My Thoughts on A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson

Just a week ago, I was perusing the bookshelves of my local library, looking for a book to read. That was when I came across A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson. I was immediately drawn in by the book cover, so I checked it out.

The protagonist of the story is 17-year-old Myra Whitlock. Myra is a Prodigy, meaning she can alter a person’s physical state through paintings. A year before the story takes place, Myra’s parents disappear without a trace, leaving her to care for her sick sister, Lucy. In the book, the governor utterly despises artists and Prodigies, wishing their studios to burn to the ground. Myra was surprised when his wife approached her studio and asked her to revive her dead son.

Myra had four days to complete this task, and was told that the consequences would be severe if she failed. As Myra scrambled to find the truth behind the death of the governor’s son so she could revive him, she met his older brother, August, who was more than willing to help. As they continue investigating the death, Myra and August learn more about the governor’s family and each other. They learned that the death was no mere accident.

I loved this book for many reasons, one being the complexity of each character. Every character in the book, protagonists, antagonists, or side characters, was written in a way that makes them seem human. Even the main antagonist had a more sympathetic side, which rounded out the character, and made the plot twists even better. 

Please note the next few paragraphs may contain spoilers about the book as I will be discussing the characters and the plot. If you have not read this book yet, I would recommend that you stop reading here!

I am often picky about romance books because in my opinion, many of them are poorly written. However, I loved the slow burn between Myra and August because of how it added to the plot. The romance was not the centre of the plot but a condiment that enhanced the flavour of the book. I loved how they grew together and fit together so perfectly. I have always enjoyed the “forbidden love” trope, and I think that this book pulls it off perfectly.

Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was how the prose was so hauntingly beautiful, hooking the reader onto every word. By the time I had read the first few chapters, I could not put the book down. The book used a lot of analogies and anecdotes and was very descriptive, so it was more riveting.

The book also had a lot of well-written plot twists. Because of how complex each character is, everyone in the book, except for Myra, seemed a little suspicious which made it hard to figure out who was behind the death of the governor’s son and Myra’s parents’ disappearance. While I did have a gut feeling about who the murderer was, it was shocking to me because of how nice they seemed. Jessica S. Olson portrayed each character perfectly by giving them a layered personality.

The character development of both Myra and August was amazing. As the story progresses, Myra grows more confident in her abilities and embraces them instead of rejecting them. This character arc happens slowly, which makes it more realistic. I also love how August became more comfortable with his social anxiety and still became more confident instead of “fixing it” which is a common trope. 

Jessica S. Olson is an amazing writer, and I highly recommend that everyone read this book. With the fantastic character development, romance, plot twists, and characterization, A Forgery of Roses is a masterpiece. If you like fantasy books or murder mysteries, this is the perfect book for you.