This was amazing! The descriptive language and the plot was unlike any I’ve ever read! Beautiful writing, believable characters, and an amazing story!

I still haven’t read a book by this author that I haven’t loved!!!
In this story we follow Tru an art forger who can paint the future. To keep her family safe from creditors due to her mother’s gambling; she decides to enter a marriage with a dragon prince. Elang plans to usurp the dragon king, will they be able to make everyone believe they’re in love?

I didn’t have any doubts I was going to love the writing style in this, since I’ve read a few of the author’s work so I was already familiar with it. Tru was a good MC for the most part, as well as Elang. I really enjoyed their story both as a couple and as individuals. The setting was magical and although I did see the plot twists coming I throughly enjoyed my time with this book.
Also I loved the turtles and sea creatures that took part in this story. And as much as I saw the end coming, the last few chapters hurt.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

After falling in love with the author’s writing in Six Crimson Cranes, I was really excited to hear about A Forgery of Fate. Lim always paints such luscious fantasy landscapes with her words, and this book is no different. Then add in the bonus of dragons and I’m completely won over 🤭

From the beginning, we’re pulled into a vivid story entailing Tru and her family. But when tragedy strikes and their father is lost at sea, Tru is forced to quickly grow up and become the headstrong breadwinner of the family, resorting to art cons to help them survive. Her friendship and loyalty with her sisters is such a beautiful part of the story, and I loved it just as much as the romance.

As a beauty and the beast re-imagining, there are some aspects you might find familiar, such as the FMC being forced to live with the MMC, the MMC being a “beast”, but there are also fresh, unique elements as well. Tru being an artist, and the setting of Ai’long, an underwater kingdom, made it all the more ethereal. Not to mention the drool-worthy FOOD DESCRIPTIONS. Reading about them had me craving noodles for weeks straight (no regrets)! As for the romance itself, it’s definitely slow-burn, and it a bit hard to believe Elang felt anything much towards Tru at first, due to his over-the-top prickliness, and mostly cold demeanour, but let’s just say there’s some subtle, sweet gestures and also a really nice plot twist which entirely flips everything into perspective, without giving out any spoilers.

Overall, reading this book felt like being whisked away on a wonderful fairytale adventure, filled with danger but also testing the power of family, friendship, loyalty and love. It does get emotional towards the finale, but the end left me 100% satisfied so don’t be afraid to dive into this book too!

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton (Hodderscape) for the Netgalley ARC. This review is voluntary and all thoughts are my own.

I've nearly read everything Elizabeth Lim has published and can say I am a solid fan.

Her stories are always enchantingly written with many references to eastern Asia and traditions. I was so thankful to get an early copy of this book to read from Netgalley.

I have to say once I had started it I was hooked. The story follows Tru Saigas, her father lost at sea when she was younger and her mother creating debts that need paying she works hard to become an art forger recreating and selling paintings at auction with the help of her friend Gaari. After another one of her mother's debts rears up she has no choice but to strike up a deal with the demon prince to protect her family's safety.

The deal to marry him and pretend to be his heavenly match so that he can go home and break his curse. This is all a ploy on the plans to overthrow the dragon king. Her art skills are needed again and she must create a 100% accurate painting of the kind himself.

Can she pretend to be his heavenly match without being discovered? All while trying not to fall for a dragon himself?

An enchanting read that kept me hooked page by page. Elizabeth Lim knows how to craft a fantastic story and keep you gripped to the book.

Another 5 star read I would recommend to any fantasy reader.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc!

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Ghibli fans, Elizabeth Lim is back with a new adventurous and whimsical fairytale that's sure to delight you! Not my favorite of her books but a great one nonetheless!

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Lim's works is the word 'vibrant'. She's a master of descriptions and it shows here too. Her words make sights, sounds, and smells come alive. Vibes play no small part in the beauty of her books. Fans of The Little Mermaid will find themselves at home with Lim's Ai'long. This is a world you'll want to escape into. AFOF works perfectly as a Beauty and the Beast retelling: something that retains the essence and vibes of the original fairytale yet feels wholly original. The rich worldbuilding and lore inspired by Chinese myth made this a fun time!

Tru is a likeable protagonist with whom I often resonated. A problem I often encounter in romnatic fantasy is the author 'telling' the reader how oh-so-strong and self-reliant and definitely-not-like-other-girls the FMC is, only for her to fall prey to insta lust and lose her agency. I loved how Tru maintained her authentic self throughout: she's determined to make a better life for her family and also has an actual brain.

For once, I didn't mind a brooding MMC. The key to a good romance is having an adequate amount of yearning to make it feel realistic. The romance was quite well done here! Lim did use some of the popular tropes but not in a way that made me roll my eyes for having read the same thing for the millionth time. I'll be realistic here and not use words like 'heart-pounding' but the romance definitely had moments that shone. Fans of romantasy are going to eat this up. The side characters were very likeable too! I loved Tru's sisters (not her mother, though), Mailoh the turtle and of course, Shanizhun the water demon.

Overall, AFOF did justice to its enchanting premise. The ending actually made me tear up. It was very fitting for such a cinematic tale. (I'd looove to see EL's works being adapted into animated films!) I'd recommend this to anyone who loves fairytales or Ghibliesque fantasy adventures!

Amazing!

I really enjoyed this story about a girl who can paint the future. It has everything that catches my eyes- a marriage of convenience, close proximity, great sibling relationships shown on page, and a wholesome vibe with an array of different characters under the sea!

To escape a terrible fate, our main character agrees to marry a dragon prince by painting his fate. As a forger, she is inclined to deceiving but after journeying under the sea and meeting creatures that question her sanity, she is amazed at what she can do.

I loved her fierce attitude and the slow build-up of romance. The setting was vibrant and mesmerising and the writing was whimsical, transporting me into another world altogether. I did want the pace to be a little bit faster as there were stagnant moments in the middle of the book. But overall, a fun read! The ending was very unexpected and I hope to read more by this author as I loved her other books too!

A unique retelling of Beauty & the Beast.

I found the first section really strong, I was really sucked in and I loved the character of Tru.

Unfortunately I struggled with the second part, after Tru is taken to an underwater kingdom; I love fantasy but there was something about half dragon/half humans and turtles as waiters that I just couldn’t get my head around.

Thank you for my review copy.

A FORGERY OF FATE - ELIZABETH LIM

This has been an incredible month for ARC reading, and I get to add another five-star read to my list. A Forgery of Fate is an amazing fantasy standalone; I loved it so much that I'm adding all of Elizabeth Lim's novels to my priority TBR immediately.

A Forgery of Fate follows the tale of Truyan, or Tru, whose family and life have been in upheaval since the loss of her father at sea. Forced to use the only tools in her arsenal, she becomes an art forger, which inevitably leads to her meeting Elang, a half-dragon lord who has a proposition for her.

Inspired by Beauty and the Beast, their marriage of convenience brings them to a mysterious undersea realm. I adored this setting. It felt unique, beautiful and sensory; it's some of the most creative worldbuilding I've read this year.

The romance is sweet, full of yearning and slow burn, and the stakes of their marriage contract couldn't be higher. It makes for a suspenseful yet utterly gorgeous read, and I loved it in its entirety.

Thank you to Elizabeth Lim, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Release date: 5 June 2025

Review score: 5/5

Trigger warnings: d*ath, violence, drowning

Sadly, the copy that I have doesn't actually have anything beyond the dedication so I will not be able to give an honest review.

“𝘔𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦–𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯.”

“𝘖𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥…𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨–𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦.”

Oh my god. This was such a good book!!! But the ending had me DEVASTATED. Up at 1.30am weeping.

This book was amazing and I am so grateful for being accepted to read this arc.

The characters are written so well. I adore Tru and loved seeing her grow as a character and learn to embrace her sight. I adore Elang to, and again I’m sad about the whole journey him and Tru went on. It was a wonderful journey but I wish it were different, my heart strings have been pulled. The growth between both of them and the moments where he would let his guard down for a brief second for her but would put them up again due to the ending, honestly has me crying again. I really loved Shani to, she was written so well that I felt a connection to her. The slow burn was, yeah, really a slow burn and I love it when it’s like that.

The world building was very beautiful, I enjoyed the unexpected twists and the battles really had me at the edge, I do wish there were a bit more action but I really can’t fault this book at all. I could imagine this being a movie and I wish it were. Tru’s gift being that she had the sight which was foretold through her paintings I thought was a really cool idea. I also really like that this is in the same universe as Elizabeth Lim’s other books, Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragons Promise. It was nice seeing a certain character pop up at the end, like an Easter egg!

This was a beautiful story and it will 100% be put on my shelf when it releases (I already ordered the FL edition 🤭).

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest 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…

Truyan knows what she is good at and will utilise any skill she possesses if it means keeping her family together. I really admired Tru for her tenacity and determination. The fact her family is in upheaval and she scarcely hesitates when it comes to doing whatever she can to keep them safe, you cannot not applaud her. Despite being in a completely different world to the one she is used to, the fact she takes everything is her stride and is willing to learn is what attracted me most to her character. Her selflessness knows no bounds. Her mind is open, as is her heart. What a wonderful character to lead this story.
Elang is a cold, uncaring creature for a large portion of this book. Aloof and troubled, being in Tru’s presence changes that little bit by little bit - which is, frankly, a miracle! It was interesting having him be half dragon and half human because there were times where it seemed the two parts of himself were warring with one another. This helped add extra depth to his character and kept me invested in him, even when she seemed like quite the arse. Lim has always been clever crafting her characters and Elang is no exception.

Having previously enjoyed a variety of Lim’s work, I knew I wanted to request her newest book when I came across it on Netgalley. And I am very glad I did! What a rich and wonderful world Lim has created here! Like the seas, this story flowed brilliantly, bringing a great plot that gave us the drama, the frustration and the tension and then those softer, calmer moments that gave us bittersweet feelings and had the reader invested in the story. Because it is such a rich world, there is a lot of description that goes with it. Very occasionally, it did feel a little too much for me but I knew from experience, I could surpass it and continue enjoying the story. The characters were similarly great to read. There was primarily focus on our leading characters and because of this, I did feel like other characters were perhaps not as detailed as they could have been. If they perhaps had a little more depth to them, I think this story would have felt even more magical and whimsical. Romance wise, for the majority of the book, it wasn’t a thought. Didn’t even seem like an enemies to lovers story! It just felt like there was a lot of dislike from both parties. Then, within the last 20% or so, the romantic feelings started to emerge and oooooo, they were good. I love a good bit of angst with my romances! And oh my goodness. That ending had me feeling all sorts of emotions. Bravo Lim!

Overall, A Forgery of Fate is another wonderful story from Lim I certainly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day and is available now on Goodreads.

I loved this book. It felt like if Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid, and Mulan had a baby—but it is uniquely its own story. There’s a tantalizing slow-burn romance that had me swooning, gorgeous food descriptions, writing that shimmers, and a lush, imaginative world. The story compulsively pulled me along and I can’t wait to have this on my bookshelf—recommended for absolutely everyone.

[RATE: 4.5/5] It was almost perfect! There were only missing bits for me, maybe a bit more action, a bit more chemistry, to be a favorite. But it was still honestly very good and a great and beautiful story!

I really liked Truyang's situation, her power, its specificities. There are things going her way and going against her, making a subtility in her power that make it more interesting than everything working fine. Elang was also a very good character, I really liked how he was described with is physical traits as a dragon, making him different than the others we met in this book. I enjoyed the romance between Tru and Elang, however I felt like it wasn't emotional enough, not developped enough : we feel the purpose of the romance, we know and see what happens between them, but there's not enough chemistry, not enough emotions between them both.

The story itself was really good and I was really into it, even if it was a sometimes pretty slow. However as soon as there were action, it was excellent. I really enjoyed the ending battle, but I mostly loved the overall ending of this book : it's different, it changes from regular ending of the romantic fantasy genre, and it's refreshing! I honesly really loved this ending, it was awesome.

Elizabeth Lim’s novels are always laced with such wonder and magic! Her stories weave together pieces of myths and fairytales with brilliant flair and enchant readers with the most endearing and heart-wrenching romances. Every word adds to the intricate tapestry that are her tales and her prose is always rich with such evocative descriptions and deep emotions. Her writing inspires all the senses and crafts elaborate stories of the devotion her protagonists have towards their families, their homes, and their loves.

A Forgery of Fate is a masterpiece of everything that makes her previous books just as enjoyable. The creativity of this book made every page a marvel, and the romantic tension and plotting suspense will leave you enraptured and wanting more until the very last page. I loved everything about this book!

A Forgery of Fate was my first Elizabeth Lim's book and it was amazing. This story is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and follows a fierce FMC trying to survive after her father's death. We follow her story while her family is unraveling specially by her mother's deep gambling debts and her choice of work so she can get by and helps her family.

The story picks up immediately and as the plot unfolds we see the choices our FMC does along the way. At the beginning she keeps her magic hidden as a secret, but as we go deep into the story, her abilities becomes a key to face the dangers she's facing. I found the prose stunning and her inner thoughts while painting relatable. The food descriptions made me salivate at some points.

There were a few twists that made impossible to figure out how the story was going to unfold which made me hooked from start to finish. This retelling is unique thanks to it's undersea and East Asian setting. There were so amazing scenes, and I had a few favorite quotes, like "Fortune finds those who leap.” However, I'm a bit sad with the ending since it felt a bit rushed, but overall I enjoyed this cozy fantasy story immensely.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.

Great book. Keeps you engaged with a beautiful described world, loveable characters and a great adventure. The characters give you a mix of everything and the story is mysterious and thrilling. Lovely story that makes you feel part of story.

A Magical Ride Worth Crying Over

This was my first Elizabeth Lim book—and wow, it delivered. I’m seriously considering buying a physical copy when it’s released, and I hate physical books. That’s how much I enjoyed it.

The story centers on a fierce and resilient FMC trying to survive after her father's tragic death in a shipwreck. Her family is unraveling, made worse by her mother's deep gambling debts and failed fortune-telling schemes. The first few chapters immerse us in her life of poverty and paranoia. She resorts to forging art just to get by, which draws her into a corrupt judicial system—where she’s scorned and mistreated for being "half-barbarian."

But her secret magic—kept hidden for her safety—slowly becomes her greatest weapon. As the plot unfolds, her abilities become key to facing dangers both on land and beneath the sea. The beginning 20% leans heavily on somber dialogue, which is necessary for world-building but made the pacing feel a bit sluggish. That said, the arrival of a sharp-tongued, smart-ass devil injected much-needed energy, and the supporting cast added even more flavor.

The prose is stunning—especially during her painting trances. Artists will find her inner thoughts relatable, while food lovers will practically smell the dishes described. #TeamRice

One critique: the underwater world didn’t feel as richly developed as I hoped. Maybe it's because I haven’t read much fantasy lately—or skimmed a few parts—but I struggled to visualize the setting at times. Halfway through, I had to adjust my expectations: think Beauty and the Beast meets Ninja Turtles serving Ariel's dad in The Little Mermaid. Odd combo, but still enjoyable.

And the twists—oh, the twists. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, Lim dropped another bombshell. It kept me completely hooked. I suspected one particular family member might be hiding something sinister, but nope—just deeply, tragically flawed. And the ending? I bawled. No joke, I couldn’t breathe at times. Was I being dramatic? Absolutely. Do I care? Not one bit. I even showed up to work with red eyes and a puffy face.

Favorite Quotes:

“Fortune finds those who leap.”

“Joy on the feet rises to the heart. Happiness is expensive.” (Shoutout to my fellow shoe addicts.)

“It’s rude reading people’s thoughts.”
“Then you shouldn’t make them so interesting,” she replied, licking her lips. “I taste gossip, and it’s sweet.”

“They say that when a dragon dies, he gets to choose his next life. Maybe we can get noodles together soon enough.”

The beautiful cover drew me into this book - I didn’t actually realise it was YA until I was partway through it. I don’t normally read a lot of YA, but I enjoyed this retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which felt unique thanks to its undersea and East Asian inspired setting. I was glad to find that while the story drew inspiration from this classic fairytale, it still had plenty of unique elements to interest the reader.

Tru, the art forger with the power of foresight, was an intriguing main character, and who doesn’t like a grumpy MMC who’s secretly softhearted? The feelings between Tru and Elang did seem to develop quite quickly, so it would have been nice to see this grow a little more organically, but I appreciate that’s hard in a shorter book! Though they started the story disliking each other, the story managed to stay away from any kind of toxic relationship dynamics and Tru never veered into the snarky heroine trope which we see too much of these days. She was kind, loyal and smart, and tried to do the right thing, even if it didn’t always work out.

The ending felt a little rushed, but overall I enjoyed this cosy little fantasy.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions in this review are my own.

i WANTED to love this. i was READY to love this. i saw that gorgeous cover and said “yup, she’s mother.” i saw “cursed dragon lord” and “marriage contract” and “paint the future” and was already halfway in love. but then i actually read it. and baby… we fell off. hard.

this book had EVERYTHING it needed to slay:
• fake marriage? yes.
• grumpy mysterious man calling the mc my wife? yes.
• art girl with powers? yes.
• undersea palace ruled by a dragon king?? yes yes yes.

so why did it read like someone dragged a beautifully decorated cake across the floor and handed it to me like “enjoy”?

⸻

what worked (barely):
• the vibes were vibing… sometimes. elang? he’s got that stoic, brooding, “i’ll burn the world for you” energy. also he’s literally a cursed dragon. we love that.
• i love the concept of someone painting the future. it’s fresh. weird. kind of creepy. very much main character behavior.
• and ofc, the arranged marriage. i’m a whore for the “we’re married but don’t act like it (yet)” trope. the “my wife” moments?? few and far between, but i devoured every crumb.

⸻

but now… the downfall:
• SLOW. girl this book was DRAGGING her feet. i felt like i was reading molasses. the first 100 pages were just setup. like okay we get it. she paints. her mom’s in debt. get her to the damn dragon already.
• no chemistry. the book TOLD me elang and tru were falling in love. but my brain was like “where?? when?? who??” it felt like watching two coworkers awkwardly flirt at a christmas party. forced and dry.
• flat characters. no one really stood out. tru was okay. elang had potential. but everyone else? cardboard cutouts with names. i couldn’t care less if they lived or died tbh.
• the pacing was off. this book could’ve easily been 100 pages shorter. like if you’re gonna give me 400+ pages of fantasy romance, it better break my heart or blow my mind. this did neither.

⸻

final thoughts:
this book was like an art piece that looks stunning from far away, but up close you’re like “oh… it’s just paint splatters and vibes.”

i don’t think it’s a bad book. it just wasn’t the book. the idea? ten outta ten. the execution? two at best.

if you love slow burn fantasy with gorgeous prose and don’t mind waiting 300 pages for a lil tension, go off. but if you came here for spicy dragon romance and high-stakes drama?? pack it up.

2/5 stars. beautiful gown, bad performance.

*thank you netgalley, the author, and the publishing team for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful. Utterly beautiful. I mean come on….a fantasy inspired version of Beauty and the Beast?! How can it NOT be amazing.