Elizabeth Lim can do anything. Truly. Somehow, she takes potential retellings and makes them so unique and special you forget it's supposed to be a retelling. As with other works, the world of Forgery of Fate is beautiful, luscious, and fully fleshed out. The characters tug at your heart strings. I actually read this in one sitting (I could not put it down) and I regret nothing.

Ever since I read Elizabeth Lim's debut novel, I knew she'd be an author to watch. Her latest book, "A Forgery of Fate", didn't disappoint! 4.5 (borderline 5) stars.

One of my favorite things about this book is its writing style. I love how descriptive it is! Elizabeth Lim has the ability to paint a picture with words. I felt like I was swimming through the underwater castles alongside the characters. I've read many books with pretty prose, but "A Forgery of Fate" goes beyond them with its pure escapism.

I also really like the characters! This story follows Tru, a gifted painter who agrees to spend a month with a grumpy half-dragon in his underwater castle. During that time, she has to make him a special painting with the power to dethrone the Dragon King. I love how original this premise is! I've never read a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling like it. I also love how clever and determined Tru is when it comes to protecting her friends and family. She's easy to connect with, and I think she'll appeal to readers of all ages.

I have to finish this review by talking about the romance. There's something for every romance lover! This book has secret identities, forced proximity, a marriage of convenience, he-falls-first, and a sloooow-burn relationship that takes hundreds of pages to develop. If any of those tropes are things you enjoy, I highly recommend you check out this book!

I received an ARC of the book courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

4 stars

Elizabeth Lim never fails to write beautiful retellings and with amazing worlds. Tru and Elang’s story was so enjoyable. I also loved the return of some of the dragons from Six Crimson Cranes. Overall, this was a great fantasy with a cute romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

Aaaahhhh another beautiful, rich, astonishing tale of true love! Thank you, Elizabeth for always being so consistent and true in your novels!

Loved this tale of a girl who loses her father and must do what she can to save her family from poverty. I admit, I struggled a bit at the beginning with the tale of the family- I struggled to get into the narrative. Even when she finds Elang, I did still wish for more moments of connection.

The last 30 pages were absolutely perfect and beautiful. I’m so glad I stuck to it to see their story through. I cried and grieved, and then felt SUCH joy. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Elizabeth Lim has a way with prose. Her stories always flow well, and she does a wonderful job of *showing*, not *telling*, which I truly appreciate. The feelings of the characters aren't directly spelled out (for the most part), but are instead implied through the characters' thoughts, body language, tone, actions, etc.

This story was as captivating as each of the others I've read from Lim, and it was a very nice return to the world of the "Six Crimson Cranes" series. We get to see Seryu again, and the dragon king, and it was nice being in a world that felt at once new and familiar.

The FMC was written so incredibly well. Tru Saigas cares about her family above all, but is no perfect Mary Sue. She is brave and big-hearted, but absolutely makes mistakes, and as the reader, you can't help feeling a strong connection to her, hoping for her success. The MMC and Tru's love interest was also well-written, but it took me - and Tru - a minute to warm up to him. That was purposeful on the author's part, in fact, which is now appreciate having read through to the end. No spoilers - you'll have to see for yourself!

This book was an absolute delight, and I highly recommend to all lovers of YA fantasy, romantasy, dragons (!!), and books with strong characters, strong prose, and strong worldbuilding.

Oh my gosh. I have always loved Elizabeth Lim's books and this was no exception! This story pulled me in and did not let me go in the best way possible. I've always loved Beauty and the Beast but retellings bore me quickly for some reason. But this one was so masterfully done. Every evening when I picked it up, I had to make myself put it down. And the fact it's a standalone is both great (I got the full story) and sad because I truly came to love the scrappy Tru and the persnickety Elang so much!

I think a majority of my issues with the book boil down to preference so take it with a grain of salt because I do adore this author and will continue to read everything she writes!

After her fathers disappearance Tru supports her family with forged portraits and clever tales but after a confrontation gone wrong she finds herself face to face with the Demon Prince who wishes to use her talents of deception to help him win back his place in Court.

I very much enjoyed the characters in this I think they were refreshing and the relationships we see whether they have more time on the page or not are written in a way that you immediately feel connected to them so all the gains and losses are very much felt and it was easy to root for them to succeed. Tru is perfect and stubborn and does her best in a poor situation and that kind of resilience makes her stand on her own when tied to the Demon Prince in their rather unlikely alliance.

The plot was interesting I really enjoyed the artistic element to the retelling and I wish we spent more time with it and the how but it doesn’t affect the read either way. The conflict and political components were a bit confusing to keep track of but still interesting enough as it was the driving force for the majority of the story.

I think my biggest issue was the water element and again I know this just falls on me but there’s something about that just takes me out of it because I picture something like Shark Tale which is laughably ridiculous and I know it’s my own heads making them bleed together but it does pull me out of it a bit.

That being said this is a good read and I do love the author and absolutely recommend to all readers!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Sadly, this book didn’t live up to my expectations. The premise was intriguing, and I loved the idea of a protagonist who’s an art forger with the ability to paint the future and gets involved in a fake marriage with a mysterious dragon lord. That concept had a lot of potential, especially for a story inspired by Beauty and the Beast. But the execution just didn’t hit the mark for me. The magical elements were cool, but the magic system itself felt underexplained, leaving a lot of questions.

As for the relationship between Tru and Elang, it just didn’t feel convincing enough. They lacked the chemistry to make their connection compelling, and their character development fell short, making them feel a bit flat at times. On top of that, the plot was pretty predictable, which took away some of the excitement.

That said, there were still moments I enjoyed, and I appreciated the fairytale-like atmosphere the story created. While this book didn’t completely win me over, I’m still curious about Elizabeth Lim’s other works. She has a talent for creating enchanting concepts, and I’d love to see how her storytelling grows in future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars

I’m real sad that I didn’t like this book. The premise sounded so good, but no one really stuck out to me. In fact, I didn’t connect with any of the characters or their relationships. The mom especially rubbed me the wrong way. Something about her felt so disingenuous and not right to the story.

I also had a lot of questions about the main character’s power of painting. For example, how is she able to paint one thing so fast but others so slow? The books seems to allude that there are more than one Painters. Is this rare? Where does this magic come from? Is it only with paint or are there other artistic magic powers?

I also did not like how it was not fully explained how our protagonist is supposed to help take down the dragon king until 70% of the book was over. Had that been revealed earlier, I think I may have enjoyed it a tad bit more. It’s a lot of guessing and waiting for the explanation to come.

I’m also not convinced that the main couple is in love with each other. I felt few sparks between them. I understand that it’s a “fake marriage”, but still… I could have waited another book to see them say the L word to each other.

Overall, this was a let down for me. I hope other people enjoyed it more than I did. I don’t think this book is necessarily bad, but it wasn’t for me.

What a beautiful addition to the Legends of Lor’yan collection! This was such a whimsical and humorous story and I loved every moment of it! Tru and Elang were such an incredible couple and the continuous world building was amazing!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this amazing book! I truly enjoyed every page!

A Forgery of Fate in a nutshell:
If Belle was an art forger that could paint the future + Beast was a half dragon cursed to live without his heart... BUT Beast wants Belle, not to get back his heart, but to help him take down his evil grandfather who cursed him. Oh and it all takes place in the most whimsical underwater world!

This was such a magical read and the Beauty and the Beast inspiration was present in all the right places without being overdone.

What I loved…
- the YEARNING! the SLOW BURN! A+++++
- family forward story
- badass FMC with quiet strength
- lyrical prose and whimsy for days!
- Adventure and high stakes
- He makes her POCKETS for her dress!

What I didn’t love…
- Overall this was a great story but I felt like I couldn’t quite visualize the setting as well as in Lim’s previous books. I would have liked a bit more world-building.
- I wanted even more romance and moments between the MCs!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Elizabeth Lim has become a staple fantasy author!

Beauty and the Beast meets Six of Crows? Sign me up!

Let tell you…I ATE THIS BOOK UP!
Lim does an amazing job at setting the scene for each of her books and giving you multiple characters to root for! Her characters are multilayered, morally ambiguous, and so damn relatable.

I’m in my dragon, monster romance era and I won’t be looking back anytime soon! I’ve already added this book to my cart because I HAVE to own a physical copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I can confidently call myself a big fan of Elizabeth Kim’s works. Her masterful world-building always takes me on incredible journeys, blending Eastern mythology with mesmerizing fantasy settings, heart-pounding action, and heartwarming epic love stories.

This book feels extra special, offering a creative twist on an Eastern "Beauty and the Beast" retelling while introducing a fresh, vivid take on an underwater world. The journey is painted in rich, colorful strokes, featuring phoenix demons, heroic turtles, treacherous sharks, dangerous jellyfish, and a vicious Dragon King determined to destroy his own kin rather than share his empire.

The story centers on Tru Saigas, a con artist and art forger trying to support her eccentric mother, who claims to be a fortune teller (though her "powers" never seem to help pay off mounting gambling debts), and her two younger sisters. Tru has carried the family burden ever since their father disappeared at sea years ago, leaving them to fend for themselves.

But Tru has a secret: she can paint the future whenever her fingers begin to tingle, and everything she paints eventually comes true. It’s through this power that she first envisions Gaari, her mentor and partner in crime, before they meet.

When her mother is threatened by the ruthless Madam Yargui to pay off her debts by midnight—or risk losing her daughters—Tru decides to use her gift to save her family. With Gaari's government connections, she hopes to find a solution, but a violent attack by Yargui’s men forces Tru to flee. This fateful escape brings her face-to-face with the enigmatic Dragon Lord, Elang, who saves her life—but at a price.

Elang is half-dragon, half-human, cold and calculating, and wholly focused on his mission. He presents Tru with a proposition: to pay her family's debts and secure their future, she must marry him and live in the underwater kingdom of A’landi to help him break the curse inflicted by the Dragon King. Tru hesitates, but when Elang reveals that her missing father may be held captive in A’landi, she realizes she has no choice but to accept. She ventures into this mysterious realm, prepared for a marriage of convenience with a monster.

Yet, as Tru begins her undersea adventure, she starts to wonder if Elang is as heartless and cruel as he appears. She feels an unexplainable connection to him and begins uncovering secrets about A’landi that will shake her world to its core. Amid the turmoil, she finds herself falling for the dragon lord hidden behind the monster’s façade.

Overall: I think this might be my favorite Elizabeth Kim novel yet. The clairvoyant painter heroine, the half-dragon hero, the enchanting underwater setting, the gripping twists, and the heartfelt ending all left me breathless. While it’s too soon to call, this book has already earned a spot among my top five fantasy reads of the year. It lives up to the hype and deserves all the praise—truly a marvel!

Five blazing dragon eyes, bluebells, and spicy noodle stars from me!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing this incredible fantasy as a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance at reading this.

A Forgery of Fate is a good mix of Chinese fantasy for modern / Western audiences, along with tons of Beauty and the Beast feels.

Of Elizabeth Lim's protagonists, I have to say her female lead in this is great. She is smart, headstrong, and thinks of others before herself. Working as a forger, she gets by with help of a mentor who teaches her how to swindle the public.

I love the male lead. I loved him, loved him, LOVED him. I loved his story and I loved how she mixed Chinese fantasy up with Beauty and the Beast ( know I already said that). His dragon face, along with his human face (and him wearing glasses) gave off feels. There is so much I want to say about him, but you gotta read it to truly feel the roller-coaster of emotions I got from him after the 50% mark.

The villain and the world building would be the true fault of the story. I wanted more depth, more reason behind it all besides from family hatred. Other gods are also mentioned but we really don't see them. For readers who may not be versed in Chinese mythos or cdramas, the lack of explanation or 'feel' of the non-western world is a bit of a let down.

It's a stand-alone, and if I had to give an Elizabeth Lim book to someone it would be this one.

How can I explain in words what this story meant to me? Well, I’ll try.

As a kid, one of my absolute favorite Disney movies was Beauty and the Beast. I loved our FMC Belle, and how she was so unique and didn’t conform to the standards of her fellow civilians. Belle would always read her books, love her family, and refuse the social norms. While, when we meet Beast- he would seem as one thing and slowly became almost human from inside with Belle.


Tru, probably to be a new favorite character, also had her unique personality, her unusual hair, and did what she could for her family. I could relate to both themed stories. In a way, although Elang was the “beast prince” in this story- he wasn’t alone in the outcast front. I related to this on such a personal level that I felt completely invested in this story.


Okay, my point is! That I undoubtedly adored the almost magical lyrical style of Elizabeth’s writing, and how so many similar tales could be woven in so well and still bring this story to life! I lived for the sassy banter, heartfelt moments between characters, the unexpected heartbreak and love, and well— noodles. I love them almost as much as Tru does!



Thank you Random House and Elizabeth Lim for an opportunity to read this in exchange of a review.

Beauty and the Beast meets Chinese folklore in this new adventure from Elizabeth Lim!

After the mysterious disappearance of her father, Tru Saugus takes on art forgery as a way to support her grieving mother and sisters. When trying to fence a painting to pay off her mother’s gambling debts, she finds herself in the mansion of the Demon Prince, Elang—half dragon, half human, and appropriately monstrous. Unable to turn down his generous offer, she enters a contract with him to stage a coup and get rid of the Dragon King, his grandfather. But there’s a catch: the prince can only return to Ai’long, realm of the dragons, if he falls in love and marries his Heavenly Match, his soulmate. Together they must pull off the ultimate con and forge a fate that benefits the both of them.

It was fun to be back in the realm of dragons after our last visit in The Dragon Prince, and indeed there are quite a lot of Easter eggs for those who had read it before this book, although it is unnecessary for readers to be familiar with it. Full of dragons, menfolk, talking turtles, and even a water demon, we get to experience the very thing through the eyes of spunky Tru as she becomes accustomed to her new home. As she falls in love with the beauty of the underwater world, so too does her feelings grow for Elang as they spend more time together under the guise of being a happily newly married couple.

Tru’s visions, shown through her paintings, make her a unique protagonist, but it is her sass and bravery that will really win you over. Her inability to give up on her missing father or her friends puts her in danger many times but Elang always swoops in for the rescue—despite betrayals and plots, the cruelty of the dragon king, and Elang’s own professed indifference. Her refusal to give up on Elang and his curse is just the beginning of their beautiful story. Though it is quite easy to recognize his feelings at once, it happens in the little moments for Tru: teasing over a bowl of noodles, planting a field of her favorite flowers in his barren gardens, standing up to anyone who threatens her, no matter how powerful.

Their adventure is full of action, daring, and tragedy but either on land or under the sea their love story is one that will prevail for the ages.

If you are unfamiliar with Chinese Folklore Elizabeth Lim’s books are an excellent place to start exploring a new genre, as she expertly weaves in fairy tale elements readers will already be familiar with and strong independent main characters to create enchanting and fun stories for us all. I only have one request after finishing this new one: please let Seryu finally find his happily ever after next!

There is a magical power in some stories, something that draws readers in and keeps them engaged, invested in the characters, and absorbed in the adventures. This magical story is definitely imbued with that power. It is, as the author promises, an amalgam of fairytales from Beauty and the Beast to Little Mermaid, to Chinese folklore; and yet, it is quite original. Told in first person from the female protagonist's view, there is adventure, a romantic note, some heartache, a dash of whimsey, and dragons. The main character is likeable and it was easy to get hooked by her tale. It flows nicely with a good pace and pleasant narration-style. Those who have read the author's prior stories may recognize the "world" and even some characters but this is a standalone and can be read and enjoyed independently. Anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings or sweet romantic tales of magic and adventure will likely find this a pleasure to read as much as I did.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Children's - Knopf Books for Young Readers) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Thank you to Random House for the ARC!

4.25 stars. This is my favorite Elizabeth Lim book yet, by a mile! Romantic, mysterious, and whimsical, with some twists, turns, and feels along the way. Reading this book felt like reading a fairytale, in the best way possible. Our heroine had bravery, spunk, and a good heart: easy to root for. The main romance is tragic but sweet. And the storyline is complicated enough to be interesting, but simple enough to let the characters and world shine.

A lot of pretty common tropes are found in this book, and it is in some ways a (loose) retelling of beauty and the beast, but I found it to be a good balance of familiar and new. It certainly didn’t feel derivative or un-original, where many “retelling”-style books fail. It’s also not pacing completely new ground in terms of the storyline or characterizations, but I think the magic concept was fairly novel, and the plot is a fun path to follow, even if it has been walked before.

Definitely recommend, as a whimsical and fresh YA romantic fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children's for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the concept of the protagonist being an art forger--that was something I hadn't seen before. Tru was a well-fleshed out protagonist and so was her eventual love interest. It was hard to put the book down, I just kept reading to see all the drama unfold...

My main complaint is that the book should have been longer--I wish we got more time in the palace that Tru lived in for most of the book. The worldbuilding was really compelling--but again, way too short to be fully expanded on.

Still, another excellent book from Elizabeth Lim!