eARC Review: A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim

A Forgery of Fate
by Elizabeth Lim
Publication Date: June 3rd 2025
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Find This Book: A Forgery of Fate
Source: NetGalley eARC
Rating: 5/5

A breathtaking romantic fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast about a girl who paints the future and a cursed dragon lord, bound by love and deception in a plot to bring down the gods.

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. . . .

A Forgery of Fate has cemented Elizabeth Lim as a favorite author of mine. Inside you’ll find a fake marriage, scheming, an underwater palace, a brooding dragon, budding friendships, and drool-worthy food descriptions. I’d say this is Beauty and the Beast inspired, but not a retelling. It retains the cursed love interest vibes while offering a wholly new experience!

What I Loved:
-The character building
-Focus on family and friendships
-The Magic System (painting the future still leaves room for trickery and surprises)
-Fake Marriage (and the slow burn genuine yearning that goes with it!)
-The descriptions, Lim is a master at settings and visuals
-The final showdown was awesome
-This book made me cry

I can’t finish my review without expanding upon the characters in this, especially the main characters Truyan and Elang. Tru knows her strengths and she stands by her convictions. She’s fierce yet compassionate and her empathy and cleverness are aspects that I adore and respect most about her. As she gets transported to the undersea realm of magic and dragons and has to start her life anew, she forges new friendships and inspires the people around her to do their best.

I also enjoyed the agency Lim gave Tru, considering the retelling vibes. Unlike Belle who essentially gets kidnapped and is held prisoner; Tru is instead a willing participant in a fake marriage where she uses her painting skills to help Elang’s mission while Elang helps Tru find her missing father.

In summary, I devoured this book and highly recommend it!

Review: Fate Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

Fate Breaker
by Victoria Aveyard
Publication Date: February 27th 2024
Publisher: HarperCollins
Find This Book: Fate Breaker
Source: Publisher Final Copy
Rating: 4/5

A dark fate descends. A shattered alliance must rise.

The Companions are torn apart and the realm hangs in the balance, at the edge of ruin. Taristan and Queen Erida rise triumphant from the battlefield, while Corayne barely escapes with her life; her Companions left behind to uncertain fates.

But not all hope was lost: Corayne managed to steal Taristan's Spindleblade. Without it, Taristan can’t rip open any more Spindles. Without it, he can’t end the world.

Now, from every corner of the realm, the Companions race to reunite while they rally old allies and seek unexpected new ones, in one final push against darkness.

But Taristan and Erida are all but invincible. With their cruel god, What Waits, on their side, they will sacrifice anything and anyone to his hunger.

Everything has come to this. In the final clash between good and evil, a ragged alliance makes its bravest stand against a ruthless enemy . . . and the demon god who would consume the realm entire.

I really enjoyed this series! This book covers a lot of bases, it pretty much has it all! You've got a band of heroes, a villain power couple with an undead army, immortals, knights, assassins, bounty hunters, pirates, dragons, and even magical swords that create portals to other worlds. This series has a lot of really fun and fresh takes on several fantasy tropes, and I love characters with whit, angst, and snark which Aveyard does really well.

The world-building was especially well done, and each book takes its time to develop the ensemble cast of characters, even the ‘bad guys’. There are several different romance side-plots so you get a little taste of everything in this series. My favorite was the slow burn couple, followed by the villain romance. The action scenes were awesome and I really enjoyed the development of all of the character arcs in this last book.

I can’t give Fate Breaker five stars because the ending didn’t provide the plot closure I was looking for. The epilogue gave only 2-3 paragraphs per person and it was all a bit too vague for me to feel satisfied. After dedicating the time to read 1,779 pages (for all three books) I should feel satisfied! But all in all I would still recommend this series for fantasy buffs. It is such a fun journey!

ALC Review: Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame by Neon Yang

Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame
by Neon Yang
Publication Date: May 6th 2025
Publisher: Tor.com
Find This Book: Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame
Source: NetGalley ALC
Rating: 5/5

The fiercely independent nation of Quanbao is isolated, reclusive, and something of a mystery to the rest of the world. It is rumored that there, dragons are not feared as is right and proper but instead loved and worshiped.

Yeva is perhaps a strange emissary to these people. Not only because their face has never been seen in public, but because they are a hero born to a birthright that makes them suited for their task—hunting dragons.

And so the dragon hunter must woo Quanbao's queen—the Lady Sookhee—to understand what secrets she is hiding. A woman reasonably suspicious of Yeva's intentions, and the imperial might of the throne she represents, Sookhee bears the burden of the safety of her entire people. How can she trust this stranger newly arrived to her court, a weapon forged in blood and fire, to understand what her people need and how best to safeguard their future?

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is an entertaining queer novella set in an Asian-inspired fantasy world. The worldbuilding was the best part! It was so well developed with national relations, lore, and food descriptions.

Yeva, a disabled sapphic dragon slayer, being sent to the neighboring kingdom to root out the deadly dragon they are harboring was such a cool plot idea, and Neon Yang is such a mesmerizing writer. I wish it was longer! I adored Yeva as she navigated her past and her growing feelings for the girl-king all during her ongoing investigation into the dragon. I’d definitely recommend this one to dragon lovers, and folks who enjoyed queer fantasy like Bookshops & Bonedust. It’s such a treat!

Also, how gorgeous is this cover?!?!

ARC Review: Where Shadows Bloom by Catherine Bakewell

Where Shadows Bloom
by Catherine Bakewell
Publication Date: February 11th 2025
Publisher: HarperCollins
Find This Book: Where Shadows Bloom
Source: NetGalley eARC
Rating: 4/5

Ofelia has lived her life dreaming of entering Le Château Enchanté — the mysterious court of the gods-blessed King Léo, where the shadow monsters that roam Ofelia’s home never trespass.

Lope has lived her life as a knight, defending Ofelia and her home from Shadows even as she dreams of escaping with Ofelia by her side.

When the Shadows venture too close, Lope and Ofelia are thrust into a journey that will lead them to the heart of the darkness haunting their the dazzling and deceptive Château Enchanté itself.

Where Shadows Bloom is a high fantasy book inspired from French and Spanish nobility. It has cozy, dreamy prose perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli. Ofelia and her brave knight Lope travel from the countryside to Le Chateau to escape the dangers of the Shadows: monsters that haunt the night and steal the breath and life of those who foolishly venture outside. While Ofelia adjusts to their new life at court, Lope still sees danger around every corner. Can their love overcome the monsters, secrets, gods, and the growing distance between them?

Things I Loved:

• The yearning (with dual POV). Where Shadows Bloom is perfect for readers who want some action but want the focus of the book to be on the main character’s inner monologue. This is a medium-paced book that centers on the yearning on both sides of a sapphic romance.
• The main theme. What makes this book so strong is its exploration of its main theme: what it means to be human. Experiencing love, experiencing grief, one of Ofelia’s tasks is to teach humanity to a lonely god. The evolution of the god’s character was just as compelling as the main characters’ character developments.
• While the flaws of the characters are definitely showcased, there is strong character development, and the ending redeemed my frustration with Ofelia throughout the book (see first bullet point below on my gripe with Ofelia).

Things I Didn’t Love:

• Ofelia’s cheerful outlook started off inspiring and understandable but became annoyingly obtuse as the novel went on. 
• As in many fairy tales, there is a god to bargain with and it just felt like they bargained with them too many times.

ARC Review: Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce

Dating and Dragons
by Kristy Boyce
Publication Date: December 31st 2024
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Find This Book: Dating and Dragons
Source: NetGalley eARC
Rating: 4/5

Quinn Norton is starting over at a new high school and hopes that joining a D&D game will be the trick to making friends. The plan sounds even better when she’s invited into a group that includes Logan Weber, the cute and charming guy she met on her first day of class. But this isn’t your average D&D campaign— this group livestreams their games and enforces strict rules: no phones allowed, and no dating other group members.

Quinn is willing to accept the rules, even if it makes Logan off-limits. And she quickly learns that doing so won’t be a problem, since Logan goes from charismatic to insufferable as soon as she agrees to join. As their bickering—and bantering—intensifies inside and outside the game, Quinn can’t help wondering: Is Logan’s infuriating behavior a smokescreen for hidden feelings? Quinn is risking it all, and the twenty-sided dice are rolling!

This book is such a cute high school first-love story, and it delivered on the D&D aspects. Dating and Dragons follows Quinn Norton as she transfers schools halfway through junior year. Struggling to make friends, she joins a D&D group that streams their sessions (an aspiring Critical Role/Dimension 20-esque group). As Quinn navigates her new world and her heartbreaking betrayal that made her leave her old school, she’s also confronted with her grandma who is not-so-subtly trying to set Quinn up with her crush, Logan. The only problem? He’s part of her new D&D party and the group has a strict no-dating policy.

What I really loved about this book was the balance. The romance didn’t hoard the spotlight, and so many different aspects were allowed to shine. Some of my favorites? Grandma. Grandma was absolutely fantastic in this book, and her relationship with Quinn and her coming to terms with herself aging were powerful side plots to this novel! I also loved seeing Quinn’s relationship with her brother and her blossoming new friendship with Kashvi.

Because of the group’s no-dating rule, Quinn and Logan’s relationship is a very sweet slow burn. It was so cute watching them navigate their feelings and young love butterflies for each other, it reminded me of my high school relationships. It was exactly that a YA Romance should be.

ARC Review: My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

My Salty Mary
by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Publication Date: August 20th 2024
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find This Book: My Salty Mary
Source: NetGalley eARC
Rating: 5/5

Mary is in love with the so-called prince of Charles Town, except he doesn't love her back. Which is inconvenient. Since she's a mermaid, being brokenhearted means she'll—poof!—turn into sea-foam.

But instead, Mary finds herself pulled out of the sea and up onto a pirate ship. To survive, she joins them. But Mary isn't willing to just sing the yo-ho-hos. She wants the pirate life, all of it, and she's ready to make a splash . . . by becoming captain. But when Blackbeard dies suddenly, Mary has a chance to become so much more: Pirate King . . . or Queen. She won't let anyone stop her—not Blackbeard's cute son, not her best friend from back under the sea who's having a bit too much fun with his new legs, and certainly not everyone who says she can't be a pirate just because she's a girl.

She may not be the best man for the job, but she'll definitely prove that she's worth her salt.

It’s no secret that I love a good retelling and Hand, Ashton, and Meadows are masters of marrying alternative history with comedy. Mixing The Little Mermaid with the life and times of the infamous lady pirate Mary Read means the reader is in for quite a tail er… tale. The strength of this series is the witty, sassy narration and dialogue, and My Salty Mary does not disappoint. This book is hilarious!

The POV’s rotate between Mary Read aka “Littlest,” her partner in crime Tobias Teach, and her cousin Calico Jack. With lots of “ahoys” and “yo-hos” Mary and her crew try navigating pirate life in the Caribbean.

Unfortunately for them, they must escape the perils of the high seas (aka notorious pirates and pirate hunters) if they want to succeed in their quest to make Mary the new pirate king, or queen in her case. The captain who returns with the most treasure will claim Blackbeard’s title and define the future of piracy. If Mary where to win, she could stop hiding her gender and declare that women are allowed to be pirates, The narrative is whimsical and adventurous, while still driving at themes of feminism and equality. This book is an instant new favorite!