The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: A Forgery of Fate

Series: Standalone

Author: Elizabeth Lim

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Retelling, Mythology

Rating:4.5 stars

Review:

Truyan Saigas didn’t choose to become a con artist, but after her father is lost at sea, it’s up to her to support her mother and two younger sisters. A gifted art forger, Tru has the unique ability to paint the future, but even such magic is not enough to put her family back together again, or stave off the gangsters demanding payment in blood for her mother’s gambling debts.

Left with few options, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with a mysterious dragon lord. He offers a fresh start for her mother and sisters and elusive answers about her father’s disappearance, but in exchange, she must join him in his desolate undersea palace. And she must assist him in a plot to infiltrate the tyrannical Dragon King’s inner circle, painting a future so treasonous, it could upend both the mortal and immortal realms…

A breathtaking romantic fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast about a girl who paints the future and a cursed dragon lord, bound by love and deception in a plot to bring down the gods. – summary from Goodreads

This book was amazing! It was Chinese mythology meets Beauty and the Beast meets The Little Mermaid meets dragons!

Instead of having the Beast be an animal, this “Beast” was half dragon, which is such a unique idea. I absolutely loved it. There was also complex dragon politics, which added a nice depth to the story. I really liked Elang, our half-dragon MMC. He was intriguing and he truly cared about Tru in a subtle way.

I actually really liked Tru. She wasn’t an obnoxious main character, nor was she super set on being independent; she had a nice balance. I also liked her gift. It was an interesting gift, and one I haven’t seen before.

The setting was a game changer for me! I don’t like reading descriptions- at all! I find them somewhat tedious. However, Elizabeth Lim described a very beautiful and intriguing place in a way that I could follow and sink into. I absolutely loved that this book took place underwater! It was magical and new and was the perfect twist.

There was also a nice focus on food. I am a huge foodie and love reading books that focus on food, especially foods from other cultures. Food was a big part of this story, and it held a special part in Tru and Elang’s story.

I also enjoyed the family aspect of the story. It was a nice addition to the story and added a nice depth. I actually really enjoyed Tru’s younger sisters and loved how unique they all were from each other. The parental troubles were well written and realistic, as well.

This book was a total comfort read. I usually struggle to identify comfort/cozy books, but for this book it was easy to put it in this category. I can’t quite pinpoint what it was about this book that brought so much comfort, but it was a lovely book to dive into.

I really liked the relationship between Tru and Elang. I do wish a little more time was dedicated to developing this. This relationship could have been even greater if this had happened. They still were ridiculously cute, and I need a holiday novella pronto!

A Forgery of Fate is a Beauty and the Beast retelling infused with Chinese culture and mythology! Taking place in an underwater world, with dragons, romance, and food, it the perfect comfort read!

Quotes:

“‘We made a good team, you and I. We’d have flown well together.”

“‘I wish we’d had a chance together. Friends from the start, with no secrets or lies hanging between us. I wish that we might have fallen in love the ordinary way, holding hands and stealing kisses under the trees. Watching the seasons change, and growing old together… in this life, in every life.’”