Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I devoured A Forgery of Fate faster than Tru could devour a bowl of noodles. From the moment I picked it up, I was completely immersed in this beautifully written, emotional journey. This book took me on a ride. I laughed, I gasped, I felt torn in two. It was a roller coaster of emotions in the best way, and I truly think this is Elizabeth Lim’s best book yet. Truyan immediately won me over with her strength, wit, and determination. She’s the kind of protagonist you can’t help but root for, and her journey was nothing short of captivating. “Fortune finds those who leap” sums up her story so well, and I loved watching her take risks and grow. The world-building was breathtaking. Every setting felt rich and immersive, and I could picture each scene so vividly. It was also incredibly character-driven, which made every moment feel personal and high stakes. And the turtles? Adorable and formidable. They were such a fun and unique addition to the story, and I loved every moment they were on the page. The final action scene had me glued to the pages. I couldn’t look away, especially everything that happened in the little boat. The tension was perfectly built, and I held my breath through every twist and turn. And then there’s Elang. Elang. He was my absolute favorite. I loved him, I hated him, I wanted to shake him and hug him all at once. He was such a fascinating character, and I felt everything when it came to him. By the end, my heart was wrecked in the best way possible. If there hadn’t been an epilogue, I honestly don’t think I would have ever recovered. If you’re a fan of Elizabeth Lim’s books, you need this one on your shelf. It’s stunning, emotional, and absolutely unforgettable.

~~Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC!~~

This one was just not it for me.

I found the story to be not only boring and predictable, but too unnecessarily long. There was so much setup leading to Tru and Elang's deal, and the 300 pages afterward was spent trying to convince me that these two had romantic chemistry and the curse is a tragedy that kept them apart. I just did not care for these two, nor the family or any of the side characters. The inconsistencies with Tru's powers were also very annoying. Why could she paint fast with some visions but takes forever with others? Other than to stretch the page count, I have no idea. I only stuck with it simply out of sheer stubbornness.

The writing had some pretty descriptions and phrases related to Ai'long, but it also felt juvenile, too. Demon turds was thrown out as a curse at multiple points, and it also turned me off to the story more and more with how childish it felt. I was also able to guess so many "twists" that the characters were too dumb to catch on themselves, but I was too bored out of my mind to care too much about it.

All in all, this just was not for me. This'll definitely be a hit amongst people who already love Lim's previous books, but I will not be amongst them.

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.