4.5 🌟

Thank you to netgalley for an arc of this book!

Oh how I adore Elizabeth Lim’s writing. After loving her other series I was so excited to read this one and it did not disappoint - I was instantly hooked in and transported to this wonderful world she built.

I adored Yonsar & everything in Ai’long, the world was so rich and it just made you feel like you were there! I loved Elang & Tru’s growing relationship even knowing he was trying not to make it happen for some reason and the ending did not disappoint - I didn’t expect him to be gone but coming back after 3 years and them finding each other was just 👌🏻.

The banter, the characters, the sea creatures, the lore! This world is so well written and the story is just beautiful with all the twists and turns along the way. Would 100% recommend

Kinda lost interest in the middle but eventually managed to finish this book. Didn't really like how they barely communicate to win against the evil but it wasn't bad. I am still intrigued to discover more of the author's works.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton | Hodderscape for providing me with this ebook in exchange for an honest review*

I did like it but wasn't excitedly over board with this. I think that Elizabeth Lim is a really good author yet her books keep being adveritised as YAs, when in fact they're middle. But nevertheless, it was quite enjoyable.

I had downloaded this before the publication date - unfortunately, there was an issue with the epub file (the majority of the book is missing) and as it's no longer available for download, I am unable to re-send it.

I absolutely delighted in this return to Elizabeth Lim's fantastic world building. This addition takes place in a whole new culture and place which is rich and well developed. The description of Beauty and the Beast meets Little Mermaid was 100% right but Tru is a ,less scholarly Belle much more streetwise and practical! I loved how the story started with the backstory of the family so we could appreciate the character development. Elang makes for an enigmatic and compelling male lead and the slow burn romance reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle. Overall Elizabeth Lim's lyrical, immersive writing, well developed characters and compelling plot makes for another great read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️½

It was a unique blend of a Beauty and the Beast retelling with rich Chinese culture, and an enchanting underwater world had me craving more!

Tru, our art-forging heroine, is a fantastic blend of strength and family loyalty, and her reluctant alliance with the cursed half-dragon prince, Elang, delivered some deliciously slow-burn yearning. The magical serviettes and talking turtles added a delightful whimsy, giving it serious Studio Ghibli vibes, while the deeper themes of identity and othering resonated quite strongly.

However, a few things made me scratch my head, quite literally, about the underwater logistics. How does one trip underwater? And soup? Steaming hot bao? My brain kept short-circuiting trying to imagine these physics-defying feats. While the romance between Tru and Elang had undeniable chemistry, the reveal of Elang's long-term, secret manipulation felt... well, a bit creepy, despite the author's intentions. It's the kind of plot twist that might make you question if love can truly blossom from such a foundation.

Despite these delightful oddities and a twist that might not be everyone's cup of chai, the masterful storytelling and the sheer originality of the world kept me completely hooked. If you're looking for a fantasy with flavour, a romance that takes its sweet time, and don't mind a little head-scratching about the practicalities of underwater life, then this book is for you. Just don't read it on an empty stomach!

#AForgeryofFate #NetGalley

3.75

This book had absolutely beautiful writing and world building. I also loved all the painting elements. I just felt like there was a little ✨something✨ missing that would have made the stakes higher and the middle part more engaging. I really got invested in the end though!

When I came across this book, I wasn't entirely sure what to think. Elizabeth Lim's books have been a bit hit-or-almost-miss for me, but the premise sounded cool. The book started a little bit slow, it took me a bit to get into it but once the story got going I was hooked and didn't even want to stop. There were quite a few plot twists that I did not see coming, which also kept you on the edge of your seat, wondering what was going to happen. The world that was described sounded incredible and Tru and Elang as characters are also fantastic. There was an appropriate amount of tension between them, where it kept you hoping.

All in all, 4 out of 5 stars, only for the really slow start.

Thank you toNetgalley and the Publisher for this e-arc copy. They have not in any way influenced my review.

I love Elizabeth Lim! Her books are the most beautiful fairy tales I've ever read. I loves this one even more than her other books, it's so beautifully written and emotional.

A forgery of fate was a sibling-centric, fortune-telling immersive fantasy read. It was quick-paced and full of rich settings and characterisation.

This story really came to life for me when Tru sketched the picture of the dragon. As that page came to life, so did the richness of this story. Tru found herself in less than ideal circumstances and with a sense of responsibility to her family. She was without scruples when it came to what she had to do to look after her family.

The world opened up from a city to a whole unexpected world and bunch of associations.
This was a lot of fun to explore and avoid peril with Try.

This a fantastic and intricate book that I totally enjoyed reading. I found the underwater aspect a little odd but it didn't really distract from the overall story. The characters were well fleshed out and interesting and the mythology behind the story was well considered and very beautiful.

All in all a fantastic book that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who likes their fantasy with a splash of Asian styling.

Enjoyed this one! It gave off The Dragons Promise vibes in the story a little but better!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eArc.

3.5 stars

Elizabeth Lim is just the kind of author whose books can completely enchant me. Even if they have their issues and I don't enjoy every single thing in her stories, she just writes in such a beautiful way that I cannot stop fangirling over them.
"A Forgery of Fate" takes place in the same world as Lim's "Six Crimson Cranes" duology. Once again she focuses on different characters we already know from said duology - in this case, mostly the shunned half-dragon prince Elang who we've already met as a side character in the second book (though he's not the only returning character). He's the love interest, the Beast in this Beauty and the Beast inspired story. Our main character is Tru, and I absolutely adored her. She's strong and clever but is also allowed to have her flaws and emotional baggage to carry. She was a lot of fun to follow. I also did enjoy the romance even though I actually rarely like Fated Love kind of couples and even though Elang, while I really do like him a lot, is not much different than most of the love interests in similar books. The chemistry is not always there and I always felt like they were lacking some more profound scenes instead of the at times lacklustre arguments they have, but they were still cute enough.
The side characters are fun, the Dragon king is a good antagonist, the family dynamic is chef's kiss and demon lady Shani is probably my favourite character of the whole bunch. The world building is great, I simply loved returning here. There are some minor pacing issues, the book drags a little throughout the middle parts, but all in all - if you liked Lim's previous novels, you will also like this one.
3,5 stars, rounding up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC.

As someone who has previously thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth Liam’s previous series The Six Crimson Cranes, this was an absolutely fantastic addition to the world. This story is certainly elevated if read after completing the previous series, as the world building and lore appear more fleshed out, however if read as an introduction, would remain highly enjoyable.
I loved the relationship between the sisters and their strong individual characteristics, causing them to feel less like side characters and more integral to the plot. I also loved the painting element of the story, as it added an extra dimension he plot and the character.
The romance was also incredibly sweet, with such tender moments and a healthy amount of sarcasm.
Overall, highly enjoyable and beautifully written with fantastic execution.

I've adored (almost) all of Elizabeth Lim's books, but this one was undoubtedly my favorite.
From the beginning, I was in love with the gorgeous writing, the emotions weaved all throughout the story, the rich worldbuilding and the elaborate storytelling.
The magic system was so unique and it fitted perfectly into the story.
I loved the characters and despite this being a standalone, there was so much depth and character growth. It felt like I had been with these characters for longer than just a few hundred pages.
Even though elements of the plot were rather obvious, the writing and storytelling were so captivating that I still found myself gasping at the revelations. There were also several plot twists that really surprised me.
I also really enjoyed the way the foreshadowing was done. Some events became so clear in hindsight, that I often smiled at the way the author sprinkled clues throughout the novel.
The romance was beautiful, and I shed a tear or two at the end.

Overall, this was an absolute delight of a read and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This was my first journey into an Elizabeth Lim book and wow... the world building in this book was beautiful, I was enthralled throughout and did not want to leave!!! 'A Forgery of Fate' follows talented artist Truyan Saigas, as she is thrown into a marriage contract with a surly dragon prince after he promises to help her family out of debt and help her to gain information about her father after he was lost at seas years prior. The marriage requires her to follow him down to his undersea world in order to deceive a tyrannical dragon king and forge a new future.

The beautiful but brutal world of Ai'long was enchanting and Elizabeth Lim's writing was so immersive, I definitely felt the emotions of each of the characters as they made their way through the book and could perfectly imagine the scenes that we were thrown into. The stakes felt so real to me and I was definitely holding my breath on multiple occasions!!

The romance in this book also had me swooning, the marriage of convenience was full of subtle yearning and it had my heart swelling and aching all at the same time. After finishing this book I learnt that it is connected to the Six Crimson Cranes duology which I have on my physical TBR so I will definitely be picking those up soon!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review.

I LOVE ELIZABETH LIM

There is no book that Lim can write that I don't completely fall into, spellbound. Even though the books are all interconnected through the world they are set in, I am still totally surprised and enjoy the lore that happens each and every time.

This book creates an intriguing love interest, a complex story based around a fate and a magical gift and the dragon kingdom. So much tension and yearning grows so slowly throughout the book - it is so easy in Lim's world to forget the evils around us and just believe that everyone is pure of heart and love will be enough!

I understand that this is YA and a satisfying conclusion is needed by many readers, but I feel the impact of the story's undertones and morals was lessened by a neatish ending - it should have not had an epilogue chapter.

Normally I love Elizabeth Lim's writing and her books are amazing and she did it again. This book felt so whimsical and unique and I didn't want to put this down. The characters were developed really well, although this was a retelling, everything felt new and like nothing I'd read before. I think anybody who is fans of fantasy and/or romance will fall in love with this book.

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: A Forgery of Fate
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Elizabeth Lim
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁 + 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: Ebook, 480 pages by Hodderscape

★★★★★

💌 First of all, I would like to thank @NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for a honest review. I requested this ebook because I am a fan of Elizabeth Lim.

📖 A Forgery of Fate is a young adult fantasy standalone and Elizabeth Lim's sixth book in the Legends of Lor'yan universe, in which we follow Tru, an art forger who agrees to a marriage contract with Elang, a dragon lord, in order to save her family.

🎨 Did Elizabeth Lim just become my all-time favourite author? Probably. She manages to weave stories with magical elements, adorable characters and clever worldbuilding so perfectly, and I am here for that. A Forgery of Fate is sold as a retelling of The Beauty and the Beast (aka one of my favourite Disney movies), but it is quite loose that you can almost miss it if you are not paying attention to the details. I was kind of skeptical at first about Tru's story and how it would unravel, but in the end, I just loved it, and as always, I am truly happy to see some characters from her other books appear or be mentioned in this one. Under the magical descriptions and all the fantasy, there is a real story line and, like in most fairy tales, a moral. I absolutely loved the characters and their chemistry.

I highly recommend reading this book if you have not read it yet!

For anyone a fan of fairytales, Eastern mythology and noodles this is the book for you.

The fantasy world Elizabeth has built to encapsulate this story is mythical with a hint of fairytale whimsy. The images she manages to conjure in your head of the seascape and Earthen realm are detailed and magical.

I fell in love with this story from the get go. It sets up an enchanting tale of an art forger and a mysterious collector before elaborating on the real story. In order to save her family she must help destroy the dragon king by painting his demise.

I felt joy, sadness, hope and hunger (they eat a lot of noodles) while reading this book. It is one of the best mythological fairytales I have read to date.