REVIEW A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim

A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Format: eBook (Personal Library) + Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim is a new standalone fantasy romance that's filled with Lim's signature worldbuilding (and dragons!), slow burn romance, and lots of East-Asian inspired elements. Audiobook narrator Mirai did an excellent job bringing the story to life with her performance. While the book is marketed as a Beauty and the Beast reimagining, the story focuses more on the mission and the fantasy elements than the romance. That didn’t detract from the story at all, and helped add to the uniqueness.

Truyan is a gifted art forger who stepped up to take care of her family after her father's disappearance at sea and her mother's gambling habits worsened.. After a sale of a forgery went wrong, Truyan runs into the mysterious 'Demon Prince' Elang who offers her a deal. Protection for her family in exchange for her help (and the use of her gift in painting the future) with overthrowing the Dragon King. The only catch? To overthrow the Dragon King, they both must venture to his domain and underwater kingdom.

The worldbuilding and the chemistry between Tru and Elang were what kept me hooked throughout the story. The author painted such a vivid picture of the underwater kingdom that it was easy to envision in my mind. I didn’t expect to see turtles depicted as handmaidens and mermaids as queens, but it worked well for this book. There's also some major twists and unexpected reveals in Tru and Elang's relationship that I didn't expect. While there's a slow burn romance developing, they also treat each other like reluctant partners in crime a good portion of the time which was entertaining. And all the art metaphors, especially with the main theme of the book being art forgery, were particularly witty; my favorite line was "Gray is the color of truth. The same in art as it is in life, nothing is ever as black and white as it looks."

Overall, this was a great book and a very bingeable fantasy. It's currently listed as a standalone novel, and I liked how the author wrapped up the story threads at the end of the book. I recommend this novel to fans of Lim's earlier works, as well as dragons, fantasy romance, and books inspired by East Asian folklore.

REVIEW The Isles of the Gods (The Isles of the Gods #1) by Amie Kaufman

The Isles of the Gods (The Isles of the Gods #1) 

by Amie Kaufman
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Format: Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

The Isles of the Gods is by no means my first Amie Kaufman read, but I think it's my favorite so far. A high seas adventure complete with a full cast audiobook narration and epic worldbuilding, it was a treat to be introduced to this world and get to immerse myself in the story. If you enjoy books like Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons or Adrienne Young’s Fable series, I think you’ll enjoy this book.

When the book first starts, it does take a bit to get used to all of the point of view characters in this book (there’s five, by my recollection). However, after the first couple of chapters I found all of them to be compelling and to have unique voices. Selly was unsurprisingly my favorite. Each character goes through a lot in this book (physically, mentally and emotionally), and none of them are by any means perfect. Given the setting of an impending war, it was interesting to see how each side takes into account the innocent lives caught (or soon to be caught) in the crossfire. There’s also a bit of romance in the story for those who might be interested (though that is by no means the main focus of the plot). 

The worldbuilding was my favorite part of the story. There is a large pantheon of gods within the book (as the title might suggest), though two specifically take center stage. I enjoyed learning about how each culture’s history was shaped around their respective god. The setting itself was another interesting element - magic and electricity exist side by side, crime bosses are a run of the mill occurrence in bigger ports, and they have automobiles and trains (but not high powered ships to get rid of the need for traditional sailing and speed up sea travel). There are parts of the magic system that are still a bit confusing, but I’m hoping the author fleshes that out in future installments to the series. 

Overall, this was an excellent page turning read. The tension and the pacing of the book were well balanced. Sadly, the cliffhanger was painful (and unexpected), so I’m super excited for the sequel to come out (currently set in July 2024). 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amie Kaufman

Amie Kaufman is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author of young adult fiction. Her multi-award winning work is slated for publication in over 30 countries, and is in development for film and TV. Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law and conflict resolution. She lives in Melbourne with her husband and daughter, their rescue dog, and an extremely large personal library. She is the host of the podcasts Amie Kaufman on Writing, and Pub Dates.

BLOG TOUR The Dragon's Promise (Six Crimson Cranes #2) by Elizabeth Lim

Hi friends! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim, organized by TBR and Beyond Tours. Check out the post, and make sure to show the other hosts some love as well! The link to the schedule is below. 

The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim Tour Schedule (TBR and Beyond Tours)

About the Book

RELEASE: August 30, 2022
Rep: Asian (Japanese)

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From the New York Times Bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes comes a thrilling new adventure! A journey to the kingdom of dragons, a star-crossed love, and a cursed pearl with the power to mend the world or break it… Fans of Shadow and Bone will devour this soaring fantasy.

Princess Shiori made a deathbed promise to return the dragon’s pearl to its rightful owner, but keeping that promise is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood.

The pearl itself is no ordinary cargo; it thrums with malevolent power, jumping to Shiori’s aid one minute, and betraying her the next—threatening to shatter her family and sever the thread of fate that binds her to her true love, Takkan. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she’s fought so hard to win.

REVIEW of The Dragon's Promise (Six Crimson Cranes #2) by Elizabeth Lim
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: August 30, 2022
Format: eARC (Courtesy of Publisher, TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley)
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Elizabeth Lim’s The Dragon’s Promise picks up after the events of Six Crimson Cranes, with Shiori venturing to the dragon realm to fulfill her promise to Seryu. She's playing a dangerous game of words and magic though, as her true intention is not to give the pearl to the Dragon King but to honor her stepmother's dying wish and return it to its true owner. The ensuing tale that follows is full of adventure, magic, and even a bit of a romance - a fitting close for the heroine so many readers connected to in the first book. 

The author once again did a great job making me care about the characters. Takkan and Shiori’s relationship really blossoms in this book (many of my favorite quotes center around their relationship). While they are undoubtedly the story's focus, I enjoyed learning more about Raikama and her past. She was so much more than the villain people initially thought her to be at the start of the duology. I was also quite intrigued to get to see a different side of Seryu and learn more about the dragon court. Talk about some crazy relatives there. My favorite character out of everyone was Kiki. She’s truly one of the most loyal companions I’ve ever seen, and some of the scenes she’s featured in at the end of the book were particularly heart-wrenching. 

The world-building and imagery were superb. The realms of Ai’long and Lapzur were quite enchanting to visit (though the journeys to get to the respective places seem somewhat harrowing). It was fun to see how this book borrows more elements from the original inspiration of Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Wild Swans’ and incorporates some new features from Chinese myths and legends. In my review of the first book, I made a comment about stories being made better with the inclusion of dragons. That statement holds true in this book because readers are introduced to more dragons, demons, and other fantastical beings. In short, I loved it!

The Dragon’s Promise was a worthy sequel to the story that started in Six Crimson Cranes. If a young adult fantasy composed of a sweet romance, dangerous quests, and vibrant worldbuilding sounds like something you would enjoy, I highly recommend this series. Elizabeth Lim is the queen of duologies, and she has cemented a fan for life in me with this latest release. 

Thank you to the author Elizabeth Lim, the publisher Knopf Books for Young Readers, the team at TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book as part of my participation in the tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review The Dragon’s Promise immensely. 

FAVORITE QUOTES

“Never play games with a dragon,” she whispered. “You cannot win.”

“Be it bright or dark, you are the light that makes my lantern shine.”

“Your brothers warned me that a lifetime with you would mean plenty of jabs to my pride. But my love for you is far greater than pride, Shiori.”

“If you wanted to be told you were beautiful, you would hide your scar. But you don’t. It tells your story, a story that’s meant only for those worthy of hearing it.”

For what was chaos but a knife slashing across the fabric of destiny?

About the Author

Elizabeth Lim is the author of the critically-acclaimed and bestselling The Blood of Stars duology (Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk), the New York Times bestseller So This is Love, and the USA Today bestseller Reflection. Forthcoming books include the Six Crimson Cranes duology, expected summer 2021 and summer 2022, respectively. 

Elizabeth grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, “Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that’s kinda cool!” But after one of her teachers told her she had “too much voice” in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English. 

Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and she turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel—for kicks, at first, then things became serious—and she hasn’t looked back since.

Elizabeth graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in music and a secondary in East Asian Studies, and she completed her graduate degrees (MM, DMA) at The Juilliard School. She grew up in Northern California and Tokyo, Japan, and now resides in New York with her husband and two daughters.

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Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars Book 1) by Elizabeth Lim

Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars Book 1) by Elizabeth Lim

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: July 9, 2019

Format: Audiobook (library)

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

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An amazing novel with a passionate heroine! I really liked seeing how Maia developed through the course of the novel. Her relationship with Edan is unique and beautiful. Kim Mai Guest is a dedicated narrator, whose lyrical voice brought the story to life. It has elements of both the stories of Aladdin and Mulan. I think the romance was a bit heavy in this story, I would have liked the story a bit more if it was focused on Maia’s inner strength and determination. She has overcome so much, so I think a full-circle moment where she came to that realization would have been cool. 

About the Book

Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping fantasy about a teenage girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars. And don't miss Elizabeth Lim's new novel, the instant New York Times bestseller, Six Crimson Cranes!

"All the cutthroat competition of a runway fashion reality show and the thrilling exploits of an epic quest. --The Washington Post

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia makes the ultimate sacrifice and poses as a boy to take his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors in a cutthroat competition for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the unthinkable final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the sun, the moon, and the stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this fantasy novel is not to be missed.

This is a white-knuckle read. --Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Tempests and Slaughter

About the Author

Elizabeth Lim is the author of the critically-acclaimed and bestselling The Blood of Stars duology (Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk), the New York Times bestseller So This is Love, and the USA Today bestseller Reflection. Forthcoming books include the Six Crimson Cranes duology, expected summer 2021 and summer 2022, respectively. 

Elizabeth grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, “Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that’s kinda cool!” But after one of her teachers told her she had “too much voice” in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English. 

Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and she turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel—for kicks, at first, then things became serious—and she hasn’t looked back since.

Elizabeth graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in music and a secondary in East Asian Studies, and she completed her graduate degrees (MM, DMA) at The Juilliard School. She grew up in Northern California and Tokyo, Japan, and now resides in New York with her husband and two daughters.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads