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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was fun! I’m not a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast so I wasn’t sure this would be a hit for me - but this worked! Tru had a lot of agency and a really good heart - I ended up really invested in getting to the HEA. I do think the book was both predictable and pretty long, and it’s better to be only one of those things, but the vibes carried the day.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Gorgeous! I love how the story unfolds and the world building!!
adventurous
emotional
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love reading anything by Elizabeth Lim! Her writing is so easy to picture in your mind.
I loved the story and every twist and turn. It is not often that I find myself thinking of a book as soon as I wake up or get home from work, but this book was constantly on my mind.
I loved the story and every twist and turn. It is not often that I find myself thinking of a book as soon as I wake up or get home from work, but this book was constantly on my mind.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
adventurous
emotional
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:
No
A Forgery of Fate has many pieces of the Beauty and the Beast story I know from Disney included without being simply an East Asian mythology spin of the exact same fairy tale. I love how Lim made it her own with characters having motivations beyond breaking a curse and saving a family member. Connecting the pair outside of the undersea castle even elevates it past the debated Stockholm Syndrome for Tru. Tru and her sisters each developing skills more than the hobby of reading books also makes them stronger women who can stand on their own and thus, more realistic. Reading books like this one does make me grateful that I can paint a picture in my mind steadily throughout the novel, though, because the landscapes, action scenes, and artwork described get quite extravagant. My emotions were everywhere while listening, thanks to the shocking events and tough choices made by characters. I need to read more by Lim, having heard positively great things about her other YA books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Kidnapping
adventurous
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes