BWS Review: A Forgery of Fate
- Bookworm
- Jul 7
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 30
Quick Overview
Title: A Forgery of Fate
Author/Publisher: Elizabeth Lim/Alfred A Knopf New York
Story: An art forger, Truyan Saigas, can paint the future, but that can't pay off the gangsters after her mother's gambling debt. A cursed dragon lord offers to pay off the debt and give her answers about her father's disappearance in exchange for her hand in marriage and for her to paint the future of the downfall of a god.
Published Date: June 2025
Genre: Romance, Adventure, Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology
Where to read it: In your favorite love seat with a bowl of noodles.
Pages: 467 pages
Beauty and the Beast meets a cursed Dragon and a clairvoyant painter in A Forgery of Fate. This book is filled to the brim with high fantasy, Asian mythology, and a romance so deep it could kill a god, which makes a one of a one-of-a-kind adventure. A Forgery of Fate, written by Elizabeth Lim and published by Alfred A Knopf New York in June 2025, takes place in the same world as Lim’s other book, Six Crimson Cranes. Prepare for dragons and danger and love!
The Summary
Truyan Saigas can paint the future, but such a magical gift can’t put her family back together after her father was lost at sea or stave off the gangsters demanding payment for her mother’s gambling debts. Then she meets the mysterious dragon lord. He offers a fresh start for her family and elusive answers to her father’s disappearance. In exchange, he wants her to become his wife, join him in his desolate undersea palace, and paint the future so treasonous it could kill a god.
Warning! Slight Spoilers Below
The Evaluation
A Forgery of Fate is a vivid adventure that takes its readers through the streets of a mortal realm with Asian culture then dives into an undersea palace ruled by dragons and other mythical creatures. I enjoyed the action-packed scenes and descriptions of mythical creatures and magic. The story is filled with danger, romance, and betrayal that caught me off guard. A few themes of A Forgery of Fate are to trust in oneself and to take control of your fate. “Fortune finds those who leap, my Tru. Whatever yours is…you make it yourself,” (3 pg). Tryuan must take control of her fate by trusting in her ability to see the future so she can fulfill the marriage contract and survive their mission.
Strengths
The fantasy is centered around Asian mythology.
I don’t read enough fantasy books centering around other mythology (Besides the Percy Jackson/Greek Gods) so the book felt new and exciting. “Tomorrow was Ghost Festival, which honored the dead. It was the day the gates of Heaven and Hell opened, when all spirits were permitted to visit earth…From the festival tents, I purchased a stack of spirit money --joss paper with silver strips -- a prayer lantern to honor Baba…” (42 pg). The worldbuilding in the novel was rich with culture, magic, and vivid descriptions of settings.
This is a great high fantasy adventure.
The story starts in a familiar setting in a mortal realm then transports the reader to the Al’Long, Realm of Dragons. Everything feels magical and dangerous. “I went still, not daring to move as one of the smaller jellyfish swept a tentacle across my forehead. A second tentacle encircled my neck. Who are you? It asked, in a voice that echoed eerily through my head,” (174 pg). Tryuan faces off against many dangerous threats, including jellyfish and shark guards, a crab-centipede monster, and the Dragon King.
Most of the book takes place underwater.
This is one of the few books I have read where the main character spends most of the book underwater. She lives in Ai’Long in her husband’s palace and learns to adapt underwater. She has to adjust to her new surroundings. “It did feel like flying. The water seemed to track my thoughts and follow me,” (184 pg). Lim does an excellent job of building a world under the sea.
The marriage to lovers trope was sweet.
Many of the audience can predict that Tryuan starts to grow feelings for her husband. Their journey from strictly business partners that HAVE to get married for “fate” reasons to something more is filled with sweet moments that will tug on your heart. Forgery of Fate is a slow burn with a lot of yearning. Yet, this couple may not live happily ever after together due to a curse.
Weaknesses
No book is totally perfect. Here is point from the book that didn’t work for me.
The mother’s problematic behavior is never addressed.
The mother’s gambling addiction is almost like an antagonist itself. Tryuan has to be the provider for her family due to their mother’s gambling addiction. “Dejected, she found her way into Gangsun’s gambling dens, certain that her Sight would give her an advantage. “‘One more try,’ she’d say every time she lost. ‘The sprites of fortune are with me still. They’ll carry me through another day,”’(45 pg). It led to the family being in danger from gangsters wanting their money.
With such consequences to her actions, the audience might expect there to be a redemption arc for the mother, but there isn’t. The book doesn’t even mention how the mother got over the gambling addiction or if her children hold any grudge for all the grief she put them through. I feel this isn’t an entirely accurate depiction of gambling addiction. There should have been at least a scene that mentioned the mother overcoming her past sins and growing closer to her daughters for it.
The back cover’s line “they will bring down the gods” isn’t accurate.
The back cover states “A girl who paints the future. A cursed Dragon Lord. Bound by love and deception, they will bring down the gods.” This line mentions plural gods as in more than one god, but that isn’t what happens in the book. I can't give more away without spoiling, but I thought this was an interesting detail of misinformation.
The Rating
The Bookworm’s Snack rates A Forgery of Fate 5 out of 5 stars.
Forgery of Fate is a romance adventure YA book about a woman who can paint the future and her marriage to a cursed Dragon Lord as they defy a God. The book is filled with romance, danger, and Asian theme fantasy with excellent worldbuilding and a great story. There was a mention of how or why the mother got over her gambling addiction that had played a big part in Tryuan which left an incomplete feeling. The Bookworm’s Snack rates A Forgery of Fate 5 out of 5 stars. If you are a fan of Lim’s other work Six Crimson Cranes, a slow-burn romance story where the couple marry before falling in love, dragons, or Asian mythology, then this book should be your next read!
Comment if you have read Six Crimson Cranes or any other Lim’s other works or are excited about A Forgery of Fate.
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