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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Charming beauty and the beast ish retelling, with dragons and turtles and mouthwatering food descriptions. (Wish I was working on another cookbook!) art forgery, surprising friends and enemies, and wonderful depictions of how complicated love in families can be make this book for me. Romance was just ok, but the friendships are really where it’s at.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
This could’ve been a solid retelling of Beauty and the Beast, if only the protagonist wasn’t such a dumb, judgmental, stubborn brat with the inability to listen to others. Belle would never.
At least Yargui and Renhai are human. My family can escape them.
Girl. You literally cannot. They caught and nearly killed you and your family, and the only reason you got to escape was because of Elang. What are you talking about? It’s okay to be bold and spunky, but at least be aware of your own situation. In addition to her tendency to run on assumptions, Tru’s actions also have zero logic in them. Like she’s the one at fault, and yet she’d accuse the other party of manipulating her even though the situation happened because of something she did. She often spouts stupid remarks about things she doesn’t actually know too, like saying she wouldn’t drown for skipping sangi even though she’s literally at the bottom of the sea. She also jumps into danger without thinking. I found it impossible to like her after the way she handled a certain revelation in chapter 31, and that obviously affected my enjoyment of the book.
The writing is a bit repetitive. It often goes over things that we already know, which happened only a chapter or two ago so it can’t even serve as a reminder. It’s just redundant, and the same can be said for the dialogue. It’s also not very descriptive when it comes to places, which makes it hard to envision the world and settings. A shame, really, because Ai’long could’ve been a truly magical place if only it were properly brought to life. Similarly, Tru’s affection for Yonsar was never fully explored either. We’re only told that it grew on her, but not really shown how. All she did there was argue with Elang and everything else is just glossed over, so please excuse my disbelief when she suddenly claims that Yonsar means something to her. Seeing that Tru and Elang do have great banter at times, it feels like the story has all sorts of brilliant ideas that weren’t executed nicely.
Not sure if I liked the ending either. While it might be a happy one, it is also super rushed. I did like Tru’s relationship with her sisters though, and I also liked Elang’s grumpy character even if I’m not a fan of the romance. The characters have charm, but the lack of depth for most of them made it difficult to form any emotional attachment. Oh well, at least we got to see Seryu again.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Multilayered and deeply immersive, Elizabeth Lim has once again shown herself to be a masterful storytelling with A Forgery of Fate.
A vivid and captivating underwater retelling of Beauty and the Beast, A Forgery of Fate is wholly unique in its take on the classic tale. A story of family, acceptance, passion and loyalty, this story is magical, heartwarming, action packed and whimsical in perfect measures.
I am such a huge fan of Elizabeth's work and A Forgery of Fate did not disappoint.
what to expect:
- noodles
- marriage of convenience
- underwater kingdoms
- mermaids and other magical sea creatures
- turtles
- beauty and the beast inspired
- ghibli vibes
- cursed prince
- sisterhood
- he falls first
- slow burn romance
A vivid and captivating underwater retelling of Beauty and the Beast, A Forgery of Fate is wholly unique in its take on the classic tale. A story of family, acceptance, passion and loyalty, this story is magical, heartwarming, action packed and whimsical in perfect measures.
I am such a huge fan of Elizabeth's work and A Forgery of Fate did not disappoint.
what to expect:
- noodles
- marriage of convenience
- underwater kingdoms
- mermaids and other magical sea creatures
- turtles
- beauty and the beast inspired
- ghibli vibes
- cursed prince
- sisterhood
- he falls first
- slow burn romance
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
another lovely, whimsical, heartbreaking masterpiece by elizabeth lim; i really don't know how she does it but i feel emotions so deeply when i read her books 😮💨
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:
No
And THAT’S how you write fantasy romance with common tropes, baby.
Elizabeth Lim is so, so good at creating beautiful stories. I swear no one is doing it like her. She takes these overdone tropes and breathes new life into them.
I love that this book doesn’t bother with a love triangle, admittedly my least favorite trope ever. We spend the whole novel developing Elang and Tru’s relationship. It really is a love story, and I loved every second of it.
I think Six Crimson Cranes is still my favorite of Lim’s work, but this one was definitely up there. She’s also done a good job sharing the SCC-verse while still creating new stories every time. It almost feels like Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle trilogy.
Overall, I 100% recommend this one!
Plot: ★★★★
Prose: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★
World: ★★★★
—————————
Final Rating: ★★★★ (4.4/5)
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reminiscent of Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan, A Forgery of Fates is rooted in the cadence of Asian folklore. The atmosphere is ethereal yet grounded, drawing on mythological motifs without ever feeling derivative. Fans of lyrical worldbuilding and rich cultural undertones will feel right at home in this universe, where every detail—down to the stars inked in the sky—feels intentional and meaningful.
What truly shines is Lim’s narrative voice. Her storytelling is intimate and immersive, with a rhythm that feels almost oral in tradition, like you’re sitting by a hearth being told a story passed down through generations. Her characters are flawed and fully human, even when touched by the divine, and the emotional arcs are finely tuned to the soft ache of longing and sacrifice.
Where I felt this novel faltered slightly was in the emotional depth between characters. While relationships are described with clarity and intention, I sometimes struggled to feel the connections, particularly the bonds that should have carried more emotional weight. This may stem from the folkloric style of storytelling Lim draws from, where the focus traditionally centers on the protagonist’s journey, often at the expense of nuanced side relationships. While thematically consistent, it left some character dynamics feeling more observed than experienced.
Still, despite the emotional distance between some characters, A Forgery of Fates remains a solid and evocative novel, one that fans of folkloric Asian storytelling will deeply appreciate. Its mythic tone, lyrical prose, and cultural resonance more than make up for the moments where emotional connection takes a backseat to narrative tradition.
What truly shines is Lim’s narrative voice. Her storytelling is intimate and immersive, with a rhythm that feels almost oral in tradition, like you’re sitting by a hearth being told a story passed down through generations. Her characters are flawed and fully human, even when touched by the divine, and the emotional arcs are finely tuned to the soft ache of longing and sacrifice.
Where I felt this novel faltered slightly was in the emotional depth between characters. While relationships are described with clarity and intention, I sometimes struggled to feel the connections, particularly the bonds that should have carried more emotional weight. This may stem from the folkloric style of storytelling Lim draws from, where the focus traditionally centers on the protagonist’s journey, often at the expense of nuanced side relationships. While thematically consistent, it left some character dynamics feeling more observed than experienced.
Still, despite the emotional distance between some characters, A Forgery of Fates remains a solid and evocative novel, one that fans of folkloric Asian storytelling will deeply appreciate. Its mythic tone, lyrical prose, and cultural resonance more than make up for the moments where emotional connection takes a backseat to narrative tradition.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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:
Complicated