Fortune Finds Those Who Leap

I recently finished reading A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim.

~POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT~

  Rating: 4/5 stars

"Truyan Saigas didn't choose to become a con artist, but after her father is lost at sea, it’s up to her to support her mother and two younger sisters. A gifted art forger, Tru has the unique ability to paint the future, but even such magic is not enough to put her family back together again, or stave off the gangsters demanding payment in blood for her mother’s gambling debts.

Left with few options, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with a mysterious dragon lord. He offers a fresh start for her mother and sisters and elusive answers about her father's disappearance, but in exchange, she must join him in his desolate undersea palace. And she must assist him in a plot to infiltrate the tyrannical Dragon King's inner circle, painting a future so treasonous, it could upend both the mortal and immortal realms. . . ."

This book was great! What a magical, captivating, and engaging young adult fantasy about family, love, sacrifice, and power. A Forgery of Fate follows Truyan, who became a thief and art forger after her father went missing at sea to support her sisters and mother. But Tru can't pay off her mother's gambling debt, so she makes a deal with a Dragon lord, Elang, and becomes his wife. Elang gives her mother and sister a safe place to stay, but she must follow him to a palace under the sea.

The pacing at the beginning was a little slow, but once it picked up, I was completely swept away by this enchanting fantasy. The plot was engaging and intriguing throughout the book. There were several plot twists and betrayals that kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing was beautiful, descriptive, and flowed well. The world-building was excellent, the history of the world and the setting were very well thought out and executed. The magic was unique and interesting. I loved that the magic involved art and the future. I loved the inclusion of magical creatures, including mermaids, dragons, demons, sea monsters, and turtles. I enjoyed that part of the setting was under the sea, and the descriptions made me feel that I was under the water too. The ending was action-packed and shocking, although I was expecting the book to end in another direction. I'm glad that the book ended on a happy note and the problems were solved.

I loved Truyan; she was brave, resilient, strong, independent, and protective of her family. I was in awe of Tru's determination and bravery throughout the book; she stopped at nothing to save the people she cared about. There were a few times that I didn't agree with her decisions, but that made her relatable, and she learned from her mistakes. Tru's character development was great; she became more confident in her abilities and learned from her past. I loved Elang; he was charming, funny, strong, brave, caring, and sweet to Tru. Elang's character development was well done. I enjoyed watching him find true love and become confident in himself. I wished we had learned more about Elang's past and viewed the story from his perspective as well. I really liked the side characters, especially Tru's sisters and father, and Caisan (a cool turtle). I enjoyed the interactions between Tru and her sisters; it reminds me of how close I am with my sister.

The tension and chemistry between Tru and Elang were awesome! I'm glad that they were friends first, and their feelings developed over time. I appreciated that their relationship was realistic; they had problems with trust, but were able to solve them together by communicating. They were able to stay true to themselves and also found space to love each other.

Check out A Forgery of Fate and discover what happens when you agree to a fake marriage.