, and certainly left me starving for more.

If you're looking for a gorgeous, Asian-inspired twist on a classic fairytale or simply looking for a rich new world to step into, filled with characters that are easy to love (or hate, in some cases), this is a perfect book to quench your thirst.

So many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 5 stars

Review posted to StoryGraph: May 27, 2025 (https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/9e7e27ce-23a8-4b0d-a456-fa1860532faf?redirect=true)
Review posted to Instagram: May 28, 2025 (https://www.instagram.com/p/DKLIAF2RGpz/)

The premise of this book alone had me hooked: A Beauty and the Beast retelling about a painter and a dragon lord who is half human and half dragon. Count me in! Even just four chapters into A Forgery of Fate, I knew I was going to adore A Forgery of Fate.

Truyan became a con artist after her dad was lost at sea, but her true talent lies in painting the future. With her mother drowning in gambling debts, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with Elang, a peculiar dragon lord cursed by his evil grandpa.

Together, they travel to Ai’long, a magical underwater realm where they meet turtles, merfolk, demons, and more. The writing was beautiful; I felt so immersed in their world.

This was my first read from Elizabeth Lim, and it did not disappoint. Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Incredible, immaculate, flawless! I adore everything that Elizabeth Lim touches and this was absolutely no exception!

This wonderful standalone novel follows Tru, a young painter who works with a dragon in disguise to break a deadly curse and oust a tyrannical king. It's set in the same general world as her other novels, but you do no need to read them in order to fall in love with this story, though the little mentions and cameos were absolutely delicious!

I love the way that Lim writes romance, it's so subtle but powerful, her male love interests are never understated and you can't help but fall in love with them too.

I highly recommend this book, especially to those who liked her other book The Dragon's Promise, as I found the most similarities with that one (both take place the majority of the time in Ai'Long)

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC!

4.5 stars rounded up.

A beautiful new draconic Asian take on The Beauty and the Beast from the always dependable Elizabeth Lim.

After the loss of her father to the ocean half a decade ago, Truyan has been doing her best to keep her family afloat using her skills as an art forger. With any luck, she'll soon have the money together to get them somewhere better, away from her mother's debts and her family's lingering grief. But then her mother's debts come due, and Tru finds herself making a deal with the town's infamous Demon Prince - her family's safety in exchange for her hand in marriage. But the Demon Prince isn't interested in love; he wants Tru to use her powers of the Sight to help him kill his grandfather, the Dragon King.

Elizabeth Lim always has such a magical way of creating her settings. The undersea palace, even in all of its desolation and destruction, still manages to sound so atmospheric through her writing. I don't know if this story particularly does anything revolutionary, but it is told so beautifully that I don't even mind. Tru and Elang are both such interesting characters in their own rights; equally interesting and intolerable depending on the situation. The romance is, again, exactly what I expected it to be, but that wasn't a let down at all. It's a beautiful enemies-to-lovers with an unexpected twist at the end. The side characters, including Tru's sisters Elang's court, are so well crafted and interesting.

This is a solid addition to Lim's world and mythos. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

Tru is a skilled art forger, a career she fell into to support her family after her father disappeared. On the run from gangsters, she unexpectedly meets a mysterious dragon lord who offers her a bargain: be his wife to help him break a curse, and he will save her family.

This is a Beauty and the beast retelling xianxia-style. A lot of readers, especially fans of Lim’s other works like Six Crimson Cranes or Amélie Wen Zhao’s Scorpion and the Night Blossom,
will enjoy this for its setting and tropes (fake marriage, grumpy-sunshine).

There’s some good to call out. I thought the beginning was a lot of fun. I loved the mentions of other stories and legends embedded throughout– it’s a very fun fusion of Chinese and Western fantasy. It’s also a standalone! My kingdom for more standalones.

But the book is bogged down by other issues, even when I keep its young adult designation in mind. The plot twists are predictable and not in a fun way that encourages careful reading and speculation. The imagery is murky (or I just needed more help imagining a turtle as a handmaiden). The supernatural beings have tissue-paper thin motivations. The toxic behavior of Tru's mother is never fully addressed. The only apparent purpose of Tru’s visions is to put her in dangerous scenarios. The ending is curiously rushed and, in my opinion, too neatly wrapped up.

3.4 stars

It was good just not very original. It was a very standard ya fantasy book. I didn't see very much that distinguished it as anything unique but it's fine for a decent time. It took me a while to get into it as you can see from how long I took to read it. I guessed most of the plot twists except one, and all the plot elements/beats were very similar to things I've seen before. If you don't read much, especially in this genre, I think this could be a good book for you.

First I would like to thank Netgalley for approving this arc for me to read in return for an honest review.

I was so excited when I got approved for the arc! I love Elizabeth Lim's stories, and especially the world she has created. I fell in love with Shiori's story and all the characters in it, so I was so excited to revisit some of those characters again and see their story unfold in Forgery of Fate.

I loved every minute of the story, from the setting of Tru's family background and the struggle she faces as half Balardan, to carrying the weight of the family with her forgery as an artist.

The introduction of Elang was perfect, I love the banter between him and Tru. How together we see their love grow and the magic of Ai'long. I love the amount of detail is put into Tru's abilities and just the love put into her artistry and how easily that wove into every aspect of the story.
From the magic, the slow build of the love story, to the references of the other books, and just the characters we are also introduced to in this book. I loved every aspect and I am definitely putting this as one of my top reads for 2025.

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced e-copy of A Forgery of Fate!

A Forgery of Fate is the perfect retelling mixture of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, with just a little dash of Studio Ghibli atmosphere.

Tru, our resourceful fmc, is an art forager with the Sight - an ability that allows her to paint the future. Our broody mmc, Elang, is a half-human half-dragon who tasks Tru with breaking his curse. I loved the characters so much - even the side ones. While I wish there was more romance, I also understand that there wasn’t much room (or really any for that matter) for romance in the plan to break Elang’s curse.

“As the tremor passed, my eyes were already starting to roll back. I couldn’t fight off the premonition that was about to seize me. This had happened before, always when I’d been in a desperate situation, my heart pounding in my ears the way it did now.”

“One day you’ll understand everything. But until then, I’m sorry. For deceiving you and lying to you - most of all, for hurting you.”

The world that Elizabeth Lim created is, without a doubt, one of a kind. From Tru’s magic to Elang’s dragon world under the sea, everything was just so beautifully crafted and unique. The only thing I wished about the world is that it feels like more lore about Elang and his family and his world is needed. Maybe if the book was a bit longer or if there was a possibility of a sequel, then that sort of information could be introduced. While I love how much Tru’s background was built, I just wish that much energy was put into Elang’s world.

Long story short, I need more of Tru and Elang together and will be desperately awaiting the possibility for a sequel or novella 😭🙏🏻

Stepping back into the magical world of Ai-long, this story brings back beloved characters from Six Crimson Cranes while introducing a cast of new and unforgettable ones. With a Beauty and the Beast inspired romance at its core, this book delivers an emotional journey that will leave you in tears by the end. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. I just had to know what happened next. Truyan’s fierce determination to find her father and break Elang’s curse, no matter what challenges she faced, made for such an inspiring and exciting read.

4.5 stars rounded up!

This was a really beautiful story about finding inner strength and never giving up hope. It was insanely creative and I loved every plot twist. I had a ton of fun reading this one!

A Forgery of Fate is a magical and enchanting tale.

Tru is an art forger, moving among the city’s underground and selling to the rich. But she also has a secret - she has the Sight, and whatever she paints has a tendency to come true. When a deal goes wrong, Tru finds herself at the mercy of the notorious Demon Prince. But the prince is more than he seems - he’s a half dragon, cursed to the mortal realm until he finds his true love. He offers Tru a bargain - he will keep her mother and sisters safe in his home, if she agrees to a marriage of convenience and pretends to be his true love, so he can return to the dragon realm to overthrow the vicious dragon king. With the safety of her family in the balance, and a potential lead on her missing father, Tru has no choice, but to take the deal.

I really enjoyed this new book in the Legends of Lor’yan series. I actually had not read any of the other books in the series yet, though they have been on my TBR for a while. This book is a standalone though, so I didn’t feel that I was missing anything having not read the earlier books. I thought the writing was beautiful and the story was intricately woven. The pacing was excellent, the stakes were high, and the slow burn tension was absolutely perfect. I really enjoyed how the relationship between Tru and Elang developed. As a Beauty and the Beast retelling, some parts of the story are familiar, like the cursed prince needing to find his true love, but the magical setting and Asian influences really make this book unique. The underwater dragon realm was imaginative and whimsical, especially in contrast to Tru’s life in the mortal realm. Tru is a great character, she’s likable, and I found her journey really captivating. She’s an eldest daughter and will do whatever it takes to keep her family safe. Her relationship with Elang was beautifully done, it was great to see them grow on one another over the course of the book. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more in the series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Knopf Books for Young Readers for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Oof I had such a fun time reading this, especially alongside my friends who also got early copies. I read all of Elizabeth Lim's backlog in preparation for this book, although not necessary as A Forgery of Fate stands on its own; however, I do think having context of the world and these characters was beneficial to my understanding and enjoyment. (specifically the book The Dragon's Promise (bk 2 of Six Crimson Cranes ) had more of the world the readers experienced in this book).

I will say this book is for those who love underwater stories, mermaids, TURTLES (lol), sea dragons, and of course, Young Adult narratives. I wish this could have been a tad longer to explore more of the relationships between characters, and the aftermath of it all, but I know that in the tradpub realm, the word count is often up to the publishers.

I really enjoyed how fast-paced this felt, the unique magic system, and the sweetness of this tale -- what the MC wants, what she's searching for, how she grapples with her magic/gift, and then the story of the ML really harmonizes in a lot of ways with the MC (grief, how they come from two different worlds, face discrimination due to the division in cultures, want to feel a sense of belonging etc). It makes sense why Lim pairs them together on this journey, and I was rooting for them in both of their individual pursuits and together as a team.

I always love Lim's creature companions and this one did not disappoint!

The twist WAS funny I'm not going to lie; I was not expecting it. The whole book was quite a fairytale-esque adventure and again, I think great for readers who want something that's sweet like watching a Barbie movie or Disney because that's what it felt like.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an e-arc! All opinions are my own.

One of the best retelling, as with any book by Lim, you just fall right into it. I forgot it was even meant to be a retelling, the story was wholly its own. If you've read her books before we even see some familiar faces which was fun, like a little Easter egg. All of Lim's work has such captivating storytelling and pace with themes of family, life, and love. A heartwarming tale I'll be thinking about for a while.

Elizabeth Lim is back and I was so ready!! I have adored almost everything I've read from her and she is a master of weaving her culture's mythology with romance. I had a great time reading A Forgery of Fate and the twist actually caught me by surprise. Tru's character development was perfectly fleshed out - as she felt multifaceted and real from the beginning. Reading Elizabeth's works is always a joy and I definitely recommend her books to anyone who enjoys a good YA fantasy with myths and folklore as the center plot device.

Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a simple girl; I was sold when I saw Beauty and the Beast retelling with dragons and an art forger. Tru and Elang were amazing main characters with compelling stories and a beautiful romance. The side characters were really strong and added a lot to the overall atmosphere of the book, even more than the world-building. I wish there had been more romantic moments between the main characters and I would have appreciated more world-building. Overall, this book was a fantastic YA fantasy!

I really loved this book! Having read some of Lim's other books this lived up to her skill for creating such vibrant and magical worlds. I loved that the fairy tale influences were really clear while also having beautifully done new elements to the story. The magic system created around the paintings in the book was so captivating and I loved how all the fairy tale elements tied back into this magic system. The characters were wonderfully done and all had a quality that felt very much like fairy tale characters while also having greater depth and well done character arcs. I really loved seeing how even the secondary characters grew throughout the story, you really see how Tru's whole family is changed by her adventure. All around this book just felt so magical and beautiful. It was a wonderful story to get swept up in and hard to put down.

Truyan Saigas’s father disappeared on a sea voyage five years ago. Since then, Tru has had to turn to less than legal career options to keep her family fed. Tru forges paintings for a living, and when one of her artworks ends up flying into a rich man’s backyard, she has to jump over his wall to get it back. Little does she know, the man is actually a half dragon, and he has a proposition for her. If she pretends to marry him and travel to the underwater kingdom of Ailong to help him overthrow the dragon king, he will give her and her family all the riches she could ever desire. All she has to do is get close enough to the king and draw him on the Scroll of Oblivion, and that will make it like the king never existed. With the help of a demon and her new husband, Truyan will attempt to pull off the most difficult painting she’s ever drawn, and along the way, find out what happened to her missing father.

I’m always a sucker for a fairytale retelling, and this one did not disappoint. It’s an incredibly unique take on Beauty and the Beast and I found myself really invested in the characters. I did particularly enjoy Truyan’s family. I feel like in a lot of books, the family of the MC gets sidelined and is only there to further the main character’s story, but in A Forgery of Fate, both of Truyan’s sisters have their own personalities and are off doing their own things.
On a character note, I do wish that Shani had a bit more characterization, or at least more page time, especially because she plays such an integral role in the last part of the book. Those scenes fell a little flat to me because I wasn’t as invested in her character as I was the rest of them.

I will say, I was a bit confused on whether the turtles were supposed to be tortoises or sea turtles, because they do walk on land in the beginning of the book, but they also primarily live in the ocean? They were also described holding items such as spears, but I can just chalk that up to magic.

Overall, I’d give this four stars, it was a very enjoyable read. I liked Truyan and Elang’s relationship with each other and the plot was very engaging and a nice pace.

I loved this book. I finished it in 3 days. The main character, Truyan, is tough, and funny. She takes care of her family after her father’s disappearance at sea by selling forged art pieces with her colleague, Gaari. Tru loves 3 things the most: painting, her family, and very spicy noodles. The MMC, Elang, is rich, mysterious, and broody (the best kind, really). Oh yeah, he’s part dragon, and he’s got a curse to break. He has to fall in love with a human to break it and reclaim his underwater lands back from his murderous grandfather, the dragon king. Tru and Elang enter a marriage of convenience to convince the Dragon King that Elang has fallen in love with a human, to break his curse, and get Elang’s heart back. There is a unique magic system, several big twists, and lots of noodles in this book. It was a quick read, and held my attention the WHOLE time. I had to remind myself it was time to go to bed for the 3 days. I only cried a few times. Since almost everything was underwater, it was kind of silly to read about them “swimming” across the room, but other than that I loved it. Thank you to NetGalley and random house for this eARC!