A Forgery of Roses

I received this book from Netgalley in return for my honest opinion.

This book reminded me a bit of Sorcery of Thorns. The idea of a girl that paints but is also able to capture peoples real selves. I really liked that Myra can alter the bodies of the people she paints. It was really fun and interesting to read about an ability like that. Especially when she decides to bring somebody back to life. I did miss some info, like the town they live in, the government outside of the one governor, that felt very limited.

I liked the romance. Myra was pretty bland in my opinion. She was just always busy with her sister and I didn't really like that.

Overall the book was enjoyable and I liked reading it.

Myra is an artist who can affect a person's appearance with her paintings. She's a Prodigy, and she hides her talent, because Prodigies have been going missing – including her mother. Her father is missing as well, leaving her and her sister Lucy struggling to make ends meet. Lucy is terminally ill, so when the governor's wife offers Myra a ridiculous sum of money to bring her dead son back to life with her magic, Myra really can't turn her down. Not only does she need the money, but the governor's wife threatens to expose Myra's magical ability if she doesn't successfully complete the task. So the stakes are high, and as Myra has never brought someone back from the dead, she's not sure she's up to the challenge.

Myra's magic can't work unless she understands what she's trying to change. To resurrect the governor's elder son, she has to know how he died, what killed him, what he was feeling at the time. She soon learns that his death was no accident, but she can't tell his mother that. When August, the younger son of the family, offers his help, they set out on a treacherous task to find a killer before the killer does them in.

The premise behind the magical system of A Forgery of Roses is fascinating! Painting as magic that modifies the human form. I can't think of a magical system quite like it.

August suffers from nearly debilitating anxiety. Lucy's ailment isn't easily visible to the eye. Olson deftly illustrates how these “invisible” ailments can be just as harmful to those who suffer from them as any visible wound or defect.

The atmosphere of the story is definitely creepy, with a Gothic vibe. The governor's house sounds like a chill, horrible place, with August being just about the only spark of life there. There are attacks on dark streets, encounters that shouldn't happen. Very mysterious, and it made me feel like perhaps I should look over my shoulder when walking alone.

I will say that if you're looking for a clean-cut ending, this wasn't it. Will there be a sequel? I hope so! Four stars for the story, plus one for the unique magic system. So five stars from me!

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

See the rest of my reviews at https://www.theplainspokenpen.com.

Pros: realistic characters, excellent romance, interesting magic system

Cons:

It’s been a year since Myra Whitlock’s parents vanished and with her sister sick, she’s desperate for money. The governor’s wife discovers Myra’s a Prodigy, a magician who can use paintings to change reality, and offers her a lot of money to resurrect her son. But the governor hates Prodigies and using magic comes with a cost. It’s quickly apparent that the son’s death might not have been accidental after all and Myra’s secret may not be the only thing at stake with this job.

There are three main threads in this book, the murder mystery, a romance, and the family love that causes Myra to risk everything to save her sister. The threads interweave beautifully. The writing occasionally veers into poetry with a lot of gothic overtones.

Myra is a complicated woman who has dreams of going to art school that are frustrated by her lack of money and her inability to control her magic. Her sister has a chronic illness they can’t identify and so don’t know how to properly treat. August has anxiety issues and has spent his life subsuming his desires and personality to save face for his family. None of the characters’ problems are easily solved and that makes them feel realistic. I loved how they variously helped each other deal with their mental and physical health issues, like Myra helping August breathe slowly to get through a panic attack.

I appreciated that magic couldn’t hand wave away illness or poverty and that there’s a physical cost to the user. It makes it feel like a precious commodity, hard earned and so used sparingly.

The ending wrapped things up in a satisfying manner.