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.

A Forgery of Fate is hands down one of, if not the, best YA books I have read this year. The world-building was phenomenal, the character development rich, and the journeys exciting. I cannot wait to add this book to my classroom library.

A Forgery of Fate revolves around our protagonist, Truyan, who is forced into art forgery to help her family survive when her father mysteriously disappears on an ill-fated boat voyage. Her forgery leads her to meeting a mysterious (and beastly) dragon lord, and unbeknownst to her, gets roped into a bigger plot that goes beyond just feeding her starving family. Slowly but surely, there’s something strange (. . . and almost kind . . . ) about this dragon lord that makes her think twice about the whole situation. Could there be something more than there was before?

I really enjoyed the Beauty and the Beast elements of this story. It’s not even my favorite fairytale but I certainly found myself smiling whenever I realized that an element of the fairytale was present. I almost started imagining “Be Our Guest” playing, and I certainly felt the elements of what Belle had to deal with in the original story. That said, there was so much more. Truyan is a character on her own, and not just some “outcast” in her town. She does anything and everything for her family (like Belle), but has much more agency in this story. She was a great main character and I enjoyed following her. She does make some rash decisions here and there, but they were understandable and none of them made me eye roll.

The “Beast” was also so well portrayed. This story really dove into the intricacies of being an outcast for being hideous and scary, and how that came to affect the Beast. Of course, the original story was about a prince cursed for his vanity, but the dragon lord was a very deep character, full of his own flaws and ambitions, and I think it was very easy to relate to both Truyan and the dragon lord, and the struggles they faced in their own stories and journeys.

There were also some important side characters, namely Shani, whom you will meet. I don’t really know if this was meant to be a reference to the original fairytale, but I certainly found Shani to be an interesting plot device at the very least. Side characters were well developed and meaningfully a part of the story, and it really had the whole fairytale feel.

The pacing was great. The story was very upbeat, and the story never stalled. Fairytales often are short and sweet, and this was no exception. I wouldn’t say this story was short, but there was certainly something happening every chapter, and the rhythm driving forward was strong. In that sense it read like a thriller page-turner, where you are just waiting to see what happens, even though you maybe-kind-of know where things are headed. Still it was nice to see the character (and relationship) development through the story, which was reminiscent of the original fairytale, including a few key moments I’ll leave for you to read and discover.

The ending was where I had to dock 0.5 points. It wasn’t bad at all, but there was a slight twist at the very end, which ultimately (I guess) does slightly mirror the original fairytale. However, I felt like it wasn’t necessary and it could’ve been tied off a bit differently. That being said this is a really really small fraction of the book, and it was just my personal taste that would’ve preferred a slightly different ending (I am truly talking the last 20-30 pages, so it really is just a tiny bit). The way it did end was still emotionally well done, and I really did feel for the characters after having traveled the whole journey with them.

Overall the world building was pretty good as well. This is not some high fantasy, and often fairytales don’t have ultra developed characters or settings. However, I felt that this story had an appropriate amount of character development and world-building to feel truly drawn in, and I was able to suspend my disbelief in general so that nothing distracted me from the story the author was trying to deliver. Again, really glad I picked this one up and I hope you all will too!

This is a stand-alone but having finished it I feel compelled to go back and read the rest of the related series. This was a bit of a slow burn but in the best way, the characters interactions and banter was strong enough to carry momentum. I found the premise interesting and fairly unique. No big notes from me! Enjoyed and I would recommend!

A Forgery of Fate follows Truyan Saigas, a con artist trying to make enough money to support her mother and younger sisters after her father was lost at sea five years ago. While Tru possesses a special magic to paint the future, it’s not enough to save her family. When she’s offered a marriage contract with a dragon lord, she accepts and follows him to his undersea palace where they work together to end the tyrannical Dragon King.

This was a really unique take on Beauty and the Beast. I absolutely loved the magic system. The whole concept of Tru painting aspects of her future was so cool!! If there’s one surefire thing about Elizabeth Lim, it’s her impeccable and gorgeously described worlds. The setting in this one was so immersive, both on land and under the sea. The plot’s a little slow but gets very intense and shocking at the end. I really enjoyed the ending, I thought it was really sweet and wholesome. I loved the dragons too! It was so cool and made for such a gripping twist on this fairytale.

Tru is a great main character. Her arc and characterization are very well done. I loved the backstory we start the novel with and really enjoyed her relationship with her family. Elang is the perfect mysterious, dark love interest that you can’t help but fall for. The progression of their relationship was such a good slowburn. And the ending was just what I wanted.

Overall, if you love Beauty and the Beast retellings, I’d definitely recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to Penguin Teen CA and Netgalley for the arc!

I really enjoyed how good Elizabeth Lim's writing was and how it was used in this type of book. I could see the inspiration of Beauty and the Beast in this and how it was used the make a new storyline. The characters worked so well in this universe and had that complexity that I was hoping for and thought was so well done in this world. It was a strong storyline and was glad I was able to read this. Elizabeth Lim always does a fantastic job in writing this and can't wait for more.

3.75/5 stars

A Forgery of Fate is a whimsical Beauty and the Beast retelling, in which Tru finds herself engaged to a Dragon Prince in order to break a curse.

I was very into the story at the beginning, loving the tension, the action, and the stakes laid out as we discovered our plot. I did, however, lose interest as soon as we entered the Dragon Realm. If you love whimsical fantasies, you will absolutely eat this up. The setting is beautiful, but the thing that I struggled with was visualizing talking sea creatures??

With that, and some of the language used (i.e. calling people 'turds' as an insult), the story often felt much younger (bordering middle grade language) than the upper YA we were presented with at the start. The whole middle felt slow and struggled to keep my attention.

Thankfully by the end, the action picked up, making it a page-turner once again. The story wrapped up in such a beautiful and eloquent way that is sure to pull on your heartstrings!

A Forgery of Fate is a standalone novel in the Legends of Lor'yan series. While it can be read as a standalone, seeing familiar characters from previous books was enjoyable. Elizabeth Lim's worldbuilding is, as always, phenomenal. The banter between Tru and Elang starts off as a slow burn but ultimately pays off very well. The story grabs the reader from the very first page and won’t let you put the book down. I really enjoyed the crossover elements, and I hope Elizabeth Lim continues to write more stories set in this universe. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystical fantasy series. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I'll post my review closer to the publication date.

A Forgery of Fate stands out as a beautifully crafted tale that combines romance, adventure, and mythological intrigue. Elizabeth Lim's ability to weave complex characters into a richly detailed world makes this novel a must-read for fans of fantasy and fairy tale retellings. Whether you're drawn to the enchanting prose, the emotional journey of the characters, or the imaginative setting, this book promises a captivating reading experience.

This is absolutely a masterpiece.. I loved this book from start to finish.. I was immerse in this world with wild creatures and ethereal beings … dragons fishes pearls demons humans .. this was absolutely fun to read and 😉 both main characters ( M/F ) outstanding.. I do prefer The MMC though. Slight bit more … what made it was the ending .. it hard me heart struck and I thought it to have a different ending however I’m pleased and content with this ending


Once again this book is amazing and thus far my 2nd 5* book read this year

Highly recommend

*I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

I rather enjoyed this book I must say. We meet Truyan a truly remarkable young woman who has quite the upbringing. Things start well enough for her and her sisters until her Baba goes missing leaving them in dire straights. To help them survive she picks up painting skills, enhanced by unknown powers of her own, that allow her to make fakes. This leads to quite the chain of events that will change her life forever as she tries to save both herself and her family. Full of fantasy and mystery at every turn that keeps you turning the page wondering what will happen next that leads to an interesting yet satisfying ending. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.

Where do I even begin. I loved every minute inside of this world. Tru and Elang have my whole heart. Their story had me captivated from the start. From the very beginning with her magical paintbrush, to the very end with her waterbells. I felt an almost nostalgic sensation reading this with how magical the world seemed to be. I will be thinking about this book for days to come no doubt.
thank you so much netgalley & random house for the eARC 🫶🏻✨

very well written romantasy with some strong themes, awesome worldbuilding, and great characters! the draconic feel was awesome and the art magic is cool. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.