📚✨ A FORGERY OF FATE by Elizabeth Lim
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

This is a GORGEOUS book! Let’s just take a moment to appreciate the cover—the art, the gold-foiled edges… chef’s kiss. This one is a display piece and a beautiful story.

If you’ve been following the promos, this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling with deep roots in Chinese folklore, and I absolutely devoured it. Elizabeth Lim takes a familiar tale and spins it into something rich, smart, and full of heart.

And now let’s talk spice… 🌶️
This book is spicy, but not in the steamy sense, unless, like me, you’re a fan of chili peppers. 😂 There’s definitely tension, lusting, and yearning that totally satisfies if you love a slow-burn romance, but no open-door scenes here. Perfect for readers who prefer clean romantasy with heat of a different kind.

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🖤 SPOILER SECTION BELOW 🖤

Let’s get into the juicy bits.

Tru was such a standout. Funny, smart, brave, and intensely loyal, even when her family didn’t deserve her. She gave this story so much heart, and I loved how her wit balanced out the darker, heavier parts of the plot. She’s the kind of heroine you root for instantly and keep rooting for until the last page.

And can we discuss the tie-ins to the Six Crimson Cranes duology? The references to Kiata, to Seryu, pure joy! I loved how those details felt like little gifts for longtime readers, while still making complete sense in this new context. It’s intricately woven and completely satisfying.

Then there’s Elang… ugh, I loved him. Half-dragon face or not, that grumpy demeanor melted away perfectly. Watching Tru fall for him (and us right along with her) was so rewarding. That slow burn was just the right kind of painful, and his arc unfolded in such a soft, satisfying way. The banter. The tension. The longing. All of it.

As for the ending… yes. That twist? It surprised me in the best way. It gave the whole story a final punch of emotion and just the right amount of unpredictability. The last third of the book was impossible to put down.

Elizabeth Lim proves again that she’s a queen of yearning, slow burn, and fate-driven romance wrapped in magical, high-stakes fantasy. I closed the book feeling full but also already hoping for more in this world.