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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Narrated by Truyan Saigas, when her merchant/sailor father goes missing, Truyan becomes a forger.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am so conflicted about “A Forgery of Fate”. It was one of my highly anticipated reads and there was so much I do love about it: our heroine, Tru, her dedication and her relationship with her family, how the beauty and the beast elements were used (although I feel it could have used more as it seemed equally inspired by Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle as I saw one review say), the settings, how Shani's motives were ultimately handled, and even the reveals for how Elang's curse worked. My huge conflict of feelings comes down to one of the big twists for the book as well as the how the ending is handled.
Serious Spoilers here on out:
I feel more time with the main couple was needed but my real conflicted feeling comes from the twist reveal with our MMC, Elang, had secretly interacting with Tru in disguise since she was a girl and was the true identity of her mentor, Gaari. This was something that made me put the book down because I remembered that Tru is 18 (she never says "I am 18 years old" but at one point says she is 18 winters old) while Elang is 21. With the age difference, the dynamic between Gaari and Tru is re-contextualized in this weird light where the then 19 year old Elang disguises himself as an old man to begin mentoring the then 16 year old, Tru. To be clear this is never painted as a romantic relationship and merely a friendly one but I do understand people who hate this reveal as I am still mulling it over. Additionally, our protagonist being 18 serves no narrative purpose (kinda would have thought it might as her mother believed she would marry rich but no such marriage scheme is ever attempted before Elang makes his proposal) so I do wonder why Tru isn't a little older. I almost got the impression that the author felt Elang had to be 21 to justify all the skills and actions he had done in his life but didn't feel that Tru's painting abilities or time training couldn't also benefit from a few more years in her age.
To be clear, this is not me calling out the author for an age gap relationship but it does feel the author clocked how Elang interacting with Tru as her mentor when she was underage and he was not might come across and made choices for the ending to smooth it over. The ending with Elang's death and sudden rebirth after a 3 year time jump felt less like it was earned through the actions of the characters or happened because of the established rules of the world but like a convenient way to hit a reset button on their relationship with a three year time jump. This time jump has both characters either 21 or Tru being 21 and Elang, now being 24 (the reincarnation is not really explained so it could be either). While I did like Tru telling him he'd have to woo her again when he returns, the epilogue felt too rushed to be satisfying when I would have rather them really talk about what they went through and choose each other after everything.
Serious Spoilers here on out:
To be clear, this is not me calling out the author for an age gap relationship but it does feel the author clocked how Elang interacting with Tru as her mentor when she was underage and he was not might come across and made choices for the ending to smooth it over. The ending with Elang's death and sudden rebirth after a 3 year time jump felt less like it was earned through the actions of the characters or happened because of the established rules of the world but like a convenient way to hit a reset button on their relationship with a three year time jump. This time jump has both characters either 21 or Tru being 21 and Elang, now being 24 (the reincarnation is not really explained so it could be either). While I did like Tru telling him he'd have to woo her again when he returns, the epilogue felt too rushed to be satisfying when I would have rather them really talk about what they went through and choose each other after everything.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was an enjoyable read! Very easy to digest as you go and an interesting world that was built. I understand it was based on Beauty and the Beast with an asian mythology twist, though I wish there was much more mythology involved.
I will say despite being an easy and fun read it didn't pull to me emotionally like Lim's other books. I appreciated it being a standalone and felt the characters were interesting, but I never felt that pull in with them. I also felt thatElang's character lost me ever since I understood he was around our FMC in different forms (and in the form of a friend) and was essentially using her to fulfill his desires. After he revealed this I wasn't able to view their love for each other the same. It felt like he had been orchestrating the plot since the beginning for his desires and I wasn't rocking with it.
Beautiful writing and a quick fantasy read to enjoy!
I will say despite being an easy and fun read it didn't pull to me emotionally like Lim's other books. I appreciated it being a standalone and felt the characters were interesting, but I never felt that pull in with them. I also felt that
Beautiful writing and a quick fantasy read to enjoy!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Elizabeth Lim won my heart with Six Crimson Cranes and A Dragon's Promise. She clinched her spot as one of my all time favorite authors with A Forgery of Fate. Lim has the skills to lure you into her stories with vivid descriptions, compelling characters and fascinating world building. She brings folklore to life with her words. I got lost in the story and didn't want to quit. My heart ached for Elang and Tru for different reasons throughout the book.
Elizabeth Lim has the ability to draw out complex, raw emotions from her readers. I love seeing various folklore come to life and Lim is a master at bringing these to life. I loved seeing the legendary god of Yongwang come to life in this unique, lyrical story. Everytime I read a book by Elizabeth Lim, I am simply mesmerized.
Elizabeth Lim has the ability to draw out complex, raw emotions from her readers. I love seeing various folklore come to life and Lim is a master at bringing these to life. I loved seeing the legendary god of Yongwang come to life in this unique, lyrical story. Everytime I read a book by Elizabeth Lim, I am simply mesmerized.