A Forgery of Roses
A Forgery of Roses
By: Jessica S. Olson
“Everything is a calculated move in this house. Nothing is as it seems. Ever.”
“I’m so sorry… I always do this. Every time I care about someone, I find some way to destroy them.”
I loved Jessica’s first book, Sing Me Forgotten. That book was themed around music and was a great fantasy/love story.
A Forgery of Roses is themed around a different art— painting.And while it does have a love story, it’s secondary to the mystery of the book.
The Plot
In this world there are people known as prodigies who have been gifted with part of the Artist’s power. (The Artist being God/Creator who created the world by making his paintings come to life)
Myra is a prodigy.
“Prodigy magic, which flows through my body just as it did through Mother’s, gives a painter the ability to alter human and animal bodies with their paintings, and it is considered by the Church to be even more of an abomination than normal portrait work… sinful imitation of the Artist.”
There are dangers to being a prodigy. Not only is your practice considered an abomination, but others have blackmailed and forced prodigies to do their bidding.
Myra must keep her powers a secret.
But the governor’s wife approaches Myra with a dangerous proposition. One she can’t refuse. The governor’s son, Will, has fallen from a balcony and died and the governor’s wife wants Myra to paint him back to life.
As Myra spends more time in the governor’s house, the more she questions whether Will’s death was actually an accident or something far more sinister.
With the help of Will’s younger brother, August, whom Myra has grown attracted to, and information from the infamous Forger, can Myra unravel the mystery and bring Will back to life before she is discovered and faces certain harm? Even death?
It will be tough because everyone in that haunted house looks like a suspect.
“Trust is a luxury for the wealthy, the secure, the loved.”
My Thoughts
I loved this book!
It was interesting, clever, mysterious, and suspenseful.
As an art major, I was intrigued by the concept of painting powers. I never painted with oils so I can’t relate to that experience, but I definitely knew which colors she was talking about with titanium white, phthalo blue, etc.
I liked Myra and her sister Lucy so it was easy to become invested in her predicament. The other characters were too suspicious to like. But just as I enjoyed the banter between the characters on Sing Me Forgotten, I did in this book as well. Olson is very skilled at writing dialogue.
It was a little bit like an Agatha Christie novel in that there were a lot of suspects and the crime happened in a ‘bubble’ so the ‘detective’ (aka Myra) had to figure out what was going on with each family member and servant.
I kept thinking I knew where the story’s arc was going to go but Olson kept offering up surprises and unexpected details! While there were parts of it I suspected, I don’t think I was really confident about any of my theories the entire book.
I think this book would make for a really good movie!
There is a theme that runs in the book about appearances and authenticity. While authenticity has some connotations that I don’t really agree with, I like how Olson handled it in her book. You can’t help but want to high five this character for speaking this truth:
“I’m done believing the lie… that says I deserve less respect because I struggle. I’m far stronger than you’ll ever be because I’ve fought for every victory. Because those fights have taught me compassion and kindness. They’ve taught me to see the world for what it is, not for what I think it should be. So step aside… I’m done minimizing my greatness so you can feel superior.”
My last thought is in regards to the title. I always like a profound title and one with multiple layers. I won’t reveal too much because of the nature of the story but this quote speaks to part of the title’s depth:
“I think of Ladyroses catching flame… ‘A symbol of life. Beautiful, like birth.’”
It’s the perfect title!
The One Thing
My only qualm with this book is the setting. We are not given a concrete date that this story takes place. The clues we have are that there are carriages instead of cars and gas lights instead of electricity. But the vernacular of the characters and the banter doesn’t really seem to fit that time period to me. Also the hospital scene feels too modern for gas lights, but I don’t mind suspending that reality.
Perhaps because it’s a fiction/fantasy it is not based on a historical era. Which is fine. I just felt a little disconnected from the story. We actually don’t even find out about the carriages for several chapters so at the beginning I wasn’t quite sure where I was for awhile. A little setting at the beginning would have been helpful.
Conclusion
I would definitely recommend this book!
It’s an intense (and clean!) read with a compelling plot, likable protagonist, and great writing.
And then you should also read her first book because that one’s really good too.
A Forgery of Roses finishes a little open-ended and I’m crossing my fingers for a sequel that brings Lucy’s character more into the spotlight, but I think Olson just likes to give her readers something to think about.
I was surprised by some other reviewers’ negative comments. I think if I had read their reviews BEFORE I read the book I might have been similarly influenced, but I read the book on my own and my first impressions and uninfluenced feelings about it were very positive.
I guess, as with any book, there’s a chance we have differing tastes, but I think most people will like it!
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
This book released March 29, 2022. You can purchase a copy via my affiliate link below.
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