A Forgery of Roses: A Kirkus-Starred YA Fantasy of Romance and Gothic Mystery - Hardcover

Olson, Jessica S.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1335418660 ISBN 13: 9781335418661

Publisher: Inkyard Press, 2022

Synopsis

"A deliciously twisted gothic fantasy you'll want to read again and again, with characters you'll adore, prose that'll spellbind you, romance you'll swoon over, and a mystery that'll keep you guessing until the last stunning twist."
—Diana Urban, author of These Deadly Games

From the author of Sing Me Forgotten comes a lush new fantasy novel with art-based magic, romance, and murder…
 
Myra has a gift many would kidnap, blackmail, and worse to control: she’s a portrait artist whose paintings alter people’s bodies. Guarding that secret is the only way to keep her younger sister safe now that their parents are gone. But one frigid night, the governor’s wife discovers the truth and threatens to expose Myra if she does not complete a special portrait that would resurrect the governor's dead son.
 
Once she arrives at the legendary stone mansion, however, it becomes clear the boy’s death was no accident. A killer stalks these halls--one disturbingly obsessed with portrait magic. Desperate to get out of the manor as quickly as possible, Myra turns to the governor’s older son for help completing the painting before the secret she spent her life concealing makes her the killer’s next victim.

“A heady blend of the fantastical, the murderous, and the romantic.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review 

“Marvelously magical and steeping with mystery.” —Adalyn Grace, author of All the Stars and Teeth 

Also by Jessica S. Olson: 
Sing Me Forgotten 
 

About this title

About the Author

Jessica S. Olson claims New Hampshire as her home, but has somehow found herself in Texas, where she spends most of her time singing praises to the inventor of the air conditioner. When she's not hiding from the heat, she's corralling her four wild―but adorable―children, dreaming up stories about kissing and murder and magic, and eating peanut butter by the spoonful straight from the jar. 

Reviews

Gr 7 Up-Olson's newest offering is a satisfying dark fantasy of art, science, romance, and murder. Myra Whitlock is an art Prodigy like her mysteriously disappeared mother. In her world, Prodigies are an aberration to the Higher Power (called Artist), because of their ability to heal physical injury through the act of painting. Myra has been secretly called to bring the Governor's heir back to life by painting his portrait. She accepts the assignment for the money it will bring, which will pay for a doctor to diagnose her dying sister. Myra's inability to heal her sister reveals the intricacies of Prodigy magic: one can only fully heal another when the cause of the injury or illness is known. What follows is Myra's journey to find a murderer and a motive in the Governor's manor, and to fulfill her destiny. Olson weaves intense action and tender emotion in her multifaceted work. Descriptions of what a Prodigy feels when the magic overtakes them-experiencing everything the subject felt in injury/death-pierce with anatomical precision. Secondary characters such as pale red-haired August (the Governor's other son), the charismatic Forger, and Myra's spirited sister are as vibrant as the protagonist herself, allowing readers to hope for different outcomes throughout. The time period is perplexing, as there are carriages and corsets but also telephones and a hospital ICU, but it doesn't detract from the seamless storytelling and unexpected climax. Characters' race and ethnicity are not specified. VERDICT A triumphant second novel, Olson's not-to-be-missed tale of intrigue has something for everyone.-Jane Millerα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Inkyard Press
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1335418660
• ISBN 13: 9781335418661
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 384